Get Away From it all at James River State Park. WAY Away...

In many ways I am lucky enough to live just south of Richmond in Chesterfield County, VA. Lucky because not only do I have a GREAT State Park almost around the corner (Pocahontas State Park), but also because there are at least half a dozen other wonderful State parks all within a 1-2 hour drive in almost every direction. What's more, the types of landscapes and ecosystems of these parks offer a wide variety to suit your whim.

Lately my whim has been to go to the mountains. The cooling air and hints of fall weather have me itching to get away. But with all the kids activates and sporting events its almost impossible to get away for more than one weekend night. I knew a long drive to the mountains for a quick one-night jaunt wasn't the ideal way to spend our limited time. So instead, last weekend we decided to head to James River State Park and check it out for the first time. The park is west of Richmond, towards the mountains, and I figured it was sure to at least feature some nice rolling hills as we entered the piedmont region of the State.

By the directions I had, the park was 60 miles west plus 7 miles down a country road. We figured a little over an hour to get there. After an hour and a half of driving a long road through things that could hardly qualify as 'towns' and a sign telling us we were leaving Buckingham County (where the park is located), it was time to get out the map and Tom-Tom and start questioning our directions. Luckily we had not passed it, and soon came to the road sign pointing the way to the park. Fifteen minutes later we pull into the park, very relieved to have found it and wondering where in the WORLD the nearest store might be in case we forgot something. This was by far the most remote State Park we'd been to yet.

But remote was good. Maybe it is because peak summer season has now ended, but there were relatively few other campers around the park, and with three separate camping sites, we were very well spread out. My family chose to stay in the primitive Branch Pond sites, a very quiet area of seven nicely spread out tent sites with adjacent trails. My only complaint would be that we had to get in the car and drive to the nearest drinking water source to fill our water cooler. I know primitive means no water on site, but a spigot within reasonable walking distance would sure have been nice.

In our short overnight visit we explored the park, threw rocks into the river, watched some kayakers paddle by, hiked some lovely trails surrounded by trees just beginning to show a tinge of autumn yellow, said hi to every passing horse and rider we saw, made ooey gooey s’mores, listened to owls calling in the night and generally relaxed and enjoyed the incredible natural peace of the park. It was a trip well worth the slightly longer than expected drive. As we drove away down the winding road that travels by riverside farmland, I knew this one night trip was only the first of other excursions to James River State Park. It will go on our short list of places to get away – far away – from it all, while still remaining at an easy, kid-friendly distance.

Summer 2010: A Dream Come True

Yes, Summer has officially hit its middle month. I can tell because I haven't had much time to breath, much less blog! Between Cub Adventure Camp and Fourth of July festivities and the pool and hiking and preparing for the Cub Olympics it has been a whirlwind the last two weeks. Not to mention initital stages of Project: Pack and Fly the Family to Yellowstone. Yeah, lets not forget to mention THAT piece of incredible stress that I'm trying hard not to get over excited about!

I had wanted to write a full post about Cub Adventure Camp, but every time I'd start one I would realize it was about to turn into a short novel instead of a blog post. I can sum it up in one short word: FUN. Fun for my son, who experienced his first time at resident camp, and possibly even more fun for me, who got to experience camp from whole new perspective and see all our boys having the time of their lives. I am so incredibly pleased with the quality of the program and the staff at camp. In many ways it was better for OS and myself than many vactions we've gone on. No plnning, little down time to be bored, and lots of friends to keep us both well engaged. Its something I am very much looking forward to doing again next year!

So this week, since returning from camp, we've been on a self-induced whirlwind schedule of outdoor activities and home preparation for upcomign events. I'm amazed when I remember past summers that I've looked back on and wondered where the summer went. That I recall thinking I really didn't get to do as much as I had wanted for that particular summer. At least this year I know that will decidedly NOT be the case. Instead I will be looking back in September, wondering how in the world we managed to fit so much into just a few short months.

I used to daydream about the things we'd do when my son was older. People always told me not to wish your children grow up too fast because time passes too quickly as it is, but I couldn't help thinking about the cool things that lie in store for my sweet baby boys. While its great when kids are little flailing and cute chubby monsters, I was definitely meant to be a parent of slightly older children. The realization of all those previous daydreams has already begun, and I am loving every speedily passing minute. From hiking out to search for beavers to learning about rocks while working on the Cub Scout geology pin, THIS is the reason I wanted to have children. Lucky me to have this opportunity to spend so much of this important year with my suddenly growing-up kids to really experience this turning point in their lives. It really is a summer for some of the closest dreams to my heart to finlly start coming true.

