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.)