This morning we got up and it looked like it was going to be a good day. A gentle breeze was blowing when we got underway going north on the Chesapeake Bay. We went out on the Elizabeth River and started up past all the Navy Activity in the bay area. Up past the Coal Loading area and the cargo carriers unloading containers. Then we passed by the Navy yards in Norfolk and saw all the ships that were in port at the time. When we reached the end of the Navy yard we heard a call on our radio that we were not supposed to be within five hundred yards of a warship. What we thought was a lighted buoy ahead of us about a half mile was really the conning tower of a nuclear submarine. And about that time here comes the blue light special over to us and showed us he meant business if we did not get the heck out of the way so we made a turn to starboard or the right about ninety degrees and went until we were out of his way and then proceeded on. I think I will have my bifocals checked in the next port because it sure looked like a lighted buoy.
Well by the time we reached the end of the Navy Yards we knew that quite possibly the weather man had not told us the whole story because a day that was supposed to have waves of one foot suddenly had grown to three feet with an occasional bigger one thrown in for good measure. We slowed from nine knots down to four and were still getting bounced around to we started looking for a river to head up and out of the wind. We found that place in the Back River just north of Norfolk where we are anchored out tonight behind a little sand dune area that protects us from the wind and I just looked and they are saying not much wind tomorrow and waves of one foot. We shall see if that is true in the morning.
But we also discovered when we were looking in the closet area that we had pin prick of a leak that was coming in from a blister like source that we have no idea where it originated. It looks like it was just a flaw in the way the fiberglass cured up or something. Then we thought it might be coming from the rub rail on the boat because some of the screws were not tightened well. Anyhow all this resulted in Bob’s one suitcase of clothes stored there was wet and we needed to dry them out. He spotted a marina maybe half mile away on the river so we went over and got some epoxy type material to seal the hole where the water was coming in. So were are watching the spot to see if it cures up and we are rid of it. Just checked and it had a new water bubble in the spot. We had the boat put on a lift to check it out and the only thing that had water in it was the rub rail area of the boat. Tightened all of those screws and we will see when we run tomorrow it helped any. Otherwise we may have to go to a boat yard and see what they think. Of course the famous words apply here as of now, you bought it you own and it’s your responsibility even though there might be some kind of warranty for that type of source of the leak in the boat. We just have to work on it some more. Our head also hiccupped again in the rougher water and we had that mess to clean up also. We sponged all of the water out of the bilge and for now we have that dried out and hope that we got it all so we don’t have any mold in the bilges. With all of that happening today we made a total of about twenty miles so we hope things go better tomorrow. This is just a part of the adventure. Where we are anchored there is every kind of bird on the sand dune that has to do with water, gulls, plovers and many others. When anchored there was a lady on the island with them and photographing them.
We traveled about 20 miles total for the day and plan on doing better tomorrow
Monday, May 21, 2007
Saturday, May 19, 2007
May 19, 2007
It has been a long time since I have written anything but I have been tied up in Norfolk, VA as you know since April 10th or so and have just been waiting for my friend to return from his vacation in Hawaii before we start on the trip north. It also needed to warm up considerably northward before we started again. Hence the month of not much activity for Shorty. I have not been bored but just doing normal household things around the boat but today I began preparing for the trip onward. I had to purchase a few things for the boat and then tomorrow when Bob gets here we will make our grocery trip and then hopefully on Monday the weather cooperating we will be out of Norfolk and on to more unknown waters by both of us. The last couple of days I did a few more little tourist type treks to Norfolk and Portsmouth.
Last night the Spanish Navy training ship the “Juan Sebastian de Elcano came into port for a visit on its trip around the world. They had tours of the ship today so I got over to the fifty cent ferry and rode across the river for a tour. The tour was given by one of the Spanish Navy midshipman who did not speak English to well but tried to answer our questions the best he could. They have a very rigorous day at sea every day working with the tall ships sails, learning navigation the old way and new, regular college courses in different fields and then they do sports also on board. When they graduate from their naval academy they are the equivalents to our Lieutenants in the navy. So it was a very worthwhile trip over. I took some photos and will post them tonight.
There is another ship about to come out of drydock sometime soon as they removed the canvas from the docks and then they were painting the bulbous nose which is usually the last thing done before it goes in the water. It is one of a new class of ship called the San Antonio class and it is a ship the size of a helicopter carrier but it is a destroyer plus other capabilities. The helicopter carrier next to it is also looking more ready to go but it is not in drydock as it is to large for that.
I will post photos tonight so look for anything with todays date on the file and those will be new.
Last night the Spanish Navy training ship the “Juan Sebastian de Elcano came into port for a visit on its trip around the world. They had tours of the ship today so I got over to the fifty cent ferry and rode across the river for a tour. The tour was given by one of the Spanish Navy midshipman who did not speak English to well but tried to answer our questions the best he could. They have a very rigorous day at sea every day working with the tall ships sails, learning navigation the old way and new, regular college courses in different fields and then they do sports also on board. When they graduate from their naval academy they are the equivalents to our Lieutenants in the navy. So it was a very worthwhile trip over. I took some photos and will post them tonight.
