Deep Run Park

This week because of all the drama with our Truck we decided to take easy and go for a nice walk around a park. Deep Run Park is a park that we found on-line and had been wanting to see. So we seized the opportunity and went! Here are some pictures we thought you all would like.

J-E-L-L-O

So the last couple of times we have been shopping Keira has asked for some Jello as we pass by. She will usually say something like this: Mommy we need some Jello, we really do! Can we get some? So our last shopping day we decided that she had been good, and that it would be fun for Mommy and Keira to make some Jello together. For the rest of the night that is all she could talk about, and the first thing she asked for when she woke up the next morning.
Helping Stir.

After Math.

The Wreck

Friday morning at around 6:00 I was awakened by a sound of brakes and then a crash. My fist thought was CRAP!! Someone has just hit our Truck! I tried to ignore it, thinking that it was just my nerves talking and tried to go back to sleep. Then our alarm went off, and I thought that it wouldn't hurt to have Jon take a look. This is what he saw. Our first thought now was CRAP!!! someone took our car for a Joy Ride and hit our neighbors car upon bringing it back! Thank goodness that wasn't the case, the guy who hit us ended up being the News Paper Man, and had already given his information to our Neighbors and later returned to give his information to us as well. So far his Insurance has been good to work with even though their claims adjuster couldn't come until Saturday because of a heavy work load. She has been very thorough, and it looks like the entire back end of our Truck is going to have to be replaced, the initial estimate is almost 6000 dollars and she is sure it will end up being more. Also his insurance does not allow used parts, so once everything is done we will have a brand new half of a Truck.

Washington D.C. Part II

With the help of our wonderful sister MaryAnn and brother in-law Jonathan who are allowing us to stay in their home, Jon and I have decided to visit D.C. every other weekend, in hopes that we can see as much of Washington as possible. This weekend we saw The National Archives, The World War II Memorial, The Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial.

Keira's first ride on a Merry-go-round, in Washington D.C. outside of the National Mall. She loved it!!

The National Archives houses The Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and Emancipation Proclamation. Sorry no pictures allowed from inside the building. :( So I guess if you want to see them you'll have to come and see us! (wink, wink) ;)

The White House. . . Notice the lovely Crane behind it! Haha.

The World War II Memorial.

The Washington Monument, and The Capitol Building.

The Reflecting Pool.

The Lincoln Memorial.

Keira outside of The Lincoln Memorial.

The Vietnam Memorial. There is more to this Memorial, but I neglected to take a picture of the wall of names. Sorry about that :(

Fun in Richmond

We decided to do the Canal Walk this weekend to see if the Canal Cruise will be worth our money. I must say that we are pretty sure that it will be well worth the whopping ten whole dollars! As you can see it is a very pretty place, and a lot of History even took place along this river.

No worries this is just a log not an Alligator! and if you look closely and enlarge the shot you can even see some Turtles.

This area of Richmond known as Tobacco Row has been the site of Tobacco warehouses and manufacturing since the 1600's. These buildings you see were built between 1886-1929.

Powhatan, paramount chief of the Algonquian-speaking Indians of Virginia's coastal plain, was born in a town east of here. Powhatan's supremacy in this region provided order and protection for the tribes in his chiefdom. Virginia's Indians lived in town, some protected by wooded palisades, and surrounded by fields were foraging for food north of the settlement, Captain Johns Smith was captured and brought before Powhatan at his center of power on the York River. Smith later claimed that Pocahontas, Powhatan's favorite daughter, intervened to save Smith. Powhatan "adopted" Smith into the chiefdom and allowed him to return to Jamestown.

This is a Model of Libby Prison. It was one of the most notorious Prisons of the Civil War. It housed mostly Union Officers. The conditions of the Prisons were bad to say the least, and were chronicled by several inmates including Robert Sneden, a Union Solider who wrote that the prisoner's "walk up and down, ragged, shoeless, and crawling with vermin." It is estimated that around 40,000 to 50,000 prisoner's of war came through Libby. On February 1864 more than a hundred prisoners escaped from Libby Prison by digging tunnel to an adjoining warehouse. Forty eight were recaptured, two men drowned, and fifty two were able to reach Union lines.

The Richmond flood wall was the first project of its kind built under the cost sharing provision of the Water Resource Act of 1986, in partnership between many talented employees of the US Army Corps of Engineers Norfolk District and the City of Richmond. Was dedicated on October 21, 1994, and protects all 750 acres of flood prone land.

This is to show how high water has actually gotten. The Highest was in 1771, Then Hurricane Agnes in 1972, Juan in 1985, and Camille in 1969.

Listening to the Train go by.

The Train.

Yet another train, we must have seen or heard five or six trains during our walk.

The Worlds only Triple Crossing.

When Richmond fell so did the Confederate cause. Exactly one week after Jefferson Davis fled the city, General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Five days day later President Lincoln was assassinated. This is the reminents of the Mayo bridge that the Confederate Army retreated over then burnt as the Union were taking over Richmond. Most of Richmond was set on fire (mostly factories, and army quarters) by the Confederate Army and aided by the people of Richmond. A Confederate Nurse was noted saying: "Better she burn to ashes than, give one once of aide to the enemy". While on our walk there was this bridge that had quotes of people involved in the Civil War. Here are our favorites:

"You are free-free as air. . . you can cast off the name of slave and trample upon it" President Abraham Lincoln.

"I know that I am free, for I have seen father Abraham" An African American woman in the crowd surrounding Lincoln at Capitol Square.

"Thank God I lived to see this day" Abraham Lincoln. To me this is profound, because Lincoln was killed shortly after.

A baby Turtle was saw on our way back to the Truck.

After dinner was took Keira to Huguenot Park. It is a pretty large park with walking trails some soccer fields, tennis courts, and even a playground for the kids. These are some pretty fall

leaves we saw as we were entering the trail.

A tree we saw on the trail. . . looks like it wants to sit down eh?

Having fun on the "Swirly" Slide.

Well we wanted to get some video of her inching her way down the "Swirly" Slide saying "weeee!" but that was last time and this time she decided that the bells would be more fun. LOL!