We left the Mariner Museum in Newport News early enough for the 30 minute drive to Colonial Williamsburg to have dinner before we did an evening program.  On the way to the Capital for the concert, we saw an artist painting a scene from the Duke of Gloucester Street of the Capitol and Raleigh Tavern. I walked over to peek over his shoulder. I am fascinated with the idea of painting but can't imagine how an artist makes strokes of paint look like the real thing.  I wanted to see how it was done. However he is an extremely sort of chatty fellow.  He'd load his brush with paint, then put it down and talk. Then he'd load his brush with other colors, put it down and say more. I thought I was going to bust! I just wanted to watch him paint!  LOL  My husband asked him what color he was going to paint the flag over the Capitol. (For Revolutionary City, different flags fly depending on the timeframe of the storylines.)  Somehow we got on the topic of his country's flag and my husband asked what country he was from. He pointed to his shirt and said his flag would be orange! Oh! The kids and I knew what country that was!  Holland! Frans van Baars gave me his brochure, after writing down a title of a book he thought I should purchase. He teaches painting and he highly recommends Drawing from the Right Side of the Brain.  I think I've heard of that book before.  I looked up his website and the paintings are gorgeous. The brochure has his phone number and he told me to call him anytime if I have questions.

     This evening program was Capital Concert.  A historical interpreter, portraying Peter Pelham, who was the town organist, harpsichordist and jailer, played the harpsichord for us and sang.  We sat in the assembly room where the burgesses used to meet.  The room was lit with candles in the chandelier and throughout the room.  There are no electrical lights, only candlelight, which emitted a lovely ambiance.  The musician came out as himself first to give us historical background on Peter Pelham, who really did these things in CW.  In fact, he taught the colonial governor's children and played at official concerts for the governor.  He also playd duets with Thomas Jefferson...Pelham on the harpsichord and Jefferson with the violin.  Jefferson had high regard for Pelham's musical abilities.

     After the introduction, the interpreter walked behind the giant chair (What is that called? I saw one at the contemporary state capital in Richmond the other day.) and became Peter Pelham. For each piece he played he had a story. Not just any story. These were interesting stories.  Unexpected stories. The one I remember best was so fascinating, that he wouldn't tell us who wrote the piece until after he played it.  he did tell us to think about who might have composed it about 200 years before (he was portraying 1774). He told us it would be someone completely unexpected!  I was guessing William Shakespeare, James I, Queen Elizabeth....no, I was wrong! I suppose I shouldn't tell the answer, but we were all shocked although everyone does know this historical figure.  This musician is so good, he said he was in a certain museum when he saw the score this historical figure had written and he memorized it.  He was playing from memory.  My son was amazed at all the pieces he had memorized.

       Peter Pelham played "Hail Britannia" two different ways. The first time he played the popular way of the time, and the second time his "new" and improved way! LOL  At the end of the program, he taught us the chorus and we all sang a few verses of "Hail Britannia." 

     Afterwards he took queries from the audience, then he met us outside to answer any other questions. My son had a question for him, which now I forget what it was.  But the musician asked my son if he plays music and I nudged him to say yes...and when he only mentioned the pianto, I nudged him again to mentioned the fife as well. The musician had stories about that! He said to love us and to play his fife outdoors and told us hilarious stories about fifes played indoors.  He was really fun and engaging. I started to take a picture of him talking to my son when he saw the camera and he asked someone to take a picture of all of us together!

      The next day we went to the brickyard where they were setting up the tarp for the kiln.  Some of these handmade bricks were used in the rebuilt Coffeehouse.  My son asked a great question. Why did they not use straw like the Hebrews in Egypt needed?  There is so much rain in Virginia, if the bricks do not go through a kiln, they'll eventually return to mud. As long as the kiln is used, straw is not needed.  In Egypt, there is little rain, so they did not need a kiln. Therefore straw was needed for structure.

      Next stop was the blacksmith shop.

These are locks for the rebuilt Coffeehouse. We spent a lot of time learning how locks are built around a key and how this knowledge goes back to the Middle Ages.