There is another ship about to come out of drydock sometime soon as they removed the canvas from the docks and then they were painting the bulbous nose which is usually the last thing done before it goes in the water. It is one of a new class of ship called the San Antonio class and it is a ship the size of a helicopter carrier but it is a destroyer plus other capabilities. The helicopter carrier next to it is also looking more ready to go but it is not in drydock as it is to large for that.
I will post photos tonight so look for anything with todays date on the file and those will be new.
Musings Of A Person Docked For Too Long-May 2007
These are the musings of a philosopher who has been at a dock too long. Last night I happened to be awake after sunset which is my normal time to go to bed and then arise with the sun at 6 AM. I decided I would go and sit on the shore of the East River and watch what goes on at night. My special cultivated interest turned to, of course, the drydocked navy destroyer across from the docks. I am interested because I hope that at least as payment for me being here so long they will float the ship soon so I can watch that process. As I watched her sitting there quietly at night out of her element my eye was focused on the bridge deck and with its night lights on it looked like a very evil being sitting there and getting ready to pounce the moment she is let out of the docks. Like don’t get in my way I eat people like you for breakfast. Then I begin to notice that just like a sleeping giant there is activity day and night aboard her. As my eyes adjusted to the light I could see people moving about like they were doing secret things in the middle of the night. Then it hit me like a ton of bricks, I was watching a red ant hill; as in Texas red ants that was about to explode and give someone or anyone a few very itchy bites. If you know what a rain in Texas called a “frog strangler” is then you can visualize this at its best. There are these ants living in this thing called a billet box and ever so often they change up to see who does the best job of getting even for all of this rain and fog they are having to endure. Yes my thoughts are occurring as the fog is getting eerier and thicker by the moment and buildings are disappearing but this evil red eye keeps peering through the fog at you. Anyhow, the ants come out of the box and climb the steps to the edge of the drydock and then up another flight of steps to the middle of the hill on the ship. Then they disappear below and this lift crane feeds them day and night because if it doesn't the worker ants get more and more upset. This morning at change time here come the night ants out of the mound and down to the billet box and up goes the day crew but the eye still looks evil even if its night lights are now off. As usual, the lead ant for the day comes out, goes to the bow and proceeds to raise the battle flag after he says a mantra which I cannot hear. This morning he has problems, his battle flag won’t raise and he has to ask for help, not good in the land of super ants. His next duty is to raise the national flag of the colony and then he goes into the middle of the colony for the day. He probably was disciplined for the slow rise of the battle flag. Then later on the civilian ants arrive to aid the ants dressed in blue. These ants come in many colors and different kinds of ant skills I would imagine and probably think the blue ants don’t know what they are doing anyway. This goes on all over the port every day and it is even going on when most people are asleep. Most of the ants in this world we live in don’t care whether this other group of ants exists. It knows that their taxes pay for them and as long they pay taxes this group of ants better produce. There are metal ants running all over at night supplying the other group of ants that is asleep. Without these ants going hither and yon and delivering all sorts of products these ants deem necessary to function with, namely fuel, sand and gravel and other things not showing; the ants of the bigger colony would probably protest and march until they got the chief ant of the country involved and then things would go much slower as they have now got the government ants mad and they have decided that if the ants they represent would just pay them more money they would take care of this whole mess. If you just think of the USA as an ant hill and start reading National Geographic articles on them you get a much clearer picture of what this country is all about. Right now even though I am suffering through a time at the docks and know that more adventure lies ahead it also provides time for thoughts such as those above and when you look at things in a simple manner you can see how we just make getting to the ant hill such a big problem in our lives. If only every one would quit trying to be the leader ant it would be helpful but even ant leaders will tell you that isn’t going to happen because we all think we are capable of being the leader of all the ants. Then there are those like me who are just lying back traveling around the country and as we go we are free to check out the ants of different sections. There is even competition between the crab pot ants on that level to see who can put the most pots in the channel to irritate us traveler ants on there waterway who think we own it because are buying gas in each of there constituencies so that we might see this competition up close and personal each day. As a traveler ant I am finding that ant refills are costing more and more as I travel northward in search of ant heaven and then southward again toward the gentler more serene waterways of antdom. All the way is fraught with different things and exceptions to the normal ways that ants live. As I have said before in my writing I am sure that I am looking at the backside of America that no one usually sees and that some of it is very beautiful and some of it really stinks. This is my mantra and I am sticking by it and have the soggy boxes and bedding on the boat to prove it this morning, I need a strong breeze to clear the air and someone please come and cut up the Velcro at my dock. One day soon I will bow to the head weather ant and hope he is right and I will have a fair day with no wind and waves if any on my backside and even though this will make all the sailing ants mad it will make this one happy ant and, please no fog or glowing evil ants in my stern view. I mean these are huge and can wreak mighty havoc with little Shorty. Until next time just think of ants, how little they are and what they can achieve
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
April 28,29,30 and May 1, 2007
April 28 to May 1 - I pretty much just sit around and go a few places locally or spend my time at the library. The charts for the next part of the trip are in the mail and once I get them I can start and do a little preplanning which will pretty much go out the window once I get started back because for me an exact schedule just does not work. I will miss a lot if I just do what is necessary.
