The "Touring Puerto Rico: A Visual Journey - Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching for a photo to attach to one of my stories I wrote about our recent trip to Puerto Rico and realized, as always, that I have many other photos to share with someone, and that happens to be you.  Took almost 1,500 photos and then narrowed it down to about 800 which I have no idea what I'm going to do with them except make my traditional trip slide show and share some on my blog.  So, here goes #1 or two days of viewing the architecture and landscapes of the island of Puerto Rico.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - click photos to enlarge.

Light fixture at the elevator lobby at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Flowers at the resort.  The misty effect happened since my lens was fogged from coming out into the 95 degree heat from my air-conditioned room. 

Beautiful doorway at the Old San Juan fort known as El Morro.

Variety of shoes for sale at a store in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

One of many stray cats that roam the streets of Old San Juan.

Leaf against the pale blue sky.

Love the coloring on this tropical flower. 

This is one photo you need to click on to see the resulting image in the droplets of water in the center of the flower.   Even though the flower may be slightly out of focus, notice the palm tree in the water droplets in the center.

Night-time lights along Isla Verde Beach.

They just hated to throw away all those good corks.

Our plane preparing to return us to Baltimore Airport.

Shot through a shop window, this foursome of the three kings and Santa are playing Dominoes.

The "Renewing and Restoring Lives" Story

Mural by Jared Bader on the campus of Water Street Mission.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing on the corner of West Conetoga and South Prince Streets in the city of Lancaster, PA admiring the Jared Bader mural that fills the east-facing wall on the corner building of the Water Street Ministries.  The artist recently installed the mural that aims to communicate the impact of restoring and renewing lives which has been the vision of Water Street Ministries since it's founding in 1905.  

The original Water Street Rescue Mission.  I took this
photo from a print hanging on the wall inside the
offices of the mission.  This building was on Water Street
which runs parallel to Prince Street, behind the current
Water Street Mission.

Most people in Lancaster County know the mission as a provider of food and shelter for the homeless, but they are much more than that.  They provide healthcare for those who can't afford that service, provide services for urban youth through their Teen Haven program, educate the very young through their Wonder Club and naturally provide rescue and renewal for the homeless no matter what sex or age they may be.  Their "Purpose Statement" is: To advance the kingdom of God through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to do missionary, relief and rescue work of all kinds, while their "Vision Statement" is to create healing communities where lives are transformed.  

The rear of the Water Street Ministries on South Prince
Street.  I am standing on Water Street to take the photo.
At the far end of the street is where the original mission
was located.

My remembrances of what was called the Water Street Rescue Mission date back to the 1940's and early 1950's when I lived with my mother, while my dad was in the Army, a few blocks to the south of the mission, as a very young boy and traveled past the building on our way to Southern Market on Saturday mornings.  I can still remember my mom pointing out the "poor people" on the other side of the street as we passed them on our way to market.  It was back in 1905 that Dr. Ezra Seiber and his wife began the program that led to the modern day Water Street Mission.  Nothing more than the Dr. and his wife, along with a handful of folks who lived in the downtown area of Lancaster, who gathered at the home of Ms. Sarah Kuhn to talk about God's redeeming story.  By 1916 that group began to grow and began to attempt to meet the needs of the homeless and hungry of Lancaster by opening a temporary shelter on South Water Street for families.  

The front entrance of Kuhns Hall on the
campus of Water Street Ministries.

The following year the state of Pennsylvania recognized the Water Street Rescue Mission as an official organization.  In the 1930's the Mission began handing out baskets of food and supplies to poverty stricken families.  In the 1940's the Mission adopted the motto "No law but love, no creed but Christ" and also said "your church in overalls working among the down trodden, the poor, the lame, the halt and the blind." In 1953 the Mission purchased the nearby Conestoga Cotton Mill at 210 South Prince Street and renovated the mill into a full service shelter for the hungry and homeless men, women and children of the community. Nine years later the renovated mill was dedicated as The Water Street Rescue Mission which is what I have known it as for most of my life.  In the 1980's the mission, which housed people of all colors races and sexes no matter what age, opened an early learning center for Pre-K and Kindergarten.  Then in 1983 a thrift shop was opened which to this day is one of the best in the county.  Ten years after that they opened a free medical clinic for people living in extreme poverty with a dental clinic opening in 2003.  It's been 110 years since that first group met and began their ministry that ... "Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ every man, woman and child living in poverty will feel rich and whole in God's Kingdom.   And now, on the outside brick wall of the Water Street Mission, a large mural depicts a small stream flowing down the middle of a city block.  People gather along the stream in a sense of community while oak limbs in the foreground frame the scene.  At the top of the mural are the words from Deuteronomy 8:7 that say: "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land - with brooks, streams and deep springs gushing out into the valley and hills."  Mr. Bader, the artist, has certainly captured the essence of the Water Street Mission.  If only my mom was still here with us to see that beautiful mural and how the "poor people" who gather there continue to restore and renew their lives at the place we used to walk by years ago, she'd certainly have a smile on her face.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Little Jerry" Story

Big Jerry on the left with Little Jerry? on the right.

