A Letter From Barbara In SXM Leads To My Story About Parrotfish

 It was an ordinary day.  Reading a few of my emails when I came across an email from a good friend who lives on the island of Sint Maarten which is the Dutch side of the St. Martin/Sint Maarten Island in the Caribbean Sea.  My wife, Carol, and I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara many years ago while on the island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  We first met her husband who owned a store in Sint Maarten and after telling him that we were from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, told us that his wife grew up in Pennsylvania.  One thing led to another and we eventually had the chance to meet with Barbara.  We still keep in touch with Barbara from time to time, and a recent email that I got told me of the plight of the parrotfish in the Caribbean islands.  She sent me a link that I could visit to see about the parrotfish and why we should do all we can to stop the eating of the parrotfish.  The fish is a beautiful fish, but it's loss due to human consumption is causing it to become extinct.  That has to stop!  The following bit of information tells of the help the parrotfish is to the welfare of the ocean and its reefs.  Read the story and you will see why we need to stop eating the beautiful fish.  Hope you too can help somehow with the destruction of the parrotfish population.  Thanks Barbara for all you do to help with the preservation of wildlife, including those in the ocean.

 It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

   The parrotfish is a colorful, tropical creature that spends about 90% of it’s life eating algae off coral reefs.  This almost-constant eating performs the essential task of cleaning the reefs which helps the corals stay healthy and thriving.

   The parrot fishes’ digestive system, which includes more teeth inside their throats breaks down coral bits into the white sands that make South Pacific beaches famous. Known as bioerosion, this process helps control algae populations and create new surfaces for baby corals to attach to and grow. But just how much sand can a parrotfish produce? Surely it can’t be enough to really make whole beaches? Think again. Scientists estimate that a single Chlorurus gibbus parrotfish can poop out more than 2,000 pounds of sand each year!  Parrotfish live in reefs all around the world, but they all generally live about 5-7 years and grow to 1-4 feet in length. They typically feed during the day and sleep—by wrapping themselves in a safety cocoon made of mucus or by finding a hiding place in the coral—at night.  Coral reefs face a lot of threats, of course—from climate change to pollution to invasive species. Restoring parrotfish populations, herbivores that keep seaweed in check on the reefs, could pay big dividends in restoring reefs. If it weren’t for parrotfish, corals would quickly become suffocated by seaweeds on many reefs around the world—which is what is happening in the Caribbean and in the Pacific.

   In the South Pacific, this is largely due to overfishing of  bumphead parrotfish. Bumpheads have an unfortunate habit of sleeping in natural aggregations at predictable locations in shallow water, meaning that fishermen can quickly find and spear dozens of them at once. Parrotfish are considered a delicacy in many countries and can also be sold abroad by falsely labeling the meat as grouper—for which there is higher demand. Due to these fishing pressures, bumphead parrotfish are now extinct in Guam and heavily depleted in Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea and other parts of the  Solomon Islands.  The Nature Conservancy is addressing the problem by partnering with other organizations to make the public aware of the consequences of eating parrotfish.

                                                        The beautiful parrotfish.

                                                        How could you eat one of these?

The "What A Story For Easter Sunday!" Story

It is EASTER SUNDAY!  So...Happy Easter to all of you!  Now...I must tell you how I began my Easter Sunday.  Opened the front door and grabbed my morning Sunday News from in front of the door.  The Sunday News is always a very thick newspaper since it has tons of advertisements in it.  Well today's paper was no different.  Until I grabbed the first part of the newspaper...The "Living Section".  I sat in my lounge chair, opened the paper and began to read the usual headline..."Lassoing a pigeon ruined an evening but made good story."  OMG, there under the headline read in capital letters...LARRY WOODS, for LNP LANCASTERONLINE.  It was a few years ago that I wrote a story about breaking my arm while trying to lasso a pigeon.  I sent it to the newspaper since they were asking for stories from their readers.  It was never published...until EASTER SUNDAY...TODAY!  So, just in case you haven't heard the story before, today will be the day.  Follow along as I read it as I'm typing it...for everyone in Lancaster County, and all over the world, to read on EASTER SUNDAY!

I had the best grandpa ever.  William Cochran was a foreman at Armstrong Cork Company off Liberty Street in Lancaster.  I lived with my mom, dad and younger brother on the last block of North Queen Street, a block from the Lancaster train station and a few blocks from Armstrong Cork Co.  Grandpap would often stop by our house on his way home from work to say Hi!, or to pick me up on Tuesdays on his way to Root's Sale in nearby East Petersburg.  We would grab something to eat for supper at Root's and head to the building where they would auction off the small animals.  Very seldom would we head home without some sort of small animal that he would win for me at the auction house.  One that I remember the most, was a single gray pigeon that was in a box.  You could tell that something was wrong with it since it couldn't fly and had trouble even turning around in the box.  My mom was waiting for us as Grandpap pulled up to the front porch in his Studebaker.  I got out of the car with a big smile on my face, holding the shoe box in my hands.  Mom knew I had something in the box the minute she saw me gently holding it.  Mom and I fed the bird and put a wire cover over the box before I went to bed that evening.  The next day we talked about what we should do with the injured pigeon.  I suspect she had a different idea as what to do with the bird than I did.  I won out and we put a wooden Popsicle on the brown wing of the bird using yarn.  We placed him in a wooden box with a wire screen over the top of the box.  He seemed to be doing well, so about three weeks later I took the stick off his injured wing.  Just like that, he flew from the box to a tree at the rear of our house.  I tried to catch him, but he flew up the alleyway an landed on the roof of our neighbor's garage.  I quickly ran home to tell my mom and grabbed a rope to lasso him.  I ran back up the alley and jumped on a metal gate next to the roof where the bird was sitting.  I took the rope, which I has made into a lasso, and threw it in the bird's direction.  The bird flew away as the metal gate flew open and I fell off the gate.  I ran home holding my arm while crying.  My parents knew instantly that I had broken my arm.  My dad took me to the hospital where they did a few X-rays and placed my arm in a cast.  I found out later that evening that Mom and Dad had plans to go out to eat with friends that evening since that day was their wedding anniversary!  Every year on their anniversary, my mom and dad always reminded me of the day that I broke my arm trying to lasso a pigeon!  Perhaps you might have read this story before, but I never stop telling it....for it is one story that I will never, ever forget from my childhood.  My poor mom and dad missed going out to eat on their wedding anniversary due to me breaking my arm while trying to lasso that pigeon.  They have both passed, but every time the story pops up in my mind, it brings back wonderful memories of my parents and how good they were to me.  How many children have parents who would miss their wedding anniversary because of their crazy kid trying to lasso a pigeon?  And now...the whole world knows the story of this crazy kid who broke his arm trying to lasso a pigeon.  But, this is one story from my childhood that I will never, ever forget!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

