The "The Hellhole Of Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at photographs of the now defunct Pennhurst State School and Hospital located in Spring City, Pennsylvania.  The photographs show what appear to be beautiful buildings with landscaped grounds.  

An overall view of Pennhurst Site School and Hospital.

But the stories that are told about the place say it was a human "hellhole" for those that had to reside at the residence.  From 1903 to 1908 the first buildings were constructed on over 600 aces in Spring City, known as Crab Hill.  Each building had an alphabetical designation with the Girl's Dining Room being the "F" building, the "K" building being the "Cottage for Girls", the Teacher's Home being "Q" building, etc.  Some of the buildings opened in 1918 with most buildings completed with the Assembly building, which functioned as the gymnasium and auditorium, opening in 1929.  The architect for the older buildings was Philip H. Johnson.  They were made of red brick and terra cotta with granite trimmings.  They were connected by fire-proof tunnels with walkways on top of the tunnels for the use of transporting residents with a parallel stem piping system, and were distributed on what was 1,400 acres of land.  

Aa very eerie view of the main building on campus.

The buildings were designed to provide a large number of small rooms occupied by two to three beds, a few small dormitories with eight to ten beds and a large day room for exercise.  Mr. George Lovatt was the architect for several of the building constructed after 1937.  The Pennsylvania Railroad created a Pennhurst Station on its Schuylkill division to accomodate Pennhurst.  The tracks are still visible near several parts of the main campus.  The place opened on November 23, 1918 when "Patient #1" was admitted to the hospital.  Within four years the place was overcrowded and under pressure to admit immigrants, orphans and criminals.  

Another view of the same building.

Residents were classified as: imbecile or insane, epileptic or healthy and into dental categories of good, poor or treated teeth when admitted.  The property had everything a community could need with a barber shop, greenhouse, fire staton, movie theater and a general store.  But the place also rapidly devolved into a site synonymous with ovecrowding and neglect that caused adults and children who resided there to regress further and further from functionality.  Then in 1968 a documentary featuring the site titled "Suffer the Little Children" was produced wherein a visibly distraught reporter told of poor conditions including one interview with a doctor admitting to giving a bully who lived among the residents a painful injection so he wouldn't abuse others.  The facility was closed in 1986 after a multitude of physical and sexual abuse was discovered.  What at one time seemed to be the perfect treatment for those that didn't fit into society had turned into one of the worst imprisonments imaginable for those patients.  

It does look as if they had a shop course in the facility.

The mistreat- ment of the patients was hard to read about and made one ask...can it get any worse?  In a recent story written by Jack Brubaker, "The Scribbler" for the local newspaper, he told the story of Pennhurst.  One part of his column told of the residents who participated in tooth-brushing programs.  About half of the residents were being taught to brush their teeth.  

Another "spooky' look at one of the buildings on campus.

But, approximately a third of those residents had no teeth!  Seems dentists had been removing the teeth of those that were biting other residents.  If you bit another resident a second time, all your teeth were removed.  The horrors of the facility came to life more and more over the years.  How could anyone condone the treatment given to those living at Pennhurst.  A book was recently published that tells what went on inside the walls of the facility.  It is titled "Pennhurst and the Struggle for Disability Rights".  

And...I have no idea what this room might have been!

Jack Brubaker went on to tell that when Pennhurst opened, many prominent physicians and politicians supported the "science" of eugenics.  That is, they believed they could improve the human race by removing mental and physical "defectives" from it.  Pennhurst was one of about 300 of these such facilities.  Jack writes that the new book says that Pennhurst may eventually be turned into a historical museum that tells the story of the disability rights movement.  It already has led to the July 26, 1990 "Americans with Disabilities Act."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Let This Never Be Forgotten!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to picture what it must have been like back in 1918 into 1919 when the world's worst-ever influenza pandemic struct the Unites States.  The influenza first struck in Kansas in March of 1918, as the U.S. was stepping up its involvement in the First World War.  At the time American and European governments downplayed the epidemic, which in turn caused it to spread.  Sound familiar?  Estimates of from 17 million to close to 100 million people died with about 700,000 of those being residents of the United States.  But, when it had finally ended, it seemed to have been wiped from the minds of everyone who went through it.  The U.S. Congress didn't even allocate money for flu research afterward.  Even history books said nothing about the flu.  It wasn't until 1976 that the first history of the 1918 flu was a placed in a book.  The book was called America's Forgotten Pandemic and it was authored by Alfred W. Crosby.  I personally don't remember learning anything about the flu pandemic in high school or even college.  Eventually, some studies were done which told the results of the 1918 pandemic.  Women who had the flu and were in the first months of a pregnancy had babies that were likely to have diabetes.  Women who had the flu at the end of their pregnancy tended to bear children prone to kidney disease.  The middle months were associated with heart disease.  Another test showed that children born during the pandemic grew into shorter, poorer and less educated adults with higher rates of physical disability than one would expect.  It was proven that pandemics have long-term, powerful after effects.  Though we have had several wars since 1918, it seems that the 1918 pandemic has killed more that any war did.  And, it wasn't just to one or two individual countries.  It killed people all over the world.  Sound familiar?  And, what's hard to understand is that the influenza virus wasn't even identified until 1931. It inspired fear of immigrants and foreigners, and anger toward the politicians who played down the virus.  Sound familiar?  The 1918 flu killed more men than women.  Some say the war had something to do with that, but is that true?  So, now we have the coronavirus pandemic.  There is no one alive who can predict the consequences of this virus.  Will this pandemic make it into the history books?  We actually know more about the Black Death that swept through Europe from 1347 to 1350, killing about a third to half of all Europeans than we do about the 1918 influenza and the current coronavirus.  Now, I must admit, nobody thinks the coronavirus will kill anywhere near as many people as the Black Death did.  But, the new virus has been a shock to society and due to the lack of knowledge from the 1918 influenza pandemic, we just don't know what to expect.  In the 1970s pre-med students studied a textbook co-written by award winning writer and virologist Macfarlane Burnet who forecast that the future of infectious disease will be very dull.  So, the medical world wasn't prepared for this pandemic.  The lessons must be learned from past mistakes and the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic must never be forgotten.  It must me placed in history books and be part of medical studies from here on.  Many have placed blame for our predicament on just about everyone from China to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to Donald Trump, but no matter whom you want to blame, it will only be us to blame if we don't document this tragedy and write about it beginning now.  Let it never be forgotten.  Let those who have died due to it not be forgotten.  They died for a reason.  Let's write about that reason so it will never be forgotten.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Help Is On The Way In Our Fight Against COVID-19: Part II - Lancaster's Amish Step Up To The Plate" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Wrote yesterday about how Major League Baseball is helping in the fight against COVID-19, and today I will give you an idea as to how Lancaster County's Amish population is pitching in to also help.  The Amish Population in Lancaster County is close to 35,000 which is about one-quarter of all Amish residents in the United States.  They are great neighbors and have now pitched in to help our community fight the Coronavirus.  They realize that they are not exempt from getting the virus and want to be a big part of how to solve the situation that our country is now grappling with.  One of the biggest shortages our medical providers face right now is gowns and masks that are needed to try and keep our doctors and nurses safe from COVID-19.  So, the Amish community is firing up their sewing machines and doing their part to help their community.  Mr. Sylvan Stoltzfus and his wife own Bird-in-Hand Fabric have begun to make about 13,000 fabric masks to donate to Lancaster Health Center.  Mr. Stoltzfus is hoping to find neighbors to make the masks using the fabric that his company is willing to make available.  But, he does realize that masks that are designed for health care provide the best breathing protection for working directly with COVID-19 patients.  

