Posts Tagged ‘life on Virginia’s Eastern Shore’

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Cape Charles’ Inaugural Clam Slam Festival

Thursday, August 9th, 2012

What do a Shriner’s Parade, a crab skiff race, a fishing boat docking contest,  paintings  of whimsical mermaids  and prancing horses have in common ?   Surprisingly, they were all a part of a new Eastern Shore Virginia festival, the 2012 Clam Slam in Cape Charles, an inaugural event held last Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The Clam Slam  blasted off  Friday evening  at the harbor with a huge Harbor Party featuring live rock/blues music music from 6-10 pm performed by John Baldwin and the Original Sinners, a well-known Virginia Beach  band.  I’m still a Glenn Miller-Tommy Dorsey-Benny Goodman-Artie Shaw  fan myself but I’ve spoken to several people who went Friday night and commented that they really enjoyed the music.

 

10am Saturday morning brought a  complete change of pace as the Shriner’s Parade and Car Show.  led by the smartly stepping Color Guard from the  US Coast Guard’s  Cape Charles Station, began winding its way along Bay Avenue  and then down Mason Avenue.  Following was a colorful assortment of participants including the ever popular fire trucks from Cape Charles and nearby Cheriton throwing candies to the crowd and then what I think was  litttle Miss Chesapeake Bay.  Everyone loved the crab racing skiffs which would be struting their stuff  in the harbor later in the day, a colorful collection of oranges, greens and blues,  rolling past sidewalks crowded with on-lookers.

But of course it was the Shriners who  highlighted  the day, going all-out as usual in their efforts to raise money for their 22 hospital network where children are treated for free for a wide variety of very serious issues, including burns.  Dressed in costume, the Shriner contingent led off with marchers, then a good sized marching band attired in teal slacks, white shirts, gold cummberbunds and their traditional red fezes, playing with  plenty of volume and enthusiasm,  followed by their top attractions, horses,  clowns, mini-trucks and of course, the laugh-out-loud, crazy-driving  miniture cars, probably the Shriners most famous parade unit.

Envision exuberant drivers, stuffed into tiny cars   barely big enough to hold them, careening  around in apparently randomly wild configurations. Further imagine  what appears to be total mayhem, with these big guys in minuture cars, zipping every which way but Sunday, about 6 ways on this 2 way street,  all to huge laughs from an appreciative  audience and you’ve pretty much got the picture. The clowns were tons of fun too- dressed up like  Beverly Hillbillies, one of the fellows was doing his antics in  bare feet.  Given that hot, hot pavement, I’d say, Wow, that’s really dedication.  Following all of that fun, a string of sweet antique cars.  A  fellow standing beside me kept pointing to one yellow beauty, saying I had one just like that, exactly like that  just as the Kedive motorcycle group roared into view, first you hear them, then you see them.

Next up,  horses and riders from Triple M Ranch.  Located just outside Cape Charles  on 150 acres overlooking historic King’s Creek, a saltwater inlet from the Chesapeake Bay,  Triple M has a dedicated group of riders and they have consistantly added a lot of interest to local events by bringing their gorgeous mounts to participate.  Their  horses were so cute last Christmas at the Cape Charles Grand Illumination at Central Park.  Adorned in holiday bells, red bows, plush reindeer horns, red and green saddle blankets, etc., they certainly brought a lot of extra smiles to that special evening.  Following the horses, a cute golf cart sponsored by the Friends of the Cape Charles Library advertizing their book sale and then, last but definitely not least, a long string of antique Corvette’s,  buffed and shiny, clearly well treated by their proud owners.

I didn’t have time to stick around for the other festivities down at the harbor which included games for kids, a  horseshoe contest,  a crab pot cork race and the wildly popular  Smith Island crab skiff race.  I did however take a quick stroll down Mason Avenue to see what the sidewalk art booths had on display this year.  Looks of good stuff, paintings, crafts, political buttons, you-name-it,  for sale along the sidewalk.  And at the very end of the sidewalk appeared a little tent filled to the brim with the most adorable mermaid dolls and whimsical paintings, prints and original oils both,  all beckoning  me  in, singing sweetly  like the Sirens to Ulysses, come  in, come in, see me,  touch me, take me home with you……  Created by talented Shore artisit,  Katherine Kiss, who said she has been working in the fanciful genre for a long time,  the  mermaid dolls were so absolutely gorgeous,  I’d have loved to have bought every one !

P.S.  I didn’t attend any of the Sunday events but  the Boat Docking Contest was the clear favorite– over 800 tickets for the event were sold, the proceeds to be used for the prizes and to help off-set  fuel costs for the boat owners.  However, Jennifer Ingram from Blue Heron’s  Cape Charles office did attend, ( had a ticket in the VIP section no less )  and she was kind enough to supply me with the following pictures for this post.

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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Celebrating Op Sail 2012 On The Eastern Shore of Virginia- Part I, The Parade of Sail

Thursday, August 2nd, 2012

Op Sail 2012 was a big shebang, very big, celebrated in the US in the ports of  New York, New Orleans,  Norfolk,  Baltimore, New London and Boston.   Organized around the Bicentennial anniversary of the War of 1812 and the writing of the Star Spangled Banner,  the 2012 event is  6th  Operation Sail event.   Kicked off in 1964,  Op Sail was the culmination of worldwide efforts by the late maritime historian Frank Braynard and IBM executive  Nils Hansell to create an event designed to  foster international  goodwill by bringing together sailing ships from nations from all corners of the globe  to gather for  a fabulous parade of sail into New York harbor.  And so  in conjunction with the New York World’s Fair,  Op Sail was born, an instant huge success  which has been followed up by 5 additional Op Sail events, each tied to an  American historical event, each bigger and better than the last.  But Op Sail 2012  seems to have been the most spectacular of them all, especially in Virginia,  where the event was expanded for the first time to include not only the traditional port of Norfolk but also several small nearby ports including Cape Charles as part of the Tall Ships at Cape Charles Festival as well as the port of  Onancock on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

Fortunately for those of us who live on the Eastern Shore, one of the main events of the entire festival is the “Parade of Sail“,  the magnificentfive mile long  flotilla  featuring of  scores of  international tall ships accompanied by military vessels from the US Navy and Coast Guard as well as literally  hundreds of local sail and power boats,  streaming across the water, escorting the international ships  to the tall ship’s main anchorages in downtown Norfolk and Portsmouth.  The ships overnighted in near Lesner Bridge in Virginia Beach and at dawn  prepared to parade from the Lynnhavenanchorage,  through the mouthof  the Chesapeake Bay and up the Elizabeth River  into Norfolk, a  spectacular fleet  which, if all the ships were placed end to end, would be an amazing 7700 feet long !

