Monthly Archives: March 2014

Renaissance Musings Gallery

Posted on March 28, 2014 by merlinjr01

I think I mentioned that I am a photographer. Guess, then, I should probably post some of my photos. Let me know what you think. I am behind on my photo posting too. Here are a couple to catch up. … Continue reading →

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Renaissance Musings Table of Contents

Posted on March 28, 2014 by merlinjr01

Note: Entries into this Contents page are being discontinued. I now realize that there are sufficient tools to search this blog and this Contents simply duplicates those tools. Additionally, there are very few indications of “hits” on this page; very … Continue reading →

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Twin Light Houses of Cape Henry, Va., or Where your First Public Dollars were Spent

Posted on March 27, 2014 by merlinjr01

Several Years ago, living in New Jersey, I decided to “collect” lighthouses. Not the little figures of lighthouses, but rather to visit and photograph them. New Jersey was a good place to start—it has more than 20 lighthouses, light ships, … Continue reading →

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My Mother: Part 3 – Surviving Hurricane Hazel (With Emphasis on “Trees”!)

Posted on March 25, 2014 by merlinjr01

Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category … Continue reading →

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Jamestown, Virginia Part 3 – The Story of Jane

Posted on March 22, 2014 by merlinjr01

In earlier posts there have been references to “The Starving Time.” Here is the story. In grade school in Virginia in the 1950s we learned about John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas. We did not learn about Jane. It was not, … Continue reading →

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And She Said “Dah-di-dah-dah dit di-di-dit”

Posted on March 19, 2014 by merlinjr01

A Visit to where Edison did not invent the light bulb. I am a helpless technology junkie who has also developed an interest in history. Thomas Edison, with more than 1,000 patents—known best for his invention of the electric light … Continue reading →

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Jamestowne, Virginia Part 2 – John Smith’s Role

Posted on March 17, 2014 by merlinjr01

Introduction The record of Jamestowne has been greatly expanded over the past two decades and much more is now understood about the lives of these early settlers. John Smith was probably the single most influential individual in the survival of … Continue reading →

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The Night the Silent Service Rocked our House

Posted on March 12, 2014 by merlinjr01

Watching the “Silent Service” with my Dad (1957-1958) We got our first TV set in 1952 because my father wanted to be able to watch the presidential nominating conventions. That summer, the Democratic Convention nominated Adlai Stevenson and the Republicans … Continue reading →

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A Shotgun Hole in the Corn Crib Roof

Posted on March 7, 2014 by merlinjr01

Or, An Example of Learning Good Judgment from Bad Judgment In 1957, my father was appointed postmaster of Lanexa, Virginia, the post office that served the farm. Up until this time, my father had worked the farm, including a modest, … Continue reading →

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The Day My Mother Burned Down the Tractor Shed

Posted on March 3, 2014 by merlinjr01

My Mother Part 2 – Fire, Fish Ducks, and Grits As mentioned before (Mother – Part 1), my folks had a chicken house with several hundred laying hens. Lois tended the chickens daily and collected the eggs. This event begins … Continue reading →

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