Extraordinary Stories

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Monday, March 18, 2024

The "They're Everywhere...Just Everywhere!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about something known as tumbleweed.  Seems that tumbleweed starts out as a live green plant that soaks up rainwater as it grows.  

As the soil dries, the thistle dies and detaches from the root.  The dead balls of thistle are then moved around by the wind and breezes.  And, that is the problem!  Tumbleweed is native to southeastern Russia and western Siberia.  Plants very similar to them have been introduced into the USA by Russian immigrants as a contaminant in flax seed.  They start out as live, green plants that soak up rainwater and grow.  As the soil dries, the thistle dies and detaches from the root.  The ball then is moved around by the wind and breezes.  And, that is the problem!  Recently, Mr. Chris Williams, who lives in South Jordan,  used his aerial drive to take video and photos of the tumbleweed.  He reported that it was gathering everywhere.... under cars and trucks and trailers.  "We've seen tumble weed in the area before, but that was an anomaly."  Many people used shovels to remove the tumbleweed from in front of their homes.  Mr. Williams said, "I don't think anybody was in real harm.  I still think you could walk through them if you had to.  Tumbleweeds are not real heavy."  Another resident, Brett Chummy, owns a Mom & Pop diner in Pahrump, Nevada.  For visitors to the area, the sight of tumbleweed swarms are strange to see.  Chummy said that for longtime residents of Pahrump, they are "just a normal occurrence.  When it rains the weeds grow like crazy." he said.  In 2014, mini-storms of tumbleweeds swamped the drought-stricken prairie of southern Colorado, blocking rural roads and irrigation canals, and briefly barricaded homes and an elementary school.  Parts of Victorville, California nearly were buried in 2018 by the large balls of the dried weeds.  Three consecutive windy storms in 2021 also brought in tumblers to South Jordan, but Saturday's event was something to behold.  Tumbleweed from the entire Salt Lake County made it's way into South Jordan.  Tumbleweeds have become entrenched in western U.S. culture and how many people view the Old West.  They also figure prominently in "Tumbling Tumbleweeds," a song recorded by Sons of the Pioneers in the 1930s, said Brooks Hefner, professor of English at James Madison University.  "That song gives one of the biggest metaphors that the tumbleweed is like the version of a drifter," Hefner said. "The lyrics identify the singer with the drifting tumbleweed, rolling through these empty western spaces.  That vile dimension of the rolling tumbleweed through desert space is so poetic."  I can't imagine what it must be like to have to drive through tumbleweed as it swarms all around you.  Could be scary!  At first, some thought it was an invasive Russian thistle that was sent to conquer the Western United States.  Luckily for both us and Russia, that was not the case.  I guess those of us who live in areas that are not threatened by tumbleweed are lucky.  I just can't imagine what it must be like to see beach-ball sized masses of tumbleweed heading down the highway toward you, knowing there is no way to stop it.  But, if you live in areas where it is a yearly occurrence, I guess you grow up knowing exactly how to handle it.  I am one of the lucky ones who have never had to experience it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Sunday, March 17, 2024

The "Steinfelt's...My Favorite Store"

It was a ordinary day.  Thinking back to when I was a young boy who sang in the St. James Episcopal Church Boy's Choir.  We had about 30 members ranging in ages from 8-12 years old.  Our choir director was Mr. Frank McConnell who held choir practice Monday afternoon, Thursday evening at 7:00 (this included the men's choir), and Saturday mornings from 10:00-11:00 am.  It was on those Saturday mornings that I would head downtown to Steinfelt's after choir practice to see what they might have that was new since the week before.  They had all types of candy which you could buy loose and which they would place in a small paper bag...all on top of one another.  A bagful of candy might cost you a quarter or at the most...30 cents.  They also had so many neat items geared to boys 10-15 years of age such as Mexican jumping beans, pens with invisible ink, rubber balls on elastic string, etc.  The list would go on and on and it was tough to decide what to buy when you usually only had a dollar or two to spend.  Many times after a visit to Steinfelt's, a friend or two might head either across the street or down the street to take in a movie at the Grand, Hamilton or Colonial.  I can remember many a Saturday morning taking in a Will Bill Hickok movie or something really scary that you only went to with a friend.  At times, one of our parents would pick us up from in front of Steinfelt's and drop us off at the King Theatre which was a few blocks from downtown on E. King Street.  Another great store to visit on Saturday morning was Hoetzel's where they had quite a few pinball machines.  My mom or dad would often give me a few extra quarters knowing I would head to Hoetzel's after choir practice.  Back then, buses were everywhere and at all hours of the day and night.  After a trip to the candy store or to the movies it was easy to hop on a CTC (Conestoga Transportation Co.) bus to head home.  Back then, parents' didn't have to worry that someone might grab their child since there were so many police walking around the town, keeping an eye on kids who were in town on a Saturday morning and afternoon,  If we were taking in a movie, my mom would usually pack a sandwich and chips for me and give me a few extra coins to buy a drink.  Back then the busses were everywhere downtown.  I would hop on the N. Queen St. bus and be home 15 minutes later.  And, as everyone my age would say..."those were the days."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Saturday, March 16, 2024