Happily, this Parade involves  passing  directly over the  first tunnel of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel which connects the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the city of Virginia Beach on the mainland !   Which meant that tickets to view from both the first and second Bridge Islands were available for this one-of-a-kind show and we were lucky enough to get  two tickets for the closest Island, One  Island at Thimble Shoal, rather than for Two  Island without  restaurant and restroom facilities.  So even though we are not normally crack-of-dawn people, by 5:30 am on the day, we were up and scurrying around,  grabbing hats, sun screen, a tiny cooler for water, binoculars, all the little comfort things, getting on the road before 6.  Seating was on a first-come basis and we were  hoping to get a front row seat on the bleachers, which, amazingly,  we were able to do  !

The day was simply beautiful- a sunrise of pinks and peach, cloudless sky, good breezes all morning long ( thank heavens, hard to sail without the wind gods behind you), water sparkling, everyone on the Island in sky-high spirits, thrilled to be there for this special, once in a decade or so, event.  The Parade was kicked off by the US Coast Guard ship, the USS Eagle. The 295 foot Eagle has an interesting history having been built in Germany, launched in 1939 as the SSS Horst Wessel,  but ending up in the possession of the United States after WWII as part of German war reparations.  A training ship for  Coast Guard cadets and a goodwill ambassador  for the US,  the aptly named Eagle gleamed in the morning sun, her 22,000 square feet of  white sails billowing,  proud as a mother swan with all her cygnets streaming along  behind her although probably those magnificent ships behind her might not like the comparison.

The announcer for the nearly 3 hour program was  Captain Sara Cole, commander of the Learning Barge. ( The Learning Barge was, of course, not in the Parade but it is a fascinating vessel in its own right. Winner of several national awards including one from the EPA,  this vessel was hand built over 3 years as a project between  the University of Virginia School of Architecture and the Elizabeth River Project, a local environmental group.  The Learning Barge is essentially a floating lab where students can sample water quality, identify pollution, learn about restoration of wetlands, grow algae, learn about sustainability, all hands-on. )  At any rate, Capt. Cole had amassed a great deal of information about each of the tall ships and military vessels participating in the Parade.

Thus I learned several new nautical terms including “dressing ship”  which she indicated means just what it sounds like- dressing  the ship to the nines, no diamonds or rubys  included there,  just every signal flag flying, weighted, an array of colors and symbols adorning these dramatic  ships, many like the Eaglefunctioning  as training ships and goodwill ambassadors for their countries.  Several Navy ships participated,  including  a helicopter escorted US submarine which was the concluding boat in the Parade.   From the US,  several well-known tall sailing ships including replias of the Bounty and Godspeed, the amazing Kalmar Nyckel from Delaware and the Pride of Baltimore as well as the 3 ships destined for Cape Charles, the Lynx, the Appledore and the Sultana.  In addition to  ships  from the US,  from Indonesia, Mexico, Columbia, Brazil, Spain, the Cook Islands, Bermuda, Germany, Canada, Denmark and the United Kingdom they sailed,  already having visited New York and New Orleans.  After the visit in Virginia, the longest visit of all, the fleet would be off to Baltimore, Boston and New London. And there they would no doubt wow their audiences,  just as all of us out on Thimble Shoal’s One Island that lovely summer morning  were thrilled by the 2012 Op Sail’s  Parade of Sail, serenely crossing  the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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Tomatoes, Butterbeans, Corn and Peaches– All Waiting For Me At Pickett’s Harbor Farm Market

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

We love the Pickett’s Harbor Farm Market just south of Cape Charles, Virginia anytime but this year especially.  The Eastern Shore of Virginia has lovely rich, loamy soils and we always plant a decent sized garden  but this year our  garden got off  to a very rocky start.    Late, late, late getting it in and then short of time to tend it.  On top of all that, the black filter cloth we always put down in long rows over the entire garden space to eliminate most of the weeding  turned out to be dark grey and worthless.  The weeds grew underneath it  like, well, weeds and we ended up tilling the whole thing under, okra included,  and  just started over again.  So now we have a second-time-around  garden,  started in late June when anybody with a lick of sense knows that a really successful garden needs to be planted at least by the end of April.

Stage right,  enter  Pickett’s Harbor Farm market,  now the star for obtaining our fresh produce for cooking wonderful only-in-the-summer  meals.   Because no self-respecting person who loves Southern Cooking  can do without the essential fresh ingredients for same. Summertime cooking  calls for, no actually demands,  fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, from one’s own garden or at least grown locally,  red globes of  flavor, thick slices of which grace the dinner table almost every summer’s eve.   And butter beans,  little teeney cousins of  the big green or speckled limas,  sweet,  melt-in-the-mouth, one of my husband’s favorite summer treats, so very, very much better fresh than frozen.    And corn, fresh sweet corn,  Silver Queen variety our favorite.  Who can say enough about luscious sweet corn, steamed and eaten fresh off the cob, accompanied only by sweet cream butter, pepper and a little salt, or salt substitute as the case might be.    Or grilled, slathered with lime butter or Mexican style crema.  (  However, the South certainly doesn’t have a lock on a love of sweet corn.  If you really want to hear someone wax truly elequently  about the marvels of  fresh corn,  just listen to an NPR  Garrison Keillor “Prarie Home Companion” show in summer.  Inevitably,  part of  his stellar shows  in summer will be devoted to enumerating the wonders of  Minnosota’s  sweet corn, picked from the garden and shucked just minutes before popping it into its steam bath. )

But  maybe best of all is the delectable dish you achieve by combining  those marvelous three — homegrown tomatoes, fresh butter beans and fresh sweet corn, the  Three  Amigos of  Summertime Southern Cooking.   Succotash, one of summer’s greatest ever veggie combinations !  However, for this dish to be at its zenith,  it is essential to milk the corn.  For those who have never milked corn  (let alone a cow),  the procedure goes like so:  First, put on an apron. ( This is fundamentally important.  Trust me,  you’ll see why once you get started. )  Next, make sure you have removed absolutely all the silk from the shucked corn ear because nothing spoils a heavenly bite of succotash more than having to pull  strands of corn silk from one’s mouth.   Then,  with a sharp paring knife,  gently slice down the cob, cutting off the top half of the kernels, turning  until you’ve done the entire cob.  This is best done in a deep bowl, with the cob’s  butt end pointed downwards and resting against the bottom of the bowl.  Now for the milking– take a  spoon and run it down the cut kernels,  pushing firmly against the cob, to get all the rest of the corn and the corn milk.  Do this twice to make sure you’ve gotten every drop  that  cob has to give.  This is a bit messy and I always put the bowl into the kitchen sink while I’m cutting  and milking,  the better to keep most of the  flying bits of corn off the apron and confined to the sink for easy clean-up.  Everybody prepares  their succotash according to a  family tradition. I like to cook the butter beans with a small bit of smoked ham or bacon until almost done, then add very ripe tomatoes coarsely chopped,  a little savory or basil  and then the corn, proportions for the dish being about 50% butter beans, 20% tomato, 30% corn.   Cook until  mouth-meltingly tender, maybe a bit of butter added at the end, pepper and salt to taste.   Sublime, and when served with classic Southern fried chicken, a triumph !