Great American Backyard Campout

This weekend I hosted our first-ever Great American Backyard Campout. Originally we were going to get a group of friends together and go to a campground to camp, but after getting little interest from friends and realizing that we’d be camping two hot summer weekends in a row, I made the decision to just do a campout/sleepover in our own backyard. Both the kids and I were so extremely excited in the days leading up to the big event, though my dear husband kept mumbling something about my confirmed insanity.

If anyone has the yard to host an event like this, I think we do. Our ¾ acre yard is wooded in the rear of the backyard with a large cleared section towards the house. Not to mention my large tri-level deck and firepit area. We set up four tents in the woods behind our playset, and camping in our yard was just about the closest you could get to the real thing! Of course, the boys would have had a blast even in a regular suburban yard with a makeshift sheet for a tent, but (me being the overachiever that I am) I felt a nice sense of pride from being able to give the kids an authentic experience.

We had a total of nine boys sleep over (including my own two). I had made the invitation “parent optional” but planned to use the BSA guideline of 1 parent per 5 children, so I wanted to have one other parent there with us. Luckily, two parents ended up coming to stay, and in hindsight two or even three ‘extra’ parents would have been the ideal number. Not really because the boys needed that much supervision, but because at this age (mostly 3-7 years old) they still need a lot of help with things like serving themselves food and getting their things laid out in the tents. The two three-year-olds especially needed a lot of my assistance, so I was glad to have the extra hands!

Contrary to my usual philosophy of keeping kids busy as much as possible, I did not schedule any real activities for them to do. GASP! It was a hard decision, but the right one, I think. I did, however, let the parents know to have their kids bring all sorts of artillery, including squirt guns, Nerf guns and lightsabers. The one complaint I hear from my OS about our Scout meetings is that he doesn’t get enough time to just PLAY with his friends there, so I figured the boys would enjoy the uninhibited free time. I think they really did. The late afternoon after they arrived was spent playing in the sprinkler and slip-n-slide, and their constant battles and duels afterward were enough to keep them all busy all evening!

We did a simple dinner on the grill of hot dogs and hamburgers. The boys all got to shuck corn and slather it with butter and I wrapped the ears up in foil and threw them in hot coals for some yummy roasted corn on the cob. Later that night I started a fire and they all got to roast marshmallows and have s’mores. In all the commotion of getting kids marshmallows on their sticks and breaking up chocolate and graham crackers, I somehow didn’t get a s’more for myself. This makes two camping trips in a row where I didn’t get a s’more, something that I think will need to be remedied very soon!

The most difficult part of the entire campout was bedtime. I had the brilliant idea of letting all the older boys all sleep together in one tent without an adult, knowing full well there would be some talking and playing around, but I figured after so much running around in the heat all day they would all pass out soon enough. But by 11pm I began resorting to threats to get them to quiet down, and it was midnight before most of them were asleep, including the three year olds in my own tent! I’m not entirely sure I would let them sleep alone again, but I know they really did think it was fun to be together in there. For almost all of them this was their first-ever sleepover away from a family member, and I think having their buddies together and the novelty of the sleeping in a tent helped keep them occupied enough to not think of being homesick. I guess that is enough for me to put aside my own sleep deprivation… this one time at least.

As I predicted, the boys were up bright and early despite their late night, grabbing their Nerf guns and lightsabers on their way out of the tent. Breakfast was a sort of omelet made in hallowed out orange peels, wrapped in foil and baked on the grill. I had found the idea in a kids camping cook book, and it was somewhat successful but didn’t go over that well with the boys. My backup plan of cereal did the trick for anyone still hungry though!

The kids all got to take home goodie bags, complete with Adventure Journals and Ranger Rick stickers, courtesy of the National Wildlife Federation who sent me a box full of goodies as a thank you for hosting a campout. There were even cute little tote bags for the grown-ups that participated (and I’m a big fan of tote bags!). I would call this campout as much a learning experience for me as a fun time for the kids, since I got to test out their interests and my own limitations. Over all it was a highly successful event. Sure, there were some tears from hurt feelings or water squirted in the face, and there were a few times they yelled at each other for wanting the same gun, but it was nothing that didn’t pass in a few seconds, and everyone left with a smile on their face.

