POTR #74 -Cape Cod

PEACE ON THE ROAD

Cape Cod

August 10, 2012

We have now traveled in forty states since we retired with our motor home. It is not really a goal to travel in all forty eight states but since every state has things we wish to see it follows that eventually we will visit them all. It is too bad that there is not a bridge to Hawaii and a good road to Alaska so we could visit them also. Every place that we have gone we have found certain things to be true. People are friendly everywhere. There is too much traffic. People say, “It was more peaceful twenty or thirty years ago when less homes were around here.” There are many other things that are similar across the US. One of those I believe is a decline in the quality of architecture. In the cities that we have traveled through we have seen many homes and buildings that were built seventy-five to a hundred and fifty years ago that have no match in the last fifty years. I know that the majority of building of that age have long since been replaced by newer buildings. I also understand that the buildings of today are cheaper to build, more efficient, may require less maintenance, are more comfortable and there are a myriad of more reasons for their design. However I do not remember seeing many buildings or homes that I think are more beautiful that older designs. While we were in some of the small towns in Upper New York I saw many places that had tremendous esthetic value. I also know that the homes that I admire so much were built by the wealthy of the time and are not homes of the average people. This house below is just one of several that we saw in Medina, NY. (pronounced Mu-dine-ah in NY) It is more pink than it appears in the picture. The workmanship that goes into a home like this or the older churches, courthouses, and academic buildings are so often a source of amazement to me. I love the massive stonework and architectural features like the widows watch, the roofs, the arches and porches. Modern architecture is often pretty but I am usually unimpressed with the building that I see.

 I CALL THIS MAGNIFICENT HOUSE A PINK LADY OF MEDINA

With modern technology I cannot imagine any person not having talked to another who is half way across the US. Many have talked to someone in another nation across an ocean. It was not always that way. The only battle in the War of 1812 in which there were heavy casualties was the Battle of New Orleans, fought on January 8, 1815. It was a decisive victory for the US but there was one major problem: the Treaty of Ghent (now Belgium) ending the war had been signed on 24 December 1814 -- about two weeks prior to the battle! Neither side was aware that the war was over. Skirmishes between England and the US continued till May because of communications lag time. At that time and until about 1860 it took at least two weeks for any message to go between England and the US. After several failed attempts the first transatlantic cable was laid from Ireland to Newfoundland in 1857. In 1879 the first cable from France to the US was completed and messages could go the 3000 miles in minutes. Early in the service a message could cost as much as a dollar a letter. This was at a time when the average man would earn twenty dollars a month. The traffic was heavy in spite of the cost and soon additional cables were laid down. The first cable had a single conductor but it could simultaneously handle messages from each end. Later cables had multiple information wires so more communications could be handled. At one time there were 10 cables that went to various parts of the world from the US. I had always thought about the cables being quite thick, but in actuality they are only about an inch in diameter. In the 1960's satellite technology provided the first real competition to the cables. The small building below currently houses a cable splice for the 1879 line that now continues inland. It is interesting to note that when the cable was first used people were amazed that a message sent from England would arrive in the US many hours earlier in the day than it was sent due to differences in time zones. People today are familiar with time zones and the differences of clock time.

THE FRENCH CABLE STATION ON CAPE COD

Eastern Connecticut seems to be filled with lighthouses or harbor lights or marker lights. It does not seem that you can go for more than a few miles before there is a light of some sort. When we have traveled in other areas with a lot of lights it seems that there was greater variety of styles and paint patterns. Along the coast and in the bays here a lot of the lights look very much like an inverted ice cream cone with a lantern house on the top. Most of the lights are painted white. A lot of the lights have been redesigned to eliminate all the original windows. The windows have been simply bricked up and painted over once the lighthouse keepers were eliminated and electricity was installed. Some of the lights have had a very interesting history. One was built by a contractor who also owned a tavern. The light was not complete when the inspector came so he was detained at the tavern while some workers quickly tried to make the light look finished. The inspector fell through the floor down to the foundation of the light. He was unhurt but angry. The light tower was so poorly constructed that it leaked everywhere when it rained as did the keepers house that went with it. The house was torn down and replaced with a frame building. A number of years later it was loaded on a barge and moved across the bay to another light station. It was claimed that the light keeper stayed in the house during the move and fixed his breakfast while under way. The Stonington harbor light had a history like many lighthouses. It was built in 1823 close to the shore and was threatened by shore erosion. In 1840 it was dismantled and moved to the current location. Like many others its original light was 10 individual oil burning lamps. In 1889 it was replaced by a light on the end of a new breakwater.