But a post on Pickett’s Harbor Farm’s summer produce  would definitely not be complete without an Ode to Peaches.  Not the half green, rot before they ripen,  little things found in  the grocery store.  No, I’m talking about the sweet, juicy beauties grown right there on the farm,  rows and rows of peach trees, laden with fruit, beautiful  peaches slowly ripening,  glistening in the sun, to be picked only when completely ready.  And the aroma !   Does anything smell sweeter,  more appealing,  than a basket of ripe red peaches, their tantalizing deliciousness just wafting upward ?   I think not.  All winter and all spring, I wait for peaches.  And when they finally come in, about the beginning of July,  we make the first of many  “peach runs”.  Eaten whole with juice dripping down the hand, swimming in ice cold milk atop breakfast cereal, sliced in a dish with vanilla Haagen Dazs and a drizzle of brandy, served over shortcake and topped with raspberries and whipped cream, made into a cobbler with a few fresh blueberries,  layered in a deep-dish peach custard pie— let me count the ways that our family loves the fabulous peaches, Sugar Baby watermelons,  juicy cantalopes and all the other produce expertly  grown by the Nottingham family– Tammy,  W.T. , Josh and the rest of the  gang.   We  love you guys,  thanks so much,  summer just wouldn’t be the same without Pickett’s Harbor Farm Market !    (www.pickettsharborfarms.com ) (Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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“Art & Music on the Farm”–The Barrier Islands Center’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

Thursday, May 31st, 2012

The Eastern Shore of Virginia’s Barrier Islands Center  marked its 10th  anniversary with a walloping big  day- long celebration billed as “Art & Music on the Farm”.   Kudos to all the planners, the festival  was beautifully executed and great fun for all who attended.  A little history is likely in order here for those not familiar with Virginia’s chain of pristine off-shore Barrier Islands,  given world class status by the United Nations who has named it as one of  its Biosphere Reserves.  Stretching along Virginia’s  Atlantic Ocean coast  from Chincoteague, VA  all the way south to Smith Island at the convergence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay,  these barrier islands have a rich history as homes to hearty watermen,  destinations for tourists and hunters, outposts for Coast Guard stations and locations for lighthouses  as well as sheltering a singular diversity of  plant and animal life.  Except for Cedar Island, which still has a few remaining summer homes accessible only by boat trip,  most  of the remaining Islands have been purchased by the Nature Conservancy, 14 islands in all, some with romantic names like  Parramore, Rogue and Revel.  Purchased to  preserve them from development, the Conservancy’s protection has allowed the wildlife to flourish, especially critical for the many species of shorebirds and waterfowl that are now able to safely nest there.  It was to protect  the unique heritage of these  unique Islands that the Barrier Island Museum was established in 2002.  Located in the little hamlet of  Machipongo, VA , it has truly met its mission statement.  In the last 10 years, over 7500 artifacts from those by-gone days  have been collected for preservation and display at the Museum and the adjacent Almshouse Farm but the Center has ventured well beyond that initial mission, establishing itself as a place for classes for all ages, a lecture series,as well as a hands-on resource for local schools to teach young  children about the history and culture of the Eastern Shore .  ( Visit them at   www.barrierislandscenter.com  )

So Saturday’s anniversary celebration brought together the important 3 “F“s– Fun, Food and Fiddling and the equally important  2 “S” s-  Shopping and Sipping.    Under the leafy shade provided by the  Center’s  huge broad oaks, tables were set up for rest, dining or just enjoying a glass of wine from the tents set up by two local vineyards,  a tall cold glass of freshly brewed  iced coffee from Eastern Shore Coastal  Roasting Co. booth or perhaps a frothy pint from  Wendell Brewery’s travel truck.   Lots and lots to see, do and hear– from 40 little tents filled with local artists,  several booths bursting with flowers and colorful shrubs from local nurseries  to a sound stage set  for the 4 different musical groups set to perform.  We arrived just as the  Carribean group, Ban Caribe,  was finishing  its toe-tapping opening number to much applause, “we”  being husband,  daughter-in-law and 2 grandsons.    Right off the bat,  the boys gravitated towards  the little sheep pen where a freshly shorn mama stood in the shade with her sweet-faced tiny  lamb, carefully people watching  the people sheep watching.   From there,  we made our way over to the  Kids Activity Tent staffed by patient volunteers who helped the kids get started on making  their creative picture project while I drifed towards the Appleseed Nursery area which was doing a brisk business from their  colorful display of cut sunflowers and blooming perennials, so winsome to the eye.

                      

But it was the incredible  artwork  that  was the main focus of the day– some of the most famous artists on the Eastern Shore of Virginia  were there, works displayed  in  individual little white tents,  so many different creations,  a myriad of  art mediums.  Local painters like Thelma Peterson,  Mary Ann Clarke, Marty Burgess and Jack Richardson,  potter Elizabeth Hunt, sculpter  Maurice Spector,  metal artists  Copper Creations and Buck Doughty,  fine furniture craftsmen   Windsor Chairs, ceramics wizzard David Crane  and so many, many other fine artists and artizans were on hand, showing and selling  their unique creations.  Pungo Mills was there with their stone ground cornmeal, Chatham Vineyards was offering samples of  its  fine wine,  Machipongo Trading Company was madly selling cones of  delicious “Marsh Mud”,  the  super-delicious,  ultra- chocolate ice cream made homestyle by The Creamery.  Inside the Museum,  in the blissfully air-conditioned lecture room,  a  “Blues Workshop”  featuring the Harris Brothers was scheduled from noon to 1pm, followed by “Recollections from the Bay: Lives and Lore of Menhaden Fishing”  offered by the Northern Neck Chantey Singers.  Later in the day the well-known old time string band, Whitetop Mountain Band, was scheduled to appear out in the bandstand, see a video of that band below.  Out in the parking  lot,  a  sweet little collection of vintage cars caught a lot of eyes,  including my husband’s,  who has a real nostolgia for yesteryear automobiles.  All said,   having  enjoyed the 3 “F” s   as well as the  2 “S“s,  we set off for home, a few treasures in hand,  the end of a lovely Eastern Shore Day.

                     
http://youtu.be/9XUPTKmGzUI

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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Attending A Speech By The Secretary of State Turns Into A Little Adventure

Monday, May 28th, 2012

On April 3rd,  Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton travelled  to Norfolk, VA  to tour  NATO’s  Allied Command Transformation headquarters and  to afterwards  deliver a policy speech at  the World Affairs Council 2012 NATO Conference Dinner held at the  Sheraton Waterside hotel.  I had been lucky enough to snag three tickets before the event was completely sold out.  WOW ,  I said to myself, as a person interested in world affairs, this is going to be really interesting and exciting  !   And so it was,  in both expected and most unexpected ways.

