Grand Illumination

Yesterday's comment from Linda made me think about how much I take where I live for granted. I should therefore mention that these holiday wreaths are part of a larger Colonial Williamsburg celebration we call Grand Illumination. It used to be that the holiday festivities here kicked off around the time of Thanksgiving Day and more or less culminated in one night called the Grand Illumination, when there would be a huge fireworks display along with numerous other events. Now, though, because of its huge popularity, Grand Illumination is spread out over the three consecutive weekends in December before Christmas. Tonight, then, is the final night of Grand Illumination when there will be yet a third magnificent fireworks display. The wreaths, though, stay up and are replenished as needed throughout Christmastide.

You should come! :-) We have people visit from all parts of the world and on any given day, as I walk the old colonial capital's streets, I can hear people speaking in seemingly countless different languages and dialects. It's fun!

Palace Greens

Governor's Palace

Colonial Williamsburg

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

Buds?

Not sure what those red and white things are. Buds? Part of what makes these holiday wreaths so interesting, I guess.

Mystery

Of course, what I'm left wondering is how they attach these shells to the wreath. I assume it's by way of some tiny wires. But, if so, then they are p-r-e-t-t-y well hidden.

Autumnal Sun

Lately, I've been intrigued by the shadows cast by our late autumnal sun.

I am the autumnal sun,

With autumn gales my race is run;

When will the hazel put forth its flowers,

Or the grape ripen under my bowers?

When will the harvest or the hunter's moon

Turn my midnight into mid-noon?

I am all sere and yellow,

And to my core mellow.

The mast is dropping within my woods,

The winter is lurking within my moods,

And the rustling of the withered leaf

Is the constant music of my grief…

~ Henry David Thoreau

Elves?

Greensprings Interpretive Trail

Muskrat Love

Greensprings

The Pond

Greensprings

Linking on this Friday the 13th (!) to Skywatch Friday.

Beehive

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Ball

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

York Town

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Feather

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

"Good Day!"

Duke Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Paramount

Charlottesville, Virginia

House of Music

Main Street, Charlottesville

Family

Main Street in Charlottesville, Virginia

Charlotte

Spent part of Black Friday on Main Street in Charlottesville, a city named after Queen Charlotte, which I consider rather ironic, considering that she was married to one of our country's nemeses in the 18th century, namely King George III and that one of its most notable citizens was none other than Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence. 

Cook's Garden

 

 

One of the outbuildings (cook's house?) associated with the Governor's Palace in Colonial Williamsburg located just above a multi-tiered vegetable garden.

Busy Season

'Tis the busy holiday season in town these days, what with Grand Illumination weekends coming up, special holiday concerts, the D.O.G. (Duke of Gloucester) street ice skating rink, etc. Hard to keep up with it all, frankly. 

Advent

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. Depending on which tradition you follow, the season began either at sundown yesterday or at midnight. Following the former practice, I hung a wreath on my front door and set flameless candles in the windows, as is customary here in the colonial capital. 

Traditions

Well, it's that time of year again when all kinds of decorative wreaths begin popping up around the colonial capital. I found this one hanging on the door of the regional library. 

I've begun the process of decorating, too, beginning with a Christmas tree and, to better accommodate incoming family members (including two dogs!), rearranging the furniture. I'll set candles (electric!) in the windows beginning tonight, another Williamsburg tradition.

Thanksgiving Day

Funny how yesterday, Thanksgiving Day, started--cold, wet and windy. It was the kind of day that drove me to climb the stairs in my house for a mile rather than to do my more normal morning walk. But by the afternoon . . . well, as you can see, it was mostly sunny with temperatures in the low 60s. Very comfortable.

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

Thanksgiving

I don't know how most Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. From what I've been able to gather, though, I'm guessing a lot of it has to do with travel, food, family, friends, and, of course, for many, football. 

For me, for as long as I can remember, it's been mostly about music. Since I was old enough to read, I've been singing in choirs of various sorts and sizes. This year has been no exception. Last night I sang McCullough's For the Fruit of All Creation for a congregation of some two hundred souls. So if I had to say what I'm thankful for this year, it's that--both the opportunity and the ability to sing with a choir.

How about you? What are you thankful for this year?

Shower Cartridge

Ha! Well, while still on the subject of the several household repairs I've had to undertake recently, I might as well mention this shower cartridge. Kind of a long story. But the upshot of it all is that the rubber gaskets on the old cartridge had begun to deteriorate, causing the shower to leak. 

Like most household chores, what I thought was going to be a simple half-hour repair turned into an ordeal that took me two days, albeit some of that time was spent running back and forth to a nearby appliance store to purchase a special tool required to complete the job. Moen, by the way, (and I have to say this) as in the case of Kidde that I blogged about yesterday, sent me not one but three free replacements to help forestall any more leaks I might experience in my two other showers. 

Smoke Alarm

More home maintenance. Seems like I've been doing a lot of that lately. I guess it's time. All of the appliances in my house have a few years on them now. Still, I was a somewhat surprised to discover not only that I had to replace the battery in one of my smoke alarms, but that the whole unit needed to be replaced. Somewhat puzzled, I called Kidde's service personnel and was pleasantly surprised when they offered to send me a replacement (shown above) free of charge. Nice!

Tire Pressure

Happens every fall. One cold morning, I go to start the car, and the tire inflation alert on my dashboard lights up. Something to do with molecules. According to United Tire and Service News,

"Air contracts when the temperature drops—and the air inside your tires is no exception. The reason this occurs has to do with the speed at which air molecules move. The lower the temperature, the slower they become. Slow-moving molecules are smaller, take up less space, and don't push up against the walls of your tires with as much pressure.

