Holidays in Olde Towne ( Portsmouth VA )

I wanted to spotlight one of my favorite landmarks and post some of the upcoming events for the Holidays in Portsmouth, but it looks like my friend David Cartier beat me to it. He has done all the legwork and he and his wife, Betsy have composed a newsletter that covers everything. I doubt there is anything left to say except Thanks for all you've done for Olde Towne, Portsmouth and me especially.

Check it out here > Starboard's Guide to Holidays in Olde Towne

and here: Starboards Coffee Kiosk

more events > http://www.portsvaevents.com/december_09.html

printable PDF > http://www.portsvaevents.com/downloads/OldeTowneHolidayMusicFest-EventGuide.pdf

Olde Towne Home Tours

Veterans' Day

A Soldier Died Today

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For ol' Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won't note his passing,
'Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician's stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.

It's so easy to forget them,
For it is so many times
That our Bobs and Jims and Johnnys,
Went to battle, but we know,

It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier—
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end.

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor
While he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage
At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:

"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
~ John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Join the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations in honoring our nation's veterans. This parade begins on Atlantic Avenue at 17th Street and continues to the Veterans Memorial on 19th Street.

Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race - Results

The results are in ! Although the Pride of Baltimore II crossed the finish line first, a handicap advantage awarded Lady Maryland with the 1st Place honors. http://www.schoonerrace.org/results09.htm

Aboard the Schooner Virginia

* update 0700 16 Oct 2009 - The schooners are arriving in Portsmouth for this three day event. More photos later and on my Flickr Photostream .

Aboard Schooner Virginia
Photographer Steve Earley and reporter Aaron Applegate join the crew of the 122-foot schooner Virginia for The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, a 120-mile contest from Baltimore to Hampton Roads. Read their blog for continuous updates. Find a map here.

http://hamptonroads.com/blogs/aboard-schooner-virginia

http://www.schoonervirginia.org/

http://www.pride2.org/index.php

http://www.schoonerrace.org/

http://www.sailwx.info/shiptrack/tallships.phtml

Happy Birthday USN - Pirates Beware

http://clyde-boats.blogspot.com/2009/10/pirates-beware.html

USS Freedom ( LSC-1 ) to deploy early. Click on link for story and news release.

2009 Schooner Days in Portsmouth

Click on title above to sail over to my other blog for more details.

or go to the Website for updated news and schedule of events > http://www.schoonerdays.com/

Schooner Days coincides with the arrival of the Schooners in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. > http://www.schoonerrace.org/

Remembering September 11, 2001

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/385676main_iss003e5387_full.jpg

Visible from space, a smoke plume rises from Manhattan after two planes crashed into the towers of the World Trade Center. This photo was taken of metropolitan New York City the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, from aboard the International Space Station. "Our prayers and thoughts go out to all the people there, and everywhere else," said Station Commander Frank Culbertson of Expedition 3, after the attacks. Image Credit: NASA

Remembering Sept. 11, 2001

"Make History" http://makehistory.national911memorial.org/"
National September 11 Memorial & Museum" http://www.national911memorial.org/
"Night at #1 Liberty Place" http://bit.ly/Ae93m

Department of Defense (DoD) Remembering Sept. 11, 2001

http://bit.ly/3fEMsR “They were daughters and sons, sisters and brothers, mothers and fathers, spouses and partners, family and friends, colleagues and strangers. They hailed from cities and towns across our nation and world...