Some of the masks made for use to fight
COVID-19 by the Amish Community.

Cloth masks are not quite the same since they are more porous and not super effective, but I'm sure they are better than nothing.  Recently the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said that using homemade masks may become necessary "as a last resort" if medical masks are not available.  The CDC also said that using respirators intended for non-health care use may also be better than nothing.  A few years ago I traveled to an Amish business that made Amish buggies.  Part of the procedure was sewing the cover for the buggy.  They had several industrial sewing machines and those operating them were masters at their trade.  I'm sure they can produce quite a few masks in a short time.  Cloth masks could still help contain droplets and serve as a reminder not to touch your face while seeking care.  I applaud the Amish community for pithing in to keep Lancaster County as safe as possible.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "America's Quiet Zone" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a place in the United States where there is no Wi-Fi, no cell phone signals, no microwaves and no Bluetooth devices.  And, its been that way for over 60 years.  The town is called Green Bank which is in West Virginia.  It is a town much like most towns 100 years ago.  The story about the place begins with a young girl, Charity, who is a senior at Pocahontas County High School.  Yes, she has an iPhone, but she uses it as a clock and a calculator.  She makes all her phone calls to friends on her home landline.  She rarely texts, at least anywhere inside the town limits.  Doesn't have to worry about texting and driving.  She can use her family's desktop computer, but it is via a broadband connection that is so slow that it takes minutes to load a YouTube video.  The town has 143 residents who have gotten used to no Wi-Fi, since it is not only unavailable, but banned.  

Green Bank is also home to the Green Bank Observatory which holds the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope.  The federal government established the National Radio Quiet Zone around the Observatory in 1958 which encompasses a 13,000-square mile area near the state's border with Virginia.  Now, that's a lot of ground!  The observatory has a telescope that could detect if your phone was in airplane mode on Saturn.  And, how would anyone know that fact?  Well, there is a sign outside its science center building that says so!  The area might make you feel as if you were in the middle of Lancaster County's Amish territory.  

Phone booths sit at the corner of many driveways and paper maps are readily available at gas stations.  Green Bank has created a different type of childhood that most children who don't live there wouldn't recognize.  There is no being bullied or harassed online and fewer mental health problems without social media.  It is what the town calls a unique kind of modern childhood.  Being in the great outdoors actually means just that to the residents of the town and they report they have discovered a newfound sense of adventure.  As far as Charity is concerned, she makes plans with friends via a landline phone or in person.  After school she enjoys running before she has to tend to the family's goats, chickens and ducks.  

Then it's time to make dinner with her mom.  When is the last time any teenager you know did all that...all in the same day?  She does use the family's computer, but more as a word-processor.   She even enjoys visits from her boyfriend where they can sit in the living room with her parents and talk, undistracted by technology.  She even says that her parents would kill her if she was staring at her phone and not listening to them.  But, in half a year she will leave home to head to West Virginia Wesleyan College.  It will seem as if she's entering a different new world.  Her parents have warned her about the risks of technology and hope she will adjust slowly to the new life.  Perhaps she will be able to help her new friends move to a life much like she has experienced all her life.  Her family has become a sort of savior to many of the families who live outside the  quiet zone.  The director of the Observatory, Dr. Karen O'Neil, reports that Charity's family has visitors from outside the quiet zone whose parents bring their teenagers to visit quite often due to being too stressed out from being on wireless all the time.  Wow, what a novel idea!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Legend Of The Albatwitch...It Really Is True! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking through the wooded hills along the west bank of the Susquehanna River in Columbia, Pennsylvania.  A bit to the north is the town of Marietta while Columbia lays to the south.  In the past I have written about the small park along the Susquehanna known as Chickies Rock County Park and the beautiful views one has of the mighty Susquehanna River from that location.  It's a short drive from the main highway to the park and the photographs you can take are remarkable.  But, there is a second parking lot along the main road which requires you find your way through the dense woods to the top of Chickies Rock.  And, that densely wooded area is said to be home to the dreaded Albatwitch (alba - twitch).  Now, I realize that the Albatwitch is just a local legend, but if you find you must walk through the woods, he becomes more real with every step and noise you experience.  

