Cedar Creek 2009

For the third year, we went to the re-enactment of The Battle of Cedar Creek in Middletown, VA. It was the first year, that both boys were scouts. Not many photo's taken of the battle as it was raining for a portion of the time there. The scouts that were there on Saturday, visited a camp and were told about how they camped, living in camp, and their guns. Here are the photo's I took this year:

An officer fixing a meal.

Camp, in between rows of tents.

Camp stove; this is how their meals were
cooked and how they kept warm. At times the
grates where left behind.

Explaining the weapons used during the Civil War.

Camp kitchen; the lid to the crate folds down to

become a counter top. Personally, I really like the
stoneware. It's beautiful.

Dulcimer we bought while there. The boys
thought I'd like with ones with hearts or such for
the sound holes. I really liked the one with the knot holes
best. It's not a hard instrument to learn. Kevin's learning more
quickly than I am though. He's been playing stringed instruments
a whole lot longer than I have though.

Cedar Creek

My eldest son and I went camping this past weekend to Middleton, VA with his Cub Scout Pack.  This has become an annual camping trip to Cedar Creek where part of the American Civil War took place on 19 October 1864.  It's hard to imagine, that on all these rolling acres, so many lives were lost, while fighting for what was considered basic freedoms.

It was an enjoyable time with my son.  It was probably the most time we'd spent together, without his brother, in 5 3/4 years.  We spent a lot of time just hanging out and walking around looking at the living history exhibits, learning about cannons, and watching different aspects of the war being re-enacted.

It had been forecasted that it would be cold, so both Friday and Saturday nights thermometers were set out.  Saturday, we woke to cool weather, cool enough to go through a lot of hot chocolate.  Sunday, though, it was 31 degrees.  There was frozen dew on the tents, a wet dish cloth was stiff, and the scouts had earned there Polar Bear Patch.  The warm air in the van, on the way home, felt wonderful.  Being clean and a nap that afternoon was a welcome change.