Friday, May 25 – Ed – Ed's and Lise's Biggish Years

This has been a good birding trip. I have gotten over 50 species this trip, including Sabine’s gull, a lifer. I am now over 250 species for the year. This is a great birding area. If I counted all the species I’ve seen, including ones that I got other places, my species count would easily be over a hundred. There is such a mix of very different habitat types in close proximity to each other. More on that later. After all, this started as a birding blog.

Preening great blue heron.

I’m staying with my sister Anita in Lewes. Lewes is an old city. They call themselves the first city in the first state. The First State moniker comes from being the first to ratify the constitution. Lewes was originally founded by the Dutch as Zwaanendael in 1631. Lots of old historic buildings. The older buildings all have names, usually associated with the first owner.

Ryves Holt Home.Wonder if the mortgage is paid off yet?

Lewes has a long maritime tradition. Including piracy and smuggling. When Captain William Kidd was trying to sneak inconspicuously back into the country he was riding aboard another captain’s ship. That ship broke down and had to limp into Lewes for repairs. The ship’s captain mentioned to the locals that he had a load of rum aboard the ship. Bad move. Some reformed pirates, if there is such a thing, overheard this and decided to row out to the ship. They recognized Kidd and a rum fueled party ensued. Kidd’s cover was blown and he was eventually hung. I guess you could call it a really bad hangover. The real irony for Kidd is that he was sailing under a warrant from the King of England to engage pirates and steal what they had already stolen. Because of the party, William Penn issued a proclamation that all future reformed pirates were to be repatriated to inland areas with no access to the ocean.

During the Revolutionary War arms and supplies for Washington’s army were smuggled through the British blockade at Lewes and then hauled overland. During the War of 1812 Lewes was blockaded and shelled by the British. Sore losers I guess. One of the older buildings still has a cannon ball in its foundation from the shelling.

Recently piracy has become a bit less glamourous here in Lewes. There are still pirates, they just aren’t as blatant about it. Its like they are afraid to raise the Jolly Roger even though they could put the best of the buccaneers to shame. They still relieve the unsuspecting of their money, just with a more insidious technique. Instead of sloops and brigs the brigands now use parking meters, boutiques and shoppes. The weapon of choice is no longer a cutlass but a Master Card. Ultimately the same effect. Unsuspecting tourists come with money and leave with none. Never knew what hit them, especially if they have kids with them. Cleaned out more effectively than a broadside of 24 pounders. Piracy does come in many forms however, and some of us still prefer to unabashedly sail under the Jolly Roger, however best we can. Yes I am a pirate, just 200 years too late as Jimmy Buffet says. Prepare to be boarded.

Piracy is a state of mind as much as an occupation.

Lewes has some high points, including Notting Hill Coffee and Kings Ice Cream. Notting Hill roasts their own coffee beans inside the Lewes Bake Shoppe. They roast in the evening and the whole town smells like coffee.It’s great. A walk along the canal looking at boats and smelling coffee roasting.

Good coffee.

Along the canal smelling roasting coffee. A lot better than the usual tidal smells.

Kings ice cream is one of the best in the country. You can’t really have a best ice cream in the country. Too many variables. All ice cream is good it’s just that some is better than others at any given time. Kind of like scrapple. There isn’t a best scrapple. It’s all good. Some may be better than others but it’s all good.

So the usual gig is to get some ice cream at Kings, then stroll through the graveyard at St. Pete’s Episcopal Church. The Church first established a mission in 1708 and then finally built a church in the early 1720s. The modern church was built in 1854. Still used for services and weddings but you have a bunch of sticky fingered tourists watching the ceremonies.