The "The Krow's Nest" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with my son Tad.  Told him about a great article that was in a recent Sunday newspaper telling about the guy that was influential in his early street hockey career.  Guy with the scraggly beard and hair that looked like he had stuck his finger in an electric socket.  Don Krow was a street hockey...well, add to that inline, roller or any type of outdoor hockey, coach when Tad first got interested in the sport.

Tad's High School senior photograph

 It was about the same time that he took up ice hockey which would have been when he was in Middle School or a very early teenager.  Tad was a natural from the moment he put anything on his feet.  Gliding across the crease and taking a quick slap shot was something easy to miss if you weren't watching him closely.  One day he asked if he could play street hockey on a team with a couple of fiends at the outdoor Lancaster rink near our county prison.  Street hockey is slightly different than roller in that you wear only sneakers on your feet.  His coach was a strange looking man by the name of Don Krow.  Tad introduced me to Don on my first visit to the rink.  

Don Krow

A friendly and genuinely nice guy.  He loved athletics as well as coaching.  For a few years we traveled to the rink in Lancaster for games, but in the early 2000s Tad began playing on a roller-hockey team at the East Petersburg rink which was just about the same distance from our home in Lancaster.  When Carol and I showed up for his first game, there he was; the guy with the scraggly long hair.  Only difference was it was showing signs of gray.  Tad has been out of school for almost 25 years now and still plays roller-hockey every week-end with a bunch of guys who love the sport and are looking for a good week-end workout.  Many of the guys were classmates and teammates when Tad played ice hockey in Middle School.  But the rink they now use is near Tad's house on the far west side of Lancaster; thus no Don Krow anymore.  

Don standing behind the plaque that will be displayed at the rink.

Don still coaches boys and men at East Petersburg.  Well, after coaching 20 years in Lancaster, with 17 of those at East Petersburg, the East Petersburg Inline Hockey organization named their rink "The Krow's Nest" in honor of Don.  They have also named their championship trophy "Lord Don's Chalice."  Quite fitting for a man who has given his entire life to coaching boys, young men and adults in the sport of hockey.  Now, if you have been wondering about sexism, I'm sure there were a few girls that he coached during his career.  Tad and I would see Don from time to time at other sporting events and he always found time to stop to talk with us.  I'm sure he really appreciated the recent accolades, but I truly believe he coached year after year since hockey, of any sort, was his passion and his life.  I'm sure when Tad reads the article it will bring back many fond memories.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "So What Are You Addicted To" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Snacking on a bag of potato chips that are made a few miles away in Lancaster County.  Chips seem to go with just about any lunchtime meal as well as a snack when you're watching TV in the evening.  It's such a fantastic snack that it made the list of 7 most addictive snacks or foods in a recent online survey.  Follow along and check out all the snack food that tends to be addictive.

1. Potato Chips - This snack is best known for two things: salt and fat.  Studies have shown that eating salt triggers the release of dopamine which is a chemical messenger that controls your brain's pleasure center.  Once your brain gets a signal from that first chip, you and your brain are hooked.  Herr's Potato Chips are made in southern Lancaster County.  Carol and I made a trip to the factory and we ate chips the entire way through the tour.  Then, when we were ready to depart, there was a big display of their chips for sale.  Just had to buy one.  So did most other people.  When we travel to the Caribbean we sometimes find Herr's products on the shelves of stores on a variety of islands.
   
2. Cookies - The "pleasure center" of your brain responds to cookies just as it responds to medicine.  The brain's nucleus accumbens reacts to a chocolate chip or snickerdoodle cookie the same way it would if you had just taken cocaine or morphine.  Actually, that could cause some major health implications if not held in check.  Maybe if drug counselors told people to eat cookies instead of shooting drugs into their system they might be doing their patients a favor.  I have so many varieties of cookies I love that my list would be too large to place here.  My one prerequisite for a cookie is that you can dunk it in milk.  If the cookie can't absorb milk, pitch it!
   
