Able-Bodied Seaman

Royal Naval Cemetery

Black Bay Beach

I know it's a rock!

Granny's first cannon pose for the Big Guy

Early weather stone

Instructioins

At the World''s Smallest Drawbridge

Small, really small.

October 28, 2013

Yes, I know the pictures are first, and you'll have to scroll up and down. Local WiFi and my fingers didn't work well.

After a breakfast of a bowl of oatmeal (covered in butter and brown sugar), accompanied by a Chi-wow-wow casedilla (speelling does not count in a blog) for me, and a blue berry muffin and a cup of hot chocolate for Bonnie, we set out.  First stop was the transportation center to buy a two day pass, and then we boarded Old # 7 for Hamilton, with frequent stops along the way.

First stop was the Royal Naval Cemetery.  The first marker was set up in 1819.  The cemetery holds the bodies of naval personnel and their families.  You know that my sense of humor will not stand close inspection, so I was taken in by one tombstone of an “Able Bodied Seaman” erected by his fellows on the occasion of his death by drowning.

Able bodied seaman drowned – never mind! 

But if you are rude, you will get the hub cap joke.  Our table almost got it last night when I was served sliced pork with crab meat covered in hollandaise sauce.  Oh, there’s no plate like chrome for the hollandaise!

Next we walked up the road to Black Bay Beach which is “famous” for sea glass.  Bottles, glasses, jars, and what-nots wash overboard or are thrown overboard, break on the rocks and are worn smooth by the action of the waves.  Everyone describes it as a do not miss place.  Well, we didn’t miss it, but if we had, we wouldn’t have missed much.  We’ve heard warnings that if you gather large quantities, security will seize your collection and you’ll return to the ship empty-handed.  Bonnie searched diligently and found 11 worthwhile pieces.  And one seashell.  And one rock (all together now – “I know it’s a rock!  Work with me on this!”).

I wanted to see the Convict Cemetery, but it was off the main road a fair hike, so we did not go.  I thought it was in the area where we were, and I asked a passing postman, but unsure of what time we had dismounted from our last pink chariot, we decided to wait for the next one, and not explore further.  Of the 2,000 convicts buried there, only 12 graves still have markers, and only 4 of those have readable names.  One has the interesting epitaph: “Killed yesterday.  Died today.”

Then we caught the bus to Fort Scaur, erected in the mid-19th century at a time when relations were not good between the United States and Great Britain.  Beautiful views, including one photograph for the Big Guy.

Another photograph this day was of an Early Bermuda Weather Stone.  Read the accompanying photograph.  It’s right more often than the meterologists on Channel 12!

Next it was off to Somerset Draw Bridge, the smallest draw bridge in the world, built in 1620.  The bottom is 18 inches, the top is 21 inches.  It guards a lagoon filled with personal luxury craft.  When we got off the bus I asked the driver where the bridge was.  She said, “We just drove over it.  Walk back to the post office, and there it is.”  Small, indeed.

From there we caught our fourth bus of the day.  This one was driven by a lady who would have been right at home in NASCAR or on the European Grand Prix circuit.  Hold on, this may be a roller coaster and not a bus!  Arriving safely in Hamilton, and there were moments of uncertainty, we took the water taxi back to the Dock Yard and scrambled aboard the Grandeur of the Seas for lunch in the Solarium (if you can call a meal consumed at 3:30 lunch).

And now I am going back off the ship, secure a connection to the local WiFi and post this blog, check emails, and then go to the Pittsburgh Trib Review to see if the Steelers really are 2-5 as one of my shipmates told me.  How long is it until pitchers and catchers report?  Let’s go Bucs!

TTFN!