The "The Cool Town With A History: Part I - The Oldest Pretzel Bakery in America" Story

Preface:  In 2013 a small town by the name of Lititz, Pennsylvania, just to the north of Lancaster was honored by being voted Budget Travel Magazine's America's Coolest Small Town.  At the time I wrote a story telling some of the highlights of the town, but since that time have made many more visits and discovered exactly why the town was given the honor.  The oldest pretzel bakery in the country, one of the earliest Moravian communities in the country and one of the neatest July 4th celebrations in the country all make Lititz a cool town.  The history of Lititz, which is more than 250 years old, is varied and extremely interesting.  Follow along during the next few weeks as I post stories that will give you an idea why Lititz was so honored in 2013.

Elma is explaining how to "twist" a pretzel.

It was an ordinary day.  Watching Elma, my tour guide today, as she shows me how to make a perfectly shaped pretzel.  I'm a guest today at the oldest pretzel factory in America, the Strugis Pretzel Factory which was started by Julius Sturgis in 1861 in the small town of Lititz which is a hop, skip and jump from the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The structure was actually built in 1784 and is one of the oldest buildings in the Moravian community started by Count Zinzendorf.  The home was built from stones dug in the street in front of it and timber from the surrounding forest.  The home had musket firing cellar windows to ward off Native American attacks, hand-crafted construction which included plank pegged floors, beautifully carved wooden panels on the staircase and heavy wooden doors on iron strap hinges.  

But enough about the place where I am standing.  Elma is in the midst of helping me shape my own pretzel to look as they did when they were first made.  

I found this stone on the side of the building at 219 E. Main St.

The very first pretzel was probably created in Europe when a reference was made by an Italian Monk in 610 A.D. in his diary that he had made a prestiola (an Italian word for "little reward") as a treat for children who learned their prayers.  The traditional unique twisted knot shape of that pretzel is thought to mimic either folded arms across the chest, the wings of angels or even the shape of the Holy Trinity.  

This shows how the dough was prepared.  The dough barrel, sitting to the left, was where the flour, water and yeast stock was mixed to a fairly stiff consistency and left to rise overnight.  The center unit is where the flour was stored and the little item on the right was where the yeast was kept.

It was also said that the Pilgrims introduced the pretzel in Cape Cod Bay in 1620, but it is more likely that the Pennsylvania Dutch population in Lancaster County, who called their creation a "brezel", made the first pretzels in the New World.  

Julius Stugis, founder of the bakery and the hard
crispy pretzel, in front of his winter home in Florida.

Their pretzels, which were soaked and boiled in a lye mixture before being baked, were what we would call a soft pretzel.  Legend has it that a hobo, who was riding a train behind Mr. Sturgis' bakery, asked for a job.  None was available but the hobo was none the less given nourishment.  He in turn gave Mr. Sturgis a recipe for making pretzels.  No one knows for sure if that was the actual recipe used by Mr. Sturgis, but it makes for a good story.  Julius began making pretzels in his bakery as an added product to sell.    

Workers twist pretzels and put them on boards to "proof" or rise, before taking them to the ovens.   

Then one day, the pretzels were left in the oven too long and when taken out later, the pretzel that we know today was born.  The new pretzels had a much longer shelf life which allowed them to be shipped throughout the area, increasing Julius' business.  

The pretzel ovens in front of me are the original ovens used to bake Sturgis pretzels.

The pretzel ovens in front of me, as I listen to Elma, were the original ovens used by the bakers before the turn of the century.  

This shows the baker using the "Peal" to place the pretzels in the oven.

A baker would use a long-handled "peal" to put the twisted pretzel dough into the ovens where it was fired to an intensity of 550 degrees.  

Another view of the bakers making pretzels.  The baker on the left is dipping pretzels in a cook pot filled with straw water and lye, which gives the pretzels their shiny brown coating.  The baker on the right is using the "Peal" to shovel pretzels into the oven.  The finished pretzels can be seen in the bin to the right.

They would bake for about 10 minutes to a golden brown, placed on trays and kiln dried in heated compartments above the ovens for about 2 1/2 hours.  This extra heating would remove excess moisture.  A baker would test a batch by breaking a pretzel and if it crackled when squeezed, it is said it was "talking back" and was OK'd.  The Sturgis family continues to mass produce pretzels today, but in a factory outside of nearby Reading, PA.  It was Tom Sturgis, great grandson of Julius. who moved the operation in 1936 to its location today in Reading.  As for my tour, my only disappointment was that I didn't get to bake the hand-formed pretzel I made.  The ovens no longer are fired in the location at 219 East Main Street in Lititz, Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Plaque on the wall of the building.