A photograph of an alleged Albatwitch taken
near Chickies Rock near Columbia, PA.

The Albatwitch is alleged to be a small (about 4 feet tall), manlike creature which supposedly lives in the wooded hills along the river.  At one time the Susquehannock Indian tribe roamed these hills and were said to have painted a small apelike monster on their war-shields.  Their home allegedly was at the base of Chickies Rock where the ruin of a village and burial grounds were found at one time.  Could the figure on their shields be the Albatwitch?   But, there have been other sightings of the Albatwitch all along the shores of the river in the area close to Columbia, PA.  The creature is named for the habit it is said to possess; that of being an "apple-snitch."  He, or she, has been known to have stolen apples from picknickers, occasionally throwing them at the startled people.  The creature has been sighted sitting in the treetops, coming down only to look for food.  But, the legend also says that the Albatwithes either became extinct or were driven nearly into extinction in the later years of the nineteenth century.  But, in the 1950s to the 1970s, a small manlike creature was once again sighted in the woods along the Susquehanna.  Plus, the crack of a whip also accompanies the sightings.  Could it be that the Albatwitch has returned?  A vague report concerning the sighting of a hairy humanoid came from Lancaster in 1973 with another report of a sighting in Annville (about 20 miles to the north) in the same year.  Across the Susquehanna, to the west, is the town of Wrightsvile which is part of York County.  They, too, have had sightings while looking across the river during times when leaves were off the trees.  I also read that the Pennsylvania Dutch brought the legend with them when they settled the area around the banks of the Susquehanna River.  The Albatwitch may be nothing more than Germanic folklore.  In the 21st Century, the Albatwitch has become a tourist draw to the area.  Reports of hairy creatures still abound, but nothing like the Albatwitch.  So, a group is now taking people on a "Ghosts of Columbia" walking tour.  That's after they offer them apple fritters, apple dumplings, caramel apples and apple pies.  I sure hope they know what the are doing!  The tour begins as dusk!  To tell you the truth, I don't care much to visit the area by myself anymore.  I make sure I have someone, such as my wife, make the trek with me from the car to Chickies Rock.  Just in case!  It was another extraoridnary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Would You Know If You Were Having A Heart Attack?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my friend Hal about his recent heart operation he had to repair a valve in his heart.  He was scheduled to have a pig’s heart valve used to replace his, but it was found that they could remove the diseased part and attach the two halves together and not have to use the pig valve.  Perfect, since the pig valves are said to last about 10 years and depending how old you are when you have the operation, you may have to have the same operation a second, or even third time, during your lifetime.  I often wonder what condition my heart may be in since my brother experienced atrial fibrillation and had that corrected some time ago.  Being that he is 5 years younger than me, I often wondered what shape my heart may be in. 

What would I feel if I was having a heart attack?  Would it cause me to grab my chest and agonize in pain like I see on TV and in the movies?  Would it feel like a balloon in my chest which is about to burst?  Well, over the past couple of years I have read about what you feel when having a heart attack and it really differs from person to person.  For some it starts as the feeling of having indigestion while others feel they have pulled a muscle in their chest.  I found that every year in the United States, about one million people suffer a heart attack!  Wow!!  And, of those one million, about 150,000 of then die according to the American Heart Association.  So, how can I diagnose myself and tell when I might be having a heart attack and be one of those 850,00 that survive their heart attack.  Some of the reading material tends to contradict itself and can lead to denial among those that have pain.  From what I have found that seems legitimate, if you feel something in your back, chest, jaw or tooth that you have never experienced before, head or call for help.  And, if you have had a heart attack and survived, if you have a second one, or even a third one, your symptoms may be totally different than what you had the first time.  And, it’s not always a pain you feel.  It could be just discomfort or an ache.  And, if you have pain and feel the need to Google “chest pain”, it’s probably best if you call 911.  An article I recently read told about five different patients who had a heart attack and what each felt at the onset of their heart attack.  The first man was a white man, 60 years old.  He was an EMT who should have known better.  He had a stabbing pain in his back when he climbed the stairs.  He figured he needed to see his chiropractor.  About a month went by and after eating he felt what he said was indigestion.  So, he retired to his couch.  Then the pain radiated to his jaw, shoulder and arms.  THAT’S WHEN HE THOUGHT HE MIGHT BE HAVING A HEART ATTACK!.  He finally asked his wife to call 911.  He was in so much pain by now that he had to lay on the floor.  Today he keeps a constant check on his blood pressure after having survived open heart surgery.  A second person, a white woman who was 66 years old was sitting in a movie on Valentine’s Day, 2015.  She started to feel as if she had just eaten a big meal, but she hadn’t.  Then she grew short of breath, but didn’t say anything to her husband since she knew he wanted to see the movie.  She began to think it was the Chinese food she ate at lunch.  Then the pain began in her shoulder, arm and jaw, but she still said nothing.  What’s the matter with these people? 

I guess you never think it can happen to you.  It wasn’t until the following morning that she checked her BP and found it to be 192/98.  She had a 100% blockage of one artery and 98% in another.  But, her chest never hurt!  She too had surgery and is alive today.  One other man, a 54 year old black man, a retired semipro football player and gym rat and body builder. Used to aches and pains and nicks and dings from his playing days, thought he had pulled a muscle in his chest and shoulder.  He knew he should have headed to the hospital, but he had an errand to run.  Now, this was a guy who was a trained CPR instructor.  After the 5 minute errand, he finally realized he was having a heart attack.  He had a triple bypass.  He also had two more after not recognizing the symptoms of these, since they were different than the first.  He is still alive today!  I have read other stories of what have happened to many others including listening to my brother before he had a quadruple bypass.  I am well aware of the minor aches and pains that may be the start of something bigger.  I don’t want to rush to conclusions, but I still want to be able to see my grandkids graduate from college and maybe see a great-grandchild someday.  So…I’m going to be a sissy and take anything that’s different and have it checked immediately.  Maybe you should also!  Don't you too have something to live for in the future?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Snake In A Fish Body" Story

My dad and I are fishing along the Elk River, Maryland.

