The "So What Color Are Your Eyes?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading once more about coloration in one's eyes.  If you have blue eye coloring...what does that mean?  If you have brown eye coloring...what does that mean?  What if you have hazel eye coloring?  Well, there are a few other choices, but in short, eye color is determined by melanin which produces hair, eye and skin pigmentation.  I have written stories in the past telling you that I have one green eye and one eye that is half green and half orange.  I've met less that a half dozen other people throughout my travels, both male and female, that have eyes that are two different colors.  Seems that the most common eye color around the world is brown with 79% of the world population having brown eyes.  Eye coloring is an inherited trait that dates back to our early ancestors.  About 10,000 years ago every human on this planet had brown eyes.  Blue eyes are the next most popular eye color, but they are a more recent evolutionary occurrence.   About 27% of Americans have blue eyes according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. (AAO).  This is likely due to immigration from Germany, Scandinavia, Ireland and Eastern Europe.  One more fact about blue eyes, that may be hard to believe, is that everyone with blue eyes actually shares one common ancestor.  The first-ever pair of baby blue eyes was a genetic fluke that was passed on...and on...and on.  The second rarest eye color is hazel which is a mixture of brown and green with golden flecks.  About 18% of Americans have hazel eyes, compared with about 5% of the world's population.  Violet eyes are a rarity, they're really just a blue hue, with light bouncing off the surroundings and turning they eyes violet.  Eye coloring is determined by melanin, which produces hair, eye and skin pigmentation.  The colored part of your eye, known as the iris, is comprised of two layers: the epithelium in the back, and the stroma in the front.  The epithelium contains blackish-brown pigments, while the storm has varying amounts of a pigment.  Eye color is directly related to the amount of melanin found in the stroma.  People with brown eyes have lots of melanin in the iris, while people with blue eyes have much less.  Your iris surrounds your pupil and helps control how much light enters your eye.  Light bounces off your melanin in different ways and creates the illusion of various hues.  Due to variations in melanin, eye color runs the gamut from very light blue to very dark brown.  Green irises, which is the rarest eye color, have less melanin than brown eyes but more than blue eyes.  Brown is on one end, blue on the other, and hazel and green are in between.  This means that brown is dominant and blue is the least dominant, also known as recessive.  Melanin prevents the sun's rays from getting into our eyes and creating cataracts.  The more melanin you have in your eyes, the lower your risk is.  Therefore...folks with brown eyes may be less likely to develop cataracts or sun-related damage to their eyes, than their blue-eyed counterparts.  I have also found that multiple genes contribute to eye color, with the main contributor your OCA2 gene.  75% of your eye color comes from this gene.  One more factor in eye color is the thickness of your iris.  It you have a thin iris you are lacking in melanin and your eye may look gray.  Geography also has a say in your eye color.  If you live in Australia your eye color percentage is 25% brown, 25% green-hazel and 50% blue.  Sun exposure may also play a role in color.  Some individuals have polka dots, known as brown fleets, in their eyes.  It may be due to sun exposure as a child.  Glaucoma has been known to change eye color as does wearing contact lenses.  The use of different colored contacts can increase the chances of developing corneal inflammation, ulcers and permanent scarring.  And...one more way to change the color of your eye is by using different colored contacts, but that may also increase your chances of developing corneal inflammation, ulcers and permanent scarring.  Laser corneal tattooing is another way to change the eye color.  It is a permanent contact that changes the color of your cornea.  There is really no safe way to change your eye color.  Why can't you just be happy with the color that you were born with?  God made you that way for a reason...so live with it!  I do!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "One More Accolade For The Town Known As Lititz!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing along Main Street in the small town known as Lititz, Pennsylvania.  My wife pointed out a spot for me to sit while she visited one of her favorite shops along Main Street in downtown Lititz.  The town of Lititz is located to the north of the city of Lancaster and was recently named one of "the best small cities in America" by a personal finance website.  Well, not to be outdone, Lititz was also recently named "the coolest small town in America."  Lititz's business district has been named one of the eight "most charming Main Streets in the United States" by Fodor's, a company that has ben delivering travel and tourism advice through guide books and its award-winning website for more than 70 years.  Writer Molly O'Brien wrote in the Fodor's article that, "these downtown Main Street roadways across the U.S. offer visitors and locals alike the opportunity to experience what might just be the cutest, most picturesque roadways to roam."  She continued with, "These main street thoroughfares were practically purposefully designed to enjoy a leisurely stroll.  

A Molly O'Brien. recommendation!