The River Birch Tree Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking out my window at Woodcrest Villa and admiring the couple of River Birch trees that stand near our cottage.  The River Birch is a hardy tree as well as being more heat tolerant than most of their birch relatives, making them a good choice in many parts of the southern US.  I suppose that is why I wasn't very familiar with the tree until moving to Woodcrest a little over a year ago.  I just love the look of the bark on the tree, but I am finding that I am just one of very few to feel that way.  The River Birch, aka Betula Nigra, is also known as the Red Birch, Black Birch or even the Water Birch.  It is a fast growing heat tolerant native that is being used more and more in theme landscape.  Whether you choose to grow river birch as a single trunked tree or a multi-trunk clumping tree, you will appreciate its bark, pink or mahogany, that curls and exfoliates to reveal lighter, inner bark.  The dark green leaves turn a lovely butter yellow before falling.  The River Birch has good resistance to the bronze birch borer.  When I first saw the couple of River birch trees behind our villa I was stumped, since I had not seen many in the past.  At first I thought something was wrong with the tree since the bark was separating from the trunk and looked as if it was going to die.  But, the more I viewed th tree, the more I loved it's neat bark display.  I realize that many people don't like them due to the flaking bark, but it is something so unusual to me that I enjoy looking at them.  There ar close to a dozen or so different birch tree varieties, but I believe that I have found my all-time favorite with the River Birch.  Take a look at the trees near my villa and see if you too don't like the looks of the tree...espeially the bark formation.  PS - Yeah...I know they look as if they are dying and their bark is falling off...but, that is the way they are supposed to look.  They are so different than most other trees that I have seen during my lifetime.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  The first three photos were taken in the spring and summer while the later three were recent photos.

 







 

Friday, March 15, 2024

The "Are You Ready For A Life-Changing Suggestion?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Most of America "sprung forward" this past Sunday for daylight saving time and losing that hour of sleep can do more than leave you tired and cranky the next couple of days.  It also can harm your health!  Darker mornings and more evening light together knock you body clock out of whack...which means daylight saving time can usher in sleep trouble for weeks or longer.  Studies have found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March time change.  There are ways to ease the adjustment, including getting more sunshine  to help reset your circadian rhythm for healthful sleep.  "Not unlike when one travels across many time zones, how long it can take is very different for different people.  Understand that your body is transitioning."  Daylight saving time began this past Sunday at 2 a.m., and hour of sleep vanished in most of the U.S.A.  The ritual will reverse on November 3 when clocks "fall back" as daylight saving time ends.  Some people try to prepare for daylight saving time's sleep jolt by going to bed a little earlier two or three nights ahead.  With a third of American adults already not getting the recommended seven hours of nightly shuteye, catching up can be difficult.  Your brain has a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness.  This circadian rhythm is a roughly 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we're more alert.  The patterns change with age, one reason that early-to-rise youngsters evolve into hard-to-wake teens.  Morning light resets the rhythm.  By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begin to surge, triggering drowsiness.  Too much light in the evening...that extra hour from daylight saving time...delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.  Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems.  And that circadian clock affects more than sleep, also influencing things like heart rate, blood pressure, stress hormones and metabolism.  Fatal car crashes temporarily jump the first few days after the spring time change.  The risk is highest in the morning, and researchers attribute it to sleep deprivation.  Then there's the cardiac connection.  The American Heart Asso. points to studies that suggest an uptick in heart attacks on the Monday after daylight saving time begins and in strokes for two days afterward.  Doctors already know heart attacks, especially severe ones, are a bit more common on Mondays generally, and in the morning, when blood is more clot-prone.  It's not clear why the time change would add to the Monday connection, although probably something about the abrupt circadian disruption exacerbates factors such as high blood pressure in people already at risk.  Some health groups, including the American Medical Associations and American Academy of Sleep Medicine, have said that it's time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time year-round aligns better with the sun...and human biology.  So what do you think???  You ready for Standard Time all year?  I'm not! I'm enjoying the extra hour of daylight!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Beautiful...Beautiful Barbados Story

