Old-fashioned Thanksgiving

. . . and I'm talking really old fashioned. Like late 19th-and early 20th-century old-fashioned.

This weekend, Bruce and I went to the Candlelight Tour at the little historic village near here, Usher's Ferry.

There were candles in glass jars all along the walkways. And that was pretty much it in terms of light, except for a few strings of electric lights. You can forget how DARK it is when there are no streetlights!

The little buildings were lit with candles or lanterns. We walked from building to building, learning how to play the early-20th-century game "Flinch," dancing the Virginia Reel in the City Hall with some other visitors, having tea and cake at the hotel,
and listening to some Celtic music in the old church.

They put this tour on every year at Thanksgiving--except for 2008 and 2009. The village is within about 200 feet of the Cedar River, and was completely submerged in the flood of 2008. The hotel where we had our tea took in water up to the ceiling.

Back then, I figured the little village was a goner. But volunteers and a resident carpenter have been working on it for the past 2 years . . . and it's back in working order.

We're glad we were able to be at their reopening.