3. Sodas - Some call them sodas, I call then soft drinks.  Call then anything you want, but I drink way to many of them.  When I go on the weekly shopping trip to the grocery store with my wife, I stand in front of the entire aisle of soft drinks, trying to decide which one I will buy.  Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Rootbeer, etc., etc., all are part of my diet which I know isn't good, but it's a simple pleasure I can't stop.  It's addictive!  And the reason it is so addictive...caffeine.  Soft drinks are nothing more than carbonated water, flavoring and caffeine.  Caffeine is the world's most popular psychoactive drug and it's said to be a part of 80% of humans diet every day.  And, sometimes multiple times a day in my household.
   
4. Pizza - It's a party food, a lunchtime or supper meal and a snack.  You can buy then in the box, at the store or make them yourself.  And...it's addictive!  Great when you're in front of the TV, at the beach, on the boardwalk, at a party, etc.  And...it's addictive!
   
5. Chocolate - We have a store a short walk from our house that makes chocolate treats.  That's not fair!  That's why it is addictive in our household.  The sea salt, chocolate covered caramels...oh my are they good.  And, expensive!  I also live close to the Hershey plant so that's another reason I eat so much of the stuff that contains both sugar and fat and is often used in studies of food addiction.  It is very similar to taking drugs as far as the brain is concerned.
   
6. Ice Cream - I should have put this on the top of my list, since I crave ice cream more than any other item on this list of 7.  The No. 1 driver of my ice cream craving is its sweetness, naturally.  Good ice cream tends to max out at about 18% milk fat which can come from milk, cream or butter.  Ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches, ice cream soda, ice cream this and ice cream that.  I love them all.  My favorite flavor...I guess vanilla since I can mix it with anything, including scoops of another flavor of ice cream.
   
7. Fries - I tend to call them French Fries, but were they really invented in France?  I'm not sure and I guess it depends whom you are talking with when you want to know the answer.  They contain MSG which increases appetite by inhibiting your brain from registering that you're satiated.  In one study on rats, MSG increased their food intake by 40%.  I used to eat fries quite often, but I put it on the bottom of my list today because I could live without them more than any of the above items.
   

So, what's on your addictive list.  Perhaps everything listed above plus more?  And, can you control yourself when eating these addictive food items.  I can't!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "New Era Printing House With A Twist" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Posting a story today that deals with both the printing trade as well as weather prognosticating in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. If you have been reading my blog on a regular basis you probably know that I taught high school graphic arts and photography, so my story is about something that I should know a little bit about.  

The printing house was on the left, under the flag to the left.

Lancaster’s rich printing history dates back to 1751 when Benjamin Franklin opened a printing business in Lancaster with a Quaker printer by the name of James Chattin running the shop for him.  The following year Mr. Chattin left for Philadelphia while Heinrich Miller and Samuel Holland moved to Lancaster to take over for him.  It was late in 1752 that they printed Lancaster’s first newspaper, The Lancaster Gazette. 

The stories and articles were in both German and English.  Eventually printer William Dunlap took over the shop and became one of the great printers of Lancaster and the first to print the Declaration of Independence. When Franklin moved to England in 1757, Dunlap moved to Philadelphia to take over for him and the Lancaster printing office closed.  Sixteen years later Francis Bailey, a printer at the Ephrata Cloisters, relocated to downtown Lancaster in the first block of West King Street, where the newspaper office resides today.  He also moved to Philadelphia in 1780.  In 1794 the site on West King Street became home to The Lancaster Journal which was published and edited by by William Hamilton and Henry Wilcocks.  Then in 1799 the Intelligencer Journal began in the same office and is the same paper that today is the thirteenth oldest newspaper in the United States.  In 1877 the Lancaster New Era was added with the Sunday News beginning in 1923.  All these paper shared the same building on West King Street. The following story and drawing depicts the Lancaster newspaper office in Lancaster. Click on it to enlarge it.

Now, if you notice, on the top of the building you will see a series of flags.  These flags were used to predict and broadcast the weather in Lancaster.  The following chart tells what each flag means.