THE STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT HARBOR LIGHT IS NOW A MUSEUM OF THE AREA

Connecticut was an enjoyable area to visit. Now we have moved on and are in Illinois with plans to work our way around the Midwest and back down to Mission, Texas before there is cold or snow.

Till later this is Doug of

PEACE ON THE ROAD

POTR #73 Hunting Covered Bridges

PEACE ON THE ROAD

Hunting Covered Bridges

July 5, 2012

I came across a quote in a photo-blog that expresses well what I believe is a big reason for my writing the POTR. A traveler through this life collects photographs of and shares words about the points of light discovered along the way. (James Jordan) Here are a few points of lights that I have seen.

There are so many things in this country that are interesting to see. We like to visit covered bridges. They are beautiful and fascinating, and the history of them is always interesting. The stories behind many of them are amazing. We were in Astubula County, Ohio in 2006 and saw many covered bridges. There was one that we missed. The Forman Road Bridge was built in 1862. According to my calculations it is the longest covered bridge in the world. As far as that goes it might be the longest bridge in the world. One end is in North Kingston, OH and the other end is in Andover, OH which is 25.4 miles away. Some people claim that in 1972 the county sold the 126 foot bridge to the highest bidder for $5.00 and the new owner cut it in half and moved each end to a different location and put a pizza parlor in each one. That cannot really be true! We made a point of eating some very good pizza in each end. When you are in either one of the two parts it looks like it could be a complete bridge.

ONE END OF THE FORMAN ROAD COVERED BRIDGE 

NOW SERVING AS A PIZZA PARLOR

We also visited two other covered bridges which did not exist in 2007. The Smolen-Gulf did not even have an official name when we saw where it was to be built. It now is the longest covered bridge in the US, forth longest in the world (except for the 25.4 mile Forman Road Bridge). It is also rated to carry any road legal traffic like loaded semis. It is 613 foot long and has a roadway that is thirty feet wide with foot traffic passages on each side. It may also be the highest bridge above the river below at 93 foot. It is expected to last 100 years. An uncovered wooden bridge might last 10 years and covering it extends its life to 50 or more. Some covered bridges built to last 50 years have made it 150 years. How long might a bridge last that is built for 100 years? Another covered bridge that was conceived in 2007 is the West Liberty Covered Bridge in Geneva, OH has a span of only 18 foot. It is the shortest covered bridge in the US. It opened in 2010. Due to the walkways on either side it may well be wider than it is long. As a tribute to the fact that many covered bridges in the early days charged for passage it has a toll booth built close by. Of course there was no toll to cross today. So with that you have the long and the short of covered bridges in the US, and they are both in Ohio.

1929 WEIDMAN HOUSE CAR

When I think about the life that I have lived, I have to say that things have been very good for me. I was born to good parents, with good siblings, on a great place to grow up. As a young adult (still a boy really) I married a very fine woman (well she was just a girl then too), and then a few years later we had a wonderful daughter, who has been the pride of my life. After more good years I decided to retire and do things so I could write PEACE ON THE ROAD, which is of course what I really wanted to do from birth, I just didn't know it then. To have things to write I need inspiration in some way. Sometimes I also learn how fortunate I have been to have lived in the times and places that I did. While in Elkhart, IN we went to the RV & MH museum. I am so glad that I was ready to buy a motor home when the 2005 models were first available. Some of the old RV's were extremely innovative and were actually works of art and engineering. There were several that had actual wood burning parlor stoves installed for heating. Many had kitchens and eating tables that required unpacking for use outside. That must have been great in the wind and rain sometimes. The colors used for decoration are no worse than the ones in many modern rigs but to my mind there were not desirable. At the time they were so much better than the alternatives of a horse and a tent that they were luxury. The earliest item in the museum was from 1913. But back hundreds of years, perhaps as much as a thousand, there were people who traveled in wagons that served as permanent homes. Gypsies was one name they were called. The motor home that I travel in is so much better than anything that we saw in the museum and there was a showcase of the latest technology In looking at units while at the Winnebago factory we have had the same feeling. We were fortunate to have bought our motor home when we did.

