The "Just One More Christmas Story To Share With You" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Packing the last of our Christmas "stuff" in boxes so we can take everything to our crawl space in our new home in Woodcrest Villa.  We have been so busy since we moved to Woodcrest that we just haven't had time to finish packing our Christmas ornaments and favorite items and place them in our "crawl space" above our living area.  As Carol and I packed all the items I snapped photos of my favorite items so I could look at them anytime I felt like it was time for Christmas once again.  Well, today was the final day of packing the boxes in our crawl space until next Christmas.  I went through all the photos of my favorite items and decided to let you see what I enjoyed the most about our Christmas ornaments and decorations.  Hope you enjoy them and perhaps like a few of them yourself.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - I should warn you that we have been collecting Christmas "favorites" for over 50+ years of marriage, so the list of photographs that follow is rather lengthy.

Three Kings ornament

Coffee table showing past Christmas cards

Clothes pin that was painted as a Santa

Hand-painted coffee mug with angel ornament

Two corks made into a reindeer

Hand-painted salt and pepper shakers

Two more hand-decorated salt and pepper shakers

One of our two tables prepared for Christmas dinner

Hand-made ornament

Hawaiian girl with lei 

This was a Christmas candle that I got
when I was a child.  It is over 70 years old!

Christmas tree made from seashells

Miniature Santa carved in a branch

Ornament from St. Thomas

Brass ornament made in St. Barth

Neat Santa ornament made from a gourd

Sand dollar ornament from St. Martin

Book of prayers to offer Grace before our meal

Same book showing my Father's name and date when he got it.

 A miniature gourd Santa

Lancaster Train Station ornament

Ceramic deer made by a friend

A new decoration from this year.  Snowman
on chair at the beach! 

The "A Happy Ending Moment" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my latest edition of AARP when I came across a heart warming story about a dog who had become trapped in the second longest cave in Missouri.  Three good friends, Gerry Keene, Rick Haley and Jeff Bohnert traveled to the cave this past August for a day of cave exploration. The three friends were with a group of 11 people in the cave when someone up ahead of them in the cave called out that there was a dog in the cave.  They found that the dog's name was Abby who was a 14-year-old poodle mix.  She had entered the cave two months earlier and had never exited the cave.  The people who had brought her to the cave looked all over for her, but couldn't find her.  They said they thought she had vanished.  Gerry first sighted her and called out to the others that there was a dog trapped in the cave.  The three friends had to crawl forward on their bellies, then descend a corkscrew formation with a 40-foot drop in order to reach her.  After a few months, the dog was nothing but skin and bones, but she was still alive.  She managed to sit up, but didn't want to follow the men out of the cave.  Luckily they had a duffel bag with them and the dog stepped into it.  They zipped up the bag so that her head was sticking out, and passed her back and forth as they made their way back out of the cave. After all that time in the dark, the sunlight blinded her as they reached the end of the cave.  When she finally saw Jeff she walked over to him.  Jeff picked up the scared dog and realized that she was just skin and bones.  This 45 to 50 pound dog was now about 20 pounds.  But, she was a survivor.  She must have suffered greatly in that cold cave, but someone was watching over her for those two months.  Jeff said that he wondered why God would have left this poor dog suffer like that in the cold cave for almost 3 months.  Perhaps it was the story that came from the rescue that can show people that there is always hope!  If you are ever in a situation that seems helpless, such as this poor dog, remember that someone just might be watching over you, keeping you safe until help can arrive.  It worked for this poor dog!  If you are ever in a hopeless situation, remember this story...and pray!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Classic Muscle Cars Without The Muscle" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Thinking back to when muscle cars ruled the road.   I loved my 1958 Chevy Impala convertible which had a 409 cubic inch engine with two four-barrel carburetors and a four-speed transmission on the floor.  

1958 Chevrolet Impala

Had my uncle Bud paint it white from front to back.  Looked great when I put the top down and you could see the red interior.  Only problem I had was paying for the gas, since I only had a part-time job at the local Acme Supermarket and I was trying to pay for my education at Millersville State Teacher's College.  I eventually sold it and purchased a smaller, four cylinder Pontiac Tempest when I decided to get married.  

My Pontiac Tempest ready for my wedding.

