Shore Birds

One of the pleasures of strolling along the beach is watching the birds. They move in and out quickly with the ebb and flow of the waves. It is fascinating to see how they can time their movements so that they don't get drenched by the waves.

The least bit of movement on my part and they take flight. 

This fella (or lady) graciously posed for me, though not for long...

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Shore Birds," Kinexxions, posted February 26, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/shore-birds.html : accessed [access date])

Designs by Nature... Digital Souvenirs

Thursday, February 14th - - Since I have limited space available for collecting souvenirs of my travels, I prefer to think of my photographs as my souvenirs - they are much easier to keep and store and often bring back the memories better than any object could.

So, while strolling along the beach, as I find "those shiny objects" or interesting patterns, I simply take a photo...

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Becky Wiseman, "Designs by Nature... Digital Souvenirs," Kinexxions, posted February 25, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/designs-by-nature-digital-souvenirs.html : accessed [access date])

From One Beach to Another

Monday, February 11th - - After leaving the St. Augustine area, I headed west toward Pensacola. It was a beautiful day - with sunshine and temperatures nearing 80 degrees - at least until I got a few miles west of Tallahassee!

Driving along Interstate 10, I could see a dark wall ahead. It was rather ominous looking so I started slowing down. Thankfully, other vehicles did the same and a few minutes later I entered the darkness. The wind buffeted poor Van Dora and the rain pelted the windshield. In a matter of seconds, the bright sun disappeared and the temperature dropped from 80 to 65 degrees.

I've driven in a lot of different weather conditions but this is the first time, I think, that I literally drove into a cold front. It was both fascinating and frightening at the same time! Thankfully, the worst of it only lasted about 10 minutes. But the colder temperatures remained, as did the rain (off and on), for the next 3 days. I stopped for the night before reaching my destination. Florida has some very nice State Parks along the I-10 corridor between Tallahassee and Pensacola.

Tuesday, February 12th - - I continued on my way to Pensacola and checked in at one of my favorite campgrounds - Big Lagoon State Park. A few errands that needed taking care of took up the remainder of the day and I settled in with the laptop for a few hours before turning in for the night.

Thursday, February 14th - - Yesterday was a mostly rainy day and was spent in the library, which just happens to be across the road from Big Lagoon. How convenient is that! This morning it was also extremely cloudy and drizzling rain but after noon I noticed that the sky had started clearing - the sun had come out and with it blue skies. I closed up the laptop and headed for the beach.

Part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore is just a short drive from Big Lagoon - cross over a bridge onto Perdido Key and make a left turn after a few blocks and there you have a pristine, undeveloped, beautiful shore that extends for several miles. There were few people wandering the beaches. It was still rather cool, only 55 degrees, but there was very little wind and the sun felt quite warm.

The sand alongside the road was 5-6 feet high. This pattern, made by the wind and bits of grass, reminded me of a sun dial. I strolled along the shore for several hours, savoring the sunshine and the sound of the waves.

 Looking westward, the sun glimmering on a receding wave.

 To the east, the shimmering white sands seem to go on forever.

 The wind, weather, and waves had cut into the shoreline in several places, creating drop-offs of 12-18 inches.

In other areas, little valleys had formed along the shore. It made for interesting walking!

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "From One Beach to Another," Kinexxions, posted February 24, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/from-one-beach-to-another.html : accessed [access date])

Anastasia in the Morning

Monday, February 11th - - After 5 days in the Saint Augustine area my stay at Anastasia State Park came to an end. It had been a wonderful few days with a little rain and gloomy weather along with a few days of sunshine and blue skies, but the warmer temperatures were great. I awoke early this morning and headed to the beach before the sun rose above the horizon. It was windy and the surf was from 3-5 feet high. The beach was nearly deserted with just a few other folks wandering the shore.

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Anastasia in the Morning," Kinexxions, posted February 22, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/anastasia-in-morning.html : accessed [access date])

The Manatees of Blue Spring

Sunday, February 3rd - - Located north of Orlando, Florida along the St. Johns River, Blue Spring State Park is the winter home of a small population of West Indian Manatees. Perhaps a dozen or so were within the viewing area provided by the park on the day I visited. For more information on the Manatees, see the Save the Manatee website.

The shallow, crystal-clear water is ideal for viewing the Manatees.

A little one coming up for air.

A group of four youngsters heading upstream.

This one was feeding on the algae at the bottom of the stairs. It was there for quite a while and it was one of the larger manatees in the area that day.

Another large one meandering upstream. They seemed to like to hang out beneath the viewing platform.

A more mature manatee.

A psychedelic version, compliments of a little wind and some sunshine.

There was a lot of pushing going on around a tree that had fallen into the stream.

The green leaves must have been the best tasting...

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "The Manatees of Blue Spring," Kinexxions, posted February 20, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-manatees-of-blue-spring.html : accessed [access date])

Georgia Sunrise

Funny thing about how the world turns... for every sunset there is a sunrise. Though ordinary they might be, each one is a sight to behold. I don't often get up early enough to catch the sunrise but on this particular day I was camped along the northern shore of a little inlet on Lake Blackshear in Georgia Veterans State Park and I was awakened by the early morning light. The colors in the sky were magnificent. But, of course, by the time I had gotten around and outside some of the awesome color had dissipated somewhat, but it was still quite nice.

 February 1, 2013 at 7:16 am Central Standard Time.

Taken at 7:29 am.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the light changes and the dramatic effects, especially during the times of a sunrise or sunset.

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Georgia Sunrise," Kinexxions, posted February 13, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/georgia-sunrise.html: accessed [access date])

Georgia Sunset :: On The Road Again

Reflection in the side window of Van Dora. Taken January 31, 2013 at the Georgia Veteran's Memorial State Park southeast of Americus, Georgia.