Yesterday I did go over to Norfolk to the Nauticus museum and then took the Navy base tour on the harbor tour boat. The narrative was really good as they told about all of the things along the river and just not the Navy stuff which is better than half of the shoreline. He pointed out where the traffic tunnels go under the river and how you could tell where they were. The big kind of odd looking Navy shipping in drydock just down from me is a new type of ship called an L which performs landings of marines in addition to the helicopter carrier across from me. There were quite a few destroyers in the Navy yard north of Norfolk City as well as some submarines of the Los Angeles class which were in the piers with white floats across in front of them. He said if you cross the float line at any navy pier you are pretty much a dead man as the orders are shoot to kill and ask later. And I believe what he says. There was a number of what is called RORO ships in the piers and they are know as Roll on/Roll off as the equipment can be driven on right from the piers or floats if they are in a landing zone. Another neat ship the marines can use for an amphibious landing goes in as far as it can to the beach and then it takes on water and the amphibious landing craft emerge from the body of the ship already in the water and loaded. A lot of you may know all of this but I did not know some of this existed. We also saw the carrier, Harry S. Truman, in its pier location which is super impressive but I will also tell you that we did not get close enough that any photos will give away anything but close enough to give you a perspective of the size of things. After the last Navy pier if you go right you enter Chesapeake Bay and to the left you would go past Newport News ship yard and on up the James River which leads you on to Richmond if I am correct and do not have a chart here to prove it. If anyone goes to Norfolk I would certainly recommend this tour so you can see where your tax dollars are going when the Navy gets their appropriations. Of course the only part of the fleet that was in came in because of needed repairs or restocking.
I did not go into the Nauticus Museum yesterday and have saved it for another day. I have to go back to Norfolk again and do the walking tour they have laid out in the old section of town. Of course that means another ferry ride and I like doing it. Saw a couple more ships come in to town in the last couple of days but nothing spectacular. I did see a beautiful yacht even if it was power that was bronze in color and all the rest handrails and other equipment were all painted black. A super nice paint job and it did not seem to be in a hurry like most of those people are. That is all I have for now and the photos will come later.
I did notice one thing though and that is the water police which enforce the NO WAKE areas of Norfolk seem to only stop the boats that are under forty feet or that are easy to board so in some cases bigger is better. I think it shows a lot of prejudice on their part to do it that way, the little guy gets the ticket and then the big ones slow a little bit. The locks from the Dismal Swamp open each day at a certain time and there is always a group of boats from there which arrive in Norfolk at about one in the afternoon and the police always gear up to meet them in the channel and after going at idle speed through the swamp they know every one is itchy on the throttle and here is this big river and you still must idle along at the swamp speeds and most miss the signs because they are way over on the sides of the river and not where you would see them
Yesterday I did go over to Norfolk to the Nauticus museum and then took the Navy base tour on the harbor tour boat. The narrative was really good as they told about all of the things along the river and just not the Navy stuff which is better than half of the shoreline. He pointed out where the traffic tunnels go under the river and how you could tell where they were. The big kind of odd looking Navy shipping in drydock just down from me is a new type of ship called an L which performs landings of marines in addition to the helicopter carrier across from me. There were quite a few destroyers in the Navy yard north of Norfolk City as well as some submarines of the Los Angeles class which were in the piers with white floats across in front of them. He said if you cross the float line at any navy pier you are pretty much a dead man as the orders are shoot to kill and ask later. And I believe what he says. There was a number of what is called RORO ships in the piers and they are know as Roll on/Roll off as the equipment can be driven on right from the piers or floats if they are in a landing zone. Another neat ship the marines can use for an amphibious landing goes in as far as it can to the beach and then it takes on water and the amphibious landing craft emerge from the body of the ship already in the water and loaded. A lot of you may know all of this but I did not know some of this existed. We also saw the carrier, Harry S. Truman, in its pier location which is super impressive but I will also tell you that we did not get close enough that any photos will give away anything but close enough to give you a perspective of the size of things. After the last Navy pier if you go right you enter Chesapeake Bay and to the left you would go past Newport News ship yard and on up the James River which leads you on to Richmond if I am correct and do not have a chart here to prove it. If anyone goes to Norfolk I would certainly recommend this tour so you can see where your tax dollars are going when the Navy gets their appropriations. Of course the only part of the fleet that was in came in because of needed repairs or restocking.