What the building looks like today.

The "A Rocky Springs Saturday Night" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Scrolling down through link after link on the Facebook page: Friends of Rocky Springs Amusement Park Lancaster PA.  Bringing back memories of past times when my parents would take me to the park to ride the rides or even ride down the Conestoga Creek in the "Lady Gay"; then as I got older, enjoying those same times with friends and family.  I have written a few stories in the past about the park, but after viewing the many new "old" photos of the park from the past, thought I would once again visit the park with you and show you what a great time I used to have while visiting Rocky Springs in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

One of the few remaining remnants from the old Rocky Springs Amusement Park is the building pictured here.  It is now a Bed and Breakfast on the property once occupied by the great amusement park.

One other remnant is a pier that held the famous roller coaster.

This is a post card picture of the first roller coaster at Rocky Springs called the Figure 8.  It was built by T.M. Harton around 1905 and removed in 1917.  Next came the Figure 8, The Jack Rabbit designed by John Miller, The Wildcat designed by Herb Schmeck and built be The Philadelphia Toboggan Company, and finally the Wild Mouse.

This is the entrance to The Wildcat Roller Coaster.  The coaster had two gigantic hills that were close to a 90 degree drop.  You were held into your seat with a belt that you buckled yourself.

The first thing you saw when the ride started was this tunnel you entered.  Rather spooky at night since the tunnel wasn't lit.

This was the trolley that made the last run from the city of Lancaster, PA to Rocky Springs Park.  I never rode the trolley since it I was only 3 years old when it stopped running.

The Trolley station at Rocky Springs

The city of Lancaster had two open-air trolleys they would use to take people from the city to Rocky Springs during summer months.

Another photo showing the entrance into the park.

Tickets for the Carrousel ride in the park. Notice the price.

The Rocky Springs Carrousel was dismantled and taken to a park in the south.  It is now back in storage, awaiting a move to another location in Lancaster County.

The "Laff in the Dark" was a fun building, but the screeching of the laughters was at time scary.

What amusement park didn't have a whip which threw you around for a few minutes.

The Airplanes were also a popular ride at Rocky Springs.

One of my favorites was the Shooting Gallery.  Not sure what they used for ammo, but it may not be acceptable today.

I can remember when I visited with my Grandpap on South Prince Street in the city and I would go to Rocky Springs to swim with my Aunt Lois, who happened to be a year older than me.

And, my last photo is one showing protesters pushing for integration of Rocky Springs swimming pool.  Rocky Springs attempted to prevent blacks from swimming there by making it a Members Only pool.  What a shame that we all couldn't have a good time together. And now for a trip back in time with "A Rocky Springs Saturday Night by Bobbi Carmitchell ……..

The "Excitement of Opening Day at the Phillies" Story

My nephew Matt and I waiting for the game to begin.

It was an ordinary day.  Standing amongst a sea of red and even though my sweatshirt is a bright red, it has the letters QO, for Quince Orchard, on it instead of "Phillies."  I believe I am one of maybe a dozen or so fans who doesn't have a players name stretching across the back of my shirt or the letter "P" on the front.  Today is the opening game of the 2016 home season for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.  

My Christmas gift from my wife, minus the hat.

This past Christmas my darling wife bought me two tickets for opening day as a Christmas present.  She actually sent our daughter the money for the package of tickets and gift card for food or memorabilia so I wouldn't see a charge on our credit card statement.  Christmas morning our family gathered in our living room to open presents and when I began to open this huge box everyone stopped what they doing to watch me.  I opened box after smaller box after smaller box until I reached the 6th box inside the big one.  Inside that final wrapped box were the tickets.  Found out later my granddaughters had the best time wrapping all the boxes and were thoroughly enjoying me opening the boxes, one after another, after another ......  My intention was to take my wife, but she said she was fine if I wanted to ask someone else to go to the game with me.  I finally decided to ask someone who could drive me in exchange for a free ticket.  Asked both my sons, but they would have a hard time missing work.  Thought of my brother but he has this phobia about driving in traffic.  

