Okay, he's back. He played the fiddle on the Giant's Causeway as predicted. Sigh. But I am having a good time with my sister in law in Lynchburg. I have facebook friends searching for my son's ancestor's grave in Gaston County. The BBC is coming to North Carolina at least for one day it appears.

The BBC called my house!!

It's true. Some weeks ago the British Broadcasting Company called my house! We thought we were on our way to Northern Ireland for July. That is a very long story I'll let you in on at a later date. For now, just so you will know,
********** RG is on his way to Northern Ireland tonight***********
with other OVTA members to bring the story of the American Revolution in the south to the Scots-Irish in Ulster.

In 2004, we went to the Republic of Ireland and to England during Christmas. It was wonderful, but I did not consider going to N. Ireland at the time. I was afraid of it. By the time the trip arrived, I had learned a lot and less afraid, but you can't get there from there. Those were long roads! I planned to go back as I told Rick Steves. I learned especially that Many Many of the Overmountain men were from Ulster or their fathers and mothers were from there. You already know my son has a direct relative who fought at Kings Mountain and before that in the French and Indian War. Captain Martin born in county Tyrone, NI., lived to be 104 years old and is buried in Belmont, NC.

In fact, before we weren't going to N. Ireland, we were going and I corresponded with a producer there about our genealogy. They were very interested in my son and RG. I even found one possible Irish ancestor for myself a little closer in time than the 1400s... 1740 to be exact. We were going to be detectives searching out our genealogy, see the linen areas, see the giant's causeway, see Belfast, Londonderry and Donegal in the Republic... sigh. RG is going to get to play his fiddle on the great rocks of the Giant's Causeway, march in parades, sing in pubs and visit with people.

We can only hope that he brings Brendan Hughes back to North Carolina. AND no ! it 's not that one, its the history producer/director/ famous BBC one altogether different one. Brendan Hughes must be to the Irish of both lands as John Smith is the England or American. .. A classic name.

Anyway, I told him to invite Mr. Hughes over. We would have a "pickin" session like we did for his mid-century birthday and I will take him with my son to the heart of the hornet's nest in Gaston County and find the grave of the Revolutionary hero Samuel Martin.

Meanwhile! Happy 4th of July. Look what my friend Andy Matthews did with the East Bend celebration. Isn't it cool?!?! You can follow Andy and happens in the Yadkin Valley on his new e-newspaper. Maybe we can survive the loss of the Messenger with this new media.

Happy 4th!!

And the Beat Goes On.....

National Trails Day was a WONDERFUL day in Elkin on Saturday, June 5th. Duke Energy donated land which we were able to get paved as a road-side pull off, with Stimulus funds if I am not mistaken, so that tourists have "someplace to go" to see the Surry Muster Ground and the wayside exhibit on the trailhead of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.


Check out this video from one of our OVTA members.

It was just a great day!! This is all made possible by funding via the National Parks Foundation 2009 Active Trails grant from the support of The Coca-Cola Company.

We were also supported in our efforts to dedicate the space by Boy and Girl Scouts groups coming from Allegheny to Yadkin counties. They came from all over the backcountry just like the patriots of 1780 to help patrol and clean-up the National Trail in Surry county. They earned National Historic Trail patches by their efforts and walked a tremendous number of miles in the 3 hours between 8 and 11 am.

We were SO grateful too for the support from Greg Jones from Ft.Dobbs who led the Blackpowder exhibition and dressed out in 1780 militia wear instead of his normal Provincial Soldier from the French and Indian War.

The National Parks Service brought us the Guilford Fife and Drum Corps from Greensboro. Senator Jim Broyhill from Winston-Salem told the scouts and public the story of establishing the historic trail and why it was meaningful. Mrs. Broyhill came too!

The town of Elkin did a tremendous job of preparing the landscape, red, white and blue ribbon and giant sissors to cut the ribbon.

The SAR presented the colors, the DAR cheered us on and the public came out to give us support.

Great, great day!!

More River News

Comedy: Jeanne Robertson "Don't go rafting without a Baptist in the boat."

More fun in the River with funny and famous, a former Miss North Carolina and our Friend Jeanne Robertson.

I have to say I like these too. Jeanne opens the show in Burlington and at another she takes a vacation in Canada. Lastly, this trip to the grocery store can't be beat.

Tour de Yadkin

Everywhere up and down the Yadkin River, people are beginning to take about our Revolutionary story including people I don't even know yet. That is a good thing. There was a meeting in Elkin recently and the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail was discussed as an INCREDIBLE asset for Elkin by the invited speaker and as far as I know no one from our area was even there.



We are bound to the river, the first trail. The Yadkin Riverkeepers are sponsored a month long canoe trip from the beginning of the Yadkin River to ... I'll have to look it up. Anyway, the Tour de Yadkin is coming through Elkin soon. They will be at W. Kerr Scott on Thursday. The river dumps into the lake. The canoeist will have to trek around the dam and resume. Soon he will pass the roundabout at Ronda and the hanging tree still leaning over the river.



WFDD is following the Yadkin Riverkeeper. They have this great blog and a film with our friend Montie Hamby. He is the original Riverkeeper.

Easter

The Moravians had a beautiful service today. I heard this on the news. I was hoping there was a video for you, but I'm still looking. They have been in the Winston-Salem area since the mid-1700s. This sunrise Easter service has been presented and attended by people from all over the world.

We had a lovely day today too. We had a church-wide Breakfast, Sunday School was packed and with new members, the choir had beautiful music - When I Survey the Wonderous Cross, In the Seed There is A Flower, and the Hallelujah Chorus at the very end. The pastor's message was great about community and Christ's sacrifices so we could have that community. We had communion and ended after the benediction with Charles-Marie Widor's Toccata from the 5th Symphony. Wow, another year- passes fast. But it is warm and it is spring here again.

Our church youth remove the "sackcloth" covering the furniture and replace it. They bring in a seven foot tall cross decorated with greenery and flowers all over it to signal the start of the Easter service. We all bring flowers from our yard. It is just a beautiful day.

Enjoy this version of the Hallelujah chorus from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir in New York. We at least felt like this today and our singing was almost as powerful.

Ft. Dobbs- plowed ground for the seeds of Revolution

I found this great video series for you from Ft. Dobbs. It discusses the French and Indian War which ended in 1763. At this time all soldiers and militia were English citizens. This war though gave the King of England an excuse to raise taxes in the 1760s-1770s. Corruption by officials in the colonies led to rebellion, particularly in Alamance. More people moved to the backcountry to escape the government of both the state and of England. More immigrants entered the backcountry from the Wagon Road during this time as well. Usually they were not so enamored of England anyway being Irish, Scots, Scots-Irish, German, Welsh or French. The King attempted to respect the rights of Native Americans at this time, but the animosity arising from the recent war led the newcomers to dismiss anything the English had to say about who could go to where. The seeds of Revolution were sewn here in the ground plowed by the French and Indian War.

This is a great place to remind you to see the reenactment of the War for Empire at Ft. Dobbs on April 10-11 in Statesville, NC, (home also of the Carolina Balloonfest.)