Well, I recently read a story about the old time muscle cars getting plugged in!  Hard to believe, but the sound of the pistons pumping while gas is coursing through the carburetor has been replaced with the quiet hum of the electric engine.  Say it ain't so!  But...it is so!  The American muscle car of the past is now greener and believe it or not, at times much faster!  Race cars are being converted to electric.  They are still as fast with some accelerating to 0-60 mph in three seconds and topping out at about 155 mph.  I can't image heading to the local drag strip and watching an electric car speed down the drag strip and reaching 150 mph without making any noise.  I read a story about a fellow who lives in Denver and bought a car for $6,500 and embarked on a year-and-a-half long project to convert the car into a 636-horsepower electric vehicle, using battery packs.  A few months ago a Michigan based company conducted a web-based survey of about 25,000 self-identified automobile enthusiasts in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.  About 1% had either partially or fully converted their classic to run on some sort of electrified drivetrain.  So why did they do that?  They did it for faster acceleration and improved performance, for a fun and challenging project and because of environmental and emissions concerns.  But, to me it isn't a race car anymore!  Well, quite a few old-timers were interviewed and about 25% gave their approval of classic vehicles being partially or fully converted to electric!  They claim that electric vehicles deliver some pretty astonishing performance just by the nature of the mechanics of how they work.  So, it's not surprising that a small percentage of people are now converting their classic cars to electric for improved performance.  I still believe that there is something satisfying about having a vintage car that has a carburetor or two.  I want to preserve the sound and rumble of my car when it had a gasoline engine in it.  That rumble just can't be duplicated with an electric car!  And, don't you think that before long electric cars will be deemed unsafe after someone gets electrocuted when they touch something they're not supposed to while driving their new electric car?  Remember you read it here when it happens!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "Walking Tours Focus On Lancaster's Architectural Treasures" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out my morning newspaper and found the Home & Garden title page covered with round photographs that were part of an article titled "Walk Through History."  The story took you on a self-guided tour of some of Lancaster's most beautiful locations which included St. John's Episcopal Church, House of Pizza, Lancaster County Courthouse, Eastern Market, Bethel AME Church and Woodward Hill Cemetery.  The idea of the article was so you could take a self-guided tour of some of Lancaster, Pennsylvania's most beautiful and historical locations in the center of the city.  I have written about most of the locations in the past, but I still enjoy visiting center city and nearby locations just to get the chance to see the beautiful architecture that fills the many acres of property in one of the most historical towns known as Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Check out the following photographs and see if you remember ever making a visit to them in your lifetime.  It was another ordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Lancaster County Courthouse is located at 50 North Duke Street.  The three historic sections of the main courthouse blend designs by three significant architects.  The 1852-55 original section was designed by Samuel Sloan of Philadelphia who also designed the Fulton Opera House in 1852.  The T-shaped addition at Duke and Grant Streets was designed by James Warner who designed Central Market.  The log front wings date from a 1923-1926 with  remodeling designed by C. Emlem Urban.  The north annex was added in 1974-77 with a pedestrian bridge that covers the north wall of the 1898 section.  This design drew complaints that it didn't match  Lancaster's colonial architecture.

St. John's Episcopal Church, 321 W. Chestnut Street is a complex of buildings that show evolving ideas of Gothic design over 85 years.  The earliest 1953 section, designed by John E, Carver, is the oldest gothic-style Protestant church in the city.  The parsonage was designed by John Evans, who designed Eastern Market.  The church was enlarged in 1883 with a design by Edwin Durang and the parish house, designed by William C. Pritchett, was built in 1916.  After a fire destroyed the roof and most of the interior, it was rebuilt in 1939, designed by John Lane Evans.  A modern addition, designed by Marotta/Main Architects, was added in 2017 linking two older building sections.
 

Woodward Hill Cemetery is located at 501 S. Queen Street.  It was established by Trinity Lutheran Church in 1850 as a rural site removed from the dense city.  Woodward Hill Cemetery was inspired by the American rural cemetery movement of the 19th century.  These cemeteries were created in response to rapid population growth and urbanization and provided an alternate to placing graveyards next to churches where space was at a premium.  Woodward Hill's beautifully landscaped green space, originally with a view of the Conestoga River, provided relief to residents escaping the congestion of the city.  It still operates today as accessible open park-like space on 32 acres with a chapel and caretaker's house.  In 1851, the church secured a legislative charter ensuring "the grounds are protected for any purpose."

House of Pizza is located at 21-23 West Chestnut Street in downtown Lancaster.  It is overshadowed by the Davidson Building to the east, but this 1873 store is an early example of commercial architecture in Lancaster.  The majority of the city's surviving commercial buildings date from the late 1880s through the 1910s.  It is the only surviving cast-iron storefront in Lancaster and would not be out of place in New York's Soho neighborhood.  The facade is well-preserved and remarkably intact, including the roof cornice and wooden windows.  The design of the police station took its design cues from this building, including use of a cornice band at the top of the third-story level.

The Bethel AME Church is located at 450 E. Strawberry Street.  It is considered part of three-part complex that reflect the role of the 19th-century African community in the southeast, still part of the church's mission and presence.  The current church building dates back to 1879, but Bethel AME Church was founded in Lancaster in 1817, making it one of the oldest African congregations in the country.  A frame building was constructed by the congregation in 1849, just south of the church, to house an African public school and Sunday school.  A new school built in 1895, designed by C. Emlen Urban, echoes the design of other public schools of the time throughout the city.  The building wa acquired by Bethel AME in 1989.