I am so glad I decided to change my plans and share my yard with all these kids. It gave many more of them a chance to spend the night outside and have a lot of good friendship-building time with their buddies than we would have had if we’d camped elsewhere. And besides, the event IS called the “Great American BACKYARD Campout.” I’m thrilled that we pulled it off without a hitch and that the boys had so much fun. We will definitely be hosting the event next year. Luckily, I get an entire year to recover from the experience before I have to do it again!

Melody's Book Picks: Duck Tents

I've decided to occasionally throw in a book review on this blog that relates to something in the out of doors. It could be a book on hiking or camping, a novel that takes place in the wilderness, or in this case, a children's book aimed to get them interested and excited about nature.

I picked up this cute book called "Duck Tents" by Lynne Berry. It is an adorable story of five little ducks who go "camping" and fishing in their own backyard. I am always on the look out for books about camping for my youngest son, and surprisingly I think that such a topic is hard to come by for the pre-K age group. So, you can well imagine that this book popped right out at me as a wonderful addition to our evening story time.

The tale of the five little duck's backyard excapades is told in simple rhyming verse, but not so simple as to make you, the adult reader, want to roll your eyes in boredom. It is by no means what I would call a very 'short' story for this age, but the bright illustrations and fun text will keep it moving along even for a very young child. All the most important aspects of camping are present, from putting up the tents to fishing to roasting marshmallows. The end even covers the sometimes scarry subject of sounds in the night - but ends happily enough with all the ducks snug and safe.

All in all this was a delightful book for a young child, and one I would highly recommend to anyone who might be taking a youngster camping for the first time. It will also make a great book to bring along on a family camping trip, or maybe just read in the backyard with a makeshift 'tent' made out of a sheet and a clothesline. Snuggle up with your little one and go on an exciting but safe adventure with the five little ducks.

Duck Tents
Written by: Lynne Berry
Illustrated by: Hime Nakata
Melody's recommended age: 2-4 years, but interesting enough for older siblings to listen too

Camping at First Landing: When Plans Go Awry

This weekend we finally went to the beach! I can officially now believe that summer has started. It certainly was hot enough!

Unfortunately, very little this weekend went as planned.

I had planned that we would get to First Landing State Park quite early on Friday, preferably around 4pm when check-in begins. I knew that a good number of the campsites backed up to a very busy road that connects two sections of busy Viginia Beach, and I'm a light sleeper so wanted to make sure we got a site as far away from the road as possible. Well, we didn't end up leaving very early, and of course got stuck in all the rush-hour traffic leading to the tunnel, so it was nearly 7pm by the time we arrived. Suffice to say all the "good" sites were taken, and as I feared, our site backed up to the road. It was a really beautiful site nestled in the forested dunes and surrounded by beachy trees with lots of good climbing branches. If it hadn't been for the near constant roar of traffic, it would have been a little slice of heaven. But thankfully, it was not the end of the world, and we almost got used to the noise by the end of the weekend. I did sleep badly the first night with all the annoyingly loud bar traffic roaring through, but by the second night I was tired enough to not notice it as much!

Since I had planned to get to the camp ground early, I also had wanted to go to the welcome campfire program being hosted by the Rangers at 8pm that night. We set up camp as quickly as we could and then drove over to the visitor center to find the campfire. The description mentioned stories and I hoped to hear something about the area or the Indians or anything I might use for Scouts. We looked all around for the campfire. No luck. Sigh... Well, instead we went down on the beach and played around in the sand and water while the sun finished setting. It was a nice evening, even if I didn't get a new story to add to my repitoire.

Back at the campsite I lit a fire and started getting the kids ready for bed. I was thoroughly amused by the small group of teenages that walked hesitantly over to our site to ask how I got my fire lit. Apparently this was their first foray into the woods and they'd been trying for hours, unsuccessfuly, to light a fire to cook their hot dogs. A Scout is helpful, so while DH took the kids to the bathrooms, I went over and helped the next generation by showing them how to build a fire. They were nice kids, not at all rowdy as some teenagers can be, and very thankful for my help. I hope they have an easier time of it on their next trip out in the wilderness!