 

 

The first thing I decided was that the occasion was a good excuse to treat myself to a dressy new outfit.  Life on the Eastern Shore of Virginia is  wonderfully casual  and most of the time I’m  attired in a sporty pair of comfortable  cotton or corduroy chinos,  blouse or sweater.  So  I combed Macy’s and Nordstrum’s  for a zippy new outfit  to wear to the dinner,  finally found something I liked, not perfect but quite satisfactory.   Next, deciding on a plan for the day itself.   The Sheraton has a lovely dining room overlooking the water at Norfolk’s Waterside Festival Marketplace  and I thought that since the formal dinner in the ballroom would likely not be well underway until about 7:30 it would be fun to have  lunch there.  So I got the agreement of   Husband and Eldest Daughter to leave the Eastern Shore by 1:30 pm which would put us at Waterside by about 2:30 pm.  Plenty of time for a very relaxed lunch and a little walk around the promenade before the reception began at 5pm, with the Secretary’s  speech scheduled to start about 6pm.   Well,  guess who just getting  into  the shower at 1:30 ????   Not me, not Hubby…. yes, it was Eldest Daughter.  Needless to say, her tardiness  threw the entire timeline off  kilter so instead of enjoying a nice relaxing glass of wine and lunch at Waterside, watching the boats cruising up the Elizabeth  River as planned, we ended up with a fast tuna cosmo at Zeros  Sub Shop !  I won’t say more about that except that I could have bitten nails in half with my bare teeth………   And little did I know it was but  an omen of what was yet to come.

Arriving at the Sheraton, which looked grand,  flags flying, water shimmering in the background, I  pulled out my camera, took  off the lens cap, focused, depressed the shutter button and ….. nothing.  Tried again, still nothing, looked at the screen, plenty of battery life, and anyway I always carry an extra hot battery.  Oops,  a little message… no DS card inserted, then remembered that I had given my currently in-use chip to my assistant to download some property pics the previous day.  Obviously I had neglected to retrieve  it.  Now, for the first time in memory, I was at a function that I very much wanted to photograph but no way to do it !   OK,  OK,  not to panic, rummage, rummage through my camera bag for another chip because I always  carry an extra chip. Well, apparently not always because, unbelievably, not one was to be found.  Now, time to panic !   The nearest place to buy an SD chip was at least a mile away,  the car had already been whisked off  to heaven knows where by the valet parking guy, it would be at least a 30 minute ordeal to reclaim the car, run to the mall,  park,  buy the chip and get back  to the hotel.  My husband thought we should try the  Sheraton’s gift shop before leaving the hotel, so trot, trot,  fast walking to the gift shop.  And there it was,  hanging on a peg board,  all by itself,  the very last one,  wrapped in the usual impenetrable packaging,  a shiny new 4 gig SD card,  to my rescue.    The irony of all this is that I am a person who at all times, well apparently not at all  times,  has at least one extra brand new camera chip on hand because I never delete photos, I just pop in a new chip.  Only problem that day being that all the extra chips were apparently sitting in my photo case,  in my desk drawer….. back on the Eastern Shore.  ( I will leave it to your imagination to guess how many blank camera chips I now have tucked in reserve in my camera bag ! )

Because of security reasons,  all  registration for this event was on-line and the tickets were not mailed out in advance but had to  be picked up at the event.  Security for the Secretary was clearly very tight, the hotel was filled with lots of uniformed officers,  a bomb sniffing dog was on patrol and  a slew of plain clothes Diplomatic Corp Security Service types  seemed to be everywhere.   By the time we finished at the gift shop,  two lines were already forming in front of the ticket pick-up tables.  We got in line, quite a long line,  for those whose last names  began with A-K,  picture  ID’s  in hand,  ready pick-up our tickets and progress to step two which was a new line to move up the stairs, through the metal detector, complete a bag search and then on to the reception.  Kapow !  More bad news struck —  they couldn’t  find our tickets.  First,  no relaxed lunch, then no camera chip and then, NO TICKETS  !!!!!

The ticket issue was  truly serious because everyone had been advised in their confirmation email that  absolutely —  NO  ticket, NO  entry.   The World Affairs Council charge d’ affairs,  a lovely calm lady named Gabrielle  Blake  was summoned.  She re-confirmed that all three of us were on the computer print-out list of attendees,  had all the remaining envelopes  reviewed again, then had the  envelopes for the L-Z  line   searched to see if our envelope had gotten mixed up with  their batch.  No such luck….  We were asked to step out of  line and wait to see what could be done.  ( While waiting, Eldest Daughter spotted Kathy Lewis, the hugely popular and respected talk show host  from  WHRV, Norfolk’s NPR station,  went over and introduced herself.   Ms. Lewis was kind enough to pose for a picture with her.  In fact,  she was pretty funny, said she hoped that my photo  would  make her look  skinny, as like many of us, she is fighting the  Battle of  the Bulge. )

About 10 minutes later,  Gabrielle was back.  Let’s speak to the security folks,  she suggested,  see if they can waive the  “must show a ticket”  requirement  since you clearly are  on the computer attendee list.  So, trot, trot, trot over to the line by the stairs.  Gabrielle  spoke with the  guard at the bottom of the steps,  who then radioed  for his supervisor.   The supervisor came, listened to the explanation,  indicated he would be right back.  In the meantime, one other couple in the same ticketless situation was joined up with us to wait for the resolution to  the problem.   The five of us waited patiently.  In the meantime, Gabrielle had to leave  us to go deal with another issue.  Finally,  2 gentlemen from the  Diplomatic Security Service detail came down  to speak with us but they needed to also speak with  Gabrielle and get her assurances as to our bona fides.  So…… Radioing for Gabrielle, the  return of Gabrielle,  the re-check of our ID’s.  Finally, one of the Diplomatic Corp Security Service fellows came back, motioning  for  us to follow him.   Follow the leader as the 5 of us  wound behind him,  through the lobby,  around to a set of  back elevators where he zipped us up to the reception floor,  stationed us at  the head of the metal detector line.  There  we were finally processed through, then wanded,  purses searched and at long, long last,  released to begin to enjoy this special  evening.

  But was that the end of our travails ?   No indeedy, once we left the reception and moved into the ballroom to our pre-assigned table we immediately realized that one of the other people  assigned to this table had either the flu or a terrible cold, he was  just coughing almost non-stop, politely into his napkin, but much coughing none  the less.  My husband  is quite susceptible  to getting serious lung complications from respiratory aliments and I just didn’t want to take any chances.  So, off to ask if  somehow, someway, somewhere,  could someone  possibly get us moved to a different table ?   Located  a hotel manager who, after  telling  us that only Gabrielle could authorize a move to another table ,  made a quick call to her.  Like the Fairy Godmother,  Gabrielle  quickly re-appeared.  Athough I know she probably couldn’t even believe that she was dealing with yet  another issue involving us,  Gabrielle was once again  super  nice and very understanding.   Fortunately, she had 3 extra tickets ( out of  the 780 total event seats)  that she had been holding back for emergency use and so  was  able to switch us from our current table to the table designated for  those tickets.     Absolutely perfect, problem solved.