It was an ordinary day.  August of 1958 and I'm sitting on the dock of my Aunt Doris' Elk River cottage in Maryland with my dad.  I'm fishing while my dad is enjoying the view up and down the Elk River.  Then, something grabbed the worm and took off.  About five minutes later I pulled an ugly, slimey, snakelike American eel onto the dock.  Fish are tough enough to get off the hook, but an eel is almost impossible since they are hard to grab hold of to remove the hook.  

I'm removing a catfish from my line.

Add about twenty years to that and I am once again fishing on the Elk River with my friend Gary and our children.  One of us hooks a Channel Catfish which is about two feet in length and perhaps eight to ten pounds.  This time I remove the ugly looking fish with a deeply-forked caudal fin and remove it from the hook.  Place it in the water tank we have in the boat to take back to our cottage for Gary's wife to skin and eat.  Stories like this have been happening to many while fishing along the Chesapeake and Delaware Rivers for years.  But, today there is one additional fish that is causing quite a stir in rivers on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  Seems the fish known as the Snakehead, or to many as  "Frankenfish", has infiltrated the waters of the rivers and they are killing many other species or eating the food of other fish, forcing them to move to other locations.  

The Snakehead fish or "Frankenfish"

I have never caught a Snakehead, but they look really ugly with a mouthful of crooked teeth and a snarly look on their face.  There used to be plenty of perch, crappie and catfish in the rivers, but their population has declined since the snakehead, which grows to 3 feet long, either eats them, eats their food or muscles them out of their preferred habitat.  And, to top that, they are eating the eels as well as shad.  Disturbing studies have been done that is worrying fish management groups.  The river that flows along the western border of Lancaster County, the Susquehanna, does not have a problem with the snakefish...yet!  But, it may be only a matter of time.  So, how did these fish find their way into the waters of the rivers and streams that I have enjoyed since childhood?  

Another view of the Snakehead fish.

Originally the fish was brought into the country from Africa and Asia for sale in live fish  markets.  Some evidently escaped the markets and found their way into the waters of many rivers in the country.  And, they are prolific breeders with a female fish releasing up to 15,000 eggs in two years.  It can grow to about 3 feet in length and up to 18 pounds.  They can move over land for short distances by wriggling motions and live outside of water for several days.  It is a freshwater fish that cannot tolerate salinity in excess of 10 parts per million.  On the Susquehanna River, it is hoped the four hydroelectric dams will keep snakeheads from moving too far north.  Last year in Maryland there was a snakehead "derby" to try and lower the snakefish population.  And, just in case you may want to have one for your home aquarium,  they are illegal to own!  My fishing days are more than likely over so I am not affected by the fish that has plenty of teeth.  Can't imagine how hard it must be to get one of them off a hook.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Thank God For Guardian Angels" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story that appeared on the front page of my morning paper that told of an event that happened some time ago which appeared in the paper at that time.  Today's story was titled "Reaching Out" and it was a "feel-good" story that told of one man's interaction with a young boy with autism after the boy was involved in a school bus crash this past November.  It is the kind of story that can bring tears to your eyes.  It told of the compassion offered to a young boy whom the man had never met before.  Story goes like this...A Manheim Central School District school bus was involved in a traffic accident this past November 22.  The nearby fire department responded to a call as did the local ambulance.  Luckily none of the adults or students on the bus were injured.  But, just to make sure, the Emergency Medical Service wanted to evaluate the children on the bus.  One young rider by the name of Jojo remained in the field next to the ambulance, evidently scared to death about what had just happened and not knowing how to cope with the situation.  

Fireman Andy Kirchner consoling Jojo in a field
next to a school bus crash near the crash scene.
Photo taken by Asst. Fire Chief Duane Ober.

Fireman, Lieutenant Andrew Kirchner, saw the boy in distress and stepped in to care for him in the nearby field.  A short time before, as his crew was leaving the station to head to the accident scene, he grabbed a container of stuffed animals.  When Andy approached Jojo he handed him a stuffed animal and an instant bond was formed.  Jojo saw Andy, but it wasn't until a few minutes later that Jojo moved closer to Andy.  Andy got down to Jojo's level and Jojo grabbed his cheeks, squeezed them together, put his nose to Andy's nose, closed his eyes and backed away as if to say "OK".  It was Jojo's way of saying "Thank You".  Jojo is autistic and nonverbal when it comes to expressing his feelings, wants and needs.  This would be why he was terrified and panicked when asked to be examined by the ambulance crew.  It was at that point that Andy stepped in, since he too has an autistic child. He instantly sensed what was wrong and acted.  It's as if it were meant to be that fateful day in a field next to a school bus accident.  

Jojo with mother Samantha Colon.

Jojo's mother, Samantha Colon, tried for some time to locate her hero.  She wrote on her Facebook page:  Yesterday I got one of the most terrifying calls I think any parent could receive...My son's bus was in an accident.  I got to the school as soon as I could to find my son terrified and very upset.  I was told by someone who drove by the scene that a fireman was standing with Jojo alone in a field because he was too frightened and upset to get in the ambulance.  What I didn't know was that perfect stranger stood with my son.  They stood away from others for him to calm down, in a time that I could not be there for my terrified five year old.  I'm very grateful for this person to say the least.  I'm trying to find out how to retrieve information on which fire departments showed up to the scene in order to find this one fireman.  

The hero, Lt. Andy Kirchner and his family.

