132 Years Ago This Weekend (3 photos)

May 31, 1889, on Friday to be precise, the dam broke 20 miles upstream from Johnstown, PA and in a short time more than 2000 people died. It is now a National Park Unit and one I was able to revisit with Kellen in April to get a couple of photographs. The first photo shows the area below the house that was the recreational lake and filled most of the valley. The second photo is where the earthen dam broke away.

One story. Cindy’s grandmother, Isabella Davison was in route from Northumberland, England to the Pittsburgh area. At that time there was one train line west from the Mid-atlantic and the Northeast and it was across Johnstown. Needless to say the railroad was destroyed in the flood and she was delayed on her journey. She - according to family lore- then made the trip after train service was resumed. It was one week and photo three shows the trestle that was built in five days. It was 400 feet long and 80 high. She was a brave lady.

Anna's Hummingbird (2 photos)

I was pretty excited to catch this little fellow at a feeder in Henderson, NV. Both the male and the female were taking turns at the feeder. Brilliant colors on this Anna’s with startling reds and a strong white streak from the eye.

Low Down on Death Valley (2 photos)

Welcome to the lowest place in North America. The Badwater Basin, a small salt pool of water, is 232 feet below sea level and is surrounded by 60 square miles covered in natural salt pans. It was hot here in the spring, well past 90 degrees but that does not compare to the 130 degrees set last August the 17th.

This iso the actual salt pool that is 232 lower than sea level. As the name implies it is not safe to drink.

Not Recommended

While in Death Valley you may be tempted (see what I did here) to play a round of golf on the Devil’s Golf Course. There is no par and no one finishes well. This is a salt formation that averages about 30 inches high and they are filled with sharp edges so even walking too far in this is not a good idea. While we were here a man showed up with a club and a couple of balls and hit them out into the distance. And, no, he did not go after them.

Sand Curtains

The dunes in Death Valley National Park are extensive and lead you quickly into a wilderness when you drop down off one or two ridges and suddenly it is much more quiet, hotter and you are not completely sure - except for your footprints, which way is back. It was disconcerting to think you might have to walk across acres of this - not that we did but what a challenge. I was also interested in the vegetation. Did not really expect too much but there were several shrubs and a few grasses. It was blooming time for the small trees and the yellow blossoms were attracting lots and lots of bees.

Awed

Standing on the sand dunes in Death Valley National Park.

“We worship at your throne— eternal, high, and glorious!” Jeremiah 17:2 NLT

Could Have Been 399

This is what is now known as a Yellow-rumped Warbler. At one time the eastern variant, the Myrtle and the western variant, the Audubon were classified as unique species but a few years ago the ornithological society that keeps track of and names or renames birds decided that they were just variations not unique species. This is the first time I have seen what used to be the Audubon but it no longer counts for a new bird, so we stay at 398. Still a much more colorful bird than its eastern cousin.

Posing

Another one from the Henderson Bird Watching Preserve. This is a Northern Shoveler with a bright yellow eye. Note the long flat bill that gives the bird its name.

Grand Prismatic - another viewpoint

Simply a beautiful morning in Yellowstone National Park.

Mural too

I really liked the art work here and the preparation of the side of the very old bar to create what appears to be a Henry J dragster. Very nice art work and look underneath the door and you will see a nod to the “Rat Fink” a 60’s icon.

Mural (2 photos)

Kingman, AZ has a lot of murals. There were some on the water tanks as well as the expected places like buildings and fences. This one was both large and colorful. However I am not certain the artist did well in geography - or maybe it is because they don’t teach geography any longer that we get pancake OK, distorted Texas and Illinois that appears to have morphed into South Carolina. Still high marks for color. The Ford drag car seems to miss the feel of the Rt 66 Culture but there was a drag way here in Kingman so we will give a pass on that one.

Ginger

This is a Redhead duck that I photographed in Nevada at a pond in the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve. This a special place in the midst of the desert where you can see birds that congregate for the open water. This time I did not see any new species but got nice views of a few that I have rarely seen. This one I have seen more often but usually in the duller summer or winter plumage. Here we have the bright breeding colors. Note the bright yellow eye that almost appears painted on.

One More - then back to normal on Monday.

Last weekend was our 50th Anniversary. On Friday we had a nice dinner (followed by ice cream) with our son, Gregg and his wife, Jessica. On Saturday -after Tom went all out to make things special at his house, we had brunch with Kathy and Dennis and saw their new house under construction, reminisced on an afternoon walk at CW and a nostalgic dinner at the Jefferson where we ate our on wedding night. We enjoyed dinner there Saturday with Tom, and David and Jean —- thank you Tom! And Tom provided a special blackberry lime cake for the occasion as well. Wow. On Sunday we went back to church for the first time in a long time at Lifepointe and while Cindy visited with a friend Tom and I ate at Pierces. I miss that place. On Sunday night we were treated to a special evening by Cindy’s college roommate, Beckie and her husband Phil that included lots of laughter and Disney robes for Cindy and me. I look stunning. We were back to work on Monday but the celebration was not quite over. Geof and Laura arranged for the four of us to eat at the Chef’s Table at the Angus Barn. Fabulous was coined just for this meal. We ate whatever the chef chose, five courses, five wines and one unforgettable evening. And sharing all of this with good friends and family, priceless.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT

And still more on the personal journey

The photo on the top of the page is not mine but was taken by Dennis Mook (The Wandering Lensman) when we had brunch with Kathy and him in Smithfield last Saturday. So this has turned out to be our official 50th Anniversary photo. Please don’t tell Dennis his rate will escalate and I still have to figure out how to pay for this showing.

