Another Apology and Pre-Anniversary Commemorating

So I realized that I said that I would be better about my posts after the long absence before my post at the end of April… Again, I apologize and again, I will try my best to prevent such a ridiculous lapse in posts. My regularity of posts was much better until getting so busy here in Virginia. So, here’s a recap:

After going to Virginia Beach for the Landing Day commemoration/reenactment, we were home for an evening before heading out for a series of days in Hampton at their 400th Anniversary event at the end of April/beginning of May. The first weekend of May was when the Queen came to the two Jamestowns, but the Honor Guard was off to Newport News for their commemoration ceremonies/festivals. The last day of that first weekend, we headed to Claremont, on the other side of the river in Surry County for the last day of their festival as well. After Claremont, it was back to Jamestown for a couple of days before Anniversary Weekend kicked into place at the end of that week.

(photos: The Godspeed/Elizabeth in front of some old naval ships now part of the James River "Ghost Fleet"; and Jack and Kai with ChocoTacos... mmmm.)



Between the three pre-Anniversary Weekend events, Hampton went the most smoothly. An ornery journalist insisted on making Kai a 12-yr-old stowaway in her article and was extremely frustrated that it wouldn’t be historically accurate to photograph me (a woman) on the Godspeed (since the first women didn’t arrive til later, and thus not on the ‘Speed). Newport News was fun with the presence of a DVD player at our disposal, funnel cakes, and a very excited Mayor, but the barge used as the pier to board the Godspeed (really the old Godspeed, since our new one was back at Jamestown for the Queen and we were re-christening the Elizabeth as the Godspeed for the weekend) was incorrectly ballasted and no one could actually board the ship. Sigh. That Sunday in Claremont the winds prevented the Godspeed from docking, but did not prevent the Honor Guard from thoroughly enjoying our time in the small and slightly backwoods town of Claremont.

Claremont really deserves a bit more than a mention of winds, by the way. Surry County (the county across the James River from Williamsburg/Jamestown) is sparsely populated and is constantly made fun of for being so rural, offering mostly peanut and ham farms (Smithfield – as in Smithfield Ham – is in Surry Co.). Being one of the larger towns in Surry, Claremont is mostly a bundle of beautiful but dilapidated late 19th and early 20th century homes, mostly due to the fact that Surry never really took off as the bustling shipping town that it wanted to be. But if you’re going for country charm, a la the Upper Peninsula, Claremont is a haven. The town doesn’t really have a traffic light, only a small traffic circle (with one divided “boulevard” that seemed to have been more wishful thinking), and a small convenience store that a local man informed us “doesn’t take swipies” (a.k.a. debit/credit cards) though he “reckoned the one down yonder does.” The residents also seem to take quite a bit of care in decorating their yards, but know no restraint when it comes to statues, signs, flags, and broken boats/bathtubs being used as landscaping centerpieces (in fact, the more the merrier!). The people were tremendously friendly and we happily stayed for dinner at a coworker’s house that evening before heading back to the ferry across the river.

(photos: The Godspeed trying to dock, not realizing that it'll spend the next few hours motoring in circles off shore instead; Kai and Jack ready to catch the lines; Jack leaving his mark on Don's house (a coworker who's moving to Claremont and whose crooked house suits him perfectly); a favorite collection of mine of signs in Claremont; and after having moved, us interpreting out of the back of our minivan -- seriously, gypsies...)






(photos: During an evening actually in Williasmburg, Jeff embracing his true self -- a baggywinkle lanyard we made him; and Mark as Lou Reed taking one for the team so we could get Jack on stage to do his "colored girls" routine.)

Quick Bounce Home and 400 Years at VA Beach

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take a quick trip to Michigan after I unexpectedly obtained a three-day weekend. With the help of my dad, I flew home on Saturday morning and surprised my mom by suddenly having all her children home for a weekend. I got to see and hang out with family that I hadn’t seen since I’d left. My quick weekend boondoggle happened to coincide with a few other friends being in town that I happened to visit. My grandmother was also briefly in the hospital, but of all times to happen, I was glad I could be home. Between family visits, food, shopping, and movies, it was a busy but overall good weekend.
(photos: Jamestown Island from the air; James River from the air (near Richmond looking back towards the Chesapeake Bay and Jamestown Island visible in the top right corner); Lynn and me; Dutch tulips blooming delivered from Amsterdam last year on my travels; Josh, me, and my Dad; and the Professor, Josh, and Max.)







Also, upon returning, Anniversary mode kicked into high gear. With a few more very busy days of groups, the Honor Guard headed out to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach for the Landing Day Anniversary (400-year marker of the first landing in Virginia by the Virginia Company settlers) and the first part of the Journey Up The James commemorative sail by the Godspeed (and in VA Beach, the other two ships as well). They were having re-enactments of the settlers rowing to shore from our three ships in a shallop, programming from all sorts of groups and re-enactors, and Jamestown Settlement’s own tent with us doing the interpretation. After setting up our tent, we ordered pizza and settled into an evening of ridiculous fun, pizza, and music at our little cabin in the state park (very similar to the goings-on of the following evening). The next day between programming sessions, we also got to ride a Segway that all the park rangers were using (!!!), much to Jeff’s delight. Between the two days, we saw over eight thousand people, including 2,500 school children on Friday morning (impressive numbers despite the cold foggy weather on Thursday and massive storms on Friday). In the end, it was a really fun trip. Currently, I’m preparing for the Hampton segment of our spring travels starting tomorrow. While the days are long, almost all of them over ten hours, it’s a great change of pace and scenery.
(photos: Kai excited for the pizza; Jeff and James rocking out; Jack being himself; Mike inspecting our tents the next morning -- we were just impressed they were still standing as much as they were; and the Susan Constant and the Godspeed coming out of the fog on the Bay, a bit enhanced for ease of viewing.)





