Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Madonna and Child, A Self Portrait


Taken Monday, January 14th. Today is chilly. It was snowing 30 minutes ago and now the sun is out. The house is quiet temporarily. New parents are often in awe of how the arrival of such a tiny human turns everyone and everything on it's ear. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end.
Ava's first home is less than a mile from Chesapeake Bay. On a day like today the sea gulls congregate in the asphalt parking lots to capture a bit of the sun's warmth, reluctantly giving way to grocery shoppers' cars. The shoppers, in return, crawl slowly through the lots, respecting the birds' claim to the city. This time of year belongs to the locals. Restrictions are lifted on the beaches and dogs are allowed to swim and run until Easter, when the tourist season begins. Residents eat at the oceanfront now too, not to be seen during the summer. The sixth annual Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout ended this past weekend after 3 days. The field consisted of 286 teams of fishermen. There are many sport fishermen here and many commercial fishermen on the Eastern Shore. Ever eaten rockfish? (striped bass) Don't miss the chance. Light, sweet. In April, the annual "Shad Planking" takes place in Wakefield, VA , a few miles inland. The shad is an oily fish that runs in the spring. Planking refers to the custom of smoking the shad on wood planks over an open fire. The event has become a political ritual which in the past prohibited attendance by blacks or women. VA Governor Douglas Wilder was the first black man to attend, in 1977, while he was a VA State Senator.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Ava Grace Haislip




Of course she's beautiful! No, really. She is. She really, really is. Born at 6:11PM after a relatively short labor, she weighs 7 lbs and 11 ounces. She is 20 and a half inches long. We 3 grandparents stood with our ears to Noel's door, hoping to hear Ava's first cry. Most of the nurses who passed by us pretended we weren't there, but finally one of them told us we had to go back to the waiting room because "it's against hospital policy to have you listening to a delivery and besides, it's a fire hazard to have you in the halls". Um, hmm. Did we leave? Sure, and as soon as she disappeared we "ran" back. Finally the head nurse, who Doug called "Sergeant Carter", ran us off. After just another 30 minutes or so, we wandered back to the nurse's station in time for her to announce: "Your grandchild was just born. Give us 10 minutes to clean her up and you can go in." What a rush! 45 minutes later we did go in for hugs, kisses, laughter, congratulations, and many photo ops. The best photos will come later, but here are two from my cell phone. Noel is a natural and was enjoying dinner from P.F. Chang's when I left her. Her lovely little girl has been born into a world where she will be surrounded with love.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Waiting For Ava




There's an old saying repeated frequently by Tidewater residents: If you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes. Christmas Day was mild & sunny. December 26th was cold, with wind whipped rain blowing straight through you. Then sunny & mild again. Two nights ago it was 16 degrees. If 2008 is like past years, we can expect a week of beach weather in the middle of February. It rarely snows here, so the anticipation of it closes schools. Where exactly is "Tidewater"? It's the name used by the locals to describe the land mass encompassing Hampton & Newport News VA, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth, south to the North Carolina line. For years progressive thinkers have tried to engineer a merger...to become one city, renamed "Tidewater". Doing so would bring many benefits to the area, not the least of which would be increased Federal funding. Unfortunately the years go by and not even the light rail envisioned for commuters from VA Beach to Norfolk has gotten off the ground. This area has yet another name..."Hampton Roads". In actuality, Hampton Roads is a body of water, but over the years people have referred to the combined cities as Hampton Roads.While waiting for Ava's birth, we've tried to follow a normal routine of shopping, cooking, running errands, working, etc. Danny is probably handling it the best, as you can see. "Don't worry! Be happy!" is his motto. Noel's due date was yesterday. She has a doctor's appointment Monday afternoon.
While we are waiting I should talk about Tidewater for those of you who don't know the area. The best way to describe it is "schizophrenic". In summary, "Tourist Tidewater", "Military Tidewater", "Old Guard Tidewater", and "Edgar Cayce Tidewater". If you are part of any one of these, you may not know much about the others...or care. "Tourist Tidewater" includes Colonial Williamsburg and that's good for an entire day, or two. Naturally "the Beach" (VA Beach) is a big draw. Families stay here & take day trips to Williamburg, Jamestown, Yorktown or the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The Virginia Aquarium is 3 minutes from the resort area, "The Strip". Whale watching excursions, bird watching. If you visit in July, take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to Chincoteague for the annual pony penning as described in the children's book favorite "Misty of Chincoteague". The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, an engineering marvel, is one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world. That alone is worth the trip to the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Prior to the Bridge Tunnel's opening in 1964, you would have taken a ferry from Kiptopeke to South Hampton Roads. Crossing the Chesapeake Bay then was slow, but beautiful. An event to be savored. Speaking of savoring things, if you are wondering about the food in this part of the world...people who know good food describe this as a hot dog town. That said, there are a few restaurants of note. Ta-da! "Zoe's" VA Beach, "456 Fish" Norfolk, "Isla" VA Beach, and "Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro" at VA Beach's Town Center, the designated downtown area newly created by popular demand. That's only half joking. VA Beach has never had a downtown until recently. If you wanted a downtown, you had to go to Norfolk or Richmond or, better yet, to Washington, DC. DC also lays claim to the closest NFL team, so if you like pro ball, you're in the wrong town. And what beaches do the residents use? One is pictured above. As a tourist, you'd never find it and the locals want to keep it that way. Part of First Landing State Park, it is known as "Oyster Beach". You reach it by taking 64th St. off Atlantic Avenue. Or if you drive 45 minutes south of the resort area, you can enjoy Sandbridge Beach, another local preference.
On to "Military Tidewater". It co-exists comfortably with the other lifestyles here. Military families often return here at retirement. All branches of the service are represented with a few notable standouts: Langley Air Force Base, Oceana Naval Air Station, Fort Eustis, NAS/NOB. When the 2005 BRAC Commission recommended moving the Master Jet Base from Oceana the locals who have complained for years about jet noise took a big gulp and reevaluated their position. Withdrawal of this major installation would cripple the economy, perhaps permanently. Growing up here during the Cold War, I recall that this was the number one target of a nuclear strike.
One of my favorite parts of the US is eastern North Carolina, specifically, the Outer Banks...a fragile chain of barrier islands which attracts hurricanes like a magnet. From Virginia Beach, take Rte. 168 or take the Currituck Ferry from Knotts Island to 168. Call 1-800-BY FERRY to verify the schedule. Knotts Island is south of VA Beach but in North Carolina. No other part of North Carolina can be reached from there by road. Most popular annual event? The Knotts Island Peach Festival. In 2008 it will be celebrated on Saturday, July 26th from 10AM-5PM. It's a surprise to most people to learn that peaches can be grown this far north. Knotts Island is an anomaly. Don't care for peaches? They also grow scuppernong grapes, apples, pears. Some of the fields are "pick-your-own", which children love. And for the adults? There are two vineyards. Wine tastings are held on Martin's Farm where you can picnic overlooking the water. Further south are the Outer Banks. There you can see wild ponies graze peacefully in Corolla. The names of the towns in the Outer Banks are enchanting: Nags Head, Duck, Wanchese, Kitty Hawk, Hatteras Island, Ocracoke Island. If you are looking for a place to kick back, look here. I'll try to give you a tour on the way to California.