I must admit that until I recently saw these two items posted on a Lancaster Facebook page, I had no idea that there were flags on the top of the building.  And, I didn’t realize that the building looked as it did in this photo.  I have added the photographs that had been published before as to how it appeared.  Perhaps they are both one and the same building.  But, I must say that I’m not absolutely sure.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The printing office as it looks today.

The "Memorializing St. James" Story

St. James Episcopal Church was founded in 1744 with
services held in the Court House, as shown here.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the weekly newsletter sent by email to me from St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA.  News of the parish such as important celebrations as well as a short story about one of the saints is always included.  Although the newsletter is short, it still gives you something to think about which I'm sure was the intent of the newsletter.  Being that Lancaster is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States, it is rich in religious history.  

St. James ca. 1820.

If you travel around the city and county you will find churches and meeting places for Mennonites, Amish, Moravians, Roman Catholics, Jewish... and the list goes on and on.  Churches with names memorial- izing St. Luke, St. Benedict, St. Anne and any number or other saints line the streets and roads of Lancaster.  So why were they given their name?  St. James Episcopal began in 1744, but closed during the Revolutionary War due to having an English minister at the time.  

St. James Episcopal as seen today.

After the Revolution, peace was restored and the boards covering the windows of the church were removed.  It still retained St. James as its patron saint.  So, who is this guy we named our church after?  Seems that James was one of the sons of Zebedee and was sometimes referred to as James the Greater since his cousin was known as James the Less.  He was a fisherman by trade and was called by Jesus as a fisher of men.  After the Ascension, James traveled to Spain to preach the Gospel and then returned to Jerusalem.  

St. James the Greater.

In 44 AD he was beheaded and the site of his martyrdom has become a destination for pilgrims in what is now the Cathedral of Saint James in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.  James the Greater is the patron saint of several countries including Spain and its city Santiago (Spanish for Saint James) and the Philippines.  James is also the patron saint of veterinarians, equestrians, furriers, tanners and pharmacists.  On special days when we celebrate St. James in our church, the church is adorned in red as a symbol of the blood of the martyrs that was shed for Christ.  A truly beautiful sight.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "History Is Fun, But Vacation Is Better! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at my wife's Facebook page which features my photograph so that everyone thinks it is my page.  A Facebook friend, David Gelatt, posted a neat story a few weeks ago that was very interesting, especially if you are a history buff such as I am becoming in my twilight years.  

"Anne"

Story tells about his 10th Great Grandfather arriving on the pilgrim ship "Anne" at Plymouth, Massachusetts on July 10, 1623.  A few years ago I posted a story telling about my daughter-in-law Barbara's mother, Etta, who had relatives on the Mayflower and is now a member of the Mayflower Society.  I actually framed a story for her telling about her heritage.  Now, as far as David is concerned, his grandfather, 11 times removed, Captain Edward Bangs, was married to Rebecca Hobart in 1634 and ten years later gave birth to his 10 times removed Great Grandfather, Captain Jonathan Bangs who married Mary Mayo who settled with her husband in Brewster, Massachusetts.  Now if you don't understand all this 11X and 10X, etc. removed, it just shows you how many generations back these people were in your family tree.  David's story goes on to tell who married whom...who married whom, etc.  Eventually a young woman named Hannah met a "nice" (according to David) gentleman by the name of George Gelatt.  George's father John had recently immigrated from France.  George and Hannah moved to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania where they had six children with three of the children starting the hamlet of Gelatt, PA.  One of the three brothers, George Jr. married and seven generations later Carl Emery Gelatt married Leanne Nowell who were David's parents.  Now, I might have missed a generation or three as I was sifting through all the names, but I think you can see why Edward Bangs, a shipwright by trade in the colonies, was David's Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather.  

