Butttercups and Cannon: Day 10-The Thornberry Family

Wednesday, May 10

It is a glorious day in the park today – blue sky, a few white cottony clouds.  I would guess the temperature to be about 65 degrees.

I hiked up to the Thornberry House today, one of my favorite places here in the park.  I wanted to be sure to capture it in words and pictures before my AIR time is over.

On the way to the house itself, the Sudley Loop Trail rises high above the waters of Bull Run.  Pink forest phlox danced on the light breeze and Red Spotted Purple butterflies flitted about.  I found the perfect spot to set up.  My trusty camp stool precariously perched just off the trail, I sat down to do a quick painting.  Today I challenged myself to do an exercise in painting quickly – not thinking too much or putting in too much detail.  There were some wonderful distractions – a mother Pied-billed grebe and her four young ducklings waddled up the far bank,  sleek tree swallows swooped down to the water, and cardinals provided music to paint by.

A huge sycamore clings to the bank near where I sat, old enough I’m sure to have been around when John Thornberry and his family lived in the house just up on the hill behind me.  Part of the house dates to the 1840’s, so it was there at the time of the Civil War.  What it must have witnessed!