It was an ordinary day.  Visiting Oistins' Fish Fry which had tables filled with lobster, swordfish, red snapper, tuna, marlin, shark and mahi mahi.  So where were my wife and I as well as our traveling roommates Jerry and Just Sue?  We happened to be on one of my all-time favorite islands...Beautiful, Beautiful Barbados....gem of the Caribbean Sea!  Barbados is said to be the culinary capital of the Caribbean enticing visitors like us with its spicy fusions of African, Portuguese, Indian, Irish, Creole and British cuisine.  But wait...Barbados is also said to be the birthplace of rum!  And...not just any rum, but beautiful, beautiful rum!  In fact, the drink is entwined with the history of the island.  Even before "rum" was common there, locals were brewing up "kill devil", a harsher liquor made from fermented sugar.  Then, when molasses started being fermented into alcohol, the rum we know today was born, with the first use of the word appearing in 1688.  At one time, visiting sailors developed aa taste the island's liquor, and demand soon grew back home in Europe as the sugar barons of Barbados saw their fortunes grow.  Today, you'll find the ruins of old distilleries dotted around the island, but Barbados still continues to produce world-class rums using traditional local methods.  The island still celebrates an annual Food and Rum Festival each October, where different rums are paired with local dishes by top chefs.  You can also explore Barbados' love affair with rum during special tours organized by the tourist board.  I can still remember visiting the Mount Gay Rum Distillery, said to be the oldest producer of Caribbean rum, or drop by the pretty St. Nicholas Abbey to visit the Morgan Lewis Windmill, one of only two restored sugar mills left in the Caribbean.  But, one of my fondest memories is the music of the island.  I can still sing, over and over and over again, one of the most beautiful and catchy songs from the Caribbean...

Beautiful, Beautiful Barbados!  (Thank You)...Gem of the Caribbean Sea. 
Come back to my island...Barbados.  Come back to my Island and Me!
Please come back when the nightwinds are blowing...Please come back to the surf and the sea. 
You'll find rest..you'll find me in Barbados. Come back to my island...and Me!

And, once you sing or hum it...you'll just have to do it over and over again.  It is just so.....mesermerizing!  If you would like to hear it yourself, try and Google "Beautiful Barbados" by the Merrymen and sing along!  Warning...it will be extremely catching and it will be with you the rest of the day!  And...after hearing it a few times...you'll just want to visit Barbados!  Just wait and sea!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The "The Great Blizzard of '93" Story

It was an ordinary day.  31 years ago, the Blizzard of 1993 dumped nearly two feet of snow on south-eastern Pennsylvania.  The storm was one of the most intense mid-latitude cyclones ever observed over the Eastern United States.  The Great Blizzard of '93 was a cyclonic storm formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993. The storm will be remembered for its tremendous snowfall totals from Alabama through Maine, high winds all along the East coast, extreme coastal flooding along the Florida west coast, incredibly low barometric pressures across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, and for the unseasonably cold air that followed behind the storm,” the National Weather Service said.  “In terms of human impact the Superstorm of 1993 was more than significant than most landfalling hurricanes or tornado outbreaks and ranks among the deadliest and most costly weather events of the 20th Century.”  The 1993 Superstorm moved across a densely populated portion of the country.  About 40 percent of Americans were directly impacted.  Nearly 10 million people lost power.  The death toll topped 200.  More people died in Pennsylvania than any other state.  The National Weather Service provided the following breakdown of fatalities and where they happened:  Pennsylvania: 49,  Florida: 44,  New York: 23,  North Carolina:19,  Alabama:16,  Georgia: 15,  Tennessee: 14,  Virginia: 13,  Kentucky: 5k,   West Virginia: 4,  Maryland: 3,  Maine: 2,  South Carolina: 1.  The storm that formed over the Gulf of Mexico on March 12, 1993. The cold weather, heavy snowfall, high winds and storm surges that the storm brought affected a very large area; at its height, it stretched from Canada to Honduras.  The cyclone moved through the Gulf of Mexico and then through the Eastern United States before moving on to Eastern Canada. It eventually dissipated in the North Atlantic Ocean on March 15. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.










The Historical City Of Lancaster, Pensylvania

It was an ordinary day.  Posting photographs today that I have found of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.   I have been collecting historical photographs of Lancaster city as well as Lancaster county for years to share with you.   I hope you enjoy a few of the photographs from my collection.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

1925 photograph showing the square in the center of  Lancaster looking
north on Queen Street.  The central monument is on the far left.


The corner of E. Orange and N. Queen Streets looking
south on N. Queen Street.
  No date indicated. 

Center Square in downtown Lancaster looking West on King Street.
The center city monument is slightly to the left of center in the
 photograph. Queen Street runs left to right in photograph. No date shown.

Santa is arriving in center square at the Watt & Shand department store.
No date indicated.

Hot air ballon in center city.  Photo dated 1860.  Direction not known.

1953 Christmas photograph of Watt & Shand building in center square.

The Hager Department Store on West King Street.  No date.

