A Living Magazine - Day 299 - Homecoming - Fredericksburg: Salem Church

This will be a short one, as the intensity of my writing lately is tiring me out. It is much more difficult and taxing than walking. Readers will notice that the post from yesterday has been snipped. Two of the three parties whom it discussed have been in communication with me, and their part in my disaffection with Livermore is over. We may yet be able to heal things. Ultimately, fault - if there is such a thing - was evenly spread.

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I woke at the sleep spot feeling satisfied that I'd done my best on the Ghosts in Gray and Blue story, having worked another twelve solid hours on it the day before. Even now, there are typos that I keep discovering. But, on this morning, I felt confident that it would stand up pretty well on its own.

What I needed on this day was a good old fashioned walk around town. I had decided the night before that I would visit some of the battlefields around town. The first one would be the closest: Salem Baptist Church. I packed up and hit the pavement for the three mile walk...

A little park and duck pond on the way to Route 3.

Beautiful creatures--warming up after a swim.

A few geese had landed on their way north.

In the ancient days, it was pyramids and great temples.

Now it is logo monuments to corporate greed.

Of course everyday people just look for the place they want to walk around. 

I reached the corner where Salem Church was located...

Walking into the church yard was a solemn feeling...

Sorry, I didn't get the picture of the lightning damage photo.

But you can get the idea in the next shot (upper left of the church).

Repaired, but still visible is the white streak of new mortar.

The large pits in the wall are from bullets and shrapnel.

On this day, I discovered a situation with a friend; one that hurt me, led to a very unfortunate series of events, ending in the posting and then withdrawal of yesterday's essay about my time in Livermore, California. This is the very last time it will be mentioned in this blog.

I found another Starbucks to process pictures in, and then walked back to the sleep spot, setting up and then retiring to my tent.