Podcasts about Northern Neck

Father Pete Nunally is the founder of Water and Wilderness Church, a Washington DC-based outdoor church and watershed community. You can read more about the model of Water and Wilderness Church here. Father Pete is a passionate and well-spoken advocate on his social media pages and other forums, as in this interview with Creation Justice Ministries.Many thanks to Father Pete and the lovely group of people who welcomed Ron and me to Fletcher's Cove to worship with them last May. Winter? No problem. They worship outside anyway. Father Pete and some very faithful ducks.TRANSCRIPTPete Nunnally And so this expression and experience of worship begins to expand, and I think people are really looking for that. They want the church to tell them and to show them that God is everywhere, and that particularly in the natural world, the theological thumbprint of God is on all of this, and there's not a distinction or separation, but actually there's a union.Debra Rienstra Welcome to the Refugia Podcast. I'm your host, Professor Debra Rienstra. Refugia are habitats in nature where life endures in times of crisis. We're exploring the concept of refugia as a metaphor, discovering how people of faith can become people of refugia: nurturing life-giving spaces in the earth, in our human cultural systems, and in our spiritual communities, even in this time of severe disturbance. This season, we're paying special attention to churches and Christian communities who have figured out how to address the climate crisis together as an essential aspect of their discipleship.Today, I'm talking with Father Pete Nunnally, founder of Water and Wilderness Church. Father Pete is an Episcopal priest with a tender heart and a sense of adventure. The Water and Wilderness community meets outdoors for worship in several locations around the Washington DC area, adapting traditional worship forums in ways that enrich our encounter with God by reconnecting us with the rivers and trees and sky around us. Water and Wilderness is also a dispersed community, connecting anyone anywhere through online book studies, in-person retreats, and more. I talked with Father Pete outdoors, of course, at Fletcher's Cove on the Potomac River, just before joining their outdoor worship service. This interview includes a bonus trivia component. For extra points, see if you can identify the birds that join our conversation in the second half of the episode. Let's get to it.Debra Rienstra Father Pete, thanks so much for being with me today.Pete Nunnally I'm so glad to be here.Debra Rienstra It's great to talk to you. So let's start with what Water and Wilderness Church is right now. You're not a traditional congregation with a building. What are you, exactly?Pete Nunnally We are a church. We're an outdoor worshiping community geographically located in DC, but we are also a watershed community of the heart and worked in a lot of churches, and everything that that church did, wherever I was, was really only for the people at that church. But what's different about Water and Wilderness Church is the concept of watershed community. So the local community here in DC is like a wellspring, and out of that flow tributaries that go all over the country, and we create this watershed. And I use that word to mean both the watershed of a new idea or a new understanding of something, but also, like our physical watersheds are so important to us. And so anybody, anywhere—what I often say is Water and Wilderness Church, what we do is for anybody, anywhere, all the time. So if you are in Indiana, Arizona, California, these are states where we have people that are actively engaged in some of our online formation and things like that. That everything we do is for everyone, and most importantly, for the benefit of the earth.Debra Rienstra I wanted to ask about whether watershed was both literal and metaphorical for you, and it definitely is. You've also described Water and Wilderness Church as a threshold space. So what does that mean to you?Pete Nunnally I am influenced by so many of my friends that don't go to church anymore, and so many folks that label themselves spiritual but not religious. They just aren't going to go into a traditional church building. And I want to take what's beautiful and valuable about our Christian tradition, and I'm Episcopalian, so, you know, the Episcopal version of the mainline expression, and translate that and then bring it out to where people are. My sister, during Covid, said they take walks on Sunday morning with her family in different parks. And she said, “I get more out of that than I do going to church. I don't think we're going to go back to church.” And I thought, man, I get that. And when I tell that to priests and other church people, they nod their head and they say, like, yeah. Some of them are like, “I wish I could take a walk on Sunday morning.” Like, well, how can we receive this reality that people are living into, and they really are searching and seeking deep spiritual connection, but they're forced to take an a la carte approach. Like I walk in the woods and I get peace there, or I read a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, and I get a little bit of peace. I do you know, like a little bit of divinity here, a little bit of divinity there. Nothing that grounds all of that together. So to me, to take what's ancient, holy and divine about our Christian tradition and what we understand about God, and then to bring it out of the doors of the church, but with integrity, into the wild places, engraft our worship onto the worship of God that is creation. And I think that's what I mean when I say a threshold space. Like this is the world. This is the human world, this is the natural world. And then we sometimes just hide all of our really juicy, beautiful stuff about the Christian life as we've understood it for 2000 years, and we kind of lock that up into the church. And so we're trying to bring that out of the church and in a way that has integrity, but is in new spaces and lowering barriers for entry for people.Debra Rienstra Yeah, so you're responding to this kind of pervasive alienation between people and the natural world. One of the things I read on your website, and one of the things that you've said frequently, is, “What's good for the earth is good for the soul.” Yeah. Say a little more about how that phrase is meaningful for you.Pete Nunnally I think we forget that we are part of the community of creation. This is a phrase I got from you.Debra Rienstra Well, I got it from Randy Woodley.Pete Nunnally Randy, what a great writer and theologian. And so for a long time, we've forgotten that. Did you know our Christian tradition is an indigenous tradition, really? And we've scrubbed all of that away. You know the concept of Ubuntu, the African concept of “I am because you are,” and I cannot be a person if you're not a person. So like the sacred in me recognizes the sacred in you. Like we understand that African sort of understanding that Desmond Tutu and others talk about, but what if we looked at creation the same way? That we can't be fully human unless the wild world that God created is free to be itself also. And we do. We've isolated ourselves from this world, like nobody knows—we're eating foods that are out of season all year round, and kids grow up and they think that the food comes from the grocery store. And yet, part of what draws us out into the world—see, part of why I like worshiping here is there's just people around. And you know, like they wanted to come and just be by the river today.Debra Rienstra Explain where we are today.Pete Nunnally We are at a place called Fletcher's Cove and Boathouse. It is a park along the Potomac River in DC proper. And once you get in, kind of the whole place opens up. There's forest that goes right up into the river. And actually, the Potomac River is tidal in this area, believe it or not, we still have tides all the way up here, and it's a beautiful place. All kinds of people come to the edge of the river to enjoy themselves. It's incredibly diverse: people of different nationalities, and celebrating birthdays and graduations and beautiful days. And I like to worship here because you have the combination of people, but also, it really is forest along the river, and so the trees are down and slowly giving themselves back to the earth, and you're interrupted sometimes by, in our worship, by what's going on in the natural world. And of course, that's not an interruption, it's just what God brings us next. So we have migratory birds and blue herons, and the shad run is just about over, but shad and herring come up the river to spawn, and that brings fishermen out along the river, including myself. And so you get to experience a fuller version of what happens in the world when you're in a wild place, and when you worship in that same space over and over again, you get to know it through the seasons, and it gets to know you. So we become known to the trees and the river when we continue to come back over and over.Debra Rienstra Yeah. So you do outdoor worship, but you have other things going on too. So describe some of the other things that you do.Pete Nunnally Well, we do Zoom book studies. Our very first one was Refugia Faith.Debra Rienstra Oh, I've heard that's good.Pete Nunnally It's really well written, insightful, highly recommend to everyone. And that's exciting, because we have 20 to 30 people from all over the country who join and it really is a community of the heart, like, “Oh, I believe that I see God in nature.” And a lot of these folks come from a Christian background, but their traditional worship, it's not doing it for them anymore. And they want to be validated, because you feel so alone when you're like, “I love Jesus. I grew up with church, but I don't think it's responding to the times that we're in,” and when the world is on fire and our planet needs us so much, so often the church is silent or has trouble finding out what to do. So to me, the natural world is going to show us what to do, and the more we come out here together and graft our worship onto—take the wisdom that we have and add it to the wisdom of nature and the ecology of God, then we're going to know what to do and cultivate a love of something, then you can really do something. So just to add one more thing on top of that, we do in-person retreats. And those are really, really fun. Next week, we're going to the Chincoteague Bay Field Stations, an educational marine lab, and they take us into the field, and they teach us about the marine environment. So we're learning about how barrier islands are formed, or, you know, dropping a net down and bringing up sea urchins and sea sponges. And we really get to experience and see what's underneath the surface of the water. And then we apply that to our spiritual life and see, not only is God amazing and all these things like—there's just the granularity of what God has has brought into this world, but then we can see where our faith can grow and our understanding of God can grow by encountering things we haven't seen before.Debra Rienstra Yeah. So I often ask people about their spark point, so the moment when you began to realize the urgency of the climate crisis. What was that point for you?Pete Nunnally I'm a fisherman, and fishing populations have been going down. I read a really wonderful book called Beautiful Swimmers by Warren Wilson; it won the Pulitzer Prize in the 70s about the Chesapeake Bay and the waterman. Even then he was talking about how the watermen were saying that the bay is sick. And I grew up here in the Delmarva area, seeing the sign “Save the Bay” and things like that, but it wasn't personal to me until I started spending more time there and and you can see like the effects of hardened barriers versus living shorelines at the end of the people's property. And that the fish population is leaving, like they're moving. And some of the charter captains that I know talk about like there are no stripers in the river, in the bay anymore. I mean, there are some, but the water is too warm, so they go north and they don't come back south. And then when I started doing Water and Wilderness Church, that was really an important entry point for me as well.Debra Rienstra How did you get other people involved in water and wilderness church? When was the moment where you said we need to worship outside and I need to gather people? How did that all work?Pete Nunnally Well, it started because we were at the end of Covid. We were kind of inside, kind of not. And I'm an old camp counselor, and I said, “I think...I think we can do this outside. And I'm pretty sure it all used to be outside.” And so many stories of Jesus: he's talking to people at the edge of the Sea of Galilee. He's talking to them, they're hiking up a mountain. Like these are things that we can actually do. And so these are rituals. And we walked and talked during Water and Wilderness Church. And so I just started it and said, “Hey, does anybody want to do this?” And some people came out of necessity, because we didn't really have a lot of church stuff going on.Debra Rienstra Yeah, this is at your parish?Pete Nunnally My church, yeah, St. Mary's in Arlington. And every Sunday we did it. We did twice a month. I thought, this is the Sunday no one's going to come. And people just kept coming. 23 people came in a snowstorm. Well, not a snow storm, but it was snowing. And the weather was bad, and people would bring hot cider. And when the weather was hot, they'd bring cold lemonade. And, you know, kids started bringing their instruments. So then we had this little homegrown, intergenerational band that started leading the music, and all I did was just keep showing up and saying, “I think this is good.” And then, you know, a beaver comes in the middle of our homily one day, and now all the attention is on this beaver that, Ron, is the size of you. It's a humongous beaver, and it slaps his tail like you see in the cartoons. And so this expression and experience of worship begins to expand. And I think people are really looking for that. They want the church to tell them and to show them that God is everywhere, and that particularly in the natural world, the theological thumbprint of God is on all of this. And there's not a distinction or separation, but actually there's a union. I grew up on four acres and a semi rural area right across from the Potomac, further up river. So I grew up playing in the creeks and the rivers, and spent a long time away from that, and during Covid, kind of came back to it. And as a priest, everything looked different after my seminary training. And I'm like, “Wow, this whole thing is magic. This whole thing is a miracle.” I mean, the river, it's the same river, and it's never the same river. We're here, and y'all can see this, but we just had major flooding in DC, and hundreds and hundreds of massive logs have washed up so far up, no one has seen it this far up and it's closed the road down here. And there's this immense redistribution of what used to be. And I think there's a spiritual biomimicry that we're trying to get at when we worship out here as well.Debra RienstraHi, it's me, Debra. If you are enjoying this podcast episode, go ahead and subscribe on your preferred podcast platform. If you have a minute, leave a review. Good reviews help more listeners discover this podcast. To keep up with all the Refugia news, I invite you to subscribe to the Refugia newsletter on Substack. This is my fortnightly newsletter for people of faith who care about the climate crisis and want to go deeper. Every two weeks, I feature climate news, deeper dives, refugia sightings and much more. Join our community at refugianewsletter.substack.com. For even more goodies, including transcripts and show notes for this podcast, check out my website at debrarienstra.com. D-E-B-R-A-R-I-E-N-S-T-R-A dot com. Thanks so much for listening. We're glad you're part of this community. And now back to the interview.Debra Rienstra So you served as a rector for a long time, and now you're serving as the wilderness priest. So what has that dialectic been for you between traditional congregational life and what you're doing now? And maybe there's people in your community who are still doing normal church, so to speak, and also part of this. So talk about that dialectic a little bit.Pete Nunnally Yeah, when we began Water and Wilderness Church, I talked a lot about it being a good compliment, and that is—for anybody trying to do something new, it's a great way to position your new idea relative to the traditional authorities. And it is. People that are formed traditionally can see and understand what we're trying to do out here. And people say that they're like, I see the Episcopal, the mainline underpinnings of what's going on. On the other side, for people who are spiritual but not religious—and just so many good reasons to be that—I really want to affirm the journey that the church needs to take in order to repent and to worship God with integrity and consistency. But the deeper roots that we have as an ancient tradition, and as we were saying earlier, as originally, the followers of Jesus were following an indigenous tradition, and the people of Israel as well. But what the experience of worship is, we do Eucharist, but I tell the story of salvation in a way that's, I think, right size for people and personalized for people. The language in our Book of Common Prayer as Episcopalians is exquisite in some places. Also still has some language that can be interpreted as penal substitutionary atonement. And we wonder why people have that view, and it's kind of baked in in some of our stuff. So how can we focus on the story of Jesus to somebody who has never heard of Jesus, that's what I'm thinking. You're a spiritual person, or you love nature, and somebody invites you and says, “Hey, there's this church. I know you've been looking for more community, so you can't be spiritual in isolation. And maybe you could come here. It's kind of a church, but it's more relatable.” But we're not gonna get rid of Jesus. You know? So what does Jesus mean to somebody? Why do we need the Eucharist, for example?Debra Rienstra So talk about ritual, especially because one of the things I've been thinking about is the importance of ritual, and the way that people of faith are stewards of ritual. We have the sacraments, our sort of central rituals, but we also have other rituals, and you're adapting an Episcopalian flavored Eucharist in particular, maybe baptism too. Is it different when you do those outdoors? What do you do that's the same? What do you do that's a little different? How does it feel different when you're doing those rituals outdoors?Pete Nunnally When I was in my liturgy class, our professor—I fought with him a lot. Praying shapes believing was like the thing. And just to talk about the Episcopal thing, this is a mainline, this is for everybody, like the church needs to break down the barriers of denominations and all the rest. So this is really for everybody, but I'm an Episcopal priest. But I think the rituals become alive to me when they're done out here, and they are changed and translated sometimes. So when I tell the story of salvation, like typically we hold the bread and wine up at the end and say, “These are the gifts of God.” And when I started doing it outside, I said, “Well, hell. Like all of this is a gift from God.” And when you're inside, it's still all of this, but it's different when you say, “Look at the river, look at the sky.” This is all—and they say, “look at one another,” like you are all gifts of God. But I never would have come to that point without doing it outside. And then we say, “Take them and remember that Christ died for you and feed on him in your hearts by faith.” And I've never really liked that, because there's this sort of like, “Remember that Christ died, you know, and you should feel a little bit bad about it.” Christ died for you—and I thought, that's not what the Eucharist is really about. The Eucharist is about Christ living for us. And so I said, “Take this and remember that Christ lives for you, that love and justice and mercy and forgiveness, they live for you, with you and in you. And that is what these things are.” That's what we're about.Debra Rienstra So the way I've learned about the Eucharist is it's remembrance, communion, and hope. So it is remembrance of sacrifice, but it's also right now, communion with Christ, communion with each other, and then this kind of eschatological hope. But we do often in various traditions tend to get stuck in the remembrance part, and we miss the communion and the hope part. The hope for the feast to come, right? The heavenly feast to come, the ultimate telos. So even just doing it outdoors triggers that a little bit.Pete Nunnally Yeah, and this river is at least a million years old. And so when you're in an ancient place, in a regenerative place, all these logs are eventually going to become soil somewhere and feed on itself and to sustain the next thing—that's the communion of saints that we are part of. It's not just the people we read about in the Bible. It's us too, no different than the disciples, the women that supported Jesus's ministry.Debra Rienstra Have you ever seen the Cathedral of the Angels in Los Angeles? It has these beautiful murals on both sides of the nave, and it's depictions of famous saints, but then mixed in are regular Angelenos. The artists—just so that sense that we're all a part of this community is amazing.Pete Nunnally One more thing on ritual is that we we've had rituals pop up here—Debra Rienstra —That was my next question!Pete Nunnally —that we do now. Somebody, about a year in, somebody came and said, “Hey, Father Pete, there's always different groups of people here. It's like some come pretty regularly, and we have some new people. And how about every time, every beginning, we introduce ourselves and say one thing we're grateful for.” And I was like, “Lucinda, that's a great idea.”Debra Rienstra So simple.Pete Nunnally It's so simple, but can you imagine going to your priest or pastor at home and being like, “I have an idea for how we should start the service now”? Like, it's impossible to do. But so we do that every single time, and we circle up so the shape of us changes. When we gather, we're individuals, kind of a mob, and then we circle up so you see somebody says at traditional church—which, by the way, I love traditional church. But they say, “I go to church, I sit in a pew and I see the back of people's heads,” but at Water and Wilderness Church, we're circled up. I see your face. But yeah, so that's a tradition or a ritual here of offering ourselves up to God by speaking our name and beginning with gratitude.Debra Rienstra Yeah. Do you see a role for the church in—I don't want to say inventing, because that can make people nervous—but in, let's call it stewarding ritual, not just the sacraments, but other kinds of ritual that people really need in a moment of crisis, maybe rituals of lament, thanksgiving, as you suggest, other sorts of threshold type rituals that we really need as we deal with this moment of crisis?Pete Nunnally Do I see the church being able to do that?Debra Rienstra Yeah. Is what you're doing a kind of experiment in thinking about what what my husband Ron Rienstra would call liturgical shenanigans?Pete Nunnally Yeah, I think so. And I think that—again, like I'm from a highly liturgical tradition. We're just not able to change that much, you know? We'll have a season of creation, which we did last year, my traditional church, you know, I love those resources. They're great, but everything else is exactly the same, and so we save different words. But what I like to think that we're inviting people into is an alternative way of being in the world based on Jesus's radical love. And one way to do that is to do this outside and let our worship be informed by something that's been here a lot longer than we have.Debra Rienstra Yeah, yeah. So I wonder if there's something about these sort of experimental spaces that effectively can jar traditional churches, which I also love, but jar us into being a little more inventive, a little more attentive to the moment, by doing something so different, you know, we can learn from your example in more traditional churches and congregations and say, “You know, it's not so scary to try stuff.” We tried stuff during the pandemic too. And honestly, I really miss being outside and hearing the birds worship with us, essentially. You know, I feel like worship is not complete without birdies! But we, I think churches so often just say, “Well, let's just do things how we always do them,” because it's already hard, but to have experimental spaces like yours, where you're just trying stuff and it's fine and you're actually discovering riches and richness that you wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Okay, but true confession time. What do you miss about traditional worship in a sanctuary, high Episcopal sort of traditional worship, if anything?Pete Nunnally What we're still working on is how to build lament in every time. And I like the confession of sin and the absolution. It's important to me, and it's important for everybody. Again, you know, our spiritual-but-not-religious brothers and sisters, I'm with you. I totally get it. I'm first in line to criticize the church. But if our spirituality is just what feels good to us, then we're never brought into that place of pain, and in reality, the reality of ourselves in our lives, and then the reality of God's forgiveness and sustenance and redemption. And confession is a big piece of that, particularly in the natural world, we have done so much and continue to do things to harm your planet.Debra Rienstra I guess I would not have guessed that your first thing would be confession. But it suggests that there are these theological wisdoms that come from practice and reflection over centuries of the church, and you're in a place now where you're thinking through where our emphasis needs to go, and maybe lean away from, so maybe leaning away from our sort of focus on buildings and programs. And leaning into some of these deeper things. There's certainly advantages to buildings and programs, right? But what sort of theological ideas, or even—I don't know practice is the right word—but what sort of theological ideas or practices do you feel we need to really lean into right now, at this moment?Pete Nunnally Obviously, I think we need to go outside, like do it outside.Debra Rienstra Maybe lean into that kinship with all creation. That's part of the tradition, but...Pete Nunnally We're not on top of it. We're supposed to be within it. And the body of Christ is not just humans, it is the natural world as well. I look out, the river is—we're water people, and I did a river baptism last week.Debra Rienstra Did you?Pete Nunnally Yeah, down in Petersburg, Virginia, and it was amazing—to have everybody on the bank, and we walked out into the river and took this little baby, Rixie, and dunked her in three times. And it's hard not to feel there's the intimacy of God in that moment, because it is a flowing river that's connected then, to the James River, which goes to the bay, which goes to the ocean. There again, with the communion of saints and this interconnectedness, I think we just run away from God in so many different ways. And one way is that we hide away from this natural world.Debra Rienstra Yeah, and people are so hungry for embodiment. So to me, connecting embodied ritual with the world is a deeply incarnational response, right? If we really believe, as you say, that Christ is incarnate, then we can't forget that we are bodies on a planet. So that, to me, is where you know something like a river baptism just—sorry about this, but overflows with the resonance of our embodiment and with incarnational theology. So two final questions: where is Water and Wilderness Church headed? Your goal is not growth. You don't have a building to deal with or programs to continue. So what is the goal for you? Where are you envisioning the future for Water and Wilderness Church?Pete Nunnally I do want to grow, but one of the goals is to show—when I was younger, and people would say like, “Oh, you know, understand your life, and then like, you'll find what you really want to do.” And Buechner talks about your vocation is where the “world's deep hunger and your deep gladness meet.” And it was about a year into doing this before I realized, like, oh, my whole life makes sense. So I grew up outside. Fished a lot. I've loved church. I went to church camp, and was always confused by the gap between this embodied reality of God in community at camp and then we go to church, very sacred space, but very, very different and not as embodied to me, and... what was the question?Debra Rienstra The question is, what do you envision the future of Water and Wilderness Church to be?Pete Nunnally I have always kind of felt like I'm on the outside of things, but that situates me very well to do something like this. And I think the future is that we continue to offer this, and this is a church community, so we're going to build a community of people, and our building will draw, you know, 20 or 30 people here today to worship in this way, and draw people in who've been waiting for something like this. Henry Ford said, if he'd asked people, they would have said they wanted a faster horse. Nobody knew they wanted a car until they got that opportunity to have one. And so that's a little bit of what this: “Hey, you can do it like this,” and it's not just all woo, woo, making up stuff. It's true woo. It's true, but it has these ancient roots. We're not getting rid of the central reason why we're here. We're just opening it up and letting God speak to us through nature. And I see tributaries all over the place. I see this as a movement. So we hopefully will keep a monthly service in Delaware. I want to have a monthly service in Maryland, in DC, obviously, weekly here in Virginia, and so that for people on our border from North Carolina, they're like, “I want to be on a board so that I can help this come to us in North Carolina.” Yeah, it's particularly people with neurodivergent kids. Like worshiping in nature is an incredible way for them to encounter God. It's so hard to sit still and pay attention to a traditional service. So I want to see wherever you go, you know, in six or seven months...wherever you go in the country...Debra Rienstra Hmm, six or seven months, huh?Pete Nunnally No, but eventually that there will be churches like this all over. And there are some. I think what's different about us versus some of the other expressions, is that we are faithful and have integrity to our Christian tradition, but it's really an act of recovery. We're not making anything up. We're just remembering what our spiritual forebears used to know about the wisdom of creation as it relates to God's ecology and our own personal lives. So I want to see churches like this in every state, in different places. We do it in DC, and people are always like, “Oh my gosh, you should do it in this very remote, beautiful place. “And I'll be like, “Well, I'd love to do that...” The highly populated areas, cities like DC and New York and Boston...the need is so great for people to be pulled off of the hamster wheel, because everybody wants to climb a ladder, you're going to realize it's leaning against the wrong wall. You get to the top, and you're like, “This isn't what I wanted.” All that work and effort. So my vision of the future is that there are multiple Water and Wilderness Churches. That's not a new concept. Evangelical churches and multisite churches all over the place, and it wouldn't be like that at all.Debra Rienstra Yeah, you're just prototyping, and people can find an expression.Pete Nunnally Somebody has to show other people that you can do it this way, and you can get it funded and make it self-sustaining. The watershed community is part of how we keep that self-sustaining, because you can encounter and you have touch points with our Zoom book studies, or with the videos that I do, or the blog or other resources. It's this gathering movement, this rising of the tide of spirituality that really is, like it's going to happen, because people—I talk to so many people and they're like, “Yeah, I don't go to church anymore, but I would go to that church.”Debra Rienstra That's something.Pete Nunnally They're like, “I would do that. I can't do this because it reminds me of past harm or hypocrisy or whatever, but I would do something like that.”Debra Rienstra It answers a deep, deep need that people don't always have the words for. But, as you say, when they see the possibility, something in them says, “Yes, that's what I'm looking for.”Pete Nunnally Yeah, Debra, and like me too. I still don't have the right words to express what happens to me when we do this. All I know is that I have to do this, and it's not easy. It'd be a lot easier to take a nice-paying, traditional church job with a staff, and you know, this regular stuff, but it's not what God wants me to do.Debra Rienstra Well, thank you so much for talking to me today. I have one final question: favorite fish, favorite fishing spot?Pete Nunnally My favorite fish would be, I mean, I sure love fishing for catfish, but that's a lot of hanging around. I would say redfish, and I like to fish down in the Northern Neck, which is where the Potomac and the Rappahannock and the York rivers go into the Chesapeake Bay. So the bottom end of those rivers are all salt water and they're just exquisite. So it's just so beautiful. And I love chasing down those redfish. Tastes delicious.Debra Rienstra Well, happy fishing. And thank you again so much for talking to me today.Pete Nunnally Thank you. Thanks, Debra.Debra Rienstra Thanks for joining us for show notes and full transcripts, please visit debrarienstra.com and click on the Refugia Podcast tab. This season of the Refugia Podcast is produced with generous funding from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship. Colin Hoogerwerf is our awesome audio producer. Thanks to Ron Rienstra for content consultation as well as technical and travel support. Till next time, be well. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit refugianewsletter.substack.com

