Allatoona Lake - Near Atlanta , GA

This is what happens when we don't really plan. Half way between our last stop in North Carolina and our destination for volunteering in Tennessee, we chose to pause for some more history. And now we have the most beautiful lake front property we could imagine. We are at Allatoona Lake, about 20 miles north of Atlanta off I-75. Jerry's great grandfather, George Begley, was in the area about 145 years ago with Gen. Sherman and a few thousand others. And for a few days while we look into some family history, we are also enjoying this fabulous Corps of Engineers park. Just wanted to share.

North Carolina - the shore and more

Time was running out before we were scheduled to be in Tennessee at our volunteer posts on May 30, so we put Ferd back on the road and left Maryland a few days ago. We needed to head south and we had been considering an ocean visit, so that's how we came to be in Wilmington, North Carolina. Well, that's almost it. Anyway, we took a recommendation on the Elks Lodge in Wilmington and found it to be great. In fact, we were the only occupants of their five sites, electrical and water hookups, for the five days we were parked there (our Memorial Weekend hangout). The location is between Wrightsville Beach and downtown Wilmington. Good for our intentions to see the town and relax by the ocean a bit.



It has been quite a while since we soaked up the ocean view, so we spent one afternoon at Wrightsville Beach, just a few miles north, and one at Carolina Beach, south about 15 miles. People watching and walking on the beach was all the entertainment we needed. Add a stop at the local Causeway Cafe in Wrightsville Beach for a scrumptious brunch and we were well satisfied. (Thanks for the recommendation Krissy!)


Of course, we used some of our time to explore the town of Wilmington also. The historic downtown streets are lined with an unusually high number of stately old mansions, each one carrying a plaque on the front porch giving its history. The Riverwalk, along the Cape Fear River, has its fair share of restaurants and shops and they seemed popular. There were concerts on the Riverwalk to complete the weekend's festivities.

For those who have an interest in naval history, docked permanently across the river from downtown is the retired WWII battleship North Carolina. Open for all to see, it's a museum of sorts, demonstrating the life aboard this type of vessel. On this particular day, there was quite a contrasting scene in the port area. A huge 1812 schooner,
Pride of Baltimore II, made its way up the river. This exact replica of a sailing ship of that era is voyaging from Maine to Florida and was scheduled to be in Wilmington for a few days. She has visited 42 countries and sailed over 200,000 miles as an ambassador of goodwill for Maryland. We sat on a park bench for a while to watch the old girl as she fired her guns, seemingly challenging the battleship positioned just off her stern. The canons boomed and smoked away. But, thankfully, there was no response from the North Carolina. Silence....unlike past responses.


One more stop for our Memorial Day Weekend,
a visit to the Wilmington National Cemetery.

Friends and History in Maryland

Our travels in the eastern part of the country brought us north to Maryland last week from Virginia. We enjoyed our ride through the rolling rural communities of Maryland. Our first stop was Libertytown, a small town about 10 miles east of Frederick, where we visited friends, Ron and Tammy, at their beautiful restored 1800s home. Ferd fit nicely into the driveway and surrounding four acres. We had a great time catching up on our lives, taking in their favorite haunts and having a sample of the local flavor. In fact, we were so busy enjoying ourselves we forgot to take any photos. So we can't show you their place. But it is fantastic! Many thanks to Ron and Tammy for their hospitality and a special time.

Continuing our history tour, we chose to take a short trip southwest of Frederick on the Old National Pike, U. S. 40, along a section of the Maryland Civil War Trail to Antietam National Battlefield. This portion of the trail passes through or near several towns and sites that played an important role in what is called the Antietam Campaign of 1862. The well-preserved towns with their homes and buildings dating to the 1700s and 1800s are a step back in time. It seemed like there was a monument or historic marker on each block with a reminder of the community's past.

But today we went outside the small town of Sharpsburg to the farmlands to find Antietam National Battlefield. We arrived at the battlefield not knowing what we might learn or how. And fortunately, we arrived a short time before the scheduled tour by park ranger Mike Gamble. He took our visit to another level.