Constructed in 1883, Eastern Market is the oldest survivor of Lancaster's five Victorian market houses.  Central Market has the distinction of operating continuously as a market.  The angled construction still gives the building a prominent presence along East King Street.  It was designed by Lancaster builder-architect John Evana (1824-94), whose career reflects the progression of carpenters and builders to the early profession of architect.  While closed as a market house in 1927, the building escaped demolition and has had several lives through adaptive reuse, including car dealership, boat showroom and office space.

The "Amos Is OK!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Amos is OK!  You know...Amos the dummy!  

No...I don't mean he is stupid...but, he really is a dummy.  Made out of wood!  He's the fifteen foot tall iconic statue that recently survived a fire at Hershey Farm in Strasburg Township, Lancaster County!  He was looking directly at the pile of charred wood and twisted metal that used to be Hershey Farm's Restaurant.  He was mighty lucky since he was standing just steps away from the fire that closed the restaurant.  The fire left him completely untouched.  

It was back in September of 1972 that Amos had his back turned when a fry cooker ignited a fire that gutted Zinn's Diner, the Denver, Pennsylvania restaurant where he had been set up at the entrance three years before.  Amos "escaped that fire with only a scorching of the seat of his pants," according to a January 1973 Ephrata Review story on the reopening of the restaurant that was gutted and rebuilt after the fire.  The current bearded Amos, who wears a wind-brimmed black hat and holds a wooden pitchfork, replaced an earlier version of an Amos the Amishman that had been set up outside Zinn's Diner in 1960.  Shortly before he was swapped out, the original Amos had lost an arm in what was reported at the time as a theft.  An introduction of the new Amos in 1969 coincided with an expansion of Zinn's Diner.  Wouldn't that be great if we could be swapped out with another one of us if something goes wrong with us.  Well, both Amos statues were created by Rodman Shutt, a Strasburg artist who made large works that have become roadside curiosities in several states.  In Lancaster County,  Mr. Shutt has also made the green dragon that sits atop the sign at North Reading Road, (Route 272) and Garden Spot road for the Ephrata Township auction and market of the same name.  He also constructed the large pretzel on the sidewalk outside the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery at 219 E. Main St. in Lititz.  Mr. Shutt died in 1990.  The original Amos the Amishman statue that he created in 1960 for Zinn's Diner was one of the earliest major works for Shutt, who operated Rodman Shutt Advertisement Display Co. in Strasburg.  Mr. Shutt also created the statue outside Katie's Kitchen that depicts a farmer with an ice cream cone in one hand and a pig in the other arm who's is standing behind a pig in a wheelbarrow.  The pig in the wheelbarrow is holding a banana split and the other pig has a hamburger.  That statue in front of the 200 Hartman Bridge Road restaurant in Strasburg Township was made when the restaurant was a Freez and Frizz.   When Zinn's Diner closed in 2003, its owner, Christian Zinn, donated the statue to the Heritage Center of Lancaster County, which loaned it the next year to Hershey Farm.  When the Heritage Center dissolved in 2012, the organization transferred its assets, including Amos, to LancasterHistory.  All are relieved that no one was injured in the fire, including Amos, and hope, from his spot in the parking lot, he will help oversee the rebuilding of this popular tourist destination.  Amos remains at Hershey Farm through a no-fee loan that has been periodically renewed, an arrangement both parties say they are interested in continuing.  Today Amos stands on a concrete pad at the edge of a detention basin.  He is directly facing the restaurant, just across from the driveway that leads back to the Inn.  Amos provides an ideal spot for photos.  It's a great picture opportunity.  Amos is "truly a cultural icon...as much a part of Lancaster County as any object in the museum's collections.  To Lancastrians, he is part of the story of our community.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "It's A Winning Culture" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just received the latest copy of "Millersville University REVIEW" which is the bi-yearly newsletter that is mailed to those who have gradated in the past from Millersville University, once known as Millersville State Teacher's College.  I graduated from the college in the summer of 1967, a half-year after I taught Industrial Arts at a school in York, Pennsylvania.  Industrial Arts teachers were in short supply so I was allowed to begin my teaching career early, knowing I would finish my coursework at Millersville as soon as possible.  I did so the summer after that first half-semester of teaching in York County.  I began the following fall semester teaching Industrial Arts at my high school alma mater, Manheim Township High School.  Taught wood, metal, graphic arts and photography there until finally retiring in 1999.  Since that time I stay up-to-date with everything going on at Millersville by reading my bi-yearly "Millersville University REVIEW."  Well, the reason I am telling you about my latest copy of the "Review" is that it features a cover photograph of Chas McCormick who graduated from Millersville in 2017.  He appears on the cover in his Millersville University baseball uniform.

