The "LNP Living: Paper Trail - Part I" Story

Front page of the Living Section of LNP

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday, September 15, 2019 and there on the front page of the "Living" section of the Lancaster LNP newspaper was the bold headline "PAPER TRAIL" under the smaller title of "HISTORY."  The accompanying artwork shows a person's hands holding a personal computer showing a copy of The Lancaster Examiner from June 17, 1796.  Wow, would I love to read that paper.  Well, it seems that I now can read it!  The Lancaster newspapers have digitized every newspaper they have ever printed since June 17, 1796.  And, it is available to anyone who cares to read it.  If you have a print or digital subscription you can access the files for no charge.  Lancaster Newspapers has one more file to digitize and you will be able to go back one more year to 1795.  Everything, including the advertisements, death and birth notices, sports, advertisements, headline news, etc. can be seen on any one of the papers they print.  There are 19 newspapers that can be accessed by computer through the new website.  Papers such as: The Age and Lancaster and Chester County Weekly Gazette (1842), The Daily Evening Express (1856-1876), Daily Lancaster Examiner (1830-1834), The Inquirer (1870-1921), Intelligencer Journal (1864-2008), La Cos Hispana (1994-2008), Lancaster County Real Estate Weekly (1994-2008), Lancaster Democrat (1845-1846), The Lancaster Examiner (1834-1918), Lancaster Examiner and The Semi-Weekly New Era (1920), Lancaster Intelligencer (1847-1920), The Lancaster Morning Journal (1909-1915),

Front page of the September 9, 1944 evening newspaper.

Lancaster New Era (1920-2009), Lancaster Reporter (1827-1828), LNP Always Lancaster (2104-2019), The News-Journal (1890-1927), The Saturday Express (1850-1856), The Semi-Weekly New Era (1877-1919) and Sunday News (1923-2008) are all online at present with access to each paper.  So, what did I decide to do first with my new found access to a lifetime of newspapers?  I pulled up the day I was born to see if I really was born in Lancaster.  

There was my birth announcement under WOODS.
My mother and father are both deceased as is St Joseph's Hospital

Yep, there it was in black and white on page 3; Boys births, Girls births and Twin births.  Wow, this is really neat.  Read both the morning Intel- ligencer Journal and the evening Lancaster New Era newspapers.  During my lifetime I was able to chose either the morning paper, which was allegedly a Democratic newspaper or the Lancaster New Era which was the Republican newspaper.  Both had separate staffs, photographers, reporters, etc. but both used the same printing press that was housed for most of my life at the Lancaster Newspaper office at 8 W. King Street in Downtown Lancaster.  

My birth announcement was also in the morning Intelligencer Journal.

I happened to know pressmen on both papers and from time to time would visit with them so I could see the presses run.  Being that I taught Graphic Arts in high school, I was in heaven with everything from watching the presses run to the smell of the ink.  And now I can search every single newspaper that was ever printed in Lancaster County.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - The following photographs are from the 1944 Lancaster Intelligencer Journal or the Lancaster New Era.

Every day saw stories of those serving in the armed forces of our country.
Click on any image to enlarge it.  You may be able to read it.

Story about the recent epidemic of polio.

How local schools decided to handle the proble.

I was born during WWII so many stories were geared toward the war.
This story talks about hunters only being able to get one box of shells,
since most ammunition when to the armed forces.  Had to be a good shot!

Tobacco was a big crop for Lancaster County farmers.

Advertisements geared toward the war effort.

Another ad for the war effort.

An advertisement for Armstrong Cork Company which was founded in Lancaster, PA

An editorial cartoon.

Another war cartoon.

Yes, Blondie was around in 1944.

This is the daily schedule for WGAL Radio station.  Televisions
were still too costly for most homes to have one.

This is an advertisement for Rudy Vallee on WGAL radio.

Movie advertisement from 1944.

This is an advertisement for the York County Fair.
This year's  York County Fair just ended this past week.
That's 75 years later than this advertisement.

I can remember seeing highlighted cards for different baseball
players many years later. 

Drawing of Ed McKeever who had just been named coach at Notre Dame College.

If you're a baseball fan, these are the teams that existed in 1944.

The "Finding A Home For My Guillotine Papercutter" Story

Letterpress printing stands along North Queen Street.