A group of about 20 of us followed in our vehicles as he led us to various sites on the battlefield. Mr. Gamble's skill at using descriptive language and gestures brought the landscape in front of us to life. He vividly laid out the events of September 17, 1862, with his descriptions of the soldiers, their leaders and how each faction of the battle played out in the actual cornfields, woods, hills and valleys of the local community. He had photos of the each officer and he interspersed details about their personalities into his tale. Here he tells us about how the battle started in this cornfield you see behind him.

This battle was, in many historians opinions, the battle that swayed the balance of the Civil War toward the north, after a series of successes by the Confederacy. There is no doubt about one fact, that it was the bloodiest one-day battle in U. S. history. 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing by the time the 12 hours of fighting ceased. There are 96 monuments on the battlefield erected by veterans of the battle, located where the each troop fought.

Mr. Gamble took us to three separate sections of the battlefield and described which particular troops from each state were involved and how their individual officers performed and, in some cases, died. We went to the "Bloody Lane" which was a much-used, sunken road used by the local farmers to take their grain to market. He described how the Confederates were entrenched and protected and what a fierce fight it was for the Union soldiers to take it over. Here's a photo of the sunken road that still exists just as it was that day.

He related stories of the families that lived in the farmhouses on the battlefield. Some left and some stayed, losing members and dealing with the carnage.

By the time the 12-hour battle ended, General George McClellan's Union Army held the field. This victory gave President Lincoln the impetus for his Emancipation Proclamation delivered a few days later at Gettysburg, just a short distance north.

Our guide made one suggestion at the end of his tour, that we might want to stop down the road at the Antietam National Cemetery in Sharpsburg. 4776 Union soldiers rest there. Thousands of Confederate soldiers were buried in two other cemeteries in Maryland. However, no one knows for sure how many on both sides may not have been recovered from Antietam Battlefield. Last year the body of a 19-year-old soldier was discovered.

There is a myriad of thoughts that come to mind
when visiting these historic sites.
It's sad. It's peaceful.
It's healthy at times to ponder the past.
Memorial Day is a good time for that.

An Afternoon at Arlington - The Cemetery and The Home

Our history tour continues with the day we spent at Arlington National Cemetery and Arlington House, also called the Lee Memorial. We've both visited here before, but felt compelled to go again. We found our way across Arlington Memorial Bridge over the Potomac, into the entrance where we were reminded that you must park outside the gates in a pay lot if you don't have the forms proving that you have a relative buried in the cemetery. Paying to park at a national cemetery was a little offensive to us, but, oh well, here we are. We entered via the visitors center and decided to purchase tour tickets so that we could take advantage of the bus transportation and guide commentary. As we entered, it was nice to notice the busloads of teenagers on high school trips learning about their heritage. Then, we boarded the bus that stops at the major interest points, the Kennedy tomb, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
and Lee's Home. You can walk from
any of these points throughout the cemetery and reboard circulating buses at any stop.

We spent time watching the mesmerizing changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It's one of those sites that makes everyone respectful, thoughtful and thankful. The inscription on the tomb says it all: ""Here Rests In Honored Glory An American Soldier Known But To God."

The Tomb of the Unknowns has been guarded continuously, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, since July 2, 1937, by a special platoon within the 3rd U. S. Infantry Regiment. A guard takes an average of 6 hours to prepare his uniform, which is solid wool regardless of the time of year. Tomb Guards are required to memorize 16 pages of information about Arlington National Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, including the locations of nearly 300 graves and who is buried in each one. It is considered one of the highest honors to serve as a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Less than 20% of all volunteers are accepted for training and of those only a fraction pass training to become full-fledged Tomb Guards.

After seeing the young men go through their paces and exchange duty at the Tomb, we took a walk in the vicinity. We wanted to see just a few of the other 300,000 buried there. These include many other graves marked "unknown." For instance, here's the section in which 163 of the soldiers and marines killed in the explosion of the U. S. S. Maine in the Havana, Cuba Harbor in 1898. This event spurred the Spanish American War that resulted in the U. S. acquiring Cuba. Also in nearby is a monument to the astronauts killed in the space shuttle Challenger in 1986, a shocking and sad event that most of us recall. As we walked further we came upon the impressive memorial placed by Canada honoring the soldiers that fought and died before the U.S. became involved in WWII. There are any number of memorials in Arlington that can make you stop and think of the people involved and the service they rendered.