Chef Kyle Perkins has found his culinary home at Salt & Meadow inside The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia, where the breathtaking waterfront views and local seafood inspire his cooking. "I came and I walked through the front door at the Tides Inn. I saw the view, and I said, 'Yep, sign me up,'" Perkins said. Before joining The Tides Inn as executive chef, Perkins worked at Twin Farms, a boutique resort in Vermont that he describes as "a true definition of escaping reality" with no phone service and a secluded woodland setting. The Vermont native's journey to The Tides Inn came after a stint in San Francisco during 2020, when the pandemic made city living unaffordable and limited opportunities. He returned to Vermont, briefly worked in landscaping, then joined Twin Farms under chef Nathan Rich, who provided "an excellent platform for me to excel and grow." When the opportunity at The Tides Inn presented itself through Tanzerra Resorts, the property's parent company, Perkins was immediately drawn to the unique coastal setting. The transition from Vermont to Virginia's Northern Neck brought significant changes to his culinary approach. At Twin Farms, Perkins served about 28 guests and could change menus at will. At The Tides Inn, he feeds up to 300 people daily and focuses on consistency. "Making sure that recipes are extremely consistent, because I don't have the ability every single day to change the menu," Perkins said. Being on the water has also influenced his menu, with seafood playing a prominent role. Perkins has even worked on an oyster farm to better understand the local industry. "I've worked out on an oyster farm for a couple of days, and they were 12-hour back-breaking days. It's no joke. I have a lot more respect for what they're doing out there on the water," Perkins said. To source local ingredients, Perkins explores the area and builds relationships with producers like Young Overholt in Gloucester, which raises cattle on seventh-generation family land. "He's pushing for quality. He's not pushing for quantity. And that's something that we want to promote," Perkins said. "As we kind of reverse back in time, and we go back to this farm to table, which used to be the norm, and we go back to buying things from your neighbor and not buying it from a supermarket." The Tides Inn offers guests a unique experience on a peninsula that feels secluded yet welcoming. The property features a boardwalk showcasing their living shoreline, a marina, croquet lawn, bocce court, and the more casual Fish Hawk bar. While the restaurant is "a little more upscale" with a dress code, Perkins aims to create an inviting atmosphere with elevated home-style cooking. "We want them to feel welcome. We want them to feel at home, but like whoa. This tastes like home-cooked food, but it doesn't look like it. It's a level up," Perkins said. The Tides Inn continues to add unique experiences for guests, including crab feasts on boat rides and, most recently, seaplane tours that depart directly from the property. Watch Chef Kyle prepare oysters on Virginia This Morning.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Determine if Robert Carter had lots in common with other Virginia Planters regarding land acquisitions. Learn exactly what a proprietor does including whether Carter himself held that post in the Virginia Colony. Get an understanding behind what Quit Rents are all about. Get an in depth analysis behind the changes that were made regarding land grants along the Northern Neck come year 1690. Learn how earlier settlers from a generation before differed from generations which came after involving land. Understand significance behind Virginia's Fall Line. Explore just how strong Robert Carter's knowledge of the land within Northern Neck's older counties truly was. Discover the various land acquisition purchases that Robert himself engaged in which involved a wide array of people around him. Get introduced to Thomas Baron Cameron, 6th Lord Fairfax, and his ties with Robert Carter. Learn just how much landholdings Thomas Baron Cameron amassed including what Carter himself claimed. Discover what Carter noted in his will regarding landholdings come year 1726 as well as overall total land acreage by time of passing in 1732. Get the true understanding behind why Robert Carter got called King Carter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Saturday, large protests took place across the U.S. against Trump administration policies. In one small corner of the rural Northern Neck of Virginia, several hundred people marched on Main Street. Pamela D'Angelo reports.