Dual photographs of McCrory's Department Store.  One side of the store 
was on N. Queen St. while the other side was on E. King St.
You could get from one side to the other by going down to the
basement on the elevator.  No date.

The corner of Queen & Chestnut Streets looking toward Penn Square,
from a drawing commemorating the first railroad train in 1834
.

1905 photograph of The Woolworth Building and
Roofgarden on the first block of N. Queen Street.

Bowman Technical School at N. Duke and E. Chestnut Streets.
My father learned his watch making trade at this school in 1940.
Today it is a jewelry store.  No date on the photograph of the school. 


 

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

The "A Deep-Sea Reef Was Recently Found In The Atlantic Ocean" Story

It was an ordinary day.  I recently read that the world's largest deep-sea coral reef has been discovered off the East Coast of the United States.  It is a massive 6.4 million acre seascape that stretches from Miami, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina according to the national Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Ocean Exploration.  Size wise...that would make it larger than the state of Vermont.  The discovery disproves a long-held belief that the Blake Plateau in the Atlantic might be a dead zone.  Instead, scientists found a "stunning" ecosystem populated by "dense thickets of reef-building coral."  For years it was thought that much of the Blake Plateau was sparsely inhabited, soft sediment, according to NOAA Ocean Exploration Operations Chief Kasey Cantrell.  He said that past studies have highlighted some coral in the region, particularly closer to the coast and in shallower waters, but until we had a complete map of the region, we didn't know how extensive this habitat was, nor how many of these coral mounds were connected.  The reef's borders are between 35 and 75 miles off the coastline; beginning southeast of Miami and moving north to Charleston, South Carolina.  One spot, nicknamed "Million Mounds," by scientists, accounts for the largest part of the reef.  It is made up primarily of "a stony coral" commonly found at depths of 656 to 3,280 feet, were temperatures average about 39 degrees.  "Cold-water corals such as these grow in the deep ocean where there is no sunlight and survive by filter-feeding biological particles," according to scientists.  While they are known to be important ecosystem engineers, creating structures that provide shelter, food, and nursery habitat to other invertebrates and fish, these corals remain poorly understood.  Hints of a massive reef were found in 2019, but scientists waited until a multiagency effort had mapped the reef before announcing the discovery.  Data from more that 30 multibeam sonar mapping surveys, as well as 23 submersible dives, was combined to create a nearly complete map.  In the process, the team "identified 83,908 individual coral mound peak features," according to the news release.  "The study documents the massive scale of the coral province, an area composed of nearly continuous coral mound features that span up to 310 miles long and 68 miles wide."  A "core area" has high-density mounds up to 158 miles long and 26 miles wide.  In addition to NOAA Ocean Exploration, the multiyear exploration campaign included the Ocean Exploration Trust, the University of New Hampshire, the Burear of "Ocean Energy Management, Temple University and the U.S. Geological Survey.  "This strategic multiyear and multi agency effort to systematically map and characterize the stunning coral ecosystem...is a perfect example of what we can accomplish when we pool resources," according to Derek Sowers, lead author of the study and Mapping Operations Manager for the Ocean Exploration Trust. If you have ever been part of a dive that was searching for coral, it is a remarkable expedition.  My wife and I, along with long-time friends Jere and Sue,  have been lucky enough to visit many islands in the Caribbean Sea and to dive off their coastlines, looking for coral reefs and whatever inhabits those reefs.  It is so much fun and at times scary!  And when you do sight a reef that is covered with fish and creatures that look like they are from another universe, it makes your day a real success!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.     

Monday, March 11, 2024

The Sharing Stories From "World Of Good!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the stories in my latest Reader's Digest magazine that were part of the three-fold stories to "Make Your Day."  Thought they were so touching that I just had to share them with you.  

The first short story was titled "Playtime for All!"  Began with... Students at Glen Lake Elementary School in Minnetonka, Minnesota, loved their playground.  But kids in wheelchairs or with special needs often felt excluded because the equipment wasn't accessible to them.  So, students mobilized to raise the money needed to make the playground inclusive.  "It didn't seem fair that some kids were left out," fifth grader Wyatt Faucet said.  The youngsters held bake sales, went door to door, and got businesses to donate.  Eventually, they raised $300,000, enough to add a wheelchair swing, a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round and a rubber surface.  Now, everyone enjoys recess, and that's a good thing, Rhys Riley, another student, told CBS News.  After all, "recess is about having fun."

The second short story was titled "Reef Madness."  Warming waters and pollution have reduced Florida's coral reefs by 90%.  One scientist has a partial solution: king crabs.  Sewage and farm runoff help produce seaweed, also known as macro algae, which smothers and crowds out reefs and blocks the sunshine that baby corals need to grow.  Enter the king crabs...they feast on seaweed!   Marine ecologist Jason Spadaro is hoping to breed 250,000 Caribbean king crabs each year in his Florida Keys lab, then release them to dine away.  According to Vox, studies show that reefs with healthy crab populations saw 85% less algae, a higher density of young corals and more fish than other reefs.  Scientists, says Spadaro, have figured out how to grow corals to replenish reefs.  "Now we need to help them survive." 