A Well-Known Old Guy Gets Scrubbed" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking through Lancaster's Buchanan Park when I came upon a statue of James Buchanan.  Buchanan Park is located in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Stood, looking at the statue, and realized that it wasn't in the best of shape.  Wasn't more than a week afterward that I read an article in my local newspaper telling me that Lancaster Masonic Lodge 43, along with the Lancaster city offices of Art Objects and Public Parks, will be bringing back the shine to the bronze statue with the aid of A.R.T. Research Enterprises, a local business that specializes in fabrication and restoration services.  Charles Grafly, a Philadelphia sculptor and professor at the Philadelphia School of Art, sculpted the statue from 1925 to 1927.  Mary Buchmiller Lewith unveiled the sculpture on June 1, 1928.  She was the daughter of Dulon F. Buchmiller.  Dulon Buchmiller admired Buchanan and directed that $25,000 of his estate be devoted to the statue.  He also donated the land for Buchmiller Park.  Buchanan was a prominent Mason.  Last year marked the 200th anniversary of his service as worshipful master of Lodge 43.  This year marks the 200th anniversary of his appointment as the first district deputy in Pennsylvania by the Grand Lodge in Philadelphia.  Lancaster erected its Buchanan statue two years before the impressive Buchanan monument in Washington's Meridian Hill Park.  A lack of congresional enthusiasm delayed the national tribute to the Lancaster Democrat whom historians now rank as one of the worst Presidents. Buchanan was a lifelong advocate of slavery.  Lancastrain Thaddeus Stevens spent his entire career in denouncing and trying to strike it down.  Nevertheless, the New Era (Lancaster's newspaper) and other enthusiasts seemed to agree that both men were worthy of recognition in bronze.  As the New Era newspaper put it, "Politics can have no place here.  Let the dead past bury its dead."  The newspaper printed its first plea for the memorials on January 17, 1903.  It made a second plea several days later, noting that a few residents had pledged smaller amounts to support the cause.  The initiative died from lack of support.  Buchanan did get his statues in 1928 and 1930, but Stevens had to wait until this century.  Sometimes it takes some time to get it right.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

                                                                         James Buchanan
 

The "7 Ways To Be More Optimistic" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about being optimistic and pessimistic.  Do you fall into one of these categories?  If so, which one.  For those who are a bit pessimistic, my story today will give you a few ways to change all that.  Found them in a booklet that told me about rediscovering my optimism.  So here are 7 ways to be more optimistic! 

1. Recognize optimism is a choice you can make every day... "This doesn't mean you feel positive all the time;  it's having the confidence to know you can cope with whatever life throws your way.  It means acknowledging the negative, while making a conscious effort to think optimistically.  For example, it can be as simple as choosing to smile when you feel glum.  It's your choice to feel down, or to do something positive to take your mind in a different direction.  You can't control everything, but if there's one thing you can control, it's what you think."  

2.  Be mindful of negative thinking...  "Next time you catch yourself having a negative thought swap it for a positive one.  This might take some practice, but after a while it will start to feel more natural.  If you've had a bad day, tell yourself 'tomorrow will be better' and plan on what you can do to make it that way.  Or, if you know you've got a Zoom meeting with a tricky client, rather than approaching it with dread, prepare for the challenge and do your best, but afterwards let it go."

3.  Practice gratitude...  "Gratitude allows you to redirect your focus.  When you feel grateful, your mind shifts your focus from what you should have more of, to what's good in you life right now.  Practicing gratitude is a process of trying your best to see and be thankful for the positives in your life, even in the midst of a difficult situation."

4. Turn off the news...  "How often do you wake up in a perfectly good mood, only to turn on the news and you end up feeling angry, disappointed, fed up, fearful or depressed with everything that's going on in the world?  Don't watch or listen to anything that makes you feel bad.  If that includes watching the news, then watch something uplifting instead and let in the information that supports you."

5. Be mindful of who you spend time with... "When you surround yourself with people who make you feel happy and relaxed, this automatically makes you feel more positive.  That doesn't mean you can't share problems, or have off days, it's just that if you've got a good circle of friends, who uplift you and inspire you, it's easier to feel optimistic."  Negativity often comes from spending too much time on your own and overthinking things.  "That's why it's important to make time for your friends -- even if it's just to meet for a walk to talk on the phone."

6. Get Active...  "Rather than complaining, moaning an feeling sorry for yourself, take a walk, go for a bike ride, or hit the gym.  The idea is to get your body moving.  Physical activity releases endorphins and you're less likely to feel pessimistic with these feel-good neurochemicals circulating in your body.  If you don't know where to start, download a fitness app."

7. Reframe Past Setbacks...  "If you find your mind wandering to a post disappointment, such as a job or relationship that didn't work out, think of all the details you can remember, trying to be as objective as you can.  In that way would you have wanted the situation to turn out better?  Now reframe the situation and write a paragraph about what good came out of it.  Perhaps you got a better job, or made a new circle of friends."

So...there you have 7 ways to be more optimistic!  Pick out one or two and give them a try.  You may surprise yourself and want to try it once again.  Before you know it...you may be a different person!  I've learned from my past, and I'll never regret it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Oh!!! To Be XXXXX Again! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Right in the middle of all that is happening on the East Coast of the United States, my son, Derek decides to have a birthday!  Young man was born on March 28, 1971 which makes him xxxx years old today.  He and his wife Barbara and son Caden are taking in the opening home game of the Baltimore Orioles in the afternoon.  Luckily the weather seems to be cooperating with low winds and an air temperature in the mid-50s.  Also looks as if the sun might enter the sky and warm up the fans a the Oriole Park at Camden Yards.  Derek was a great baseball player in his younger years.  Was an all-star pitcher for Manheim Township High School and won a full scholarship to play baseball at Villanova University.  Was one of their top pitchers for a few years until he injured his pitching arm.  Seems that all the major league teams stopped calling us after that happened.  Tough to handle for a young man whose hopes of becoming a professional baseball player had dwindled due to an injured left arm.  He never regained his velocity, but still was able to play local baseball and coach at the high school level.  His son, my grandson, Caden was also a fantastic baseball player, but not at the same level as his dad.  Derek enjoyed coaching his son and today the two of them still love the sport of baseball; just as their dad and granddad has enjoyed all of his life.  I'm hoping that I may see them in the stands today as I watch the Orioles and the Los Angeles Angels.  I realize that finding them in a filled stadium is next to nothing, but I'll still watch to see if I might find them.  But, baseball isn't the only thing that brings back memories of our son on this birthday.  It was back on Thursday, March 28, 1979 that the Unit 2 nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island power plant in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania melted down.  A combination of equipment malfunctions, design-related problems and worker errors led to the partial meltdown.  Everyone in Lancaster county was worried that the radiation that was escaping from the reactor might reach Lancaster and cause havoc.  Derek and his friends were out playing in our back yard and we didn't quite know what to do.  So, we called the Lancaster General Hospital and talked with the father of one of Derek's guests that day and asked if we should be concerned.  The boy's father worked in the radiology department and told us not to worry since the hospital had a sensor on the roof of the building and if it would pick up any radiation, he would call us immediately so we could take the boys into our house.  Luckily never happened and Derek's birthday party was a huge success.  I also enjoyed the cake and ice cream that all the guests were eating.  Hard to believe that that was 45 years ago!!  Where did all the time go?  Well, have to call it quits with my computer so I can grab some snacks and a drink to watch the ballgame on TV.  Just finished talking to my son and he told me where he and his wife and son were sitting.....waiting for the game to start.  Must go now so I might see them if the cameraman pans the stands.  Yeah right!!  What are the chances that that is going to happen??  So...Happy Birthday wishes to our son Derek and wishes that the Orioles win their first game of the season on our son's birthday.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  The following photo shows the knees of our three family members who are at the ball park.  Great seats!!! so they are!  PS - Our son-in-law Dave is also at the game....but, Dave lives a bit closer being he lives in Maryland.   