I did not go into the Nauticus Museum yesterday and have saved it for another day. I have to go back to Norfolk again and do the walking tour they have laid out in the old section of town. Of course that means another ferry ride and I like doing it. Saw a couple more ships come in to town in the last couple of days but nothing spectacular. I did see a beautiful yacht even if it was power that was bronze in color and all the rest handrails and other equipment were all painted black. A super nice paint job and it did not seem to be in a hurry like most of those people are. That is all I have for now and the photos will come later.
I did notice one thing though and that is the water police which enforce the NO WAKE areas of Norfolk seem to only stop the boats that are under forty feet or that are easy to board so in some cases bigger is better. I think it shows a lot of prejudice on their part to do it that way, the little guy gets the ticket and then the big ones slow a little bit. The locks from the Dismal Swamp open each day at a certain time and there is always a group of boats from there which arrive in Norfolk at about one in the afternoon and the police always gear up to meet them in the channel and after going at idle speed through the swamp they know every one is itchy on the throttle and here is this big river and you still must idle along at the swamp speeds and most miss the signs because they are way over on the sides of the river and not where you would see them
Friday, April 27, 2007
April 23, 24,25,26 and 27, 2007
April, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27th, 2007 - The day seems to go by fast even when you are not moving anywhere. I have been working diligently on my stove problem daily. I have discovered that nowhere can I get service that will be done here without shipping the stove back to Finland. That is not an option at this point. I have a need to just go and buy something that works and worry about the latter option when the trip is finished. The stove starts up okay and then when it should kick in and really heat up it just goes poof and dies. I took the screws out and lifted it out of the hole in the cabinet and said no way should a color blind man start taking wires loose and then hope to get them fixed again and in place when you reassemble it. It won’t make any difference because I think it is basically dead anyway. I can’t believe that a Finnish product with such a good name world wide cannot be serviced in this country and in a city as large as the Norfolk area. It basically went to pot when we really did have to use it as a heater on a really cold night. It worked well all night but since that time it has decided that if you want to use me as a heater or cooker I am on strike because that is too hard work. Now I am in the process of figuring out the bus schedule to get me to Hampton, VA so I can go to Bass Pro Shop and buy me a new stove to camp out with. It is a seventy dollar taxi ride and I am ready to starve before I pay that. I almost starve some days anyway so why pay to do it. As you can tell this is not a happy camper at the moment because this is delaying my tourist duties. I just have this attitude that if you pay for something with enough dollars it should work. If you don’t want it to be a heater then don’t advertise that it is one. After recharging my phone from making so many calls locally for service I feel I have tried to work out the problem every way possible way even by reading the instructions for things that can go wrong. Another thing is no one has kerosene and the closest thing to it lives at the Airports along the way and I even called the dealers who said they sell it. So the closet thing to it is to use diesel fuel and when you go to the website they sell diesel heaters so why make this to run on Kerosene. I am just venting and I will quit now. I just feel that people should know this is one possible problem you can have on a trip like this. You have to be ready to come up with alternative solutions when the problem arises and the answer is not a car trip to the store. In this case you have to also solve the transportation problem which is not easy when you live in this country. Although this is one of a few problems I have had do not think for one minute that I don’t like the boat. This is one of the best boats for this trip and many people look at it and say how are you doing this without something much larger, well I pass many larger boats every day in the same weather conditions and I am tied up enjoying life when they finally get there.
After all the griping above I should also give the other side to this dilemma and that is if I have to suffer I am doing it in style. I have a microwave which is covering my starvation duties quite well and I am also fortunate to be at rest in a very nice marina at the moment with all the amenities as they call them that I need. I have a nice supply of food and a nice restaurant on the property should I decide not to cook and starve. I am choosing to get along on what I have because I also feel that it is not bad for me to loose a few pounds because I am not eating what I like. If you take away my bacon and eggs in the morning you are not going to have a happy camper that day but I also know my doctor is saying that it is not going to hurt me to do this. A few days of having to eat cereal for breakfast is normal just not for me. I feel much better after the above because it cleanses the soul and prepares you for the next challenge which always involves much walking. After eight blocks one way yesterday I finally found somebody that sold batteries at there store. At home you just get in the car and drive there; here you put on your walking shoes and go find one. In that process though I passed some more lovely historic homes and many other businesses that I might have a use for and discovered which street they are on. I also passed a beautiful garden of roses which I stopped to admire and smell to my hearts content while I rested a moment, so for everything that is wrong there is always something that is really right. The roses were my wife’s favorite color which is yellow and yes I thought of her at that very moment and wished she were here to smell them and enjoy there beauty. And of course I did not have my camera with me to record the moment because the problem was batteries.