Chad's story begins on page 16 of the "Review" and tells the story of his rise to professional baseball player and eventually a member of the team that won the World Series twice as a starter for the Houston Astros.   Now...how neat could that be!  Way before World Series fame came his playing days at Millersville University where he played at Millersville's Cooper Park.  He was the 2017 PSAC East Athlete of the Year and set the PSAC record for hits and catches.  Millersville fans had seen McCormick make brilliant catches as the team's right fielder.  He ran into the wall and saved a run in the 8th inning against Mercyhurst in the 2015 PSAC Semifinals.  Millersville eventually went on to win the Championship.  Then there was the 2016 Atlantic Regionals when he saved the season and started a run to the Division II World Series with a diving catch in the bottom of the ninth against Seton Hill.  I only wish I had been there to see all those fantastic plays that are told about our Millersville hero, Chad.  But, there were many more memories that have been written about him.  There was the time he scaled the wall in right-center field and robbed All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto of several bases in the bottom of the ninth of game five and preserved a 3-2 win for his Astros.  Yeah...the same Realmuto who now plays for the Phils.  The photo of his silhouette imprinted in the warning track went viral.  The catch and the game-five victory made McCormick, a former 21st round draft pick from a Division II school in Pennsylvania, a household name and legend in Houston.  Playing in the World Series was a dream come true for Chas, but playing in Philadelphia for the first time against the favorite team of his family, friends and former Millersville teammates only intensified the pressure on McCormick.  He received lots of good-natured ribbing before, during and after the Series, and all of this made the three games in Philadelphia a precious amalgamation of feelings for McCormick.  Warming up before the first game in Philly was amazing.  Quite a few of his family were on hand to cheer on the Phils as well as McCormick. When Chas left Millersville and headed to the Astros organization, it felt very similar to leaving high school and heading to Millersville.  The two things are relationships and development.  You see what the Millersville alumni base had become.  It's a family says brother Ryan.  If you are around the Astros as much as I've been in the six years since Chas was drafted, the same things fit.  It's relationships in the organization.  The number of guys that Chas played with all through the minor leagues, all these guys are in the big leagues from moving through the system, and a lot of them aren't first-round picks.  These are guys who have earned it.  At Millersville, Coach Jon Shehan always said, "leave no doubt" if you want to play every day.  He makes you earn it.  Chas is one of four Millersville alums to play in the Major Leagues and the first alum to win a major sports championship as a player in any sport.  

Chas making contact in his Millersville University Uniform

Millersville coach Jon Shehan said, "Millersville has always been a big family.  That's what college athletics is supposed to be.  It's become too much of a business, and there is volatility in chasing wins instead of chasing culture that can lead to wins.  The game has changed so much. We can't have the same program today that we did when Ryan was here in 2011 or when Chas was here in 2016.  We continue to learn, innovate and improve on the culture and player development.  The methods may change, but the relationships and the selfless and relentless core values endure and produce the same winning results.  And those results were seen by millions on Nov. 5 when McCormick crashed into the outfield wall and fell to the warning track with the World Series hopes of two fan bases squeezed in his glove.  McCormick may be an Astro now, but he'll be a Marauder forever.  And...I can attest to that.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Smile Is Alway Welcomed" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished reading a story in my morning newspaper about a person who had received a parking ticket in the nearby town of Lititz, Pennsylvania.  I'm sure it has happened many times in the past, but this particular person decided to pay his, or perhaps her, parking fee in a rather unusual way.  The Lititz Borough Police Department Facebook page posted a video of the mailed ticket with 13 stamps on the envelope and dimes spilling out the side of the envelope.   They paid their $15.00 parking fee in dimes...150 of them.  The package weighed 378.78 grams which cost the delinquent parker an additional $7.80 to mail.  If the culprit had mailed a check it would have cost 60 cents to mail the envelope with the check in it.  Sgt. Stephen Detz, a 20 year veteran of the police department wrote that it took less than two minutes to count the coins.  He jokingly thanked the sender for the coins amid a change shortage and for making sure their supply of dimes was "bounteous."  He continued with..."the fact that you, Mr. Parking Ticket Receiver, took time to think of us while paying your parking ticket speaks volumes to your character as a human.  We can imagine that paying a parking ticket is an extremely stressful event, so again thank you for thinking of us."  Sgt. Detz's post has gotten national attention.  In fact, a San Francisco resident reached out and asked if Lititz had their parking tickets on sale.  Inside Edition even made a short YouTube video about the ticket.  The comment section of the video is rife with coin puns and users having a laugh with the post.  One reader responded with..."Rookie, everyone knows you pay in person with pennies....geez" while another wrote "Do the crime, pay the dime."  I can't imagine how many people must do the same thing when mailing a parking ticket.  And, I'm sure the police members get a kick out of most of the letters.   And, I'm also sure that a few people sending in their parking fee respond with a nasty comment.  Now that would make me smile if I were a policeman.  I just can't imagine what it must be like to be a policeman and have to put up with all the comments and responses they receive for just about everything that happens on a daily basis.  We owe all police personnel a big "Thank You" for all they do to keep us safe.  I taught  school for over 35 years and I thought I had it bad at times, but then I think about being a policeman and realize my job was a piece of cake in comparison.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The History Of Lancaster's Cabbage Hill" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Search for the oldest house on Cabbage Hill which is in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and was at one time nothing more than forest, farmland and pasture.  In 1762 Bethelstown was laid out on Cabbage Hill with 66 building lots on the first two blocks of Manor and High Streets.  By 1815 only 25 to 30 houses had been erected.  Most of the houses were one-story homes made of logs and rough-sawn wood.  Most of these original homes were later replaced with two and three-story brick houses which were built in the second half of the 19th century.  One house did last into the twentieth century before being torn down…a log house that used to stand at 442 Manor Street before it was razed in 1963 to make room for a parking lot.  So…what ever happened to the rest of the original 25-30 one-story houses from old Bethelstown?  Well, it was found that 27 of those houses still remain in the 400 and 500 blocks of Manor and High Streets.  Of those 27 homes, nine are single houses, fourteen are in seven house pairs, and four are grouped together in a connected row of houses.  Twenty of those 27 current one-story houses in the first two blocks of Manor and High were built in 1850 or later and are not old enough to be original houses from old Bethelstown.  Of the remaining seven that predate 1850, five were built in the 1840’s, leaving two, 433 and 435 High Street that are more than likely original Bethelstown houses. 