But soon it was time for us to board the bus to our next stop, The Arlington House. We enjoyed walking through the home and grounds built by George Washington's step-grandson, whose daughter married General Robert E. Lee. Their family lived in this mansion perched overlooking Washington, D.C. Our photo on the right is of the view from the front yard. (The tomb in the photo is that of Pierre L'Enfant who designed Washington, D. C. in 1791).

Here at the Arlington House, Lee made his difficult decision at the beginning of the Civil War to support Virginia and the Confederacy and to resign his U. S. Army commission. This homestead has quite a story. It involves confiscation of the property by the government for unpaid taxes during the war when Mrs. Lee was unable to pay the money in person.

The setting of the porch with it's massive stone pillars and the view of the country's seat of government tells one story. The slave quarters behind the home tell another one. There is also a museum on site with artifacts of the family.

Arlington House holds a multitude of tales. If you want to read more about it, click on the title of this blog post above.


As we exited the cemetery on our bus and came down the hill directly in front of the Arlington House, we saw the newest memorial, dedicated to Women in Military Service for America. It is said to be an outstanding tribute, but it was after closing time. So, we'll have to see it another time.

So went our latest event in the magical history tour. It was a day of reflection. As before, stay tuned for more!

Our Capitol and Our Library

It's another day in the D. C. neighborhood. Today we chose to take in the U. S. Capitol. It was a nice morning for a walk , but by the time we walked from our Union Station parking, we were glad to have directions from a friendly guard that saved us walking up the gargantuan front steps of the Capitol. So we descended underground to the Capitol Visitors Center, a new section of the complex that welcomes we citizens. Perhaps it wasn't part of the plan for the Capitol when President John Adams moved the seat of our federal government from Philadelphia in 1800, but it is a very nice addition. After clearing the metal detectors which we had prepared for before leaving home (no sharp objects and so on), we joined our tour group. To save a little time we prescheduled a tour over the Internet and found ourselves quickly moving along. Our guide was friendly and informative. He did a good job of describing the historical rooms, paintings, statues and architecture. And he had a few amusing stories to tell, too.

Among the historical spots we visited were the Old Senate Chamber (1810-1859) and the Old Supreme Court Chamber (1810-1860). The Supreme Court was especially surprising since it is so small and dinghy. But it suited its purposes for a while until a separate building was erected. Over 50% of the furnishings in the chamber are original, such as justices' desks and tables and chairs. The photo here is of the attorney tables facing the justices.


The old Senate location is where many famous eloquent speakers expounded on important issues to the country. The desks in the Old Senate Chamber are copies since the original desks are actually located in the present Senate chamber. The cabinetmaker who supplied them in 1819 made them for $34 each. Can you believe they are still being used???


(To enter the current Senate and House chambers you must contact your representatives and make an appointment well in advance. Which we didn't choose to do.)

It was nice having the guided tour since we could be sure not to miss the key pieces of history and interesting facts. For instance, it took 70 years of building before completion of the Capitol, with one of the last features being the replacement of the wooden dome by the current metal dome in 1865 during Lincoln's presidency. He felt it was important to continue the project during the Civil War to show confidence in the Union.

As we were enjoying the Capitol tour we noticed one of the directional signs that read: Tunnel to the Library of Congress. Neither one of us was aware there was an underground connection between these two locations. So that, of course, was our next destination. It is quite a tunnel, stretching about 1/4 mile, it seemed.

Well, as soon as we arrived in the lobby we could see this is one amazing place! The ceilings are covered with elaborate paintings honoring American painters, poets, engineers, scientists, musicians, etc. The grand staircases display symbolic marble sculptures and quotes of distinctive philosophers accentuate the porticoes. The inlayed floors and stained glass windows bring your eyes completely in circles. When you walk inside the Great Hall, it takes your breath away. This photo gives just a glimpse.


