While I am working on my post about the most incredible Fourth of July I've ever experienced, I thought I'd do a little catch up with some great miscellaneous pictures I took during the wonderful "Under the Redcoat" program. I thought I'd also explain a little more about Colonial Williamsburg itself, prompted by a conversation I had with my mom Friday morning, while we were driving to our holiday destination.

     I was telling my mom about some dogs I had seen walking there. One of them literally walked himself, quite proudly I might add.

     Then I told her about this dauchshund. Dauchshunds are my favorite. You can make all the hotdog jokes you want, but I had a dauchshund while growing up and I am forever indebted to his companionship. When I was a little girl in Hawaii, my parents always told me to stay away from the dogs, because many ran around with mange. I became terrified of them. When we moved to San Antonio, I carried that fear with me.  They purposed to get a dog for me. One morning my dad got a phone call from his brother, asking when we were coming to get our dog?  Our dog?  They had gotten 2 dauchshund puppies from down the street and one was for me. We drove down to get him.  They had named him Duke and his brother was Baron. Good German names right? Wrong. Duke was actually named after Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku, who won the 100 meter dash in the 1912 Olympics.  He was named after his father, who was named after the Duke of Edinburg, who had visited the Hawaiian Islands in 1869.  Duke the dauchshund was funny. He was embarrased to wear his sweater outdoors where the other dogs would see him.  However he enjoyed wearing his Santa Claus outfit. (Costumes were destined to be part of my life!) Duke was a great companion, I got over my fear of dogs, and he lived into my college years.

     This dauchshund has a tricorn hat!  I have yet to see it, but we have since seen this dog every day we've been to CW. He is a regular visitor.  Living nearby, the owner said her dog likes to see all the reenactors in costume.  I knew I liked this dog!  She doesn't always bring his hat so I am waiting for that day so I can get a great picture of him.  The other day at Revolutionary City, huzzahs were being cheered. We'd yell, "Hip, hip, huzzah!"  He'd go, "Bark, bark!"  "Hip, hip, huzzah!" "Bark, bark!"  "Hip, hip, huzzah!" "Bark, bark!"  Not only a patriotic dog, but he also comes in on cue!   

      We are currently petless right now, since we had to have our cat, Slipper, put to sleep last January.  The family tries to talk me into a dog, even a dauchschund, but I like picking up and leaving to CW or somewhere else for a few days, without worrying about a dog. I want to have the freedom to go into the museums and historic buildings without babysitting the dog outdoors. However, I can enjoy everyone elses dogs when I am outside!

     As much as I like dauchshunds, I think another cat is in our future due to the convenience. However I would have a difficult time getting another cat just yet, since I miss Slipper kitty. However I get to enjoy this kitty in CW. We have met him a couple of times and he loves to have my kids pet him.  

     Anyway, my mom was not only laughing, but shocked to hear some of this. How big is CW she asked?  173 acres!  We walk miles every day that we are there!  Whenever we tell people around here about how often we go to CW, they recommend amusement parks to wear the kids out. My husband and I smile and later shake our heads.  CW is a perfectly good place to wear kids out with far more creativity than an amusement park offers.  We used to live next door to Shamu.  Literally. Our neighborhood was next door to the SeaWorld property. We could see their Fourth of July fireworks from our neighborhood. We would get season passes and it got old very quickly because the shows were always the same. At least it was something to do and it was more fun the few times the animals missed/refused their cues. We have been to CW this year I think 11 days total and we've done different things each time. When we visited in 2004, we'd walk into the historic area via the nature path from the Visitor Center, but by the afternoon, we'd usually take the bus for the kids' sake, since they were 8 and 11.  We have yet to take the bus since that vacation. My kids just go, go, go and sleep like rocks when we get to bed.  That's my kind of vacation!  And what do the kids think of it compared to amusement parks? One day, while visiting one of the historic areas, my son said, "Mom, thanks for wanting us to move to Virginia!  Thanks for taking us to places like Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon! This is fun!"   

     The 4mph historic area is surrounded by the more contemporary fast paced society and streets.  Crossing from the contemporary area into the historic area is like a time machine, entering a place of solace and calm, unless encountering the Redcoats.  Some of the citizens of Revolutionary City will say that calm is destroyed by Patrick Henry, but personally, I've always liked him.    

     I guess my mom is used to the zoo, Witte Museum, and Seaworld, where high fences surround the property line and only ticket holders can enter. There are no high fences blocking people from visiting CW. Various events require a specific type of pass.  But whenever we walk through the historic area, we pass walkers, joggers, bikers and dog walkers. 

     Here are some pictures I took of the flowers and architecture at the end of June.  There is a new gardening blog at CW, which tells about the monthly blooms.

Besides the history and interaction at Colonial Williamsburg, I also love the architecture nestled among the formal garden landscape. Charming Georgian architecture of various homes and outbuildings are cozily wrapped in charming colonial fences, softened by shady magnolia trees and blossoms gently waving in the deliciously cool breeze. As Anne of Green Gables would say, "What scope for the imagination!" In between reliving history experiences, we'd take snack and rest breaks on benches under shady oak trees and soaked in the beauty around us, savoring the scent of colorful blooms and watching playful red-breasted robins hop about.  Leisurely walking down the back roads after dinner, we'd stop to watch the horses sedately graze while listening to the bubbling brooks that run through the delightfully hilly landscape and under wooden quaint bridges.  Bends in the road and open gates beckoned secrets to explore.  As the sun sets on a wonderfully exciting day, the azure blue sky turns shades of pinks, the bullfrog starts to croak at the edge of the pond, and another day fades away into history...