It was an ordinary day.  Parked the car in the parking garage and headed to the 300 block of North Queen Street in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania to visit the 7th Annual Lancaster Printer's Fair.  The fair is meant to bring to life the art of letterpress printing which has a long and storied history in Lancaster.  Ben Franklin and his partner James Chattin founded the New Printing Office in Lancaster in 1751.  Franklin moved back to Philadelphia a short time after, but the office remained open and was the start in 1754 of a successful run under William Dunlap.  One of the main reasons I decided to go to the fair was to visit the .918 Club and the Heritage Press Museum which is in the 300 block of North Queen Street.  

Items needed to print on the letter press are:  metal frame
called a chase, hand-set type in the center of the chase,
wooden blocks called furniture around the type and held in
place with metal pieces called quoins.  Also can be seen are:
key (left center) to turn the quoins and a metal job stick with
hand-set metal type in it. (top center)

The Museum was founded in 2004 and attracts tourists from all over the world.  While there you can participate in a live printing operation and see how letterpress printing took place long ago.  I entered the Museum and instantly recognized the smell of printer's ink.  Some of you may recall that I have written many times about teaching high school graphic arts, or printing, for over 30 years.  When I first began teaching my shop had two full sized hand-operated platen presses and a few table-top platen presses.  My students would have to set type by hand, place the set type in a square metal frame called a chase and lock it in place using different sizes of wood called furniture by using metal locking devices called quoins.

Mike operates the letterpress.

That all was done of a metal "stone" call the composing stone.   The chase would then be placed in the inked press and paper would be hand-fed, one piece at a time.  The hands-on experience was a remarkable way to teach the art of typesetting and printing to high school students.  And...they loved it!  Eventually letterpress began to wain when offset printing became popular.  The two floor model letterpresses were eventually given to the museum after it opened in 2004.  Wasn't long before I found my way to the area where the presses and composing stone was located and I found Mike talking to a visitor of the museum.  After helping him print a few items, he turned his attention to me.  A big smile told me he remembered me from the past.  Mike taught Graphic Arts in York, Pennsylvania about the same time I was teaching at Manheim Township High School.  

The guillotine paper cutter I will
donate to the .918 club in the future.

We talked about the equipment they had and I then offered to donate my guillotine paper cutter when I no longer need it.  I still do the in-house printing for the school district and still need the cutter which sits in my garage.  Why it's in my garage is a story for another time.  Mike found Ken, another Graphic Arts teacher from Octorara High School and I told them about the cutter and they both agreed they would be glad to come and get it when I was ready to give it up.  I often thought about joining them someday and use my knowledge of letterpress printing once again to tell how "it used to be way back then."  When I returned home I looked at both of the guy's business cards they handed me and thought how neat it would be to be a "Master Printer & Printer in Residence."  Maybe sometime soon?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS.  If you are wondering what .918 means, it is the height of a piece of type from the face of the letter to the bottom on the piece of type in inches.

Outside the Museum in Lancaster, PA

This year's program booklet for the Printer's Fair.

The "One More Time...Why LDub?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Answering for the umpteenth time why I call myself LDub on the blog you are reading today.  It's been almost ten years since I posted a story on my blog which was titled "Why LDub."  One way to reach this blog is to type in www.lifewithldub.blogspot.com.  When I would give friends and relatives this address they usually would ask, "What's LDub mean?  Well, since it's been quite some time since I posted the story for the first time, I believe I can answer that question for everyone who may wonder "why LDub" with a repeat of the story I originally posted on November 15, 2009.  

It was an ordinary day. I had just received a call from a friend asking me about my blog that I type. “What’s up with the LDub?” he wanted to know. Well, I had to give him the explanation of why I referred to myself as LDub. It all goes back to my daughter Brynn. She lives in Urbana, Maryland and plays “Bunco” once a month with her girlfriends. They always share stories about their families and she likes to share her stories about what crazy things her Mom and especially her Dad do from time to time. Her friends got to know me by my initials LW. They always wanted to know what LW did in the last month that was funny or dumb. She never disappointed them it seems. I never knew about these stories until I was ready to start my blog and asked what I should call it. She knew right away what to title it. By now her friends had stopped calling me LW, since George Bush was referred to as “W” and they knew better than to call me that. I now got the new name of LDub. So, “life with ldub” became the start of my blogspot address. Logical? A few weeks ago I was talking with a friend about my blog and he said that people like to know your real name, because it makes it more personal for them. Hey, I guess that will be OK if you know what my real name is. LARRY W. WOODS! Feel more personal now? My only problem is that there used to be another Larry W. Woods in this general vicinity and we have had quite some time with sharing the same name. It seems he moved to another state for various reasons which I could also tell you about. You know that has to be a story soon. The stories will amaze and entertain you. So, for now, I am the only Larry W. Woods that you know personally. Alias, LDub!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

"LDub" - This is still one of my favorite shirts!