Since the tale of this mini-adventure  has stretched on and on,  with regard to the remainder  of the evening,  I shall merely say we had a great time.   Secretary Clinton’s  speech on the on-going role and importance of the transformation of NATO and its role in America’s  security was interesting and very well received.  Norfolk, VA is the important location of the Supreme Allied Command for North America for NATO and the audience was jam-packed with military, political and local dignitaries, all dressed to the nines.  Dinner afterwards was surprisingly good given that 780  guests had to be served simultaneously, kudos to the Sheraton banquet manager.  Our  other  table mates, ( nobody coughing in this group) including a fellow who previously had been commander of a  submarine,  were  quite interesting,  all and all,  a very good ending to an unexpectedly adventurous  day.

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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Unwind In This Romantic Lindal Style Cedar Beach Home For Sale On The Eastern Shore of Virginia

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

What could be more relaxing than unwinding at sunset on the deck of your Chesapeake Bay beachfront home,  surrounded by rolling dunes and serenaded by the soothing sounds of waves lapping against the shoreline  and seabirds calling overhead ?   On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a beach home is all about a sense of fun, of embracing a new way of life,  of  kicking back, breathing in the tangy salt air, listening to the seabirds call,   focusing on the spectacular views donated by Mother Nature !    Especially so in this Lindal  style cedar beachfront home offering the casual elegance and  real livability that  turns a mere house  into a  longed for retreat, one’s very own sand castle.   Nestled on about four acres of  sparkling sand dunes  dotted with sea oats waving in the breezes,  gnarled maritime pines and  striking  yucca plants,  this custom 5 bedroom, 4 1/2 bath  beachfront beauty is all about immersing in a nature-inspired lifestyle.  With over 2200 sq.ft. of balcony and multi-level open decking dedicated to outdoor living,  perfect for fresh air entertaining or just basking in the sun,  and a huge hot tub beckoning  star gazers or moon watchers at night,  folks  may never want to come inside !

But when they do finally decide come inside,  what dramatic beauty awaits.   Soaring cathedral ceilings, walls of windows,  an open and flowing floorplan.  With  the home’s  east-west orientation,  it’s easy to follow the sun all day.  From the soft light in the  breakfast room  at sunrise to mint juleps in the great room at sunset glow, this home is  light filled and airy.  The large great room focal point is a  towering two story floor- to- ceiling  fireplace and massive  hearth constructed of custom selected stone in  eye-pleasing  rose and grey hues.  The architectural design on the waterside consists of three “prows” , each of which creates a feel of a particular living space yet essentially  it is one large light-filled open living space,  a  “great room”  in every sense of the word, with a sitting- conversation area at one end and a dining area at the other.   An abundance of windows on each wall of  the prows and sliding glass doors leading to the decks bring the outdoors inside, the golden sunshine,  the dazzling views of  blue Chesapeake Bay waters,  the sparkling sand beach and the glorious skies at sunset,  sun slipping below the horizon,  painting the water in vibrant hues of reds and golds.

A  large master suite carries on the theme of high ceilings and  beautiful windows and also includes doors to the deck . Guest bedrooms are upstairs, with a central guest sitting area, individual balconies and great waterviews as well.  Beautiful library/music room/den off the great room, a  cozy space  for curling up with a good book, soft music in the background.   Downstairs,  a  full walk-out basement with it’s own patio and outdoor shower, a library area, media room &  pool room,  extra storage for bikes, kayaks, fishing gear and other essential toys, etc., etc.    Truly, this  is a beach home that doesn’t just look like a beachfront home,  it’s a beach home where you really feel the sense of  sand and  blue waters  everywhere,  an inspiration inside as well as outside !   Located in a tiny beach neighborhood offering private pool and tennis club for residents.    Only 10 minutes from the historic little waterfront town of Cape Charles, VA offering a wide variety of amenites including shops, restaurants, art galleries, theatre, cultural events,  Palmer and Nicklaus signature  golf courses  and two deep water marinas.   Atttractively priced at $1,595,000.  For more information and photos on this property, visit  www.blueheronva.com  and click on beachfront  under the “listings” menu on the top navigation bar.

                       

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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The Wearing O’ The Green- Four Great Eastern Shore Picks For Authentic Irish Food On St. Paddy’s Day

Monday, March 12th, 2012

Well, it’s rolling  around again- another St. Paddy’s Day celebration coming up.   Although my ancestors were primarily Norwegian and German,  I really love  Irish music and dancing.  And definitely enjoy some of the traditional Irish foods.   Fortunately, some authentic  Irish food is  served here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.   When I was a girl, about 100 years ago,  my parents sometimes watched the Lawrence Welk show on Saturday evenings.  I would never have admitted it to my friends, it would have been soooo  not cool,  but I loved his Irish tenor, Joe Feeny,  who would often sing  beautiful Irish songs.  Joe could really hit those high notes !   My favorite was  his rendition of  “Danny Boy“,   which I hoped might find on YouTube, but no such luck.   So I’ll have to settle for Feeny’s  performance of Galway Bay   as  my official 2012 St. Patrick’s Day song.

Now that the music has been designated,  time to decide where to enjoy an authentic Irish dinner.   Fortunately,  Virginia’s Eastern Shore has  at least four excellent restaurant choices that I know of,  scattered geographically from Cape Charles VA  to Onancock, VA to partake of  foods traditional to the Emerald Isle.

Cape Charles:

Kelly’s  Gingernut Pub located at 133  Mason Avenue in the heart of the Cape Charles historic area.  Call for reservations at 757-331-3222.  As one may have guessed, the Kellys are Irish and there’s a big shebang every March 17th– big !  Irish music will be played all day long and there will be a live band starting about 9pm on the night.  Kelly’s will be serving among other traditional dishes,  corned beef and cabbage,  Sheppard’s Pie  as well as  Bangers and Mash with their delicious gravy.  Guinness of course, plus  Kelly’s also serves a very tasty Irish coffee,  the secret of which is to not stir after the heavy cream has been added.     SLA’INTE’     www.kellysgingernutpub.com

Nassawadox:

Machipongo Clam Shack–  Located at  6468  Lankford Hwy.,  Nassawadox, VA . Call 757-442-3800  for reservations. Even though the  name doesn’t sound too Irish  let’s not forget that the Irish have a lot of coastline and traditionally eat a lot of seafood- i.e., cockles and mussels, alive, alive-O.  And Machipongo Clam Shack’s chef  has a tradition of preparing traditional ethnic food for various holidays.   Definitely corned beef and cabbage will be on their menu and live music will be on their  stage from 6-8pm on St. Patrick’s Day.    SLA’INTE’  AGUS   TA’INTE’  !    www.thegreatmachipongoclamshack.com

Belle Haven:

The ESO Art’s Center in Belle Haven is sponsoring ” A St. Patrick’s Day Celebration”.   Located at  15293 King Street, Belle Haven. Call for reservations 757-442-3226.   A traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner will be served starting at 6pm.  Starting at 7:30 pm,  the Celtic Band, the Leigheas,  will be playing live Irish music.   www.esoartscenter.org Should be loads of fun for all ages !    GO   N-EIRI   AN   T-ADH  !