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in a taxi with Carol and traveling mates Jerry and Just Sue on our way to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico to visit one of the forts that anchor the wall of the city.  A short distance from our hotel we attempt to engage our taxi driver in some conversation to learn about his life as well as the culture and history of his home.  Naturally had to ask him about baseball and he seemed to begin to come to life with stories about the ballparks and the major league players who are now, or have been in the past, lifelong residents of Puerto Rico.  Pointed to our left and said the Roberto Clemente Stadium and Coliseum were in that direction and began telling us about some of the players who are playing now in the prelims to the coming World Series. Then we asked his thoughts about Puerto Rico becoming a U.S. State and he gave us his pros and cons on the subject. Jerry, sitting in the front seat next to him, began telling of his years in the Navy and making visits to the island of Puerto Rico in 1963 and 64.  Told how his ship would dock at the port in Old San Juan and he and his buddies would head into the town to some of the bars for drinks and entertainment.  Jerry asked how old he was and he said he was born in Puerto Rico in 1963.  Hearing all this information from the back seat of the taxi, I had to offer some insight into what I thought may have been an important fact .... “Hey, Jere.  You might be his dad!  He might be Little Jerry!”  Well, that brought a big smile to our cab driver’s face and the response, “I better call my mom and find out!”   Lightened up the atmosphere and we all became best friends by the end of our journey to Old San Juan.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Streets Of Old San Juan" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking on the deep-blue cobblestone streets in the heart of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The stones were originally used as ballast on Spanish ships, but eventually were used for the streets in the old city.  Old San Juan, founded in 1521, is the oldest city that flies a United States flag and is a compact, colorful mini-city that seems to be made for walking.  The town of close to half a million residents is only three square miles and is dominated with Spanish colonial-style buildings that date back to the 16th and 17th centuries.  On either end of the north side of the city stand their two forts, El Morro and Castillo de San Cristobal which are less than a mile apart.  Old San Juan, the second oldest European-founded city in the Americas (Santo Domingo being the oldest), is one of the most vibrant cities in the Caribbean that features overhanging ironwork balconies, pastel facades and courtyards galore.  The city is known as La Ciudad Amurallada, since it is surrounded by over 3 miles of walls that at one time circled the entire colonial capital.  Sometime in the 20th century the city partially removed some of the wall to incorporate expansion into Miramar, Santurce, Condado Hato Rey and Rio Piedras.  The city with its fortresses and walls was recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site, one of only 12 U.S. National Park units to be so designated.  Today I will take you along as Carol and I explored the city by foot as well as by trolley.  I hope my photographs are able to capture the uniqueness and old-world charm that lines the walls of the city of Old San Juan.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Remember to click on the photos to enlarge them. 

To start the tour ….. This Government building built in the 1840s is known as the Asilo de Beneficencia and is the home for the poor and indigent people of the city.

The Totem Telurico is located in Quincentennial Plaza and was designed by Puerto Rican artist Jaime Suarez.  It's made of clay from across the Americas.

Colorful buildings line this street in Old San Juan.

This pastel stucco home has the overhanging balcony that is featured on many of the homes in the city.

I love the way the street's names are embedded into the walls of the house or store.  The signs are mostly in tiles.

More ironwork balconies and one house in the foreground has a wrought iron light.

A variety of musicians were seen throughout the city with a hat or jar presented for tips.  This gentleman was playing my favorite, Lady of Spain, on his accordion.  Almost stopped to ask if I could try playing the song.

The pastel colors, tiled street and balconies make this automobile deficient street a wonderful sight. 

These tiled steps direct the viewer towards the Crucifix in the open window above.

Another minstrel playing his guitar along the sidewalk.

This archway between two city homes leads to a courtyard in the distance. 

This tree-lined street was just so romantic!  Too bad the cars had to be along the curb.

This photo was taken through an open window that had wrought-iron bars for protection. 

Another lovely home with wrought-iron balconies and arched openings.  

This home added the canvas awnings to protect from the afternoon heat.

Strays and feral cats were abundant on the streets of the city.  This little cat had such a forlorn look.