I would like to thank him in person.  Recently she posted once again saying:  Does everyone remember the status I shared about looking for the fireman who stood with Jojo because he was too afraid to get in the ambulance after the school bus accident?  His teacher sent me this today!  I'm balling!!!   His name is Andrew Scott Kirchner and we found him!!  Samantha and son Jojo hope to meet  Kirchner and his family soon and say "Thanks" in person.  Perfect season of the year to celebrate a happy ending for everyone.  We can, and should,   be proud of those who come to our aid when we are in distress.  They will certainly be there as was proven in this instance.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "'One Terrific Granddaughter!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with my granddaughter Courtney who was Carol and my first grandchild and was born in 2002 to our daughter, Brynn and son-in-law Dave.  She is a senior in high school in nearby Urbana, Maryland, about two hours from our home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Courtney will soon be 18 years old and will be heading off to college.  This intelligent young woman has chosen nursing as her choice of careers and is searching for a college that will offer nursing in their curriculum.  One of the main reasons for her choice of possible careers is the fact that at the age of 8, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, aka Juvenile Diabetes.  Being this is World Diabetes Awareness Month, our daughter Brynn posted a story about her daughter Courtney on her Facebook Page that reads:

 This girl is so strong, brave, and mature. 9 years of living with Type 1 diabetes is 3,285 days of finger pricks, shots, pump site changes, CGM site changes, lots of highs and lows, and plenty of tears (from mom too).  She reached a diabetic management goal her endocrinologist set for her this summer, and she was able to get the tattoo she has been wanting. It means I AM GREATER THAN MY HIGHS AND LOWS.  All of her interactions with health care providers has brought her to the decision that she wants to become a nurse. She even got to remove the drain from her dad's recent neck surgery.  She was awesome!  She doesn't like to talk about it, and she doesn't share her struggles with many.  The thing about T1D is you would never know by looking at her that she makes life and death decisions everyday. We have said from day one that she IS diabetic, she doesn't HAVE diabetes. It is a disease with no cure, but it does not define her.

Top left - Courtney; Top right - Tattoo
 meaning "I am greater than my
highs and lows"; Bottom: Courtney
taking the drain from her father's
neck.  Click to enlarge!

Brynn's story about her daughter brought tears to my eyes.  Courtney is no average young woman.  She is a super young adult who will be an asset to any medical practice when she becomes a nurse being that she can understand the problems of those who face Type 1 diabetes on a daily basis.  Being diabetic can be emotionally draining and cause fear, anger and frustration.  But there are steps that can be taken to relieve those stress levels and anxiety.  Someone who has had to endure diabetes as long as Courtney will be able to help those with the incurable disease cope with it when she becomes a nurse.   A good support system is essential to coping with type 1 diabetes and having a nurse who can understand and who has lived with the same disease most of her life will be a definite help to any patient.  The theme for diabetes awareness month and World Diabetes Day this year is Family and Diabetes.  Courtney's immediate family has been living with the disease along with her, but only she experiences the effects of the disease on a daily basis.  Picking nursing as a career will help not only her, but those to whom she nurses.  Carol and I wish her the best as she decides upon a school to become a nurse.  And, a good nurse she will be someday!  How could a good-looking young woman such as Courtney be anything but the best!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Worse Trolley Accident In Lancaster County" Story

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

View of the Susquehanna River from Chickies Rock.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The "Will You Be The Solution Or The Problem?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the waiting room at Dermatology Associates anticipating what Dr. Lucking may find during my six month visit.  I was one of only four patients waiting in the multi-doctor practice and had no idea how long it would take before I would be summoned to disrobe for my examination.  So...I grabbed the nearest magazine and began to leaf through it.  The August 5, 2019 edition of Time Magazine had a multitude of fairly short stories about just about anything and everything, but the one that caught my eye was a story titled "Is this summer's intense head caused by climate change?"  Now, if you have been following the national news you probably know that according to the President of the United States, global warning is just a hoax and has no scientific facts to back it up.  I'm sure that many feel the same way, but for me.....well, there just has to be some reason why climatologists describe what they call new norms in global temperatures.  When thinking about climate change you must broaden your thinking and don't think just about your local community or even state.  You have to see what is happening all over the globe.  As I looked at the story I read that one climatologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that "We now have a new normal, we are in a new warmer climate.  Just in the 21st century, we've set a new global world temperature record five times."  Pretty shocking to me!  We are only 1/5 of the way through the century and a new record for warmth has been broken five times.  

Can your children, grand-children and great grand-
children continue to survive in a world like this?

My grandkids may have to live in an environ- ment where most summer days may reach 100 degrees or even worse, more of the polar ice cap may melt which in turn will not be able to reflect the sun off the earth's surfaces and thus make our world's oceans warmer which will in turn kill more marine life and....well the chain goes on and on and on.  But yet, some people think this is all a hoax!  It is a fact that in Antarctica, sea-ice coverage in June of this year was 8.5% below the 1981-2010 average, and in the Artic it was 10.5% below.  Why would anyone make up this stuff?  But, our President keeps telling us all these studies and reports are fake.  A report in the Environmental Research Communications predicts that states along the Gulf Coast will see more than 120 days a year that feel like 100 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of this century.  That's almost a third of the year!  Can you imagine how many more dermatologists will be needed to handle all the cases of skin cancer caused by weather like this.  And, 2019's above average rainfall in parts of the United States has been attributed to human emissions of greenhouse gases and that will continue until we humans get our heads out of our butts and find a way to change our behavior and stop modifying the atmosphere.  

The ice caps are melting!!

You do realize we can do that, but only if our government takes the initiative and sets standards that can stop modifying the atmosphere.  The rest of the world is working on it, but not with enough urgency.  Right now there are more than 180 countries that have ratified the Paris Agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.  The USA isn't one of those at present.  The USA is the second biggest emitter of greenhouse-gas - after China!  We were part of the agreement until 2017 when our President withdrew the USA from the agreement.  Many foreign scientists believe the world can meet the challenge, but our country must be part of the solution instead of the problem as we now are.  Ask yourself how you can be part of a solution to make the world a safer place for your future generations instead of a problem.  I know what I plan to do!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Cleaning Up The World" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Enjoying a meal at the French restaurant known as Le Piment on the island of St. Martin.  I have written many times about the island and quite a few of those stories told of having a meal at Le Piment.  It is one of the favorites of my wife and myself for many years.  But, this year there was something very different about the service we received.  