Molly declares Lititz's Main Street to be "dripping in charm, boasting businesses housed in traditional American architecture.  Visitors can stroll throughout downtown's classic buildings which today are home to forward-thinking businesses."  Wow...thanks Molly for the great compliments!  Molly did single out the Slate Cafe for its coffee and pastries such as whoopee pies and homemade dog treats.  She also mentioned "A Tea Affair" for its selection of teas and scones, the "Lititz Shirt Factory" as a hip live music venue and brewery and "The Wilbur Lititz - the Tapestry Collection" by Hilton hotel in the building that once housed theWilbur Chocolate Factory.  She called the hotel a "world-class luxury hotel" with a "sweet heritage."  As you walk thoughtout the town you can hear the clicker-clacking of horse hooves pulling Amish carriages through the storied town.  Lititz has the honor of being the only Pennsylvania town on Fodor's "charming main streets" list.  Lititz has received many accolades over the pat decade including the Philadelphia Daily News naming it one of the top 10 places to take a "beer-cation."  Not long ago the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania was named by financial writer Adam McCann of "WalletHub" as the best small city to live in America, based on criteria including affordability, economic health, education and health, quality of life and safety.  "WalletHub compared more than 1,300 U.S. cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000 based on 43 key indicators of livability."  Lancaster had the highest score on the list, 71.04, just above Carmel, Indiana, and Fair Lawn, New Jersey, high came in second and third.  So, with all these great accolades, it might be a good idea to make a visit to Lancaster County and take in all the great places that we call home.  I guess we are spoiled living in one of the best places in the United States.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Remarkable C.E. Urban's Tailcoat" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching my stories to see how many times I have included a story that features Lancaster's famous iconic architect, C. Emlen Urban.  Well, it seems that his name has come to the forefront once again in Lancaster's daily newspaper.  This past summer, a Lancaster resident, Madelyn Marks, came across a very nice tailcoat at Uncle Funky's thrift shop in nearby Denver, Pennsylvania.  She didn't have a need for it, so she put it back in the rack.  This fall, while searching for a Halloween costume,  she remembered the tailcoat and returned to the thrift shop to buy the tailcoat to wear at the Halloween party.  After taking it home she discovered two labels in the tailcoat.  One of the labels read..."S.M. Myers & Co. Lancaster, PA."  It also featured the signature C.E. Urban on the bottom of the label, just above the date 9.30.11.  

Mr. C.E. Urban wearing his tailcoat

Madelyn showed it to her mother, Meretta, who took a look at the label and recognized Mr. Urban's signature.  Meretta just about fell off her chair, since she knew who Mr. Urban was right away.  Mr. Urban completed a few hundred architectural commissions with the Griest Building, the Southern Market and Watt & Stand building, all in downtown Lancaster, among the hundreds of designs.  So...what should Madelyn do with the tailcoat?  Well, she contacted a variety of establishments including the Ephrata National Bank which was designed by Urban, The Historical Preservation Trust of Lancaster County which was designed by Urban and the Hershey Museum...also designed by Mr. Urban.  The Marks family eventually contacted Urban enthusiast Gregg Scott to see if he had any ideas about whom to contact about their find.  Mr. Scott was excited about the tailcoat since the 110-year old piece of clothing is said to be the only piece of clothing that remains from Mr. Urban.  Marks and Scott met for a meeting to discuss the coat.  Mr. Scott purchased the tailcoat who said that the signature on the coat really belongs to Mr. Urban.  He said that the date on the label is September 30, 1911.  The summer of 1911 was his first overseas adventure.  Could the coat have been purchased overseas?  Well, we now know that the coat will not be lost or destroyed.  And...the price of the tailcoat may never be known.  I'm sure it must be priceless to whomever owns it now.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Journey To Freedom" Statue Visits Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing along King Elementary School in the South end of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania looking at a sculpture of abolitionist and civil rights activist Harriet Tubman.  The traveling sculpture began its journey in Montgomery, Alabama, and has been touring since January 2020.  

It will be on display in Lancaster at the corner of South Duke and North Street through March 30.  I made my trip on a chilly morning in order to take a photograph of the sculpture as well as have a chance to share with you the 9-foot, 2,400-pound sculpture of Harriet Tubman who was one of our country's most amazing black woman who probably did more to advance the plight of black Americans than any other person.  As soon as I turned onto Duke Street I could see the beautiful exhibit a block away.  The 9-foot, 2,400-pound sculpture was made by Wesley Wofford who designed and made the sculpture to pay tribute to Tubman's commitment to and resilience in the fight for freedom and depicts her travels to free hundreds of enslaved people.  

The sculpture shows Tubman as a young woman holding the hand of an enslaved girl, leading her to her freedom on the Underground Railroad, living the bonds of slavery behind. The feet stand on one rock, which symbolizes the slave states of Maryland and Delaware, while Tubman's left foot rises up over a cliff, symbolizing the danger of the journey on their way to Pennsylvania.  The sculpture was officially unveiled during a special event at the school on Rockland Street with dozens of people in attendance.  The traveling exhibit is inspiring each community where is is making a stop.  The community is coming together to see the sculpture of Harriet who is an American hero and most importantly a role model to the children who have a chance to view the sculpture and learn the history of Harriet and what she symbolizes in community after community.  

The story of Harriet is not the story of one individual, but the story of Black and brown people in Lancaster's southeast neighborhoods.  Lancaster's Mayor Danene Sorace told the audience that  it's a humbling experience to be celebrating Harriet Tubman.  She told the crowd that it was a distinct and humbling honor to be celebrating Harriet Tubman with everyone in Lancaster.  She survived so many obstacles in her life and went on to be part of he suffrage movement for women.  To celebrate and recognize a Black woman who accomplished so much is truly an honor.  Tubman was born Araminta Ross in 1822 on Maryland's eastern sore to enslaved parents.  