Today is a very cloudy and humid day here and yes it is showering. You know what they say about April showers. This morning there has been a lot of work boats passing but no ships as of now. It means I can spend some more time reading about what is up ahead and then I will be ready when my charts arrive in the mail to begin seeing how many miles it is from place to place and putting a time frame on the next part of the trip. Laundry will just have to wait until the showers pass. It is wonderful to have the time to mull over all these things and know that sooner or later they will get done so just enjoy what is happening now. It also a good day to go to the library which is just a few blocks away and see what is happening in the world around me. I hear the sirens and noises but they make no difference here in my isolated section of the world which is very quiet most of the time. Every marina has its gulls, herons, and ducks which also have there own little world that they seem to travel in daily as no one disturbs the daily rituals they have and there food supply seems endless here as they fly off in the morning like business people and then return in the evening to there little areas of seclusion where they hide out just like us humans do. The navy commutes to work by helicopter in the morning and evening where as time immortal goes on and rank has its privileges to enjoy. They fly a regular route past here just like a bus route on land. Another thing I noticed and don’t know for sure is that tied up next to the navy ships in dry dock are square barges that I think hold the crew of that ship while it is in port and being refurbished. They are just big grey boxes that sit next to the ship. And then there is the seeming endless circles by the homeland security people in there boat to protect the navy yard. That must be an exciting job but the one boat assigned here disappears with great regularity and that is when we will get attacked. I think he is on break for two thirds of his day and bored to death the other part and no one is on patrol after his nine to five day of circling and this is visible to me a normal crazy citizen so I know a terrorist would have no problem here just wait till he goes on break. Enough of the rambling for now it is time to figure out a better way to do nothing, When the trip is over I will have a masters degree in how to make a day go away and can probably make millions of nothing dollars as well.
After all the griping above I should also give the other side to this dilemma and that is if I have to suffer I am doing it in style. I have a microwave which is covering my starvation duties quite well and I am also fortunate to be at rest in a very nice marina at the moment with all the amenities as they call them that I need. I have a nice supply of food and a nice restaurant on the property should I decide not to cook and starve. I am choosing to get along on what I have because I also feel that it is not bad for me to loose a few pounds because I am not eating what I like. If you take away my bacon and eggs in the morning you are not going to have a happy camper that day but I also know my doctor is saying that it is not going to hurt me to do this. A few days of having to eat cereal for breakfast is normal just not for me. I feel much better after the above because it cleanses the soul and prepares you for the next challenge which always involves much walking. After eight blocks one way yesterday I finally found somebody that sold batteries at there store. At home you just get in the car and drive there; here you put on your walking shoes and go find one. In that process though I passed some more lovely historic homes and many other businesses that I might have a use for and discovered which street they are on. I also passed a beautiful garden of roses which I stopped to admire and smell to my hearts content while I rested a moment, so for everything that is wrong there is always something that is really right. The roses were my wife’s favorite color which is yellow and yes I thought of her at that very moment and wished she were here to smell them and enjoy there beauty. And of course I did not have my camera with me to record the moment because the problem was batteries.
Today is a very cloudy and humid day here and yes it is showering. You know what they say about April showers. This morning there has been a lot of work boats passing but no ships as of now. It means I can spend some more time reading about what is up ahead and then I will be ready when my charts arrive in the mail to begin seeing how many miles it is from place to place and putting a time frame on the next part of the trip. Laundry will just have to wait until the showers pass. It is wonderful to have the time to mull over all these things and know that sooner or later they will get done so just enjoy what is happening now. It also a good day to go to the library which is just a few blocks away and see what is happening in the world around me. I hear the sirens and noises but they make no difference here in my isolated section of the world which is very quiet most of the time. Every marina has its gulls, herons, and ducks which also have there own little world that they seem to travel in daily as no one disturbs the daily rituals they have and there food supply seems endless here as they fly off in the morning like business people and then return in the evening to there little areas of seclusion where they hide out just like us humans do. The navy commutes to work by helicopter in the morning and evening where as time immortal goes on and rank has its privileges to enjoy. They fly a regular route past here just like a bus route on land. Another thing I noticed and don’t know for sure is that tied up next to the navy ships in dry dock are square barges that I think hold the crew of that ship while it is in port and being refurbished. They are just big grey boxes that sit next to the ship. And then there is the seeming endless circles by the homeland security people in there boat to protect the navy yard. That must be an exciting job but the one boat assigned here disappears with great regularity and that is when we will get attacked. I think he is on break for two thirds of his day and bored to death the other part and no one is on patrol after his nine to five day of circling and this is visible to me a normal crazy citizen so I know a terrorist would have no problem here just wait till he goes on break. Enough of the rambling for now it is time to figure out a better way to do nothing, When the trip is over I will have a masters degree in how to make a day go away and can probably make millions of nothing dollars as well.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
April 19, 20, 21,22, 2007
April 19, 2007 - Just a normal day around here. I have been doing little chores on the boat that get ignored when we are moving. I swept the floor and then scrubbed it down in the cabin. Then went outside and sprayed the boat down good and then soaped all of the stainless stuff and polished it. I have a bathtub ring on the bottom of the hull that I need to find a brush to scrub it off. Just little things that add up and don’t get done once we are under way. I have a month to get it all done and ready for Bob and me to take off north once again. The weather is kind of getting rid of the bite in the wind but still need a jacket in the morning. I am not changing to shorts this time until the thermometer hits the ninety degree mark. Tired of packing warm clothes up and then getting them back out again in a day or so. I need to fuel up Shorty and get the head pumped off, just chores that come up regularly. I also have been reading destination and port books for up ahead of us even though I don’t have charts to get the distances and fuel usage done yet.