The final story was titled "Lady Luck."  Geraldine Gimblet played the Florida lottery regularly, but luck seemed to evade her.  Her fortunes turned worse when her daughter Lawrencina Jackson was diagnosed with breast cancer.  Gimblet emptied her savings to pay for the treatment.  Then last April, the day after Jackson's final successful treatment, Gimblet bought a $10 lottery ticket and won big!  Two million dollars big!!  "I was like, 'Are you sure?'" Gimblet, 74, told "Good Morning America."  Gimblet's action "meant so much to me," Jackson said.  "I don't see where I can repay it.  I just have to keep loving her; maybe that'll help."

Stories such as these stories tend to "Make Your Day!"  If we could only read more stories such as these in our daily newspaper.  Would make the day for many other readers of the newspaper!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   



Sunday, March 10, 2024

The..."Having A Good Time With DST" Story

It was an ordinary day.  And, most Americans have now "sprung forward" and are celebrating Daylight Saving Time (DST).  Have you gotten over the hour of your life that you have lost?  Did you head to bed earlier last evening or did you just get out of bed an hour later this morning?  One way or another, we have lost a precious hour of our lives.  But, it will be made up when we leave daylight saving time once again.  You know it will happen...correct!  Will you be tired and cranky all day today, or did you plan for what you knew would happen and head to bed earlier as my wife and I did?  Slightly darker mornings and brighter evenings are upon us once again.  Did you know, or maybe realize, that darker mornings and more evening light together knock your body clock out of whack, which means daylight saving time can usher in sleep trouble.  Studies have even found an uptick in sleep trouble for weeks or longer.  Studies also have found an uptick in heart attacks and strokes right after the March Time change.  There are many ways to ease the adjustment such as getting more sunshine to help reset your circadian rhythm for healthful sleep or maybe just sit in your easy chair a few extra hours each day for perhaps...a month or two.  Hey! it happens every year, so why not plan for it ahead of time?  And...making the change is different for each and everyone of us.  My wife and I went to bed an hour earlier last evening knowing we were going to get up our same time and didn't want to lose that extra hour of sleep.  You have to remember to transition your body as best you can, since there is nothing else you can do about it.  And...on November 3 it will revert back to what is was a few months before.  And, as long as you live in the good 'ole USA, you will experience DST each and every year.  Now, just to make you feel bad...Hawaii and most of Arizona don't make the spring switch, sticking to standard time year-round along with Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  And...that's why my wife and I like to go to Hawaii this time of year so we miss DST!   Worldwide, dozens of countries also observe daylight saving time, starting and ending at different dates.  And, that's why you can get all screwed up from time to time.  My wife and I used to travel twice a year to exotic islands around the world and made sure we planned ahead for whether we would have to change our time on any particular island or keep our time the same.  It really does matter when you change back and forth on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule when you travel and happen to hit changes in time.  Getting to the airport on time, if you are around the time you would have to change time, is always a big topic.  Some people try to prepare for daylight saving time's sleep jolt by going to bed a little earlier two or three nights ahead of time.  Last evening my wife and I went to bed an hour earlier knowing that we would be awakened by our cats on their normal time at daybreak.  Our brain, as well as your brain, has a master clock that is set by exposure to sunlight and darkness.  This circadian rhythm is roughly a 24-hour cycle that determines when we become sleepy and when we're more alert.  And, as you age, the patterns change which is one reason that early-to-rise youngsters evolve into hard-to-wake teens.  Morning light tends to reset rhythm.  By evening, levels of a hormone called melatonin begins to surge, triggering drowsiness.  Too much light in the evening delays that surge and the cycle gets out of sync.  Sleep deprivation is linked to heart disease, cognitive decline, obesity and numerous other problems.  So...if you are real old, overweight and can't remember much...you're in trouble when it's time to change the clocks!  Funny, but fatal car crashes temporarily jump the first few days after the spring time change.  The highest risk is in the morning, and this is attributed to sleep deprivation.  Then there's the cardiac connection.  The American Heart Association points to studies that suggest an uptick in heart attacks on the Monday after daylight saving time begins and in stroke for two days afterward.  That's why I plan to just sit in my easy chair and write stories for an extra day or two.  I did prepare a bit for the change-over in time by going to bed a bit earlier this past Friday and Saturday evenings.  My wife and I changed our dinner schedule and ate for an hour-and-a-half instead of just 15 minutes.  We also made sure we had plenty of naps before having to change our time schedule.  Some health groups have said that it's time to do away with time switches and that sticking with standard time year-round aligns better with the sun...and human biology.  But...you just know that will never happen!  At least not in my lifetime!  So I will have to continue to align my human biology to match the sun and stars and make sure I don't miss any meals.  Hey....if I have to put up with changing time....the least I can do is eat an extra half-gallon of ice cream the day before and the day after the changes.  And, hope that my wife forgets what the day is and have to do it all over again the following week.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Saturday, March 9, 2024