She escaped to become a leading abolitionist who aided the Underground Railroad, a secret network of people, rites and safe houses to transport enclaved people out of the South.  "We are still fighting that journey to freedom as African Americans. It is also a personal struggle because we have to figure out who we are, where we come from and accept it to then be able to move forward.  The monument represents us as a culture...so we are going to celebrate Black people!"  The entire time I was standing in front of the statue of Harriet Tubman, I was alone.  I felt as if Harriet was talking to me and directing me as I held my camera in my hand, snapping photo after photo.  I realized, as I stood, taking photographs of the statue that it represents more than just Harriet Tubman...it represented black people as a culture and their acceptance as human beings.  Their fight and journey may someday make them truly free.  But, will I, as a human being, ever see that day in history?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Introduction Of A USDA Vaccination For Honeybees" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking back over a few stories I had written over a year or so ago about honeybees.  My friend, Hal, had several beehives in his back yard and every year he would invite me to visit with him as he collected the honey and took it to a relative's home for putting the honey into individual jars.  

Hal preparing to collect the honey from his honey bees.

This past year he gave up on his beehives since they became more of a job rather than a hobby.  I recently read a story in my local newspaper about a vaccination that was approved for honey bees.  Yes...you read that correctly.  The Department of Agriculture approved the first vaccine for honeybees, a move that scientists say could help pave the way for controlling viruses and pests that have decimated the global population of honeybees.  It would be the first vaccine approved for any insect in the United States.  The company, Dalan Animal Health, which is based in Athens, Georgia, developed a prophylactic vaccine that protects honeybees from American foulbrood, an aggressive bacterium that can spend quickly from hive to hive.  In the past the only ways to control the spread of bacterium was to burn the infected colonies and all of the associated equipment or use antibiotics.  An Austrian Asst. Professor, Dalail Freitak, who works at the University of Graz said that the vaccine could help change the way scientists approach animal health.  There are millions of beehives throughout the world which have very little health care.  The new vaccine may help change the way they approach raising the bees and collecting the honey.

Honey bee hive showing the honey in the honeycomb.

The vaccine contains dead versions of the bacterium, Paenibacillus larvae, which comes in the form of food.  The vaccine is incorporated into royal jelly, a sugar feed given to queen bees.  Once they ingest it, the vaccine is then deposited in their ovaries, giving developing larvae immunity as they hatch.  It was long assumed that insects couldn't acquire immunity because they lacked antibodies, the proteins that help many animals' immune systems recognize and fight bacteria and viruses.  Once scientists understood that insets could acquire immunity and pass it to their offspring, they found they could cultivate immunity in bee populations with a single queen.  Their first goal was to tackle American foul brood, a bacterial disease that turns larvae dark brown and makes the hive give off a rotting smell.  The introduction of a vaccine comes at a critical time for honeybees which are vital to the world's food system, but are also declining globally because of climate change, pesticides, habitat loss and disease.  The new vaccine may help raising bees a more attractive hobby for many who might have given up on the hobby of raising bees had the new vaccine not been discovered.  I guess only time will tell how many people who used to raise bees, such as my friend Hal, will give it a try once again.  I'm going to have to give Hal a call and see if he still has an interest in raising honey bees.  He may want to give it a try once again.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Newly Opened Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge - Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Found a bit more about the Safe Harbor bridge and the new trail that will take you along the length of the Susquehanna River.  Some of the information I posted yesterday may be duplicated in today' story, but it may be just as helpful and may have some more information that you didn't find in yesterday's story.  Check out the new information and see if it will take you on one of the most exciting and informative trails that you may not have known existed.  My wife and I plan to give it a try as soon as we feel we can handle the walking required.  The story today was written by Lancaster Newspaper's Ad Crable.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

After years of structural and funding delays, a widely anticipated $9 million conversion project has the historic Safe Harbor railroad trestle ready for a new kind of passenger.

The Erector-set-looking bridge, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, will be opened to the public around noon on Thursday, June 2, following a private dedication ceremony for those who had a hand in the long makeover from abandoned freight train bridge to pedestrian use and what many believe will quickly become a national tourist destination.

The opening of the span 125 feet above the Conestoga River — there are six small glass panels to peer down at the river and steel girders — was the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ top trail gap priority for linking regional rail trails in the state. DCNR and PennDOT secretaries rode bikes on Manor Township’s Enola Low Grade Rail Trail to the bridge in 2017 to vow to make the project happen.

The curving, towering, quarter-mile-long pedestrian bridge between Manor and Conestoga townships — the nation’s third-highest railroad trestle — finally links two popular sections of the Enola Low Grade multi-use trail. That makes possible, for the first time, a 28-mile scenic walking and biking pathway from Turkey Hill, south of Columbia, to the Chester County line.

“People have been waiting for this for three decades. For it to be completed is a dream come true for a lot of people. It will become a destination, so we better be ready to get a lot more visitors along the river,” said Mike Domin, a senior Lancaster County planner who has long pushed for the bridge conversion.

“It’s really an exciting time in our history. It’s just a tremendous recreation resource for everyone. I’m excited we made this happen in Lancaster County.

Ryan Strohecker, manager for Manor Township, which carried the project through uncertain times and performed substantial upgrades in-house, said: “Nobody can boast the view we have of the river. We believe it will be a nationwide draw.’’

Scenic multi-use trails of the length of the expanded Low Grade tend to attract tourists who stay overnight, noted Lori Yeich, DCNR’s regional recreation and conservation manager. Indeed, Quarryville Borough is carrying out a plan to connect the trail to downtown.

And there are plans to eventually link the rail trail to others, including the nearby Northwest Lancaster County River Trail. In 2020, the state announced plans for the Schuylkill to Susquehanna Greenway, connecting rail trails in Bainbridge, in northern Lancaster County, to Philadelphia and up the Schuylkill River for 130 miles to Frackville.