433 High Street

Deeds show that 433 High Street is a log house and was more than likely built before 1840 while the frame house at 435 High Street was built about 1814.  So who built these houses and who owns them?  Peter Bier, Jr., a shoemaker, may have built the house at 433 in the late 1700s. 

435 High Street

The house at 435 might also have been built around the same time by an unknown owner.  The log house at 433 appears to be the oldest surviving house on Cabbage Hill.  It appears to have been built no later than 1801, and possibly earlier.  The one story frame house at 435 High also is old, having been built around 1814.  These two surviving houses on Cabbage Hill are older by at least a couple decades than any other house on the Hill.  So, once again…who actually built these historic houses?  The early history involves a couple generations of the Bier family.  Peter Bier, Sr. was a German immigrant who arrived in Lancaster in 1748 with his son, Peter Jr., and settled in Lancaster in 1760.  Peter Jr. was a shoemaker in the city of Lancaster and owned several houses.  He may have built the house that now stands at 433 or it may have been built just before he bought the property.  Since he died six months after he bought the property, it is more than likely that the house already stood at 433.  So 433 High might have been built in the late 1700s.  Peter Jr.’s lot was inherited by his widow Elizabeth who perhaps rented the house to a series of tenants.  Then sometime later the home at 435 High was added next to it.  Both houses were sold multiple times over the lifetime of both of them.  Today, the one story home at 433 High is covered with vinyl siding and the one-story frame house at 435 is sheathed in gray form-stone.  Both houses have had their original doors, windows and roofs replaced.  Dormers have been replaced or enlarged and concrete steps how lead up to the front doors.  But…behind all the modern features, more than 200 years of history lie hidden!  It is believed that both residences are the only two houses that survive from the original 25-30 houses built in old Bethelstown between 1762 and 1815 and are the oldest surviving houses on all of Cabbage Hill.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

 PS - Many thanks to Mr. Jim Gerhart for providing the information for this story in his story titled: The Search for the Oldest House on Cabbage Hill.   

