Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy

Friday, March 27, 2015

The "Down by the Bayou" Story

My altered Polaroid print taken of the Bayou Hotel
in Havre de Grade, Maryland about 20 years ago.

It was an ordinary day. Visiting the city of Havre de Grace, Maryland with our friends Jerry and Just Sue to have lunch and explore the city which is located at the mouth of the Susque- hanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay. The city was named after the port city of Le Havre, France and means "Haven of Grace". Carol and I have visited the city a few times a year for the last 30+ years and at one time i sold my altered Polaroid photographs in the small town.

My digital photo taken today of the old Bayou Hotel.

Last year Havre de Grace was honored by the Smithsonian magazine as one of America's 20 best small towns to visit. The weather today is in the low 50s with just a wisp of wind. After eating lunch at the Tidewater Grill, we hopped in the car for a tour of the quite city. As we reached the southeastern most point in the city, we saw what probably was at one time the most majestic building in the city, The Bayou Hotel.

The rear of the Bayou which faces the Susquehanna flats.

Construc- tion of the hotel began in 1917. It was built with solid 18 inch Hartford County fieldstone walls and 14 inch wooden beams. The hotel opened its doors in 1921 with an upscale clientele. The hotel featured a large lobby and 60 guest rooms with baths. The main dining room was located on the first floor and opened onto a large terrace where those dining were treated to a fantastic view of the head of the Chesapeake Bay.

What a view it would have been from one of these chairs.

I can imagine watching the sunset with a cocktail in hand, wearing a top hat or veiled hat and sampling the fare caught just offshore in the Susque- hanna flats. Close by stood the Concord Point Lighthouse, second oldest lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay. With the stock market crash and a devastating fire in 1929, the hotel was forced to close it's doors. Wasn't long before the Francis Sisters bought the grand hotel and converted it into a senior home for women under the name St. Francis Villa.

Aerial photograph taken from the "Bing" website
which shows the boardwalk of Havre de Grace winding
it's way around the rear of the Bayou Hotel.

It remained that way until 1953 when a Dr. Foley purchased the villa and began renting apartments in the building. During this period the Bayou suffered yet another fire due to criminal behavior. Then, 23 years later, the City of Havre de Grace was given the building. In 1983 the National Park Service, in conjunction with the Maryland State historic Society, designated the Bayou as a National Historic Structure and directed its conservation. A year later the once famous hotel was transformed into high end condominiums. As I walked the grounds today, taking photos, I realized I was infringing upon a large flock of geese who evidently call the property home, based on the huge amount of geese poop I realized I was walking through. As I stood, looking out over the head of the bay, I could see why the Bayou is such a beautiful place to call home. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

The "Eaglets Have Arrived!" Story

Adult Bald Eagle sitting on the nest. This was taken from the
Eagle Cam yesterday. The quality is not perfect, but you can
still see the nest. Click on photos to enlarge them.

It was an ordinary day. Watching the Pennsyl- vania Game Commiss- ion's Eagle Cam located near Codorus State Park in York, Pennsyl- vania. The second of two eggs has just hatched. It was back on the second of March that I wrote a story and posted it on my blog telling about the two eggs that were in the huge nest of Liberty and Freedom, the two Bald Eagles that have called York County home this year. The first egg appeared on February 14 at 4:44 PM with the second arriving three days after the first. The incubation period is approximately 35 days and the watch began to see when the eggs would hatch. Bald Eagles have been calling this part of Pennsylvania home since 2005. Since that date eaglets have fledged seven times. The Eagle Cam that I have been watching daily was installed in December of 2014. The camera is about the size of a soda can and causes no motion which would scare the eagles and cause them to vacate their nest. Our local cable provider has been providing the internet service for the camera. People from all over the world have tuned into http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1592549&mode=2 to watch the activity associated with the nest.

Here the adult is spreading it's wings with
the furry eaglet beneath it.

When I tuned in yesterday I found that the site was down. Found out shortly later on our local TV station that the Eagle Cam had too many hits and it knocked out service for a short time. In the afternoon I was able to tune in once again and see the nesting eagle (both the male and female look alike) rise from the nest and expose the newly hatched eaglet. I snapped away with my camera at my computer screen and was able to get a few shots to share with you. The adult eagle lifted it's wings as if to fly, but remained on the nest. Around the edge of the nest could be seen parts of a few fish which were the recent remains of a meal for the nesting adults. Today the news on TV was of the hatching of the second egg. The parents will begin to bring little bits of meat and place it into the eaglets mouth.

Here the gray eaglet looks to be saying something to
it's parent. The other egg is still unhatched in the photo
and is beneath the adult Eagle.

