It was an ordinary day. My boss at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania, Keith told me to do a really good job on the "Beatles" poster he had just given me. When I looked at him with a confused face he laughed and said, "The job is for a former high school friend of yours!" My friend began talking to Keith when he brought in the poster and Keith told him his former high school teacher worked for him, the customer asked whom that might be. Keith passed along my name and the customer instantly got a smile on his face. "Make sure you tell him to do a good job on my poster."
Larry, framer of the Beatles poster with the other Larry, childhood friends.
We removed our masks just for the photograph.
He then told Keith that we lived a few blocks from each other while growing up and went to school together. When Keith told me his name was Larry Snyder, I had to tell him about all our time together in school from kindergarten to the end of 9th grade. Seems that at the end of 9th grade, Larry's mom and dad decided it best if he went to a Military School to help with his.....well.....schooling! The stories I could tell here, but won't, might have been responsible for his switching to a more formal schooling for the final three years of high school. When I went home I began to search for photographs of "the other Larry" as my mom and dad used to call him. Being that they had named me Larry was the reason for my friend's name. The other Larry lived on Jackson Street near the world famous Armstrong Cork Company. He lived a few blocks from another friend and now my traveling buddy with his wife Sue, Jere Herr. The other Larry, Jere and I all began elementary school together in 1950 at Brecht Elementary School. Jere and the other Larry lived on the West side of the Lancaster Train Station while I lived on the East side.
Mrs. Good's 1st grade class. Jere is front row far right while the
other Larry is front row far left. I'm top row, far left.
Masks weren't necessary in 1950.
One of the 4 group shots of the MTHS Class of 1962 taken at our 50th Class Reunion in 2012. Top row, far left is Jere and I am two from him in the light brown jacket. The other Larry is middle row, second from left. Jere's sweetheart and now wife, Sue, is in front row, second from the left. Great time was had by all!
Our 60th Class Reunion will come in 2022 and we will all have a chance to gather once again and relive "the good ole' times." The stories will fly and be the same ones that we told at the last reunion and the one before that. But, that's OK, since we probably won't remember what stories we told and may not even remember how we fit into the stories. We'll all laugh and have a great time anyway. And, hopefully we won't need masks by then. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Reading a comment posted on a story I had written a few years ago about Leo Houck, one of Lancaster's best boxers whose career consisted of an estimated 203 fights from 1902 to 1922.
Monument located in Buchanan's Park in
Lancaster, PA which features Leo Houck.
The writer of the comment was Greg Hauck whose grandfather was Edward Hauck and one of Leo's brothers. Greg has been a friend of my oldest son, Derek, since the two played baseball together starting in elementary school. Greg told me that after reading my story, he has finally found out why his last name and his grandfather's last name are spelled different that Leo's last name, even though they are all blood relatives. In my blog story I told about one of Leo Hauck's promoters who misspelled Leo's last name on a poster, so Leo decided to continue using Houck instead of his given name of Hauck. And, since my post a few years ago, I have found a new book about Houck's life and boxing career that was recently published by author Randy Swope, a Lebanon County, Pennsylvania native and Navy veteran who has taken up writing as a hobby after retiring from a lengthy career working for the United States Department of Defense.
New book by Randy Swope about the
history of Lancaster boxer Leo Houck.
Seems that writing a book on a boxing hero is perfect for someone who worked in defense all their life. He decided to write a bit more about some of Houck's most important fights in his life. Told of Leo beating Harry Lewis in front of 10,000 people in Paris, France in a fight called the "world middleweight championship." The next year Houck also beat George Chip who at the time was called the "middleweight champion." OK, what gives? Why wasn't Houck crowned Middleweight Championship after beating Lewis? Seems that Lewis was actually the welterweight champ in Europe and not middleweight. Also found out that to be declared the champion at any weight, you had to knock out the guy and not just beat him. Randy also wrote that Houck's managers had trouble lining up big fights, since Leo didn't like to travel long distances; plus Leo enjoyed other sports as well as boxing. Leo enjoyed playing football and semi-pro baseball.
Boxing Champion Leo Houck.