The "I Just Don't Know How He Can Do It!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story in my morning LNP Lancaster Online newspaper about a fellow by the name of Ed Sieber.  The more I read, the more I saw myself in the story of scorekeeper Ed Sieber who kept score for the junior high, junior varsity and varsity boy's basketball teams at Conestoga Valley for the past 58 years.  Yep, you read that right...58 years.  You have to be dedicated to love what you do for that many years.  The 80 year old scorekeeper was asked 58 years ago if he could keep score for the basketball team.  Seems they were having trouble finding a scorekeeper, so Ed thought he would give it a try.  He now has been the scorekeeper for the past 3,471 games at Conestoga Valley.  Ed is responsible for writing the names of the players for both teams in the scorebook and then keeping  track of each shot that is made by both teams.  He began his chore during the 1966-67 school year and reports that he has kept score for 3,471 games since that first game in 1966.  His job is to keep track of how many personal fouls each player commits, how many points they make and their shirt number.  In the story published about him in the Lancaster Newspaper he estimated that one pencil lasts him about eight games, so that would be about 400 pencils during his career as the scorekeeper.  He is beginning to think that this might be his final year for keeping score for the basketball teams.  "It's wearing thin," he says.  "Not only that, but you have to get a background check every five years.  The FBI hasn't caught me yet, but I don't want to press my luck!"  Ed isn't keeping score for the money, but because he understands the value of interscholastic sports.  He began his career in basketball as the boys basketball scorekeeper for East Juniata High School for 3 seasons.  He then moved to Conestoga Valley to teach English in the 1966-67 school year.  He continued his scorekeeping duties at CV by keeping score for the junior high team.  Wasn't long before he was keeping the Junior Varsity and Varsity team books along with the junior high team.  In 1987 Ed also took on the job of CV's wrestling team's timekeeper.  The previous timekeeper won the lottery and didn't need the money!  He never returned, so Ed took over for him.  Ed said that his shortest game was played in 43 minutes.  One of the refs didn't show up for a game at Lancaster Catholic High School so the Athletic Director stood at mid-court and made all the calls as the ref.  Game was played in 43 minutes.  His longest game as scorekeeper came in 1980 game with Lancaster McCaskey that went into three overtime periods.  Ed was at Conestoga Valley in 2004 when Jordan Steffy surpassed 1,000 career points in basketball and then went on to quarterback at the University of Maryland.  Ed retired from teaching in the mid-2000s, but still arrives at the CV scorer's table on game days to keep score.  He now uses a  portable chair back seat when he is at a game that doesn't have chairs with a back to them.  He also keeps a small bottle of water and a small, clear plastic bag containing pretzels and candy with him at the scorer's table along with a handheld calculator, five pencils and two pens with him in case they are needed.  So, will this be Ed's last year?  Only time will tell!  I just can't imagine how he made it this long!  I gave up doing the same thing with high school wrestling and didn't last longer than five years.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "Snow Is A No-Show!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Mid-way through January and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania has had no measurable snowfall.  I must admit that I can't remember a single year in my lifetime when we didn't have at least a sprinkling of snow by this time of year.  Headline in the upper left-hand corner of page A3 of my morning newspaper read "SNOW A NO-SHOW."  The story began by telling me, and all those reading the Lancaster LNP morning paper on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 that "Lack of snowfall this winter season could break record from 2007.  So, what's the big deal?  That's only 10 years ago!  I thought that might have broken the record from the 1940s or maybe the 1950s when I was a child.  Heavens! 2007 is only 15 years ago!  I'm really not upset that we have no snow yet this winter.  Are you?  I can't remember a single winter in my lifetime that I didn't have to shovel snow!  I was so sick of shoveling snow that my wife and I decided to sell our "Beach house" in Lancaster, PA and move into a retirement community where I won't have to pick up a shovel ever again.  Last winter was a killer for me since we had a few snow days and my back is not capable of shoveling snow anymore.  We made a decision to pack up the house that we thought looked like a house at the beach...and move into a retirement community where we no longer had to shovel show, rake leaves, mow the grass, etc., etc....I think you have the idea!  And now the guy in charge of making it snow decides we don't need any snow this year!  I'm going to have to get down on my knees once again and have a good talk with him soon so I can justify moving.  The newspaper reported that the lack of snowfall this winter season could break the record from 2007.  And, .....now wait a minute.....seems that my wife is telling me that the Millersville weatherman tweeted this past Sunday that this year would be a rough winter for snow lovers, as it looks like we may not have any measurable snowfalls this winter.  A measurable snowfall is one that has above one-tenth of an inch.  And, to top that off, we had a record-high 62 degrees on December 30.   But wait....the article I am reading said we may have a huge blizzard near the end of February.  Nah!  That's another story on another page of a newspaper article from years ago.  I must admit that I don't mind if we don't have any big snowfalls this winter...or in the next few winters.  But, I'm sure that I might be one of the very few that feel that way.  And...I guess that if I wanted warm weather all year I could move permanently to the Caribbean.  Hey, wait a minute...I must find my wife and see what she thinks about my new idea!  She just might love it!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "You Read Or Heard It Here First! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out some facts that I never knew in the past.  Facts like frogs don't drink and each insect in the universe is a host to ten bacterial species.  Well, I actually found quite a few facts that were both interesting and helpful to know.  I though I would share a few with you that you may not know and which at some time may be helpful to know.  So....follow along as I take up some of your valuable time for some items that just might be useless to you in the future.