You can watch that if you tune into the link I listed. The eaglets are voracious eaters and it will take both parents to feed the pair. It takes about 65 to 75 days before the eaglets are strong enough to take flight. Since there are two eaglets, they will compete for the food that is brought to the nest. Usually, if there is a few days between hatchings, the older eaglet will get more food since it will be larger. This could cause the youngest eaglet to die or be eaten by the other eaglet. These two are only one day apart and hopefully will both survive. This is still a dangerous time for the hatchlings since one may fall to the ground or a predator may invade an unprotected nest and eat the eaglet. The two eaglets are scheduled to take flight sometime in late June or early July and you can bet I'll be watching to see that event. Maybe you will also! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

The "New Look!" Story

It was an ordinary day. Looking at my latest blog story, tempted to click on the Autohaus Advertisement that popped up next to the top of my blog story. The new look for my blog is a trial run to see if I like the type of ads that appear and if it causes readers to tune out from reading my stories. For almost six years now I have resisted allowing Google to add small ads on my blog, but after reading a recent article in the local newspaper combined with my wife recently retiring, I thought I would give it a try. The story in the newspaper told the stories of four women bloggers who were stay-at-home moms and thought they would begin a blog. Wasn't long before they were bringing in a second income to their family by way of their blog. A few of the notes on the story of the four girls were: (1) 19 million women blog, (2) 20% of those women make no money from blogging, (3) 70% of those women turn some sort of a profit from their blog, and (4) 10% who make a six-figure income. WOW! Six figure income!! Kinda made me re-think the ad thing. So the next time I opened my blog link I clicked on AdSense and followed the directions. A few things I found out about adding advertisement. I get a small amount every time someone clicks on the ad to read it. The amount varies depending on the product being sold. Some clicks give me a nickel, others a dime. I was also warned not to click on any of the ads myself. Maybe they would deduct money or bill me for clicking. Google would decide what ads to place on the blog based on the type of stories I post. So, when the first ad appeared I was amazed it was for picture frames. The same company from which I buy frames for my altered Polaroid prints I sell. Now, how did they know that? Kinda spooky! As of now I am waiting to see what my first check from Google will yield or if I forget the ads. I might click on the ad myself and see what happens. Might get a nasty notice. If that's the case, you will notice the ads disappear from the top right of my blog. Here's hoping I fit into the (4) category above. I'll probably throw a big party for all my readers. But, don't expect me to pay for room, board and plane fare for those readers from one of the 50 or so countries who read my daily blog. Oh yeah, thanks for being so loyal and reading my life's stories. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

The "A True Talent and Great Friend" Story

It was an ordinary day. Reading about a new art exhibit that is appearing at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Features seven artists who are all abstract artists. One of the artists attempts to explain how one should approach viewing abstract art. He tells viewers that they should be patient and look at an abstract painting and ask why are these two colors together and why is this form so far from another. Eventually something will "find you". For me, I enjoy abstract artwork, but many, including my wife, just can't find it.

HIgh School teacher Neil Dreibelbis

I can remember when I taught graphic arts at Manheim Township High School and in the classroom next to me was art teacher Neil Dreibelbis who was the master of abstract painting. Directly inside his classroom door stood an easel which held his latest piece of artwork which was always abstract. I enjoyed watching his progress and standing back from it and telling Neal what I thought it looked like to me. That always got to him! "It doesn't have to look like anything," he would tell me. "But it looks like a train engine," I remember telling him about one of his paintings. Next time I walked in the room he had painted over most of the painting attempting to take the train engine out of it. When Carol and I moved into our "Beach House" in the mid-1990's we purchased one of his prints to hang above our living room sofa.

Neil's print that now hangs in the second level of our home.

Very interesting original that Neil titled "Panis Angelicus" (6th stanza of the hymn Sacris Solemnis by Thomas Aquinas). Then, when I retired, the school bought one of his paintings from him to give to me as a present. Today Neil is the owner of the Upstairs Studio Artists Cooperative in Phoenix- ville, PA which features the work of more than 15 artists from the Philadelphia, PA area, many of which are abstract artists. I checked out his website and as I was viewing the paintings he has for sale, saw the print that hangs in my living room.

Print that I was given when I retired from teaching.

Under it was printed "SOLD". Pretty neat to think he valued that print enough to place it on his website even though it no longer is for sale. Neal studied art at Skidmore College in NY, Western Michigan, University of Alaska and the International Art & Music Workshop in Switzerland. Also, studied dance at the Louis-Nikolai Dance Theater, NY, theater at HB Studio, NY and art history at Penn State, Kutztown University and Skidmore College.

Neil at his studio in Phoenixville, PA

His resume includes exhibits throughtout the east coast and fellowships in NY, PA and Colorado. Talented guy who I loved teaching next door to and enjoying lunch together for over 10 years. Carol and I have it on our "To-Do" list to make a trip this coming summer to visit him in Phoenixville and catch up on the last couple of years. I'm sure it will also include an invitation to visit with us so he can have another serving of Carol's famous oyster pie. The three of us finished off one of her 10" pies the last time he made a visit. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

A few more of Neil's paintings from his website follow:

This is a print Neil gave to me titled "Sangre de Christo."

Monday, March 23, 2015

The "Orchid Extravaganza: Part 3" Story

It was an ordinary day. Second day of photographs taken at the Longwood Garden Conservatory. The Orchid Extravaganza is in full swing with thousands of blooms. The show ends on March 29 and many of the orchids that were on display will be sold to the public April 1-4 in the Longwood Gardens shop and visitor center located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The photographs that I have posted today are of the many other blooming flowers that fill the four acre Conservatory. Follow with me as I take you on a tour through the lens of my camera. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.