Clayton Exhibit

This house sits off the road that goes from Port Haywood to Onemo. I would have zoomed in a little closer to avoid that hateful chain but the car was stopped in the middle of the road and I was shooting with one hand (the other of course was on the wheel), plus another car was approaching from behind. Why does taking pictures have to be so stressful?

While we're on the topic of stress (aren't we?), remind me to tell you what happened later on after I took this picture. The law, Chesapeake Bay Children and a near stroke are all key elements of that story.

Speaking of old places (which we were, back in the first paragraph before I became sidetracked by yet another trespassing story), today at the Clayton Building on the Gloucester Court Green you can take a look at some of the artifacts unearthed by archaeologists Bob Harper and his wife Lisa, who have been working at the site of Clayton's home for five years. John Clayton, clerk of the court from 1720 to 1773, was also well known for his work in botany.

Preparations for this exhibit and the associated lectures today have not been without a case of the hiccups.

Yesterday Bob sent me an e-mail explaining that the electricity had been cut (accidentally) to the building; the power point presentation is in jeopardy due to equipment malfunction, and the building had not been cleaned for today's soiree.

Below is an excerpt from that e-mail which made me chuckle. A lot. Poor Mr. Harper has the same luck I do, which is essentially Murphy's Law no luck at all, unless you count bad luck.*

Here's how he summed up the John Clayton Exhibit preparations:

When I cross the street now and the sign says "Look Both Ways" I have to remind myself that really means up and down because the ground might inadvertently open up or a helicopter might land on me! Ah, the joys of public speaking! Thanks for all your blog on Clayton and now when I ask "Who Cares About John Clayton?," I can say, me and eight other people instead of seven! If you come bring all the guests you want and please, please, please come up and introduce yourself to me. Hope you can be there. Bob

I can't wait to meet my long lost kin him and will indeed be there early.

The exhibit will be open all day, and there will be lectures at 2:00 and 7:00. I'll be attending the 2:00 session and will be the one who looks as though she's doing anything except the pages of chores on her Procrastination List To Do list.

If you happen to be in the area and have some time, please stop by. BYOF. Bring your own flashlight. Just kidding! He said he has a back-up plan in the event that current isn't restored by tomorrow.

*For the two other people besides my father, and by default me, who ever watched Hee Haw, this comes straight from the song that went:

"Gloom, despair and agony on me;
deep dark depression, excessive misery;
if it weren't for bad luck,
I'd have no luck at all.
Gloom, despair and agony on me."

Town Crier

This is the bell at Mathews Baptist Church (aka Old Baptist) at Hudgins. This particular day I had pulled into the parking lot more interested in the neighboring house's wisteria than the church, but the sunlight hit the bell so beautifully I couldn't resist snapping a shot.

Mathews Baptist Church and wisteria are topics for another time, there's plenty to say about both.

Today, however, I would like to make a few general announcements.

Consider this a Town Crier post, where the crier is exceedingly tired which of course guarantees her writing will have you crying before too long.

My apologies in advance, it's been a long life day.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Oyez! Oyez!

1. On Saturday, April 24, there will be a grand opening of an expanded exhibit at the Clayton Building on the Historic Court Circle in Gloucester.

The building honors botanist John Clayton and is home to a collection of artifacts from his residence, Windsor, and his office. The exhibit will be open from 10-4 and 6-7. Lectures at 2 and 7 p.m. (I'll be attending the 2:00 lecture if anyone wants to join me. )

Archaeologists Robert and Lisa Harper will be available throughout the day to answer questions. Robert recently told me they're always happy to provide tours of the site. If you are interested in a tour or wish to volunteer at the dig, please stop by on Saturday or e-mail me and I can put you in touch with him.

2. Sandpiper Reef will be hosting Toby and Larry, a very popular duo, this weekend.

The last time they played was when Miss Pookie, Mathews Mark's mother, was celebrating her birthday. I can personally attest to the fact that they're good, plus the atmosphere is conducive to old folk those of us who want to hear ourselves think wish to be able to converse while enjoying the music.

Mrs. Anonymous Hallieford Resident may not be thrilled with my mentioning this because they usually sell out, but give them a call anyway and see if there are any tables/seats left. If not, be sure to pre-reserve for next time.