      Then we went to the Mary Stith house to meet Ann Wager, who taught African American children. It was 1774 and I asked her if she had any concerns as to the future of the Bray School, due to the politics of the day. She told me that my husband was keeping me very well informed of the current events.  Everyone started laughing, especially my family because I am the one who keeps my husband informed of the history/politics of 1774!  However he stays pretty well abreast of today's politics and I keep up but he gets me all worked up because I don't like to rock the boat.  LOL  Times have changed because back then ladies stayed out of politics and weren't considered capable of that type of knowledge. Anyway, for the rest of the time, she kept alluding to me and how informed I was with politics due to my husband. At one point, in answer to a question, she said my son was the perfect age to attend the grammar school at the College of William and Mary and proceeded to give us directions to the building.  We were all laughing and my husband said the kids were homeschooled.  She kept curtseying and alluding to my homeschooling too. It was fun. At the very end, I was excited to find an opportunity to talk to her in the 21st century!  I told her we especially enjoyed the program, because my daughter portrayed Ann Wager for a project for the Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip, "Make History Live."daughter portrayed Ann Wager for a project for the Colonial Williamsburg Electronic Field Trip, "Make History Live." She was absolutely delighted to hear this!  We had a good time talking about it. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

     One of the neat things I've always liked about walking about CW, is that you truely do feel as though you are in the 18th century. People go about the day in authentic dress, no cell phones, no watches, etc.  We stepped outside and were about to cross the street to go to Raleigh Tavern when we stopped to let a horseman have the right of way. Carriages go down the street.  Horses hooves are heard...clip clop, clip clop. We are not touring monuments of dead people. We have gone through a time machine and are in the past. It's wonderful.

         At Raleigh Tavern we attended "Music for a Revolutionary Generation.".  We listened to a violinist and pianist.  The piano fortes were new to the century and shaped smaller and more boxy.  There are differences between a harpsichord and piano.  In a harpsichord, the strings are plucked; in a piano forte, a hammer hits the strings.  With a harpsichord, there is one volume; with a harpsichord, there is a range a volumes. Due to the range of piano fortes, music was written with new ranges, from pianissimo (soft) to forte (loud). Once again, we heard lots of interesting tidbits of history to go with the songs.

       After this we walked out into the rain and quickly ate lunch under our umbrellas.  The rain lasted a short while.  It was an extremely cool day. There was a hint of autumn in the air.  A few of the leaves are turning. This is a completely new experience for me and the kids. In Texas the blazing heat roughly continues through September, with an occasional cold front. Here in Virginia it is different and delightful.

     At long last we got to take the Bits and Bridles tour. While waiting for everyone, we met a family we had seen the night before. They were all in costume and I think they do some historical reenacting themselves. We got to talking about my son's fife playing and I found out the man plays too. I seized the opportunity to seek a tip. I told him of my son's struggle with the fife.  I wasn't sure how to explain it, except that someone suggested he doesn't have the holes completely closed when he plays, so it doesn't sound right. But he insists he does have the holes covered. The man gave a terrific tip to play with the fingers flat.  

     In the Bits and Bridles tour we learn about the rare breeds program and get a tour of the horse stables. We saw the area where the horseshoes are stored and how the horses are taken care of with various shoes. Then we toured the different carriages. All of them were there, as it was lunch hour. Two different saddles were on display, an English saddle and a side saddle for ladies.  My daughter got to try out the side saddle.

Then the barn kitty came to sniff our bags.

We saw the baby goats.

Then we got to see the horses. They have their names on their stalls.  The ones that team up have names that fit in a pair. There's Matthew and Mark. Luke and John.  Brigadier and General.  I forget the other teams but I love this creativity. You know how I am with names! Then there were two horses which are rode either by a rider or pull a small cart individually. One  of them is Bob.

The last horse we met at the end of the stable is the other individual horse, and we were told he is a favorite for those who ride the horses. And his name? Well, I'm not telling, because it is the same name as my son! I tried to get a picture of the horse, the name and my son...but the horse was busy eating so we couldn't see his head since he was reaching down for his food.  Now we are trying to distinguish this horse from Bob. We couldn't get a good enough look at them to really know the difference, to know when we are about town.  The stable was impeccably clean.  Only the horses used for the day in town or who are ill stay in the stable.  Normally they stay in the fields.  Also they are off duty in the winter, when their shoes come off and they are foot loose and fancy free in the fields.