The other photo was a quick shot of where Cindy lived from the age of 7 until college. There was a big tree in the yard and all of that parking was grass then. She and her Aunt B occupied the upper floor and used the door on the right side of the house. She lived just over 8 miles from me and I made that 20 minute drive a lot. I also worked just a bit past her house at the American Family Raceway where I started before they opened helping to stock and assemble tracks and often managed the store for my boss, Ralph. Sometimes when Cindy was at college I would spend the night at her house, Aunt B was great, because it was occasionally very late or very bad weather. One of my memories of this place is sitting on her couch with Cindy and Christy Monroe, a college friend of Cindy’s, while we watched the first moon landing in 1969.

That stoop, as we called them in Pittsburgh, in front of the door is where Cindy and I shared our first kiss. I still remember that 56 years later.

More Personal Story

This is the house I lived in in Cheswick, PA from the age of four to 11. When Kellen and I traveled through the area we stopped at Glenn’s for custard (yesterday) and then went to this house. I had looked up the owner on some municipal web site and it was H. Coelle. Now the story. Mrs Coelle is now 94 and still living in the house she and her husband bought from my mom and dad in 1960. She and her husband were both in Russian concentration camps after WWII and were released in the mid 1950’s as a part of an effort to prove the Russian were open to peace with the West. Actually she was released and he was mistakenly released. They both ended up in an American run facility to prepare them for reentry into society and that is where they met. Not sure how the got to the US. When they were at our house he told us that in the camp he was allowed to do two things, sing in a choir and play chess. Nothing else. I told him I played chess - what you don’t know at 11! He said lets play a game. Well he beat me in the classic four moves, then in about 9 moves - telling me after move two it would be checkmate in 7 more. Then he set up the board, me with the full complement of pieces and he with king, knight and 8 pawns. Needless to say I lasted a bit longer but still lost. He was a very nice man and went to to earn two degrees in the US and carved out a significant career. It was neat to see the yard now rather beautiful - it was mostly clay and rock when we lived there. Kellen and I had a nice visit with Mrs. Coelle.

Working Life

I have had a lot of jobs. I sold donuts door to door and delivered newspaper while in grade school and Junior High School as it was then. But Glenn’s Custard was my first “real” job the summer I was 15 and the next summer at 16. It is still going well - with very good custard, under the ownership of Glenn’s grandson. I worked at a slot track at the same time for 50 cents an hour when I could get there 8 miles away by bike. I also sold lots of things, which brings up the Gulf building. I was in school downtown post HS and had at that point three jobs but that was not enough so the USPO started the ZIP Code process at that time. Unlike today where there are more zip codes than anyone can count they started with a few thousand and no one knew what they were. So enter the small ZIP Code directory. And I started selling them with .40 cents profit per book. One day I went into the Gulf building and came out with an order for 200. I was wealthy.

Yesterdays question: The other building by the way is the Koppers Tower, an Art Deco design with a copper roof that is now quite green.

Confusion

When I grew up in Pittsburgh the building on the left, the Gulf Building was the tallest in town at 44 stories and was completed in 1932. The top used to have two colors, the Gulf colors. Steady blue, cold or colder, flashing add snow, or orange, warmer weather, when flashing, add rain. Now it has a host of colors with different floors meaning different things like wind speed, humidity et al. I asked a man who lived on Mt. Washington what they now mean and he said, “Nobody know any more.” The only thing people pay attention to is when the beacon flashes during a Pirate game, it means Pittsburgh hit a home run. That was started by the night clerk all on her own. By the way the top is modeled after the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, but I am sure you already noticed that! So, if you know what is the smaller building directly beside the Gulf building? And I will tell you a short story about me and the Gulf building from the late 60’s.

Castle Mountain

This is the last photo I took of the park. The park is nearly inaccessible - and it was so for us. A four-wheel drive is required and it is still a challenge. I was content for getting reasonably close, about 2 miles on one end after a several mile drive on very poor roads. It is the eastern end of the Mojave Desert.

Johnstown Flood

This is one of the National Park units Cindy and i had visited but before camera. So I had the opportunity to re-visit and take a few shots, so that park is now off the need to finish list. This is the infamous stone bridge, still the same foundation as it was in 1889, on the 31st of May. The dam upstream broke and released water at the rate of the Mississippi. It swept debris and mud for 14 miles before this bridge held and the shattered homes, trapped people and trees began to build up. Then it caught fire. In all more than 2200 people died that night and several communities were mostly or completely destroyed. It left a long-term scar on the country and changed the way the law was applied to a liability based system.

Depth

This is Emerald Pool at Yellowstone National Park. You cannot see the bottom of this pool and the colors are vivid.

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.” Ephesians 3:18,19a NLT