So, the next morning I had planned to go on the "Swamp Stomp" hike being led by park interpreters at 11am. It sounded really neat, with the kids scooping up buckets of swamp water and looking for bugs and animals that lived there. It figures that 7am found me scrambling to get the tent unzipped before OS threw up all over the blankets. He hadn't shown any signs of being sick, it was a total surprise. He seemed to feel better after that, so we started our long walk over to the bathrooms and he got sick again on the way. Ummm, no Swamp Stomp for us that day. Bummer. After making it back to the campsite, my poor sick boy crawled back into the tent and went back to sleep for a few hours. At this point we weren't sure if we'd end up having to leave, but we figured for now he was probably more comfortable in the tent than he would be in the car. DH took YS to the playground for a while, then I took him on a bike ride up to explore the visitors center. Miraculously, when OS woke up late that morning he seemed to feel much better and kept down a small amount of food and water. But then he had issues with the other end of his digestive tract, if you know what I mean. Note to self - pack even more emergency underwear for the kids next time.

Well, by 4:00 all the odd sickness seemed to have passed and OS was happily running around the site and swinging from the rope swing that some previous camper had strung up over a pit formed from the bottom of several dunes. So, finally, we got to head to the beach for a little while. The kids had a blast, they love the shallow water and small waves of the Bay. I was very thankful that my big boy got well fast enough to enjoy some part of the day!

After a super yummy dinner on the grill - steak, corn on the cob and garlic bread - I decided to make up for the missed Swamp Stomp hike by going on the interpreter-led Night Hike, which started at 8:30pm. I knew it would be a streatch to have YS hike that much when it was already past his bedtime, but I was determined to get at least one good hike in. I'm so glad we did it, hiking at night was a new experience for the boys, and the interpreter was fantastic with the kids. We listened for different kinds of frogs and owls, watched for bats, and got to test our night vision with a neat experiment. Even though I ended up having to carry YS back on my shoulders, it was a great way to end what had started out as a questionable day.

We woke up late Sunday morning to a stifling heat. The weather on Friday and Saturday had been hot, but tolerable in the shade, and at night it was pleasently cool. Sunday decided to bring on all its heat and humidity with full force. We were already drenched with sweat before we even got out of the tent. Of course, I had thought we'd be up early and take a hike before the heat really set in, but who knew we'd all be so tired we'd sleep in that much? Ahh, but that didn't stop me from making pancakes and bacon for my hubby's Father's Day breakfast! After loading up on the carbs, we decided to try a bike hike instead. We got on our bikes and headed out of the campsite and across the road to do some biking on the Cape Henry Trail. Even though it was hot, the breeze while biking made it a little more tolerable. I'm so very glad that a Scout aquaintence of mine lent us her bike rack for the trip! I'm not sure what we would have done without the bikes there, it really made a big difference, especially just getting to and from the distant bathrooms! I have no idea how far we biked on the trail, but I know my legs and rear end were screaming for mercy by the time we were back at the campsite! It was a good ride.

After the bike hike we hit the beach again for a little bit and then packed up to go home, thouroughly exhausted. Considering we weren't even sure if we'd be able to stay the weekend, I think we had a great trip and still managed to fit a lot of fun stuff in. The kids both kept saying how much they didn't want to leave (they obviously don't long for air conditioning as much as we adults do!), and in the car, just before he fell asleep, YS let out a big sigh and said, "I love our camping trips." Those five words alone made all the stress of plans gone awry completely worth it.

Gearing up the Gear

This weekend we're headed out camping again, this time to First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach. Though we've already been camping a few times this year and I just keep the gear packed and ready to go, I am in the process of REpacking all of it from one gigantic plastic bin that was getting too heavy for one person to lift into two smaller, more manageable ones. It remains to be seen if this is even possible, and if it will help or hinder packing stuff in the car.

Because somehow I believe that car camping means you have to FILL the car. Usually I am shoving things into small crevasses and under the kids feet, and even my feet, to accomodate all the stuff we bring. Now rest assured, I CAN rough it and have done so many times in the past, but I've learned that living in the woods for even a couple days with small children means having to think of anything and everything that might be needed, go wrong, or keep them from whining and fighting the whole time. And you don't want and frantic trip to find a WalMart to ruin your camping experience. As an added problem, when you go camping at the beach as we are this weekend, you not only have to pack the camping gear, but the beach gear too! Beach umbrella, sand toys, beach blankets, etc. Talk about space issues, we'll be lucky to fit the dog in the truck by the time we're ready to go, much less the kids!