Opening Day display outside Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

So, I asked one of the biggest Phillies fans I could think of .... my nephew Matt.  He loves the Phils and travels to Phila- delphia many times a season to watch games.  Didn't take any prodding when I called and invited him.  We made arrangements to leave Lancaster at 10:00 AM for the 3:05 PM game.  Why so early?  To celebrate in the parking lot after we arrived, be some of the first in the stadium when it opened and eat at Harry K's (Harry Kalas was a longtime Phillies broadcaster who died in 2009 after 38 years in the booth) while watching batting and fielding practice for both the Phillies as well as the away team San Diego Padres.  Matt and I, wearing our new, bright red, Nemours giveaway Phillies hats, had the best time walking around the stadium after eating, looking at the Phillies Hall of Fame as well as a timeline of Phillies highlights both housed behind the ivy-covered centerfield wall.  

Large hot dog with kraut and chips for lunch.

A little after 2:00 we found our seats in Section 201 which was in right-centerfield.  Wasn't long before we saw on the huge scoreboard screen the Phils coming down 10th Street outside the stadium following the Cardinal O'Hara High School Marching Band.  The Phils then entered the stadium and walked onto the field from centerfield, finding their way into their dugout in time to see military representatives unfurl an American Flag that covered the entire outfield.  

Philadelphia Boys Choir and Men's Chorale prepare to
sing America the Beautiful and God Bless America.

Then one of the highlights of my trip to the ball park, the Phila- delphia Boys Choir and Men's Chorale sang "America the Beautiful" and "God Bless America."  There must have been close to 75 voices singing and the music seemed to rise up the sides of the stadium and envelope the huge crowd of over 45,000.  I could feel chills and a few tears as their voices echoed throughout every nook and cranny of the grand stadium.  After team introductions for both teams, the National Anthem was sung correctly by bass Kane Kalas, son of Harry.  Just as the stadium announcer began to tell the crowd that the Navy Parachute Team was not able to parachute into the stadium because of high winds, this gigantic military plane rumbled directly over our heads spewed red, white and blue smoke from its engines.  

The huge flag was held by members of the Armed Forces.

Now that was a sure attention getter.  The first pitches were thrown out by: Phila- delphia Police officer Jesse Hartnett who was hailed by Pres. Obama as a hero after surviving a violent attack by an assailant while on duty; Matt Collins, a young boy who was representing Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children; and team captains from the recently crowned NCAA basketball champs Villanova University Wildcats.  The game was almost anti-climatic after all of that hoopla.  

Two members of the Villanova basketball team
throw out the first pitches for the game.

The most exciting part of the game was when the Phils loaded the bases with no outs and Ryan Howard, long time Phillie who seems to be on the downswing of his career, came to bat.  He was lifted for a pinch-hitter to the applause of the crowd.  The pinch-hitter lifted a ball into shallow left field between the shortstop and leftfielder.  They both missed the ball ..... but wait!  The third base umpire had raised his hand and declared the infield fly rule.  

The military plane flies directly above us.

In this case the umpire feels the defense can easily catch the ball and calls the play to prevent him from inten- tionally dropping the ball so he can get more than one out on the play.  Well, he really blew it and the Phillies ended scoring only one run in the inning and deflated both the team and its fans.  Matt and I left at the end of the 8th inning to avoid the rush, knowing the Phils just didn't have it in them to win.  Matt made mention that the crowd today will more than likely be the largest in the entire season, due to a team who today fielded a team with a few players who neither Matt or I had heard of before.  Gonna be a long season for the Phillies I fear.  Didn't take the fun away from our trip together today to see our favorite Philadelphia Phillies.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The ballpark off in the distance.

We were some of the first people in the ballpark.

Matt enjoying one of the new mascots.

Took a trip to one of the many stores.

Photo of the scoreboard from behind the centerfield wall.

Preparing the "Bullpens" which were used heavily during the game.

Preparing the field for the game. The turf is natural grass.

Phillie Phanatic leads the team onto the field.

Kane Kalas sand the National Anthem.  I got his photo off the scoreboard since we were too far away for a shot on the field.

Game action. 

Flags showing team achievements in the past.