Now you know the reason for my blog address!  May not be what you expected, but it's the reason I use LDub.  Not sure if my daughter plays "Bunco" anymore, but that's not the issue.  I hope you have enjoyed reading the stories I write as much as I have enjoyed writing them.  I have learned a bit of history along the way that I hadn't known and writing has brought back many fond memories I had forgotten over the years.  Seems I never run out of stories, since my life, as well as your life, is nothing but stories woven together, day after day, that can be interesting if you can remember all of facts.  Thanks for visiting with me.  It's been fun and my typing skills have improved dramatically over the past ten years.  Can't imagine how fast I will be able to type at the end of another ten years.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, Maryland" Story

Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, Maryland.
Click on photos to enalrge.

It was an ordinary day.  Walking around the grounds of the Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick, Maryland with my daughter Brynn.  A few years ago I posted a story telling about a girls basketball game between my granddaughter's Urbana Middle School team and a team from the Maryland School for the Deaf.  

The main building of the Maryland School for the Deaf.

Seems the only people who were noisily cheering and yelling were the people from Urbana, since the young girls on the other team could not hear the cheering had their patrons been yelling and cheering.  I recently was reading about the Hessian Barracks when I realized they were located on the campus of the Maryland School for the Deaf at 242 South Market Street in Frederick, Maryland.  

Bjorlee Museum on the campus of Maryland School for the Deaf.

So, during a recent visit to my daughter's home in Urbana, we made a visit to the school to see the historical barracks as well as scout for a potential spot to take photos of my grand- daughters and their friends wearing their Homecoming attire in the near future.  As Brynn snapped photos of possible spots, I grabbed a few shots of the immaculate barracks that were authorized to be built by the Maryland General Assembly in 1777 as the American Revolutionary War unfolded.  

A portion of the Hessian Barracks.

The Hessian Barracks were erected by British and Hessian soldiers who had been captured during the Revolutionary War.  Hessians were German soldiers who most notably served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War.  The giant twin towered limestone buildings towered above most structures in North America at the time.  

Many soldiers preferred to live in tents rather than live in
the barracks.  This held true also for soldiers during the
War of 1812 and the Civil War.

The property where the barracks were built was known as Locust Level and owned by Daniel Dulany who was a loyalist and fled to England as the war began.  Maryland erected the barracks on his property, but did buy the land from him in later years.  From 1782-1783, German prisoners of war that were captured by the Americans were quartered at what became known as the "Hessian Barracks."  

Another beautiful view of the campus of Maryland School for the Deaf.

In 1799 the barracks housed French sailors captured in the undeclared war with France while in 1802, after the war was over, the barracks were used by Captain Meriwether Lewis and his close friend Second Lieutenant William Clark as a depot for supplies gathered to outfit their Corps of Discovery expedition into the American West.  

Recent photograph of the Barracks in Maryland.

In April of 1812 the 6th U.S. Infantry, as well as militia from Maryland and Virginia were housed in the barracks.  In 1827 it became known as The Bingham Military Academy which used the property to educate aspiring officers as an alternative to the social and geographic remoteness of West Point.  

The the wall of the barracks was this plaque.  It is extremely
weathered and hard to read as I stood in front of it.  I tried
to make it readable on my computer, but wasn't very successful.

1838 had the Lewis Ramsburg and William Jenks silk worm cocooners take over the site.  In the 1850s the Agricultural Society of Frederick County held their annual exposition at the barracks.  This eventually evolved into what is now the Great Frederick Fair.  Then the Civil War began and doctors, nurses and volunteers cared for over 30,000 soldiers wounded at South Mountain, Antietam, Gettysburg, Momocacy and other Civil War battles from 1861 to 1865.  

In the corner of the previous photo showing the
barracks is this cannon.  Please read the info
that is on the plaque under the cannon which
can be seen in the final photograph.