ONE OF THE “WHITE” BUCKS OF THE SENECA HERD

(note the flies on its back)

In 1941 a 25 mile long fence was erected around 10,600 acres in an area between the Finger Lakes of Seneca and Cayuga in Upstate New York. It was built by the Army to enclose the Seneca Army Depot. This depot was used for the storage and disposal of ammunition from 1941 until the 1990's. It was also used to store materials used in the Manhattan project in bunkers that they called igloos. Within the area an airstrip long enough to handle large cargo aircraft was built. Enclosed within the fence were some “white” white tailed deer. They are not albinos but simply a recessive gene that is in all deer. Because the fence isolated them from the rest of the gene pool and their normal predators the white deer flourished. Also the commanding officers at the base allowed the hunting of the “brown” white tailed deer but not the white ones. Today it is the largest herd of white deer in the world. To say that they are beautiful is an understatement. It was a privilege to be able to see several of them even if it was necessary to view them through a fence. It has been estimated that about 600 deer live within the confines of the base and that of those there are between 200 and 300 of the white deer. There are a few that are brown and white. We did not see any of the combination. On this excursion there were six of us in the car. The deer were new to us all. While looking for the white deer we also saw some pens with peafowl. One pen had pure white peafowl and another had the regular colored birds. Males in both pens were displaying their tail feathers. That was a delight to all of us. I would never have guessed that at some point I would have the privilege of seeing such a sight. They were beautiful.

What did you do to celebrate Independence Day? Gather the family and go to a park and have a picnic and then watch fireworks? Did you get together with friends at a lake to swim and watch fire works later? If you owned a home on the shore of Lake Ontario you might invite your family and their friends and their friends families to come enjoy your beach. There would be a lot of power boats, sail boats, personal watercraft, and kayaks on the lake for them to watch and maybe to go for a ride. The youth will play lots of beach games and hike along the beach. All the neighbors for a mile each way will do the same. Many will build large pyramids of wood and burn them after dark. There will be fireworks of all sorts. During the whole afternoon and evening there will be lots of food and drinks. All in all you will provide a wonderful place and way for people to enjoy the day and contemplate what the day really means. We are blessed to live in the US and thank those who lived and died before for our freedom. All our celebrations should remind us of the sacrifices and efforts of so many.

AT LEAST FIVE BLAZING PYRES IN ONE DIRECTION DOWN THE BEACH

It is hard to realize that we have been in Rochester for a week now and soon we will move on. To where we have not discussed yet, but it will have to be moving southward I suppose. It will be a while before going to our winter home in Mission, Texas again. So we will look for more “Points Of Light.”

Till Later This Is Doug Of,

PEACE ON THE ROAD

POTR #72 From The Great Lakes To The Big City

PEACE ON THE ROAD

From The Great Lakes To The Big City

June 22, 2012

I am sure that all of you have seen signs that make you shake your head in wonder. When we were in Duluth, MN we drove by a business with a large LED sign. One of its advertisements was for “Organic Smoking Products.” Let me see if I've got this straight. First a smoker is putting a match to tobacco and burning it. Then they are breathing the smoke which has over 4,000 chemicals in it with at least 69 of those chemicals which are known to cause cancer. Then they are going to worry about some farmer fertilizing the field with chemicals that are not strictly organic. Maybe there is some sense in that but to me it is totally ludicrous. Maybe I am just behind on the organic food scene.

Another thing that I have to laugh about is tree planting. We stayed in a RV park that had a couple lakes. Our site was 75 yards from a lake and we could see it out our front window. On the lake was a loon family, parents with two babies. We could actually see the place where the loons were nesting. One time there were also at least 8 mated pair of Canadian geese with 6 to 8 young each. All of these birds plus others could be seen on the lake once in a while. The camp owners have planted many trees along the edge of the lake and in a few years they will be large and beautiful. When the trees reach that maturity they will block any view of the lake. I would have to ask, “Would I rather camp where I can see a lake with birds swimming and maybe fish jumping or a row of trees that are blocking the view?”

Forty-five years ago I saw my first Yellow Lady Slipper Orchid in the wild but could not photograph it. While not far from Egg Harbor, WI, I was fortunate to find a stand of many of what I believe are called Small Lady Slipper Orchids. To find even one would be exciting but I found an area that could well have had over a hundred, perhaps more if I had wanted to search. In the same area were some Wood Lilies. Both are beautiful wild flowers. Some people say, “Stop and smell the roses!” I say, “Stop and photograph the flowers!” Of course while you are at it photograph everything else too.

