THE BUNNY CUPS

Sometimes the little things tickle your fancy.

A NOTE FROM THE RIVER ROCK VILLA HOSTS

We often receive little notes from guests in private messages or in the Guestbook. But every once in a while, an old-fashioned handwritten note arrives—and we love those most of all.

On August 13, 2026, we received one from Ann.

The In Crowd by Churchill - bone china cups

Ann wrote:

“Everything tickled my fancy, but here is a list of my favorites: the Fluffels of bunnies and all their cousin ‘cups.’”

Well, Ann, you tickled our fancy right back.

The cups were already here, of course. They are part of a collection called The In Crowd by Churchill—fine bone china, microwave and dishwasher safe, in soft shades of yellow, green, blue and purple.

And each little cup has its own personality.

There are bunnies, hedgehogs, squirrels and robins, each surrounded by little scenes of them simply being themselves in the natural world. Their names are printed right on the side of the cups and independently imprinted on the bottom.

Each cup has 13 little illustrations of its animal in different natural settings.

Except the hedgehog.

The hedgehog has 14.

We have no idea why.

Now we want to know.

At home, we each have our favorites. Rebecca has always been a fan of the squirrels, perhaps because she has a weakness for fluffy tails. Julia is always drawn to the hedgehog. And somehow, everyone seems to have a favorite once they start looking.

But Ann made us realize something we had somehow overlooked.

She told us how much joy these cups bring her every morning. She opens the cabinet and counts them, although some are inevitably in the dishwasher waiting their turn, so she doesn't always get to choose.

And they make her smile.

A big smile.

And really, what better exercise could there be to begin the day?

It's not a big thing.

It's a cup.

But perhaps that's the point.

Sometimes we need to pay attention to the little things that bring our spirits joy.

At River Rock Villa, that has quietly become a theme—not only for us, but for our guests. When we slow down, turn off the screens, quiet the noise and simply notice what is around us, the little things begin to reveal themselves.

A pebble.
A walking stick.
A favorite cup.

So perhaps we have become collectors of sorts.

And now our little cup collection has been officially revealed by Ann as something worthy of attention.

A little color.
A little character.
A little morning ritual.

And perhaps, if you're lucky, a Fluffle of Bunnies waiting for you at breakfast.

Wake up to sunshine.
Wake up to giggles.
Wake up to bunnies.

— Rebecca & Michael

Pocket Pebbles

Little pieces of River Rock to carry home.

A NOTE FROM THE RIVER ROCK VILLA HOSTS

River Rock Villa is, of course, a place of rocks.

There are the big ones—the Jump Rock, the waterfall wall, the rocks along the Rappahannock...

But we've always had a soft spot for the little ones, too.

We call them Pocket Pebbles.

They won't build the waterfall wall. They won't become the Jump Rock. But you can put one in your pocket and take it home.

And somehow, that's pretty special.

We started noticing little pebbles around the Villa after guests left. A child had found one. Someone had carried one home and then forgotten another on a windowsill.

We thought, maybe this is something worth sharing.

So now we collect some of our favorites from around the property and set them out for our guests.

Take one.

Paint it. Sand it. Write a date on it. Give it to someone. Or just keep it exactly as you found it.

A little piece of River Rock. A little reminder of your time here.

That's really what we love about this place. Nature gives us so much to share—and sometimes the smallest things become the memories we carry home.

— Rebecca & Michael

The Walking Sticks

From our woods, for your wandering.

A NOTE FROM THE RIVER ROCK VILLA HOSTS

Michael is a fisherman and a woodman, and truthfully, he is the driving force behind much of our love for the natural world at River Rock.

He has been making walking sticks for years—long before River Rock became a Villa.

The first walking stick he made was given to our young nephew decades ago. Now, a whole generation later, he is making them for the nephew’s nephews again.

We love finding the right piece of wood and seeing what it wants to become.

Some are engraved with a little message from a wise man. Others carry a thought worth considering. And some are simply beautiful in their natural form.

Lately, Rebecca has become a regular walking-stick carrier, taking them down to the river and back again.

They are surprisingly useful.

They help with balance. They give you a little boost on the hills. And when a spider has thoughtfully placed a web across the trail, a walking stick makes an excellent web remover.

This summer, we began leaving walking sticks for our guests to enjoy on their trail walks.

They are complimentary and can usually be found on the side porch, tucked beside the umbrellas or near the front door.

Guests seem to love them.

And, truthfully, so do we.

There is something about holding a walking stick that makes you feel just a little wiser.

Perhaps it is the connection to the woods. Perhaps it is knowing that the very stick in your hand came from this land.

For us, they are also part of stewardship.

When trees or branches need trimming, Michael saves pieces that might otherwise be discarded. They are cut, peeled, sanded, sometimes stained or painted, and eventually become something useful and beautiful.

A little piece of the land.

Made by hand.

Waiting for you at the trailhead.

— Rebecca & Michael