The "My Youngest Reaches A Milestone" Story

It was an ordinary day.  April 9th and we're sitting in a restaurant/bar by the name of Trios along SR23/Marietta Pike in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  We are here today to celebrate the 40th birthday of Tad, Carol and my youngest child.  Actually, his name is Paul, but I probably haven't called him that more than a couple of dozen times in his life.  His grandfather's name was Paul so we called him by his middle name to make life easier for both Tad and his grandfather.  

Big smile from everyone at the birthday party.

Not a real big party today, just a gathering of family and his best friend and family.  When our oldest son turned 40 there was also a celebration with family and friends which was thrown by his wife.  Then when my daughter turned 40 her husband threw a big party in their home town of Urbana, Maryland.  So, Tad talked to us about a party and said he didn't want any thing big, so we had a fun party with the most important people in his life.  

Tad blows the candles out.

He had hoped his other best friend, Chad, was going to be there, but he had been ill for over a year and died two weeks ago.  Tough when you are turning 40 and someone the same age as you dies before they get to attend your birthday party.  Makes you realize how precious life can be.  His friend Josh was a classmate and fellow hockey player for over 32 years now.  They played on the same youth teams and still play hockey together on weekends.  The two of them were the best skaters on their youth team and can still skate rings around everyone on their adult team.  We gathered for lunch today with Tad's sister Brynn and her daughter Courtney, brother Derek with his wife Barb and son Caden as well as Josh and his wife Donya and step-daughter Kennedy.  

High-Fives for Tad and his best friend Josh.

We had a great time talking about just about everything.  One of the topics was the couple of inches of snow we had a couple of hours earlier.  Tad said the snow was a first for his birthday.  Everyone ordered off the menu and the food was great bar food.  Then came time for the cake and the singing.  Carol had baked what she calls a Wacky Cake for him.  

Josh's step-daughter Kennedy shares
a smile with my granddaughter Courtney.

All joined in and Tad had help from  Kennedy in blowing out the candles.  The birthday cake was the hit of the party.  Tad gave a piece to our waitress and she told my wife it was excellent.  Must have been, since there wasn't any to bring home!  Usually getting older doesn't bother me, but I must admit that knowing that all my children have now reached the milestone 40 years of age, it makes me realize that I better do everything I still have on my bucket list before it's too late.  Won't be long before our oldest reaches the half-century mark.  Hope I get to sing Happy Birthday once again at that celebration. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Just had to get a photograph of my three kids, Brynn, Tad and Derek.

The "An Interesting Trip To The Lancaster Brick Company" Story

Foreword:  I recently posted a story about my collection of photos which I mistakenly discarded before I had a chance to use them.  Today's entry was one of those stories that will not have photos due to my inadvertent mistake.  I apologize, because they were great photos taken by my granddaughter Camille.  