He didn't have to be a superstar or a champ. He just loved playing whatever game came along. One little known fact about Leo was that he was Penn State's boxing coach for many years and produced many winning teams and boxers with winning careers. Ed Hauck, Leo's son, later wrote to Joe Paterno after Paterno had been hired as an assistant football coach, to see if Joe knew anything about Leo he could share with him. Joe responded with a letter that said, "When I came here, I actually had to fill Leo Houck's shoes. Think about that." I guess nothing else was needed to be said about how good a boxer and coach Leo Houck really was. If you are a sports fan you may enjoy Randy's book titled "Leo Houck - A Biography of Boxing's Uncrowned Middle Weight Champion." And, the Foreword is written by Greg Hauck's Grandfather, Edward Hauck. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Got a call from a friend telling me about the death of another fellow whom I worked with at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, Pennsylvania. Fellow by the name of Dan Quigley, aka "Quigs". Dan was a special type of person who was loved by both his piers as well as the student body. Dan died last Wednesday at the age of 58. He died of heart problems. He is survived by his wife and two children who both are still students at Manheim Township. Dan was a Philadelphia native who began his 35-year educational career at Harrisonburg High School in Virginia before coming to Manheim Township in 1989.
Dan and the coach whose life he saved in 2015.
Both schools where Dan was the athletic trainer used the same moniker of "Blue Streaks". I retired from the high school in 1999, but still got to talk to Dan from time to time when I would visit to work in the print shop. He seemed to know everyone by their first name and never forgot it. Quigs actually knew most of the coaches and a few of the players of MT's opponents. Mike Melnyk was the football coach at MT from 1999 thru 2011 and told the story how Quigs always made his two young sons feel special while working as ball boys for the team.
Dan and head football coach Mark Evans.
Dan knew every kid, not just the "All-Stars." And, he treated them all the same. I can remember visiting him one day in the trainer's room when my daughter had injured her toe. He actually talked her into feeling it was better by the time she had left his office. After retirement I continued to do the in-house printing and made visits often to the athletic office. Dan was a regular in the office talking with the Athletic Director and his secretary. In 2015 Dan won the National Athletic Trainers' Association Athletic Trainer Service Award. Six months later he put his training to use when he save the life of Township's Girls assistant Basketball Coach Mike Hackman. Mike had collapsed at a practice on a Friday afternoon and Quigs was notified instantly. Dan ran to the gym and began CPR and then used an Automated External Defibrillator unit which he was responsible for getting it place in the high school. He shocked Mike's heart with the unit until his heart began to beat once again. The head basketball coach said he stood next to the two of them on the floor watching him do his thing and bringing him back to life. Dan was calm, cool and collected the entire time.
Dan greeting students at a sporting event.
Current head Football Coach Mark Evans said of Quigs, "He was a father, friend and confidant. He did a lot of things for a lot of people. That continuity of care, it's pretty heavy in my world. He was a good man who cared about others. His life was well-lived even though it was cut short." His obituary in the Lancaster Newspaper said if anyone wanted to give in his honor, they should give to "The V Foundation" at v.org. An online story about Dan had garnered many comments about his humanity and loyalty toward his family and the student athletes at MTHS. He had a great influence on my children when they participated in sports at MTHS. Dan Quigley "Quigs" exuded Manheim Township. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Reading the "Lancaster Living" section of my Sunday LNP. The lead headline on page B1 reads: "LIFE IN PICTURES". Reporter Mike Andrelczyk's story about retiring staff photographer Dan Marschka was both interesting and informative, but there are really no words that can be written to adequately tell what Dan has done for those that read the Lancaster Newspaper in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Sunday, May 3 newspaper telling of Dan's retirement.
Dan is the type of fellow who can tell an entire story with one nudge of the shutter release on his 35mm Nikon camera. He has visually reported the history of Lancaster city and county for over 40 years of his life. During that time he has been an inspiration to myself and many of my students whom he has spoken to during visits to the high school where I taught photography. There have been many great photographers who have captured the history of Lancaster and its residents for Lancaster's newspapers in the past, but you can count on one hand those that have told the story as well as Dan. He's not going to be able to walk the same for a few months without his camera over his shoulder! In the newspaper article about his retirement, Dan tells about his brother, who was in the Navy in the late 1960s, returning from overseas with a Minolta Rangefinder camera for his 13 year old brother. Dan says that was a turning point in his life. But, it wasn't until he entered 10th grade and learned how to work in the darkroom that everything "exploded for him." Dan's father was a physicist at RCA in Lancaster and helped develop the imaging systems that mapped the moon.