Chris Cornwell of Northern Neck Bike Club, is proving that a love for two wheels can spark something bigger. What started as a passion for mountain biking turned into a mission to create outdoor opportunities for the youth of Kilmarnock, Virginia. With the town's support and a dedicated team, Chris helped establish a nonprofit that promotes cycling, mentorship, and trail development.In this episode, Chris shares how the club quickly grew from a simple idea into a full-fledged movement—offering race training, community ride days, and even access to bikes for kids in need. He also dives into the importance of staying active, the value of persistence in making a dream a reality, and the future of trail building in their growing community.Whether you're a cycling enthusiast or looking for inspiration to start something meaningful in your own town, this episode is for you!Life in Motion is brought to you by Actual Outdoors. They help build beautiful brands that highlight the approachable and authentic parts of outdoor recreation. Said simply - they “keep it real”. Find them online at actualoutdoors.com or on Instagram at @actualoutdoors.Tweet us and let us know what you think of this episode! @illuminecollectFind more episodes at www.illuminecollect.com/blogs/life-in-motion-podcastSince 2017 Illumine has donated over $46,258 to outdoor nonprofits and shared over 234 stories on the Life in Motion Podcast.

Representative Rob Wittman is a Republican representing Virginia's 1st Congressional district in the US House of Representatives. Representative Pat Ryan is a Democrat representing New York's 18th Congressional district, and is a former Army intelligence officer who deployed to Iraq.  Together, they formed the House Modernization Caucus, driving key policies in national security innovation. On this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, Representative Wittman and Representative Ryan discuss the launch of the bipartisan Defense Modernization Caucus and early wins from the caucus in the 2025 NDAA. They explain the challenges for the Pentagon to move from a hardware centric organization to a software centric one, and discuss opportunities for the caucus to drive impact in defense innovation.  This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Helen Phillips.    Congressman Wittman:  Congressman Rob Wittman was first elected to the United States Congress to serve Virginia's First Congressional District in 2007. While in office, he has focused on strengthening our military and supporting our nation's veterans, promoting a flourishing economy through fiscal responsibility and pro-growth policies, fixing our crumbling infrastructure, increasing access to high-speed internet, and promoting workforce development through Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. In the U.S. Congress, Congressman Wittman serves as vice chairman of both the House Armed Services Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee, where he is well-positioned to represent the needs of Virginia's First District. He has earned a strong reputation for being an advocate for our men and women in uniform and for being a champion of the Chesapeake Bay. Congressman Wittman was re-elected for his ninth full term in the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2024 and prior to that, he served in several levels of government. Congressman Wittman won his first campaign for public office in 1986 when he was elected to the Montross Town Council, where he served for 10 years, four of them as mayor. In 1995, he was elected to the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors and was elected its chairman in 2003. In 2005, voters in the 99th Legislative District elected Rob to the Virginia House of Delegates, where he served until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2007. Prior to his election to Congress, Rob spent 26 years working in state government, most recently as field director for the Virginia Health Department's Division of Shellfish Sanitation. Earlier in his career, he worked as an environmental health specialist for local health departments in Virginia's Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula regions. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Virginia Tech.   Congressman Ryan:  Congressman Pat Ryan is a fifth-generation Hudson Valley native, proud Kingston High School alum, and the first West Point graduate to represent the Academy in the U.S. House of Representatives. Ryan served two combat tours in Iraq, earning two Bronze Stars. Prior to his 2022 election to Congress, Ryan served the community that raised him as Ulster County Executive. There, Ryan led the County through the COVID-19 pandemic and spearheaded policies that delivered relief to working families while never raising taxes. He led the charge to revitalize the former IBM site, now known as iPark 87, helped put money back in small business owners and residents' pockets, took on corporate special interests, and delivered new investments in mental health services. In Congress, Ryan is focused on defending fundamental freedoms and delivering relief for Hudson Valley families. Serving on the House Armed Services Committee, Ryan is working on issues of military preparedness, countering the threat of a rising China, and investing in the United States Military Academy and the next generation of military leaders. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Ryan is committed to improving the daily lives of all residents in NY-18. Whether you commute to work on Metro North, travel Route 17 through Orange County, or need broadband access in Dutchess County, he will fight every day to improve our region's infrastructure. Ryan has also championed efforts to expand access to affordable health care, support local law enforcement, preserve Social Security and Medicare, prevent gun violence, and protect a woman's right to choose. Ryan lives in Gardiner, NY with his wife, Rebecca, and their two young sons, Theo and Cameron.

The Ballad of the Great Value Boys is a PI Mystery. Steve Rockfish is up in central Pennsylvania, doing what is becoming a hobby, getting Raphael “Raffi” Perez out of trouble. This time, quick thinking and fast talking isn't enough and the pair limp back to Baltimore with their pockets lighter. Raffi isn't willing to let the loss stand and wants to go back in. When Steve declines, Raffi recruits the recently retired Dan Decker. Now it'll take the combined talents of Rockfish & McGee to save Raffi and Dan and stop the swarm of hornets they kicked up. Bottom line: The Ballad of the Great Value Boys is for you if you like smart ass PIs and cases close to real headlines.The Ballad of the Great Value Boys was released from Black Rose Writing and is promoted by Partners In Crime Tours. The boys are releasing on February 6. Pre-order is available from all your favorite on-line retailers and is available from AMAZON and other online book retailers.About Ken Harriswww.KenHarrisFiction.comKen Harris retired from the FBI after thirty-two years as a cybersecurity executive. With over three decades writing intelligence products for senior Government officials, Ken provides unique perspectives on the conventional fast-paced crime thriller. He is the author of the “From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish” series. He spends days with his wife Nicolita, and two Labradors, Shady and Chalupa Batman. Evenings are spent playing Walkabout Mini Golf and cheering on Philadelphia sports. Ken firmly believes Pink Floyd, Irish whiskey and a Montecristo cigar are the only muses necessary. He is a native of New Jersey and currently resides in Virginia's Northern Neck.Partners In Crime Tours represents a network of 300+ bloggers offering tailor-made virtual book tours and marketing options for crime, mystery and thriller writers from around the world. Founded in 2011, PICT offers services for well-established and best-selling authors, as well as those just starting out with their careers. PICT prides itself on its tailored packages with a personal touch from the tour coordinators. For more information, check out their website partnersincrimetours.comJoin us next week for the start of Season 8: Anything but Murder. First up is returning M2D4 author Ed Teja with a charred little story about flammable materials in Who Shot Liberty's Valance

And tonight, you can listen to VPM's live coverage of the election starting at 7 p.m. You can find our local coverage on VPM PBS, 88.9 FM in Richmond, 89.1 FM in the Northern Neck, 90.1 FM in Southside Virginia and online at VPM.org. 

Also: A little more about the constitutional amendment on Tuesday's ballots, a reminder for college students who wish to vote on Election Day, a fresh spotlight on the 5th Congressional District debate between John McGuire and Gloria Witt — and a look at the 6th Congressional District race from Democrat Ken Mitchell's camp.  Tomorrow night, you can listen to VPM's live coverage of the election starting at 7 p.m. You can find our local coverage on VPM PBS, 88.9 FM in Richmond, 89.1 FM in the Northern Neck, 90.1 FM in Southside Virginia and online at VPM.org. 

Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. These are arrangements, which means instead of word-for-word readings, you get a performance meant to be heard. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.This is Season 7, Games People Play. Games are about competition conducted according to rules with participants working toward a goal. Games are a part of every culture and are one of the oldest forms of social interaction and engagement. Games can be fun, challenging and exhilarating. They can also be intense, cutthroat, and lethal. This season, our authors have fashioned deadly games and unscrupulous villains to test your detection skills. This is Episode 18, that original LARP game War is the featured game. This is Did Not See That Coming by Ken Harris.TWO LISTENER NOTES before we get started. First, this is a two-part Mystery to Die For. Half the story is in this episode with the rest of the story, the deliberation, and the big reveal comes next week.Second, murder and solving it is our thing here at Mysteries to Die For but today's story includes some real life topics that some audience members may be sensitive to including violence against children, bullying, and antisemitism. DELIBERATIONNone here. Check out Part 2!ABOUT Ken HarrisKen Harris retired from the FBI, after thirty-two years, as a cybersecurity executive. With over three decades writing intelligence products for senior Government officials, Ken provides unique perspectives on the conventional fast-paced crime thriller. Ken previously participated in Mysteries to Die For seasons 5 & 6. He is the author of the “From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish” series. He spends days with his wife Nicolita, and two Labradors, Shady and Chalupa Batman. Evenings are spent playing Walkabout Mini Golf and cheering on Philadelphia sports. Ken firmly believes Pink Floyd, Irish whiskey and a Montecristo cigar are the only muses necessary. He is a native of New Jersey and currently resides in Virginia's Northern Neck.https://kenharrisfiction.com/WRAP UPThat wraps this episode of Mysteries to Die For. Support our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. Check out our website TGWolff.com/Podcast for links to this season's authors.Mysteries to Die For is hosted by TG Wolff and Jack Wolff. Did Not See That Coming was written by Ken Harris. Music and production are by Jack Wolff. Episode art is by TG Wolff. Join us next week for the second half, deliberation, and solution of DID NOT SEE THAT COMING by Ken Harris.

Morgan saw a ghost, wth, happy thursday!!!!!! Little quick catch up chat (only 9 mins, record timing) and then we'll get creepy with ya, besties!! Taylar does a take over to cover the Colonial Parkway Murders that terrorized this area of Virginia for the last half of the 80s and beyond. 9 confirmed victims: Cathy, Becky, David, Robin, Keith, Cassandra, Annamaria, Daniel, and Terri. Spanning from 1986-1989 and an additional 5+ potential attacks. In 2022 a break in the case would lead to major developments that were released in January of this year (2024). In which, Alan W. Wilmer Sr. was confirmed to be behind two of the incidents. The FBI is still looking for information regarding Wilmers whereabouts and other information that would help connect him to other crimes that do not have DNA. So they are asking for help from the public. Here is the statement they left in a January 10, 2024 CNN article written by Steve Almasy and Sara Smart: “In the 1980s, Wilmer was a fisherman who often docked his commercial fishing boat in Gloucester County and Middlesex County, state police said in a news release. He also ran a tree service and hunted frequently.He was 5 feet, 5 inches tall, muscular and weighed approximately 165 pounds, according to state police, who have asked anyone who may have had contact with Wilmer to come forward. Wilmer drove a distinctive, blue 1966 Dodge Fargo pickup with the Virginia license plate “EM-RAW” and writing on the truck's passenger door. “Anyone who may have worked with Alan W. Wilmer Sr. or hunted with him, farmed oysters and clams with him, docked next to him at marinas in the Northern Neck, Hampton Roads or Middle Peninsula areas, or hung out with him is encouraged to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at www.tips.fbi.gov,” TTYL BESTIES!! ILY SO MUCH, SEE YA NEXT WEEK FOR THE BIG. 2. 0. 0. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join "Mind Over Murder hosts Bill Thomas and Kristin Dilley as they discuss the recent article in the Virginian Pilot and Daily Press, "FBI Suspects Northern Neck Man in Second Colonial Parkway Murders Case, Families Told."  Why are the FBI and Virginia State Police telling Colonial Parkway Murders families on thing behind closed doors, and refusing to confirm this news in public?  Is law enforcement covering up mistakes or embarassing details in this investigation?  "FBI Suspects Northern Neck Man in Second Colonial Parkway Murders Case, Families Told"https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/06/16/fbi-suspects-northern-neck-man-in-second-colonial-parkway-murder-case-families-told/Won't you help the Mind Over Murder podcast increase our visibility and shine the spotlight on the "Colonial Parkway Murders" and other unsolved cases? Contribute any amount you can here:https://www.gofundme.com/f/mind-over-murder-podcast-expenses?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customerWTVR CBS News:  Colonial Parkway murders victims' families keep hope cases will be solved:https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/colonial-parkway-murders-update-april-19-2024WAVY TV 10 News:  New questions raised in Colonial Parkway murders:https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/new-questions-raised-in-colonial-parkway-murders/WTKR News 3: Colonial Parkway Murders podcast records in Yorktown:https://www.wtkr.com/news/in-the-community/historic-triangle/colonial-parkway-murders-podcast-records-in-yorktownWVEC 13 News Now:  Live Podcast to Discuss Colonial Parkway Murders Monday in Yorktownhttps://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/crime/true-crime/live-podcast-to-discuss-colonial-parkway-murders-monday-yorktown/291-601dd2b9-d9f2-4b41-a3e1-44bce6f9f6c6Alan Wade Wilmer Sr. has been named as the killer of Robin Edwards and David Knobling in the Colonial Parkway Murders in September 1987, as well as the murderer of Teresa Howell in June 1989. He has also been linked to the April 1988 disappearance and likely murder of Keith Call and Cassandra Hailey, another pair in the Colonial Parkway Murders.13News Now investigates: A serial killer's DNA will not be entered into CODIS database:https://www.13newsnow.com/video/news/local/13news-now-investigates/291-e82a9e0b-38e3-4f95-982a-40e960a71e49WAVY TV 10 on the Colonial Parkway Murders Announcement with photos:https://www.wavy.com/news/crime/deceased-man-identified-as-suspect-in-decades-old-homicides/WTKR News 3https://www.wtkr.com/news/is-man-linked-to-one-of-the-colonial-parkway-murders-connected-to-the-other-casesVirginian Pilot: Who was Alan Wade Wilmer Sr.? Man suspected in two ‘Colonial Parkway' murders died alone in 2017https://www.pilotonline.com/2024/01/14/who-was-alan-wade-wilmer-sr-man-suspected-in-colonial-parkway-murders-died-alone-in-2017/Colonial Parkway Murders Facebook page with more than 18,000 followers: https://www.facebook.com/ColonialParkwayCaseYou can also participate in an in-depth discussion of the Colonial Parkway Murders here:https://earonsgsk.proboards.com/board/50/colonial-parkway-murdersMind Over Murder is proud to be a Spreaker Prime Podcaster:https://www.spreaker.comJoin the discussion on our Mind Over Murder and Colonial Parkway Murders pages on Facebook.Mind Over Murder on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindoverpodcastYou can also participate in an in-depth discussion of the Colonial Parkway Murders here:https://earonsgsk.proboards.com/board/50/colonial-parkway-murdersFollow Othram's DNA Solves: You can help solve a case. Help fund a case or contribute your DNA. Your support helps solve crimes, enable the identification of John & Jane Does, and bring closure to families. Joining is fast, secure, and easy.https://dnasolves.com/Daily Beast: "Inside the Maddening Search for Virginia's Colonial Parkway Serial Killer" By Justin Rohrlichhttps://www.thedailybeast.com/what-happened-to-cathleen-thomas-and-rebecca-dowski-inside-the-hunt-for-the-colonial-parkway-killerCitizens! Check out our new line of "Mind Over Murder" t-shirts and other good stuff !https://www.teepublic.com/stores/mind-over-murder-podcast?ref_id=23885Washington Post Op-Ed Piece by Deidre Enright of the Innocence Project:"The FBI should use DNA, not posters, to solve a cold-case murder" https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/25/julie-williams-laura-winans-unsolved-murder-test-dna/Oxygen: "Loni Coombs Feels A Kinship To 'Lovers' Lane' Victim Cathy Thomas"Loni Coombs felt an immediate connection to Cathy Thomas, a groundbreaking gay woman who broke through barriers at the U.S. Naval Academy before she was brutally murdered along the Colonial Parkway in Virginia.https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/loni-coombs-feels-a-kinship-to-colonial-parkway-victim-cathy-thomasYou can contribute to help "Mind Over Murder" do our important work:https://mindovermurderpodcast.com/supportFour one-hour episodes on the Colonial Parkway Murders are available on Oxygen as "The Lover's Lane Murders." The series is available on the free Oxygen app, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon, and many other platforms. https://www.oxygen.com/lovers-lane-murders Oxygen" "Who Were The Colonial Parkway Murder Victims? 8 Young People All Killed In Virginia Within 4 Years" https://www.oxygen.com/lovers-lane-murders/crime-news/who-were-the-colonial-parkway-murder-victims Washington Post Magazine: "Victims, Families and America's Thirst for True-Crime Stories." "For Bill Thomas, his sister Cathy's murder is a deeply personal tragedy. For millions of true-crime fans, it's entertainment." https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/magazine/wp/2019/07/30/feature/victims-families-and-americas-thirst-for-true-crime-stories/Daily Press excellent series of articles on the Colonial Parkway Murders: "The Parkway" http://digital.dailypress.com/static/parkway_cottage/main/index.htmlColonial Parkway Murders website: https://colonialparkwaymurders.com Mind Over Murder Podcast website: https://mindovermurderpodcast.comPlease subscribe and rate us at your favorite podcast sites. Ratings and reviews are very important. Please share and tell your friends!We launch a new episode of "Mind Over Murder" every Monday morning, and a bonus episode every Thursday morning.Sponsors: Othram and DNAsolves.comContribute Your DNA to help solve cases: https://dnasolves.com/user/registerFollow "Mind Over Murder" on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderOverFollow Bill Thomas on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillThomas56Follow "Colonial Parkway Murders" on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColonialParkwayCase/Follow us on InstaGram:: https://www.instagram.com/colonialparkwaymurders/Check out the entire Crawlspace Media network at http://crawlspace-media.com/All rights reserved. Mind Over Murder, Copyright Bill Thomas and Kristin Dilley, Another Dog Productions/Absolute Zero Productions

