Memorial Day 2007. Orange, Virginia.

It was 400 years ago this year that 104 men and boys crossed the Atlantic aboard three ships to establish the first permanent settlement in the New World in the name of King James - Jamestown is where cultures came together and where modern America was shaped. From the original toehold of the Virginia Company of London came the notions of representative government, the rule of law, individual opportunity, free enterprise, a common North American language and celebration of diversity.


Well Rocky made his presence felt during the night moving his cage a full ten feet and eating his way through an electric cable...but today he is set for release.

After a lovely breakfast amongst the guests on the sun-washed terrace I am off into town to attend the Memorial Day Parade. The only non-American here and yet I am the only attendee heading out from amongst the guests to the parade.

My first port of call though is Ed's gallery where he and I have a very interesting conversation based around the true meaning of life and the struggles we all have to face in crafting our way in the world.

AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE should REMEMBER THEM!

As the bell tolled out from Trinity Methodist Church and the vet's saluted the passing flag with chests puffed out you could not fail to be swept up in the emotion of conflicts past and present. The justifications for wars can be debated until time immemorial but the reality is that it is only right that we honour the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.

I can though understand why this appears to some to be a slice to far of Americana. After the preaching from the minister of Orange Baptist Church (and we had the only white minister out of the ten plus Baptists ministers in the area) we saluted the flag and sang the national anthem before we all recited the pledge of allegiance.

This is the South and this was an Anglo-Saxon celebration and yes this was propaganda wrapped in red, white and blue right down to the lady in front of me and her Heart of America crocheted cardigan. From sea to shining sea and across thy fruited plain America rightly celebrated the sacrifices that have been, and are still being made.

Upon leaving Orange our task was first to release Rocky and then to take Vince back to Washington D.C..

After saying our final farewells to Rich and Vince in Alexandria, Alice and I headed over to St Elmo for lunch before we hit the road back to New York. As usual we made the most of our trip stopping to enjoy the views and even stopping for ice-cream at one of the sadly declining number of roadside diners.