Did you know that instrument strings were made from animals?  Strings were originally made from the guts of animals like sheep or lambs, but are now made of metal wiring.

Did you know that at one time there were male engagement rings just as there are female engagement rings.  In 1926 jewelers paired with advertisers to sell the concept of the man-engagement ring.  It at one time had names like the Pilot, the Stag, and the Master.  

Did you know that Disneyland has an underground tunnel system?  The tunnels were built in response to characters having to run through other lands to get to their posts, which spoiled the magic.  Thanks to the tunnels, you won't see a Tommorowland spaceman in the Old West-inspired Frontierland. 

Did you know that water is our body's mechanical oil?  Without it, it can't function.  You lose about 8% of your body water while on an airplane flight.  This is due to the humidity in the climate-controlled environment of the plane which can be as low as 10 to 15 percent.  

Did you know that skin sheds?  The current skin you're in will be gone in a month since our skin sheds 30,000 to 40,000 skin cells each day.  In fact, over 100 of those cells probably flaked off while you were reading this sentence.  However, it rejuvenates just as quickly as it deteriorates.  Regular exfoliation twice a week helps get rid of lingering skin cells to make room for a fresh layer.  

Did you know that trees can talk?  Their roots are connected through an underground network of fungi, nicknamed the "Wood Wide Web," that allows them to share resources with each other.  They "talk" by transmitting nutrients to one another through the fungi.  

Did you know you can use willow bark for pain relief instead of aspirin?  Willow bark has been used as an alternative to aspirin.  The active ingredient in the bark, salicylic, turns to salicylic acid and is more gentle on the stomach than over-the-counter aspirin.  

Did you know that tuna fish can sail through the sea at lightening speed?  The fastest speed a tuna can swim has been recorded at 28 mph.

Did you know that the first documentary was staged?  Nanook of the North was not true!  Most of the film was staged including its cast and surroundings.  Most of the film is full of "faking and fudging in one form or another.

Did you know the longest breath held underwater is 24:03 minutes!  That's about the time it takes to watch one episode of The Office.  In 2016 professional free diver Aleix Sergura set this world record in a breathtaking attempt.  

Did you know there is a 50,000-word novel without the letter "E"?  "Gadsby" is a lipogram, or a novel written without using a specific letter or letters.  In this case it was the letter "E".

Did you know that you can tell if an egg is old or new?  If it sinks it is a fresh egg while if it floats it is old and maybe you may want to get rid of it.

Did you know that before 1920 people used to send children in the mail?  Postage was cheaper than a train ticket so parents would send their kids in the mail.

Did you know that blinking could serve as mental rest as well as eye lubrication?  Humans blink 15 to 20 times a minute for lubrication.  But it could also help your brain recharge by blinking.

Did you know there's a secret vault that holds nearly every type of crop seed.  It's the Svalbard Global Seek Vault on the island of Svalbard between Norway and the North Pole.  This remote location allows the natural permafrost cooling necessary for proper storage of the world's largest collection of crop diversity.  

Did you know why we yawn?  Yawning cools the brain down.  A study conducted on mice found that as mice sucked in air, their jaws stretched which increases blood flow to the brain.  Same for humans. 

Did you know that viruses are not living things.  They are inanimate and do not have cells.  They cannot turn food into energy and without a host are just inert packets of chemicals.

Did you know that "C" is the most common key used in pop songs?  A man analyzed 1,300 songs from the Top 100 charts and discovered that the most common key in music is "C" at 26%.

Did you know "love" is the most common word used in most music genres.

Did you know goats have emotional intelligence?  Research shows that goats are socially aware of the environment and can "differentiate between other goats happiness or displeasure by listening to their voices.

Did you know that turtles snack on jellyfish tentacles?

Did you know that the fastest reptile is the sea turtle which can swim as fast as 35 mph.

Did you know why your skin gets wrinkly in the water?  After about 5 minutes you begin to notice that time wrinkles are forming on your hands and feet.  Researchers speculate that it's the body's biological way of getting a grip when in a slippery position.  It is also similar to river drainage systems. 

Did you know that your finger length can predict attractiveness?  Your palm reader might be right when he tells you your finger length and ratios suggest facial attractiveness in men.  If a man's ring finger is longer than his index finger, he's more likely to have a more attractive face according to The Atlantic Magazine.

Did you know that Stonehenge used to be in a circular formation?  In 2014 a drought exposed an apparent circular outline of Stonehenge

Did you know that mountain goats are not in the goat family?  They are actually goat-antelopes who can jump 12 feet in one jump.

Did you know that nearly 70% of Earth's freshwater is stored in the coldest spots on the globe: glaciers and icecaps.

Did you know that the game of "Go" is the oldest strategy game which originated in China anywhere from 2,500 to 4,000 years ago.  

