Small Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

I've stopped putting out seed for the birds and squirrels now because we had an incident in the past in which a bear came by on a spring night and destroyed the bird feeders. But about five weeks ago I used up the last of the seed, and this little fellow got his share. Don't worry, Charlie — feeding will resume in the winter after the bears retire in their dens.

A Horse in Fairfield, VA

Pretty Scene in Shenandoah Valley

At the Vet's office, Fairfield

Earlier this month I went with Lynn to pick up her puppy at the vet's office. (Roxie had just been spayed.)

I liked the picture behind the reception desk and the little sign that says: "Dear Patient, Please keep you owner on a leash."

It's Official: GPS Not Advised

State Highway Signage, US 11 and VA 56

Steele's Tavern, VA

"GPS Routing Not Advised"

My Travels are Greatly Outdone by Marie's

It took me forever to get all the photos posted from our trip out west. In the meantime, my younger daughter has made her way down western Africa. Don't miss Marie's World Tour 2011!

A Vestige of the Fur Trade

I enjoy "living history" museums and events. They seek to entertain while educating, and while the exhibits are probably not completely accurate, they do provide an intriguing glimpse  into the past.

Fort Nisqually recreates an example of a fur trading outpost.  A marker at the entrance to Fort Nisqually starts out with the following:

"Fort Nisqually was established in 1833 by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) of London, England. The fort was one of a vast network of HBC trading posts which stretched across North America by the mid-nineteenth century. It was originally located on Puget Sound about 17 miles south of where you are now standing, near the present town of Dupont. Fort Nisqually began as an outpost of the fur trade which drove the HBC all the way across the North American continent in pursuit of beaver pelts. The main suppliers of the furs were native tribes who traded the pelts for wool blankets, guns and other manufactured goods offered by the HBC."

Blacksmith at Work

Living History, Fort Nisqually

You may also like:

• Blacksmith Shop, Whitesmith Shop
• The Blacksmith's Apprentice

Banjo Player

Living History at Fort Nisqually, Washington

We enjoyed the banjo music and the talk about the history of the banjo, which is descended from an African instrument.

"The banjo is both the voice of an ancient African hunter-gatherer and the voice of the urban American performer of the industrial age."

~ John Salicco, Performer and Historian

Inside Fort Nisqually's General Store

The fort features a number of buildings that depict life in a 19th-century trading post. Here we see items that customers might have purchased. A checkerboard was set up for folks who wanted to pass the time playing a game.

View from the Blockhouse

From the blockhouse at Fort Nisqually you have a clear view of the stockade plus you can look out over Puget Sound.

                                                                              

Fort Exterior and Split Rail Fence

Fort Nisqually

This reconstructed frontier trading post is near Tacoma, Washington. Fort Nisqually was moved several times in the 1800's and was moved again when it was restored in 1934 as a WPA project.

We visited the fort on a rainy day. In western Washington, you have to be willing to go places in the rain or you'll miss out on seeing a lot of places!

Frank at Fort Nisqually, WA

Why is there a gigantic beaver in the visitors center? Well, Fort Nisqually was a trading post, and beaver pelts were a key part of the commerce that went on there.

"Trading actually began in ernest when the supply ship Vancouver arrived in Jun 1833. Trading on the first day netted about 90 beaver pelts and many other animal furs. Each prime condition adult beaver skin was worth one 2-1/2 point blanket, the most popular item among the Indians."

Source: FortWiki.com/Fort_Nisqually

Tacoma Narrows Bridge

View from Fort Nisqually

This suspension bridge crosses Puget Sound, connecting Tacoma and Gig Harbor.

Link: Tacoma Narrows Bridge on Wikipedia

Happy Mother's Day

I still have some photos to post of our trip to the Tacoma area. Here's one of Sue making cookies that I thought I'd share for Mother's Day.

Hope you all had a good day today!

My previous Mother's Day posts include one that shows my mom playing Frisbee. She was very active until age 70, when a back injury slowed her down. In 2006, I wrote a post called Remembering My Mom.

Also in 2006, I shared a photograph of a balloon that Lynn gave me for Mother's Day 20 years prior.  And I still have it, and it's never lost it's air!

Little Blue Flowers

Windflowers

Photographed in Puyallup in March

Fun at Browns Point

Doug Inspects the Big Bell

This makes a dozen posts about our visit to Browns Point near Tacoma. If you came here through a search engine and are not viewing these consecutively, here are links to the most informative posts:

• Marker for the Browns Point Light House
• The Keepers Cottage
• Capt. Vancouver was Here (in 1792)

Browns Point Rescue Boat

We admired the beautiful reproduction of a rescue boat at Browns Point. And between the boat house and the water we saw the remains of a track that was used to quickly move the boat from the building to the bay.

In the Keeper's Cottage: Downstairs

They had their own classroom!

Ryley and Josie inspect the old-fashioned stove.

The lighthouse keeper's cottage at Browns Point does not look very large from the outside, but it had adequate space inside. The basement level has a large kitchen and a school room.

See also the Photo Gallery at the Points NE Historical Society Site.

Inside the Keeper's Cottage

 The family who lived at Browns Point made their home quite comfortable.

Vancouver Was Here

Two signs at Browns Point attest that George Vancouver was here in 1792.

"Documented history of Puget Sound began in 1792 when Captain George Vancouver sailing for King George III of England explored and charted this expansive waterway. While Peter Puget explored Clovos Passage to the west, Vancouver explored the Eastern Passage. Names with which we are familiar today were given during this expedition: Admiralty Inlet, Vashon Island, Whidbey Island, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, Gig Harbor and Port Orchard to name a few."