I took this photograph in what is known as the Plaza de Armas.  The plaza stands in front of City Hall and there you will also find this bench with a statue called Tite Curet Alonso, a world famous Puerto Rican "Salsa" composer who wrote over 2,000 songs during his career.  He is sitting on the bench, waiting for people to sit and have their photo taken with him.  Tite was humble, friendly, open and inviting just as his statue is today.

All the trolley signs are displayed above the stop which carries the number of the stop.

The trolley is approaching us.  Notice how little space it has to traverse the streets of Old San Juan.  A few times we had to stop and wait for someone or something to move before we could continue.

A church to the left with another beautiful home lined with wrought-iron balconies.

This is actually a Pizza Hut restaurant placed in an old building with beautiful architecture.

Corner home with pastel colors and a tile roof.

I was not at a loss for buildings to photograph.  Here is another example of the Spanish architecture of the city of Old San Juan.

Some of the tile work on the edges of the second floor of a home in the city.

And here are some architectural enhancements to another home.

Another sculpture which lines the streets of the city.  This one is dedicated to Eugenio Maria De Hostos on behalf of a grateful homeland.

This is the roofline of the Cathedral de San Juan built in 1521.  I have already posted a story about this beautiful cathedral. 

This roofline of the Capillo de Cristo or Chapel of the Pigeons is located along the wall of the city.  I have also written a story about this beautiful location.

The final two photos are of the San Juan Gate which is near the Governor's House on the San Juan wall.  It is reached by walking down the street across from the Cathedral towards the water.  The street is beautiful, lined with old trees and gorgeous houses.

The "Can I Ever Eat A Wilbur Bud Again?" Story

The Wilbur Candy Factory in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I just left the Wilbur Chocolate Company in Lititz, Pennsyl- vania with a couple 16 oz. bags of Red and Green Peppermint Crunch and a couple bags of White Confectionery Wafers which she will use to make candy at Christmas.  The candy is always a favorite and doesn't last long around our house.  We made the trip to the Broad Street Wilbur store to make sure we could get the products before Wilbur pulled out of Lititz.  Seems this past week the parent company of Wilbur, Cargill, announced that Wilbur Chocolate Company in Lititz will be shut down and the production currently done there will be moved to other more modern facilities that Cargill owns.  They claim that the candy store, which we just visited, and the Chocolate Candy Americana Museum, which is housed to the rear of the store, will remain open, but I'm sure everyone in Lititz can see the writing on the wall.  The move will cost the 130 employees their jobs shortly after the Christmas holidays.  

Mr. Henry Oscar Wilbur

It was in 1865 that Mr. Henry Oscar Wilbur of Philadelphia, PA, who at the time was operating a hardware and stove business in Vineland, NJ, had the chance to partner with friend Samuel Croft in the confectionery business so they became partners under the name of Croft & Wilbur and started a candy business at 125 North Third St. in Philadelphia.  They produced molasses and hard candies which they sold to the railroad company for train boys to resell.  Their equipment at the time consisted of a kettle, some buckets and a marble slab.  They grew and moved to 1226 Market Street in Philadelphia.  Then in 1884 the two men separated operations with Mr. Wilbur and his sons beginning the business of manufacturing cocoa and chocolate as well as the manufacturing of candy.  

The famous Wilbur Bud in dark and milk chocolate.

By 1934, H. O. Wilbur & Sons had consolidated its three locations to Lititz, PA, and changed its name to Wilbur Chocolate Company.  In 1992 Wilbur Chocolate Company was purchased by Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate North America and today produces millions of pounds of Wilbur Chocolate products yearly.  These products are supplied as ingredients to finished product manufacturers globally of the baking, dairy, and confectionery industries.  

Workers at the original Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz. PA

A few years ago Carol and I were visiting a candy store in Havre de Grace, MD and happened to look past the clerk, who was ringing up our purchases, and saw boxes of Wilbur Chocolate sitting on a shelf in a back room of the store.  Seems they used Wilbur Chocolate to make their candy.  I'm sure there are many other small candy stores that use Wilbur Chocolate to produce their products.  And, I'm sure they will continue to use Wilbur Chocolate, but it will no longer be made in Lititz, PA.  How sad to strip a small town of 130 jobs just to be able to consolidate a business.  I'm sure Wilbur Chocolates will be more profitable because of it, but is that what life is always about?  Again, how sad!  I'm not sure if I can eat any more Wilbur Buds every again, but I'll try!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Carol making her purchases today at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory.

As for me …. I'm still taste testing what might be my final Wilbur Buds.