The "Is The Sun Setting Yet?" Story

Field that for as long as I can remember was filled with corn
every summer.  Now it will be filled year-round with stores.

It was an ordinary day.  Stopped to take a photo of what at one time, for as long as I can remember, was a field of corn.  Now, I am looking at bulldozers and front-end loaders as they begin the task of turning yet one more piece of my beloved Lancaster County into a shopping center.  As if we don't have enough.  Sitting in the many acres directly across from this property is another shopping center with half a dozen big-box stores with a Home Depot as the anchor store.  A few of the stores sit vacant, but that doesn't stop the destruction of the corn field across the street from it.  Seems that development and density is a sore subject in every town and not just Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I live about a half-mile from this new center and I know I'm going to have to fight more and more traffic on a daily basis when it opens.  

In front of the field, along what is called Fruitville Pike,
was a row of perhaps a dozen homes.  Here you can see
the demolition of those homes.

And just why is it opening?  So there can be another Target store, which we already have two of not far away, another grocery store, which we have four of within spitting distance, and a variety of other stores with names that will continue to change on their marquee as the years go buy.  Happens in every town, but yet no one seems to bother.  When will we begin to build a desirable community that has been planned and finalized before a single street is laid?  Lancaster County is beautiful, vibrant, multi-cutural, but seems to be changing just because there is open space.  How much farmland has been lost over the years to make way for buildings that will sit vacant for eternity?  Lancaster County developed a planning commission in 1958 to take care of this situation.  Evidently they must have either disbanded or the members are all builders and developers.  At one time I thought that a community should reflect the aspirations of those living in that community.  But, I suppose aspirations alone aren't enough to protect farmland.  

A month from the above photo makes a big difference.

So then I read in an article in the Lancaster Newspapers telling of the new Places2040 plan and how we need to increase the density of  population in the land that is now available if we expect to grow.  How about those of us that don't want to grow and gain density in the areas where we now live.  The changes that will come with the higher density will be reflected in the need for more schools, more services and more traffic which will result in higher taxes and fees.  Why can't Lancaster just be the same Lancaster that I knew as a child and young adult.  I know, progress is the reason.  But, will the sun still set when Lancaster is no longer the community that at one time was "The Garden Spot of America?"  Maybe generations from now they will wake up and stop the roller coaster at the station.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Caw Of The Crows" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday and I'm on my way out the driveway with my cat to get the morning paper.  We stop part-way to observe the commotion across the street in my neighbor's driveway.  There sat three black crows ripping my neighbor's newspaper to shreds.  Section by section they picked apart the paper as I watched intently.  My cat sat next to me on the driveway watching the noisy birds cawing to one another as they methodically ruined the paper.  It was as if they knew what they were after.  Coupons for bird seed?  Story about the canons at nearby Park City Mall being activated to keep the crows away?  

Front page of a supplement telling of the art show.

Finally, one of them picked up a section of the paper and the three flew into the nearby trees where hundreds of other crows were nesting this time of the year.  Didn't think much of it until I began reading my paper and saw a magazine section that featured a big black crow.  I'm not lying!  

One of many art pieces.  This one was by Deborah Diana.

The "Entertain- ment Lancaster" supplement featured a big black crow telling about an art show that would open soon at the library situated behind my neighbor's house.  Now what are the chances of something like that happening?   Well, I did some research and found that the brain size of the black crow, in relation to body mass, is equal to that of great apes and dolphins, and only slightly lower than humans.  And, that isn't just the black crow's brain size, but their cognitive abilities as well.  

Another of my favorites painted by Sydney
Herr, a 12th grader at Donegal HS.

Many researchers find the black crow to be among the most intelligent of all animals.  But, there is no way they knew about the story in the paper about the black crow art show in the library across the street!!  Did they?  I did give my neighbor a call and give him a heads up about his paper and told him he may want to call and have another one delivered.  Then today I made a stop at the library to view the art show.  It was titled: Lancaster County's 2nd Annual "All Crow" Community Art Show and featured paintings, drawings, sculptures and ceramics in three different rooms as well as the lobby and fireplace area of the library.  One display case in the lobby featured ceramics from Manheim Township High School where I taught until retiring in 1999.  

Entire display of work from Manheim Twp. HS.

The annual event was started last year by a group called Crows "R" Us, a small flock of crow enthusiasts.  Many local artists placed art in the show with the hopes of selling their artwork.  Three local high schools submitted artwork.  I enjoyed all the artwork and was amazed how the black crow was featured in the many pieces.  I can still remember Alfred Hitchcock's movie "The Birds" and how scary it was even in black and white.  I must admit that the black crows are a pain as they roost on the many trees I have around my property.  The noise at times is deafening.  But, one day I will awake and they will be gone, moving to a new locale to begin their routine all over again.  And, possibly searching for another publication to find and dissect.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Another favorite titled Keeper of the Sun by Page
Baxter.  It was for sale for $200.

The "Art Collector Extraordinaire ...... NOT!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Decided to write my third story in the last few months about a neighbor on nearby Roseville Road who has taken it upon himself to be the art critic for the entire neighborhood.  Only problem is he lacks any semblance of common sense with the placement of what he calls art on the front yard of his home.  This all started a few years ago when he began displaying pink flamingos on the grass in front of his home.  Over a period of a few summer months his collection grew and grew until he had them all over his yard.  Neighbors talked of the guy with the pink flamingos, but eventually the novelty subsided and he must have decided he needed something else to attract the attention of his neighbors.  This summer he began with an old bathtub that he painted pink.  That was followed a week or so later with an old metal bed which was filled with dirt and topped off with flowers.  Naturally it too was painted pink.  

I thought the bed of flowers was rather imagina- tive, but more quickly followed.  Next came a pink mailbox, pink bulldog, pink toilet and a pink bicycle.  I thought it was a collection of old junk, but evidently he thought of it as art.  Then came the one-armed mannequin that was painted pink.  One of the neighbors must have complained that it had no clothes on it so he added a pink bra.  And, it was all done in the name of art.  Then came the five-panel unit which featured nude people and statues.  This really got the ire of his neighbors as well as those who drove the street daily.  Just what he wanted!    Neighbors complained to the local officials as well as the police that their children were subjected to nudity every day when their school bus passed his yard.  The alleged art collector said, "It's my constitutional right to put anything I want in my yard, as long as it's art."  His neighbors claim his display "is just inappropriate."  He claimed the panels were purchased at a yard sale and are from a play or a movie, but he isn't sure which one.  He claims that he not only collects art, but typewriters, phones with cords and old radios.  He also says that he is Greek and the panels display his heritage.  I guess he must be talking about the nude statues since there must have been Greek nudes in his heritage somewhere.  

In a newspaper interview he said, "The more they complain the more stuff I'm going to put out there.  And there's nothing the township can do about it."  And, to top all this off, he added lights so the neighbors could see all his artwork round-the-clock.  He did finally put pink tape over the genitals and breasts of the men and women featured on the panels as well as a pink pompom and a pink fig leaf on another couple.  A real hero he is.  Can hardly wait to see what happens next.  I can hardly wait.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - click on photos to enlarge them.