Keeping Up

I try to stay current about things that interest me - I scan 5 newspapers every morning from different areas of the US, I check national and international news feeds, and I check on scientific and archaeological news.  I try to keep up-to-date about places I love, places that have family ties, and places I'd like to visit.  When I was living on Chincoteague Island in the late 1990s, the big discussion (sometimes acrimonious) was about the placement of "the new bridge"  - a span to replace the old draw bridge on the Chincoteague Channel.  I knew that the Maddox Boulevard planning site had won, and I've watched via aerial photographs, the building and opening of the new bridge span. I read about the removal of the old draw bridge, from which my Aunts, Uncles, and Mother learned to swim.  Yesterday I posted the aerial view of historic down town Chincoteague on my blog - it's a gorgeous photo copyrighted by Patrick J. Henrickson of Highcamera.com.
   Yesterday evening, I handed over to my sister some photos I had printed, including the aerial view by Mr. Hendrickson.  She was completely amazed.  My sister was born at NAS Chincoteague in 1950 - we grew up on the island during the summer months, and one of her main markers for returning home has always been the old draw bridge.  I showed her on the photograph where the old draw used to be located - the line of piers in the Channel located directly behind the letter "m"  of .com...  I thought she would faint.  We haven't been on Chincoteague or Assateague since the memorial service for our Aunt Ruth Patrick back in 2003.  I was, and am, aware of the changes made on Chincoteague.  Kathy is still in a state of shock - what she has known her whole life is gone...  It's a good thing we're having a family reunion there for Pony Penning in 2015.  That way her kids and grandkids won't be so surprised.

  On Sunday, Take Charge Indy was leading at the half-mile pole in the Monmouth Cup.  Jockey Gary Stevens said he was smiling and thinking what an easy race it was.  Then he heard a very loud pop.  In the lead by 1 1/2 lengths, he immediately started to veer to the outside of the track and pull the big horse up. Take Charge Indy had a condylar fracture of his left foreleg; because Gary pulled him up immediately and had an ambulance called, the colt had quick surgery and is now looking forward to stud duty at WinStar Farm next season.  My thanks to Gary Stevens for his excellent and fast decisions in stopping the colt before any further damage could occur.