"The Soiling of Old Glory" tells the busing crisis in 1976
in Boston. The photo shows a white teenager assaulting
a black man - civil rights activist Ted Landmark - with
a flagpole bearing our flag, Old Glory. April 5, 1976.
Great influence for a young boy who had a very creative nature. So, why did Dan decide on photo- journalism as a profession? He says he was inspired, as many of us have been, by Stanley Forman who was an award winning photojournalist for the Boston Herald. Stan's photographs titled "The Soiling of Old Glory" and "Fire Escape Collapse" were both an influence on Dan's decision to become a photojournalist.
"Fire on Marlborough Street" was the World Press photo
of the year in 1976. It shows 19 year old Diana Bryant
and her two-year-old goddaughter falling from the
collapsed fire escape of a burning apartment building
on Marlborough St. in Boston on July 22, 1975.
To be able to tell an entire story of an event with the touch of your fingertip is both challenging, historic and life changing. Many readers of the newspaper have counted on Dan to do his job this past 40 years and take them on a journey with him as he told the story of his fellow man through his viewfinder. It all started he said, when he got a police scanner and listened to the chatter on the scanner. One day he heard a police report of a domestic situation, so he followed the same route and when he heard the report that "We have him blocked," he jumped out of his car in time to take a photograph as the police were slamming the culprit's face down on the hood of his truck. He said his blood was pumping. He notified the newspaper of his photographs and they invited him in to take a look at them. They processed his roll of film and placed one of his images in the newspaper the following day. He was hooked! Dan actually met his wife when she was working as a paste-up artist for the newspaper. I'm assuming that after that meeting, Dan spent most of his spare time and breaks watching her work on the daily newspaper. On a visit to his home a few years ago I had the pleasure to meet his wife Valerie as well view photos of their children. She illustrates the same compassion toward the readers of Lancaster news as Dan does. A few photos were in the newspaper's story this past Sunday showing some of the big events that Dan has photographed during his career with the paper.
Dan's dramatic photo for a story on drug addition in 2014.
Such stories as the Three Mile Island incident that was followed all over the world, an Amish school house shooting in 2006 when a mentally deranged fellow shot and killed quite a few elementary-aged children, to the arrival of presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008 at nearby Buchanan Park. Dan has also traveled the world from Nepal to Kenya; from the Congo to Albania; and many other places in between.
Recent photo I took which shows my wife looking at the
photographs Dad had taken of me for an article on my blog.
I have been lucky enough to have known Dan for many of those 40 years that he worked at the newspaper. His yearly visits to my classroom were much antici- pated. A few months ago he visited with my wife and myself when he arrived to take my photograph for a story in the newspaper about my blog. Carol and I enjoyed his visit and the professional manner he uses to achieve his final result for the newspaper. Though he may be retiring from his daily routine, I suspect he will never put down his story-telling Nikon for he just won't look and feel the same without it flung over his shoulder. So Dan...enjoy the rest of your life! You certainly have earned an enjoyable retirement for all the many stories you have told the public of Lancaster, Pennsylvania through your viewfinder! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Reading a variety of things online and came across a children's book titled "Farmer Herman and the Flooding Barn" which was written by Jason Weber, the national director of foster care initiatives at Christian Alliance for Orphans, and was illustrated by 344 people!! So, what's the story behind this book? The story began in 1988 in a small Nebraska farm town known as Bruno. Mr. Herman Ostry and his family had a barn that needed to be moved out of the way of flood waters.
The barn on Mr. Ostry's property that was to be moved.