I realize that mixed drinks come with
a straw, but why not use an alternative?

After ordering our meal and drinks we were delivered our drinks without a plastic straw.  I know, you don't usually drink a mixed drink or a beer with a straw, but we usually don't have a mixed drink or beer with our meal.  We love the peach tea that they serve in a can.  And, we like to use a straw.  We asked about the straw and were told they are trying to cut down on the use of plastic straws since they are harmful to the local environment.  So, we just poured our peach tea into a drinking glass and had it that way.  Many local governments are trying to reduce the reliance that people have on plastic supplies in order to clean up the environment.  Others seem to think that something as small as a plastic straw isn't going to help clean up the environment, but it is said that Americans use more than 500 million straws DAILY, which is enough to fill 125 school buses.  

Too many shorelines look like this in the world!

Plastic straws are said to have a 200-year lifespan so you begin to multiply the 500 million a day times all those years and you see why there is so much plastic in our environment.  In the United States, Colorado declared in 2013 that July 11 would be "Straw Free Day."  So who else is trying to help in this effort to reduce the use of plastics?  The Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship line has said bon voyage to plastic straws.  

We need to eliminate items such as this from our environment.

Now, why can't we do that with plastic bags and cups as well as polystyrene foam containers?  Le Piment did tell us they would give us a plastic straw if necessary, but they are hoping most customers will not request one.  But, for some people, they cannot not do with a plastic straw.  Certain diseases make it almost impossible to drink from a glass or bottle without the use of a straw.  Perhaps someone could invent a suitable alternative to help make a plastic-free environment for all of us.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Tough Getting A Square Meal Around Here!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  At least for me it was, but for one very large king snake who lives at Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary is was as if something was eating at him.  Actually, he was eating himself.  The founder of the sanctuary, Jesse Rothacker, discovered that one of his rescued king snakes was trying to swallow himself.  Talk about being hungry.  

Now, if you can't stomach looking at or holding snakes, this place wouldn't be for you, but Lancaster County is so lucky to have a fellow like Jesse who takes in all types of reptiles that otherwise might be released into the wild and perish shortly afterward.  So, what do you do when you discover that one of your residents got so hungry that they grabbed the other end of their body and began to swallow it?  Jesse said that it's not unusual to find a king snake biting themselves, but he's never found one that was swallowing its tail.  This particular snake was found to gnaw on itself, but not to the extent that it did when found with its tail about three feet into its mouth.  I showed my wife the photograph in the newspaper that was submitted by Jesse and she turned her head and told me to get it away from her.  

The snake eating itself.

The story in the paper said that Jesse did find scarring on the tail of the reptile which means it must have tried to eat itself in the past. But, to this extent?  Jesse said that this snake seems to always be hungry, but never went to this extent before.  He joked that this snake probably wouldn't do well on the SAT.  Accompaning the online article was a video showing how Jesse was able to get the snake to regurgitate almost half its own body.  After all of its body was regurgitated, it received a bath to get rid of "digestive juices".  All that could be found to show what had happened were small pin pricks where the teeth bit into the body.  The snake has been adopted and will move to its new home in the near future.  Hope the new owner realizes that it must feed the snake often in order to keep it from eating itself once again.  Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary is found in the small village of Elm which is to the north of Lititz, Pennsylvania.  Forgotten Friend is a nonprofit reptile rescue and education group that focuses on the prevention of cruelty to animals.  Its address is not given out since it works with law enforcement.  You can watch the video of the snake's rescue at LancasaterOnline.com.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Robocallers, Spoofers, & Scammers: Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my emails and found one from a longtime friend telling me to check out a website he had linked to his email.  I clicked on the link and my life changed instantly.  The site was a pornographic site!  After about 10 seconds of photo after photo flashing at me I closed the link and trashed it.  But, the damage had been done.  I had viewed the site, even if just for a few seconds.  Two days later I got the email that turned my world upside down.  Started with my email address and my password for my laptop computer.  Then the letter began with telling me they were aware of my password as well as everyone of my contacts from Messenger, FaceBook, and email accounts.  They had set up software on the adult streaming website I had clicked on and visited a few days before and had a short video of me viewing the site.  They also told me that they had control of my desktop and obtained a video of me in front of the computer.  Told me I had good taste in videos.  I now had two possibilities they stated.  First, I could ignore the email in which case they would send the recorded video they had made to all my contacts.  Second, I could give them $545.  They would describe it as a donation and destroy the video and I would never hear back from them.  I was to make a payment through Bitcoin (if I don't know this site, I could search 'how to buy bitcoin' in Google).  The address I was to send it to was included.  They followed with...if I am planning on going to law enforcement the email could not be traced.  If I don't send money they will send the video to ever one of my contacts.  I am not supposed to reply to this email or they also will send the video to my contacts.  Wow!  I was frozen in time!  They most certainly didn't have a video of me doing anything since I had just viewed the site for less than half a minute and had closed it.  But, if they were that good that they had made a video of me, they most certainly could photoshop whatever they wanted and they had a view of my face, so they said.  I called my wife who was visiting with our daughter in another state and she realized I was very upset.  We talked and decided I should call the friend who allegedly sent me the link in the first place.  Naturally, he had no idea what I was talking about.  He did tell me it was a scam and don't send any money.  At that point I decided to call the police.  Wasn't long before a policeman was sitting next to me in my kitchen.  He assured me it was a scam.  But, could I be sure?  I was so upset I couldn't eat or sleep.  Then another email came, since I had not sent the money.  Since I hadn't sent them the bitcoins, they had now upped the price to $968.  Everyone, including the Apple computer company rep I called, said it was a scam.  Even saw an announcer on my home TV station talk about the scam, but I wasn't sure.  Then my boss at my part-time framing and matting job passed along a few websites he had investigated to help assure me it was a scam.  One site had the title above their story: Porn Blackmail Scam Rattles Mac Users: What You Need to Know.  I read it and there was a sample letter that they may have sent to people.  Sure enough, the letter I had received was almost word for word what I was reading.  But.... what if...  Well, it has been almost a month and nothing has happened.  Was it a scam?  I sure hope so.  I am now eating and sleeping better, but after this had happened to me, I can see why some people may consider suicide, since they may have too much to lose even if it hadn't been true.  My suggestion to you, if it would ever happen to you... find plenty of help through your family and friends and they will help you weather the storm and return to a normal life.  And... don't dare to ever click on or visit a pornographic site if you are not prepared for something like this to happen.  I know, there is no law saying you can't look at these sites, but hackers and scammers are everywhere on the web and they are watching you.  And, it can scare the crap out of you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Train Stops Here! - Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My story today is a follow-up to yesterday's story about the Orphan Trains that ran the rails from 1854 to 1929 delivering orphan children to new homes throughout a few eastern cities and the Mid-West.  In 1953 the United States began surveying railroad lines to the Pacific.  Posters, flyers and advertisements were sent to Europe telling of the virtues of coming to America to get "free land."  Soon millions arrived on the shores of America, many with children they could not support.  Many children became orphans due to the situation, thus the need for the Orphan Trains that would take children from the east coast to points west.  I have read story after story of many of those children and what became of them.  Some stories were heartbreaking while others were inspiring.  Today I will re-tell a few of those stories so you can see what happened to those children who were orphaned and placed on the Orphan Trains, taking them to families they knew nothing about and who may or may not have their best interests in mind.  Can you imagine being a young boy or girl who was abandoned by their parents and sent by train to a new town miles away to never see mom and dad ever again.  Many didn't fare well, while others not only survived, but thrived in their new settings.