And then, of course, there's the reason for the Library. It began as a reference library for Congress in 1800 and became the great national library in 1815 when Congress accepted Thomas Jefferson's offer of his personal collection he had accumulated over 50 years. And the Library has grown ever since the copyright law of 1870 when all copyright applicants were required to send the Library two copies of their work. Add to that the vast collections of knowledge from around the world. You can make arrangements to use a reading room for reference work.

The exhibits sprinkled over the three floors are impressive. We visited the display of maps that includes the only copy of a 1507 map that is the first to include "America," after Columbus and Vespucci's early explorations. One of the most popular displays is of one of only three copies of the Gutenberg bible in existence, the first book printed with movable metal type in Western Europe in 1455, a piece of the history of human communication. It is sealed in glass but there is an interactive computerized display that takes you through all the features. Cool!

It's a place that sparks your curiosity and answers questions about the past.
So if you do have a chance, put it on your list to see. But if you can't go in person, you can visit via the Internet at myLOC.gov. There you can take a virtual tour. Or you can look inside some of the books from Jefferson's library and see close-up the items in the Early Americas exhibit. It all belongs to you.

This was another interesting day of history in our national capitol. There's much to see and contemplate, even as you walk and drive the streets. But that's for other conversations.



On our walk back to the parking garage at Union Station a friendly Washingtonian offered to take our photo in front of the Supreme Court.

"Why not," we said. So here we are, at the new Supreme Court.

Memorials and Portraits in D. C

We planned a day in downtown D. C. having chosen to visit the World War II Memorial and the National Portrait Gallery. We chose to drive rather than take the Metro this time, taking the challenge of maneuvering in the snarl of traffic and finding a parking space on the street. So prepared with our GPS, we headed east from Fairfax, over the Potomac River on US 50.
Aha, we got lucky! There was a spot right on Constitution Avenue across from The Federal Reserve (with armed guards patrolling) and just a short walk from the memorials.


As we walked the winding sidewalks past the Vietnam Wall and the impressive sculpture honoring the battlefield nurses, the clouds and rain gave a certain peace.



Our first thought was that
anyone should be impressed by the WWII memorial. As you step through the massive columns, one for each state, all adorned with wreaths, you read quotes describing the impact of these events of 1941 through 1945.





A remarkable display of bronze plaques telling the story from Pearl Harbor to the celebration of the end of the war give a clear picture of this episode in history.



This memorial is situated so that standing in the array of fountains in the middle, facing west, you look directly over the Reflecting Pond at the Lincoln Memorial. And then, doing an about face, directly in your site is the Washington Memorial and the Capitol. What more appropriate than that the sacrifices of many during this time would be honored in this spot. Well done.

After taking as much time as we needed at the memorials we worked our way about a mile northwest to 9th and G St NW to our museum site for the day. As I mentioned, driving through the city can be frustrating, but if you get advance directions, maneuver carefully and take your time, it is possible. The attendant at the subterranean parking garage assured us that for a nominal fee of $12.00 we would get back to our vehicle, as long as we were there by 9:00 pm. So we found a spot four floors underground and left the Jeep for our six to eight hours of exploring. It turned out that we had a nice lunch, an interesting museum experience and topped it off with a libation at a local watering hole.

But what about the museum? Why this one? Of course, there are numerous choices in our nation's capitol, but we chose to start with one that neither one of us had visited before, the National Portrait Gallery. We knew little about it except that the portraits of the presidents are there. As we learned , there is much more to know. Actually the building itself is spectacular. Begun in 1836 and completed in 1868, it includes porticoes modeled after the Parthenon in Athens. One of the displays inside commemorates Abraham Lincoln's inaugural ball held in the building in 1865 in the stupendous third floor hall that was also a Civil War hospital. The building was originally the U. S. Patent Building holding displays of many American inventions. In addition to the Portrait Gallery it houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The art, of course, is the reason for the museum. But the complete attraction is the way that the story of America is told using the art. Each piece includes a snippet of history taking place at the time, how the subject of the piece fits into the history and the relationship of the artist to the events of that time. Just one small example...... there's a photograph of President Eisenhower in the reviewing stand of his inaugural parade in 1953 being lassoed by Cowboy Monte Montana on horseback. The short historical vignette tells about how Dwight Eisenhower won 36 of 48 states in his presidential race against Adlai Stevenson. It talks about how he was very congenial about this wild west stunt. It also noted that the secret service on duty were not too pleased. The photograph and the information conjured up thoughts about how it might play out today. Can you imagine? In fact, we ended up in a discussion there in the hallway with another couple looking at the photo at the same time. There's something about having a visual image along with a story that stimulates the mind, right?