After obtaining quotes from various contrac- tors, he realized that moving the barn wasn't going to happen. Then one night at supper he joked to his family, "I'll bet if we had enough people we could pick up that barn and carry it to higher ground." His son Mike took the idea seriously and thought about what his dad wanted to do and came up with a plan. He counted the boards and timber in the barn and estimated the barn's weight at 16,640 pounds. Then he began welding a grid of steel tubing together which brought the total weight to almost ten tons.
344 people moving the barn.
Mike's system provided a handhold for 344 people, which meant each person would be lifting about 55 pounds. It just so happened that the little town of Bruno was planning its Centennial Celebration that same summer and the planning committee decided to make the moving of Herman Ostry's barn a part of the official celebration. On July 30, 1988, local TV cameramen were on hand, along with 4,000 spectators. 344 volunteers lifted the barn in unison, walked the barn 115 feet to higher ground in three minutes and deposited it in a new location. So how did that all happen? Did Mike really figure in the full weight of the barn accurately including nails and hardware? And, how about the metal pipe grid? Wasn't there a group of people who wanted to try tractors and front-end loaders? And, where did the 344 volunteers come from. What if one of those people hurt themselves and sued Herman.
Another photo showing the movers.
And what if some moved in the wrong direction. But, Herman's barn got moved because Nebaskans know if one person is in need, everyone else will show up in a heartbeat to help out. They don't argue, they don't complain. They cheerfully get the job done and then they have a beer and gather at someone's house to play a few rounds of sheepshead, whatever that might be! At times Nebraskan farmers look more like the church than the church does. I guess the Bible verse 1 Peter 3:8 tells the story...Above all, be of one mind. Be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. So, where does this Jason Weber guy, the author of the children's book, come into the story? Well, he was in Lincoln, Nebraska one day for a conference and decided to drive to Bruno to meet with the Ostry's and see the barn. He wanted to ask them if he could turn their story into a book to raise money to help foster children.
Herman autographs a copy of the book.
Herman said, "Go for it, and if it touches even a little bit and cheers children up, what more could you ask for?" Weber also had the idea of having each of this 344 people who helped move the barn to draw one element - perhaps a cat, boot, goat, etc. - and have an illustrator use all those images in the book. He asked Mrs. Ostry if she could draw a sun. Weber than said to Mr. Ostry, "You know there's some people that think it's crazy to get 344 people to illustrate a book." Mr Ostry replied, "Yeah, that's what they told me too. but sometimes you have to do something a little bit crazy to get something done." Chris Dorvak, Herman Ostry's married daughter, and two of her children contributed drawings as did "Duck Dynasty star John Luke Robertson and the Christian band, Jars of Clay. So, for those reading my story today, just about anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Just ask Mr. Ostry! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Had just returned from a vacation to Antigua and was reading the almost two weeks of newspapers that I missed during my vacation. Opened the September 29 edition of the LPN Sunday News and there on the Sports page was a photograph of Mr. C. Wendell Hower with a headline that read "Hower will get Kirchner." Mr. Hower was a math teacher when I was a student at Manheim Township High School in 1961.
Mr. C. Wendell Hower
I never had him as a math teacher, but knew him as a big man who also coached football and basketball. During his college athletic career he played football for Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster where he was a Little All-American honoree. I eventually returned to the school as a teacher and by now he was the Athletic Director. Over his tenure at Manheim Township High School he coached football and basketball, was Athletic Director and officiated at football and basketball games. He eventually became the Principal of the High School for over 29 years. It was during that time that I was picked by my colleagues as one of the top teachers in Pennsylvania and Mr. Hower traveled with me receive my award in Harrisburg. I have never, to this day, been able to address him as anything other than Mr. Hower.
Award winner, Mr. C. Wendell Hower
He eventually became a member of the board of directors of the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association), and became the Secretary of the organization. Since I taught Graphic Arts in the high school, he asked me to print needed materials for the PIAA during the summer months. Well, for all his dedication to sports as a player, coach and administrator, he is being honored at the Hall of Fame Banquet as this year's winner of the prestigious George W. Kirchner Memorial Award. It is quite an honor for a very deserving person. Mr. Hower is still the Secretary of the PIAA and I still print his materials for him, though we are both retired from our respective jobs at Manheim Township High School. And, I am as proud of him winning his award as he was of me when I won years ago. Congratulations, Mr. Hower. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Just received an email from Henderson Reece who happened to have just celebrated his birthday. Being that he is one of my Facebook friends I wished him a Happy Birthday as I do with all my friends. He in return sent me a nice reply that read: "Thanks for your support and your support for Bajan art." I met Henderson over ten years ago when Carol and I, along with friends Jere and Sue, visited the island of Barbados for the first time.
