December 30, 2013--We have moved to a new campground, about fifty miles from our previous one. It is a small campground called The Colonies, located about a mile north of Fort Monroe,on a very narrow spit of land, with Chesapeake Bay on one side and Mill Creek on the other. I didn't count them, but I am guessing that there are 13 RV sites because each site has the name of one of the original thirteen colonies; we are sitting Virginia, the site and state.

A short walk away, we have a sandy beach on the Bay side. Also a view of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel and ships entering the Bay on the waters above the tunnel.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Our intention is to sit here for at least three days, doing a little walking--maybe down to Fort Monroe--reading, and writing. Then we shall head a little further south along the coast, exactly where is still to be determined.

During the past week we visited Colonial Williamsburg every day. Last night, we witnessed the Grand Illumination that takes place on the green in front of the Governor's Palace. This is an evening event where a colonial fife and drum corp and a company of riflemen march from the Palace down the green, stopping at the homes, located along the green, of several prominent colonial citizens of the town. The house is given a musical serenade and volley is fired in salute.    

A line of torch bearers moves with the formation, marching along each side of formation. Their duty is to light the way and to light the cressets located in front of the selected houses. Cressets are iron baskets filled with wood set on iron hooks that act as lanterns when lit. One of the torch bearers came close to lighting my toque as the group marched by because the torch was leaning out to the side instead of straight up. At least it provided a bit of heat on a very cool, damp night.

During the week, we also got to listen to and speak with several prominent colonials: George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. We visited the collection of folk art exhibited in the Art Museum. We had a good conversation with a colonial tailor, a female colonial gunsmith--also handled a flintlock made in the shop that had a fantastic balance and ready sight-line. We ate in Chownings Tavern and Shields Tavern--B learned at each place that she liked the colonial "rummers." Except for Saturday, we had the village to ourselves; on Saturday, a sunny, mild day, it was wall-to-wall people. 

We have been enjoying our "winter home." Because we are "old backpackers" we find our new environment to be a very elaborate and will appointed tent-- much better than the two-man tent that we lived in for many nights on the trails in the White Mountains. We have adjusted to the compact toilet/shower facilities, B is able to produce meals as good as those she made back in our log cabin, our "bedroom" is comfortable, we got to watch the Patriots beat the Bills--we didn't get to see the Patriots-Ravens game, but enjoyed hearing the results--our Verizon internet "box" works very well. We did find that the "laundry room" at last weeks campground left much to be desired. Today we found a laundromat in a strip mall that was much quicker and cheaper. 

Hopefully, good things and good weather continue along the way.