A few minutes later, the colors are more muted.

You may have guessed by now that I am no longer in Indiana! I was ready to leave the cold weather behind in November, but for a variety of reasons was unable to get away until the end of January. After a short stop in Alabama to spend a few days with my friend and distant cousins, Babs, I've been enjoying the much warmer temperatures and very pleasant weather in Florida for the last week (in spite of several rainy days). As an added bonus, I was able to meet-up (separately) with two geneablogger-real-life friends, Charley aka Apple, and Denise Barrett Olson. I thank them both for their hospitality and for the time spent with them.

Even though I am now traveling, work continues on that monster Database Cleanup that was started in December. Once the sun goes down I have several hours before turning in for the night - and those rainy days are put to good use too. It's actually kind of fun - I'm getting "reacquainted" with some of the families that I haven't worked on for a long time and seeing a lot of "data holes" that need to be filled. It is awfully tempting to go searching for the "missing" information but I'm trying really hard to stay on track!

Registration for G.R.I.P. was last week and as much as I really wanted to attend (particularly the new tract with Tom Jones) I decided to forgo that opportunity this year. To be honest, I haven't fully absorbed everything from last year. The syllabus and my notes are traveling with me so when I get tired of working on the database they are available to peruse. I also felt that it was important to get the database straightened up a bit as well as getting all those documents reviewed that I obtained at Salt Lake City in 2010 and 2011 - I have barely even scratched the surface with them. Perhaps G.R.I.P. or one of the other institutes will be on the agenda in 2014.

I'm not sure how long I'll be traveling this time around, or even where all I'll be going. There are a few places on the "definite" list, mostly in The West, but this journey will be taken at a much slower pace than was done previously, with more time spent at each stop along the way.

==+==+==

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Georgia Sunset :: On The Road Again," Kinexxions, posted February 11, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/georgia-sunset-on-road-again.html : accessed [access date])

Foster Family :: Index to Posts

An Index Post is how I keep track of all of the blog posts that have been written on a family line. It helps keep me organized and allows visitors to easily find information on that family. This post will be updated as new blog posts are written on the family.

It is not known when William Foster (my 5th great-grandfather) who was born Wilhelm Georg Forster about 1749 somewhere in the area now called Germany, came to this country but it is presumed by some researchers to be about 1765. What is known is that he married Magdalene Daniel, daughter of Adam Daniel, on April 19, 1774 at Christ Lutheran Church, Tulpehocken Valley, Bethel Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. About 1796 he purchased 190 acres of land on the "drains of Bauman Mill Run" outside of Strasburg, Virginia.

By that time he had become a Lutheran minister and served two small congregations - one in neighboring Hampshire County (now in West Virginia) from 1797 to 1803 and the other - then known as the "Hawksbiel" church in Page County from 1798-1806.

About 1805, he began  a stint as a traveling preacher in the wilderness of what would become Perry county, Ohio. He moved his family to Ohio in 1808 and lived there until his death on July 11, 1815. During that time, he organized at least three Lutheran congregations in what is now Perry County, Ohio. In addition to being a Lutheran minister, William became a large landowner. When he died in 1815 his bequest to each of his 12 children was 160 acres.

My line of descent is through his 10th child, Benjamin Foster (1791-1879). His daughter, Sarah Foster (1818-1904) had a son, William Brubaker (1843-1912), who was born out of wedlock. William's son, Charles Romain Brubaker (1871-1945), had a daughter, Hazlette Aileen Brubaker  (1902-1984). She married Rolland Victor Phend (1893-1991) and they are my mother's parents.

• The Search for Hawksbill Church - - November 11, 2009 - - Located in Shenandoah County, Virginia the Hawksbill Church was the pastorate for three of my ancestors - the first two pastors of the church were Johann Caspar Stoever Sr. (1733-34) and Johann Caspar Stoever Jr. (1734-42). They were my 6th and 5th great-grandfathers, respectively. The eighth pastor of the Hawksbill Church  was my 5th great-grandfather, Wilhelm Georg Forster, who served from 1798-1806. 
• Help Wanted! A gift received from a Genea-Angel! - - December 31, 2011 - - A reader sent a "Letter of Recommendation" for Wilhelm George Forster that was signed by two of the reader's ancestors. The letter is undated but written while Forster was still pastor of the Hawksbill Church, which he left in 1806.

Benjamin Foster (1791-1879) had two children by his first wife, Margaret "Peggy" Myers (abt 1797-abt 1821): Sarah and Eli. In 1821, Benjamin married Margaret's sister Anna Maria, known as Mary Myers and had 11 children with her. Benjamin lived in Perry County, Ohio and is buried in Zion Ridge Cemetery in Thorn Township.

Sarah Foster (1818-1904), whose first child, William Brubaker was born out of wedlock in 1843 was married on March 28, 1849 to George Thomas Parkison. About 1851, they moved to Thorncreek Township, Whitley County, Indiana. Sarah's brother, Eli, as well as several of their half-siblings also moved to Whitley County at about the same time or shortly thereafter. John Brubaker, the father of William, had settled in Rock Creek Township, Huntington County, Indiana prior to 1850.

• Tombstone Tuesday :: Parkison Family - - November 4, 2008 - - Sarah and her husband George, as well as their son Benjamin are buried in the Masonic Section of Greenhill Cemetery in Columbia City, Indiana.
• See Brubaker Family - Index to Posts for information on the Brubaker Family.

Published under a Creative Commons License.
Becky Wiseman, "Foster Family :: Index to Posts," Kinexxions, posted February 5, 2013 (http://kinexxions.blogspot.com/2013/02/foster-family-index-to-posts.html : accessed [access date])