VIRGINIA, USA — Tangier Island sits in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay between the Eastern Shore and the Northern Neck of Virginia, accessible only by boat or a small plane. Everyone knows everyone, cars are replaced by golf carts and bikes, a unique dialect is spoken and being on the water is a way of life. "People out here are the watermen and they're pretty self-reliant, but this issue of the erosion is something bigger than we can handle on our own," said James Eskridge, better known as Ooker. Eskridge is Tangier-born and raised, with a long family history on the island. "My father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather were all crabbers," he said. More than a crabber, he's also been the town's mayor for the past 15 years. "It would be unthinkable just to abandon this and start over somewhere," Eskridge said. But for the residents of Tangier, it's a race against Mother Nature. Coastal erosion is one part of the equation, sea level rise is another. Whether it's a nor'easter or tropical storm, four to five times a year more and more of the island gets inundated. Since 1850, Tangier Island has lost two-thirds of its landmass and surrounding neighbors. "I've seen islands disappear, some islands around Tangier," Eskridge said. "We've lost about six or seven other smaller communities that used to be around Tangier. They're just underwater now. They had no means to get protection for their community, so they just abandoned their community, and they're just underwater now. So that's what we don't want to happen here."

Amanda Nevel joined the Department of Wildlife Resources in 2016 as a Conservation Police Officer serving in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Amanda has a passion for outreach and education initiating a Women and Youth Hunter Education Class, which is going on its sixth year. The class focuses on gettingstudents out of the class and into the works for hands-on training. She won a DWR Regional Outreach award for her work with the Women's program. Amanda even started a National Night Out program in Richmond County to raise awareness for the different first responders in the area. She is passionate anddriven when it comes to natural resource protection. In a year-long investigation of a poacher, she discovered over 50 wildlife violations including over the limit, shooting from the road, trespassing, license violations, and more. She has conducted several investigations for fatal boat accidents, as well as boating and hunting accidents with injuries. Amanda won the Conservation Police Officer of the Year for the State for 2022. She is passionate about teaching the next generation of CPOs, assisting at the last two CPO academies. Amanda was recently promoted to the Basic Academy Training Sergeant in June 2023. Before DWR, Amanda spent 5 years in the United States Marine Corps as a Military Police Officer with the Presidential Helicopter Unit, HMX-1. During this time, Amanda traveled to over 21 different countries and served under two different Presidents.In her free time, she furthered her education completing two Master's Degrees in conservation. Amanda also enjoys section hiking the Appalachian Trail and currently has 350 miles completed.

Discover the captivating story of Steamboat Wharf Oyster Company, a thriving oyster farm nestled in the picturesque town of Morattico, Virginia. Join your host as they delve into the rich history of this region, renowned for its steamboats and oyster canneries. In this inspiring episode, owners Callie Robinson and Tom Hyde share their remarkable journey, leaving behind their desk jobs in the city to embrace the allure of oyster farming in the Northern Neck. Find out how they turned their pandemic-induced yearning for escape into a thriving business, trading dress shoes for muddy waders. Explore the secrets of sustainable oyster farming and the unique challenges they faced along the way. Immerse yourself in the tales of resilience, passion, and adaptability that define the Steamboat Wharf Oyster Company. Don't miss this captivating conversation that blends history, entrepreneurship, and the beauty of the Rappahannock River. Tune in now to gain insights, inspiration, and a newfound appreciation for the transformative power of chasing your dreams amidst adversity. https://steamboatwharfoyster.com/   Show your love by sending a donation cash app($shuckdaddy) /venmo shuckdaddy by me a coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Oysterninja     Sponsors For This Episode https://oysterrecovery.org/   https://pescavoreseafood.com/  

Chesapeake Bank is opening a branch at Westminster Canterbury Richmond June 12, a move designed to allow residents and staff members to conduct their banking transactions without leaving the campus. It will be the sixth such location within a continuing care retirement community for Chesapeake Bank, which also operates branches at Cedarfield and Lakewood in Henrico's West End, in addition to two in Williamsburg and one in the Northern Neck. The new branch at Westminster Canterbury Richmond will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment. In addition to safe deposit boxes, check cashing,...Article LinkSupport the show

River Steward (City, Spotsylvania, Stafford) Adam Lynch talks about keeping the water clean from the Shenandoah to the Northern Neck. Why you should always-every single time--wear a PFD on the water and a new water trails map.  riverfriends.org  

Welcome to Mysteries to Die For.I am TG Wolff and am here with Jack, my piano player and producer. This is a podcast where we combine storytelling with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. Some episodes are original stories, others will be classics that helped shape the mystery genre we know today. All are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. These are arrangements, which means instead of word-for-word readings, you get a performance meant to be heard. Jack and I perform these live, front to back, no breaks, no fakes, no retakes.This is Season 5, Move It or Lose It. This season contains original stories paying homage to the vehicles that propel mysteries forward. A train was the setting for Agatha Christie's famed Murder on the Orient Express. A river boat then took center stage on Death on the Nile. Cars have been prominently featured in American crime stories with the glory of the get-a-way vehicle. Then there are the heists from carriages to trains to armored trucks. For Episode 8, a prized Percheron is the featured vehicle. (That's a horse.) This is GTA: Pennsylvania Dutch by Ken HarrisSupport our show by subscribing, telling a mystery lover about us, and giving us a five-star review. And mystery readers, check out our print and e-books.A Word Before Dying E-Book (all outlets); Trade Paperback (Amazon Only)Move It or Lose It: e-book and Trade paperback available 3/21/2023ABOUT Ken HarrisKen Harris retired from the FBI, after thirty-two years, as a cybersecurity executive. With over three decades writing intelligence products for senior Government officials, Ken provides unique perspectives on the conventional fast-paced crime thriller. He is the author of the “From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish” series. He spends days with his wife Nicolita, and two Labradors, Shady and Chalupa Batman. Evenings are spent playing Walkabout Mini Golf and cheering on Philadelphia sports. Ken firmly believes Pink Floyd, Irish whiskey and a Montecristo cigar are the only muses necessary. He is a native of New Jersey and currently resides in Virginia's Northern Neck. https://kenharrisfiction.com/MORE from Ken HarrisKen Harris returns, along with PIs Steve Rockfish and Jawnie McGee, with A Bad Bout of the Yips: From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish – 3 from Black Rose Writing.Rockfish & McGee uncover a laser-focused plan of intimidation targeting their clients via vandalism and intolerance. The return of an old nemesis compels them to fight on two fronts. The frenetic ride traverses from a corporate setting, across cyberspace, and to a showdown where everything changes for the partners.Check out the first two adventures The Pine Barrens Stratagem and See You Next Tuesday, available in paperback and audio.DELIBERATIONKen has served us up a hand churned conundrum for Rockfish and McGee with this one. What started out as a horse-napping has turned into murder and maybe more. Here are the charming residents of this small Pennsylvanian town in the order we met them:Mildred Ebersole, the client, an Amish woman who separated godliness and cleanlinessHannah Ebersole, the client's niece, who doesn't say a word without permissionZebadiah Ebersole, the client's nephew, also mute unless commandedRude man in wheelchair, an almost regular at Rutherford's, who runs into JawniePizza Face, clerk at Rutherford's, putting his time in until something better comes alongClarence, the dead man, a drunk in a dry county willing to sell secretsAnd now...

In this Silicon Valley Tech & AI episode presented by GSD Venture Studios Gary Fowler interviews Donna Edmonds. Guest: Donna Edmonds, CEO, BRAINBox Solutions Inc Donna has 35+ years of healthcare experience bridging both the provider and industry segments of HealthCare. She began as critical care nurse, migrating to operations and hospital administration, was a GM of a large Specialty physician group practice and then was recruited to industry, in clinical and business leadership positions. She spent 8+ years with Baxter Int. in senior (group) global executive positions in business development, sales and marketing of clinical products aimed at improving care and reducing health care costs. She has served in senior C level management roles for 10 diagnostic companies, focused on commercialization in her career and was in key leadership roles in two company exits. She is a recognized leader in Cardiovascular Diagnostics, changing clinical practice in this space, as part of the discovery, development, and commercial launch of a series of the key diagnostic products in the field. She is a founder of Virginia Life Sciences Investments, Inc. There they funded several international technology startups, and she led the Series A investment in ImmunArray, the original home of the broad portfolio of biomarkers for Neurological Disease Diagnosis, and Monitoring (including TBI). It was spun out in late 2018 to BRAINBox Solutions, where she is a founder and CEO. She was a Governor appointed member of the Virginia Biotechnology Research Park Authority, serving for 9 years, and a member of the Board of the Intellectual Property Foundation of Virginia Commonwealth University, serving for 8 years. She is an elected member of the Board of Directors of Bio Health Innovations, the founding member of the BioHealth Capital Region, the Board of Directors of SouthEast Life Sciences, and an active member of Va Bio. She is also an Advisor to Optivio Inc a Digital Health Platform as well as Back Bay Life Science Advisors. She also serves on the investment committee and chairs the advancement committee for Chesapeake Academy, an independent school in the Northern Neck of Virginia.

In which the Carter family is introduced up to Robert "King" Carter's beginnings.

In Virginia's Northern Neck, thousands have come together in support of one thing – ginger ale.  Coca Cola purchased a beloved, local brand in 2001, but stopped producing it 20 years later. Now, the locals want it back, as Sandy Hausman reports.

A Virginia-made soft drink that achieved icon status among its followers has now been out of production for more than two years, but its fans are still working to bring it back. And, recent issues involving exotic animals have one Virginia county looking to change its pet ownership laws. Those have been among the most […]

On this segment of We Are Living Healthy we stop by YMCA of the VirginiaPeninsulas.Learn the basics of strength training, proper form, muscle groups, and safety inan entry-level group personal training format. Join other women in learning theproper use of free weights, resistance tubing, and other fitness equipment.Available at Tom & Ann Hunnicutt, Hampton, Northern Neck, Richmond County,R.F. Wilkinson, Victory, Luter, Fort Monroe, and the YMCA Health & WellnessCenter.For more information go to: https://www.ymcavp.org/Watch the Interview on Youtube HereFor more great, We Are Living Healthy content, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on all major podcasting platforms. https://livinghealthy.buzzsprout.comAlready subscribed? Please take a moment to rate and review the podcast so that we can reach as many people that need the help as we can: https://3cstvshow.buzzsprout.com Follow us on Facebook: @WeAreLivingHealthyTVDISCLAIMER: THE CONSULTATIONS OR INTERACTIONS OFFERED ARE NOT MEANT TO REPLACE A CONSULTATION WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN. THE CONSULTATION IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND NOT STRUCTURED IN A WAY TO PROVIDE HEALTH COUNSELING / DIAGNOSING OF ANY KIND. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE LIVING HEALTHY IS NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION AS YOUR TREATING HEALTH COUNSELOR, PHYSICIAN, ATTORNEY, LEGAL COUNSEL, EMPLOYER, MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL. We offer no guarantees or promise of results from event nor assume liability for any information provided. 