It was an ordinary day.  Just got back home with my youngest granddaughter Camille from taking a few photos that I had planned to take for a story about the Lancaster Brick Company that was located on a 55-acre farm in Manheim Township.  The company began operations in 1919 and finally closed in 1979 after a storied existence.  The nearby Franklin & Marshall College bought the land for future expansion.  My original plan was to travel to the wooded area where the brick company used to be, but when my grandkids arrived for an Easter visit and I began to talk with Camille about my upcoming photo shoot, she grabbed my camera off my desk and said she was ready to go with me.  We had the best time walking the many unmarked trails on the wooded property that I must admit I was reluctant to explore since the property had a NO TRESPASSING sign along the edge of the small parking lot where I parked.  Recently there was a story about the brick yard in the local newspaper and the writer of the article said it was OK to disregard the sign if any readers wanted to explore on their own.  The sun was high in the sky as we roamed the acres of land searching for the old kilns and reported piles of old bricks.  Even though the trees were just beginning to bud, the forest was thick with fallen trees and made the going rather tough at times.  Up and down small hills and past a meandering stream we traveled until I told Camille I'm not sure where to look anymore.  I told her about the article and how the writer had told of the items he had found.  Camille suggested we use my phone to pull up the newspaper's story and re-read the article.  Wow, why didn't I think of that!  I handed my phone to her and told her the name of the site and shortly she was reading to me where we should be looking.  Within five minutes she was snapping a few photos of what I suspect was the old kiln of the company.  After a short search for piles of bricks I told her we best be heading back before we get lost in the woods.  She agreed and led the way back.  Only problem was it wasn't the correct way.  I noticed a house within a short time and told her we never passed a house before.  After backtracking, we finally passed the stream once again.  As we were just about out of the woods, she pointed to a few bricks off to the side in heavy brush.  After examination, we found hundreds of old bricks.  No identifying features to tell us they were from the Lancaster Brick Company, but where else could they be from?  She snapped a few more photos for me and we headed back to the car.  As we emerged from the woods I pointed out a Police cruiser sitting next to my car with an officer sitting in the driver's seat.  "Now what do we do?" she asked.  "Walk to the car and see if he wants to talk with us," I told her.  She relied, "Will we be in trouble for taking photos?" she asked.  I looked at her with a concerned smile and said in my most troubled voice, "You're the one with the camera around her neck, not me!"  Then I laughed, much to her relief.  "You might have to pull up that article on my phone again and show it to the officer if he says anything.  Well, nothing happened.  I waved at the officer, we got back in the car and drove home.  We had to tell our story when we returned home and it was then that my wife said, "You're lucky he didn't confront you.  Someone might have seen you entering the woods with a young girl and a camera and wonder what the heck you were going to do in the woods."  "Geez, I never thought about that," I said.  But, I guess in today's troubled society, I should have thought more about my actions.  What was meant to be a fun time with my granddaughter could have turned out to be something much different.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "What Ever Happened To The Vaccine? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I were discussing if and when we were vaccinated for smallpox.  She told me she was vaccinated twice; once when she was a child before entering elementary school and in 1971 when we were married and she was working for a doctor who knew that the smallpox serum could also be used to stop mouth ulcers.  Ah, I did remember the mouthful of ulcers and the remarkable recovery she made after the shot!  I told her I was vaccinated once at the age of 6 and it didn't take.  Doctor Martin, my family doctor, checked my arm where he had given me the shot, and saw that I didn't have a mark or the scab on my arm that showed where I had been vaccinated.  He said that I had a natural immunity for the virus and wouldn't need another vaccination.  He did give my mother a certificate stating that I had received the dose of serum necessary for me to attend school.  Really didn't matter anyway, since he was the school doctor at the time.   All my friends had the mark on their arm and wondered why I didn't. Well, if you were born after 1972 you more than likely didn't get the vaccination, since the United States declared that the disease had been eradicated and vaccination was no longer necessary.  Now, just why would I write about the eradication of small pox?  

Drawing of the Lancaster County Vaccine Farm.

Seems that today when I opened my email, there was a notice that someone had added a drawing and note on a Lancaster, PA Facebook page telling about the Lancaster County Vaccine Farm located at nearby Marietta, PA where in 1882 Dr. H.M. Alexander began to commercially make a vaccine for smallpox at the farm.   The smallpox vaccine that Dr. Alexander made was internationally praised for its high quality.  

This was the home of Dr. H.M. Alexander who ran the farm.

In 1895, the PA State Board of Health proclaimed that the farm was the largest and best establish- ment of its kind in the country and probably the world.  Wow, right here in Amishland.  Over the years he produced not only smallpox vaccine, but diphtheria antitoxin and, in the 1950s, polio vaccine.  In the early days, serums drawn from animals, such as horses and cows, were a key component in the manufacture of vaccines, so facilities making the serums and vaccines usually were based near or on farms.  

An old photo of the Vaccine Farm in Marietta, PA.

The Lancaster County Vaccine Farm produced their smallpox vaccine from dried calf lymph obtained from live cows.  The drawing that was shown on the website showed Dr. Edward Jenner, the 18th century pioneer in the development of smallpox vaccine, as well as the western and eastern branches of the Vaccine Farm establishment, its stables, a packing and shipping department, cattle grazing in a field, and the main operating room with an image of cattle strapped on their backs in hammocks under bright lights as lymphatic fluid is extracted.  This farm was eventually taken over by Wyeth Laboratories in Marietta.  Since smallpox vaccine is not usually administered these days, the leftover vaccine, 15 million doses to be exact, was kept in a warehouse in western Lancaster County.  

Dr. Alexander's home was later owned by the Hiestand family.
It was eventually renovated and given to the citizens of
Marietta to be used as a Community House.