  

The "Easter Comes To Life In Lancaster....Local Teenager steps into the role of a Lifetime!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a young man named Diego Segura who is a 15-year-old student at Manheim Township High School, who will step into a role of a lifetime when he portrays Jesus. Seems that Diego will participate in the Good Friday reenactment of the "Way of the Cross" procession on Good Friday.  Diego will carry the cross through the city of Lancaster on Good Friday, the most solemn day of the Christian calendar.  Segura is portraying Jesus in San Juan Bautista Catholic Church's annual Way of the Cross procession on Friday.  It is his first time playing Jesus and he said that "I've been reading the Bible and praying more throughout the day.  I want to strengthen my faith and my beliefs in the process."  Diego says he feels honored to have been chosen for the role.  "It's not an opportunity many people get in their lives, so I hope to inspire other people, especially those who are my age, to come closer to God, see his true glory and appreciate everything he has done for us."  The 40th annual Good Friday event begins at noon when it departs from the parking lot at 425 S. Duke Street and makes six stops over a 20-block area in the city's southeast.  A reflection of the Seven Last Words will be held at 7 p.m. at the church.  Lancaster community is invited to keep and maintain our Christian roots on Good Friday during the live Via Crucis, the Rev. Luis R. Rodriguez said.  "The event is an expession of gratitude to God for the sacrifice of Jesus.  It is Hispanic faith and culture that we are committed to maintaining and celebrating with solemnity."  Organizer Glenda Torres said the focus of the procession is to help people strengthen their faith.  "This is a call to the community.  We want to help bring people closer to God and straighten their faith.  For the young people who are involved in it, this will be their testimony to the community," Torres said.  16-year-old Lancaster Catholic High School student Kimberly Rojas will play the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus.  She wasn't so sure she could do it since she is very timid, but part of her felt she could not reject this opportunity.   Morelia Salazar, 15, will portray Mary Magdalene, and hopes that Jesus' sacrifice of forgiveness truly opens the spectators' hearts and minds.  "Especially if they don't know or have stepped away from God.  I hope That it touches them in a positive way."  the Hempfield High School student said.  About 50 volunteers, which includes the cast, wardrobe assistants and choir will be part of the procession.  Torres says that they have been super blessed.  They just want to share their faith and tell everyone that they are here with open doors to receive them.  Pontius Pilate, who is portrayed by José Iguana, made the decision to hand Jesus over to death without considering how it would affect the lives of other people.  From this we can learn how our decisions can affect the lives of other people.  Sal Dupree Vázquez, Angélica León, Rosalee Ortiz, Nieves Hernández, Carmen Corniel, Otilia Garza and Roberto López Adrián will read the mediations at every stop along the procession route.  Vocalist Karen Rodríguez will direct the music.  I'm sure the presentation will be remarkable and moving.  All these amateur actors and actresses will surely bring life to the presentation of Good Friday.  About 50 volunteers, most ages 6 thru 50, will be a part of the procession.  Easter in Lancaster will certainly come to life this year.  Thank You to all who will take a part in this remarkable Easter presentation.  PS - If you chose to go, you can find much of the presentation of Good Friday at San Juan Bautista Catholic Church at 425 S. Duke Street in Lancaster, PA.   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "I Didn't Know That!" Story

It was an ordinary day. Thought I would post just a short story today that will take you by surprise.  So...please do not read the end of the post until you reach it!  So...here goes...  A freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High School won first place at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair.  Her project wasn't outstanding nor was it complicated.  In her project, she urged people to sign a petition demanding strict control or total elimination of the chemical, dihydrogen monoxide.  And for plenty of good reasons, since:

1. It can cause excessive sweating & vomiting!

2. It is a major component in acid rain!

3. It can cause severe burns in its gaseous state!

4. Accidental inhalation can kill you! 

5. It contributes to erosion!

6. It decreases effectiveness of automobile brakes!

7.  It has a been found in tumors of terminally ill cancer patients!

Any ideas as to what the answer might be?  Well, the young girl who submitted the information and the story asked fifty people if they supported a ban of the chemical, known as dihydrogen monoxide.  I think that after you hear what the answer is, you will see how our reasoning at times can get out of control.  Have you ever heard of dihydrogen monoxide or used it. I'll bet you did, but didn't realize it...since it is H2O...which is what you call "WATER."  How gullible can one be?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Ghost Army" Really Fooled WWII Foes! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the newspaper headline "'Ghost Army' fooled WWII foes."  I had never heard about the 'Ghost Army' before reading the story in my local newspaper.  Story began....with inflatable tanks, radio trickery, costume uniforms and acting, the American military units that became know as the 'Ghost Army' outwitted the enemy during World War II.  Their mission was kept secret for decades, but recently the group stepped out of the shadows as they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in Washington D.C. "The actions of the 'Ghost Army' helped change the course of the war for thousands of American and Allied troops and contributed to the liberation of a continent from a terrible evil," Sec. of the Army Christine Wormuth said during the ceremony at the US Capitol.  She said that many of the techniques that the 'Ghost Army' pioneered are still used on the battlefield.  Three of the seven known surviving members attended the ceremony.  They were Bernard Bluestein (age 100), John Christmas (age 99) and Seymour Nussenbaum (age 100),  Their work during the war was like putting on a big production!  Mr. Nussenbaum said that "We had in some cases people impersonating Generals, putting on a General's uniform and walking around the streets."  Mr. Nussenbaum grew up in New York City and studied art at the Pratt Institute before joining the Army.  Eventually he joined a unit specializing in camouflage that was part of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.  Their mission was to fool the enemy, to put on a big act!  U.S. Sen. Edward Market of Massachusetts said during the ceremony that the Ghost Army members were "creative, original thinkers, who used engineering, art, architecture and advertising to wage battle with the enemy."  The legislation to honor the military units with the Congressional Gold Medal was signed into law by President Joe Biden in 2022.  That came after almost a decade of work by family members of the soldiers and Rick Beyer, a filmmaker and author who has helped bring their story to light after their mission was declassified in 1996.  Beyer, president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project, produced and directed the 2013 documentary "The Ghost Army" and co-authored the 2015 book "the Ghost Army of WWII."  "This is the day that has been a long time coming, but it has been well worth the wait," Beyer said.  The Ghost Army included about 1,100 soldiers in the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, which carried out about 20 battlefield deceptions in France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Germany, and around 200 soldiers in the Signal Co. Special, which carried out two deceptions in Italy.  One of the biggest missions, called Operation Viersen, came in March 1945 when the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops' deception drew German units away from the point on the Rhine River where the 9th Army was actually crossing. "They had hundreds of inflatables set up," Beyer said in an interview before the ceremony.  "They had their sound trucks operating for multiple nights.  They had other units attached to them.  They had set up multiple phony headquarters and staffed them with officers who were pretending to be colonels."  This was an all-hands-on-deck affair, and it was completely successful," Beyer said.   "It fooled the Germans.  They moved their troops to the river opposite where the deception was."  Boy did the "Ghost Army" work brilliantly!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Ghost Army members
Bernard Bluestein - In wheelchair on right 
John Christman - 2nd from left standing
Seymour Nussenbaum - In wheelchair on left

The "So Where The Hair Have You Gone! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking back through the myriad of photographs I have taken during the many years that I have spent writing my blog stories.  Photos of just about anything imaginable from beach pictures along the New Jersey Shore to photographs of the many islands in the Caribbean to where my wife and our friends have traveled to photos of family and photos of the various places that my wife, Carol, and I have lived in over our married lifetime.  Even have photographs of the few houses I lived in as a child as well as some of the early cars that I owned over the years.  Have added a photograph to many of the stories that I have written over the years and photographs of graduations, birthdays and holiday parties.  Many of you have traveled my lifetime with me and have had a chance to see what I looked like as a child as well as an old guy sitting in front of his desktop computer.  So...I'm sure you won't mind if I add three more photographs to the batch so I can show you the change in my appearance over the past 30 years or so.  The most memorable change is in the amount of hair that I at one time had in comparison to the amount that I now have, or should I say, don't have!! today.  Not to worry...because you will more than likely have the same thing happen to you as you age...at least the men!  What's funny is that when I was a child I always wanted my hair to be as short as possibly so I wouldn't sweat and have sweat dripping in front of my eyes in the summer months.  Well, today I no longer have to worry about that, since I have very few strands of hair on my head.  I haven't been to a barber for almost 5 years now, since my wife can trim what ever needs trimming in about 2 minutes or less.  Every so often she will look at me and say, "Let me trim that strand of hair that is sticking out of you right ear" or "Let me trim that one hair sticking out your left nostril that looks awful!"  From time to time I will see a former student that I might have had in class 30, 40 or even 50 years ago and they will look at me and finally remember my face and say, "Oh, Hi Mr. Woods....didn't recognize you without your hair!"  But, you know....I don't have to buy combs or hair spray or coloring or etc. etc. etc. like just about everyone reading this has to buy.  The only time I miss my hair is when it's windy and I can't hold my hat on my head like I used to be able to do when I had a fun head of hair.  As you look at the photographs below you will see me as a fairly new Industrial Arts teacher in the late 1960s at Manheim Township High School, to the driver of my 1987 Vette which was featured on the cover of "Vette" Magazine, to sitting in front of my keyboard typing this story....since my dear wife has just snapped the photo so you can see me today.  Do I miss having hair?  Nah!!!  No longer need a comb that I probably would lose or special shampoo for dry scalp that I could drop on the floor, or this or that, etc., etc.  All I need is a good soft winter hat for when the weather is a bit on the cold side.  Do I miss not having hair??  Absolutely not!!!!!  And....have all the hassle I used to have.  Wait until you guys get old and don't need to comb your hair or pay whatever to have your hair cut.  You'll love not having hair.  Yeah...I'm not as handsome as I used to be, but I never was handsome in the first place....so that doesn't matter!  Only thing I do miss is not being able to have my wife run her fingers through my hair.  But wait.....she never did that anyway...said it was too greasy!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Bald Eagles Clair and Irvin Take Center Stage" Story

It was an ordinary day. Seems that the bald eagles that are living in the U.S. Steel Irvin Works plant are popping up all over the world...for you see they are 4-inch tall versions of the bald eagle that are being manufactured at their plant in Pittsburgh, PA.  Since this summer, "Claire" and "Irvin" have been seen roosting in England's Stonehenge and Windsor Castle, the redwoods in California, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Virginia, the South Pole and Steelers and Penguins games.  

Irvin at Stonehenge in England

A retired school teacher, Phyllis Miele-Chlebowski, said that they travel well and has dubbed the West Mifflin steel mill raptors "The Royal Eagles" when she posed them in front of Windsor Castle.  Children ran up to Claire to ask if they could have Claire and Irvin.  She had to politely tell them, "They're traveling with me."  But, she's not the only fan of the real-life bald eagles, snapping pictures of the foam figurines at iconic and ordinary destinations.  It's been a running gag since this summer, when lightening zapped equipment that livestreams the bald eagles' nest for a few weeks.  Fans were left in the dark.  People were asking Phyllis "Where in the world is Claire?"  Nobody could see her anymore.  Soon she was turning up on Facebook in places around the country and the world.  U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, posed with a figurine of Claire at the South Pole.  