The "Let's Just Get It Over With And Stop Complaining" Story

It was an ordinary day.  That was until I picked up my morning newspaper and began reading about having to change our clocks this weekend.  Once again, most Americans will set their clocks forward by one hour this weekend, losing perhaps a bit of sleep but gaining more glorious sunlight in the evenings as the days warm into summer.  Where did this all come from, though?  How we came to move the clock forward in the spring, and then push it back in the fall, is a tale that spans more than a century – one that's driven by two world wars, mass confusion at times and a human desire to bask in the sun for as long as possible.  There's been plenty of debate over the practice, but about 70 countries – about 40% of those across the globe – currently use what we Americans call daylight saving time. While springing the clocks forward "kind of jolts our system," the extra daylight gets people outdoors, exercising and having fun.  The really awesome advantage is the bright evenings, right?  It is actually having hours of daylight after you come home from work to spend time with your family or activities. And that is wonderful. Here are some things to know so you'll be conversant about the practice of humans changing time:  In the 1890s, George Vernon Hudson, an astronomer and entomologist in New Zealand, proposed a time shift in the spring and fall to increase the daylight. And in the early 1900s, British home builder William Willett, troubled that people weren't up enjoying the morning sunlight, made a similar push. But neither proposal gained enough traction to be implemented.  At one point, if riders on a 35-mile bus ride from Steubenville, Ohio, to Moundsville, West Virginia, wanted their watches to be accurate, they'd need to change them seven times as they dipped in and out of daylight saving time,  So in 1966, the U.S. Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which says that states can either implement daylight saving time or not, but it has to be statewide. The act also mandates the day that daylight saving time starts and ends across the country.  Confusion over the time change isn't just something from the past. In the nation of Lebanon last spring, chaos ensued when the government announced a last-minute decision to delay the start of daylight saving time by a month – until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Some institutions made the change and others refused as citizens tried to piece together their schedules. Within days, the decision was reversed. It really turned into a huge mess where nobody knew what time it was.  What would it be like if we didn't change the clocks?  Changing the clocks twice a year leads to a lot of grumbling, and pushes to either use standard time all year – or stick to daylight saving time all year often crop up.  During the 1970s energy crisis, the U.S. started doing daylight saving time all year long, and Americans didn't like it. With the sun not rising in the winter in some areas til around 9 a.m. or even later, people were waking up in the dark, going to work in the dark and sending their children to school in the dark,.  It became very unpopular very quickly.  And, using standard time all year would mean losing that extra hour of daylight for eight months in the evenings in the United States.  In 1908, the Canadian city of Thunder Bay – then the two cities of Fort William and Port Arthur – changed from the central time zone to the eastern time zone for the summer and fall after a citizen named John Hewitson argued that would afford an extra hour of daylight to enjoy the outdoors, says Michael deJong, curator/archivist at the Thunder Bay Museum.  The next year, though, Port Arthur stayed on eastern time, while Fort William changed back to central time in the fall, which, predictably, "led to all sorts of confusion," deJong says.  Today, the city of Thunder Bay is on eastern time, and observes daylight saving time, giving the area, "just delightfully warm, long days to enjoy" in the summer, says Paul Pepe, tourism manager for Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission.  The city, located on Lake Superior, is far enough north that the sun sets at around 10 p.m. in the summer, Pepe says, and that helps make up for their cold dark winters. Residents, he says, tend to go on vacations in the winter and stay home in the summer: "I think for a lot of folks here, the long days, the warm summer temperatures, it's a vacation in your backyard.  So...this day in history, President FDR re-established daylight saving time in the US.  For 8 months out of the year, the U.S. and dozens of other countries follow daylight saving time, and for the remaining months, they revert back to standard time in order to take full advantage of the sunlight.  On the second Sunday of March at 2 a.m., clocks move forward one hour.  Then on the first Sunday of November at 2 a.m., the clocks turn back an hour.  There's an age-old myth that daylight saving time was adopted to give farmers extra time in the sun to work in the field.  But, that's not really why dozens of countries follow it.  The U.S. didn't standardize daylight saving time until 1966, when it passed the Uniform Time Act.  In the U.S., states are not required by law to follow daylight saving time.  Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe it, while other states - like Florida and California - are working to observe the system year round.  Will our nation ever stop the practice of clock changing?  Should all states have permanent daylight saving time?  I guess only time will tell...and that depends upon what time it might be when they decide!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Friday, March 8, 2024