Everybody would find something of interest in this museum. There are works spanning more than three centuries and every medium, sculpture, oil, photography --- contemporary, folk art, murals, impressionism, etc, etc. I mentioned that we thought we would have more than enough time to see the museum. Well it wasn't. We had to leave a portion for another visit.

However, we took the opportunity to take in a program called “Face to Face.” The head curator of the National Portrait Gallery, Sidney Hart, gave a 30-minute presentation in the gallery about Thomas Jefferson and the artist who painted two of his portraits, Charles Willson Peale.
He took us to each piece, giving us background on why this artist and why at this specific time in history....and why he as the head curator thought of the work. Of course being the historian that this man is, there was a lot more to the story he gave us. Hanging next to Jefferson's portrait in the gallery of vice presidents, is John Adams. Mr Hart told the tale of the relationship of these two men, and others to them, such as George Washington. He was easily coaxed into details of his knowledge of Adams and Jefferson, their up and down friendship, and much more.

All in all, our minds, our feet and our legs had a workout, but it was worth a few aches. Of course, there are benches to rest occasionally and a pleasant courtyard for refreshments. And, oh by the way, have you ever experienced a waste container that speaks to you? Well these do. They say “thank you” when you deposit your trash? We even heard one clever user respond, “your welcome,” with a wry smile.

Both of us give a thumbs up to anyone who is curious about visiting your National Portrait Gallery. I haven't touched on the magnitude or variety of artwork that you can see and stories behind them.

By the time they closed the doors on us at 7:00 pm we were ready to relax for a few minutes before heading home. So we stopped at the little bar we found above our parking garage. This turned out to be a nice close for the day as we were surrounded by people flowing in to what was an after-work spot, sharing their lives and whatever it is that all of them do in D. C. It was a jolt back to today after stepping outside for a few hours. Another a slice of life!

Getting out of the city at 8:00 pm was smoother than entering in the morning. All was well.

Pausing for Painful Repairs

We spent the last four days taking care of some unpleasant, but necessary, repairs on Ferd. After a scenic, but hilly, drive through the Cumberland Pass area of West Virginia, we arrived in Fairfax, Va, to try out the local Elks Lodge where we heard they have nice accommodations for rvs. That is so true, but then there was the bad news.


Immediately, Jerry noticed the signs of the transmission oil leek on the back of Ferd and the front of Ole Yeller. Well, we had just had this problem about 1500 miles ago when heading east through Oklahoma. It didn't take long to conclude that the gasket we had replaced at the Allison transmission shop in Tulsa must not have been the entire problem.
Fast forward after conversations with the Foretravel factory in Texas and mechanic shops here.....we have a new bearing in our transmission installed at the Western Branch Diesel repair facility in Manassas, Va. So far the $2700 fix has put Ferd back on the right path.
Our experience with this shop was super. We had a very impressive mechanic, Seth. Here he is pointing out the problems and solutions to Jerry on our transmission. Everyone at Western Branch Diesel was accommodating and seemed professional. They pushed us out of the shop so we could stay in Ferd the first night. So we only had to go to a hotel one night when the transmission was completely removed and we couldn't move outside.
It's not fun to have these problems, but it could have been much worse.
Now we're ready to get on with our plans.

Getting Around in Virginia

Our plan to spend a few months in historic places in the Eastern U. S. begins now. We arrived in Fairfax, Virginia, a few days ago and settled into a comfortable spot at the Elks Lodge. The Arlington/Fairfax lodge has electrical hookups and water for $14.00 per day, a real steal for this area of the country. It's convenient for getting around and near the Metro as well. But, unfortunately, as soon as we unhooked the Jeep, we discovered a mechanical problem on the coach. So we took a day to analyze the issue and investigate a repair facility. We made an appointment for next Tuesday. With that plan in place, it wouldn't help to worry. So it was time to start our exploration of the area.

