See also: Farmer's Market
September 6, 2011
End of the Season for the Farmer's Market
I'll miss the farmer's market here in Basye. I believe tomorrow is the last day they'll set it up until next summer. My favorite products are the fresh lettuce and eggs.
September 5, 2011
Rehydrating after a Walk
Walking at Lake Laura
 |
| Bryce Mountain Resort |
Our dogs enjoy walking at the Lake Laura dam.I admit I posted some similar pictures in January:
Lake Laura is approximately 44 acres.
September 4, 2011
September 3, 2011
Coming Back from Tangier
We spent most of the voyage back to Reedville relaxing in the lower level of the ferry where it was air conditioned. Finally we went out on the deck after land came in view. I took some pictures of Reedville as seen from the water. We saw some lovely old buildings there.
The video shows a combination of footage from both our departure and return to the harbor at Reedville. My videography skills are pretty clumsy so I keep the clips short. I took them with my still camera and combined them in iMovie.
September 2, 2011
Summer is Ending
Our Tangier Island trip was three weeks ago and I'm still finishing up the pictures... just need to share the return cruise photos. Meanwhile, I contributed pictures of the historical marker about Indian Prisoners on Tangier to HMDB. We don't know the fate of the men and boys who were abandoned there, but I suspect that other Indians eventually found them. After all, there is archaeological evidence that Indians used the island over the years and hunted and fished there. History tells us that a man named John West bought the island in 1666 from Indians for two overcoats!
The picture above is of Frank, of course. I just re-created his Bryce Home site. It was hosted by a realtor's website service but the cost was high and response was low, so we moved it to Webhero.com. I had to code it and post it but that's not a big deal. I can just about code HTML in my sleep.
September 1, 2011
August 31, 2011
Leaving Tangier
Our ship is on the left. A cruise ship from the Eastern Shore is on the right. It arrived shortly before we left. I imagine the staggered arrival times work out well for the tourist services on the island, such as the restaurants and golf cart taxis.
Historical Marker, Tangier Island
Tangier Island
"The island was visited in 1608 by Captain John Smith, who gave it the name. A part was patented by Ambrose White in 1670. It was settled in 1686 by John Crockett and his sons’ families. In 1814, it was the headquarters of a British fleet ravaging Chesapeake Bay. From here the fleet sailed to attack Fort McHenry near Baltimore. The Rev. Joshua Thomas, in a prayer, predicted the failure of the expedition. It was in this attack that the Star-Spangled Banner was written."
August 30, 2011
Stained Glass Window, Tangier Island
| We saw this beautiful window in the Swain Memorial Methodist Church on Tangier. The original church was built in 1835, but members had been meeting in private homes for 20 years before that. According to plaques, the church was rebuilt in 1870 and 1897. It looks like it was originally Lee's Bethel and was renamed in 1900. |  |
| The Methodist Church played a role in the island's Civil War history. It was affiliated with the Northern Methodist Church, which opposed slavery. Because of this, islanders voted against secession, as did residents of Chincoteague Island on the ocean side of the Eastern Shore. Both islands remained with the Union during the war. |  |
We read about the island's history in the nearby museum. In August of 1861, the USS Fanny stopped by. The islanders were gathered together and they all swore an oath of allegiance to the United States. Several families from the mainland found refuge on Tangier Island during the war.
See also my post on Assateague and Chincoteague history.
See all posts about Tangier.
Welcome to Tangier Island!
We were glad to finally get to Tangier Island, which we had talked about visiting for a long time. We took a golf-cart tour, which only requires about 15 minutes. We also had lunch at Fisherman's Corner, walked to the local museum, and visited a gift shop.We learned that the island is losing population as young people grow up and move to the mainland. Around 500 people live on the island now. There is a modern school and most of the teachers grew up on the island, went off to college on the mainland, and then came back to teach and rejoin the quiet island lifestyle.
Link: Tangier Island, VA
August 29, 2011
August 28, 2011
Approaching Tangier Island
August 27, 2011
Into the Chesapeake Bay
Aboard the Chesapeake Breeze
After the ferry left Reedville, there was a stretch of open water as we crossed half of the Chesapeake Bay to Tangier Island. I ran out of things to look at and spent some time reading a book.
I remembered boating as a child. My grandfather owned a leisure boat named the Ymly and he took us cruising on the bay. It was nice but seemed dull at times.
Menhaden: A Fish and an Industry
The menhaden industry once made Reedville a very wealthy town. It's still an important business, although I've read of environmental concerns due to possible overfishing. Menhaden help to filter the way of the Chesapeake Bay.
August 26, 2011
Personnel, Tangier Cruise
The crew of the Chesapeake Breeze seemed experienced and professional but were also friendly. As the cruise started, a safety demonstration was given similar to what you have to listen to on a plane. Here we see a young woman demonstrating the use of a life jacket.Our pilot was willing to spend time answering questions from visitors (below). As you can see, he was dressed for a hot summer day.
August 25, 2011
Leaving Reedville on the Chesapeake Breeze
Frank has wanted to go to Tangier Island for some time, so we reserved a couple of tickets with Tangier Cruises. We found the marina at Buzzard's Point in plenty of time for the 10 a.m. departure.
The weather was nice that day and we enjoyed the outing.
August 24, 2011
Marker at Buzzard's Point in Reedville
Indian Prisoners Abandoned on Tangier Island refers to an incident in 1645, when Governor Berkeley waged battles against native tribes. In order to stop the escalating Indian attacks on European settlers, the Virginia Council decided to transport all the Indian male prisoners more than 11 years of age to Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay “to prevent their returning to and strengthening their respective tribes.” They were left there and their fate is unknown.
Think that sounds harsh? Not compared to the story on another marker: Indians Poisoned at Peace Meeting.
For more about the Indians, see: Powhatan's People
August 23, 2011
Yes, We Had an Earthquake Today
The epicenter of the earthquake was in Mineral, Virginia, which is 73 miles as the crow flies. (It's much farther by roads because there are rivers and mountains to cross.) Yet we barely felt the quake here in Basye.
To me it felt like someone really heavy was walking across the floor, and a few moments later I heard some vibrating outside, and wondered if a squirrel was running down the gutter. It did not occur to me that there was an earthquake. Frank was at work and did not notice the quake at all.
Other places in Virginia were affected more strongly, as were some locations much farther away such as New York.
To me it felt like someone really heavy was walking across the floor, and a few moments later I heard some vibrating outside, and wondered if a squirrel was running down the gutter. It did not occur to me that there was an earthquake. Frank was at work and did not notice the quake at all.
Other places in Virginia were affected more strongly, as were some locations much farther away such as New York.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