The "Photos From A Real Pro As Well As Good Friend" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking back over a few of my favorite stories when I came across a story about Dan Marscha who was one of the finest newspaper photographers in Lancaster County.  Got to know him over the years when he was a

Photo of my wife and cat taken by Dan
regular speaker for my photography class at Manheim Township High School.  Well, I recently had his name pop up when I was typing a story for my blog and thought I would click on the link that had appeared on my desktop.  Sure enough...there was an exhibit of photo after photo that Dan had taken for the newspaper as well as for himself while on vacations.  My all-time favorite happened to be one that he took of my wife holding one of our cats that appeared in the morning newspaper.  Began to search a bit more and came up with a site that featured many of Dan's best photos.  I'm hoping that Dan won't mind that I will feature some of those photographs in my story today.  Perhaps you might have seen one or more of them if you subscribe to the Lancaster newspaper, but just in case you don't live in the Lancaster area, what you will see is the artwork of one of Lancaster's all-time best photographers...Dan Marscha!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Mr. Dan Marscha

Photo I took when we were both in the same photographic exhibit years ago.

The following photos are just a few of Dan's photographs.  Most come from the Lancaster Newspaper.

























Thursday, March 7, 2024

The "Better Get Your Tickets Before It's Too Late!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Surfing my daily local newspaper when I came across an article titled "Outlaw Music fest heads to area."  Story told of a tour that was going to stop in Hershey, PA which featured Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Robert Plant.  First paragraph began with,,,"Outlaw country fans rejoice - the Outlaw Music Festival returns to Hersheypark Stadium in 2024, this time bringing beloved musicians like Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant and more.  The Outlaw Music Festival will make its stop at Hersheypark Stadium on Sunday, July 7, at 5 p.m.  Willie turns 91 in April and will headline the tour.  Amazing!!  Also, Dylan, Plant, Alison Krauss and Celine will be on hand to entertain the crowd.  Bob Dylan last performed at Hershey Theatre in 2021.  Plant is perhaps best known for being the original lead singer of legendary rock band Led Zeppelin.  He also combines frequently with Kraus, a bluegrass/country singer and fiddler.  Celisse is a blooming soul/fold singer-songwriter whois best known for her guitar-playing abilities.  Willie Nelson was reported as saying..."I am thrilled to get back on the road again with family and friends playing the music we love for the fans we love.  If you care to go to the concert, tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster.  The price of the tickets have not yet been determined.  Hersheypark Stadium has hosted Outlaw Music Festival in 2017, 2018 and 2023.  Can't imagine Willie Nelson will perform too many more years, so if you enjoy his music, you better get your tickets while his name is still on the agenda.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

The "Name That Tune" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Found a really neat musical quiz that appeared in my December 2023/January 2024 copy of AARP Magazine.  Now...you have to be an old musical soul in order to be able to "Name That Tune" quiz that I found on page 53 of the magazine.  Check it out and see how many of the songs you might know after reading the "song's lyrics" that are given to you.  I was amazed that I not only knew all of the lyrics, but was able to put the clues to the music of  the songs.  Had the best time singing along with the songs, some of which I was able to sing just about the entire song.  And...I did it "out loud" without the musical accompaniment, so all could hear me.  Problem was, the only person in the room was my dear wife...and she looked rather annoyed.   See how many of the songs you might know after reading the clues I will give to you.  These are the same clues that I had while taking the quiz.  And, if you sing loud enough...I may just hear you!  Not!!  It was another extraoridinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

1.  Well, since my baby left me, well, I found a new place to dwell / Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street....

2.  Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans, way back up in the woods among the evergreens / There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood, where lived a country boy named ...

3. Oh, when the sun beats down and burns the tar up on the roof / And your shoes get so hot, you wish your tired feet were fireproof ...

4. Close your eyes and I'll kiss you / Tomorrow, I'll miss you ...

5. I need love, love to ease my mind / I need to find, find someone to call mine ...

6. I bet you're wonderin' how I knew / 'Bout your plans to make me blue ...

7. How many roads must a man walk down / Before you can call him a man? ...

8. People say I'm the life of the party, 'cause I tell a joke or two / Although I might be laughing loud and hearty, deep inside I'm blue ...

9.  You know that it would be untrue / You know that I would be a liar  ...

10.  I'm a-gonna raise a fuss, I'm a-gonna raise a holler / About working all summer, just a-trying to earn a dollar ...

11.  I keep a close watch on this heart of mine / I keep my eyes open all the time ...

12.  Look at me / I'm as helpless as a kitten up a tree ...

13.  And now, the end is here, and so I face the final curtain  /  My friend, I'll say it clear, I'll state my case, of which I'm certain ...