Speaking of space, I'm bummed that we don't have a bike rack for our vehicle yet. The beach is a pretty flat place, and I'm sure the trails would be perfect for a family bike hike. We've started to really love biking, but our family skill and strength levels are still pretty low, espeically for my OS who is still somewhat new to life without training wheels. The level trails sound perfect for us, but strapping three bikes to the roof of our car with bungee cords for 90 miles just doesn't seem very feasible. Well, I guess that just means we'll have to make another trip there next year. Maybe Santa, who brought us the bikes this past Christmas, will bring me a bike rack in December. Along, of course, with the GPS unit for geocaching and a dutch oven that are already on my Christmas list! Ummm, are you listening Santa???

Repacking and sorting of gear aside, I'm excited because we now have a happy family of four daypacks to bring with us on our weekend excursions. On our last few hikes I've noticed that the little mini backpack we got for OS many years ago is getting kind of small for him, and his little brother has expressed interest in carrying it himself. So after some searching I found a really nice junior daypack at the new REI here in Richmond. I had also picked up DH a daypack a little while ago, so now he doesn't always have to carry my pretty purple one when we go out. Now we each have our own perfectly sized packs, and all lined up they look like they could be in a "The 3 Bears" type story. "There once was a great big Papa pack, a medium sized Mama pack, a smallish Kid pack, and an itsy-bitsy Baby pack that lived in the woods in a quaint little cottage..."

REI was great fun to wander around, even if it is a little pricey for me right now. I got some really cute little "Adventure Journals" for free that I handed out to all my Cubs at graduation too. Its a little book where they can record a few thoughts about trips they take and things they see. Nice program. I think it would be even better if the kids could get something special for filling it up and turning it in, like a pin or patch or stuffed toy. Maybe I'll bring that up to the company... Still, its a nice thought to help get the kids excited about their adventures, and to remember them down the road.

Ah well, more sorting and repacking awaits so we can hit the interstate tomorrow! Happy camping!

Ode to a Busy Summer

Oh Calendar,
How I love to see thee
With almost all your days filled in.

How I love to see
All the fun we will be having
before the summer draws to an end.

Be it camping trips
Or amusement parks
Or hiking to see what we can see,

Or Scout adventures
And long vacations,
Its all good times with the family.

Some may protest
And think that summer
Should be a time of rest and lazy days,

But as for me,
I've always found
There's no happier time than when we 'play.'

And it seems to me
The more you have written
On your perfect squares, so white,

The less my children
Whine and complain,
And sleep all the better at night.

And so,
Please forgive me
If I stare so happily at your pages and grin,

And don't you cringe
Or roll your eyes
When I look for even more fun things to pencil in!

The boys at Pamlico Sound on Hatteras Island, summer 2009.

Camping and VSP Trail Quest at Bear Creek Lake

Yippee! Our first family camping trip of the year turned out to be a great one!

I had reserved our camping spot online (VA has a great online reservation system) at Bear Creek State Park and in the process found out about the Virginia Trail Quest program. That's it, I'm hooked. We will now proceed to visit every State Park in Virginia over the next couple years.

How could I not have known about this great program? You simply visit a State Park, hike a trail, write down the "secret" code for that park (available at the office or at the new electronic kiosks) and then enter the code online when you get back. For the first park, you get a very nifty pin in the mail, and very quickly I might add! I signed me and the two boys up for the program. You also get pins for the 5th, 10th, 15th, etc parks that you visit, with a special pin if you go to EVERY State park in Virginia. Free stuff just for doing what I probably would be doing anyway? You betcha! And the pin looks great on OS's newly made Cub Brag Vest. :)

But, back to the camping. Bear Creek Lake was a nice park, complete with playground and lake with swimming beach, two things a parent highly prizes when looking for a campground. Then again, most VA parks do offer those things. Just another perk of this State's beautifully managed Parks system. Since it was before the "busy" season that begins with Memorial Day weekend, there weren't too many other families there, so we had a nice feeling of solitude and privacy. there's really not a large number of camp sites anyway, so even in the peak season I doubt it feels very crowded... except maybe for the beach area.

