Webmaster: I trust the Knights of Columbo will post this on
TheDoubtfulGuests' webpage and send you the url. Many thanks,

But for everyone else why wait!

Ghost Castle of East Falls Church
Along the W&OD Railroad Trail
Placed by the Doubtful Guests
November 8, 2002
Arlington County
Arlington, VA
Hand made stamp
Metro accessible
Dogs on leash ok.

1724 in the wilderness of the Colonies.

"Damn good brandy!"
"And you thought camping with a surveyor would be uncivilized. Come.
Let me show you the secret around these parts. And the more brandy
you have the better you can see it. ... That hill yonder. See the
moat that swirls around its base? See among the trees its crown of
crumbling stones?"

Straining to focus his misty eyes they slowly widened in wonder.

1999 on the Orange line.

Between West Falls Church and Balston I like to look north from the
train for the window cut through a chimney. Looking south one day in
the leafless winter, just east of East Falls Church, I saw a sharp
hill rising out of the middle of suburbia. "What is that?"
I gathered the troops: 9 year old boys and a girl armed with souvenir
flintlocks from DisneyWorld and wooden swords from the Renaissance
Faire. Crossing what looked like the remnants of a moat we stormed
the summit. In victory we examined the peak's crags of orangish rock.
Our minds spinned into...

1366 A.D.

All around us were the reddish orange battlements. Below lay large
pieces of the fallen tower, once gleaming of white quartz.
"What smells of elderberries?"
"You Father. Ever since lunch. Can we get a hamster?"
"Ask your Mother."
Suddenly the trojan rabbit hurled itself over the battlements.
Sprinting northeast down the path it jumped on a chunk of white tower
quartz stuck in the path. Puzzled, rabbit pulled from its waistcoat a
watch, or possibly a compass, and dashed off at 120 degrees. Only to
stop short on a another white rock. White Rock? Don't they make
ginger ale? Looking nervous and late rabbit dashed off again at 60
degrees leaping some 40 giant steps to a very large tree. Also a very
small tree. Between them rabbit furtively searched under a six inch
square chunk of orange battlement and flashing its tale,
surreptitiously vanished.
"Curiouser and curiouser," I remarked.
"Because she's made of wood?"
"Ni!"
We walked down the hill to the Roman road to read all about it.

Later as I pondered over brandy our adventures, the more I pondered
the more I came to believe we had found the ghostly ruins of a castle
lost in mists. May I recommend Irish Mist?

If you find the letterbox damaged or missing, or if you are puzzled
by the directions :-) write theDoubtfulGuests@yahoo.com.