So things are getting back to normal now at Ye Olde Boat Museum after the excitement of the big weekend. We’ve pretty much decided to do the whole thing again next year – only this time with 12 months of planning! Let the meetings begin….

You know – really wonderful things just keep showing up in my mailbox. The other day I recieved a lovely little Kokopelli figure from Dublingirl – all the way from the wilds of Colorado. In the same package, Jim received some highly fashionable trout items. Sumi was intensely interested in the box they came in and has adopted it at as a summer home.

Then today, a book magically appeared on my desk – sent to me by Tom Campbell. It’s his book on the CSS Virginia that he wrote with Professor Flanders from ODU. Tom’s been working with us on the USS Monitor Center project and took it upon himself to fill a decided gap in my library. He’s just put up a new website for all of his books (I think there’s 14 of them or so) so if you have a chance, take a look. I don’t think it’s even showing up in all the search engines yet, but it’s got information about all of his books there as well as how to order them. Between Tom and John Quarstein, I’ll become quite the fan of the CSS Virginia.

I’m really excited too – because it looks as though we’ll be recreating the forward starboard quarter of the Virginia‘s casemate in the exhibition. When I’m allowed to by the powers that be, I’ll try to post some of the sketches here.

It’s so nice outside – I think I’m going to leave the computer for now and venture out into the wilds of my backyard – before the weather goes totally south. I love days like this…