CLICK HERE to listen to episode audio (5:14).Sections below are the following: Transcript of Audio Audio Notes and Acknowledgments Images Sources Related Water Radio Episodes For Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.). Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 8-26-22. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the weeks of August 29 and September 5, 2022.  This episode is a revised repeat of an episode from September 2012. MUSIC – ~15 sec – Lyrics: “Won't you help me to raise ‘em boys; hey, hey, honey.” In this episode, we honor Labor Day by featuring a musical tradition that helped hard-working African American watermen harvest Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay.  Have a listen for about 90 seconds. VOICE AND MUSIC - ~92 sec – Introduction: “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.  I want to thank you for that wonderful introduction.  We are the Northern Neck Chantey Singers, and we are extremely happy to be back here once again to perform for you.  We call ourselves the Northern Neck Chantey Singers because all of us come from the Northern Neck counties of the Northern Neck, which is that body that's on the eastern part of Virginia, bordered by the Potomac River in the north, the majestic Chesapeake Bay in the east, and the Rappahannock River in the south.  The first song that we're gonna perform for you is sort of like our theme song.  It's called “Help us to raise ‘em, boys,” and it goes by showing how we pull in the nets that's teeming with fish.” Song Lyrics: “Won't you help me to raise ‘em boys?  Hey, hey, honey. C'mon now, let's go get ‘em; get ‘em now!Won't you help me to raise ‘em boys?  Hey, hey, honey.  C'mon boys let's go get ‘em, all right!Won't you help me to raise ‘em out?  See you when the sun goes down.” You've been listening to the Northern Neck Chantey Singers, performing at the 2011 Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Festival in Charlottesville.  In 1991, several former Virginia watermen formed the Northern Neck Chantey Singers to keep alive and spread awareness of the tradition of menhaden chanteys.  Menhaden chanteys are an example of African American work songs, used in this case to coordinate crews of watermen in the grueling labor of hauling up nets full of fish.  Atlantic menhaden are relatively small, oily fish that feed on microscopic plants and animals and in turn are prey for larger fish, such as Striped Bass and Bluefish.  Menhaden have been harvested from Atlantic Coast waters since the 1800s for a variety of industrial uses of their oils, and in southern states.  African Americans typically made up the crews doing the hard work of pulling up nets containing thousands of fish.  The chanteys, sung in a call-and-response style, helped the watermen coordinate the extra efforts needed for hauling in heavily loaded nets.  Today, hydraulic equipment does the net-hauling work formerly performed by watermen; the Northern Neck town of Reedville, in Northumberland County, is home to the Chesapeake Bay's only remaining industrial Menhaden operation, run by the Omega Protein company; and Bay Menhaden harvest quotas are at times a controversial issue.  Performances by the Northern Neck Chantey Singers remind us that those modern-day menhaden circumstances have a long, challenging, and culturally rich history of Virginians working on the water. Thanks to Virginia Humanities, formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, for permission to use the excerpt of the Northern Neck Chantey Singers' performance, and we let those singers have the last word. MUSIC – ~13 sec – Lyrics: “Won't you help me to raise ‘em out?  See you when the sun goes down.” SHIP'S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech's College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close this episode.  In Blacksburg, I'm Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Virginia Water Radio episode revises and replaced Episode 128, 9-17-12. Audio of the Northern Neck Chantey Singers was from a video of their September 11, 2011, performance at the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Showcase in Charlottesville, used with permission of Virginia Humanities (formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities), located in Charlottesville and online at https://virginiahumanities.org/.  The full performance video is available online at https://www.virginiafolklife.org/sights-sounds/northern-neck-chantey-singers-and-lewis-r-blackwell-jr/. Click here if you'd like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGES Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus).  Drawing from he Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-menhaden. Atlantic menhaden landings for bait and in the reduction industry (using the fish oils for various products) from 1940 to 2020.  Graph from the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-menhaden. SOURCES Used for Audio Harold Anderson, “Menhaden Chanteys: An African American Legacy,” and “A History of Menhaden Fishing,” both in Maryland Marine Notes, Jan.-Feb. 2000, from the Maryland Sea Grant Program, available online at https://www.mdsg.umd.edu/maryland-marine-notes-archive. Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at http://www.asmfc.org/species/atlantic-menhaden. Steve Bittenbender, “Omega Protein completes move of headquarters to Virginia,” Seafood Source, March 2, 2020. Chesapeake Bay Program, “Menhaden” (undated), online at http://www.chesapeakebay.net/issues/issue/menhaden#inline. The Mariners' Museum and Park (formerly The Mariners' Museum; Newport News, Va.), “Watermen Harvesting the Bounty: Menhaden Fishing” (2002), online at http://www.marinersmuseum.org/sites/micro/cbhf/waterman/wat011.html. Omega Protein Corporation, “Who We Are,” online at https://omegaprotein.com/who-we-are/. Virginia Humanities (formerly the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities), “Virginia Folklife Program: Northern Neck Chantey Singers and Lewis R. Blackwell, Jr.,” 2011, online at https://www.virginiafolklife.org/sights-sounds/northern-neck-chantey-singers-and-lewis-r-blackwell-jr/. For More Information about Menhaden or Menhaden Chanteys North Carolina Arts Council, “Menhaden Chanteymen/Beaufort, N.C.,” online at https://www.ncarts.org/menhaden-chanteymen. State Library of North Carolina et al., “NCPedia/Menhaden Chanteymen,” online at https://www.ncpedia.org/menhaden-chanteymen. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service/Species Information,” online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information.  The Altantic menhaden entry is online at https://services.dwr.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=010043&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=19233. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, “Atlantic Menhaden,” online at https://www.vims.edu/research/departments/fisheries/programs/mrg_oldwebsite/species_data/atlantic_menhaden/index.php. Virginia Marine Resources Commission/Menhaden Management Advisory Committee, online at https://mrc.virginia.gov/MMAC/mmac.shtm. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the following subject categories: “Fish”; “History”; “Rivers, Streams, and Other Surface Water.” Following are links to some other episodes on the Chesapeake Bay. Bay condition reports – Episode 305, 2-29-16; Episode 632, 7-18-22.Bay Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), Phase II Watershed Implementation Plan – Episode 115, 6-18-12.Bay TMDL, Phase III Watershed Implementation Plan – Episode 475, 6-3-19.Chesapeake Bay Commission – Episode 496, 10-28-19.Estuaries introduction – Episode 326, 7-25-16.Oysters and nitrogen (Part 1) – Episode 279, 8-24-15.Oysters and nitrogen (Part 2) – Episode 280, 9-7-15.“Smart” buoys – Episode 538, 8-17-20.Submerged aquatic vegetation (“Bay grasses”) – Episode 325, 7-18-16.Winter birds of the Chesapeake Bay area – EP565 – 2/22/21. FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode's audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2020 Music SOLs SOLs at various grade levels that call for “examining the relationship of music to the other fine arts and other fields of knowledge.” 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and Processes 1.5 – Animals, including humans, have basic life needs that allow them to survive. 2.5 – Living things are part of a system. 3.5 – Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms. 4.3 – Organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Grades K-5: Earth and Space Systems 4.7 – The ocean environment. Grades K-5: Earth Resources 1.8 – Natural resources can be used responsibly, including that most natural resources are limited. 3.8 – Natural events and humans influence ecosystems. 4.8 – Virginia has important natural resources. Grade 6 6.6 – Water has unique physical properties and has a role in the natural and human-made environment. 6.8 – Land and water have roles in watershed systems. 6.9 – Humans impact the environment and individuals can influence public policy decisions related to energy and the environment. Life Science LS.6 – Populations in a biological community interact and are interdependent. LS.8 – Change occurs in ecosystems, communities, populations, and organisms over time. LS.9 – Relationships exist between ecosystem dynamics and human activity. Earth Science ES.6 – Resource use is complex.  ES.10 – Oceans are complex, dynamic systems subject to long- and short-term variations. Biology BIO.7 – Populations change through time. BIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems.2015 Social Studies SOLs Grades K-3 Economics Theme 2.8 – Natural, human, and capital resources. 3.8 – Understanding of cultures and of how natural, human, and capital resources are used for goods and services. Virginia Studies Course VS.1 – Impact of geographic features on people, places, and events in Virginia history. VS.10 – Knowledge of government, geography, and economics in present-day Virginia. United States History: 1865-to-Present Course USII.6 – Social, economic, and technological changes from the 1890s to 1945. Civics and Economics Course CE.7 – Government at the state level. CE.10 – Public policy at local, state, and national levels. World Geography

184 years ago, James Lindsey Smith, an enslaved man in Northumberland County on Virginia’s Northern Neck, made his way to freedom and eventually to Norwich, Connecticut. Inspired by that journey and Smith's determination, a group of men from a Norwich church attempted to retrace his steps. Pamela D'Angelo went with them for part of the […]

The Mother's Heart is a Pregnancy Resource Center for the Northern Neck, VA area. The founders: Jaime Gomes and Ashleigh Dilworth are here to help and love women facing unplanned pregnancies or who have experienced abortion. Are you carrying the emotional baggage from an abortion? Are you currently pregnant? We can help! The idea of The Mother's Heart of the Northern Neck began 7 years before they started operating in January 2022. It is in its beginning stages of development and fundraising. We will be speaking to the founders on this episode. These are two women had the same idea... just 7 years apart! Their vision is to help men and women who find or have found themselves in an unplanned pregnancy.

The Mother's Heart is a Pregnancy Resource Center for the Northern Neck, VA area. The founders: Jaime Gomes and Ashleigh Dilworth are here to help and love women facing unplanned pregnancies or who have experienced abortion. Are you carrying the emotional baggage from an abortion? Are you currently pregnant? We can help! The idea of The Mother's Heart of the Northern Neck began 7 years before they started operating in January 2022. It is in its beginning stages of development and fundraising. We will be speaking to the founders on this episode. These are two women had the same idea... just 7 years apart! Their vision is to help men and women who find or have found themselves in an unplanned pregnancy.

Howdy! This week, we're headed west – the Wild West, to be exact. Featuring characters such as Liver Eating Johnson, the Blues Brothers, Big Phil, and Uncle Dick Wootton, Alix takes us on a quick tour of survival cannibalism on the American frontier. TRANSCRIPT https://castinglotspod.home.blog/2021/12/02/s3-e6-land-part-vi---the-best-of-the-rest-of-the-wild-west/ CREDITS Written, hosted and produced by Alix Penn and Carmella Lowkis. Theme music by Daniel Wackett. Find him on Twitter @ds_wack and Soundcloud as Daniel Wackett. Logo by Riley. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @tallestfriend. Casting Lots is part of the Morbid Audio Podcast Network. Network sting by Mikaela Moody. Find her on Bandcamp as mikaelamoody1. BIBLIOGRAPHY The Blues Brothers. (1980). [DVD]. Directed by John Landis. United States: Universal Pictures. ‘Boone Helm'. (2021). Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boone_Helm Coel, M. (2012). ‘The Indian…', in Chief Left Hand. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, pp. 94-109. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ptNcTmQ5RpEC&pg=PA97#v=onepage&q&f=false Edwards, E. (2012). ‘Cannibals in the Family', in Early Reagan. Lanham, MD: Taylor Trade Publishing, pp. 30-31. Available at: http://www.ibiblio.org/sullivan/CNN/RWR/Anecdotes/aneccannib.html Gregory, H. The Belle and Boone Helm. (2021). Directed by Caitlin McWethy. [Cincinnati Fringe Festival, 4-19 June]. Hafen, L.R. (1936). ‘Mountain Men – Big Phil, the Cannibal', Colorado Magazine, 13(2), pp. 53-58. Available at: https://www.historycolorado.org/sites/default/files/media/document/2018/ColoradoMagazine_v13n2_March1936.pdf Haward Bain, D. (2000). ‘Manifest Density'. Review of A Newer World by David Roberts. New York Times, 27 February. Available at: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/00/02/27/reviews/000227.27bainlt.html Hernandez, A. (2019). ‘‘Big Phil' the Colorado Cannibal', Denver Public Library Research News, 31 December. Available at: https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/big-phil-colorado-cannibal Holzwarth, L. (2019). ‘Episodes of Cannibalism throughout History', History Collection, 13 October. Available at: https://historycollection.com/episodes-of-cannibalism-throughout-history/15/ Idaho State Historical Society. (1993). Site of Utter Party Massacre. Reference Series, no. 233. Available at: https://history.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/0233.pdf ‘John C. Frémont: Death of the Aged Soldier and Explorer at New York.' (1890). Daily Alta California, 83(14), p. 5. Available at: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=DAC18900714.2.41&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1 ‘John C. Frémont'. (2021). Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Fr%C3%A9mont Kuroski, J. (2021). ‘They Killed His Wife And Burned Down His House – Then Liver-Eating Johnson Hunted Them Down And Ate Them', All That's Interesting, 1 October. Available at: https://allthatsinteresting.com/liver-eating-johnson Langford, N.P. (1912). Vigilante days and ways; the pioneers of the Rockies; the makers and making of Montana and Idaho. Chicago, IL: A.C. McClurg & co. Available at: https://archive.org/details/vigilantedaysan00unkngoog Lawrence, D. and J. Lawrence. (2012). ‘Indians, Emigrants, and the Army on the Overland Trails: An Interview with Michael Tate', in Violent Encounters. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, pp. 75-98. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=vm21xq3f01oC&pg=PA94&lpg=PA94#v=onepage&q&f=false ‘Levi Boone Helm (1828 - 1864)'. (n.d.). WikiTree. Available at: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Helm-1612 McArthur, S. (2012). ‘Indians and Armies', in The Enemy Never Came. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press, pp. 87-102. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7AhrH9yu7oMC&pg=PA97&lpg=PA97#v=onepage&q&f=false McLaughlin, M. (2008). ‘Cannibals in the West', Journal of Sierra Nevada History & Biography, 27 October. Available at: https://www.sierracollege.edu/ejournals/jsnhb/v6n2/cannibals.html Moulton, C. (2010). ‘Dreams of Gold on the Starvation Trail', True West, 26 June. Available at: https://truewestmagazine.com/dreams-of-gold-on-the-starvation-trail/ Online Highways. (n.d.). John C. Frémont. Available at: https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h714.html Palmquist, P.E. and T.R. Kailborn. (2000). ‘John C. Frémont', in Pioneer Photographers of the Far West. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, pp. 247-251. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Nne4L9h27RsC&pg=PA247#v=onepage&q&f=false Rea, T. (2004). ‘The Pathfinder's Lost Instruments: John C. Frémont's Cavalier Attitude Toward His Scientific Apparatus', Common Place, 4(4). Available at: http://commonplace.online/article/the-pathfinders-lost-instruments/ Roberts, D. (2000). A Newer World. London: Simon & Schuster. Silbernagel, B. (2020). ‘Disaster struck when ‘The Pathfinder' got lost in Colorado', Daily Sentinel, 28 December. Available at: https://www.gjsentinel.com/news/western_colorado/disaster-struck-when-the-pathfinder-got-lost-in-colorado/article_aab73eea-46f5-11eb-b95d-772495186f85.html Sweger, J.K. (2006). ‘The Blue Brothers' Deadly Trek into Gold Country', Wild West, June. Available at: https://www.historynet.com/the-blue-brothers-deadly-trek-into-gold-country.htm Taliaferro, J. (1828). Supplemental account of some of the bloody deeds of General Jackson, being a supplement to the ‘Coffin handbill.' Northern Neck, VA: John Taliaferro. Available at: https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbpe.18601400/ Weiser-Alexander, K. (2020). ‘John “Liver Eating” Johnson – Mountain Man and Lawman', Legends of America, December. Available at: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/liver-eating-johnston/

On December 6, 1944 – Grover Clinton Bryant Jr. was born to Eva and Clinton Bryant of Weems, Virginia. Weems is a small village on the Northern Neck that sits on the shores of the Rappahannock River. It's small. Real freaking small. It's where he and my mom grew up. On November 24, 2021, Grover, my dad, passed away peacefully in his home in Poquoson, Virginia. Not to sound morbid, but the thought of my father's passing has been on my mind for well over a decade. When I was working at USA Wrestling around 2011, he called and told me he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He was already undergoing care and he seemingly beat it shortly thereafter. But year after year, it kept coming back. Cancer popped up again in his liver, esophagus and lymph nodes later on. He lost weight but kept fighting. He fought for 11 years. The last month was rough. He fell twice and grew weaker. Just two weeks after doctors gave him six weeks to put his feet up and be comfortable, he was gone. I'm someone who feels the need to remember those who have left us. I don't particularly “like” the thought of attending funerals. In fact, I'm usually a wreck when attending one, even by people I barely knew. Sometimes out of respect or sometimes just out of the pain I see in others. Sometimes I'm overly empathetic. My mom and dad divorced when I was four. They both remarried.  My mom two years later and my dad remarried his first wife almost 30 years after he married her the first time. Her name was Marina and she was the mother of my older sister Debbie. I joke about my southern roots some, because when my dad remarried Marina, Debbie went from my half sister to my half sister and step sister – whom I jokingly called my three-quarter sister. I spent weekends and birthdays at my dad's house in Newport News growing up. He moved to Poquoson first, then my mom and the rest of us moved about a year later. I really never was more than a couple miles from him growing up. But those younger years saw a bit of distance. He was never mean to me, in fact, despite knowing the circumstances about why my parents divorced, he never did me wrongly. To that point, he also wasn't the most attentive, but to be fair, I wasn't exactly banging down the door. We just kind of co-existed in the same area. I look back at my teen years with some regret. I wasn't exactly the nicest to my stepmother and I was forgetful. I know the maddest I ever heard my dad was when I forgot to get Marina a card for her birthday – something he'd specifically asked me to do. I might have been 13 or 14. She passed away in July of 2003, just weeks before I was to start my final year in college. Some of you know I should have graduated much earlier. Another regret I have is her not being able to see me walk across the stage at that school in Norfolk. She was old school. My dad was old school. They jived well and reconnected when Debbie moved back across the country in the early 1990s. When she passed away, it was my mom's idea that I ask to move in with him while I got my feet under me as a recent college graduate. I had just started my first full-time job, working at the Daily Press, the local newspaper where I'd been working part-time since high school. I moved in about a year after Marina's passing and there was where my relationship with my dad, which was closely distant before, blossomed. Grover worked at the Newport News Marine Terminals in crane maintenance. He was one of the smartest people you'd ever meet, but he worked hard and came home with grease under his nails and his hands dirty every day. Like clockwork, he came home from work at 5:45. By the time November had arrived, I was disenfranchised by the newspaper, which had taken me off of wrestling despite saying they'd let me continue during the hiring process. I wasn't happy, so I quit. I had some freelance and announcing opportunities that helped me pay my own bills, but he was letting me crash there, rent free.

