Southern Fried Solar Eclipse

Southern fried solar eclipse

When the NASA interactive eclipse map combined with weather.com showed that the best places to watch the Aug. 21 solar eclipse were all west of the Carolinas--well what d'you think we did? 

Road trip!

Not on the Fourth of July

Not on the Fourth of July 

So for Fourth of July we went to Cowan's Gap, basically a small lake surrounded by lush pine forest, with a little sandy beach at one side, picnic tables, grills, a stand renting kayaks and paddle boats. 

O it's not the Fourth you say? Got me there--we went last June 25. But I haven't properly celebrated any holiday secular or religious in years, usually settled for the weekend before or weekend after (helps explain in part my antipathy towards Christmas); either Luz or I or both work that night. Comes with a job that demands 24/7 staffing, 365 days a year--you don't live a normal calendar.  

Richmond, VA part 2

River City redux

Packed the kids off to an amusement park and spent the rest of our vacation exploring the city. In Shockoe Bottom (awesome name like a scandalous derriere) one of the city's oldest neighborhoods we found Main Street Station a 1901 Beaux Arts gem, arguably the most beautiful building in the city.
  

Richmond, VA (part 1)

River City

So why Richmond? Don't really know only I've visited Gettysburg and Manassas and Harper's Ferry among others, thought I'd go and take a look this time at the heart of the Confederacy.