They look like a herd of Republic Walkers from Star Wars grazing at the edge of the water.
But no, Norfolk is not under constant threat of siege from neighboring Portsmouth. Those blinking steel marvels of modern engineering are evidence of Norfolk’s ports, one of the defining industries of Norfolk and Hampton Roads.
With the world’s deepest, natural ice-free harbors, the Norfolk region is actually one of the premiere harbors in the country. When import and export tonnage are combined, the Port of Hampton Roads ranks as the third largest port in the country.
Yes, it’s good to be a Stevedore in Norfolk.
Norfolk’s waterways are the point of entry for ships from countries all over the world, making for a daily parade of international boats that get Norfologists dreaming far-away dreams. Countless work hours have been lost to Downtown office dwellers spacing out watching the ships pass; for those that live with a view of the water, the ships can take the place of counting sheeps for one’s afternoon nap.
Use of the Norfolk area’s waterways is nothing new; in fact, they’ve been employed since the first English settlers made their way through these parts on their way to the Jamestown colony, England’s first permanent colony in the New World.