Tim Jon
By Tim Jon Complete isolation, peace and quiet can be quite rare commodities these days in the thriving Northern Virginia County of Loudoun, but these conditions prevailed on my first-ever drive down the entire length of today’s subject of discovery. The relative tranquility I found fought for attention, though, with the general rural nature of…
By Tim Jon This—I thought—is pretty much quintessential 21st Century Loudoun County: a hurried motorist speeding by—within just a few inches—of an historic relic, which has stood so long that many of us may be forgiven for temporarily forgetting its otherwise quite formidable presence. Yeah, I know, that’s a lotta words and images and other…
By Tim Jon I knew nothing of the late Mervin Jackson of Leesburg, Virginia, when I first moved to town; having said that, I wouldn’t have been surprised (even back then) at his existence. I remember first hearing a description of his character by a trusted friend (this being on the eve of Jackson being…
By Tim Jon There were two paths from which to choose: one, well-paved and more civilized, stuck to the wooded area and playground; the other, rough and rocky, descended – seemingly to the original, infernal pit itself. I chose the latter, of course. Pulling into the parking area for Trailhead Park in Ashburn, I could…
By Tim Jon The morning of my last visit, it felt as if the slate of the entire world would be wiped clean; a very pronounced wind made its presence felt, as the actual temperature hadn’t risen appreciably enough above the freezing mark – at least for my sensitive tastes. Sensitive, that is, for someone…
By Tim Jon “What do you recall?” Well, let’s see: there was stately, iconic Buchanan Hall, some not-so-distant views of the Blue Ridge, then that initial ride through main street – rolling through the Village – the classic silhouettes of the Hunter’s Head Tavern, an imposing physical (and spiritual) presence encountered at the Upperville Baptist…
By Tim Jon Being a one-man-band as News Director at a small market radio station – a couple of decades ago – could be a remarkably difficult and frustrating experience – especially in one of the busiest, wealthiest and fastest growing counties in the known universe. It also came with some surprising and very simple…
By Tim Jon You may not remember the name Chuck Thornton – despite the historic line of time for those in the family in this region – but I was fortunate enough to serve under his management during my early tenure as news director at Wage Radio in Leesburg – beginning more than a quarter…
By Tim Jon “So – just where is this ‘tail race’ we’re talking about? And, while we’re at it – just what is such a thing as a tail race, in the first place?” Well, good question. And, good question. Let’s see: as far as what a tail race is, the way I understand it,…
By Tim Jon One of the coolest toys I got to enjoy as a kid was a farm set; it came in a box from Sears Roebuck and had pretty much everything I could imagine (as a five- or six-year-old) one would need to get set up in the agricultural business: a two-story barn, of…