The Wealthy Place Podcast hosted by Lattrice Johnson In this episode: Lattrice is joined by Roslyn Banks   Roslyn is an experienced leader with a successful history of working in the financial services industry as well as the health insurance industry. Skilled in corporate finance, accounting, taxation, risk management, project management, budgeting and all things financial planning and analysis. Topics of Discussion: Children's Books – 5:24 Career Path – 8:13 Generational Farmer – 12:37 What I Love About What I Do – 17:23 Leveraging – 22:44 Questions about real estate – 28:36 Realistic Expectations – 34:42 Definition of Wealth – 41:55   The Wealthy Place Podcast: https://www.amazon.com/item_name/dp/B08JJT1JK9 Guest Links: https://adelaiderosetax.com/adelaide-the-accountant https://adelaiderosetax.com/adelaide-the-accountant https://www.instagram.com/prodigaldaughterinfo/ EA  https://www.linkedin.com/in/roslynbanksea Website & Newsletter Access: www.AdelaideRoseTax.com Roslyn Haynie Banks was born and raised on a large family farm in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia. The seeds of entrepreneurship were planted in her heart and mind at a very early age. After years of watering, pruning and fertilizing she has gained over 20 years of education and work experience providing financial analysis in numerous industries.   After earning her degree in Finance from The College of William & Mary, Roslyn was hired as a financial analyst into an early talent leadership program by one of the nation's largest retail banks. She has studied abroad in Adelaide, South Australia and Cape Town, South Africa. While earning her Master of Accountancy degree, she fell in love with tax research and the loopholes in the Internal Revenue Code. After successfully managing a retail tax office to exceed revenue and customer service quality goals, she passed all three parts of the Enrolled Agent exam on her first attempt that very same year!   Her diverse Financial Planning and Analysis work experience has been a great resource to her solo tax practice as she offers advice and business coaching to other individuals, entrepreneurs and tax-exempt organizations.  Roslyn was recognized by CPA Practice Advisor as a 2018 top “40 Under 40” leader in the accounting profession for her exemplary leadership, innovative thinking and community outreach outside the workspace.   Roslyn has volunteered with numerous community service organizations including her beloved sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She enjoys public speaking and providing fresh insight on fundraising, philanthropy, economics, financial planning and income taxation topics. Roslyn also enjoys facilitating financial workshops for women and children because she is passionate about legacy planning and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Roslyn is a dedicated mother of two princess daughters and a Christian missionary who loves to travel.   Roslyn is an avid reader and even worked in the Mason School of Business Professional Resource Center (business library) all four years of her undergraduate studies at William & Mary. She started reading to her daughters before they were born and hasn't stopped yet! In 2019, both of her children completed the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” challenge at Northumberland Public Library. Reading is their special bonding time and even when she gets a moment to herself, Roslyn enjoys reading children's picture books.   In 2021, Roslyn self-published her first children's book Adelaide the Accountant. It follows a week in the life of a self-employed tax accountant who assists community helpers in STEAM careers in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia. Roslyn's goal is to educate readers on the role of income taxes and cash flow in a community. This book embodies her passion for building and sustaining generational wealth to leave a lasting economic legacy. Adelaide the Accountant can be found online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and Walmart.  

5 DELICIOUS DINNER RECIPES to support your weight loss: https://www.chefaj.com/5-delicious-lo... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can get the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GPTJNJG?... To book a consultation with Dr. Gupta: https://www.anshulguptamd.com/work-wi... Take the thyroid quiz: https://www.anshulguptamd.com/thyroid... Take the SIBO-IBS quiz: https://www.anshulguptamd.com/sibo-quiz/ Dr. Anshul Gupta MD is Board-Certified Family Medicine Physician, with advanced certification in Functional Medicine, Peptide therapy and also fellowship trained in Integrative Medicine. He has worked at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Department of Functional Medicine as staff physician alongside Dr. Mark Hyman. He believes in empowering his patients to take control of their health and partners with them in their healing journey. He now specializes as a thyroid functional medicine doctor, and help people reverse their unresolved symptoms of thyroid dysfunction. Conventional medicine doesn't have all the answers for a vast majority of patients suffering from chronic diseases and that's where a Functional Medicine model can be helpful. Dr. Anshul Gupta experienced this himself when his acid reflux, weight issues, fatigue, brain fog, eczema, allergies, skin problems, fatty liver couldn't be handled by the conventional medical approaches. Dr. Gupta then utilised the concepts of Functional Medicine and reversed his diseases. He was not only able to get off all his medications but was able to lose weight, got unlimited energy and mental clarity which was sustainable and not a short fix to his problems. This reversal of his own disease motivated Dr. Anshul Gupta to become a Functional Medicine expert himself. You can read his personal journey, on what inspired him to share the concepts of Functional Medicine with people so that they can heal from within. Dr. Gupta completed his Family Medicine residency at Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis. During this training, he also did an Integrative Medicine track where Dr. Anshul Gupta first learned about what Integrative Medicine and Functional Medicine Practitioners do. How the concepts of holistic medicines like these are used in managing chronic diseases, especially functional medicine for thyroid. His passion for working with underserved people lead him to the Northern Neck area of Virginia, where he worked for 5 years and provided services to the locals. He tried to incorporate a holistic approach with his care and his patients were always appreciative for it. He was voted the Best Doctor in Northern Neck 2018 by the Northern Neck news. Dr. Gupta next worked at Cleveland Clinic Functional Medicine Department. Upon becoming a Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM) Certified Practitioner, you can visit Dr. Gupta's IFM profile, to learn about all medical conditions Dr. Gupta treats as a Functional Medicine doctor. He also believes that knowledge is power and wants to educate people about a healthy lifestyle. As a functional and integrative medicine expert, Dr. Gupta is on a mission to help more than 1 million people to reclaim their health back. Anshul Gupta MD is one of the very few thyroid functional medicine doctors who are providing consultation to people to help them with unresolved symptoms due to thyroid dysfunction. He tries to work with his patients to work on their core imbalances by developing an individualized plan which focuses on a specific diet plan, movement, and stress reduction. Dr.Gupta is a proud father of 2 lovely children, and a lucky husband to his adorable wife. His wife is a blogger and is raising awareness and helping so many parents with concepts of respectful parenting. During his free time, he loves to travel, hike, meditate and practice yoga.

Our first episode of a new series called The Warsaw Chronicles has Rob reminiscing about growing up in a small town called Warsaw. Warsaw is located in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Prepare to learn all about this charming little town.

Today, Denzel speaks with author Denise DeVries about the writing community on the Northern Neck, her work, and the inspiration behind her work. Check out her books here. And keep up with her open houses on her Facebook page. Help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings, and engaging with us on Twitter @mainstspeaks and Facebook. We also love hearing from our listeners, so feel free to email us with any comments or questions at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com.

This episode highlights Union Joint Operations on the lower Potomac River from 1862 to 1865. The Army and Navy continue their cooperation after the Confederate Blockade of Washington through the cooperation at the Battle of Fredericksburg. After Fredericksburg in December 1862 through May 1865 most Union Joint Operations were in Virginia's Northern Neck including the manhunt for John Wilkes Booth. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/matthew-krug/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/matthew-krug/support

Whether you drive, fly or take the train you don't want to miss the many adventures in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Lisa and Stephanie visit the Tides Inn and Stratford Hall on the Chesapeake Bay. Oysters, biking, duck poop, zip lining, ghosts, snakes, boating and so much more. A little bit of history, ecology lessons and wine tastings are just some of the great suggestions for a family vacation or a Better in Pairs weekend. Thank you to our hosts from the Tides Inn and Stratford Hall as we are excited to re-launch our post-Covid travel podcast with an incredible adventure. Enjoy also the "Oyster Chronicles" learn about nature's most incredible filter and the proper way to eat one and return the shell to the "wuter". Women Travel Better in Pairs - 48 Hour Episode

Andie McConnell talks about the work of Fairy Godmother Project--caring for families dealing with pediatric cancer.  Update on new programs and expanding their reach into the Northern Neck.  

We welcome Marston Smith, development manager for the Tides Inn: Unique Family Ties Marston is overseeing the extensive shoreline restoration – a $3.6M project in its first phase. This is very rare for a hotel or resort to invest this much money into an environmental project and he may have a fresh face but he knows his stuff. Marston is truly excited to bring a smile to work everyday and this job is an interesting "homecoming" for Marston as he shares with us his connection to this "special" place on the Northern Neck. A massive environmental-giving-back revitalization. https://www.tidesinn.com/sustainability/

Say Hello to Will Smiley, Resort Ecologist: "Nature Makes Sense" Will Smiley is the Tides Inn's first resident ecologist! As the resort restores its shoreline in spring and summer 2021, Smiley is bringing exciting programming to guests at the Inn. For example, you can canoe or kayak with him in a two-hour excursion to learn more about aquatic life – even casting a net to see what you catch. Also, in “Chesapeake Gold” tour, guests learn about oysters, pulling up oyster cages and sort these gems of the bay. He has big plans for sustainability and stewardship for the resort. Plus this native Virginian doesn't mind chatting travel, survival and duck poop. Will is fun to chat with no matter the topic!

Meet Oyster Expert, Joni Carter Joni, an Irvington resident, is part of the “Virginia Oyster Country” team that works to spur tourism on the western shore of the Chesapeake, where the oyster industry is enjoying a resurgence. She helps lead the Virginia Oyster Academy experience for guests at the Tides Inn. Hear about the Watermen and just how amazing these salt-water bivalves are! Joni tells us how we can recycle Oyster shells; this is crucial to helping them continuing to grow in the wild- not just on farms.

In this episode Denzel speaks with Erin Hapgood — Northumberland County, Virginia's Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney. Erin shares a bit about her journey to law school, how she found the Northern Neck of Virginia, and what her job as Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney consists of. Help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings, and engaging with us on Twitter @mainstspeaks and Facebook. We also love hearing from our listeners, so feel free to email us with any comments or questions at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com.

I had the privilege to sit down with Rogue Oysters which is located in Northern Neck. This small oyster company which is also doing oyster drop off's is owned by the husband and wife team Aaron and Taryn. They took their hobby to a full blown business and now with over 500,000 oysters in the water.

This week, listen to Tahi's conversation with Iris Lane, a lifelong Northern Neck resident and current member of the Westmoreland County School Board. Help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings, and engaging with us on Twitter @mainstspeaks and Facebook. We also love hearing from our listeners, so feel free to email us with any comments or questions at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com.

Meet Katie Denton — a mother of three small children and a lifelong lover of travel and fine hospitality.  On this episode of Behind the Stays, Katie shares the origin story of Bees Nees Getaways — a boutique rental home collection she founded with a focus on unique and dreamy experiences in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the Northern Neck of Virginia — and explains her vision and process for cultivating spaces that aren't just beautiful, but are conducive to the creation of memories.  Katie's properties include The Treehouse and The Cottage — which can be booked directly on Airbnb and you can view photos of these beautiful homes by following Bees Nees Getaways on Instagram.  Bees Nees was named for a very special home on Gibson Island, on the Chesapeake Bay of Maryland, and the family that filled its rooms every summer. The Patterson family made great memories within those walls and along the waters of the Bay. They loved a party, they loved to sail and they loved spending quality time with family. Even though the Pattersons no longer own the original Bees Nees retreat, they have kept up the rich tradition of family togetherness. Learn more about Katie, her family, her story, and the future of Bees Nees Getaways by tuning in to this week's episode of Behind the Stays.    If you are an Airbnb host or know an Airbnb host,  who'd like to come on the show, send me an email at zach@sponstayneous.com and we'll chat!   Behind the Stays is brought to you each week by Sponstayneous —a carefully-curated weekly newsletter that brings you the best last-minute deals and upcoming steals on Airbnb.  It's sort of like Scott's Cheap Flights, but for Airbnb! You can sign up for free at sponstayneous.com  Last, but certainly not least...I didn't believe in Marie Kondo's whole “spark joy” mantra until I started podcasting...now, my joy is sparked every time I see a new subscriber roll in!  So please, hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode...and so you add a lil' spark to my joy fire today.