It felt good to get away just with the family. Camping with the Cubs is wonderful and the boys have a great time running amuck with their friends, but this more laid back family camp weekend was just what I needed to take a step back and reconnect with myself. No schedules or super-planned activities. Swim, hike, eat, sleep, swim some more. That's about it! Funny how the kids get so excited about doing something that can be explained in just a few words. I smile in my heart every time my little one asks when we can go camping again. Kids were meant to be outside and they sure know it at that age!!!




In preparation for our big trip to Yellowstone later this summer, we have been trying to get out on more hikes, walks and bike rides as a family. So, while we were at the Park we decided to do a 2 mile hike along Channel Cat Trail. I believe this is the farthest my YS has ever hiked on his own, and he made it the whole way with only a few minimal complaints about being tired. He's only 3.5 years old, so two miles sounds like a pretty good accomplishment for him to me! At least now we have a benchmark on how far he can hike on his own on our vacation. We're still undecided about bringing the toddler hiking backpack to carry him in, so sightseeing may be limited to what he can manage. Good to know now just what that is!

Spring Cub Family Campout

This weekend was the anual spring Pack Family Camp Out and the first real camping we have gotten to do with my oldest's Cub Scout friends. We are veteran campers and the kids always enjoy themselves whenever we camp, but its definitely a whole different experience when we go with a very large group of other kids. I can't believe how much ENERGY they all seem to have! Even in the oppressive heat, they're running around like maniacs! Cute maniacs, at least!

We all really had a blast. The hubbs couldn't stay the night because of work, so I was there with the two boys most of the time by myself. It didn't matter much though, since they were constantly with other kids and there were swarms of adults to help keep an eye out for them and make sure none ended up in the lake. Team parenting, it rocks!

I got to lead a short 2 mile hike so the boys could earn the new Hiking belt loop for Cub Scouts. I had them tell me what I was doing "wrong" before we started the hike, and I was very impressed with how much they knew without any prompting. They told me right off, before I even had a chance to start my shpeil, that my flip flops were NOT going to cut it on a hike. And they also informed me that the candy bars and soda I packed for snack were not good for me either! I needed water and healthy food. Duh, silly Leader! Needless to say, I was very proud and I think they enjoyed it better than a lecture on "Rules for Hiking."

I'm still learning that camping with boys may not necessarily be the same as camping with girls, like the Girl Scouts, when I was growing up. The planning, structure and activities that I am used to seems to go right out the window with these kids. They almost seem happier coming up with their own activities and just clowning around with eachother. They're also not that big into singing camp songs, much to my chagrin. The boys seem to prefer screeching and running in the dark with glowsticks to sitting and singing. But, it won't stop me from trying to make them into fireside-song-loving campers though! Just some of the many lessons I'll have to learn as I venture on in this new phase of outdoor living as a parent of two boys.

It was great to get out on our first trip of the year. The weather was wonderful for a change too! We're already planning the next trip in a couple weeks, and I'm really looking forward to it. There's nothing like the smell of smoke and bug spray on your clothes and hair to remind you that you're really alive!

Take only pictures... and memories.

I am starting this Blog for two main reasons: first, to help preserve the memories of my family's and children's activities for years to come; and second, to provide ideas and helpful information to other families and Scouting leaders who need help getting their children engaged in nature, the environment and the out-of-doors. I am a adamant supporter of the idea that no child should spend their lives inside, watching TV and playing video games. Kids are healthier and happier when outside in their natural surroundings, and far too few kids today spend enough time experiencing that natural world.


The little one gets his feet wet.
Belle Isle, Richmond, VA August 2008

I am a mother of two young boys (ages 3.5 and 7 at this writing) and a Cub Scout Den Leader for my older son. As a family we love to go tent camping and explore local, State and National parks, and as a Cub leader it has been wonderful to participate in even more outdoor activities with other boys and their families. I have meany more memories of my childhood of things that happened outside than those that happened in a classroom. Children were meant to play and learn in the great outdoors. I hope that someday my boys (both mine and my Cubs) will take their memories of these experiences with them into their adult lives, and that I leave them with a profound sence of appreciation and connection to the natural world. And obviously, I'll take a LOT of pictures for them along the way!

Rock hopping at Belle Isle, Richmond, VA.
August 2008