Then on September 11, 2001, security was stepped up just in case the stored doses would become pivotal should terrorists decide to release the deadly smallpox. Pennsyl- vania State Troopers provided a heavy presence around the grounds of Wyeth Labs where the vacine was thought to be stored.  Eventually researchers began to determine whether those 15 million doses would be enough or should they begin to dilute them to provide 75 to 150 million doses.  Meanwhile Congress was asked for $509 million to buy 300 million doses of new vaccine so every American will be assured there is a dose available for them.  Smallpox is regarded as the planet's most efficient biological killer with the virus spreading most easily from December to April, when dry and cold air help it stay alive longer.  Smallpox kills about 30% of those who develop it, but often disfigures and blinds those who do survive.  Wyeth hasn't produced the vaccine since the 1980s, but has never destroyed the virus for fear there would be no way to make new vaccine if needed.  It was said that Moscow, as well as Saddam Hussein had access to the virus if they so desired.  The FBI and Secret Service was said to have an interest in protecting Wyeth Labs as well as the State Police.  Well, it's been 15 years since we were attacked and after reading the story and looking at the drawing on Facebook, I began to wonder what has happened to the doses since then.  So, I Googled it and found an article dated March 26, 2004 which said that Wyeth would close its manufacturing plant in Marietta, PA and lay off 440 workers who had been making flu vaccine.  There was mention in the story about the vaccine they had in storage in 2001, saying that they had eventually shipped their additional doses to the federal government.  So .... who has it now and where is it stored.  Is it important that we know and if so, why don't we know where it is and if it is still active enough to protect us if the smallpox virus is released in our country by our enemies.  And, am I still as immune to the virus as I was in 1950 and will my wife's doses still protect her.  And, how about our children and grandchildren whom never received the vaccination!  Should I worry or not?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Heartbroken, Because Of Stupidity" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just pushed on my mouse and wiped out my entire queue of photographs that have been on my computer since I bought it in December of 2009.  Six years disappeared with the touch of my finger.  Photos from perhaps a dozen Caribbean islands and photos from maybe two dozen family birthday parties.  Did I plan to have it happen?  NO!  Does it matter that it happened?  Probably not. For years I have been documenting vacations, family get-togethers, and taking photos for my own enjoyment and to use on my blog which I began seven years ago.  After every vacation I would place all the photos onto a disc or two and store them in a notebook.  Same for family photos which I would save onto a disc a few times a year.  Photos I took just for fun or for my blog I just left on the computer until I decided to trash them.  Now, that is where I ran into trouble it seems.  Every time I would trash a vacation or family group of photos after saving them to a disc, I slid them into my iPhoto trash can.  I saw that there was a tab where I could empty the trash, but it never was highlighted so I just assumed that the photos were just going away.  At times I amaze myself with how little I really know about my computer.  Recently I bought a Seagate Backup Drive at the recommendation of my niece's husband who told me that CD's do have a life expectancy and it was possible that sometime in the future I may lose the content of the discs.  Not wanting that to happen, I bought the backup drive.  After getting help to attach the drive, I began the task of putting close to 100 discs onto the drive.  I spent hour after hour copying the content to the desktop and then to the drive, since that was the only way I could figure out how to do it.  I am almost finished, but I reached a point where a message appeared on my screen telling me that my desktop file was almost out of space and did I want to do anything about it.  I chose not to do anything until a final note told me I had to quit since the disc was full, or something similar to that.  Then I read the note one more time and realized that I was being told that my iPhoto program was out of space, since my trash was taking up all the room necessary to continue.  After hitting a few different buttons I finally realized that the "Empty Trash" was highlighted.  So ….. I hit it!  Note popped up asking me if I really wanted to empty the trash since I would erase everything and never get any of it back.  My finger got ahead of my brain and before I knew it I was permanently erasing 87,791 photographs from iPhoto.  Do you have any idea how many that is?  For me it's six years of photos.  I pushed the shutter release button almost 88,000 times in the past six years on my DSLR and now they are …. well, gone.  And, do you have any idea how long that takes to discard all those photos?  I actually watched 15 minutes of the evening news, came back and the little colored circle was still spinning.  Finally after I ate supper I checked and it had stopped and my photos were gone.  I was heartbroken!!  I did manage to take the SD Card from my camera and reload the past couple of days photos into iPhoto, but the rest were gone.  Then I thought, I have all the CDs and can use them to retrieve photos that are important.  But, the photos I had taken since Christmas to be used for stories I wanted to write for my blog are permanently gone.  So now what?  Well I guess I don't have any for this story!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.