First on the agenda was a little help for our travels. One thing we've been considering to help get around in big cities is a GPS. We found a Best Buy with a good salesman and here's our new friend, “Tillie,” the Garmin GPS. (We thought the name just suited her.) We've had fun on our test runs since she joined us. Tillie told us how to navigate the highways and side streets in Fairfax and D. C., to locate, buildings, restaurants and parks. And she is so patient, “recalculating” any time we miss a turn. We were amazed that it was so easy to catch on to all the functions. Why didn't we have this sooner???

Yesterday we took a short trip, about 20 miles southwest, to the Manassas National Battlefield. This is the site of the first land battle of the Civil War in 1861 - “First Manassas.” Many call it “Bull Run”. About a year later, Union and Confederate soldiers bloodied these hills and woods again in the “Second Manassas.” In all, almost 30,000 soldiers fell to their deaths on this battlefield.

There are a museum, movie and hands-on artifacts in the visitors' center that provide a good deal of information about this sobering piece of history. But the 45-minute tour over the battlefield with the park ranger, Hank, brought us the vivid imagery. He walked us through the circumstances of the First Manassas, describing the types of soldiers involved and bringing to life in our minds the horror of the events played out on the ground where we were standing. The cannons are positioned on the hill and at the edge of the woods just as they were 148 years ago. You stand at the top of Henry Hill and look north to where the boys in blue fought over Bull Run and up the hill to where the boys in gray fiercely defended out of the woods. Around 5,000 men lost their lives on that summer day in 1861. He explained the tactics of the Union and Confederate officers in command, two men who were former classmates at West Point. He emphasized that the majority of the volunteers fighting on both sides were barely trained and very naive about the glory of war. It was also widely believed that this would be a short conflict, perhaps ending after this battle. The soldiers who survived learned that there is no romance in war and that this was only the beginning of many months of sorrow. And, of course, friends and families from Massachusetts to Texas became aware of these realities, too.

Later we took the ride that leads through the countryside , over the grounds of the battle to several key sites of the Second Manassas in 1862. As you drive the tour you can see the denseness of the woods that the men marched through and the hills and valleys where they positioned their cannons and stood to fire their rifles....in the open... point blank. The one year of fighting had seasoned those who hadn't been taken by a bullet or a disease. The Stone House that was a Union field hospital still stands, with initials carved by soldiers recovering and dying there. The troops casualties in this battle numbered 24,000. Some of the dead were buried on the site and a few were carried home by family. God bless them all.

The visit to Manassas was somewhat sad, but also very informative. The park has impressive presentations that are designed for all ages.

It reminded us that there are good reasons to preserve this place in time and discuss these tragic moments in history. We had a good day.

Researching in Brown County, Indiana

Over the past few days we've been in a favorite Indiana spot, Brown County. It's a place that thousands enjoy each year and for good reason. Nature abounds in them thar hills! The scenes in the hills turn bright in the spring with blossoms and warm oranges in the fall. It's also a lot of fun to to experience the shops in Nashville, the county seat that began as an artists' colony. We can now find a myriad of handmade jewelry, leather goods, fudge and furniture, in addition to the art. There's always the popular stop in the Nashville House for some famous fried biscuits or a quaint cafe for fresh selection of coffees or ice cream.

Our location for these few days was the Brown County State Park. It's a beautiful park with winding scenic views. The winter browns are just starting to disappear. Spring rains are bringing out the buds on the trees and the robins are nesting. This is a park that draws loads of hikers, bikers, campers and picnickers for many weeks of the year. We were early enough that it was pretty quiet during the past week. I took long walks in the evening through our sparsely occupied campground. It was a little wet for me to get out on the trails, but there are sure some super ones here.
We did take note of a certain type of connoisseur appearing this time of year in the woods of Brown County. As we leisurely enjoyed the few miles of road leading us out of the park each day, we would see a few cars parked along the road without occupants. But then quickly we noticed two or three people walking very slowly staring intently at the brown leaves on the ground. This deliberate glare looks a lot different than the usual hiker's pose. Ah, hah, the spring time brings out the Morel mushroom hunters! Later, I had a strong confirmation of the value of this activity when I visited the local IGA -- $29.99 per lb for these treasures. Maybe this hobby is one to consider.