April 20, 2007 – More of the same as above. I decided this evening that it was time to do a little exploring tomorrow. I can only spit and polish so long before I get the itch to go and if I am going to do my walk every day I might as well make it count. The weather is also getting a little warmer, still brisk late evenings and early morning’s though. I went to the visitor center in Portsmouth to get some materials and see what is going on here. I just arrived home with enough stuff to last a month and have already missed some good stuff. It is a month long arts festival that goes from now till up in early June. Got to get the hooves shined up and ready to go for tomorrow.
April 21, 2007 – The day dawned this morning with beautiful colors just like a day should during an arts festival. I went and got my Portsmouth walking map out and set out to see some of the local sights. This is also historic garden viewing week here and all over Virginia if I have it right. The first houses and churches I looked at were so very pretty and of such different design from a lot I have seen elsewhere. I noticed that the steps here going up to the second floor of the homes was located on just one side of the house and not both sides in the front. The story goes that the reason the houses had two sets of steps up on the front is one side was used by the women and the other side by the men because they did not want the men looking up those big hoop skirts they wore to formal events. Well here in Portsmouth that did not seem to matter because they only have one set of steps going up the front of the house. I think it has something to do with the fact that sailors are a much better behaved group of people than some of those Southern gentlemen seemed to have been. Also sailors don’t mind viewing a few hoop skirts going up stairs and have better control of themselves. That said, I am going to have to go back tomorrow and check out the historic gardens as they were pretty crowded yesterday on a Saturday. The dogs certainly are tired tonight and I got the photos processed and up on the internet along with some from the prior periods. Any file with an April 21st date is what I have been catching up on.
April 22, 2007 - I found out two things at the visitor center in Portsmouth that make it really nice for people visiting both cities. First there is a ferry that old folks like me can ride across the river to Norfolk for 50 cents, now that is cheap in this day and time. The second was the Hampton Roads Transit has a free bus to all of the tourist attractions and the museums, library and other stops along the way, even stops at a shopping mall. So now you will be getting the true 50 cent tour in case you think it is worth it. One ferry ride later and I was on the free bus to the Scopes Arena which is where they play basketball and hockey but not today. Today the arena was host to Virginia International Tattoo. I had heard of tattoos but this was altogether different. A tattoo is what they call a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands. And this was a super program of bands and music. It simply takes more than my words to describe this gathering of bands but I will try and if you ever get a chance to see a tattoo please do so.
It will make your throat dry and your eyes moist and give you a good dose of what patriotism should mean to everyone. I was both of the above as I sat and listened to what our military bands are capable of and of the additional awe thrown in for good measure by other countries military bands as well. Canada was represented by the 3 area Support Group Gagetown Pipes and Drums, the 8 Wing Trenton Pipe Band and the 12 Wing Shearwater Pipes and Drums. The Band and Corps of Drums of the Bermuda Regiment from Bermuda. The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines from the United Kingdom which is the band that travels with Queen Elizabeth when she travels abroad as well as in Britain. Another Bermuda band was the Bermuda Islands Pipes and Drums. The Caribbean Symphonic Dancers from Norfolk University gave a performance from the various islands. Republic of Korea was represented by the Chae Hyang-Soon/Ang Song and Dance Group. The Churchland High School Chorus sang and did backup for others. Doc Christian and Friends did the song Amazing Grace to the accompaniment of the audience tears and made sure there was not a dry eye in the house. I will name some more that included Drums and Pipes of the Irish Guards, H & H Gombeys, Hampton Roads Police Color Guard, Highlands and Islands Scottish Dancers. The Juliana Bicycle Team from Holland is the only group to use bicycles in there presentation. Norfolk University has a military drum line called the Million Dollar Funk Squad and what a show this group can put on with absolutely lightning fast hands and drumsticks, wow. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps from the US Army with their old time dress and precise movements and the fact that they represent Bush at many events. The US Coast Guards silent drill team put on a performance with rifle and real bayonets that made you hope no one missed his move. The US Marine band from Quantico Virginia did the Hymn to the Fallen and the Marine Hymn and had everyone absolutely quiet with the most wonderful playing of Taps I have ever heard followed by the person from the corps. who sang Amazing Grace. Then all the bands massed which made it over 850 strong and played the Stars and Stripes Forever, Scotland the Brave, and Black Bear. There was much, much more and I have only skimmed the top few. I know if I see another tattoo advertised I certainly will go see it. In my reading for the trip I know there is another of these that will take place this summer in Canada, I hope I am nearby when it happens. We Americans including myself sometimes lose track of what the services sacrifice for us. If you could have heard the soft version of taps and its mournful tones echo in the arena it would make you proud to be an American and tearful at the same time. When they did Amazing Grace accompanied by the bagpipes and soft drumming was another of those times. As they played each services theme they asked that the people who served in that branch of service to stand while it was played and I was proud to do so.