Another depiction of "Anne"

Now, for the story how his 11X relative made it to Plymouth in the New World.  It was in the spring of 1623 that 90 passengers set sail on two small ships from London to provide support for those already in the New World.  One of those ships was the "Anne" which was a 140 ton supply ship while the other was the 44 ton pinnace "Little James" which was an escort military ship.  After a three-month voyage they arrived in Plymouth on July 10, 1623.  Of the 90 odd passengers, 60 were former English Separatists while the others were independents.  Eventually some were sent back since they couldn't handle living and working in the harsh colonial environment.  A list of all the passengers was part of the story I read about the arrivals that day in July.  Sure enough, there was Edward Bangs, shipwright by occupation.  He was given 4 shares of land under the name "Bangs".  What follows is the exact reading of passenger names, family and other important facts for the Bangs family:  

1. Edward Bangs – Born c.1591 - 86 in 1677. Per Banks he was of Panfield, Essex, son of John and Jane (Chavis) Bangs. Shipwright by occupaEtion. The 1623 land division lists 4 shares for him under “Bangs.” From that it is thought that he may have had a family of wife and two children with him on the Anne that are mysteriously missing in the 1627 'Division of Cattle'. In lot #12, he appears as single along with six members of the Hickes family, five members of the Jenes family, and with another single man, Stephen Deane. This lot shared "the great whyte backt cow which came over on the "Anne", to which cow, the keeping of the bull was joyned, and two shee goats". . It can only be surmised that something happened to them between 1623 and 1627 as he (re)married after 1627. Member of the 1626 Purchaser investment group as “Edward Banges.” He was with those chosen to lay out twenty-acre lots in the 1627 division. After 1627 married Lydia Hicks, daughter of Robert and Margaret Hicks, having been fellow passengers with him on the Anne in 1623. Died 1677. Three members of his family that may have been with him as counted in the 1623 land division:
2. (Mrs) ___ Bangs – possibly died before 1627.
3. (child) Bangs
4. (child) Bangs

I would have loved to have had something as interesting and factual as this when I sent my money to Ancestry.com last year, but that never happened.  I got very little from them except the suggestion that I could trace deeper if I gave more money to them.  Now, I was interested, but more interested in taking a vacation to the Caribbean for rest and relaxation than in finding out how many she-goats or cows my ancestors may have had.  Hey, I'm sitting by my villa's pool, on the island of St. Martin, typing this story.  Can't get any better that that!  And, thanks to Facebook friend David, who is the director of the Flash Mob I am a part of that sings the Hallelujah chorus at Christmas, you can see a bit more about the settlement of the United States of America.  Now, how good is that?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Rock Lititz Is Flying High" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in seat #20D on American Airlines flight #2219 looking at the airline's magazine "American Way".  

American Airlines magazine, "American Way"

Turned to page 16 and there on the bottom of the page was the headline, "Pennsylvania takes the stage" with a sub-head that read, "Hotel Rock Lititz offers concert-inspired accommodations for music fans."  Wow!!  The world is taking notice!  It was back in 1965 that I took a course at Millersville State Teacher's College titled Wood II.  It was a class in the woodshop with Mr. Paul Eshelman who at the time had to be as old as my grandfather.  It was a second level course in the Industrial Arts Department.  We had to design a piece of furniture that would illustrate a variety of different joints as well a place a finish on what we made.  I chose to make a stereo unit with speakers, turntable, amplifier and tuner.  

Rock Lititz campus can be seen in Lancaster's Amish country.

And...I wasn't the only one who chose to make a stereo unit.  Guy by the name of Roy Clair chose the same piece of furniture.  We worked together while making our units and when it became necessary to purchase the parts he asked where I was going to buy my parts.  Told me he and his brother Gene had a few people they bought electronics from him and he could get me whatever I needed.  We became good friends during that semester and it wasn't long before he and his brother formed Clair Brothers Audio that specialized in sound systems for rock bands.  

A street sign in the Rock Lititz complex

Gene was working as an electrician at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, PA when the Four Seasons came to the campus.  Gene and Roy did the sound for them and they were so impressed with them that they took them on tour with them.  They eventually worked for Elton John, The Moody Blues and Michael Jackson, to name a few.  They began their business in nearby Lititz, a town of 9,400 people in the middle of Amish country.  The same Lititz that was picked as "America's Coolest Small Town" in 2013.  