Mark Platts, president of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, that includes Lancaster and York counties, says the Safe Harbor trestle project “will quickly become a major new visitor attraction and transforming this engineering landmark for bike and pedestrian use fills a big gap in the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail and offers a new way to experience the beauty and history of the Susquehanna.”

Adds DCNR’s Yeich, “We think this project was vital and really was well worth the investment for what we all get out of it. A major connection in a large and growing trail system that really offers a spectacular view of the Lower Susquehanna along a trail that is considered generally accessible to most people. This is really a big win for all of us.”

What you’ll see

That view is of a swath of the Susquehanna that includes whitewater from the Safe Harbor dam tail race, as well as wooded and boulder islands, including the famous Safe Harbor Native American petroglyphs. A couple miles downriver, the small river town of Pequea is visible.

There are 5-foot-high wooden and metal safety guard rails on each side of the 22-foot-wide pathway. In two spots, there are mounted bird-watching scopes to view bald eagles and waterfowl almost always visible in the rocks and islands below in the tail race of the Safe Harbor hydroelectric dam.

Even in winter, the bridge will be a draw for people to watch ice floes topple over the dam breast, Strohecker predicted.

The curve and height of the bridge affords a bird’s-eye view of the Susquehanna at a point where it is at its widest on its 444-mile journey. You can also see that here, alone on its long course, it has cut a steep gorge through the River Hills. For most of its flow from Cooperstown, New York, the river flows relatively flat through valleys, saving its steepest descent for last.

As soon as you walk out on the open bridge, a noticeable — refreshing when hot — breeze will buffet trail users.

At the Manor Township end of the bridge, the township has added a picnic pavilion, an observation platform looking down on the trestle and wide view, an enclosed restroom, interpretive panels about the trestle and Low Grade Line, and a reproduction of one of the watch towers that were sprinkled every 3 miles or so in which line walkers on the lookout for debris across the tracks year-round could warm up.

Gone are the railroad ties and wooden decking that once carried up to two trains at a time after the span was completed in 1906 as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Enola Low Grade Line, itself an earth-moving marvel second only to the building of the Panama Canal at the time. Some 200 men, mostly immigrants whisked here right off of boats, died in Lancaster County during the blasting and dangerous back-breaking work.

Now, users will cross on a concrete deck that was used so there could be no repeat of the 2018 arson that burned the Martic Forge railroad trestle over Pequea Creek, just several miles downriver on the Low Grade Trail. Originally planned to be wooden decking, some 2,170 tons of concrete were poured instead to fireproof the span.

The Safe Harbor trestle was never open to the public and was abandoned in 1988 by Conrail when the railroad discontinued use of the entire Low Grade Line. The next year, Lancaster County commissioners expressed an interest in taking over and converting the railroad into a public multiple-use trail.

But seven southern Lancaster County townships opposed the idea as an invasion of their privacy and instead used legal means to assume 23 miles of rights of way in 2018. Since then, however, the townships, at varying rates, have all moved to implement a public rail trail.

Expectations are high

But the missing gap has been connecting Manor Township’s highly popular 5.25-mile section with the other 23 miles. Last year, with COVID-19 sending people outdoors, a record 80,000 people flocked to the township’s rail trail.

With the opening of the trestle and its captivating view, township officials are expecting to see visitation quickly rise to 125,000 a year or more. Expansion of the trail’s 80-space parking lot already is under way.

As for the remainder of the 23 miles east of Safe Harbor, repairing the Martic Forge trestle is scheduled to be complete this summer or fall. Funding is in place for a multi-use trail surface in the sections through Eden and Bart townships in 2023 and 2024. A funding application has been filed to build the easternmost section of the rail trail in Sadsbury Township to Atglen Borough and the start of the Chester Valley Trail.

Manor Township, county and state officials have sought the Safe Harbor rehab since 2014. After it seemed state and federal money was at hand, removal of the decking and ballast in 2016 revealed structural damage to the original steel I beams.

The state threw in more money and Manor Township used a capital campaign to raise $800,000, entirely by private donations from 32 individuals and businesses ranging from $500 up to $500,000 from the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority.

Strohecker is proud that no taxpayer funds were used to make up the needed shortfall.

“They cared about it. They knew this was going to be a national treasure and they wanted to be part of it,” he said of the private donors who rose to the occasion.

One donor, whose family owns a roadside fruit and vegetable stand near the rail trail, cited a huge uptick in business because of the popularity of the trail.

The total engineering and construction cost of the project is $9 million. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provided $1.3 million; federal alternative transportation funds through PennDOT, $4.3 million; Lancaster County, $2.3 million; Manor Township capital campaign and in-house work, $1.1 million.

Strohecker can hardly wait for June 2. “A lot of people put their heart and soul into this and we want to get it open to the public,” he said. “After 11:30 or 12, we hope this bridge is flooded with people.”

WHEN YOU GO

The trailhead for Manor Township’s Enola Low Grade Rail Trail is at 2459 River Road, Washington Boro. There are 80 parking spaces and portable toilets. The distance to walk or bike to the Safe Harbor pedestrian bridge is 5.25 miles.

