Pedra Joins the Team

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Remember our campground kitty at South of the Border? Here she is...

Our cat conscience got the better of us while visiting Williamsburg, so we called up Friends for Life at The Haven and arranged to adopt our little friend.

So we took an eight hour round-trip drive to pick up our new family member.

While we were at The Haven in Raeford, North Carolina, we took another look at the current cat houses...

and the new ones which have been moved into position and are waiting to have screens put on them.

While in Raeford, we ate at a neat little place called The Chatterbox Cafe.

Give them a try if you ever make it there.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/june/raeford/ .

What did we name our new kitty? Well, at South of the Border all employees used to be called Pedro. We decided since she was a she, we would call her Pedra. She's probably the only living thing with that name!

To be continued...

Colonial Williamsburg Pt. 3

Next we observed a nut being devoured by a descendant of a colonial era squirrel.

Wanna watch him eat it? Click on the video below!

The plants and landscape designs of the 18th century can be found throughout the historic area. Here is Colonial Garden where it all begins.

Colonial Williamsburg is home to two rare breeds of sheep-Hog Island sheep and Leicester Longhorns.

The first hospital devoted solely to treating the mentally ill opened in 1773 in Williamsburg. Let's go into The Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds and see who should move on in.

The tranquilizer chair is the most complete restraint of a patient's every move ever devised.

There was one vote that Doug should remain in the Public Hospital...luckily, that voter wasn't registered in the town of Colonial Williamsburg.

The Museums of Colonial Williamsburg feature both British and American antiques from 1660 to 1820.

The ongoing exhibit, "American Furniture: From Virginia to Vermont", features pieces from the three regions of eastern Virginia, Pennsylvania and New England.

In "A Child's Eye View", visitors will find a large collection of intricately detailed dollhouses.

This dollhouse was found in the attic of a Long Island mansion slated to be demolished and was acquired by FAO Schwartz in 1969. It was briefly displayed in the window of the Fifth Avenue toyshop before moving here to the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.

Kitchen...

Foyer...

Parlor...

Our favorite room was the solarium!

The ongoing exhibit, "Revolution in Taste", features almost every type of antique teapot you could think of.

One of the Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds actually thinks he is posing with his family.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/june/colonial-williamsburg-va/ pictures 133-185.

To be continued...

Colonial Williamsburg Pt. 2

The cabinetmakers of Colonial Williamsburg produce furniture with the tools and designs of the colonial era right before guests' eyes.

Doug took some time out to lean on the fence and look at a Colonial Williamsburg stream filled with water from modern times.

A visit to the Coffeehouse Backyard found one of the founding fathers of the United States discussing the political and social scene of the time.

Did you ever wonder where you went if you broke the law in Colonial Williamsburg? If you were lucky, you got to spend some time in the Public Gaol.

The most famous prisoners of the Public Gaol (pronounced "jail") were the 15 henchmen of Blackbeard the Pirate. They may have sat right here in the year 1718.

The silversmith hard at work...

Revolutionary City is the drama that plays out every afternoon with a large ensemble cast of characters. Depending on the day of the week, Revolutionary City will center around one of three themes: "Building a Nation", "Collapse of the Royal Government 1774-1776" or "Citizens at War 1776-1781". Theoretically, guests could stay over a week without seeing the same thing twice. We were here on "Collapse of the Royal Government 1774-1776" Day.

Here, cast members gather waiting for the drama to begin.

Revolutionary City Cast Member poses with Disney Cast Member.

The horses are in position...

as is the audience...

Watch some of the activity at Colonial Williamsburg, including the beginning of Revolutionary City in the video below.
Kate and Eve discuss the implications of being a slave during the Revolution.

The blacksmith shop still produces tools, nails and furniture which is utilized throughout the historic area.

The printing office and bookbindery were run along with the post office by William Parks, who also started Virginia's first newspaper.

You can even learn how to make shoes from colonial times.

The dining room/parlor of the James Geddy House.

Among other things, James Geddy was a silversmith. One of his plans is exhibited here.

In the foundry behind the Getty House, a cast member works with brass, bronze and other very hot metals.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/june/colonial-williamsburg-va/ pictures 68-132.

To be continued...