Hendy stands in front of his studio and gallery in Barbados.
While motoring around the island we came upon his art gallery and I was hooked on his work. Henderson was born in St. Michael, Barbados, and is mostly self-taught with a dab of formal training at The Barbados Community College where he earned a G.C.E certificate in A' level Art.
Henderson with the first batik we purchased from him.
Hendy, as many call him, began his art career in oil and watercolor, but for the past thirty odd years has been immersed in the Batik medium. During our first visit to his studio and gallery Carol and I purchased a Batik print that we just loved. The piece features two Caribbean homes amongst palms. I got to watch him work on a few pieces he was in the midst of finishing and fell in love with the art of Bajan batik. About the simplest definition I can give you about the art of batik is: A wax resist technique for producing designs on a white or light colored fabric. Batik is used extensively in Indonesia, Java, China, Japan, central and Eastern Asia and Africa but not so much so in the United States. The word "BATIK" relates to the word "TITIK" which is an Indonesian word for 'paint', 'dot', or 'drop'. An important distinction is made between "TULIS" and "TJAP" Batik. "TJAP" describes batik where the wax is applied by a copper stamp called the Tjap while "TULIS" designates the type of batik where the Tjanting is used to apply wax to fabric. Unlike the copper stamp the Tjanting allows the artist the freedom of drawing by hand producing a more personal, unique and expressive piece of work. The Tjanting is a Javanese invention that is a small vessel made of thin copper with one or more capillary spouts and handle shaped from wood.
The second of our batiks by Henderson.
The size of the spouts varies from vessel to vessel making drawing with the Tjanting a process which requires immense skill. A video follows at the end of my story that will show you one of his workshops where he is teaching the art of batik. Well, we loved the island of Barbados so much that the four of us eventually returned to the island. And, once again we traveled to Hendy's gallery for a visit. Just couldn't leave without another of his beautiful pieces; this one featuring simple bamboo shoots. They both are featured on the walls of our home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Batik by Tiffany Barrett.
A few years ago, while on a trip to Nassau in the Bahamas Carol and I purchased another smaller batik from a street vendor. Tiffany Barrett, a native of the Bahamas, was introduced to batik at the age of 8 at St. Andrews School. She was actually self-taught and seems to capture the kaleidoscope of colors reflected in her native Bahamian environment in her typically unique style.
Tiffany Barrett
She refers to her batiks as "Tiffographs". The print we purchased from her was titled "Dancing Triggers" and features two triggerfish interacting. The print is not as complex as the two we have from Henderson, but still illustrates the art of batik. I love all mediums in art as well as the art of photography, but my two favorites are the pair we purchased from Henderson Reece. On our second visit Hendy asked if I could join him that evening for a drink at the local pub, but it was our final evening and we couldn't afford the time. Perhaps if we ever return to his home I will have that chance to share a drink with him. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Talking with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue about where we may want to visit the next time we travel together. We have traveled to Hawaii a few times as well as to quite a few islands in the Caribbean. We have also taken a few cruises, one being a trip through the Panama Canal which was really interesting and fun. So, do we want to revisit a favorite spot from the past or try some place new? I grabbed my scrapbooks and began looking through them and Googled a few of the locations to see what we might have missed on a first or second visit to an island or location. We traveled to Jamaica years ago. Would another trip be as much fun and what else could we visit if we went back to Jamaica?
Rafting on the Martha Brae River in Jamaica. Click on images to enlarge them.
Climbing up Dunn's River Falls, Rafting on the Martha Brae River and seeing where James Bond battled evil Dr. No were events we have already accomplished while on the island. As I read I found that Jamaica was home to the TaÃnos who were indigenous Arawak people who lived on quite a few of the Caribbean islands. When Columbus traveled to the island in 1494, his second time to the island, he found the island was called by its TaÃno name, Xaymaca, "the land of wood and water." Thus, it became known to visitors as something similar. Made me think about how many other locations we have traveled to whose name really meant something. The Caribbean gem known as Barbados is the birthplace of rum and has over 80 white sand beaches.