Then, finally, in 1867 the Maryland School for the Deaf was welcomed to the property where they occupied the barracks and surrounding property.  During the first five years of educational service, the buildings housed teachers, students, classrooms and workshops.  Eventually the west wing of the barracks were dismantled to make way for the school's Main Building.  As stated on one of the many educational boards I saw today: Today the Frederick Town Barracks represent a unique architectural type surviving in North America from the time of the Revolution.  Its ongoing conservation will ensure it remains the first and finest wonder in the rich historical legacy called Maryland.  It may also prove to be a fantastic site for taking Homecoming photographs by my daughter!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Worse Trolley Accident In Lancaster County" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading one of the many Facebook pages that I enjoy which tells the history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  I came across a story that I thought I would try to research and write about it in my own words, but I was unable to find any other information about what was perhaps the worst trolley accident in the history of Lancaster County.  I found the story very interesting and thought that many of you who enjoy the history of Lancaster County as well as our country might also enjoy the story.  The story's title was "How millions of potato bugs conspired to cause the worst trolley accident in Lancaster County history."  It reads:

View of the Susquehanna River from Chickies Rock.

August 9, 1896 began like any other Sunday.  Towns- people attended worship services.  Families gathered at noon for a meal together.  As the day slipped into the afternoon, children swam in local creeks as adults sat on their front porches sipping lemonade.  That evening at Chickies Park (spelled Chiques at the time), overlooking the Susquehanna River, there was a sacred band concert of spiritual music.  Then, like today, Chickies Rock was a popular summer destination.  In fact, at the turn of the 19th century, there was even an amusement park near the overlook.  People could ride the hub and spoke network of trolley lines from almost anywhere in Lancaster County to visit.  Sadly, no remnants of this amusement park remain today.  

Photo circa 1894 which shows Pennsylvania Traction
Company car No. 2.  The destination sign reads, "Lancaster
and Columbia" and "Chickies Park - Marietta."

Towards the end of the concert, there was a severe storm which delayed the arrival of the trolley from Marietta.  It was common practice not to operate the trolleys during a thunderstorm.  When the four-wheel car No. 61 of the Pennsylvania Traction Company arrived after the storm, with Adam Foehlinger as motorman and Harry Hershey as conductor, the car was engulfed by passengers eager to get home.  The trolley's capacity was 28, but possibly 80 adults and children climbed aboard.  Every seat was quickly filled, then the aisles as was every bit of space on the front and back platforms.  About 10 pm, the overloaded car started its downhill ride towards Columbia.  At Klinesville, about a mile from Columbia, two women signaled to get off.  However, due to the weight of the car and the wet rails, the trolley was unable to stop at the crossing going an extra 150 feet before coming to a full stop.  

The red marking shows where the accident happened.
Chickies Park is center-right, to the north of Klinesville.
Columbia is bottom right.  Click on the image to enlarge.

The car was then backed up so the women could disembark.  Underway again, the trolley began to move forward on the steep slope increasing in speed.  Problems for the overloaded trolley worsened as millions of potato bugs swarmed over the rails making the overworked brakes ineffective.  The increase in speed caused the trolley pole to leave the overhead wire, cutting the electricity and plunging the interior into darkness.  With no brakes and in complete darkness, the passengers broke out into screams.  The trolley eventually hit 60 miles per hour.  On a curve, the wheels left the rails.  

The worst trolley accident in Lancaster County history
killed six and injured 68 people on August 9, 1896.

The car careened wildly across a road, snapping off a gatepost, then sliding on its side for 75 feet, striking a tree, then a trolley pole, and dropping over a 30-foot embankment.  It ended on its top, with the wheels and motor high in the air.  The accident killed six people including the mayor of Columbia, H.H. Heise, motorman Foehlinger and passengers William Piknerton, Henry Smith, W.J Ludlow and William Metzger.  In addition, another 68 people were injured.  After the accident, a safety switch was installed at Klinesville with all trolley cars required to stop there.  Damage claims from the tragic disaster aided by company mismanagement forced the Pennsylvania Traction Company, which had operated the line, out of business.  The Marietta to Columbia route was later folded into the Conestoga Traction Company.

As you have read, this was a terrible tragedy for Lancaster County   I was born in the mid-1940s, about 40 years after the accident happened.  In the 1930s, trolleys were being discontinued and by the 1940s the pattern continued until trolleys were obsolete by the end of the decade.  I was a young child when trolley transportation was stopped and most tracks were removed from the streets of Lancaster.  Never once did I ever hear about this terrible accident in nearby Columbia/Marietta.  The photographs that exist to document the story are amazing and the only link I have to what happened when I was a young child.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Hats Off To The Pair Of Good Samaritans & Police Officer" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Following online, as well as on local television, the story of a mother and her daughter who happened upon a female boxer dog along the side of a road in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania who looked to be in distress.  The sky was beginning to darken and upon farther examination, they found she was in labor and had already given birth to four young puppies next to the busy roadway.  They quickly called the local police department and shortly Officer McKernan of the West Hempfield Police Department arrived to assist the women and dogs.  He managed to put the female boxer in his cruiser and headed to Pet Pantry of Lancaster which was co-founded by Dr. Bryan Langlois who is the medical director of the shelter.  The mother and daughter loaded the newborns into their car and followed to Pet Pantry.  On the way to Pet Pantry, the female dog gave birth to her fifth puppy on the back seat of the cruiser.  