The Studio on the Rock Lititz campus

Today there are a few hundred more people that live in Lititz and Roy and Gene have developed Rock Lititz which is a 96 acre campus where companies design and build tour stage sets and sound systems for the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, U2, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Usher and Mumford & Sons with Troy Clair, Roy's son, running the business of what is now known as Clair Global.  There are a variety of businesses now on the 96 acres such as Tait Towers, Pyrotek, CM-ET, Rock Medical, Tone Tailors, Upstage Video, Yamaha, Atomic, Control Freak, Mojo, and Stageco.  

Plans for the hotel at Rock Lititz

It features a studio that is the tallest, strongest production rehearsal facility in the world.  And, according to American Airlines "American Way", the company now is working on a 139-room hotel that will offer "a fun and comfortable home away from home" for both the music industry vets and visiting fans.  The rooms will feature touches such as sliding doors made from tour cases and wallpaper fashioned from 40 years of backstage passes.  What was at one time a young college student working on a stereo cabinet in wood shop class with his new friend has now turned into one of the largest and most successful entertainment businesses in the world.  And, its in little Lititz, Pennsylvania.  A couple of miles from my house.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Get Your Kicks On Route 66" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a post on the Facebook page “The Lancastrian” when I came across some facts about one of my dad’s friends. 

Bobby Troup

Guy by the name of Bobby Troup.  He was a few years older than my dad, but dad knew him from stopping in his family’s music store at 38 West King Street when he needed his trumpet repaired or needed sheet music.  Bobby was born 100 years ago this month in nearby Harrisburg.  As a young boy he moved with his family to 1140 Wheatland Avenue in Lancaster. He didn’t go to school with my dad in Lancaster, since his family enrolled him in a boarding school in Pottstown, PA by the name of The Hill School.  Bobby graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where he met his first wife, Cynthia Hare.  While at school he was a member of the Mask and Wig Club which is where he began his musical career. 

Sammy Kaye and Bobby Troup

A song written for a Mask and Wig production, “Daddy”, became a national hit when it was recorded by Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra.  It was #1 on the Billboard Best Seller chart for 8 weeks.  After college he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps where he eventually became one of two dozen white officers to direct recruit training at Montford Point for the first Black Marines.  When he was 28 years old, and still had connections to his family music store in downtown Lancaster, he traveled west with his wife, writing of their trip in the lyrics of the a song that would gain him universal fame, “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” when Nat King Cole recorded the song.  It was later recorded by Chuck Berry in 1961 and The Rolling Stones in 1964.  Bobby and his wife had two daughters, Cynnie and Ronne who both had careers in the entertainment industry.  That marriage ended in divorce in 1955. 

Bobby and his second wife, Julie London

Bobby met his second wife, singer and actress Julie London, at the Celebrity Room where he was singing.  Troup encouraged London to pursue her singing career and in 1955 produced her million selling hit “Cry Me a River”.  Julie had previously been married to actor Jack Webb of “Dragnet” fame.  Julie and Bobby had one daughter, Kelly and twin sons, Jody and Reese Troup. 

Bobby and Julie in Emergency

Bobby’s own recordings weren’t successful, but he did write the title song for the 1950s rock ‘n roll movie “The Girl Can’t Help It” which was sung by Little Richard.  Then in the mid-1950s Bobby was one of the regular panelists in the game show "Musical Chairs" which lasted on NBC for two years.  The Troup Group provided much of the music in the game show.  He was also host of ABC’s Stars of Jazz.  If you are old enough you may remember him as appearing in Bop Girl Goes Calypso, The High Cost of Loving, The Five Pennies and The Gene Krupa Story.  Bobby made three guest appearances on “Perry Mason” and two appearances on “Mannix”.  Then in 1967 Jack Webb, Bobby's wife’s former husband, had Troup appear in an episode of “Dragnet”.

The cast of Emergency, with Troup on the far left.

Then in 1972 Webb once again featured Bobby  in the TV series “Emer- gency” which was created by Webb.  On Emergency he played Dr. Joe Early while his wife Julie played nurse Dixie McCall.  Bobby Troup, Lancaster resident during his childhood, died in February 1999 while his wife Julie London died the following year on his birthday.  Many towns and cities in the world have residents who have gone on to stardom of one sort or another, and my hometown of Lancaster is no different.  One of our memorable citizens was born 100 years ago today.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "It's Apple Season!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got finished with looking for a pumpkin and now it's time to pick some apples.  When the leaves begin to turn fall colors you know it is time to begin picking.  In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania there are quite a few orchards with pick-yourself options.  