Bald Eagles Irving and Claire in San Francisco at Bay Bridge

The idea of spiriting the foam eagle figurines to far-flung destinations was hatched by U.S. Steel's Irvin Works manager Don German, who promotes the plant's resident eagles with a live webcam of the mill's nest and public presentations.  "I thought, 'Wouldn't it be neat to do a finding Waldo type of thing?'" he said.  German and his wife, Diana, started posting photos of the Claire and Irvin figurines at the beach, a redwood forest, a winery, a hunting camp and in their Jeep.  Really, anywhere they went.  Naturally...other eagle fans stepped in.  Miele-Chlebowski took the eagles to Costco and plunged then into the frozen fish section.  Her facebook post had the birds discussing the high price of seafood and how they got a much better deal fishing in the Monongahela River.  Mr. German launched the podcast "Eagle Talk" in 2022 after one of the mill's eaglets was knocked from the nest, then rescued, rehabbed and released back into the wild.  He hit it big on an educational mission on eagles, reaching more than 5,000 people with presentations at schools.  "It's cool how U.S. Steel's product is mined, melted and made in America," he said.  "To have our national bird choose our plant as their home is an honor."  Around the time he started "Eagle Talk", one of German's coworkers showed him a generic foam rubber bald eagle that can be squeezed to reduce stress.  He just had to have them and has custom-ordered 9,000 of the tiny eagles.  With multiple runs of eagles in different sizes, he named the largest one Claire because female eagles are larger than males.  "When she wants a fish delivery she is squawking," he said.  "The Claire figure looks meaner." German said.  In real life, Claire rules the roost.  Miele-Chlebowski attended German's eagle talks more than once.  "I was just mesmerized by all the facts and info about eagles," she said.  "They are amazing architects, building a nest out of sticks that can weight a ton or two.  Then there's their parenting sills and how they mate for life."  The birds will start their fifth nesting in a few months at the mill site in West Mifflin.  U.S. Steel's squishy, stress toy bald eagles are not for sale.  However, they are free at German's Eagle Talks in the community as well as the steel makers fundraiser for Tamarack Wildlife Center in Crawford County, which specializes in rehabbing injured bald eagles.  Join German's Steel City Eagles Facebook page for more details.  To watch the steel mill eagles, visit ussteel.com/eagles and for the Hays eagles, visit pixcams.com.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.           

The "Results of Lancaster City's Bomb Scare" Story

It was a ordinary day.  Today's headline in my LNP Sunday newspaper read..."Fear of violence roils city." the subhead read..."Bomb scare, threats lead Drag Queen Story Hour to cancel."  Seems that parts of downtown Lancaster were evacuated yesterday afternoon amid bomb threats referencing a canceled Drag Queen Story Hour event at Lancaster Public Library.  The threats also specifically mentioned the home addresses of the library's executive director, an LNP/LancasterOnline reporter, the president of Lancaster Pride, and the LGBTQ+ advocacy group that was supposed to host the event.  The email sent at 12:07 p.m. yesterday said the bombs were to go off at 1:30 p.m.  At 3:16 p.m., police lifted the evacuation order, and by 3:30 p.m., downtown streets had reopened and people were filling the sidewalks.  An email sent to the library read, in part:  "Bring the fire department, we placed pipe bombs as well as fuel bombs which will likely cause a fire spreading to other buildings.  Evacuate so no innocents die.  You are (expletive) degenerates, pedophiles child abusers or (expletive) cowards who rather let or children get preyed upon than be called a bigot.  (expletive) you degenerates, we will kill you all and purify our land."  Earlier on Saturday Lancaster Pride canceled the story hour after a suspicious package was found inside the library.  For several hours, the event cancellation, bomb threats and evacuations caused havoc downtown and at the pop-culture convention Zenkaikon, which had drawn thousands of people to the Lancaster County Convention Center in Penn Square.  Police evacuated businesses and residential areas in the 100 blocks of North Queen and North Lime Streets.  Once they had determined that the streets were safe, K-9s were sent through the threatened buildings to clear them.  No explosives were found.  A similar occurrence also took place yesterday in the town of Reading, Massachusetts where there was a scheduled children's reading in their library.  That too featured a drag queen and king.  While the threats were unfounded in both communities, police said they "will exhaust all efforts to investigate who sent them" and asked anyone with information to call city police.  The city "will hold those responsible for the bomb threats which disrupted the lives of thousands of residents and visitors, as well as our local business community, and wasted pubic resources."  The threats specifically targeted the LGBTQ+ community, the media and Lancaster's Public Library.  Sad that life has to be so cruel to everyone.  But, life will go on and events such as these will happen again, somewhere and at sometime in the future.  Here's hoping they will come to the same conclusion as the event in Lancaster did.....with little to no harm to anyone.  Now, if only all people could only share the same thoughts and beliefs, life would. be so much easier.  But, we all know...that's never going to happen!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

An Extra Story On This Frightful Day In Lancaster, Pennsylvania!!

It was an extraordinary day.  That is until my desktop iMac flashed a message across my screen!  The date is March 23 and the weather is awful...rain so heavy that you can't see across the street at times.  I never saw that happen to my desktop in my lifetime!  And, as soon as I saw a flashing note...I knew exactly what was going on.  Seems that our Lancaster Public Library was supposed to host a Drag Queen Story Hour event this morning for children of Lancaster...at the Public Library!  That's right...good ole Amish Country Lancaster, Pennsylvania was going to sponsor a Drag Queen Story Hour for children at it's public library.  And...boy were there letters after letters written by both sides of the situation that were sent to the local newspaper to be shared with their readers.  I'll bet the morning newspaper sold out at all locations for days...if not weeks!  And...to top that off...the rain came pouring down in buckets this morning.  Was that a warning from above?...and I don't mean our tallest skyscraper in downtown Lancaster which is two blocks from our public library.  As for myself...I have my own thoughts on the topic, but care to keep them to myself.  Others in Lancaster do not care to keep them to themselves.  Many believe that having a drag queen read stories to young children at our public library is just fine while others think it is horrendous!  And boy did it sell newspapers!  And now.....with the rain pouring from the skies, I can just imagine what is going on in downtown Lancaster right now...being it is about the time that the readings were to take place. The poor Lancaster Police have to be out in this weather making sure that no one is trying to get into the Library while carrying a gun while parents of those children who have arrived for the story telling are hoping their children are in a safe place.  My damp morning LNP newspaper had a headline that read...Police prep for reading...City officers will be working near Drag Queen Story Hour.  The Police Chief said that they will have enough officers on duty to respond effectively if anything does happens.  But...you know....for some strange reason the skies opened this morning and are filling the streets with lots and lots of rainwater.  The Police Chief did state that "We will have enough officers here to respond effectively.  We don't know what this is going to be like.   It's hard to gauge how many people are going to show up on either side."  And...as for "yours truly", who will add this extra story today to my blog as soon as I have finished typing it...there must have been help from above when the skies opened as they did.  Everyone will read that differently...and my opinion will remain my opinion...if you know what I mean.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

An update 4 hours from when I posted the previous story.  I got it from a site online in Lancaster.......