The most direct way to get to the bridge itself is from the parking area for the Safe Harbor hydroelectric dam at 1 Powerhouse Road, Conestoga. There are a few parking spaces on Powerhouse Road at the trailhead before crossing the bridge over the Conestoga River. But more likely you will have to park in the large public parking lot for Safe Harbor and walk back across the bridge. The trailhead will be on your right. It’s a short but steep five-minute walk, including 36 steps on a staircase, on the gravel trail to the bridge entrance.

The "The Newly Opened Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge - Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to find the best way for my wife, Carol, and I, to get a chance to see and perhaps use the newly opened Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge.  I found a bit of information about the bridge and have copied and pasted the information in today's story so you too may be able to get a chance to walk the trail and enjoy the views of the Susquehanna River.  I have included an overview in case you may want to read a bit as well as take a guided tour of the petroglyphs that fill the river.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Overview

The newly opened (June 2022) Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge is worth every penny of the $9 million, offering stunning views of the Susquehanna, Safe Harbor dam, Columbia and Port Deposit Railroad, York County, and the petroglyph covered rocks of Big Indian Rock and Little Indian Rock.

The bridge was built in 1905 for the Atglen and Susquehanna Branch (also known as the “Low Grade Branch”‘) of the Pennsylvania Railroad and constructed to hold two fully loaded trains, including an upper and lower deck. For almost a century, the bridge served as a critical component for economic development in the region. It was abandoned in 1988. The last train to cross it was on December 19, 1989. The upper tracks were removed in 1990. Manor Township acquired the bridge in 2012.

Here are some fun facts about the bridge and project:

• Third highest trestle bridge in the U.S.
• Second longest trestle bridge in Pennsylvania.
• 150 feet high and 1,560 feet long.
• Total project cost: $9 million.
• Required 2,170 tons of concrete
• Restoration began in February 2015.
• Restoration completed in June 2022.

Access the Trestle

I have received many questions asking how to access the Safe Harbor Bridge Trestle. As I see it, you have four options. I have listed them below from shortest to longest. Happy adventuring!

Safe Harbor
Approximately .25 miles one way to the trestle

There is limited parking almost directly below the trestle. Here are the GPS coordinates: 39.926091, -76.383980. There is plenty of additional parking at the Safe Harbor park that you drove through as you approached the trestle. The address is 101 Safe Harbor Rd, Conestoga, PA 17516.

As you approach the bridge that crosses the Conestoga River and enters the Safe Harbor dam parking area, you will see a guard house on your left. There is a trail that goes up the side of the hill. There is a “No Trespassing” sign, but that is referring to the nearby train tracks and not the trail. While this is the shortest hike, it is also the steepest. You are traveling the full height of the trestle to access the trail on the Conestoga Township side of the bridge.

Safe Harbor Dam on left with new trail on right.

Learn More

Side Quest: How to Access the Martic Forge Trestle

Martic Forge Trestle

It has been more than four years since an arsonist destroyed the Martic Forge Trestle on Thursday, April 12, 2018. But like a literal phoenix rising from the ashes, the 1905 structure has been returned to its former glory and is ready to ferry passengers between Conestoga and Martic Townships. The newly opened (October 27, 2022) Martic Forge Trestle Bridge is worth every penny of the $3 million, offering stunning views of Pequea Creek and the surrounding River Hills.

A few people have asked how to best access the Martic Forge Trestle, which officially opened to the public a short time ago. Here are four easy options, listed from closest to furthest, Colemanville Church Road, Red Hill Road, Shenks Ferry, and Sigman Road Parking Lot. Click the link for full details and GPS locations.

So...What Does “Auld Lang Syne” Really Mean To You?

It was an ordinary day. A couple days past New Years Day and I just remembered that I never got to sing my favorite New Year's Day song!  Now what do I do?  Well I pulled the song up on my computer and began reading about why historians call the song "Auld Lang Syne" the song that nobody knows.  And yet, we've all tried to sing it on New Year's Eve.  Well, I thought it might be a good story to share with you...so here is the real meaning for the song "Auld Lang Syne." 

There are scores of traditional Christmas songs, but New Year's really just has the one—and I'm willing to bet you don’t even know what it means. (I certainly didn’t!) Belting out “Auld Lang Syne” while watching the ball drop is a cherished New Year's tradition.  Yet most of us join in without knowing what “auld lang syne” means, what language it is or even what it has to do with New Year’s.  I’ll fill you in so you can use the saying in your New Year's captions with confidence next year .

What does “Auld lang syne” mean?  “Auld lang syne” is the title and key phrase of a 1788 Scottish poem by Robert “Rabbie” Burns, typically sung on New Year’s Eve around the world. The phrase “auld lang syne,” which literally translates to “old long since,” basically means “days gone by” in the Scots language. Or, as Merriam-Webster explains the auld lang syne meaning, “the good old times.”

What is the song “Auld lang syne” about?  If the “auld lang syne” meaning has to do with remembering days gone by, the song must reminisce about the good ol’ days, right? Sort of. It’s a bit boozier than that.  The original five-verse version of the poem essentially gets people singing “let’s drink to days gone by,” an appropriate toast for the New Year. That’s right: Sometimes deemed by music historians to be the most famous “song that nobody knows,” “Auld Lang Syne” is a piece of the long oral tradition of getting drunk and belting out a tune.