Great time of year for picking apples.

Take the family along and see how much fun you may have spending the day picking apples. A few orchards that are in Lancaster have names such as Cherry Hill Orchards, Weaver's Orchard, Flinchbaugh's Orchard & Farm Market, Brecknock Orchard, Kauffman's Fruit Farm & Market and the Masonic Village Farm Market & Orchard.  This year's supply of apples seems to be exceptionally good this year, since there was plenty of moisture this summer in Lancaster County which helped the apples grow larger.  Most orchards allow picking Monday thru Saturdays and 9:00 am until late afternoon.  Some of the varieties available for picking this time of year are the Fuji, Cameo, Idared, Pink Lady, Stayman and Granny Smith.  Most all are great for snacking, baking and cooking.  The Fuji has a very sweet flavor and is juicy.  The Cameo has a sweet-tart flavor with hints of honey and citrus.  The Idared has a mild flavor with a hint of spice.  The Pink Lady is effervescent with a crunchy bite.  It tends to have a thicker skin than other apples.  The Granny Smith has a mouth-puckering tart flavor and was the choice of my mom and wife for use in making apple dumplings and applesauce.  In both my childhood household and my grown household apple dumplings constitute a meal in itself.  

Nice warm apple dumpling with milk...or ice cream is great.

Warm apple dumpling with cold milk and a spoonful of sugar is a great meal.  Usually can eat two or three apple dumplings depending on their size.  There are quite a few other varieties of apples, but the varieties I have mentioned are the apples that come into season during this month.  Maybe you can make a trip to pick a basket of apples as well as find your perfect pumpkin.  Enjoy both!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Hey, The Last King Is Getting A Raw Deal!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I are visiting our local pharmacy to get flu shots before we head on vacation.  Since we are both “Seniors”, we were given a “Senior” dose which is close to double the amount given to younger people.  While talking with the Nurse Practitioner, the subject of vaccinations for children who are entering school came up.  A recent story in the local newspaper told the tale of the percentage of children who were not allowed to attend public, non-public, private or parochial school in the state of Pennsylvania because they had not been vaccinated for mumps, measles, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, poliomyelitis,and Hepatitis B. These diseases, which can cause devastating results for those who get them, and are very contagious, can be controlled if all students receive vaccinations before entering school.  They must also have the Monongahela conjugate vaccine before they enter 7th grade and updates on all, if needed, before entering their Senior year.  There are exemptions which are: a doctor must say it could be detrimental to the health of the child, it could be based on religious grounds or the parent may fear the child will be Autistic.  Well, I’m not sure where in the Bible it states that children shouldn’t get vaccinated, but the fear of getting Autism is totally false.  Over the years those that have been diagnosed as having Autism caused by being vaccinated is based on manipulated results and fraudulent research.  Now, if you are someone reading this that disagrees, I know I can never change your mind, but medical facts will back up the fact that Autism isn’t caused by having your child immunized against childhood diseases.  This is one of many myths that I have been reading about recently. 