Did you know the world's longest pizza ia a mile long?  Actually, it is 1.15 miles in length and is in Italy.  Took 250 chefs and about 4,409 pounds of flour.

Did you know the word "Brownie" was first used in print in 1500.  It could have meant: the sweet treat, a good-natured elf or a Girl Scout.  No one from the 1500s is around to let us know.

Did you know that the residents of Barrow, Alaska must be the most avid consumers of vitamin D supplements since their town sees darkness, known as polar night, for about 65 days of the year due to their geographical location above the Arctic Circle.  

Did you know that matcha contains eight times more caffeine than green tea.  One cup of matcha packs in 280 mg of caffeine, while traditional green tea contains a meek 35 mg.

Did you know that 1 in 4 Americans believes that the sun revolves around the Earth.  

Well, there you have it.  A whole bunch of knowledge that you might not have known in the past.  How you might use it in the future is unknown also.  Just don't say that you never heard that before when talking with friends, since by now you have probably heard just about everything you can imagine!  You can thank me the next time you see me!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.     

The "A Few Photo Gems" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Catching up on all my reading that I had put aside due to the past holidays.  One online article that I read that came from my Reader's Digest website was a series of photographs that seem to be optical illusions.  The more I looked at them, the more I was amazed at what I saw.  All of the following photographs and descriptions are from Getty Images which is one of the premier websites for fantastic photography.  I posted my10 favorite photos with the comment that accompanied each photo for you to read.  If you are ever in need of fabulous photography, remember and contact Getty Images and let them know what type of photography interests you.  I'm positive they can find something that will help you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Computer motherboard?  
Or simply jam-packed apartment buildings from an unusual angle? Viewed straight up from the street level, this old residential building on Hong Kong island becomes a canyon of glass and concrete, jagged with balconies and window-mounted AC units. Lose yourself in the details of this optical illusion photo—just try not to lose your footing.

Four alarm fire?  

Or geological magic? The rising sun lights up the fiery sandstone walls of Utah’s Mule Canyon, a real-life optical illusion above these Anasazi ruins. Visitors have named the site House on Fire, and it’s easy to see why. These dwellings are estimated to be more than 800 years old. Take a look inside, and you’ll get a sense of the human history of the place: Smoke stains on the roof tell the story of evenings long ago.

Lava on another planet

Or an amazing natural optical illusion phenomenon on ours? At 370 feet wide, Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring is the largest hot spring in America, piping nearly 200-degree water out of the earth at the clear blue center and cooling it to about 131°F in those reddish-brown rivulets. The cooler the water, the greater the variety of light-reflecting bacteria that live there, creating a stunning rainbow effect explorer Ferdinand Hayden called “a privilege and a blessing” to behold.

Underwater waterfall?

Or just a natural phenomenon in the super-clear water surrounding Mauritius Island? This eye-bending optical illusion photo is actually just sand being pushed off an underwater shelf in the Indian Ocean, called the Mascarene Plateau.

Penthouse pool?

Or coastal lake? This optical illusion photo of Lake Sørvágsvatn in the Faroe Islands (between Iceland and Norway) appears as though it sits hundreds of feet above the ocean. In reality, the lake only sits about 90 feet above the sea! A waterfall at one end tumbles dramatically into the ocean, but when capturing this amazing view from the right angle the lake seems like a natural infinity pool, hovering above the North Sea.

Infinity pier?

Or just a long one? The Cherry Grove Pier juts out 985 feet into the water off North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, but this optical illusion photo makes it look like it goes on forever. The pier was built in the 1950s but was lengthened in 1999 after surviving Hurricane Floyd. Now, it’s a popular fishing and tourist attraction.

Headless cow?

Or two curious bovines? There probably isn’t a zombie cow problem in the mountains of Northern Spain, but if there were, it might look a little like this. Watch out, brown cow! Or maybe it’s one cow head, two bodies? Either way, we’ll leave them alone.

Film set building facade?

Or just a low angle making this slim building look like a front? If you’re familiar with the Flatiron Building in Manhattan, New York City, then you know how an oddly shaped building (in this case, a weird, triangular one) can appear flat or fake from different angles. These cute apartments in Marseille, France, look like they’re one-room deep, but it’s just the angle!

Witch’s tower?

Or wooden stairwell? Viewed from the ground floor, the wooden planks of this staircase and the landing roofs create an optical illusion photo that messes with your eyes, seeming to go up and up. How many stories can you see?

Giant’s bathtub?

Or a trick of perspective at Scotland’s Ladybower Reservoir? This clever picture might be the ultimate in optical illusion photos. A human hand holding a plug over the reservoir spillway, which appears to be draining fast. It does look like a lovely place for a dip though a bit cold.