As I promised, here are more vacation photos. For one of our first days in the Williamsburg/Jamestown area, we took a boat tour on the James River, launching from Fort Pocahontas (more about that place in a coming post) and destined for waters next to the old Jamestown settlement. Below is our worthy vessel, along with our worthy tour guide, who narrated Jamestown history during the cruise and shared his local knowledge of the James River. When we boarded he asked us if we lived in Virginia (I began to say no) and showed us a map of the area indicated in the 1606 Virginia charter, the land between 34^o and 45^o latitude from coast to coast. According to the map, the charter covered about two-thirds of the modern U.S. including the entire state of Indiana. I admitted to the guide that perhaps I was a Virginian after all. Historically speaking of course.

Above: These kids are hanging out at the bow, or front, of the ship. Below: One view of the shoreline opposite from where we launched.

The captain of the ship (whoever that was) throughout the trip steered us between buoys like these. As you can see below, they were popular with birds.

It seemed our boat was popular with birds, too. Several followed in our wake, looking for churned up fish, and provided me with some decent photos. The bird below is, I believe, a laughing gull (Larus atricillia).

The gull has made a successful catch. Below is another successful fisher, this time an osprey, if I'm not mistaken. (Pandion haliaetus) Ospreys catch their fish by diving feet first in water. Their dive is spectacular and I was able to see it two or three times throughout the week. During the boat tour one dove at and chased off a pelican, apparently an invader to its fishing territory.

Above is a bridge near Jamestown known to boaters as the "Hole-in-the-wall," for obvious reasons. You can see this bridge in the upper left corner of the Jamestown satellite image I posted last month. Below is the old Jamestown settlement itself, as viewed from the James River. In another post I'll have more pictures of Jamestown from land.

Above: A public transportation ferry that passed us once or twice on the River. We later rode on one. Waiting for a ferry to dock and riding across the river can be an ordeal of 20 minutes or more. It makes you uncommonly thankful for bridges.

Below: A sand barge. 

Above and below: Sara and Evan, my sister and brother, and my father Herb, all enjoying the afternoon cruise. We make it back to the dock just in time: 30 minutes later a hailstorm hit.

 Photos copyright Daniel James Devine