I also posted a number of photographs since I arrived here. The new files are dated April 21st and April 22nd . I hope I did not ramble on to much above but I was just very excited about being able to see this while here in Portsmouth, VA. Some of the photos are a little blurred but it was hard to catch the units when someone was not moving and you could not use flash.
April 20, 2007 – More of the same as above. I decided this evening that it was time to do a little exploring tomorrow. I can only spit and polish so long before I get the itch to go and if I am going to do my walk every day I might as well make it count. The weather is also getting a little warmer, still brisk late evenings and early morning’s though. I went to the visitor center in Portsmouth to get some materials and see what is going on here. I just arrived home with enough stuff to last a month and have already missed some good stuff. It is a month long arts festival that goes from now till up in early June. Got to get the hooves shined up and ready to go for tomorrow.
April 21, 2007 – The day dawned this morning with beautiful colors just like a day should during an arts festival. I went and got my Portsmouth walking map out and set out to see some of the local sights. This is also historic garden viewing week here and all over Virginia if I have it right. The first houses and churches I looked at were so very pretty and of such different design from a lot I have seen elsewhere. I noticed that the steps here going up to the second floor of the homes was located on just one side of the house and not both sides in the front. The story goes that the reason the houses had two sets of steps up on the front is one side was used by the women and the other side by the men because they did not want the men looking up those big hoop skirts they wore to formal events. Well here in Portsmouth that did not seem to matter because they only have one set of steps going up the front of the house. I think it has something to do with the fact that sailors are a much better behaved group of people than some of those Southern gentlemen seemed to have been. Also sailors don’t mind viewing a few hoop skirts going up stairs and have better control of themselves. That said, I am going to have to go back tomorrow and check out the historic gardens as they were pretty crowded yesterday on a Saturday. The dogs certainly are tired tonight and I got the photos processed and up on the internet along with some from the prior periods. Any file with an April 21st date is what I have been catching up on.
April 22, 2007 - I found out two things at the visitor center in Portsmouth that make it really nice for people visiting both cities. First there is a ferry that old folks like me can ride across the river to Norfolk for 50 cents, now that is cheap in this day and time. The second was the Hampton Roads Transit has a free bus to all of the tourist attractions and the museums, library and other stops along the way, even stops at a shopping mall. So now you will be getting the true 50 cent tour in case you think it is worth it. One ferry ride later and I was on the free bus to the Scopes Arena which is where they play basketball and hockey but not today. Today the arena was host to Virginia International Tattoo. I had heard of tattoos but this was altogether different. A tattoo is what they call a ceremonial performance of military music by massed bands. And this was a super program of bands and music. It simply takes more than my words to describe this gathering of bands but I will try and if you ever get a chance to see a tattoo please do so.
It will make your throat dry and your eyes moist and give you a good dose of what patriotism should mean to everyone. I was both of the above as I sat and listened to what our military bands are capable of and of the additional awe thrown in for good measure by other countries military bands as well. Canada was represented by the 3 area Support Group Gagetown Pipes and Drums, the 8 Wing Trenton Pipe Band and the 12 Wing Shearwater Pipes and Drums. The Band and Corps of Drums of the Bermuda Regiment from Bermuda. The Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines from the United Kingdom which is the band that travels with Queen Elizabeth when she travels abroad as well as in Britain. Another Bermuda band was the Bermuda Islands Pipes and Drums. The Caribbean Symphonic Dancers from Norfolk University gave a performance from the various islands. Republic of Korea was represented by the Chae Hyang-Soon/Ang Song and Dance Group. The Churchland High School Chorus sang and did backup for others. Doc Christian and Friends did the song Amazing Grace to the accompaniment of the audience tears and made sure there was not a dry eye in the house. I will name some more that included Drums and Pipes of the Irish Guards, H & H Gombeys, Hampton Roads Police Color Guard, Highlands and Islands Scottish Dancers. The Juliana Bicycle Team from Holland is the only group to use bicycles in there presentation. Norfolk University has a military drum line called the Million Dollar Funk Squad and what a show this group can put on with absolutely lightning fast hands and drumsticks, wow. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps from the US Army with their old time dress and precise movements and the fact that they represent Bush at many events. The US Coast Guards silent drill team put on a performance with rifle and real bayonets that made you hope no one missed his move. The US Marine band from Quantico Virginia did the Hymn to the Fallen and the Marine Hymn and had everyone absolutely quiet with the most wonderful playing of Taps I have ever heard followed by the person from the corps. who sang Amazing Grace. Then all the bands massed which made it over 850 strong and played the Stars and Stripes Forever, Scotland the Brave, and Black Bear. There was much, much more and I have only skimmed the top few. I know if I see another tattoo advertised I certainly will go see it. In my reading for the trip I know there is another of these that will take place this summer in Canada, I hope I am nearby when it happens. We Americans including myself sometimes lose track of what the services sacrifice for us. If you could have heard the soft version of taps and its mournful tones echo in the arena it would make you proud to be an American and tearful at the same time. When they did Amazing Grace accompanied by the bagpipes and soft drumming was another of those times. As they played each services theme they asked that the people who served in that branch of service to stand while it was played and I was proud to do so.