Where does the term “Auld lang syne” come from?  The nostalgic phrase “auld lang syne” appeared in Scottish song as early as 1588, but it was poet hero Burns who gave us the version we prefer to butcher every Dec. 31, perhaps with our mouths stuffed with one of these lucky New Year's foods.  When Burns turned in the manuscript of “Auld Lang Sine” in 1788, he was quick to cite the Scottish oral tradition as his muse. “The following song, an old song, of the olden times,” he’s said to have remarked, “has never been in print, nor even in manuscript until I took it down from an old man.”  Burns embellished the old ballad with a few verses of his own, mostly adding lines about drinking, like “we’ll take a cup of kindness yet” and “we’ll take a right good-will draught.” The ballad quickly became a standard for the Scottish New Year celebration of Hogmanay.

How did “Auld lang syne” become so popular?  As Scots immigrated around the world, they took the song with them. Eventually, North American English speakers translated Burns’s dialect into the common lyrics we know today, made famous in part by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians band. The group performed the song on New Year’s Eve from 1929 until about 1977. It’s this version that plays every year after the ball drops in Times Square. This year, when you refill your glass with a twinkle of nostalgia in your eye, know that you’re doing exactly what Rabbie Burns would have wanted. Rom-com enthusiasts also know the meaning of “Auld Lang Syne” is a topic of conversation in the hit flick When Harry Met Sally. Harry, baffled about the song’s meaning, says, “My whole life, I don’t know what this song means. I mean, ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot.’ Does that mean that we should forget old acquaintances? Or does it mean that if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot ’em?” Sally replies, “Well, maybe it just means that … we should remember that we forgot them, or something. Anyway, it’s about old friends.”

What are the “Auld lang syne” lyrics?  New Year's quotes can help you celebrate and reminisce, but there’s nothing like singing along with the crowd at midnight to get you in the holiday spirit. Now that you know the auld lang syne meaning, you’re better prepared to sing in the New Year. Here are the English lyrics to all five verses of Burns’s “Auld Lang Syne.”

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup!
And surely I’ll buy mine!
And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
And picked the daisies fine;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
Since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
For auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Ready to break out the whole thing at your next New Year's Eve party?  Sing a verse, raise a glass and toast to auld lang syne. Go ahead and do it right now.  Doesn't have to be New Years Eve!  So what if we're a day or two or even a week late.  The drinks will still taste the same!  And, just in case I forget and I don't get to see you in person...a joyous New Year to all my readers.  It was another extraordinary day, and year, in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "I Love My MacBook Air Both Night & Day" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Had some time to kill so I thought I would type another story for my blog.  Story is about the screen-saver that I can choose for my computer.  Seems that during the daylight hours, my screen saver is a beach scene with bright colors along a sandy beach and bright aqua colors for the ocean and sky.  The rocks that line the side of the beach are several shads of brown with some dark colors to show depth in the scene.

Daytime Screen-Saver

There are rocks along the beach that are multiply shades of brown while the shadows along the rocks are a deeper brown color.  Along the water line can be seen a white line that looks like water that fades into an aqua color on the water side and a sand color on the beach side.  There are a few plants on the beach that are a green color while there are pretty orange flowers on the rocks that fill the bottom left side of the picture.  One tree in the background seems to be a very dark green color with white caps in the background along the shoreline.  It is definitely a daytime beach scene.  When I purchased my computer  and began to write stories for my blog, that was the screen-saver that appeared on my screen.  I never used my computer during the evening until about a month after I purchased it.  That first evening I knew something was different, but couldn't tell what it was.  Then, all of a sudden I realized that my screen saver was totally different when I used my computer in the evening.  My night-time screen saver showed the same beach scene, but it showed it in a nighttime setting. The waters were a very deep purple while the sky was darker than the daytime scene.  There were a few stars in the sky that were hard to see!  The water was a purple shade which was almost the same shade as the sky.  The flowers remained the same shade as during the daytime.  The water was a deep blue...almost purple.  

