Shiloh National Military Park, May 14, 2011

Here is where Bob had to sit to connect with the parks Wifi. He usually sits at the dinette table, but no wifi there.

It was drizzly weather today, but still decided to drive the 20 or so miles to the Shiloh National Military Park. First off, had to get my passport book stamped, they had a total of six stamps. Then watched the fifty year old park film which had very good content and interesting special effects. Loved the actors makeup and fake mustaches and beards.

This “haversack” was carried by Union soldiers, usually carrying several days supplies. My great grandfather, Jeremiah C Woodyard,(22nd Ohio Inf & 73rd Ohio Inf) carried and lost one of these.

We know this because of his military records where they state his “Haversack missing …” and charged him 97 cents for it.

Below is another item on display, a replica of a sewing kit used by the soldiers. Also below is a scan of a letter from my Great grandfather (JC Woodyard) thanking a Miss Ellen Brown for sending him (while in the Civil War) a sewing kit. We have no idea what his sewing kit looked like, but I like to imagine. Incidentally, this Miss Ellen Brown and Jeremiah C Woodyard were married three years later.

April 6, 1862, this row of 62 Confederate cannons (Ruggles’ Battery), held and their infantry eventually captured over 2100 Union soldiers. The next day with Union reinforcements from Buell’s Army of the Ohio, the tide turned and the Confederates were driven south to Corinth MS.

A Confederate burial trench. One of several scattered over the battlefield.

This live cam photo is of two bald eagle chicks being raised by their parents, Hiram and Julia, at the park. Someone there said the nest was about 10’ across. These chicks are about two months old.

Some cool fungus!

What NOT to do!! May 13, 2011 (Friday the 13th & pump 13)

With our three night stay in Meridian MS coming to an end, we were anxious to get on our way today to Savannah TN, near Shiloh National Military Park.  Plans were to get an early for us start, around 9 to 9:30, then fuel up the road about 10 miles.  Well all went well until we pulled up next to the fuel pump, $3.99/gal, when we heard a strange crunching noise up on top of the coach.  Instantly I said the, “the motosat was still up!!!”

At this point the good news is that when we pulled away from the canopy, all went well.  Bob had dropped some air, thus lowering the coach so he could drive out without further damaging the motosat dish.  It also stowed on its own.

Below is Bob checking out the damage after we parked at the RV park in Savannah TN.

His verdict is not good, several components are cracked, bent or just not where they should be.  Probably need a new satellite dish, everything up on top except the mounting unit.  The most convenient certified repair facility for motosat is in Elkhart IN, that is about a month away.  Until then, our internet will be from RV park’s Wifi and we do have with 2 GB with our DroidX.

We received a comment from my sister and our son suggesting something about a checklist in our future.  I bet they are correct!  You know we have one, but after 5-1/2 years we think we don’t need to use it.  Were we wrong!

Also received an email from some good friends with encouraging words saying “Anyway, it's all just stuff, and you can fix stuff.”  So true!!  

Vicksburg, MS, May 5-10, 2011 and a few days prior

With plans to leave Grand Gulf Military Park (Port Gibson, MS) on Thursday, we took some time on Wednesday to do some local sightseeing.

The photo below was taken 24 hours later, the water had risen over a foot.

The residents of this home were just about done moving out, the first time since 1973, due to the rising waters. You can see the water in front of their home.

No problems for us with the flooding when we pulled out on Thursday, nice easy drive to Vicksburg to the Ameristar RV Park, and yes, it was high on the bluff overlooking the flooding Mississippi.

We enjoyed visiting the Coca-Cola Museum where the product was first bottled in 1894.

A ca 1900 Soda Fountain Machine. These could sell from $900-$3000 when new in the late 1800’s.

On Saturday, we visited Vicksburg National Military Park. In 2006 we had been here on a rainy day, so today’s visit was very pleasant. We also had a mission, to find where the Third Battery Ohio Light Artillery had been, you see Bob’s great, great, great uncle was in that unit.

Found it!!

During the siege, one of the 6 pounder’s was moved closer to the Confederate lines (at the top of the hill in the photo below), so one can speculate if his 3 gr uncle was here or not, but he was for sure in the area of the photos above. Needless to say Bob was in his glory trying to imagine the past.

This is the USS Cairo on display at the Military Park. The Cairo was an ironclad ship during the Civil War. It was the first ship sunk (1862) by a enemy torpedo, or as we know it today, a mine.

This is the Cairo’s Bell, when it was raised after being under water for over 100 years, some air bubbled to the surface, air that had been trapped in the bell when it sank. Do you think that air may have trapped some sound waves??

Later in 2011 the USS Cairo will be featured on a new quarter coin collector series, American The Beautiful.

Wonderful 3 weeks with kids and grandkids, April 13-May 2, 2011

My flight to Sacramento left Jackson MS at 6 am, so it was an early morning being at the airport one hour early plus the 1-1/2 drive from Port Gibson to Jackson’s airport.

Happy 13th birthday to my granddaughter Lindsey, she is such an avid reader, her parents purchased her a Nook reader where she can download books from the public library.

Abby, my other granddaughter loves to make items with duct tape, here she is creating.

Abby is following in Lindsey’s footsteps of playing softball. She is quite an accurate pitcher. In fact last Monday she tried out for the All Stars and was selected for their team.

A first for me, my first pedicure, compliments from my daughter Jenny!

I was so excited to be able to watch our son Rich, run his first Triathlon (swim 1/2 mile, bike 13 miles, run 4 miles). Here he is starting out on the run.

Rich just after the finish, he did it in less than two hours, his goal.

My two grandsons, Zach and Justin, climbing a nearby tree while watching the race.

One day I had a chance to visit my former hairdresser, she gave my new longer do a little style.

Justin loves his weekly therapeutic horseback riding lessons at Saddle Pals.

Below Rich and Jenny posing with Mom.

Abby warming up for a game.

Lindsey’s softball team, she is in the back row, 4th from the left.

Lindsey warming up, she is a great softball player!!

Abby and Lindsey, aren’t they both beautiful!!

Lindsey plays third base and also catcher. Here she is catching and below ready for a hit that might come to third base.

Below is a photo of our daughter, Megan and her son, Zach. While I was visiting he lost a tooth and also ended up getting stitches on his lip and inside his mouth from a biking accident. I will save all of you from seeing the gory photo of these stitches, they grossed Grandpa out.

I had a wonderful time getting to be part of my kids and grandkids lives, but all good things must come to an end. I am now back at Grand Gulf Military park (Port Gibson, MS) experiencing the Mississippi River in a 100 year level flood stage. The predicted level of water is to be 10’ above this level.

Check out this link for a news article where Bob is quoted and also check out the video clip to the right of the article where we were filmed airing up our coach tires getting ready to leave (the next day).

We are planning on leaving the park on Thursday (5/5/11) and heading to Vicksburg to an RV park high and dry on the bluff above the Mississippi River.