Lancaster City police are asking you to avoid the 100 block of N. Queen Street and 100 block of North Lime. Police are requesting that motorists stay off the roads in Lancaster City unless necessary.  POLICE UPDATE: At 12:20 pm: The Pennsylvania State Police bomb squad has cleared the Lancaster Public Library. However, there are additional reported threats that are still being investigated. We are advising the public to remain away from the area of the 100 block of N. Queen Street.  POLICE UPDATE: A suspicious package has been located inside the Lancaster Public Library. The Pennsylvania State Police bomb squad is en route, and the area has been shut down to pedestrians and vehicles while police investigate. Avoid the area. We will provide additional information when we are able. 

Police remind residents that safety is their top priority.  Police appreciate your cooperation.  More when I get it!.........

UPDATE at 2:06 pm: The evacuation order for the 100 blocks of N. Lime and 100 block of N. Queen in Lancaster City remains in place until further notice. Police are advising residents to evacuate immediately. Clipper Magazine Stadium is available for evacuees to gather.

POLICE UPDATE: The evacuation order for the 100 blocks of N. Lime and 100 block of N. Queen in Lancaster City remains in place until further notice. Police are advising residents to evacuate immediately. Clipper Magazine Stadium is available for evacuees to gather.

UPDATE at 3:16 pm: The evacuation order for the 100 blocks of N. Lime and N. Queen Streets in Lancaster City has been lifted. Residents can now return to their homes. There is no danger to the public.

Seems that all is well once again in the city of Lancaster....known as the City of Brotherly Love!! 

This will end my story for today.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Something You Can't Believe Until You See It!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a magazine titled "Our State - Celebrating North Carolina," which was given to my wife and myself by our son, Derek, who works for a company that distributes reading material of all sorts.  One of the short stories in the magazine was titled "His Cups Runneth Over."  Above the story on the magazine page was a photograph of a small wooden cabin that was covered in drinking cups!  I must admit that I am assuming the house was a wooden cabin, since you really couldn't tell by looking at the cabin since it was covered in...cups...drinking mugs to be exact!  An Unbelievable sight...so it was.  I can only imagine what it must have looked like in person.

The cabin was the home of the late Avery Sisk who was always a cup-half-full kind of guy.  Or...in his case...a mug-half-full.  Mr. Sisk died last March at the age of 81.  Mr. Sisk was the architect behind his famous "House of Mugs", an otherwise ordinary cabin that he inexplicably.....some would say ingeniously.....shingled with coffee mugs.  Now...we're talking about ground-to-gable coffee mugs.....thousands upon thousands of mostly ceremic vessels covering all of the cabins exterior walls, the front porch, the porch's ceiling, a second small building, and even a split-rail fence with an archway.  Each mug dangles from its own nail!  You might even find mugs hanging in nearby trees.  The last count, about five years ago, had the number at 30,000 coffee cups, said his son Kyle.

Kyle and his wife Doris...and the mugs with more in the background!

The "House of Mugs" got its start in the summer of 2000, when Mr. Sisk, who lived in Lincolnton, about an hour south of "House of Mugs" went to a flea market to buy an antique oil lamp.  While at the flea market, he and his sister, Ruby Shook, found a bargain they couldn't resist: 750 coffee mugs for $15.  Wow..now I would have taken them for that price!!  But, what was he to do with all of them?  After all, the man--this is no lie--wasn't a big coffee drinker.  So..he decided to hang the mugs in a corner of his cabin's porch, beginning with a boring "I Love New Jersey" mug.  Sisk began frequenting flea markets, thrift stores, antique shops, yard sales.....anywhere he might find inexpensive mugs for his collection.  Some days he might bring home as many as 1,000 mugs in the back of his pickup truck.  Eventually, visitors came to see the "House of Mugs" for themselves.....some from as far away as Germany, France, and Iceland.....and, began bringing Sisk mugs to further embolden his habit.  The mugs began to spread like kudzu, and Sisk couldn't stop them from growing because, well,  he didn't want to!  His hobby had become an addiction!  Now, he could had been addicted to something worse, but mugs???  A tour of Risk's menagerie revealed mugs printed with almost everything imaginable: Flowers, rainbows, hearts, Santa Clauses, snowmen, reindeer, dogs, cats, and cows.  And then there were logos from Universities, Businesses, and even a picture of Ronal Reagan.  When Mr. Sisk died, family members never debated whether they should dismantle the cabin that had given visitors, as well as Sisk, so much joy!  "My dad loved the coffee mugs, and he loved showing them to people," Kyle said.  "But, we're not gonna add to them.  That's what my dad would've wanted.  It was just his collection"  So, if you want to see something you'll never believe unless you see it with your own two eyes, head toward Collettsville and ask about the famous House of Mugs!  I'm sure someone you talk with will know where it might be.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Placing A Coin In The Graveyard" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a few stories on my computer when I came upon a question that was posed to me.  It read..."If you see a coin on a Gravestone, what does it mean?"  Any ideas?   I thought I knew, so I continued reading the post to see if my answer might have been correct.  First off...have YOU ever visited a cemetery and noticed a splattering of items left on gravestones?  Might have found flowers, keepsakes, handwritten notes and even coins.  Well, when you see a coin or coins on a gravestone, it usually signifies that the person buried there was a member of the military.