Night time screen saver

Now how did that happen.  I didn't do anything different when turning on the computer, but my screen saver picture had changed from day time to night time.  Loved it!  If only I knew how it was done.  I'm sure my MacBook Air was programed to change from night into day, but how did it know when to do it.  How did the Apple Company know what time zone I would be in when I purchased my computer?  How did they know what time to change the screen from day to night?  I could care less how they did it, since it is amazing.  I love the change from daylight to nighttime.  I haven't figured out yet what time it changes, but it doesn't matter to me.  As of now, I haven't tried to change the screen saver to a different one, but I really don't have to change it since I love the looks of it.  I love the beach and the changing from day into night and then back again.  It looks fabulous!  I realize it may be something simple that I have some control over, but the fact that I'm almost 80 years old and have no idea how it changes probably means I should just let it alone.  I love it!  I just hope it never changes!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "You And You're Resolutions!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to tidy up my bedroom/study in my new home which is located in Woodcrest Villas.  One place that needs the most work is my digital desktop that holds many of my bills and records as well as my stories for my blog.  One of the stories I discovered that I had begun writing, but not finished, was a story about the custom of making New Year's resolutions.  So...I finished it and you are about to read it!  The custom has been around for thousands of years, but hasn't always looked the way it does today.  Seems that the ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year's resolutions, some 4,000 years ago.  They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year.  It was slightly different than today since their new year didn't begin until mid-March, when the crops were planted.  They had a massive 12-day religious festival known as Akitu when the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king.  It was at this time that they also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed.  These promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year's resolutions.  If the Babylonians kept to their work, their pagan gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year.  If not, they would fall out of the gods' favor---a place where no one wanted to be.   A similar practice occurred in Ancient Rome, after the reform-minded emperor Julius Caesar tinkered with the calendar and established January 1 as the beginning of the new year circa 46 B.C.  Named for Janus, the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches.  January had special significance for the Romans.  Believing that Janus symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future, the Romans offered sacrifices to the diety and made promises of good conduct for the coming year.  For early Christians, the first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one's past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future.  In 1740, the English clergyman John Wesley, founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Service, most commonly held on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.  Also known as watch night services, they included readings from Scriptures and hymn singing, and served as a spiritual alternative to the raucous celebrations normally within evangelical Protestant churches, watch night services held on New Year's Eve are often spent praying and making resolutions for the coming year.  Despite the traditions's religious roots, New Year's resolutions today are a mostly secular practice.  Instead of making promises to the gods, most people make resolutions only to themselves, and focus purely on self-improvement.  According to recent research, while as many as 45% of Americans say they usually make New Year's resolutions, only 8% are successful in achieving their goals.  But that dismal record probably won't stop people from making resolutions anytime soon.  After all, we've had about 4,000 years to practice.   Are you one of the 8% or one of the 92%?  Now...don't tell a lie and reduce the percentage to 7%.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Could That Be Us One Day?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a photograph of a couple sitting on their sofa in their home.  Couple looked like any other couple except for the fact that they had been married for 80 years!  Yep!  You read that right.  80 years!!  Looking at their photograph in the paper you would never have guessed they were 102 years old!  You read that right.  102 years old!  How can that be?  Well...it be, so it is!  The Manheim Township couple are both 102 years old and have endured 80 years of marriage.  They were married December 26, 1942.  I wasn't even born, nor was my wife, in 1942.  Their marriage is one of the longest in the history of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  The Guiness World Record for longest marriage is 86 years.  I looked at my dear wife and told her we have a long ways to go to catch up with them!  Robert and  Edith Mae Schaum have enjoyed a lifetime together and today live in a second-floor condominium and Robert drives to church and the grocery store and the Masonic Lodge.  They met as 10th grade classmates in the town of Donora which is about 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Edith reported that the first time she set her eyes on Robert, she knew she was going to marry him!  Now, that's a bit scary for me!  If you are married...can you remember the first time you met your spouse?  Can you remember being in 10th grade?  I guess if you are a young whipper-snapper you may remember when and where you met the love of your life, but being 102 and remembering that?  Well, they dated throughout high school and when Robert graduated from college in 1942...he proposed to Edith.  In 1943 he entered the Navy and he and his wife corresponded through letters written throughout WWII.  Even though he was in the Navy, he found time to visit with his wife.  In 1944 his wife had a baby boy.  Edith did get the chance to fly to San Diego so Robert could see their new born baby boy.  After the war they raised a family in Lancaster with daughter Paula arriving in 1949.  In 1981 they moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  They lost their son in 2018, but their marriage remains intact.  Their secret?  "We have each other!" Edith Mae said.  They had set a goal of becoming 100 years old together and now that they have accomplished that, their goal is 110 years old.  Their secret is having each other!  Does anyone doubt that they will make it for another 10 years.  Congratulations from my wife Carol and myself!  We too are hoping that we will  be able to reach some of the records that Robert and Edith Mae have reached during their life together.  When we do...you will be the first to know through my blog!    It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Where Did This Past Year Go?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just returned home from the grocery store after buying a week's supply of food and household essentials.  Still remember when my family included not only my wife, but two sons and one daughter and the grocery bill was quite a bit more.  But, looking back 40 plus years, the bill for groceries at that time with three children was about the same as it is today minus the three children.  And...if I am lucky enough to live another 20 years, my grocery bill will more than likely be another times as much as it is today.  The problem then will be that I probably will be making the same amount of money that I am today.  Going to have to eat a bit less!  Well, we are just about at the end of another month and it will be time to flip the last page of the calendar over and greet another new year.  How did those months go so fast?  Spring and summer have exchanged their warm and balmy temperatures for the cool autumn breezes and the frosty morning chills of early winter that bring an occasional shiver such as the recent snow covering.  So...how did the calendar year disappear so quickly?  Each day still had 24 hours in it and each month still was the same amount of days as past years, but time seemed to disappear so much faster.  The reality of turning over the last calendar page for the year reminds us that not just another day is past, not just another month, but an entire year has gone by and the more times that takes place, the larger a perspective I have to reflect upon.  When I began to drive I had 16 years to reflect upon.  Then came another four years after finishing my college education to reflect upon.  Wasn't long before I had another dozen or so years with three children to reflect upon.  I now have yet another couple of years to reflect upon with no looking back and a smaller window of future years to anticipate.  Where did all that time go?  But, hey...I still have most of this month and then all of a new year.  Life is good!  Always has been!  And, I'm hoping I have another couple of years to keep writing my stories to share with you.  Hope you don't mind that I will be telling you a bit more about my life and the life of my family members.  I really enjoy the time I take each day to open my Mac and write another story to share with you.  I know....sometimes I forget and write the same story over or maybe forget an entire day, but writing my life's history gives me a chance to see just how lucky I have been.  Even though I tell you that it is another ordinary day, most of my days are anything but ordinary.  Since my wife and I have just moved to a retirement community, we have an entire new group of friends to meet and enjoy.  So...you can count on another year of stories from me providing my fingers last that long.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Dear Mr. Congressman" Story."