A few other myths are: (1) When you flush a toilet in the Northern Hemi- sphere, it rotates differently than in the Southern Hemi- sphere.  Absolutely not true!  It is based on how the toilet is made as to which way the water goes around the toilet bowl.  (2) There are different parts of your tongue for each type of taste such as sweet, sour, salty, etc.  That also isn’t true according to several websites I visited. (3) You have to wait 24 hours before you can report a person missing.  Now who ever came up with that idea.  You can call the police as soon as you suspect that someone may be missing.  I’m sure they will question you about when and where it happened, but they will take the information and not tell you to call back in 24 hours.  (4)  Have you ever heard that only about 10% of your brain is active at any one time?  Again, not true since how much of your brain is active at any one time is based on the task you are performing.  On most days many parts of your brain may be active, but it might be at different times based on what you are doing.  (5) Have you ever heard the saying...blind as a bat?  Bats aren’t blind!  Not only are they not blind, but they use echolocation to guide them at times.  If they are anything, they are creepy!  (6)  Did you know that slaves were said to have built the pyramids.  Whoever started that rumor did so out of stupidity.  The job of building a pyramid was considered an honor granted only to the most respected laborers.  Their remains are entombed near the site of the pyramid that they may have built.  (7) Did you ever swallow a piece of chewing gum and your parents told you that it will take 7 years to digest?  Nah, my parent’s never did that either, but evidently some parents did.  The truth is the gum will pass straight through your digestive system.  (8) Did any of your math teachers tell you that Albert Einstein failed math?  Not true!  He did fail an entrance exam for a school at one time, but excelled in mathematics.  (9) And, how about the apple that Adam and Eve ate!  Wasn’t true!  What they did eat was the forbidden “fruit”, but no where in Genesis does it say that the forbidden fruit was an apple.  My guess is that it was a peach or strawberry, some of my favorites.  (10) And the final myth that I will destroy is about the Three Wise Men bringing their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  Hey, I was the final wise guy in the church pageant at St. James when I brought the myrrh to the manger. But, who says that there were three wise men?  Nowhere in the Bible does it specifically state that there were three.  Just because there were three gifts doesn’t mean that three men were needed to deliver them.  Might have been two...but then I wouldn’t have had the part in the pageant!  That's not fair!  I'm glad our church thought it was three!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "They're Growing Them Bigger All The Time!" Story

Caden pitching this past season.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in front of my grandson, Caden, congratu- lating him for the triple he hit today with the bases loaded that helped win the ballgame.  Caden turned 13 this past April.  His family doctor recently told his parents that he will probably grow to be 6'6" and perhaps well over 200 pounds.  Well, let me tell you...as I stood in front of him he has to be close to 6 feet tall already.  I was looking him directly in the eye and I am slightly over 6 feet tall.  He also looks to be maybe 160 pounds with a big chest, shoulders and arms.  He attends conditioning workouts a few times a month and it shows.  Next Spring will be his second year in baseball in what is known as 14U, which is 14 years old and under.  On the baseball field the basepaths for  14U are 75 feet with the pitching mound near 50 feet.  What seemed like an average distance this past summer will seem like a much shorter distance next summer since he will have put on a few inches in height and perhaps 25 to 30 pounds in weight.  

Nolan Rucci, high school sophomore and 6'8", 266 lbs. in size

Caden seems to be growing at an astounding rate, but after reading a story in the sports section of the local newspaper, it seems like he is small in stature.  One young man,  high school sophomore Nolan Rucci, who plays football for a high school team in nearby Lititz, Pennsylvania, and is probably 15 years old, is 6 foot 8 inches and weighs 266 pounds.  

Hayden Rucci, high school senior and 6'5", 225 lbs. in size

Yes, you read that correctly.  His brother, Hayden, who is a senior, is 6 foot 5 inches and weighs 225 pounds.  What are these kids eating these days and what is in the water they're drinking?  How would you like to have two sons that size and have to feed them.  Now, I guess I should have expected boys this height and weight since their father, Todd Rucci, played for the New England Patriots and was 6 foot 5 inches and weighed 296 pounds when he played.  

Todd Rucci, 6'5" and 296 lbs. in size

He and his family were members at St. James Episcopal Church and I can remember sitting behind him in church and struggling to see past him when we stood.  Todd's wife, Stacy, was an All-American field hockey player at Penn State University while Todd played football for Penn State.  I had Stacy as a student at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, PA.  I also was a friend of Stacy's dad Tom Gilburg who was also a big man.  Tom was 6 foot 5 inches and weighed 245 pounds.  He played college football for Syracuse University and offensive tackle as well as punter for the Baltimore Colts during the same era when Johnny Unitas played.  He then moved to Lancaster to coach the Franklin & Marshall college team to a record of 160-112-2.  Loved visiting him to see all the sports memorabilia he has accumulated.  

