Not Every Family.... /  by Dave Hileman

has a church named for them. This is Heilman Lutheran Church near Ford City, Pennsylvania on land donated by the Heilman’s about 200/210 years ago. Jill and I were able to worship with the small congregation and I met a couple of “cousins” (a bit removed) but still neat to meet some distant relatives I did not know existed. I also viewed the original site of the Heilman family farm, but that is for another day.

My 6th Generation Great-Grandfather /  by Dave Hileman

Peter was born 11 Nov 1749, Alsace, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany and first settled in Northampton, PA before moving to Western Pennslyvania after the Revolutionary War. Both he and two of his brothers are active soldiers. His grave is near his farm in the Heilman Valley. His sons donated the land for the church and cemetery in the early 1800’s or possibly Peter did so. The current church building was built in 1879 and I will show that tomorrow.

The Promise of Fall /  by Dave Hileman

There are hints in the less humid blue sky, the initial color changes on some leaves, the prettier light in October and the end of the wildflower succession across the meadow. Hoopers Bald, Western NC Mountains.

Hooper Bald /  by Dave Hileman

This meadow is known as Hooper Bald. The balds occur in high elevations and provide a wonderland of flowers and habitat for animals. At one time they were used to graze livestock. Occurring naturally they can revert back to forest over time.

Ravenel Bridge /  by Dave Hileman

The Arthur Ravenel Bridge spans the Cooper River between Charleston, SC and Mt Pleasant, SC. It is a stunning landmark and a fun one to walk across. A bit more from the web:

“The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (colloquially referred to as the Ravenel Bridge and the Cooper River Bridge[3]) is a cable-stayed bridge over the Cooper River in South Carolina, US, connecting downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant. The bridge has a main span of 1,546 feet (471 m), the third longest among cable-stayed bridges in the Western Hemisphere. It was built using the design–build method and was designed by Parsons Brinckerhoff. Since its opening in 2005 the bridge has been considered an icon of Charleston and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks.”

Peccary /  by Dave Hileman

This strange creature is a Peccary or Javelina and are also known as Skunk Pigs which gives an idea of the odor associated with these odd critters. They travel and live in small herds of about 6 to 9 individuals and that group is known as a squadron. This one was in the Big Bend National Park about 200 yards from the Rio Grande.

USS Yorktown /  by Dave Hileman

Rusty, Janet, Jill and I visited the USS Yorktown last month. This is a magnificent ship and one with a great history. I will drop a few photo and share some of these occasionally the next two or three weeks. Suffice it to say, we were all impressed and really felt the whole day was well worth the trip. The ship is permanently anchored in Mt Pleasant, across the river from Charleston, SC.

Outbound? /  by Dave Hileman

This is the train station in Edinburgh that Jill and I left from for London on the high speed train. It was a great ride and a super choice for this leg of the trip.

Marbles Return /  by Dave Hileman

Today is a fun and personal photo. My grandson, Kellen, and granddaughter, Addie, in this photo from 2009 are at Marbles Children’s Museum in Raleigh, NC. Today, Kellen, works at Marbles. He is an Exhibit Design Technician and loving his job. Cool to see the fun he had at Marbles and now he helps create more fun for more children. (Addie is not at Marbles but a senior at NC at Chapel Hill and will be working in finance in LA come spring. Maybe she can finance the new addition at Marbles?)