Onancock:

The Blarney Stone Pub– Located at 10 North Street, Onancock. Reservations at 757-302-0300.  Blarney Stone is a traditional Irish Pub and never more so than on St. Paddy’s Day.   Try a O’Caseydilla, a Great McGruff sandwich, an Emerald Isle salad, a  Pot O’ Gold  starter,  or maybe a Mick Burger or the Irish Fisherman dinner.  Definitely Bangers and Mash and Sheppard’s Pie on tap for St. Paddy’s Day.   CEAD  MILE  FA’ILTE     www.blarneystonepubonancock.com

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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For Sale At Historic Arlington Plantation Overlooking The Shores Of The Chesapeake Bay On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

Along the south shore of  the Old Plantation Creek inlet where it converges with the Chesapeake Bay close to what is now the quaint little town of Cape Charles,  Arlington Plantation was founded on the Eastern Shore  Virginia.  This special site is one of the most historic properties in our nation yet its significance is  little known.   For many centuries this area was inhabited by native American Indians, until occupation by English settlers of this site  and the area up to the Kings Creek inlet three miles north, Sir Thomas Dale established the first permanent settlement of English colonists on the Eastern Shore in 1617 known as Dale’s Gift.  Here, half a century later, a plantation was founded by John Custis II whose prosperity was demonstrated by the construction of the most magnificent mansion on the whole of the Chesapeake Bay.  Apparently he named the plantation in honor of his family’s benefactor, Lord Arlington,  although the name was possibly derived from the English village Arlington-Bibury,  home to the first generation of the Custis family.   More than three hundred fifty years after Arlington mansion first rose high above the waters of Old Plantation Creek,  the name itself still lives on, engrained in the minds of all Americans as the land upon which  thousands of  American soldiers rest eternally,  Arlington National Cemetary.

National recognition of the Custis name began when, in 1759, the widow of John Custis IV’s son Daniel, Martha Dandridge Custis and the heir to Arlington Plantation,  married army Colonel George Washington when he was only twenty-six years old.  As was the custom of the times, on his way to becoming the father of our country,  Washington  managed the affairs of his wife’s property here on the Eastern Shore.  And in the  paradoxical  twists and turns of history,  Martha’s great-granddaughter, Mary A. R. Custis to whom both Arlington estates passed,  married another young Army officer, who would become, like George Washington, an icon of the American story.  It is indeed ironic that Robert E. Lee would take reluctant command of the Confederacy’s  Army of  Northern Virginia which strived to split the nation that was hardwon by his wife’s  legendary ancestor,  its first President.   And so the prestigeous Custis family,  which founded Arlington Plantation on the Eastern Shore and Arlington Plantation on the Potomac River, links  George Washington, the Revolutionary War and the founding of our nation with Robert E. Lee,  the Civil War and the near destruction of the nation.

The name of the Custis family ancestral plantation, Arlington,  lives on today in the American consciousness despite the destruction of its mansion more than two-hundred fifty years ago.  In the early part of the nineteenth century, Martha’s grandson George Washington Parke Custis, who was adopted by General Washington and his wife as their son, built a mansion near Mt. Vernon overlooking the Potomac River.  He called it   “Arlington”  after the first Custis home on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and the vast lands surrounding  his mansion  became the National Cemetary after the Civil War.  The  Arlington mansion on the Eastern Shore was abandoned sometime during the early part of the 18th century.  Its ruins were pilaged and what was left eventually became buried in the farm fields surrounding its site,  the only evidence of its grandeur that remained were the prominent tombs of John Custis II and his grandson, John Custis IV.

During the spring of 1987,  an archeological survey of the Arlington plantation site near the Custis Tombs revealed sections of a brick foundation for a very large structure that was covered by a foot of soil plowed over a hundred years of farming activity. During 1994, an intensive archeological investigation of the cellars of the mansion was conducted. Eye witness accounts of the mansion dating from 1709  offer brief glimpses of its size,  elevations and orientation to the Chesapeake Bay.  As well, the beautifully  preserved historic records in Northampton County courthouse provide additional sources of information about Arlington.   A 1688 reference about a visit to the house in a lawsuit filed that year is one of the first mentions of a separate dining room in an early Colonial home in Virginia. This annecdote substantiates the archaeological findings at Arlington which determined the house to be the most architecturally sophisticated house of that period,  at least fifty years ahead of its time.*

Such a large home,  built of brick masonry,  required laborers and materials and facilities for making the bricks. It is believed that the kilns for firing the newly made bricks are located 3/8 mile south of the ruins on a 15 acre tract of land that contains a modern two bedroom home and barn with horse stable.  Behind the home,  hidden in the forest and covered with the detritus of fallen leaves,  vines and dirt are piles of old and crumbling bricks.  That site is at the head of a shallow tidal pond that probably provided the water necessary for mixing the brick clay.  This property is one of several  now offered for sale by Blue Heron Realty Co. located on what were the original Arlington Plantation lands.

This house on 15 acres was built in 1999  and offers ultimate  seclusion,  peace and quiet with a  location only 1/2 mile from the Chesapeake Bay and its sparkling sand beaches.  With its vaulted ceiling over the great room and kitchen, an easy living lifestyle goes perfectly along with its private rural setting. Originally planned as a complimentary guest cottage for a larger manor home on the property, this cute cottage has a very spacious master bedroom with ensuite bath and walk-in closet and a guest bedroom with full  bath. The enclosed porch overlooks the 2 acre fenced horse paddock and barn. The paddock is encircled with an underground electric dog fence and behind the barn is a four unti professional quality dog kennel. See redlined property in aerial photo at top of page.

Also available for purchase is a beautiful Bayfront lot with 100′ of frontage on the Chesapeake Bay with a sandy beach shoreline and spectacular  sunset views to the west. Purchase of this lot offers membership in the Arlington Homeowners Association with benefits to use the boat ramp on Plantation Creek and the beautiful common area beach at the point of the entrance of the creek into the Chesapeake Bay, one of the best swimming spots on the Shore. See aerial photo with red arrow. Contact David Kabler (david_kabler@hotmail.com 757-647-1755) at Blue Heron’s Cape Charles office, 757-331-4885, for further information and an appointment to see these two special property offerings.