Bottom Bay Beach in Barbados.
One of my all-time favorite beaches, Bottom Bay Beach, is on Barbados and we have been there both times we have visited Barbados. This island's name comes from the bearded fig tree. The Portuguese sighted Barbados in 1536 on their way to Brazil and called it Los Barbados which meant "the bearded ones" in reference to the bearded fig trees that grow on the island. We also made a few stops at small towns and islands on or close to Mexico. Found out that the Aztecs believed in many gods, including Mexitli, the god of war. His name came from two words: metzli and xicdli; moon and naval. Together, with the suffix ...co, which means "the place where", Mexico means "the place in the naval of the moon.
The "Land of the Rising Sun"
Have you ever heard Japan called "Land of the Rising Sun"? In the seventh century a Japanese envoy changed the name to Nippon which is a translation of "origin of the sun." Since the sun is central to Japanese mythology the name highlighted that importance. But, how the name Nippon turned to Japan is questionable. The final "island" that has a special meaning to it's name is Italy.
A one day side trip during our visit to Italy was to Venice.
Carol and I visited Italy with our church many years ago. One of the neatest experiences we have ever had! Originally it was called Vitalia, a word rooted in Latin which means "Land of Cattle." When the Greeks took over the area they changed the name to Italoi which is the Greek word for Vitulus (calf). Later the Romans extended the name to cover the entire peninsula. Many more locations thorughout out the world have names with a meaning. You may be able to name a few. But, our final choice for our next trip is Antigua which is part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda. Their name means "Land of 365 Beaches." We have visited Antigua once before and never found those 365 beaches. So...why not try to do so! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Walking up the stairs at Hemingways Caribbean Cafe on the island of Antigua with my wife, Carol, and traveling friends Jere and Just Sue. Halfway up the stairs I yell to Jere, "How about we have a banana split for lunch!" It was more a statement than a question, and he yelled back, "Sounds good to me." Hey, we're on vacation and you should be able to have dessert anytime you want. Fifteen minutes later we were digging into our delicious treats while the girls were eating their rather bland salads. Now, you do know what a REAL banana split is, don't you? A fellow by the name of David Strickler invented the banana split in 1904 in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He happened to be a 23-year-old apprentice pharmacist at Tassel Pharmacy who enjoyed inventing sundaes at the store's soda fountain. His creation, which actually was called a triple ice cream sundae, originally cost 10 cents which was twice the price of a regular sundae. In no time it became a popular treat with the students of nearby Saint Vincent College who frequented the soda fountain between classes. David eventually bought the pharmacy, naming it Strickler's Pharmacy.
Jere Just Sue and Carol talk to the waitress at Hemingways.
In 2004 the city of Latrobe celebrated the 100th anniversary of the invention of the banana split while at the same time the National Ice Cream Retailers Association certified the city of Latrobe as being the city where the first banana split was made. Not wanting to be outdone, the city of Wilmington, Ohio claims that they split a banana lengthwise, threw it into an elongated dish and allegedly created the banana split. The year was 1907, three years after David's invention. Perhaps they never heard of Latrobe in Wilmington.
A REAL banana split. Banana split in two and placed in
an elongated dish. Vanilla, strawberry and chocolate ice
cream are piled on next with caramel, strawberry and
cocolate sauces next. Topped with whipped cream and cherry.
The treat actually gained popularity in a Chicago Walgreens Store when Charles Rudolph Walgreen adopted the banana split as a signature dessert at the original drug store's soda fountain. A banana split has a traditional manner in which it must be made. The banana must be cut lengthwise and placed in a long narrow dish called a boat. The classic banana split is made with three scoops of ice cream; one each of vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry served between the split banana.
Our treat at Hemingways.