Mom and her new puppies.

Once at the shelter the mother dog carried her newborn in her mouth into the shelter where she was reunited with her other pups.  Before she was done, she had delivered a total of nine puppies.  One pup was stillborn while another didn't survive overnight.  The litter consists of five males and two females with all doing well, including the mother dog.  Dr. Langlois told the newspaper and television station that "Mom is a champ.  She knows just what to do, and that makes our job a whole lot easier here."  The mother dog and her puppies will soon be sent to a foster home until the pups mature and are ready for adoption.  Happy ending for a very stressful experience for all concerned.  Lancaster County has many stray animals that at times don't meet the same good samaritans as this lucky female boxer did.  At times there doesn't seem to be enough people to adopt all the strays in the county.  Many strays are caught and taken to shelters to be either spayed or neutered, but end up being released back into the community.  It is a problem that has been part of life for as long as I can remember and I doubt if it will ever change.  Hopefully the new brood and their mother will find people that will give them a loving home.  My wife, Carol, and I have adopted a few pets over the years and at present have two cats that found their way to our back door over a year ago.  They are so lovable and make our days full of joy and entertainment.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Do You Have A Spare?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just lifted the cover from where my spare tire should be in the rear of my 2019 Honda CRV.  I had never checked that feature after we got the car about a half-year ago.  Yesterday I got magazine mailer from American Automobile Association and when I opened it I read the headline that said....."Spare Me".  Every few months AAA sends a mailing with automobile information as well as trips you can take through their travel agency.  After 38 years of being a member I still learn something with each mailing I receive.  As far as the "Spare Me" article is concerned, it was asking if I know if I have a spare tire in my car.  Seems that many automobile manufacturers no longer put a spare tire, not even one of the miniature tires that were introduced years ago, in the trunk or storage area of cars in order to lighten the car and in return get better gas milage.  Seems that those cars that no longer have a spare tire are creating a nuisance for their owners. Some are having to have their cars towed to a garage before they can have the flat fixed.  And, AAA is having to pay for the tow to the garage rather than to have to pay to just have the tire changed on site.  

Changing a tire.

Years ago I had a Mazda Protegé and that car had the small replace- ment tire so I could change the flat tire with the small tire and then replace my repaired tire later.  Do you know how to change a tire on your car?  20% of people driving a car don't!  And if you do, would you rather call for help, if you belong to a service such as AAA, and have them come and change it.  I don't mind changing the tire myself, but I'd prefer to have a full-sized tire as a spare so I don't have to worry about putting the repaired tire back on the car immediately, since the small spare tires are only supposed to be driven at a low speed.  If you don't have a spare you may have a repair kit that many manufactures include instead of a spare tire.  But, in 2015 AAA found that tire-inflator kits have limited functionality and cannot provide even a temporary fix for many tire-related problems, including sidewall damage or blowouts.  Plus, the kits can cost up to ten times more than a tire repair as well as having a shelf life of only four to eight years.  You buy a used car and that inflator kit may not work at all.  AAA urges all drivers to check their vehicle's equipment that comes with their car, especially the spare tire compartment.  Well, I lifted the cover from my spare tire compartment and there it was, a full sized new tire.  Only thing different that my regular tire was the fact that it was on a steel tire rim and not the really neat rims that came with the car.  At least I now know about my spare, but can still call AAA to come and change it if the weather is bad or I am dressed in my fancy-schmancy clothes.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Piece Of History Lost To The Ages? Story

Fire Station #3 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

It was an ordinary day.  Driving east on King Street in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  My mission today it to find Fire Station #3 on East King Street in downtown Lancaster.  Seems there is a fallen firefighter's memorial that sits outside the station that may be discarded when the city replaces the station in the near future.  And, that doesn't sit well with many of the residents of the city as well as the current firefighters of Lancaster.  The City of Lancaster has paid firefighters, much unlike all the surrounding towns and townships which rely on volunteer firefighters.  It has been that way for as long as I have lived in Lancaster and that's been three quarters of a century.  I thought I knew where the station was located and before long I pulled up to the front of the station.  

Statue of a firefighter made using the image of Clyde Snyder.