(photos: The Discovery and the Godspeed a bit more clearly as they re-enact the landing; Jeff learning to love his town cap; me on a Segway; Jeff also learning to love his new nickname; and Jack taking a quick snooze before the school kids arrive.)






Beyond work and travels home, the news is pretty minimal due to the lack of time I’ve been home. Our social group has had a few late social nights, a karaoke evening with actual karaoke performances postponed until this coming Monday, my tomato plants developing fruits, and news that I’ll be moving into a house come mid-August with Sally, a coworker from Yorktown Victory Center (cheaper rent, more space, super good deal). Still, this week includes more intense work and a visit from a certain British monarch…
(photos: My tomato plant with a baby tomato; the Marks feeling the love on the un-karaoke karaoke night; and Ashley and Heather secretly devastated about the lack of karaoke.)

Spring Hiatus

*** Sorry, I wrote this a week ago and haven't had a chance to post it until now... I promise, I will try mucho to not have such an awful lapse in blogging again! ***

I apologize for not having updated my blog in so long. It has indeed been busy, with the first two weeks of April being one of the busiest times to date that Jamestown has ever seen (at its height, over six thousand visitors a day). The weather’s been getting warmer, with one day a couple of weeks ago being in the nineties followed by a day a few days later when it snowed. Hmmm… Still, flowers are blooming and leaves are budding. I also bought a new bike for riding around town and to work (doing my part for the environment, etc.) and am trying to grow tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in my living room. The plants aren’t dead yet! (photos: Daffodils, everywhere in Virginia in the Spring; more pretty spring flowers; and the snow from my apartment window the morning before Easter.)




Katie came down for a few days at the end of March with her mom and her aunt. We did the Colonial Williamsburg thing, including a viewing of the fabulously kitschy “Portrait of a Patriot” movie from ca. 1957. There was shopping, eating, turbo tour of Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne, and even another visit to Presidential Park. Sandy and her friend also came down for a day last week and we did an even more extreme turbo tour of the downtown/Colonial Williamsburg area, Jamestown Settlement, Historic Jamestowne, Yorktown, and various food/shopping establishments. It’s been fun having visitors and it’s always good to see friends from home. (photos: Katie's mom, her Aunt Mary, Katie, and myself on the pier at Jamestown Settlement; Katie smelling flowers, which we did a lot; Katie's mom enjoying an interpreter in the Revolution City at Colonial Williamsburg (CW); her idol beckons from afar; and Katie and I in front of super nice Gerald R. Ford.) -- For more photos of Katie's visit, please see her blog and others of ours. --





(photos: A blustery day on the James River with John Smith; excavations at Historic Jamestowne; and Sandy and her friend Anne at the Yorktown Pub.)




For Easter, I went to my friend Ashley’s house and ate (and played lots of cards) with her and her parents. They were quite lovely, with Asheley’s mom even making me an Easter “basket.” As for other social fun things, there’s been a cookout, some social gatherings, a trip to C.W. (Colonial Williamsburg) with Heather and the other Stephanie, a trip down to Norfolk for a Decemberists concert, movie nights and field trips, dinner/chill evenings, and a record-breaking challenge to eat 8+ cones on Ben and Jerry’s Free Cone Day (managing seven in a span of under two hours!). (photos: Ashley excited about her birthday booty -- pirate style; mmmm... St. Patty's day; Scott showing his Irish side; me, Ashley, and Kat; and Heather and the other Stephanie on our play day in CW.)





(photos: Interpreter from Revolution City infront of the Capitol; same interpreter getting ready to be tarred and feathered; oxen!!!; Heather, me, and Stephanie; and various JYF staff and entourage at Paul's Deli for Green Mark's bday.)





(photos: Diana and Mark roasting Peeps; Jack and Johanna at one of our cookouts; eating around the campfire; and Mike and Jeff jamming on a sax and penny whistle.)





Work itself has been busy, as previously mentioned. The Honor Guard has been getting ready to start on the big commemorative sail at the end of April beginning in Virginia Beach for Landing Day (the anniversary of the first landing in Virginia before the settlers chose Jamestown Island on which to settle). People are getting stressed and excited, as staff begin to leave and the demo schedule gets more intense. The Queen is apparently coming the first few days in May, with the big Anniversary Weekend a week later. Keep your eyes open for press coverage, both magazines and newspapers (the May National Geographic is all about Jamestown, with supposed issues of Time/Newsweek soon and various national newspapers having visited). Bottom line: It’s getting busy, but it’s pretty exciting!