I also posted a number of photographs since I arrived here. The new files are dated April 21st and April 22nd . I hope I did not ramble on to much above but I was just very excited about being able to see this while here in Portsmouth, VA. Some of the photos are a little blurred but it was hard to catch the units when someone was not moving and you could not use flash.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
April 17, 18, 2007
April 17, 2007 – We got up this morning and ate breakfast and then Bob and I went to wait for our rental car for me to take him back to Swansboro, NC. I will spend the night there and return tomorrow. As we drove down the highway from here in Norfolk, VA to there we passed through many types of areas. We left here and went down highway 17 which led us to the Dismal Swamp Trail just because we wondered what it looked like from the road because we could see cars passing us as we came up the canal. One side really is the swamp and the other is a lot of farm land after you cross the road. We saw many tobacco barns and they were much different from those I had seen before. These were like individual barns the size of a mid size u-haul truck. They use propane gas to do the drying instead of natural air. When we passed the Carolina Visitors Center where we had tied up during the storm all the boats had left except one. Larry and Gail were going to wait another day and then travel all the way to Deltaville, VA in one hop. They should have had pretty good going if they left on the 18th. We drove through the cities we had passed by boat, such as Elizabeth City, Belhaven, and across the rivers that we had crossed by boat. It seemed so different to be looking down at them from a big highway bridge after being on them. Where we crossed them they were much larger because we were closer to the coast. We went through New Bern, NC and if it had not been so rough the day we crossed that river it would have been fun to go by boat. It has a governors mansion called the Tryon Palace. It was very elaborate and had what looked to be beautiful gardens. The homes there were also historic and pretty much like those in the other southern cities that I have visited. After about four or so hours of driving we arrived at Bob’s house and it felt different not to see Shorty down there in the boat basin where he enjoyed a respite from all as did I. After the drive we were both pretty tired and after eating we took turns falling asleep as we watched TV.
April 18, 2007 – This morning we ate breakfast and although I hated to leave Bob there and go back to Shorty alone we both had things to do. It will be a month before Bob returns from vacation and comes back to Norfolk to continue on. Maybe by then it will warm up some. After driving through the pretty country again on the way home and seeing things that I did not see on the way down I was ready to get back on the boat. I passed some large plantations and today in a couple of places the farmers were setting out their tobacco plants. I thought it might be a little cold for that but it is supposed to warm up a little in the next few days. It is cold enough here tonight that I have the little electric heater running again in the cabin. It sure feels good. The wind was still coming out of the easterly direction when I arrived here and it had a bite to it. It was not as bad as the day we arrived when it was gusting so high you could barely walk the docks without moving and losing your balance. Since I will be here quite a while I will try to have all the new charts sent down here to me. Then I will return my old charts that I have been using back home and away we go again. I also want to find out what is here in the way of historical places to visit. I am not to far from Williamsburg and other places. Also this is home to a lot of navy stuff so I am looking forward to watching the ships, etc.
April 18, 2007 – This morning we ate breakfast and although I hated to leave Bob there and go back to Shorty alone we both had things to do. It will be a month before Bob returns from vacation and comes back to Norfolk to continue on. Maybe by then it will warm up some. After driving through the pretty country again on the way home and seeing things that I did not see on the way down I was ready to get back on the boat. I passed some large plantations and today in a couple of places the farmers were setting out their tobacco plants. I thought it might be a little cold for that but it is supposed to warm up a little in the next few days. It is cold enough here tonight that I have the little electric heater running again in the cabin. It sure feels good. The wind was still coming out of the easterly direction when I arrived here and it had a bite to it. It was not as bad as the day we arrived when it was gusting so high you could barely walk the docks without moving and losing your balance. Since I will be here quite a while I will try to have all the new charts sent down here to me. Then I will return my old charts that I have been using back home and away we go again. I also want to find out what is here in the way of historical places to visit. I am not to far from Williamsburg and other places. Also this is home to a lot of navy stuff so I am looking forward to watching the ships, etc.
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