Similar to gold stars on license plates, these coins are a meaningful way for people to convey their pride in a loved one who is no longer with them.  People who visit a deceased service member can leave a coin on the headstone so when loved ones come to the cemetery, they're aware that others have been there to pay their respects, also.  This moving sentiment can make a tremendous impact on the family of the deceased military folk, which is why it's a special tradition.  It's also important to take note of the type of coin left on the stone.  For instance, if a penny had been left on the gravestone, it usually signifies that a person has visited the headstone and the penny is an act of gratitude for the person's service.  Anyone who leaves a nickel is saying that they went to boot camp with the person buried in the graveyard.  If a dime  is left behind it signifies that the visitor served with the deceased military member.  If you would find a quarter on the tombstone, it usually signifies that the visitor was present when the soldier passed away.  Could mean that they were in battle together and wanted to let you know that they served with that soldier.  Now that you understand what each coin means when you see it, you'll have a better idea of what it means when you see this emotional item left behind at a gravestone.  More importantly...you'll now know the proper coin to leave if you perhaps visit someone who has died that you served with while in the service together.  I, personally didn't know that, and often wondered why I found coins attached to my father's nameplate in our church cemetery.  Neither he nor my mother has a specific tombstone, but they do have brass nameplates to signify that their ashes are buried at that site.  So, seeing a coin stuck to their nameplate more than likely meant the same as if it was laid on their tombstone.  I know my dad would have been proud to have had a coin attached to his tombstone, but I'd sure he is just as proud to have a coin taped to his nameplate in the cemetery.  RIP, Dad.  Love You!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "My Hero...William Penn" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the National Park Service's proposal to remove a statue of William Penn from a historic site in Philadelphia.  Didn't go over real big with many, but for some of the Native Americans, they were hoping to replace Penn's statue with a Native American hero.  Park service officials and tribal representatives met to plan the renovation last year.  The tribal representatives had envisioned for the plaza an exhibit that would highlight the culture, history, traditions and perceptions of the Native Americans who'd live there for thousands of years before Penn arrived.  Tribal representative for the Delaware Tribe of Indians, Jeremy Johnson, said, "We're really just focusing on our culture and our history and that, in a way, Penn was an important part of it, but...it was a small interaction compared to our overall history.  The plan laid bare the sensitivities around the image of the colonial founder of Pennsylvania and threatened to become the latest front in a fight over how to tell the nation's history through its monuments.  A top state Republican lawmaker, Bryan Cutler, said removing Penn's statue to "create a more inclusive environment takes an absurd and revisionist view of our state's history."  Josh Shapiro pressed the Biden administration to keep the statute in its "rightful home."  The park service said it consulted with representatives of the Haudenosaunee, the Delaware Nation, Delaware Tribe of Indians, the Shawnee Tribe, and the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, whose ancestors were displaced by the Pennsylvania colony.  Such consultation with the federally recognized tribes is required under the National Historic Preservation Act.  But...leaders of the Shawnee Tribe and the Eastern Shawnees, both now based in Oklahoma, like the Delawares, said they hadn't any discussions about it.  Ben Barnes, chief of the Shawnee Tribe, said his tribe hadn't received a customary "dear chief" letter from the agency...and he objects to removing the statue.  "William Penn was an ally of the Shawnee," Barnes said.  "As long as he lived, he kept his promise.  As long as he was able to speak on behalf of the colony in western Pennsylvania, the Shawnees had a home there.  Of all the terrible human beings that inflicted tragedy upon native peoples, I don't put William Penn in that category."  Historians say Penn's willingness to negotiate with Indians for lands distinguished him from previous colonizers in the Chesapeake and New England areas who where more willing to use armed force in bloody confrontations to expand their settlements. Penn's legacy has been mythologized, to some extent, and his mission still led to the dispossession of natives, historians say.  The William Penn statue...a replica of the bronze one that sits atop City Hall some 15 blocks away...stands on top of a round marble base that reads "Welcome Park is dedicated to William Penn."

The park is named for the ship that brought Penn to Philadelphia in 1682 and is built on the site of one of Penn's homes, demolished in the 1800s.  The park service now says that the statue of Penn will stay put, and it remains committed to rehabilitating the site after a "robust public process to consider options."  Penn arrived in present-day Philadelphia in 1682 after being granted the charter for a huge swath of land by King Charles II, land that the English had wrested from Dutch colonialists.  As a Quaker, Penn sought peaceful interactions with the Lenape people.  But, his goal as the "proprietor" of the colony was to obtain their land so that he could sell it to European immigrants.  It was "conquest through treaty."  Many Europeans and Americans saw William Penn as a symbol of enlightenment and religious tolerance.  Tribes trusted Penn to avoid bloodshed and used it to their strategic advantage in treaty negotiations.  Well, after Penn died in 1718, tribal leaders invoked his name in treaty negotiations with colonial governors as an honest broker whose legacy those governors were obligated to uphold by being accountable to the treaties they signed.  "This is partly rhetorical and strategic and all the rest, said Andrew Murphy, a political science professor at the University of Michigan.  "But, he did have a kind of reputation as someone who was revered in a way, or at least what he represented came to be revered.  One great and historical figure I my mind!"  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Outstanding Women of Lancaster County - Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  This is the second part of my story telling of the women who have all contributed to the storied history of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania..... 

Ruby Payne Cook -   Ruby Payne Cook was the first executive director of the Crispus Attucks Community Center, where she directed the recreational activities of thousands of Lancaster children from 1930 to her retirement in 1959.  Over those decades, Cook got to know thousands of children - and in some cases, their eventual children.  "They'll run into the thousands.  I know that when I left I was working with the grandchildren of the teenagers who were at the center when I first came there," Cook once said, according to newspaper archives.  Cook is considered as a pioneer in social service work in the Lancaster area.  She was often quoted, according to her obituary, as saying she could never estimate the dollar value of service contributed by all segments of the community.  She died in 1969 at age 74.

Hazel Jackson - In 1961, Hazel Jackson became the first Black woman to teach in the School District of Lancaster.  But, that accomplishment didn't come easily.  Jackson - who had taught four years in segregated pubic schools in North Carolina before moving to Lancaster - spent years trying to find a teaching job after moving north.  Jackson's granddaughter, Amber Holland, said in 2021 that her grandmother's applications for teaching jobs were rejected when school officials realized she was a Black woman.  "She opened the doorway and the pathway for so many educators of color to come behind her," Holland said of her grandmother, who died in 2014.  In 1970, Jackson became the first Black professor at Milersville University, where she taught English and African American studies until she retired in 1994.  And in 2021, the School District of Lancaster named what was formerly known as Southeast Middle School (and before that, Edward Hand Middle School) as the Hazel I. Jackson Middle School.

Rita Smith-Wade-El - Rita Smith-Wade-el was an influential Millersville University professor of psychology and African-American Studies.  Smith-Wade-El developed a minor in Africa  American Studies at the school, and directed the program.  She also held a plethora of other roles in the community, from the Lancaster branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, to Compeer Lancaster, to Silvery Moon Chapter No. 56 of the Order of the Eastern Star, to Living the Dream day of volunteering, to her beloved congregation at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.  Smith-Wade-El died in 2018 after a 10-year battle with breast cancer.  She remained on the Millersville faculty until her death; she taught courses and advised students until just a few months before she died.  In 2021, the School District of Lancaster honored the late educator's legacy by renaming the former Buchanan Elementary School to the Smith-Wade-El Elementary School.

Florence Starr Taylor - Florence Starr Taylor, a Lancaster native, was an artist known for her portraits of Lancaster residents and of local Lancaster scenes.  The subject is fitting, given her background as a journalist.  She was the first female artist and reporter for the Intelligence Journal, and also the first staff artist for PBS-TV.  Prior to her professional career, she studied at the Pennsylvania Museum School of Industrial Arts.  Taylor also often donated her time to charity.  In 2003, her life was the subject of a documentary that aired on WITF, "Whatever She Saw," created by another influential female Lancaster talent - filmmaker Mary Haversack.  Taylor died in 1991.