     Then we saw the various chickens.  Only one was the meatiest, used by the middling sort. 

The wealthy showed off their wealth with the fancier chickens, not caring if they were meaty or not.

As the guide talked about the downside of this Sikie, the chicken kept cocking her head from side to side as if she knew more than she was given credit for.

     After watching the horses get hooked up to the carriages, we followed the last one out and went to the Tucker House.  We had just missed a private audience with Gowan Pamphlet, the recently freed African American Baptist preacher. However we were in time to view traditional rug hooking, which is completely different from modern methods. My daughter had lots of questions, because she had done a latch hook rug a year ago.

     Then we went to Revolution City's Monday program, Building a Nation. On Monday's the theme is vignettes of various people during the revolution. After some music, dancing, and theatrical performances,

Alexander Purdy, who runs the newspaper, showed us his latest edition which has recently printed "The Declaration of Independence."

Then someone cried out "Lafayette!"  Lafayette was coming!  I had no idea! He wasn't in the program! Nor did we see him for this program last summer. But then last summer we were touring the capitol when RC started so we missed the first part of the program. 

Lafayette told us that victory had been secured at Yorktown.  I think that's what he said. I was busy setting my camera to action because neither he nor his horse stand still!

The horse is beautiful and it's fun to see him move around a lot. Also Lafayette always tells interesting stories.  I'm still fascinated by the idea of a Frenchman coming to America and adopting America as his second home.

He gave us a bit of background as to how he came to America to fight in our revolution.  Then he took off.

   Remember Monday is the day for stories of the people. They aren't sequential in time. "This Freedom Ain't for Me" is the story of a slave who has frustrating concerns. She holds the Declaration of Independence in her hand, and questions the freedom the patriots are seeking, while owning slaves.

Then we went to the Capital to meet Lady Washington. She arrived with a military escort.

The printer of the Virginia Gazette, Alexander Purdy, asked Edmund Pendleton if he could have the honor of helping Lady Washington step down from her carriage himself. He was beside himself with the honor of helping the General's wife. (We had never seen this in the scene before.  It made the scene more real.) She was going to tell about her time in the winter camps. Then she helps a disabled veteran.

   Next we met with Gowan Pamphlet who told us about his recent freedom and his pastorate, which was now able to join the larger group of churches.

It was starting to rain before the program when these actor interpreters sat next to me.  She was talking to me about the rain when Gowan Pamphlet started speaking. She felt compelled to interrupt him because she feared he was forgetting his people and his past.

 RC ended with President Washington with an announcement suggesting we elect him for his third term.

 He discussed his 8 years in office, his hopes for the future of our country, and his desire to step down and return to the life of a citizen.  Then he actually stepped off the stage, walked over to Lady Washington who had been standing near me, kissed her hand, then escorted her down the street.  This final part of stepping down and walking off with his wife was new to me.  We had not seen this last summer.  I thought it was a perfectly symbolic addition to the scene. My daughter mentioned the symbolism to me later.  I love it when the kids make connections on their own!

 It was raining again and time for dinner.  We went to Chownings which has light inexpensive fare. Being a drizzly chilly day, I was hoping for a good soup.  I don't like most soups, but liked the idea of potato leek soup and so did my husband.  I asked if we could have cornbread on the side, instead of the toast, so that worked out. My kids decided to share a plate of ribs. While waiting for our food we have peanuts to shell to eat while listening to period music. They had us help them sing a labor day song.

 We all got plenty to eat which was delicious.  That is the best potato soup and cornbread I've ever had!

     As we left the historic area, my son played his fife using the tips he had learned that day. Wow! What an improvement.  He still needs refinement but we could definitely tell a difference. As always, it was another wonderful day full of different adventures.  To top off the day, as we drove by one of the pastures, 4 of the CW horses were playfully chasing each other around the field.  Ah, it was a cozy evening...the sun was setting, it was drizzling, the air was cool and brisk, the fields are surrounded by large trees, mostly in verdent green but a few leaves are a bit anxious and are providing an autumnal splash of color. The horses running in this setting added to the aura of the 4mph society. Sadly it was time to return to our time machine and return to the present.  My husband told me to go ahead and let out that sigh. Sigh.  I could live here. I could work here.