Charles Frederick
This little boy stepped off the Orphan Train in Rockford, Illinois with just the clothes he had on his back.  He spoke only German, but he had a card pinned on his jacket displaying his name and his age as 6 years old.  By day's end he was loaded into a covered wagon with other children who had been shipped west with him from New York City.  The orphan children were headed to Durand, Illinois where they would be parceled out to farm families.  

Charles Frederick

These children were no more than indentured workers.  Some of these kids were lucky and "given" to families who adopted them and treated them with love.  Charles was not one of those lucky few.  To his adopting family he was no more than someone to work on the farm.  Years later, Charles' son Franklyn told his dad's story to the world.  Charles went to the Lennons, a family that had come from Ireland in the 1850s and farmed 160 acres north of Durand.  The boy worked hard and attended a one-room school off and on for four years.  Frederick said his father never felt loved by the Lennons.  When Charles was 17 he ran away and ended up working for farmers around Shirland and Harrison and later to Rockford.  He married in 1911 and two years later moved to a house in Loves Park where he lived for 47 years.  His first job was at a tannery; later working for a lumber company.  In 1960 he and his wife moved to California.  He died at the age of 80 in 1962.  Charles may have been mistreated, malnourished and overworked, but his son never heard him talk about that.  Some children on the Orphan Trains must have certainly been abused, but it is estimated that half those orphans that were relocated lived a good life.

Paul Young
This story doesn't seem to start so good since Paul Young arrived in Clyde, Kansas on Friday, October 13, 1911.  Paul arrived from the east with 15 other children and adult placement agents B.W. Nice and Anna Laura Hill.  

Paul Young Clithero

The two adults were to arrange for good homes for the children.  Paul was "the tiniest little lad of 2 years with the auburn hair and the freckled nose."  Boyd and Louise Clithero of Concordia had motored to Clyde to attend the placement meeting and returned home with little Paul.  The family owned a grocery store in Concordia and gave Paul their family name and from that time was known as Paul Clithero.  Paul lived next to little Norman Lewis and they became best friends.  But, a year later Boyd, Louise and Paul moved to another part of town.  Paul was heartbroken, but he still got to see Norman from time to time.  He eventually attended Concordia High School and performed vocal solos for area clubs.   Paul and Norman's biggest adventure together was in 1927 when they decided to head down a local river in a canoe.  The canoe hit something in the river and sank.  They swam to shore and made it safely back to Clyde. Paul eventually served in the US Navy.  He never married and died in Leavenworth, Kansas on July 5, 1963.  He is buried in National Cemetery in Leavenworth.

Alice Bullis Ayler
One of the last three children to ride on one of the "Orphan Trains" in 1854 was eleven year-old Alice Bullis Ayler.  During the 1920s the citizens of New York City were enjoying the Jazz Age while an estimated 30,000 homeless children were wandering the streets, begging, eating out of garbage cans and sleeping in the alleys.  Alice, a resident of Oklahoma City recalled that she was orphaned at the age of nine.  Prior to that she and her mother and siblings were living in a tent in an upstate New York forest, surviving on "green water and berries."  

Alice Bullis Ayler (top right) and her family.

Alice was the oldest of five who had a younger sister sho suffered serious mental damage from successive bouts of whooping cough and diphtheria.  Alice's nickname was Toots, but her twin sister couldn't pronounce that name so they called her "Choo Choo!"  Her siblings were eventually sent to a home near the Empire State Building while she went to the Goodhue Estate on Staten Island.  She can still recall her siblings pleading..."Don't go away, Choo Choo!"  The Goodhue Estate treated her well and she was able to attend school.  A year or so later she was placed on an Orphan Train headed to Kansas.  The Stock Market crash had occurred the year before and the drought that would produce the Dust Bowl was just beginning.  She seemed to be caught in the middle...too old to be adopted, but not old enough to be on her own.  She was moved from family to family as a "hired hand without pay."  At the age of 17 she went to work for J.C. Penney and moved out on her own.  She married her high school sweetheart when she was 20.  They moved to Oklahoma City in 1950.  She had a son, but adopted a daughter to give her the love she never had as a child.  Her daughter Ann enrolled at the University of Central Oklahoma, but seemed to be so unhappy.  Alice tried her best to help her by reading psychology books, talking to doctors and trying to figure out some way to help her.  Sadly Ann died at the age of 39.  One of Ann's doctors told Alice she should enroll in college to complete the work she was hoping her daughter would one day accomplish.  In 1973, she completed work on a BA and then a Master's degree in education in 1977.  The worked for the Oklahoma City schools for several years.  She said her home was like a halfway house during her years in college and in public education.  She often talks about her experiences on the Orphan Train.  Only a few hundred remain with some still searching for family ties and seeking answers to the inevitable question "why"?  