If Chesapeake Bay Woman is carding at the door, be sure to slide her a telescope magnifying glass so she can properly read the fine print on those driver's licenses.

3. The Mathews Farmers Market continues every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

If you have even the slightest desire to sell something, I can't encourage you enough to go and try it on for size. The fee is only $5, and the Chesapeake Bay Children made $75 in only four hours of selling daffodils.

You just can't beat that. Not with a stick.

If you "bake it, make it or grow it," you can sell it there. All you have to do is show up by about 8:30 that morning, locate the organic farmers who have the gorgeous plants (both of them wear hats so it's pretty easy to spot them), and tell them you want a spot. Pay your five bucks, and have at it. It's great fun.

4. In other news, Chesapeake Bay Woman ran into a rusty clothes line this weekend while chasing after her aggravating, ornery mutt of a stinkin' dog with all the sense of a small kitchen appliance her children's beloved pet in the comfort and serenity of her very own back yard.

Although she didn't quite hang herself, she did walk away stunned and now boasts a scab on her lower left chin which, she supposes, is better than some of the other alternatives such as CBW is a magnet for disasters a scab around the larynx.

A couple of years ago, she made fun of Chesapeake Bay Son for doing the same thing and said, "How in the world could you run into a clothes line without seeing it?"

Easy, that's how.

Daggone karma dog.

What's going on in your town, village, neck of the woods, state, hemisphere, back yard or neighborhood in the near future?

Hodgepodge

Photo above is from New Point, Virginia. Text below is from No Point, Whatsoever.

Today's post will be different in that instead of rambling and veering off an actual topic, I will ramble and veer off no particular topic or rather several unrelated topics. It's just a running list of things jumping around all the cobwebs and tumbleweeds in my head, which is a very frightening place indeed.

First of all, Thursday night's trip to see my favorite blogger Bossy was grand. I would share pictures but that would have required a functioning brain cell a camera, which was inconveniently left at home. So instead just picture a group of about 10 or 12 folks gathered around a table filled with Greek nachos and fried green tomato lasagna at a place called Kitchen 64 in Richmond. To make the picture realistic, be sure to toss in several glasses of half-filled wine glasses. (Sprinkle these generously throughout. Rinse. Repeat.)

Among the cast of characters Bossy will be seeing on her cross-country tour are Grandma J.'s daughter and Foolery. If anyone reading this is in or near one of the cities she's hitting on her cross-country tour, please try to go see her, you won't be sorry. She's amazing--friendly, funny and fun.

Next up is an update on my everybody's favorite topic, the War on Ants. On the advice (given to me two years ago and only now acted upon) of our local pediatrician, I purchased some Terro and placed bucketfuls little drops of the liquid all over the kitchen and doorways. The first 24 hours were awful - there were ants everywhere, swarming. But now? Not a single one. Best of all, these bottles of Terro are under $3! Can you believe it? Three bucks to annihilate killer mutant ants.

I heart Terro and want to be their official spokesperson, not that they're looking for one, and not that they'd want me even if they were looking for one. Still, the offer's out there, Terro People.

Get some from your local hardware store, which for us is Sutton and Kline/Moughons, today. It really works.

Unrelated to any of that, I received an e-mail from Bob Harper, who is the archaeologist in charge of the dig at the John Clayton site which I wrote about here. He explained how one of his main goals is to keep the name of John Clayton, a local botanist, alive. He also very generously offered to give tours of the site any time.

If you're interested in a tour or volunteering at the dig, contact him at botseal@cox.net.

Lastly, the Chesapeake Bay Children, Chesapeake Bay Mother and I will be participating again in this week's Farmer's Market on the court green. We'll be the ones looking dazed and confused with the sign that says Royal Colony Farm, the original name of my grandfather's daffodil business back in the '60s and '70s.

CB Mother is bringing some of her artwork and freshly baked bread, and the CB Children will be selling white daffodils which are gorgeous and smell as sweet as perfume. I will be supervising, which translates into "sitting in the background guzzling sipping coffee and yacking with the other vendors."

Most importantly, have a great weekend!