Tom Gilburg, 6'5" and 245 lbs. in size 

Well, with parents and grandparents who demand respect due to their size, its no wonder both boys have great size genes.  Senior Haden, who is a tight end, has already committed to Wisconsin University to play football and Nolan has now received full athletic scholarships to his parent's alma mater, Penn State, as well as Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Michigan State, West Virginia, Pitt and Virginia.  Not bad for a 15 year old kid that is an offensive lineman.  The future looks bright for them, but they must prove they can also be successful in the classroom.  The world is waiting...but can they make the grade...or should I say grades?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Tom preparing to punt the ball for the Baltimore Colts

  

The "Celebrating 100 Years Of John Deere" Story

One of the original John Deere logos.

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in my latest Reminisce magazine a story titled "Retro Replay - Blast From The Past".  Story tells about John Deere & Company entering the tractor business in 1918 and therefore celebrating 100 years in business.  Quite a milestone for any company.  By now, if you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know I am from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, known as the "Garden Spot of America".  

The home of the New Holland Company.

We here in Lancaster County tell of having some of the most fertile farmland in the United States.  Our local newspaper used the slogan "The Leading Newspaper in the Garden Spot of America" as early as 1919.  Actually it was back in 1702, when a Lutheran pastor who had traveled here, published his observations about our fertile farmland in his book "Nachricht von Pennsylvania" (Accurate Tidings from Pennsylvania).  

The story of John Deere.  Click to enlarge.

So, as you can see, we here in Lancaster know quite a bit about farm land and farm equipment.  We even make one of the best tractors in the world a few miles to the east of Lancaster in the small town known as New Holland.  New Holland Company was producing agricultural products to help the farming community in 1895.  But, I'm sure there are plenty of John Deere tractors plowing the lush fields of Lancaster County.  John Deere Company is located in Waterloo, Iowa.  

Mr. John Deere

They recently sponsored a Gold Key event where customers could watch the final assembly or their newly purchased tractor.  John Deere entered the farm tractor business in March 1918 when they purchased Waterloo Gasoline Engine Company.  And now, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will make 2018 as the year of the tractor.  The museum's 1918 green, yellow and red Waterloo Boy tractor was installed at the entrance of the business history exhibition.  John Deere also placed iconic tractors on display at the John Deere Tractor & Engine Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, the John Deere Paviion and John Deere World Headquarters in Moline, Illinois as well as the John Deere Forum in Mannheim, Germany.

John Deere plow that made him famous and wealthy.

 As far as the namesake of the tractor, John Deere was an American blacksmith and manufac- turer who was born in Rutland, Vermont and moved to Illinois where he invented the first commercially successful steel plow in 1837.  He later entered a business partnership with Leonard Andrus and purchased land for the construction of a new, two-story factory along the Rock River in Illinois.  

The more recognizable logo of the John Deere Company.

The factory was named the L. Andrus Plough Manufac- turer and produced about 100 plows in 1842 and around 400 the next year.  Many other partnerships followed until in 1918 he purchased the Waterloo Boy tractor facility and began selling the John Deere Model D tractor.   I remember watching an episode on Made In America, which was broadcast on the Travel Channel, and being told that the John Deere Company never repossessed any John Deere equipment during the Great Depression which was amazing!  

This photograph from the Reminisce Magazine shows the
John Deere Model GP which was manufactured from 1928
to 1935 and marketed as a general purpose machine.

Since its start in 1918 they have added an assortment of farm equipment to their inventory of products.  They now have factories throughout the world and employ 67,000 people worldwide, with about half of those employees in the United States and Canada.  The logo of the leaping deer has been used by this company for over 155 years, but with a few minor changes over the years.  

A more recognizable John Deere tractor.

And, the traditional logo color of green with the inside border being yellow makes the brand easily identifiable.  A year ago Deere & Company signed an agreement to acquire Blue River Technology which, through technology, will allow users of John Deere equipment to reduce the use of herbicides by spraying only where weeds are present.  My congratulations to the green and yellow company for their many years in the agricultural business.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

I just had to put in a photo of the tractor made in Lancaster County, the New Holland tractor.