For this episode, Denzel speaks with Greg Hewitt about his new Northern Neck tourism company Naked Neck Adventures and his I Work Weekends high-school internship program. Follow Naked Neck Adventures on Facebook and Instagram. Help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings, and engaging with us on Twitter @mainstspeaks and Facebook. We also love hearing from our listeners, so feel free to email us with any comments or questions at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com. Music: https://www.bensound.com

 Click to listen to episode (3:30)Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImageExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 2-5-21. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of February 8, 2021. SOUNDS  - ~3 sec This week, we feature a late-winter or early-spring mystery sound heard in marshes, swamps, and woodlands of southeastern Virginia.  Have a listen for about 10 more seconds, and see if you can guess this amphibian advertising for a mate.  And here’s a hint: If you hop to it and get this right, your fans may be brimmingover with a chorus of cheers. SOUNDS  - ~8 sec If you guessed a frog, you’re right!  If you guessed a chorus frog, you’re a frog wizard.  And if you guessed Brimley’s Chorus Frog, you’re a Virginia chorus frog phenom!  You heard a Brimley’s Chorus Frog recording by Lang Elliott’s NatureSound Studio on the 2008 CD, “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads,” from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which, in 2020, became the Department of Wildlife Resources.  Amphibians are an integral part of Virginia’s common wealth of wildlife, and Brimley’s Chorus Frogs give us one of the year’s first reminders of amphibians, as the males of that species may begin their breeding calls as early as February, depending on temperature.  Brimley’s is found in wetlands and in hardwood forests near rivers and streams in the Coastal Plain of Virginia and states farther south.  There, this one-to-one-and-a-quarter-inch-long frog feeds on small insects and in turn can be prey for some kinds of snakes and probably other animals, although not much information is available on its predators. Brimley’s is one of seven native chorus frog species in Virginia, all of which are in the scientific genus Pseudacris, derived from Greek words meaning “false locust,” presumably because their repetitive trilling recalls insect sounds.  The Brimley’s part of the name honors Clement Samuel Brimley, a native of England who became a highly regarded zoologist in North Carolina in the first half of the 20th Century. Thanks to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources for permission to use this week’s sounds, and we let Brimley’s Chorus Frog have the last call. SOUNDS  - ~4 sec SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Brimley’s Chorus Frog sounds were from “The Calls of Virginia Frogs and Toads” CD, copyright 2008 by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (now the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources) and Lang Elliott/NatureSoundStudio, used with permission.   The CD accompanies A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia, Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries; as of February 5, 2021, that publication is no longer available at Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources online store, https://www.shopdwr.com/.  For more information, contact the Department at P.O. Box 90778, Henrico, VA 23228-0778; phone: (804) 367-1000 (VTDD); main Web page is https://dwr.virginia.gov/; to send e-mail, visit https://dwr.virginia.gov/contact/. Lang Elliott’s work is available online at the “Music of Nature” Web site, http://www.musicofnature.org/. The Brimley’s Chorus Frog sound was used previously by Virginia Water Radio in Episode 464, 3-18-19, on chorus frogs generally. Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGE Brimley’s Chorus Frog, photographed in Chesapeake, Virginia, February 28, 2019.  Photo by iNaturalist user jkleopfer, made available online at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20834796(as of 2-8-21) for use under Creative Commons license “Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0.”  Information about this Creative Commons license is available online at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT BRIMLEY’S CHORUS FROG The scientific name of Brimley’s Chorus Frog is Pseudacris brimleyi. The following information on Brimley’s Chorus Frog is taken from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (formerly Department of Game and Inland Fisheries), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor.  The Brimley’s Chorus Frog entry is online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020003&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=18663. Physical Description “This species ranges in length from 25 to 32 mm (1 to 1-1/4 inches).  The coloring is highly variable but typically this species is tan with 3 dorsal [back] brown stripes.  A dark brown or black stripe runs down each side from the nostril through the eye to the groin.  The ventrum [underside[ is typically yellow with brown spots on the chest.  The legs of this species are marked with dark longitudinal stripes.” Reproduction “This species breeds in winter and early spring (February to April) in marshes, shallow ponds, and ditches.  The males’ mating call is a short guttural or rasping trill.  The female deposits small loose clusters of eggs on stems or other objects in ditches or shallow ponds.  The tadpoles transform in 40-60 days.” Behavior, Habitat, and Distribution “Its primary prey items are small insects.  This species is primarily found in bottomland hardwood forests near rivers. …It has been suggested that this species requires low, riverine wetlands. …This species is found in lowland areas of open wet hardwood forests, marshes, swamps, ditches of the Coastal Plain.  Its distribution does not extend into northeastern Virginia.  It is mostly restricted to the Coastal Plain south of the Northern Neck, and it is the only chorus frog found in and east of the Dismal Swamp.” SOURCES Used for Audio AmphibiaWeb, online at https://amphibiaweb.org/index.html.  The Brimley’s Chorus Frog entry is online at https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Pseudacris&where-species=brimleyi. John D. Kleopfer and Chris S. Hobson, A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia, Special Publication Number 3, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Richmond, 2011. Bernard S. Martof et al., Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1980. State Library of North Carolina et al., “NCPedia/Brimley, Clement Samuel,” online at https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/brimley-clement-samuel.  (Based on an article in Dictionary of North Carolina Biography [Six Volumes], William S. Powell, ed., University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1979-1996.)Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (now Department of Wildlife Resources), “Fish and Wildlife Information Service,” online at http://vafwis.org/fwis/?Title=VaFWIS+Species+Information+By+Name&vUT=Visitor.  The Brimley’s Chorus Frog entry is online at https://vafwis.dgif.virginia.gov/fwis/booklet.html?&bova=020003&Menu=_.Taxonomy&version=18663.  Entries for Virginia’s seven chorus frog species (in the genus Pseudacris) are at this link.  Entries for amphibians in Virginia are at this link.  Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “Frog Friday/Brimley’s Chorus Frog,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/blog/frog-friday-brimleys-chorus-frog/. Virginia Herpetological Society (VHS), “Frogs and Toads of Virginia,” online at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/frogs_and_toads_of_virginia.htm.  The Brimley’s Chorus Frog entry is online at http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/brimleys-chorus-frog/brimleys_chorus_frog.php.  The VHS supports the scientific study of amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders) and reptiles (lizards, snakes, and turtles).Virginia Legislative Information System, “Virginia General Assembly 2020 Session/Senate Bill 616,” online at https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?ses=201&typ=bil&val=sb616.  This is the bill that renamed the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries as the Department of Wildlife Resources. For More Information about Amphibians in Virginia and Elsewhere J.C. Mitchell and K.K. Reay, Atlas of Amphibians and Reptiles in Virginia, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries/Richmond (1999); available online (as a PDF) at https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/atlases/mitchell-atlas.pdf, courtesy of the Virginia Herpetological Society. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, “Animal Diversity Web,” online at https://animaldiversity.org. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “List of Native and Naturalized Fauna of Virginia, as of April 2018,” online (as a PDF) at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/virginia-native-naturalized-species.pdf. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “Virginia is for Frogs,” online at https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/virginia-is-for-frogs/. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, “Wildlife Information,” online at https://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/information/. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html). Following are links to some other episodes on chorus frogs. Episode 105, 4-2-12 – on Spring Peeper.Episode 206, 3-24-14 – medley of spring animal calls, including Spring Peeper.Episode 408, 2-19-18 – medleys of frog and toad calls, including Mountain Chorus Frog and Spring Peeper.Episode 464, 3-18-19 – on the chorus frogs group in Virginia (Brimley's Chorus Frog, Little Grass Frog, Mountain Chorus Frog, New Jersey Chorus Frog, Southern Chorus Frog, Spring Peeper, Upland Chorus Frog), with focus on a research study on Mountain Chorus Frog.Episode 509, 1-27-20 – on Little Grass Frog (along with Wood Frog).Episode 516, 3-16-20 – medley of spring animal calls, including Upland Chorus Frog.FOR VIRGINIA TEACHERS – RELATED STANDARDS OF LEARNING (SOLs) AND OTHER INFORMATION Following are some Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) that may be supported by this episode’s audio/transcript, sources, or other information included in this post. 2018 Science SOLs Grades K-4: Living Systems and Processes1.5 – Animals, including humans, have basic life needs that allow them to survive.2.4 – Plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes as they grow and develop, including life cycles.2.5 – Living things are part of a system.3.4 – Adaptations allow organisms to satisfy life needs and respond to the environment.3.5 – Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms.4.2 – Plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive.4.3 – Organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. Grades K-5: Earth Resources4.8. – Virginia has important natural resources. Life ScienceLS.6     – Populations in a biological community interact and are interdependent.LS.7 – Adaptations support an organism’s survival in an ecosystem. BiologyBIO.8 – Dynamic equilibria exist within populations, communities, and ecosystems.Virginia’s SOLs are available from the Virginia Department of Education, online at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/. Following are links to Water Radio episodes (various topics) designed especially for certain K-12 grade levels. Episode 250, 1-26-15 – on boiling, for kindergarten through 3rd grade.Episode 255, 3-2-15 – on density, for 5th and 6th grade.Episode 282, 9-21-15 – on living vs. non-living, for kindergarten.Episode 309, 3-28-16 – on temperature regulation in animals,

This week, some of Virginia’s rural health districts have begun the second round of COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to immunizing people in group 1B. That’s putting a strain on health districts on the Eastern Shore, Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck. Pamela D’Angelo spoke with the doctor who’s heading up efforts there.

In this episode, we reflect on the recent presidential and congressional elections. With some in-depth analysis and a touch of our own opinions, we informally discuss how the Northern Neck voted and what this means for our communities.

In this episode, Tahi speaks with Lesley Newman about travelling around the world and returning to the Northern Neck, politics and "wearing purple", environmentalism and citizen science, and belonging and identity. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook (Main Street Speaks) and Twitter (@mainstspeaks), and sharing with friends and family. Email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com. Enjoy!

The artist from Virginia's Northern Neck creates a singular artistic vision with his fourth album “Breaking Light.” Performing all the instruments and vocals, the songs range from deeply personal to outright political.

In this episode, we hear from students from the Northern Neck attending universities across Virginia-- their difficulties, perspectives, thoughts about hometown support, and rural identity. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook (Main Street Speaks) and Twitter (@mainstspeaks), and sharing with friends and family. Email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com.

Today, Denzel speaks with local artist Alvaro Ibanez about his journey from Colombia to the Northern Neck, and about the A-Ibanez Art Museum and Gallery that he and his wife Denise DeVries are currently running in Northumberland County, Virginia. To learn more about the the A-Ibanez museum visit their website or Facebook page. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook and Twitter, and sharing with friends and family. Also, please feel free to email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com. Enjoy!

In this episode, Tahi speaks with Sarah Henry about growing up in a different rural area before moving to the Northern Neck, whether there are issues that transcend different kinds of rural places, the challenges of education in rural communities, tourism, history, and the idea of home. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook (Main Street Speaks) and Twitter (@mainstspeaks), and sharing with friends and family. Also, please feel free to email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com. Enjoy!

“Given the current situation, we call them sanity hikes or sanity bike rides in my family. Hiking is a great thing for social distancing for anybody, especially for families, because you can't stare at the same four walls all day and keep your mental facility straight. So it's important to get out and connect with nature.” -Phil Riggan From his early days as a child on his grandfather’s farm to recent years exploring the outdoors with his own children, today’s guest, Phil Riggan, has spent a lifetime hiking, biking, paddling, and exploring Virginia. Phil recently hiked over 240 miles to write his new book, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, Richmond. In this episode, Phil highlights some of his favorite routes and outdoor spaces, including some new and lesser-known areas. From Fredericksburg to Williamsburg, and from Charlottesville to the Northern Neck, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles, Richmond has got you covered. Let’s Go. Links Mentioned: 60 Hikes within 60 Miles Richmond book Blue Ridge Parkway Pilot Mountain, Laurel Fork Wahrani Nature Park, New Kent County Appomattox River Trail Friends of the Lower Appomattox River Richmond Slave Trail James River Park System Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Natural Area Preserves Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources Wildlife Management Areas Crows Nest Natural Area Preserve, Stafford Waller Mill Park, Williamsburg Virginia Capitol Trail, Richmond to Williamsburg Greensprings Park, James City County Walnut Creek Park, Albemarle County Dorey Park, Henrico County Bryan Park, Richmond Leakes Mill Park, Goochland Rivanna Trail, Charlottesville River View Park, Charlottesville Rappahannock River Heritage Trail, Fredericksburg North Bank Trail, Richmond Belle Isle Park, Richmond Pony Pasture, Richmond Walkabout Outfitters W & OD Trail, Purcellville to Arlington Channels State Forest, Saltville: Crabtree Falls, Nelson County Appalachian Trail Devils Marble Yard, Natural Bridge Follow VAOA Podcast: Virginia outdoor Adventures Website Facebook Instagram Twitter

In Episode 102 of District of Conservation, Gabriella recounts her recent red drum fishing trip with Captain Joshua Saunders of Peake Tide Fishing. Josh launched his fishing charter in 2014. During season, he splits his time between Hampton, Virginia, in the Peninsula and his home base of Kilmarnock in Northern Neck. Although she hooked-up a bull red and it got away, there's still many a fish tale to tell. Josh worked very hard to help put Gabriella on the board and the fish didn't cooperate, despite having success catching them earlier in the week. But guess what? That's okay. Anglers must celebrate both the victories and missed catches. That's what fishing is all about, after all! She brought Josh on the podcast to share his story, the inspiration behind his business, what makes the fishery in the Lower Chesapeake Bay unique, working with Green Top Hunt Fish, the status of small fishing operators, how to support them despite COVID, and how to fish with him. Get to know Capt. Josh and book a charter with him! Meet Captain Josh Saunders Peake Tide Fishing Website + Pricing Follow Peake Tide on Facebook Follow Peake Tide on Instagram --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/district-of-conservation/support

In Episode 98 of District of Conservation, Gabriella spoke to Congressman Rob Wittman (R-VA) of Virginia's 1st Congressional District. Serving the First Congressional District of Virginia since 2007, Rob has been focused on strengthening our military and supporting veterans, promoting economic development through fiscal responsibility, fixing our crumbling infrastructure, increasing access to high-speed internet, and promoting workforce development through Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. In the U.S. Congress, Rob serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Natural Resources, where he is well-positioned to represent the needs of Virginia's First District. He has quickly earned a reputation for being an advocate for our men and women in uniform and for being a champion of the Chesapeake Bay. As a member of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Rob brings his professional expertise in water quality, fisheries, and other natural resource issues. He is a champion of the Chesapeake Bay -- for its environmental and economic attributes -- and has introduced legislation that will increase the accountability and effectiveness of cleaning up the Bay. He serves as co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Caucus, which brings Bay issues into focus for Members of Congress. He was re-elected for his sixth full term in the House of Representatives in November 2018 and for more than 20 years, Rob has served in several levels of government, from Montross Town Council to United States Congress. Rob won his first campaign for public office in 1986 when he was elected to the Montross Town Council, where he served for 10 years, four of them as Mayor. In 1995, Rob was elected to the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors and was elected its Chairman in 2003. In 2005, voters in the 99th Legislative District elected Rob to the Virginia House of Delegates, where he served until he was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2007. Prior to his election to Congress, Rob spent 26 years working in state government, most recently as Field Director for the Virginia Health Department's Division of Shellfish Sanitation. Earlier, he worked for many years as an environmental health specialist for local health departments in Virginia's Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula regions. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Virginia Tech. Wittman's Congressional Website Congressman Wittman on Facebook Congressman Wittman on Instagram Congressman Wittman on Twitter District of Conservation is powered by CFACT.

For this episode we continue our conversation about race relations in the Northern Neck and across the country by discussing how race plays a role in healthcare and interracial relationships. We also provide an update on the campaign to implement a community review board in Northumberland County, Virginia. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing to the podcast, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook at Main Street Speaks and twitter @mainstspeaks, and sharing with friends and family. Also, please feel free to email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. Enjoy!