(*”Archeology at Arlington:Excavations at the Ancestral Custis Plantation, Northampton County, Virginia”; by Nicholas M. Luccketti; published by the Virginia Company Foundation and The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities.)

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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Valentine’s Day 2012 On The Eastern Shore of Virginia– Some Dining Possibilities

Friday, February 10th, 2012

http://youtu.be/i3IOVO1Kh_s
 

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching so if you want to take your “Babe” out to a special dinner,  it’s  time to spring into action and make those reservations !   Or if you’re  cooking him or her a special meal,  time to decide on the menu.  There are lots of great places  to choose from for a romantic dinner here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore— everybody seems to be having  some wonderful specials for this upcoming  occasion.  Here are a few of our favorite picks:

In or very close to the town of Cape Charles:

Aqua’s Restaurant,  located next to the Bay Creek Marina.  Overlooking the Chesapeake Bay with gorgeous waterviews, very romantic indeed.  Starting  Friday  February 10th through February 14th,  Aqua is offering  a special Valentine menu  which includes a shared appetizer, soup or salad,  an entree and a shared dessert priced at $65.00 per couple.  Lots of choices including  Steak Dianne and a vegetarian entree. For reservations call 757-331-8660.

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub– Located in a renovated bank building  on Mason Avenue,  Kelly’s offers  a fun atmosphere and great food, a favorite of locals.  For Valentine’s,  Kelly’s is offering several specials including grilled Australian lamb with mushroom rissotto  and  blackened Pacific salmon with goat cheese mashed potatoes.  Desserts include chocolate dipped strawberries and  a special Creme’  Brulee.  Yum ! For the full  special menu and for reservations, call 757-331-3222. www.kellysgingernutpub.com

Sting Ray’s–  Also known as “Chez Exxon”,  Sting Ray’s is located in a big red barn- like building right on Route 13   just a few minutes south of Cape Charles.  But don’t be fooled by the rustic exterior– written up by Southern Living magazine,  Sting Ray’s offers delicious seafood and some of the best home style southern BBQ ever !  For Valentine’s  they are offering Lobster Thermador  for just $15.99.  A  petite filet mignon and their famous Crab Imperial is also on the menu.  For the full menu, call 757-331-250. www.cape-center.com

In the town of Eastville:

The historic Eastville Inn, a lovely building which dates back to the early 1770’s,  will be re-opening  on February 8th.  For Valentine’s,   the Inn will be offering a special menu including Surf and Turf  with appetizer, salad, entree and dessert for $59.95 per couple.  Call for details and reservations at  757-678-5270.

In the town of Onancock:

Mallard’s on the Wharf–  A cozy waterfront restaurant located in the historic Hopkins Store  right on the Onancock Harbour overlooking the colorful Onancock Creek inlet.  Especially gorgeous at sunset with boats heading in and out from the Chesapeake Bay,  Mallard’s is home to  Johnny Mo,  ” The Singing Chef “.  This year Mallard’s is offering  “Valentine’s  Dine and Demo”  where Chef  Mo demonstrates  the preparation of  the exact four course menu being prepared in the kitchen.  Johnny Mo recently returned from a stint as a guest chef in Jamaica  so the dinner theme  is Jamaican but the special menu details will not be available for a day or two.  Call for reservations and more details -757-787-8558. www.mallardsllc.com

Inn and Garden Cafe’–  A luscious sounding  five course meal starting with an appetizer of  that famous aphrodisiac, Oysters Rockefeller,  followed by Cream of Leek soup,  followed by Goat Cheese with arugula and a Cranberry reduction, an entree of FiletMignon with Lobster Thermidor and, for dessert, Creme’  Brulee infused with Grand Mariner.  Wow,  sounds scrumptious,  priced at $45. per person. Call 757-787-8850 for reservations. www.theinnandgardencafe.com

 

The Charlotte Hotel– As usual, an Oh so very cleverly designed menu with lots  of delicious choices including an appetizer of  heirloom cheddar tartlett with sweet pepper escabeche,  a wild mushroom stuffed breast of chicken with gorgonzola and red wine risotto and a warm cherry tart with almond ice cream,  all items priced a la carte.  For reservations call 757-787-7400.  www.thecharlottehotel.com – their Valentine menu can be viewed on-line.

Planning to cook for your honey at home ?  Haven’t decided on a menu yet,  maybe use a little help, a few suggestions  ?   Click on www.splendidtable.publicradio.org  on Sunday, Feb 12th  and they will have their Valentine menu and recipes ready to download.  Splendid Table,  heard here locally at noon on Sundays on NPR,  bills itself as ” the show for  people who love to eat “, which  pretty much describes everyone in my family,  including moi.  Not only does  Splendid Table  feature great interviews with a wide and diverse variety of folks involved with food,  including chefs, farmers, vintners, cookbook authors, etc., etc.,  it  also offers wonderful recipes  and suggestions for jazzing up old recipes,  on-air and on the website.  Last year I cooked their Valentine entree — Feast for Lovers–  roasted pork tenderloin with black olives and orange.  It was scrumptious and my husband also loved the leftover pork sliced for a sandwich the next day.  If you’re cooking but don’t want to bake,  call the Corner Bakery, 757-757-4820. They are featuring  a melt-in-your-mouth heart-shaped  cake for 2 and also giant chocolate covered strawberries.  Yellow Duck  Bakery Cafe’ , 757-442-5909 also has wonderful sweets for your Valentine sweetie as does Kate’s Kupboard  757-442-7437,  Kate’s is also home to some totally awesome dinner rolls.

So make your reservation,  grab your Honey by the hand,  say “I’ve  got you,  Babe”  and have a  wonderful, wonderful  Eastern Shore Valentine’s  dinner. 