By reading more I found that Alice has recently died.  She was one of many survivors of the Orphan Trains who made a success of their life.  I'm sure that when the program was developed in the United States it was meant to be a solution for homelessness, but didn't seem to turn out that way for many caught in its web.  Life isn't always easy, but at least I was blessed with a mother and father who loved me.  I was more fortunate than many who rode the Orphan Trains years ago. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "A Funeral In Which The Pallbearers Need To Stand In Place for 500 years." Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened the mail and found my Reminisce and Smithsonian magazines had arrived.  Began leafing through the Smithsonian when I came to a page that had half-way down on the right-hand side of the page the word Meltdown in 24 point bold type.  Drew my attention so I immediately began reading and realized the story dealt with the Three Mile Island (TMI) nuclear reactor in nearby Middletown, Pennsylvania.  

Three Mile Island as seen the summer of 2018. Click to enlarge.

A short interview with the Mayor of Middletown followed which asked questions such as: How did he learn of the partial meltdown in one of the reactors?; when did the people who evacuated come back?; and How do locals feel about Three Mile Island today, as it considers closing this coming September?  It's been 40 years since the accident at Three Mile Island's Unit 2 reactor which had been in operation for only 90 days.  The accident began at 4 a.m. March 28, 1979 and was caused by a combination of human error, design deficiencies and equipment failures.  

A closer view of the cooling towers.

The accident caused a partial meltdown of the reactor core.  Didn't take long before everyone within 50 miles of TMI knew of the accident. Many residents immediately packed their bags and got as far away from the island on the Susquehanna River as they could.  Carol and I, along with our three children lived 29.8 miles from the plant.  What should we do?  It was a tense few days as we talked about packing our bags and heading away from our home in Lancaster.   March 28 was our oldest son's, Derek, 8th birthday and we had a party planned for him and about half a dozen of his friends at our home.  Should we have it?  Should we postpone it?  We decided to have the party and partway through the party we called the father of one of the boys whose father was a doctor and happened to work in radiology at the local hospital.  We asked him if it would be safe to allow the boys to play in the back yard.  

President Jimmy Carter and Pennsylvania Governor Dick
Thornburgh visit TMI after the reactor's partial meltdown.
President Carter in in the light-colored suit with Thornburgh
in the dark-colored suit behind him.

He assured us that the equipment that the hospital had on the roof was registering a normal amount of radiation in Lancaster.  Days passed and we continued to talk about what to do.  Pennsyl- 
vania's Governor Dick Thornburgh and then-President Jimmy Carter were photographed four days after the accident taking a tour of the reactor's control room as a publicity photo to show the plant's neighbors that it was safe to remain in their homes.  Since that time in history the Unit 2 reactor has remained empty.  

TMI technicians enter the containment building that housed
the disabled reactor.  Couldn't pay me enough to go in there! 

And now, it looks as if the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant will close because of the cost and safety associated with keeping it open.  What will happen to all that radioactive fuel that produced all that electricity for years?  It was back in 1982 that the U.S. Government promised to have a safe national repository for nuclear fuel by 1998.  But, no repository had been built.  Nuclear plants have been forced to build above-ground miniature fortresses and to arrange to maintain them indefinitely, even after all workers have been dismissed.  When TMI closes, it will not be cleaned-up, because there is no where for the nuclear waste to go.  There will still be a high-level of radioactive waste sitting in the middle of the Susquehanna Island with someone overlooking it forever.  Eric Epstein, a member of the TMI Alert nuclear watchdog group said, "This is a funeral in which the pallbearers need to stand in place for 500 years."  The dismantled nuclear plant will have to be guarded for my lifetime and my great-grand children's lifetime and for many years after that.  Environmental monitoring will continue forever.  

Another photograph I took this past summer.

The estimated cost to decommission the plant so far is $1.27 billion!  And...it will never end!!  My home in Lancaster should be safe, but I doubt that you will find many new homes being built on the hills overlooking TMI.  How would you like to be the owner of the land around TMI.  Gonna be worthless if it hasn't been for years already!  Carol and I got up enough courage this past summer and made our way to TMI to take photographs for a story I posted on my blog.  I'll tell you, it was scary seeing the steam emanating from the cooling towers.  I know the steam is not dangerous, but the perception that it looks like it is spewing death from those concrete circular stacks is scary.  I got my photos and drove away from the place as quickly as possible.  It took me almost 40 years to gain the courage to get close enough for photos, and it will probably be the last time I will ever get that close again.  Living 29.8 miles away is close enough. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - For just about 20 years now, tons of Cold War-era waste from decades of bomb-making and nuclear research across the U.S. has been stashed in the salt caverns that make up the underground facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Seems that what was promised in 1982 finally was built.  The state of New Mexico wasn't happy about having all the waste in their neck-of-the-woods, but some argued that New Mexico had a moral obligation given its legacy of uranium mining and its role in the development of the atomic bomb.  The problem for them now is keeping the 18-wheelers away from the big cities while delivering the atomic waste to Albuquerque.  Isn't life full of adventures?

This photograph shows a tunnel inside the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant No 2 in New Mexico.  It is 150 feet below the surface.  I'm just glad that's not me driving the golf cart into the tunnel!