Happy Thanksgiving and Christmas Memories

Written by Elizabeth Kimball

I grew up in a large family, which meant the holidays couldn’t be lavish, but my mother (who has degrees in architecture and interior design) could certainly pull together some amazing decorations on a shoestring budget. 

East Beach Writers' Guild Annual Book Donation

By Jayne Ormerod

 Members of the East Beach Writer’s Guild are quick to admit that their grown-up desire to write began with a childhood love of reading.  So it seemed a logical undertaking for them to celebrate the season of giving by donating books to Toys 4 Tots in hopes of inspiring that same love for the written word in children in the Tidewater area. It’s an annual tradition (three years running) that at their November meeting each member brings a book to donate. 

The Tale Of The Traveling Turkey Pan

Written by Jayne Ormerod

Roast turkey is an American tradition, but in my family it goes a bit beyond that.  It has to be roasted in a special turkey pan, one that has been around longer than me (and that’s a long time.)  It’s a behemoth 11x16x9 inches in size and will hold a 28-pound stuffed bird comfortably.  We use it twice a year, and storage of it the other 363 days is a challenge. But we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chesapeake Bay Living: Norfolk Botanical Gardens Part 3

Rembrandt

Written by Michelle Davenport & Elizabeth Kimball

As mentioned before in an earlier post, there is so much to see at the Norfolk Botanical gardens that it needed to be broken up into more than one blog post.

So once again we'll take a look at that little oasis in the middle of the city.

The Statuary Vista is a unique outdoor sculpture gallery set in a 400-foot long double border garden stretching from the back of Renaissance Court to the edge of Lake Whitehurst. 

Chesapeake Bay Living: A Wilderness Adventure

Written by Skip McLamb

Do you like adventure?  Do you enjoy watching wild animals?  And how about hiking on trails through marsh lands and maritime forests?   Have you ever been to a beach where you can put your feet in the Atlantic Ocean, look north and south, and not see another living soul?  All of this is possible, without leaving the Tidewater area, if you visit one of my favorite get-away spots: False Cape State Park.  

The twenty-five square mile park, part of a barrier island system, is located in the southwest corner of Virginia Beach.  It’s an isolated area, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the waters of Back Bay to the west, the North Carolina state line on the south, and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge to the north.  The park is only accessible by foot, bike, or boat, and visitors need to be prepared for a primitive outdoor experience.

On almost any given day, a hiker or biker can expect to see deer, muskrat, fox, snakes, otters, turtles, and an amazing variety of birds.  A lucky hiker or biker might also see feral ponies and pigs, a sea turtle, mink, hawks, nutria, or a bobcat.  There are remnants of an old village, including a graveyard, which can provide you a historical perspective on what life was like here a century ago.

I have visited this park dozens of times over the years, and on each trip I see and learn new things.  If you think you will enjoy a different kind of day at the beach, I highly recommend a visit to False Cape State Park.  Primitive tent camping sites are available for public use and an environmental education center, created from an old hunting lodge, has comfortable accommodations for up to twenty people.   More information about FCSP can be found on the Virginia State Parks website, www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks.

About the author: Skip McLamb, a retired educator, writes for pleasure to make good use of his new found free time.  Contact him at ovmclamb@live.com.