A Walk in the Park

The Kingdom of Fife crew decided to brave the cold today to enjoy frozen landscape of Mammoth Cave N.P.

Talon Arch . . .

Eye Socket Arch . . .

Ice, ice baby

'Tis the season of reason . . .

We actually got a decent snow for the holidays here at the Kingdom of Fife . . .

Time Traveler

Since I am apparently somewhat compulsive, I was curious as to what battlefields Dudeboy has visited over the years. Provoking this is our recent studies of the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. So, of course, I am starting a list of the sites he has toured. Personally, I think visiting historical sites really can cement what is learned by reading texts and such. If not too obscured by modern encroachment, one can scan the lay of the land and almost envision what took place there all those years ago. So, here is a list (which, without a doubt, will be added to) of the battlefields Dudeboy has visited.*

The American Revolution

• Siege of Boonesborough, Kentucky . . . September 17, 1778
• Vincennes, Indiana . . . February 23-25, 1779
• Kings Mountain, North Carolina . . . October 7, 1780
• Cowpens, South Carolina . . . January 17, 1781
• Guildford Court House, North Carolina . . . March 15, 1781
• Siege of Yorktown, Virginia . . . September, 28- October 17, 1781

The War of 1812

• Burning of Washington (White House and U.S. Capitol Building), Washington DC . . . August 24, 1814
• Fort McHenry (Battle of Baltimore), Maryland . . . September 13-14, 1814

The Civil War

• Fort Sumter, South Carolina . . . April 12-13, 1861
• Rowletts Station, Kentucky . . . December 7, 1861
• Mill Springs, Kentucky . . . January 19, 1862
• Hampton Roads (Monitor and Virginia), Virginia . . . March 8-9, 1862
• Yorktown, Virginia . . . April 5, 1862
• Munfordville, Kentucky . . . September 14-17, 1862
• Antietam, Maryland . . . September 17, 1862
• Corinth, Mississippi . . . October 3-4, 1862
• Perryville, Kentucky . . . October 8, 1862
• First Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia . . . December 11-15, 1862
• Stones River, Tennessee . . . December 31, 1862 - January 2, 1863
• Chancellorsville, Viginia . . . April 30 - May 6, 1863
• Second Battle of Fredericksburg, Virginia . . . May 3, 1863
• Tullahoma Campaign, Tennessee . . . June 24 - July 3, 1863
• Gettysburg, Pennsylvania . . . July 1-3, 1863
• Corydon, Indiana . . . July 9, 1863
• Chickamauga, Georgia . . . September 19-20, 1863
• Battles for Chattannoga, Tennessee (Orchard Knob . . . November 23, 1863, Lookout Mountain . . . November 24, 1863, Missionary Ridge . . . November 25, 1863)
• Ringgold Gap, Georgia . . . November 27, 1863
• Dalton, Georgia . . . February 22-27, 1864
• Wilderness, Virginia . . . May 5-7, 1864
• Todd's Tavern, Virginia . . . May 7, 1864
• Rocky Face Ridge, Georgia . . . May 8, 1864
• Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia . . . May 8-21, 1864
• Monocacy, Maryland . . . July 9, 1864
• Appomattox Court House, Virginia . . . April 9, 1865
  

*I have probably forgotten one or two, but this is still fairly impressive for a ten year old!

Kingdom of Fife Film School . . . November

Here is the fourth installment of the Kingdom of Fife Film School. These are the films Dudeboy watched during November with his ratings. As you can tell by the scant number of films . . . we were busy in November!

• Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes 8 stars [2010; US; watched 11.26.10]
  
• The Crucible 8 stars [1996; US; watched 11.22.10]
• Frankenstein (Edison Studios) 8 stars [1910; US; watched 11.12.10]
• The Haunted House 9 stars [1921; US; watched 11.12.10]

Mean Green Fightin' Machine

Orange you glad Dudeboy is now a green belt?

John Fife . . . 1782-1848

John Fife (1782-1848) was the progenitor of our Fife family line in the United States. We have conflicting evidence of his parents, so he is as far as we can go back with certainty. It is said that John was born in Alloa, Scotland. His grave is located in the Dellview Cemetery in Hardin County, Kentucky. The grave of John's wife Nancy McGinnis (1788- 1858) is also located here, but her headstone is now lost to the ages.

"SACRED to the memory of JOHN FIFE . . . born June the 2nd 1782. died Aug the 5th 1848. Aged 66 yr"

Seven generations . . . John Fife (1st), Pa (5th), Vic and Scott (6th), and Dudeboy (7th)

Dudeboy found this little guy as we cleared the gravesite of dirt, weeds, leaves and such.

Backyard Bugs . . . The Tarnished Plant Bug

This tarnished plant bug, Lygus lineolaris, was found on a basil plant. Apparently, our little pretty is quite destructive. One site states that "the tarnished plant bug is among the most damaging of the true bugs . . . " And Wikipedia notes that "No truly effective or reliable management options currently exist."