For this episode we discuss some key takeaways from a conversation we attended about interracial relations in the Northern Neck of Virginia and across the country. Some topics we discuss include how race plays a role in small business development, religion, and education. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing to the podcast, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook at Main Street Speaks and twitter @mainstspeaks, and sharing with friends and family. Also, please feel free to email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. Enjoy!

For this episode we talk about the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural communities such as the Northern Neck of Virginia. We also talk about the politicization of masks, the European Union's recent travel ban on Americans, and some local and state news. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing to the podcast, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook at Main Street Speaks and twitter @mainstspeaks, and sharing with friends and family. Also, please feel free to email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. Enjoy!

On this episode, we talk about the protests and calls for reform that have been occurring in the Northern Neck of Virginia and around the world, in light of the death of George Floyd. We also talk about some local news, our elected officials' responses, and the importance of voting in primaries. Please help our podcast grow by subscribing to the podcast, leaving ratings and comments, following us on Facebook at Main Street Speaks and twitter @mainstspeaks, and sharing with friends and family. Also, please feel free to email us at mainstreetspeaks@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. Enjoy!

Residents in rural areas have specific challenges that benefit from regional collaboration. In the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula, service providers are working together through an organized housing coalition to help reduce barriers to resources and services, helping families in need in a timely way. Hear Northern Neck / Middle Peninsula Housing Coalition (NNMPHC) participant Faith Brooks of Thrive Virginia, formerly Quin Rivers, Inc., in this episode of the Partners for Better Communities Podcast. Governor Northam recently announced continued investments in housing affordability and homeless reduction. The NNMPHC received an intent to fund, pending fund availability, under the announcement. Faith Brooks is the economic services director for Thrive Virginia, a community action agency serving the counties of: Caroline, Charles City, Hanover, King George, King and Queen, King William, New Kent, Spotsylvania, and Stafford as well as the City of Fredericksburg and the Town of West Point. See the January 23 news release. Learn more about the Virginia's efforts to reduce homelessness. Learn about Quin River's name change.

We saved 2018's longest trip for last! This episode was recorded over the Thanksgiving holiday when we took our teardrop trailer on its first out-of-state roadtrip. Because of some longer trips we plan on taking in 2019, we decided to tow our teardrop on a long route we were already familiar with — the drive to Amanda’s parents’ house in Virginia. Take a listen for some of our favorite places to eat and shop in the Northern Neck area of Virgina. Amanda also shares how her first time in the driver’s seat went. Find links to the destinations and resources we discuss at www.towfortheroad.com/blog.

The Snowhite family spent a recent Sunday at Sapidus Farms on the Northern Neck of Virginia. We learned all about happy oysters. Mike showed us the entire process from microscopic oysters in tanks to eating size out in the Wicomico River. Worth a listen regardless if you don't eat oysters. It just might change your mind. Produced by Jason Reif Sponsored by Ayoba-yo

Based in the Northern Neck of Virginia, “Back home” is their seventh studio album and begs the question: Why doesn’t the whole world know about them yet?

In the second part of their talk, Colin and Dr. Johnson discuss the good old days of academia, the Obama presidency, and the dangers of thinking of America as a "post racial" society. Dr. Johnson also explains how he got from Syracuse to Washington, D.C., to the Northern Neck of Virginia. In the intro, Colin explores his dislike of Brad Pitt and his fondness for a certain French actress.

Scott Hill was born in Texas, but he is a proud Coloradan. The son of a navy pilot, he works at the birth site of George Washington in the Northern Neck of Virginia. He's devoted life to public history and the National Park Service. Scott and Colin talk about everything from the Civil War to the National Holocaust Museum to Ford's Theater.

On September 8 at noon, Rush Loving Jr., delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "The Well-Dressed Hobo: The Many Wondrous Adventures of a Man Who Loves Trains." America’s railroads have gone through a tumultuous and dramatic era during the past eighty years, and Virginia played a key role through all of it. They were the times of strong, colorful personalities, men like Virginia’s Claytor brothers, Edward Ball, the man who controlled the DuPont Trust and every evening assembled his “likkah-hound” lieutenants for rounds of bourbon and ginger ale, and W. Thomas Rice, a Northern Neck boy like Ball, who ran the Seaboard Coast Line with the iron fist of a general. There, too, were Jack Fishwick of the Norfolk and Western and Furlong Baldwin, who grew up on a plantation near Cape Charles and used an Atlantic Coast Line office car to build a banking empire. Their stories are played on a stage filled with the drama of boardroom struggles and secret deals, all in the romantic setting of railroad locomotive cabs and the old Richmond Times-Dispatch newsroom. All this is told by a man who, from Depression days in Virginia on into the twenty-first century, watched as those dynamic men and others like them saved the nation’s railroads from ruin and then returned them to a new era of glory. A native of Virginia, Rush Loving Jr., began his career as a photo-journalist at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and from 1965 until 1969 he was the paper’s business editor. He also served as an associate editor of Fortune, the chief spokesman of the Office of Management and Budget in the Carter White House, and for twenty years headed a consulting firm serving clients that included many of the nation’s major railroads. He is the author of The Well-Dressed Hobo: The Many Wondrous Adventures of a Man Who Loves Trains.

On October 25, 2012, David Brown delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Unlocking Menokin's Secrets: Archaeological and Landscape Research at a Northern Neck Plantation." One of the great houses to survive from colonial Virginia, Menokin was the result of a unique collaboration between John Tayloe II of Mount Airy and Francis Lightfoot Lee, the husband of his daughter Rebecca. Tayloe gave Lee a life interest in 1,000 acres of his vast Richmond County estate and, as a wedding present, built the plantation house and surrounding structures. Though scant written records remain, other clues offer insight into this adaptation of European design to the environment of eastern Virginia. David Brown with DATA Investigations will discuss recent archaeological and landscape research conducted at the site. Brown is a consulting archaeologist for The Menokin Foundation. This lecture is cosponsored by the foundation, which owns and operates the home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Sarah Dillard Pope) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

Listen here, or read below...Part IMusic is cut like a grid of urban streets – connected, unmoving, and planned by researchers who study the past and future practices. Why is this when mountains and rivers are cut and shaped at random, never to duplicate. Somehow they all fit together in one giant sphere while interacting, colliding, conducting science experiments on each other constantly for those who choose to observe. Non-stop Chemical reactions; wreaking havoc, all the while perpetuating serenity and perfection; and life for all will continue, so long as the law of conservation applies.Rappahannock, Blue Ridge, Northern Neck, Appalachian, Accotink, Mount Vernon, Luray Caverns Chincoteague, Sandbridge, Great Falls, nor-easter,  Hurricane Sandy, T-Storms, that big river that runs through the capitol and out to the Atlantic. And so, “The Sun Also Rises.”Part IIYour spring Saturdays were spent pulling sheets of plastic over thick metal wires that arched over beds of sweet potato plants in need of incubation.  You had to wrap your fingers around it, digging your knuckles into the wet sand that stuck on its surface, because the plastic created a giant sail against the stormy wind that wanted to lift up with the work you already completed.  You had to hold tight, keep it down low, and sandwich it between the ground and a thirty pound sandbag to secure it.Summers were spent walking up and down the rows of plants in the hundred degree heat looking for weeds to pull.  Once in a while, if your older brother was able to get out of going to the farm with an excuse of having a church, school, or scout activity, you would be in charge of managing the irrigation.  You learned how to bleed water into the furrows by starting hand-pumped siphon pipes that curved over the side-mounds of irrigation ditches they drew from.  While you waited for the water to flood the length of the field so you could move the pipes to the next set of rows, you could take a nap in the shade of the large wheel on the tractor.  Or if the plant canopy was wide enough, you could lay down just underneath the leaves in a dry furrow until the alarm you set on your watch went off.After harvest, the crop would be taken to the packing shed, where there wasn't much for you to do except watch the workers sort the produce, listen to the holiday music playing over loudspeakers, and stay out of the swerving forklift's way.  The railroad tracks ran behind the facility, and you and your brothers would find pennies in the ashtray of your father's truck, lay them across the track, and scour the surrounding rocks trying to find the flattened coins after the train, blasting its horn, rolled over them.  At the end of the week, a few large wooden bins filled with sweet potatoes, too small or blemished for the market and not spoiled enough for livestock feed, would be loaded into the bed of your father's truck for delivery to church on Sunday.  After the services, families would crowd around the truck and fill their bags with as many sweet potatoes as possible, shake your hand, thank you and your family, and for weeks to come, tell you how delicious they were.Some consider Fresno the heart of agriculture in California, midway of four hundred miles between the metropolises, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and hugged by giant Sequoias to the east and the salty-cold Pacific beaches.  Growing up in a farming family, you used to think you wanted your future to have nothing to do with agriculture.  Sometimes when you are sitting at a desk in a cubicle, staring at a computer screen, you want go back.Part IIIWhen you finally went back to visit your hometown you couldn’t help but feel disconnected, and the way things were made less sense to you than they did when you lived there.For example: You planned to meet a colleague for coffee at 7:30 a.m. at a place across town from where you were staying. As a dedicated pedestrian you decided you would put what you remembered as an often trampled bus system to use. In your twenties you bicycled the same distance in less than an hour, and could easily drive it in ten minutes. You figured if you left your host’s house by 6:30 a.m., you should make it on time. Good thing you examined the bus system’s website the night before. The closest stop operating that early in the morning was three miles away, and the schedule’s timetable said it would take an hour to get across town.So you got up early and left at 5:15 a.m., jogged the first half of the distance to the bus stop, and walked the rest of the way, getting there ten minutes early. You were the first passenger to board the public limousine, and as you climbed the red carpet steps you made eye contact and solemnly exchanged “hellos” with the driver and dropped your exact dollar-twenty-five fare in the mounted mechanical piggy-bank. About ten other passengers were collected through the duration of the trip from different stops, where the driver was presumably ahead of schedule because after the passengers boarded, he would pull out the sports section of the local rag and read in three to four minute segments before rolling it back up and putting the vessel back in motion. These pauses allowed you to take notice of how peaceful the town’s main drag seemed at that hour, and how well the sound of fingernails being clipped travels from the back of the bus, and how furious Coltrane can make the color blue when you finally attached your headphones. You made it to your stop after a forty minute ride, twenty minutes ahead of schedule, and hiked your final mile to the café and arrived with another glorious ten minutes to spare! Using this free time you realized that it didn’t matter that things didn’t make sense to you because you didn’t live there anymore. Miles Davis left what one might perceive as mistakes on his recordings, but you call those moments “personality, soul, human, and beautiful.”Your Twitter is to you as my blog is to me, as  her photograph is to her, as his song is to him, as our painting is to us, as their movie is to them, as its book is to it.You headed to the train station - on foot, of course - by way of some of the most desolate streets in the city. You always found them desolate getting to train stations. You and a man gave each other the right of way while passing on a sidewalk. He was wearing royal blue house-slippers whose color seemed exceptionally vibrant in the low angled sun’s morning light. The belt for his oversized gym shorts were his two hands, each clutching fistfuls of the synthetic and porous cloth at the base of his crotch. Your eye-contact and “what’s up” head nod made him turn his head away from you toward the other side of the street, as if something had just then called for his full attention.You finally caught up to who you speculated was the bread-winner you had been trailing for a half-mile. He stopped walking at his public limousine stop and turned to face perpendicular to the street. He wore a generic back-pack over one shoulder of his security guard uniform. As you approached him, you fantasized one of those great, old-fashioned, early morning greetings you’ve heard legends about. So you encouraged out loud, “good morning!” The worker bee made no movement except for his neck as it slowly pivoted his head, allowing his laser beam eyes to penetrate through his sunglasses’ lenses and follow your UV blockers as you continued walking by, willing to wait forever for that exchange.Two talkative and tattooed ladies jumped into your foot-stream. You caught up to them when one stopped to remove a hitchhiking rock from her shoe. A little discouraged, you mumbled, “morning.’” The non-archaeologist of the pair quickly responded with a “Good Morning” as clear as you ever heard it in your life! All was right with the world! It was as if that reliable and consistent chain café popped up to spare you from having to drink train coffee, and they still sold bran muffins so you could finally get rid of that horrible case of traveler’s gut before you boarded the train with all the other princes and princesses and kings and queens of the valley. That train; for which you would still be ten glorious minutes early!

On October 25, 2012, David Brown delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Unlocking Menokin’s Secrets: Archaeological and Landscape Research at a Northern Neck Plantation." One of the great houses to survive from colonial Virginia, Menokin was the result of a unique collaboration between John Tayloe II of Mount Airy and Francis Lightfoot Lee, the husband of his daughter Rebecca. Tayloe gave Lee a life interest in 1,000 acres of his vast Richmond County estate and, as a wedding present, built the plantation house and surrounding structures. Though scant written records remain, other clues offer insight into this adaptation of European design to the environment of eastern Virginia. David Brown with DATA Investigations will discuss recent archaeological and landscape research conducted at the site. Brown is a consulting archaeologist for The Menokin Foundation. This lecture is cosponsored by the foundation, which owns and operates the home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Sarah Dillard Pope)

On October 4, 2012, John C. Coombs delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Planter Oligarchy on Virginia’s Northern Neck." The rise of a distinct class of affluent families to economic, social, and political dominance in Virginia during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries is without doubt one of the most important developments in the Old Dominion's early history. As a group, however, the “gentry” were far from homogenous. John C. Coombs will draw on research for his forthcoming book "The Rise of Virginia Slavery" to discuss the foundations of power that were common across all ranks of the elite, as well as the circumstances that allowed the Carters, Lees, and Tayloes to achieve distinction as the colony's “first families.” Dr. Coombs is a professor of history at Hampden-Sydney College and coeditor of "Early Modern Virginia: Reconsidering the Old Dominion." This lecture is cosponsored by The Menokin Foundation, which owns and operates the Richmond County plantation home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee. This lecture was cosponsored with The Menokin Foundation. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Sarah Dillard Pope)

On October 4, 2012, John C. Coombs delivered a Banner Lecture entitled "Planter Oligarchy on Virginia's Northern Neck." The rise of a distinct class of affluent families to economic, social, and political dominance in Virginia during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries is without doubt one of the most important developments in the Old Dominion's early history. As a group, however, the “gentry” were far from homogenous. John C. Coombs will draw on research for his forthcoming book "The Rise of Virginia Slavery" to discuss the foundations of power that were common across all ranks of the elite, as well as the circumstances that allowed the Carters, Lees, and Tayloes to achieve distinction as the colony's “first families.” Dr. Coombs is a professor of history at Hampden-Sydney College and coeditor of Early Modern Virginia: Reconsidering the Old Dominion. This lecture is cosponsored by The Menokin Foundation, which owns and operates the Richmond County plantation home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and his wife Rebecca Tayloe Lee. This lecture was cosponsored with The Menokin Foundation. (Introduction by Paul Levengood and Sarah Dillard Pope) The content and opinions expressed in these presentations are solely those of the speaker and not necessarily of the Virginia Museum of History & Culture.

-In this episode: John Surratt, a Confederate spy, contacts Wilkes and shows him the courier route from Washington to the Northern Neck of Virginia through T.B., Surrattsville and the Maryland countryside, and across the Potomac at Port Tobacco.