Walmart wants to Pave over the Wilderness Battlefield

I wrote a letter to Walmart today. Short and sweet. It goes like this: " It has been brought to my attention that Walmart intends to build a super store on the Wilderness Battlefield in Orange County, Virginia. As a former National Park Ranger, as a Veteran and as a student of history, I find this action to be absolutely incredible. Please move elsewhere, you are utterly destroying American history with such a sensless act. I urge you to reconsider and move your plans to build to another location. Those battlefields have already suffered way too much, their presence destroyed by America's corporate greed."

I am stunned that something like this could happen. I once had a lot of respect for Virginians and their love of their state. I lived there for seven years. In fact for some of those years I worked as an Interpretive Specialist for the National Park Service at Fredricksburg.The Wilderness was the first time that Grant met Lee in May of 1864. He soon would discover what a fighter Lee was. The battle pretty much represents the beginning of the sweep known as the Overland campaign to Petersburg where 60,000 soldiers fell in about 6 weeks of horrific fighting. And Walmart wants you to trod concrete aisles on this sacred ground.

This much I know, if they win the fight to build there, #1 I will not visit Virginia anymore and #2 I will not purchase any more items at Walmart.

Press Release Zuni Tam found a home

N E W S F L A S H !
PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA – TUESDAY 23 JUNE 2009
The City Council of Portsmouth, VA authorized a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zuni Maritime Foundation, Inc., concerning a Berthing Agreement for the former United States Navy-United States Coast Guard Vessel "ZUNI-TAMAROA" at the City’s North Landing. The City will provide berthing space to the ZUNI-TAMAROA at no cost and has welcomed her to become a part of their historic waterfront on the Elizabeth River.
This is the news and the situation that we have been working toward for these past seven years! Having this official, permanent, physical location to call our own will finally give us the ability to apply for the gifts and grants that we are eligible to apply for from federal and state governments. We will also be sending out letters to possible corporate sponsors requesting their support.
It is anticipated that the ship will arrive at her new home port within the next 12 months, after improvements are made to the North Landing seawall and the ship completes her ship yard period.
The location of the ship’s berth will be 0 Water Street, Portsmouth, VA 23705.
The ZUNI-TAMAROA is currently berthed at Pier 12N, Naval Amphibious Base, Little, Creek, VA. Please have a look at the photos showing some of the great work that has been going on!
NOW MORE THAN EVER, things are rolling very well in the right direction and we need your financial and volunteer support!!
Please contact us at 804-273-0247 or snafu.manor@verizon.net if you are able to volunteer your time and talent.
Please send your tax exempt gift to: The Zuni Maritime Foundation, P. O. Box 28042, Richmond, VA 23228, OR you can now donate directly via the ZMF website at www.zunitamaroa.org
Thank you!

Point Lookout Maryland

While on vacation, I went to Point Lookout in Maryland. It was the location of a Confederate POW camp. Took a very sobering walk around the prison. It is hard to picture 50,000 souls living in a tent city. There were over 3,000 deaths at the prison. The top photo is of monument commerating all those who died at Point Lookout. Next is the cooking pot that fed the prisoners. The third one is of the monument showing all those who died by state. The one immediately below is of memorial bricks placed at the monument and the last one is of the dead line. If a prisoner walked past that white stake, he was shot, no questions asked.

Some day, If it is possible, I would also like to visit Andersonville in Georgia, where Union Civil War soldiers were kept. I've already visited the graves of those in the prison at Elmira, NY.

ZUNI TAMAROA has a new home!!!!

At a meeting last night in Portsmouth, Virginia, a vote was taken and a memorandum of understanding was accepted between the Zuni Maritime Foundation and the City of Portsmouth. In other words, we have our own home port now. Restoring her can begin in earnest. More to follow.

Piper Ann Doherty

What a crew?

Piper Ann looks adorable here. Just wait 17 years. :-)

Welcome to the world. My first granddaughter, second grandchild. Born on June 20, 2009 - 19.75 inches long and 7 lbs.11 oz. Hope to have photos soon to post for everyone to see.

North Beach, Maryland

A view of the bay (up)

The breakwater leading into the Marina (up)

We are thoroughly enjoying our stay at Herrington harbour. Reading on the beach and watching the sailboats glide by. Thankfully the weather is much better than predicted. Food is good, they have a great coffee bar down here. It serves healthy meals except for the desert coffees.

Our rooms (up)

We went antiquing and I found a nice @arker 61 capillary fountain pen. Regina found some nice silverware. We're still searching for the one of a kind odd ball piece of furniture she is always on the prowl for. I like it here.

NEW PC>>>>>>>>>>>YAY!!!!!

We bought a new PC. Its a custom built job and is terrific. I have a couple of issues with it; but I suppose I'll get used to it. First it takes a little longer to boot up then I would like. Second it was loaded with a new version of windows 2007 I believe. It is a real pain to navigate around in. The name of the place that built it for me is EagleTech. Nice people good price. Its smart looking all black tower with a flat screen monitor 250 gig hard drive.

When you check the property tab its hilarious, we imported our 20 gigs worth of data onto the new computer. The pie chart shows a very thin sliver of space being used. We'll probably have this one for 10 years too!!

I just have to check the boot up issue, otherwise all is right with the world again.