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

ttp://youtu.be/EUtofZzEnbA

 

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Looking Back– Seeing The Sesquicentenial Through Exploring Richmond, VA

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

Richmond District Federal Reserve Bank

December 31, 2011 marked the end of the  Sesquicentenial , the  150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, an event memorialized all across this country as  the nation looked back on its deadliest war,  nearly 700,000 casualties,  more than all of our other wars combined.  The virtual epicenter of the Civil War, Richmond, VA ,  is only a two and a half  hour drive from the Eastern Shore of Virginia so it makes a great week-end getaway trip.  Last fall  my husband and I decided to spend a few days in Richmond and,  in the spirit of the Sesquicentenial, to take  time  to tour some of  its famous Civil War memorials.  Standing on the overwalk  above the  River District’s Kanawha  Canal,  looking east towards the tall office tower of the  Federal Reserve  District Bank  in Richmond’s  bustling downtown area  and south towards the rocky rapids of the James River,  I  would never have guessed  that less than 150 years ago,  this entire spot was caught up in a mighty conflagration as the evacuation of Richmond, on  April 3, 1865,  signalled the near end of  the Civil War.  The morning of April 2nd,  General Robert E. Lee telegraphed  Confederate President Jefferson Davis, notifying him that Lee’s  line was broken in 3 places, concluding   ” I advise that all preparation be made for leaving Richmond tonight.”    Ordered by General Ewell,   Confederate troops set to work before evacuating to destroy their  armory, tobacco warehouses, navel vessels  and bridges so they wouldn’t fall into Union hands but  the fires they set  raged out of control.  It  completely destroyed much of the by- then nearly deserted Richmond but was eventually tamed by the Union forces who began occupying Richmond on April 3rd.   Within a week of  Richmond’s  evacuation,  General Lee would surrender his Army of Northern Virginia to  General Ulysses S. Grant’s  Union forces  at  Appomattox, VA.   Within a week of that surrender,  the tragic assassination of President Lincoln on April 14th,  especially tragic for the South as the Reconstruction envisioned by Lincoln was very different from the Reconstruction that ensued.

Tedegar Iron Works, Now a Civil War Museum

The observance  of this 150th  anniversary, the Sesquicentennial,  of the beginning of the Civil War,  was especially poignant in Virginia,  on whose soil almost 80 % of the battles were fought.  Richmond,  one of the South’s most powerful and industrialized cities at  that time,  became the Capitol of the Confederate States of America and its wealth and industrial capacity became crucial to the Confederate military campaign.  Probably no single company was more influential than the  Tredegar Iron Works,  which was the largest company of its kind in the South.  Located on a bluff overlooking the James River and utilizing the river’s water to produce steam and to run water wheels, Tredegar  produced the majority of the artillery pieces and munitions for the Confederacy during the War as well as the  rails for the railroad,  rails which became vital in keeping troops and supplies moving.  Several of the original buildings are still standing at Tredegar,  apparently due to the foresight  of  its owners in hiring nearly 50 armed guards to prevent its buildings from being set on fire during  Richmond’s  1865 evacuation .

Statue of President Lincoln with Son Tad

 The  Tredegar site and the surviving buildings are now a museum and serve as the Visitor Center for the   Richmond National Battlefield Park,  operated by the National Park Service.  It is also the location of the famous statue of  Abraham Lincoln,  sitting with his son Tad,  memorializing  their visit to Richmond on April 4, 1865.   Just to give an idea of the important battles that were fought in and around the Richmond area, the Richmond  National Battlefield Park  self-guided driving tour includes the preserved battlefields of  Beaver Dam Creek battlefield, Gaines Mill battlefield, Glendale battlefield, Malvern Hill battlefield, Drewery’s Bluff battlefield  and the  Cold Harbor battlefield,  all of which have self-guided walking trails winding through them.  
One of  the most poingnant aspects of the museum is its  ” Voices From The Home Front” display, recorded narrations of  letters and diary entries from both soldiers and everyday people written during the War. One letter, written by a young soldier to his father, starts out by saying that  “this is the last letter you shall receive  from me…”,  explaining that he had  been struck  by a large piece of shrapnel and is not expected to survive much longer.  A diary entry from a young Richmond girl noted that  “all of Cary Street is burned and Main Street is on fire”,  that the fire is spreading rapidly,  that she and her friend Flory run to her front  gate almost every minute to see if the Yankees are coming into the city.

Tredegar Museum Cannon

A bronze cannon, actually produced by the Tredegar company,  typically so heavy it took six six draft horses to pull,  plus an exhibit of the ammunitions  used in such artillery pieces is one of  the museum’s most dramatic exhibits.  Precision workmanship, cast from heavy, solid  metal,  it took 6  men to fire that cannon —  2 men on the ammunition supply box,  called a  “Limber Chest”  which was placed well behind the cannon,   1 runner between the Limber Chest and the cannon, 1 loader,  1 rammer whose job was ram the shot in and then, after  firing,  to sponge out the cannon interior to extinguish any remaining sparks  and  an officer whose job was to finalize the location to be targeted, the particular shot or shells to be used,  the degree of elevation of the cannon ( which was determinate of  the range the shot would travel ) and then to actually call the  order to fire.  But what really struck me was the ammunition itself. I had supposed that  “cannonballs”  were solid balls of metal– which they were previously.  But no, by the time of  the Civil War the military machine  had already invented a more deadly product,  a cannonball with  a hollow center which was then filled with 1 inch  munition balls.  Today,  in this  era  of  Hellfire missiles fired from drones, cruise missiles fired from offshore ships, intercontinental ballistic missiles poised at the ready all over the world,  missiles with names like Apache, Viper, Sidewinder and Tomahawk, names heard almost nightly on the news,  it seems like there is a numbness to the destruction of war,  like it’s not even real.  But standing in Tredegar,  looking at the exhibit of the solid cannonball next to the new, “improved”  cannonball crammed to the max with deadly smaller shot,  the escalating  efforts of man to create ever more destructive weaponry came through loud and clear. 

Brady’s 1st Traveling Darkroom

Our final stop in the museum was  the book store, filled to the brim with books and DVD’s about the Civil War and its various campaigns.  The National Park Service actually has created a series of  short, about 50 pages or so,  but informative booklets about various aspects of the War  and we bought  “The Seige of Petersburg“,   which detailed  the decisive  campaign of the War.  Located less than 25 miles from Richmond, Petersburg, VA  was held under seige for  nine and a half months by Grant, resulting  in over 40,000 Union casualties and about 30,000 Confederate casualties.  But when Grant’s army finally broke through Lee’s entrenched lines surrounding  Petersburg,  it was all over but the shouting.   The  Union occupation of Richmond and Lee’s surrender at Appomattox were a direct result of the fall of Petersburg.   The other book I ended up buying  chronicled War  photos  by  Mathew B. Brady.  Brady was the most famous photographer of  his day, if you were an important person you sat for a Brady portrait.  In fact,  one of his portraits  of  Lincoln was used for the engraving for the five dollar bill.   When the War broke out,  Brady set up several horse-drawn mobile photography wagons, including darkrooms,  to photograph all aspects of  various Union campaigns on site,  something never before undertaken.  As he had official permission from Chief of the Army McDowell  to  accompany the Union troops,  effectively Brady was the first military “embedded” photographer.  Entitled “Mr Lincoln’s Camera Man”  by Roy Meredith and printed by Dover Publications  (www.doverpublications.com ), this book is a tremendous visual accounting of the Civil War and includes  350 photographs taken by Brady during that period which have been reproduced directly from the negatives owned by the Library of Congress. It’s primarily because of Brady that we can look back 150 years later and see much of what really happened during those bloody years.
 

(Posted by Marlene Cree, licensed Virginia agent with Blue Heron Realty Co., 7134  Wilsonia Neck Dr., Machipongo, VA)

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