14.  Don't know much about history / Don't know much biology ...

15.  All the leaves are brown / and the sky is gray / I've been for a walk, on a winter's day ...

16.  Well, East Coast girls are hip / I really dig those styles they wear ...

17.  Hello darkness, my old friend  /  I've come to talk to you again ...

18.  Callin' out around the world: Are you ready for a brand new beat?  /. Summer's her and the time is right ...

19.  I've got sunshine on a cloudy day  /  When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May ...

20.  The night we met I knew I needed you so  /  And if I had the chance I'd never let you go ...

Answers to the above lyrics are:  1. "Heartbreak Hotel," Elvis Presley, 1956.  2. "Johnny B. Goode," Chuck Berry, 1958.  3.  "Under the Boardwalk,"  the Drifters, 1964.  4.  "All My Loving,"  the Beatles, 1963.  5. "You Can't Hurry Love," the Supremes, 1966.  6. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," Marvin Gaye, 1968.  7. "Blowin' in the Wind," Bob Dylan, 1963,  8. "The Tracks of My Tears," Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, 1965,  9. "Light My Fire," the Doors, 1967,  10. "Summertime Blues," Eddie Cochran, 1958,  11. "I Walk the Line," Johnny Cash, 1956, 12. "Misty", Johnny Mathis, 1959. 13. "My Way," Frank Sinatra, 1969,  14.  "Wonderful World,"  Sam Cooke, 1960. 15. "California Dreamin'", the Mamas & the Papas, 1965.  16. "California Girls," Beach Boys,  17. "The Sound of Silence," Simon & Garfunkel, 1964.  18. "Dancing in the Street," Martha and the Vandellas, 1964.  19. "My Girl," the Temptations, 1964.  20. "Be My Baby," the Ronettes, 1963.

Hope you enjoyed the chance to guess the titles and sing along.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

The "BIGFOOT IS DEAD!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at the cover of a magazine that my daughter-in-law, Barbara, had just dropped off at my house at Woodcrest Villas.  My son, her husband, Derek works at a business that distributes a wide variety of items; magazines being one of them.  One of the magazines she dropped off at my house was titled "Skeptical Inquirer."  Never had heard of it before, but found it to be a rather interesting read.  The cover of the magazine had an inch high, two line, bold headline that read "BIGFOOT IS DEAD".

Drew my attention to say the least!  Page 4 had an article titled FROM THE EDITOR.  The editor, Ben Bradford, began by asking, "Is Bigfoot Dead?" The story continues with...In the article, before considering the evidence, we first encounter a history of key developmental milestones, such as Bigfoot's 1958 birth in the pages of the "Humboldt Times" based on footprints discovered in California.  In the years that followed, the idea of Bigfoot continued to develop with evidence such as the 1967 film of the beast's stroll through a forest.  Skeptical Inquirer wasn't yet around to report on Bigfoot's first steps, but reporting was well underway by the time he reached maturity.  Type "Bigfoot" into the search tool at skepticalinquirer.org to find over 200 results from many  noted contributors.  You'll also find that Paul Kurtz wrote the first SI Bigfoot article, titled "Bigfoot on the Loose: Or How to Create a Legend," in the Fall 1980 issue.  And, more recently there are more monstrous insights such as "Bigfoot Lookalikes: Tracking Hairy Man-Beasts.  But....there's one thing...there hasn't been a cover featuring Bigfoot in all that time.  Given that the skeptical community has been criticized for focusing too much on frivolous topics, Mr. Hupp decided to search to see when Bigfoot last made a cover appearance.  Seems it's been over two decades since Ben's reporting made the cover in 2002.  By comparison, 2021 was the last time a UFO was on the cover, and at least nine other covers have featured stories on encounters with extraterrestrials.  In a previous issue, the U.S. government and the Mexican government both appear to be taking claims of encounters with extraterrestrials seriously, but they seem to care less about Bigfoot.  Perhaps their apathy is related to absent findings from shows such as "Finding Bigfoot" and the "10 Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty."  Overall, the thorough reporting in the magazines cover story points to the reality that true belief in Bigfoot is indeed dead, and I thank Ben for the article and Celestia Ward for beautifully depicting the funeral on the cover!  Lastly, one of the things that I love about this magazine is its ability to report on fun topics, such as Bigfoot and UFO's, while also covering more important topics, such as some of the other featured articles in this issue on the judicial system, brain training, and cancer.  I hope you enjoy all the discoveries within.  Editor: Stephen Hupp.  Perhaps you may want to try out an issue of "Skeptical Inquirer" in the future, or maybe you might be to skeptical about the idea.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.