There in front of the station was the statue of a firefighter on one knee, holding his helmet with his left hand while resting his right hand on his knee.  Closeby was a large bell that held the names of those on the Fire Committee of 1885 along with a plaque that is dedicated to the Lancaster City Firefighters who gave the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in the line of duty.  

The bell reads: Fire Committee 1885; Amos L. Urban, Chairman; George
M. Borger, Wm. T. Eberman, Philip Dinkelberg, F. Lewis Noll, J. Frank
Remley, Clerk; Dr. H. T. Eberman, Chief Engineer; H. B. Bondersmith

The bell was used at the previous Station #3 as the means to signal the city when there was a fire.  On the marble platform under the firefighter is an inscription which reads: DEDICATED SEPT. 13, 2008.  Former firefighter Clyde Snyder, whose likeness was used for the sculpture, is considering finding a new home for the sculpture.  Seems that Snyder, who was a firefighter for the city from 1972 to 2008, raised all the money needed to have the stone base and bronze image made, at a cost of $20,000 and doesn't want to see it lost when a new station is built in the future.  

Plaque with fallen members of the fire
company listed on it.  This plaque will
be replaced with a new one since the
date on one firefighter is wrong. and another
name needs to be added.  Click to enlarge.

The city is upgrading their stations in the city and will replace stations on both East King and West King Streets.  The plan at present is to make a museum in the new station's lobby which can hold the statue, but Mr. Snyder believes it should be outside for all to see who past by the station.  The city has told Mr. Snyder that if he can find a place for the statue, he is welcome to do so.  Personally, I believe it should stay in front of the new station as it does today.  It is a part of their station that should not be lost.  Perhaps that may happen, but for now no one seems to know what will happen.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - Before I posted today's story, I read a news release the said the statue of the firefighter will be moved to Lancaster's Atlantic League Baseball stadium, Clipper Stadium.  It will probably be seen by many more people at that location than at the fire house on E. King Street.  Good news for all.

The "TravelTalkOnline Special Member" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out one of my favorite websites known as TravelTalkOnline.com Forums which is a travel site where you can find information as well as "post" with others who are also members of the website.  The forum which gets the most daily activity is the St. Maarten/St. Martin site.  Other travel sites are British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Cancun - Isla Mujeres - Mexico, Africa, Cayman Islands, Jamaica Resorts and Beaches, General Islands, Southern Caribbean, United States & Canada, World Wide Travel, Afloat, Charter Boat Reviews and Questions, and Nude Resorts, Beaches and Cruises.  There is also a Classified Forum, Trip Report and Photo Archives, BVI Trip Reports, Mexico Trip Reports and SXM (St. Martin) Trip Reports.  This is followed by Frequently Asked Questions, Testing, SXM People Talk, BVI People Talk, Recipes, Photo Galley Testing, BVI Photo Gallery, SXM Photo Gallery, General Photo Gallery, British Virgin Island Photos, and General Travel Photos.  

Site page when it opens. Click to enlarge.

So, you can see that when you access the website, you may be on it for quite some time if you plan to read some of the posts as well as post something yourself.  I found the site in 2009 and enjoyed reading all the posts so I eventually joined.  When you open the site you are sent to the Portal page which shows the most recent posts.  You can also click on "Forums" to pick an individual forum, "Birthdays" to find out when everyone on the site was born, "Active Threads" to follow along on many posts on one particular posting and "Forum Help" which can tell you how to post and add photographs as well as other items.  I'm not exactly sure how many members there are on the website, but I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands.  So, today when I opened the site to check to see if anyone posted on my thread I started on the General Caribbean site about things to do in Antigua, I was surprised to see the photo of my wife and myself in the bottom left corner of the website.  The heading read "Member Spotlight" and features a member every day.  

Photo which appears next to each post I make.

Under the photograph of Carol and I on the island of St. Martin was my site name of "biglar" with the state in which we live as well as how many posts I have made since I joined in 2009.  I have used the site to question other readers about prices of rentals, best time of the year for travel, places to visit on the island  we may want to visit and to add photos for others to enjoy.  If you enjoy traveling and need help with a place to visit or prices of trips, pull up the site and ask your questions.  It's free and it's fun to hear what others think of places you plan to visit or may have visited.  I especially enjoy the trip reports which others post telling you where they ate meals, what beaches they visited, prices of food and lodging, car rentals and a variety of many other topics.  I have gained a few new friends whom I now visit with when traveling.  Hope you enjoy your visit to www.traveltalkonline.com.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.