Elizabeth Coe, a reporter from the Loudoun Times-Mirror, posted a query on the Broadlands forum Monday asking about a "lively swingers club" in Broadlands. Which of course got scads of attention.

This is one heavily pervasive piece of local lore about communities in the Eastern portion of our lovely county, apparently started by the Sports Junkies, one of whom lives in Broadlands. In the years I have worked and lived in Loudoun, I have heard the story more than 50 times and it has involved every iteration of locations, from gated communities like River Creek and Belmont, to Ashburn Farm, Broadlands and Brambleton. (Though I've not heard it reputed to be a South Riding thing; they're more the Poker tournament set.)

The rumored clue: "Look out for the white rocks, then you'll know." "No," say others, "It is a large white rock, not the little ones. And when it is turned a certain way, then you know there's a party going on."

There is an insatiable curiousity people have about the possibility of having swingers in our midst. I chalk it up to the staid suburban life and how if anyone is even possibly having more fun that those of us working, taking kids to activities, lawn care, potlucks, and book clubs, etc., well, then we've got to know about it!

Coe's inquiry was shot down pretty quickly by many who say it is just a rumor. But I'll admit, curiosity about the rumors got the better of me when I first started this blog in February. I did my own research and found that yes, we do indeed have neighbors who live the swinger lifestyle. (And I do not mean on my street, so don't come looking!)

After talking with a few individuals and checking out a couple web sites dedicated to the cause, (which will not be linked to here), I decided that I do not need to delve into their sex lives any more than we need to know how much money someone earns, or who has had "work" done. And from what those individuals told me, there is not some organization that meets officially and has secret codes and rituals. At least not for them.

That said, it is pretty funny that Ashburn Farm has banned rocks as an alternative to mulch and yard fill for landscaping.