However, no time for that now, our main motivation for this particular trip was one of our favorite passtimes, family research. Jerry's Hurley ancestors were among the early settlers of the area in the 1830s. In fact, one historical account states that the first election in the county was held in the home of Cornelius Hurley. Although many family facts have already been discovered, there are a few pieces to find. What are all the circumstances of Elisha Hurley's family after he was killed in 1847 in the Mexican American War?

Often going directly to the locale to investigate the records proves more successful. So we spent a few of our afternoons searching through the genealogical section of the Brown County Public Library. We did get a few leads to follow.

Our research also took us out and about, to the Mt. Zion Cemetery at the top of a hill on highway 135 between Stone Head and Story, Indiana. Jerry was able to get photos and plot GPS locations of Ephraim, Cornelius and a few other Hurley tombstones for his records. Stone Head was the home of the Hurleys in the 1800s and the resting place of several of them today. Roaming an old cemetery on a sunny day amidst the forests and fields of southern Indiana can be somewhat good for the soul. Who knows! Maybe a few still roam the hills and cornfields.

One thing you can depend on in the spring time in Indiana is that there's no telling what weather there may be. Typically, we had three days of sun and two days of clouds and rain. Soon the greens will be everywhere. It was nice to be here. Now we're moving on east.....looking towards our next destination in the D. C. area.

Making History

Did you ever stop to think what history you are making every day? If your descendants were to research your life, what would they find and what would they think? Celebrating grandson Ben's birthday yesterday, along with some recent family research, made me wonder how our every day lives might play out in their minds. Would our ways of celebrating birthdays be strange? Or our traditions for Easter?

I hope they would find our lives somewhat interesting, and hopefully, worthy of retelling to their own contemporaries. Can you just hear it?? "These people had to use wires to connect their telephones and lights. They even pumped gasoline into their vehicles!!"

Lately history's been popping up as we plan our stops in the eastern part of the country for the next six months or so. We've been choosing sites that we will take some time to explore more in depth than our short vacations in the past have allowed. (Historical item here, at left: My mom's high school basketball team. Click to read.)



But this past weekend current events took center stage. Between Indiana's spring showers we had lots of fun celebrating Easter and our grandson's birthday.


My sister, Marti, has an annual Easter Egg Hunt
that she puts on for the children of family and friends on the Saturday preceding Easter. In addition to assembling a tremendous number of eggs to hide, she cooked some delicious food. We all filled our bellies with meatballs, her fabulous potato salad, great vegetables, and of course, deviled eggs and cupcakes with jelly bean decorations.



Jerry and Krissy and I were appointed to be Easter Bunnies. I'll tell you this, it was a challenge to find enough hiding places for the volume of eggs she had stuffed with candy, money and prize-winning tickets. But the kids were determined to find every one. They enjoyed blowing bubbles and playing with all the gifts that were rewards of their efforts. Thanks, Marti, it was a nice day!



The following day, Easter Sunday, was a day for celebrating grandson Ben's 14th birthday. And we were blessed with another sunny day...... we could enjoy the outdoors. Ben's Uncle Tim once again opened his home to us all. The food was great, the company was great and the story-telling was outstanding.

The youngsters in the group ran Tim's atv's mercilously on the tracks next door. Even Rio, the always-ready-to-play-ball Border Collie had a workout and was exhausted by the end of the afternoon....... Just the usual Hurley gathering.
Celebrating Ben's birthday made me think back (Here goes history again.) to when he visited us on the road at Green River Lakes in Wyoming a few summers ago. It was such a treasure to be able to share that spot with him.



Here's a photo of Jerry and Ben during that visit. As is always said, how can they grow up so fast? Ben is turning into a young man. He has a great personality, brains, an inquisitive nature and a super smile. (No prejudice here!)








What will his history be down the road?
We made one day of it, his 14th birthday.
May you have many more fabulous ones, Ben!!