The women listed were some of the most outstanding and historical women of Lancaster's past history.  Many more have followed in their footsteps over time and will be featured in stories in the near future.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Outstanding Women of Lancaster County - Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about some of Lancaster's most outstanding women...both past and present.  Lancaster County's history is richer because of the contributions  of outstanding women.  Being that it is Women's History Month, it is a fitting time to explore the legacies of some of Lancaster's most famous women.  The following women have all contributed to the storied history of the city of Lancaster, Pennsyvania.  Follow along as I present them to you today and tomorrow...

Susanna Wright - Susanna was a Quaker scientist, poet and innovator who contributed to the colonial settlement of the town known as Columbia.  Wright was born in England in 1697 and immigrated to the Philadelphia area in 1718.  Her mother died in 1722 and forced Susanna to have to take over the household responsibilities.  The family moved to the area known as Columbia in 1730.  But, even after Wright was tasked with leading a household, she chose not to pursue that in her own adulthood.  She chose not to marry, but instead took over the reigns of the family farm and raised a variety of crops.  She developed a method that allowed silkworms to spin in paper cones, successfully producing silk.  She kept up on politics and regularly corresponded with several well-known figures, including Benjamin Franklin -- with whom she occasionally shared books.  She also wrote poetry; only three dozen of her poems have survived.  Because there are no known images of Wright, she was represented in Woman's History Month illustrated with indigo -- one of the crops she grew.

Lydia Hamilton Smith - Lydia (1815-84) was the right-hand person to celebrated Lancaster U.S. congressman Thaddeus Stevens.  She managed Stevens' household, served as his political confidant and helped raise his nephews.  She was also the caregiver through illness late in life -- when Stevens was achieving some of his greatest accomplishments in Congress.  But, Smith was accomplished beyond her support of Stevens.  While rising her sons as a single parent, she owned rental properties in Lancaster, Philadelphia and Washington D.C.  She was one of only a handful of successful African American businesswomen in Lancaster in the latter part of the 19th century. Lydia was a lifelong Catholic and was active in St.Mary's Church in Lancaster and is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery. 

Blanche Nevin - Blanch Nevin was a celebrated artist and poet in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  She is described by Lancaster History as "the nation's first noteworthy sculptress."  She sculpted the statue of Revolutionary War General Peter Mulenberg - which resides in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol - as well as the bust of President Woodrow Wilson.   Her work is on display in Lancaster - from "Lion in the Park" (1905) at Reservoir park to her horse drinking fountain (1898) at the intersection of Columbia Ave. and West Orange Streets.  Nevin died in 1925. 

Harriet Lane -  Harriet Lane is the only person to have served as the First Lady to a bachelor president - her uncle, President James Buchanan.  Her parents died before she turned 11, and her uncle - who was then a U.S. Senator - became her legal guardian, introducing his niece to the world of politics alongside her schooling.  Lane accompanied her uncle on political trip's, and even gained the favor of Queen Victoria, who referred to her as "Dear Miss Lane."  During her time as First Lady, Lane hosted grand parties, sometimes needing to take special care with seating charts to separate political rivals.  She also made the then-unusual choice to invite artists and musicians to the White House, a practice that has continued today.  Later in life, she established the Harriet Lane Home for Children, the nation's first pediatric center which would serve children of all races, creeds and nationalities.  She died in 1903 at the age of 73.  

Follow along tomorrow with Part II.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

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

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

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

The "The Historical Walls Of Sint Maarten/St. Martin" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an email that was sent to me by a good friend, Barbara, who lives on the Caribbean Island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  The beautiful Caribbean island is half-Dutch (Sint Maarten) and half-French (St. Martin).  My wife and I have made many treks to the island for vacations and have met many wonderful people who call the island home.  Barbara is one of those people.  She grew up in Pennsylvania, but during a vacation with a friend to the island, met the love of her life and married.  She has never wandered from the island since that time!  And...why would one want to leave a perfect place?  Barbara recently sent me a story telling of dry-side stone walls that can be found around her island.  Seems these dry-side stone walls are not held together with cement.  They are constructed in such a way that they support and hold the stones in place with balance and skilled techniques of stacking.  This type of dry-pile stone wall is not unique to the Caribbean.

An Old Slave Wall

They exist everywhere in the world where loose stones were found and used for construction.  These dry pile stone walls are found across the island.  Some reach the very top of the mountains, yet most are encircling historical sites such as historic plantations, as boundary markers.  Other uses for these stone walls where as small structure supports, animal pens and other enclosed areas. The creation of boundary markers from these stone walls is primarily the result of clearing the fields of stones so that agriculture and animal husbandry would take place.  Thus, all movable stones were cleared and moved to the boundary line and stacked, having then a triple function: clearing the fields; keeping animals in; and as boundary delineations.  The popular name "Slave Walls" comes from the fact that these types of dry-pile stone walls were started on the island during the colonial period, with the skilled workers who built them being enslaved Africans.  Enslaved Africans and their later descendants built the vast majority of the Slave Walls on the island.  The majority of these stone walls were built after emancipation in 1863.  The stone walls built before emancipation are the true Slave Walls, while those built after emancipation do not actually justify the name, as it was Free Persons of African descent who built them.  Extremely poor European descendants from St. Barth's built them.  These European descendants we called Chacha Balahoos and they were so poor that they would come to the island to build these dry-pile stone walls for pennies a day.  We do not see many of the Chacha Balahoo walls remaining, but perhaps the best example is on the French-Dutch boundary wall at Cupecoy.  

Chacha Balahoo Wall

The key structural differences between these two identical stone wall types is that the African descendants walls are wider and shorter with a more rounded top, having large stones on the exterior and smaller stones as a fill in the middle of the wall itself.  By contrast, the European descendant walls are taller, narrower, with straighter sides, and a flattened top.  The Chacha Balahoo stone walls do not have a middle fill of smaller stones, but rather consistent-sized stones throughout the wall.  This second technique is a quicker building method and more easily constructed.  It is hoped that on the island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin that the walls can be preserved and restored with the actual stone remains of those walls too badly damaged.  With 160 years since the Dutch abolition of slavery, these distinctive iconic cultural features from slavery past, called Slave Walls, now need to find the proper respect and preservation they deserve.  And, my wife and I need to make yet another visit to our favorite island to examine the walls that we had seen in the past, but had no idea of the historical significance they carried.  I guess I am just lucky that I didn't run into one of those walls and knock it down while driving the winding roads on the island.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

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

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

The River Birch Tree Story

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