A sauce of each of the three ice cream flavors, chocolate, strawberry and caramel (vanilla) are drizzled onto the ice cream, then crushed nuts and whipped cream tops the ice cream with a maraschino cherry on the top of each one. I must admit that the dessert that Jere and I had placed in front of us on the second level of Hemingways might not have been a REAL banana split, but it sure was good. Perhaps then never heard of Latrobe either and how you make a real banana split. We are heading back to the island soon and will try it once again. And...if it is still the same, we will have to eat it anyway. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Our friends from State College, Pennsyl- vania, Jere and Sue arrived yesterday after visiting with their son Tony who lives in Wildwood, New Jersey. Jere and Sue were high school classmates of mine and my wife Carol and I have been traveling together with them since 1999 when Jere and I both retired from the same school where we had graduated from as well as returned to teach at the high school.
The Nauti-Goose can be seen from the air.
Our mission today it to head to the Chesapeake Bay Area for lunch and a bit of conversa- tion about our upcoming trip we had just planned to the island of Antigua in the Caribbean. We decided to try a restaurant in North East, Maryland named the Nauti Goose which, according to a billboard along Maryland SR272 is World Famous!
We sat under the blue tarp on the left of this photo.
The day was extremely hot, but we wanted to sit outside on their deck overlooking the water. We were ushered to a table in the shade and our order was taken. To the side of the restaurant is the North East Community Park that today is filled with perhaps a hundred or more Chevolet Chevelles, since today is their 32nd Annual Atlantic Chevelle Show & Swap Meet.
The entertainment for the afternoon meal.
To accompany our meal was a lone guitarist whose microphone was set to loud and made it tough to talk, let alone eat. The location is always great with boats arriving and departing, but today the music ruined a good meal. We finished, without dessert, and headed north a few blocks to the town of Northeast where I have sold my altered Polaroids and a few stained glass pieces for years.
A few of the Chevelles from the car show.
The girls had a shopping agenda which Jere and I weren't part of so he and I wandered to the large multi-floor antique store. Always fun to see what we might find that our parents may have thrown out and might resurface once again. The antique store helped us relive our youth from the late 1940s to the late 1960s. Item after item brought back so many memories for the two of us who lived only a long city block away from each other while growing up.
The 5 & 10 Antique Market on Main Street.
We walked out of the shop over half an hour later with more memories from the past; certainly not needing to repurchase something that had already been discarded years ago. Jere and I head back to the car where we found some empty Adirondock chairs to relax in until our better halves arrived with a few of the items they had planned to purchase. Life is good no matter what your age. Appreciate it while you can for it will inevitably disappear at some point in your life. Always does, you know! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Enjoying my daughter Brynn's photographs she has emailed to me of our granddaughter Courtney's prom dress as well as photographs of her date and friends all decked out in their formal wear. Courtney, age 17, is the oldest of my grandchildren which also includes Camille, her sister who is 15, and my grandson Caden who is 14. They seem to be growing up so fast, but I'm sure my parents thought the same thing about my three children when they were growing up. Courtney is a beautiful young woman who is taking AP classes as a junior at Urbana High School in Frederick County, Maryland. I'm sure all young girls dream about dressing up and going to their high school prom, but when the day finally arrives it has to be the epitome of their wait. Carol and I have watched Courtney grow over the years from a cute little girl with a variety of interests to the young intelligent woman she is today. She has a wonderful group of friends that always seem to find time to help one another. Her date tonight is a young man whose name is Ryan. Brynn did Courtney's hair and make-up for her and took all the photographs to share with us, and now you. Although Courtney will have another chance to go to the prom next year, it had to be so exiting for her. After the dance Courtney and all her girl friends spent the night together at one of her friend's homes. She can now add the Jr.-Sr. Prom to her list of accomplishments as a high school student. Many more events will follow next year. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
Courtney in her Prom gown.
Courtney's sister Camille, who is in 9th grade, looks over her shoulder.
Courtney and Nellie show off their Vans which seems to be the footwear of choice for the prom.
Courtney and friends.
Bridget, Courtney and Nellie show off their corsages.
The gals with their dates.
Ryan is Courtney's date for the prom.
Here she is putting his boutineer in place.
Another friend of Courtney, Nick, poses with her for a photograph.