It was an ordinary day.  Had just picked up a copy of "The Fishwrapper" at my local grocery store.  Neat 16 page newsletter that comes out bi-weekly.  Full of all types of information as well as advertisements, but does carry a religious theme to it.  The latest issue had all types of stories in it, but the one that caught my eye was titled "Dear Mr. Congressman."  It had been written by Erwin van Swol and was adapted from the Coronet, March, 1959.  So, check out the types of letters sent to congressional workers some 63 years ago.  I find them both interesting, but quite amusing.  All letters began with...Dear Mr. Congressman... 

Dear Estes Kefauver,  "I want to tell you that I have bought a television set, an electric refrigerator, and a vacuum cleaner.  Now you can do me a slight favor.  Will you get me electricity into my house so I can use these articles?" No response was given to the letter.

Dear Represnetative Thomas B. Curtis, (Missouri)  "I wish you would arrange to send me a filibuster."  Again, no response was given.

A man phoned Representative Dante Fascell and asked:  "What should I feed the baby alligator I want to keep as a pet?  Since you represent Miami, Florida, I figured you would know."  Congressman Fascell got in touch with the Washington zoo and supplied the answer.

This letter made former Representative Donald E. Tewes of Wisconsi hesitate only momentarily: "Dear Sir,  I would like some information on the body.  Thank You."  The congressman, playing a hunch, sent the woman a fact book on the human anatomy and asked if that was what she wanted.  It was!

Dear Mr. Congressman,  "How old am I?"  The Congressman wrote back saying he presumed the lady was seeking proof of age for Social Security purposes and enclosed a blank form for her to fill out to institute a census bureau search, which would cost her three dollars.  

Former Representative William A. Dawson of Utah opened an envelope one day and a shower of bugs fell out along with the letter reproduced in the original spelling.   Dear Sir,  I wonder if you could help me with a problem.  We built a new home hear 3 years ago.  We have some little brown bugs in our dores on the shelves in the flour does or where I keep corn starch.  There brown and hard, turn upside down.  After they have been in the flour a while or mush it goes full of worms.  I can't find out how to kill them or git rid  of them in anyway.  Anything they get into goes wormer in a while.  They are small and hard.  I have to keep ever thing in paper sack or close up tite.  They will git in cookies.  It is awful to put up with them." Congressman Dawson sent the specimens to the entomology research branch of the Smithsonian Institution.  There they were identified as Tribolium ferrugineum, the red flour beetle.  The harried housewife was supplied with instructions on their control. 

Congressman Prince H. Preston of Georgia received a registered package one morning in which he found a set of false teeth.  From the accompanying letter, it appeared that an elderly constituent had gone to a veterans' hospital for a medical checkup and somehow had left the place with someone else's teeth.  He asked Representative Preston to take the teeth back to the hospital and locate his set.  This the congressman managed to do.  After a swap, the proper owners had their correct teeth.  

Conscientious congressmen will often go to considerable lengths to please constituents.  A barrel of roe shad, dribbling ice water, was received at a certain congressman's office along with a request that he deliver the fish in person to an attached list of people in Washington.  After wrapping each shad in brown paper, the congressman smilingly made the designated rounds.  Next day there were two dozen families who could boast of fine fare, presented with real distinction.  

Representative Perkins Bass sent a booklet entitled "Infant Care" whenever he gets word that somebody in his district has had a baby.  On one occasion, he received this reply from the husband:  "I realize that I have been rather busy with several extracurricular activities this past winter, but did not see how such an event could have taken place without coming to my attention.  In checking with my wife, however, I was assured that you must have the wrong name. 

Oh, well.  We all get things wrong from time to time.  Representatives are human also!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Inspiring Thoughts From This Past Year" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The 1st day of a new year.  One that we should all celebrate, being that we have reached a new plateau.  So, how did 2022 treat you?  Just in case you weren't satisfied with your past year, I have found the top 22 quotes from the year 2022.  Read them and enjoy and maybe see yourself in a few of them.  The words you are about to read explore everything from philosophy to satire as well as classic literature to stirring speeches.  Enjoy them all on this beginning of another new year.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.
— Dorothy Thompson

We are stronger when we listen, and smarter when we share. 
— Rania Al-Abdullah

I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.
— Sarah Williams

Patience is also a form of action.
— Auguste Rodin

The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs. 
— Joan Didion

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
— Dalai Lama

Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.
— Henry Miller

I wish I could show you when you are lonely or in darkness the astonishing light of your own being.
— Hafiz

To have become a deeper man is the privilege of those who have suffered. 
— Oscar Wilde

What you think about day and night forms your character and personality. 
— Masami Saionji

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.
— Helen Keller

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity. 
— Simone Weil

You must believe that your past is not your future. 
— Gayle Carson

Fear builds its phantoms which are more fearsome than reality itself.
— Jawaharlal Nehru

Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it. 
— Eckhart Tolle

If you do nothing unexpected, nothing unexpected happens.
— Fay Weldon

It is a simple matter of what you will do when the chips are down, my friend. 
— Zadie Smith

The simple act of paying attention can take you a long way.
— Keanu Reeves

Grief is the price we pay for love. 
— Queen Elizabeth II

A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved. 
— Kurt Vonnegut

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.
— Zora Neale Hurston

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? 
— Mary Oliver