Digging in the dirt

I was kicking back watching the new show "Gossip Girl," when I thought to myself, "Self? Wouldn't it be fun to blog about the goings-on in Brambleton?" So that's what I'm doing.

For those of you who don't know, Brambleton is a planned community in eastern Loudoun County, Virginia. Brambleton was the first Verizon Enhanced Community; our FIOS Internet and TV comes to us at blazing speeds. We have schools, a town center (with a multiplex theater, grocery store, a variety of shops and restaurants, with more on the way -- including Loudoun County's first Barnes & Noble), parks, trails, a pool... all within walking distance of my house.

I love living here, but as with every place, you take the good, you take the bad, right? I mean, them's the facts of life! So what is BrambleDirt? If you've tried to dig in your yard to plant a tree or some flowers, you've encountered the mix of dense clay and stones (plus the occasional door hinge or empty can) that the builders used to fill up the hole that surrounds your foundation. It's a metaphor for our community's foundation -- solid, with an occasional rocky or rusty surprise.