 

So, no, your tire pressure isn't low on cold days because your tires haven't technically lost air. (In fact, your tire pressure will likely go right back to normal the minute it gets warmer.) It's dangerous to drive on even mildly deflated tires, though. It can damage your tires, as well as potentially cause an accident, so always err on the side of caution and give your tire pressure a quick check to be sure. If they genuinely need more air, go ahead and top them off to be on the safe side."

Chorus

Williamsburg Women's Chorus

Sycamore

 

 

Nature's pointillism.

Field of Leaves

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

Benz

Just a curiosity. I happen to know someone who was born and raised in Southampton, New York, a once sleepy little fishing village on the far eastern end of Long Island that has since become a haven for--well, people who have the money to purchase, among other things, late model Mercedes Benz vehicles.

Gas Leak

A couple of days ago, I was out walking in the morning when suddenly the sounds of emergency vehicles from all different directions started converging on a street near me. Couldn't imagine what called out so many vehicles from so many different stations until I later heard that maybe there had been a gas leak reported in the area. In any case, gave me a good look at how some of our tax dollars are being spent.

Plumegrass

Greensprings Interpretive Trail

Late Afternoon Light

Virginia Capitol Trail

Capitol Trail

The Virginia Capitol Trail, as its name suggests, is a multi-use trail connecting the former capitol of Virginia, Williamsburg, with the current capitol, Richmond, a distance of some 50 miles one-way.

Falling Leaves

Seems like there's always a difference between what we call meteorological fall and, well, let's just say when it actually begins to look and feel like fall. This week . . . it's definitely beginning to look and feel like fall. 

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday.

The Swamp

As I recall, it was DJT who promised to "drain the swamp" some eight years ago when he ran for president the first time. Now, as the Washington Post put it this past October, "he swims in it." According to the article, the Duck said, “I had no idea the swamp was that dirty, that disgusting and that deep.” 

Well, Donald, now you know. 

Pesky Weed

Thistles have long been thought of by farmers as pesky weeds. So I suppose that in many ways, I must seem like a thistle to those who voted for Trump on November 5. I don't believe we need a new Department of Government Efficiency, which sounds a whole lot to me like Dickens' famed Office of Circumlocution. I don't believe we need to fire all the generals at the head of our military who happen to have notions contrary to those of--well, let's be nice!--the Duck. I don't believe it will necessarily reduce my taxes or increase my personal sense of well-being by deporting "millions of people." I don't believe RFK, Jr. is going to save us from the next pandemic by firing hundreds of federal health employees. 

But I will tell you what I do believe. First and foremost, I believe it's important to be honest. I'm tired of Trump's lies and the lies of his co-conspirators. I believe in the value of personal integrity. Someone who cannot control his own worst impulses or his tongue does not deserve to be president of the United States. And, among other things, I believe in humility, the truth that none of us--no, not even the Duck--is perfect.

Just some thoughts from a thistle.

Musketeers

Sic Semper Tyrannis!

All may appear calm in Williamsburg on the outside, but on the inside, believe me, this town where the American Revolution was born is nothing less than a seething cauldron of anger and resentment over the results of this past presidential election. Everywhere, people are discussing it, even on their seemingly leisurely walks through town.

Yes, there is shock and grief. But, unless I am greatly mistaken, there also is a rising tide of anger that will soon enough be turned against Trump and his administration. A movement of resistance is gathering. I can hear the sounds. SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS, indeed!

Campaign Sign

Our homeowners association guidelines called for all campaign signs to be taken down by Friday. And from what I could tell from my walk yesterday, all did come down except one.

Capitol

Capitol Building

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

This photo reminds me of the book I'm reading right now by Henry Mayer entitled A Son of Thunder about Patrick Henry, and including fascinating details about his work as a member of Virginia's House of Burgesses. I can't say my impression of Henry has improved as a result, but I've taken special note of his especially vocal opposition to tyranny and certain burgesses' abuses of power. Makes me think of the abuses that may lay ahead as Republicans now seize full control of both Congress and the White House.

Calm

Greensprings Interpretive Trail

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday

Randolph House

Every fall, I enjoy capturing on camera this oak at the corner of the Peyton Randolph House (built around 1715). Some years it turns brilliant yellow. Other years, like this one, it appears just a little bit more subdued. Still, it's lovely, and provides lots of welcome shade in an otherwise exposed space across from the courthouse commons.

The photo I wish I could show you today, though, is one I didn't think about until too late! That was when I spotted a man yesterday driving through town waving a red Trump hat and shouting how the messiah had come. I kid you not. I flipped him the bird when what I should have done, had I had the presence of mind to do so, was to snap a picture. Next time you can be sure that I'll be ready! 

Reminded me of the time just days after Trump's first successful election when I was in D.C. and witnessed members of an ultra-right wing nationalist party pouring out onto the streets after attending a celebratory luncheon and beating up members of an ultra-left wing demonstrators until D.C. police intervened. I'm afraid this election will almost certainly presage other such acts of violence. 

• "Don't agonize, organize." -- Nancy Pelosi

My Apologies!

I have to apologize for the outcome of yesterday's election. I don't know what has become of the American people to return a convicted felon and adjudicated sexual predator to the highest office in the land. It's inexplicable! It's like there is a madness that has overtaken a significant portion of our population. The coming years are going to be tough. So we are all going to have to be extremely brave and fight every day for what we know is right, and good, and true.