TWO SMALL YELLOW LADY SLIPPER ORCHIDS (one for each of the ladies feet)

We have traveled up into the northern Part of Wisconsin into Door County. There are lots of trees, picturesque farms, small lakes, the great lakes and quaint villages. There are more lighthouses than any other area that we have been. The biggest problem with them is that mostly the view is inaccessible except by water or blocked by trees. Across the US we have seen several lantern housings on lighthouses that have had the light on the land side blocked by a solid wall rather than open through windows. We heard a tour guide telling people this was done because the light bothered the people living in the area and also their farm animals. The tidbits of information that we pick up in odd places is amazing. Traveling is not only fun but it is educational if the time is taken to pay attention.

Have you ever been to a “fish boil”? Or maybe I should ask have you ever heard of one. I have seen on TV fish boils being served and was not impressed. Our friends took us to eat at one. I do not believe that we would ever have gone on our own, and that would have been a mistake. Real life action was a whole bunch more fun than it has looked on TV. At a fish boil a pot of water is heated to boiling on a fire. A sieve holding potatoes is lowered into the boiling pot of salted water. Then another sieve is added that holds cut up white fish. The one we went to used 15 gallons of water with seven pounds of salt. The salt brought the boiling temperature up to 220 degrees. Right at the end the cook threw some kerosene into the fire which caused the fish oils to be frothed out of the pot and burned in the fire. It is then ready to serve. I have to say that it is delicious. Much better than I expected.

INSIDE THIS FIRE IS THE POT WITH THE POTATOES AND FISH READY TO EAT

There are many restaurants that we have either tried or have heard about. When we are in an area we try to enjoy the local cuisine. Sometime there are just too many places to eat in the time we are in the area. As a matter of fact that is true in most cities. One restaurant we had to see but did not eat at was in Sister Bay, WI. Al Johnson built a restaurant back in the 1950's, got married in the 1960's and in the 1970's had a building fabricated in Norway, shipped to the US and assembled over his restaurant. On top of the building there was a special under layer laid down. This layer was seeded with grass and goats were placed on top the building to forage. The restaurant never closed during all the construction. There are two “goat-cams” mounted on the roof which cover up to 95% of the total roof. The goats are on the roof during the daylight hours during the tourist season, from May to October. At night they are taken down and kept in a barn on the outskirts of town. To say the least it is a very interesting place to see. The reports are that the food is also very good. Check out the “goat-cams,” http://www.aljohnsons.com/goat-cam/ It really needs to be seen to actually believe it does exist.

GOATS ON THE ROOF OF AL JOHNSON'S RESTAURANT

We decided that we would stop in Chicago and do in part of it. Somehow we got mixed up and it did us in. We went to the Museum of Industry and Science (MIS) and saw part of it. To say the least it is big. It is also expensive to go “one” day. If I was to go again, and I really think I should, I would do things differently. I would plan to stay in the area at least a week or maybe two. I would purchase a membership to MIS. That would allow me to take a guest for free as many times as I wanted. Then instead of going once and trying to see all I could, which is exhausting, I would go several times and see one or two areas very well each time. I would take my tripod for the camera and take better pictures than I did this time and take a lot more pictures. The light in MIS is good for viewing but not for picture taking. I would visit one day and then take a day off to rest and reflect. In other words I need to get away from the mindset that when I go someplace I am on vacation and I have to see it all. Forty to fifty years of my adult life that has been true but not necessarily anymore. I am retired and my plan is to see and enjoy the places I go. I do not think that spending an entire afternoon viewing and touring the only captured German WWII submarine in the US would be difficult at all. The U-505 is the only German submarine of its type to survive to this day, and it was once scheduled to be used as target practice and sunk. It is interesting to me that it was captured on my Fathers birthday, June 4, 1944, when I was two years old. Another area of MIS features several pieces of farm equipment that were built by John Deere. I grew up farming with John Deere's. Granted the ones I drove were two cylinders engines that were nick named Johnny Pops and I don't considers four and eight cylinders to be proper. Still the tractor and combine with GPS technology, AC, CD/radio, etc were very impressive.

THE GERMAN SUBMARINE U-505 IN THE MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY AND SCIENCE

In driving through many cities in over 38 states and years ago in Canada I have come to the conclusion that drivers have a lot of times been given a bum rap. Having just driven in downtown Chicago and the main highways in and out of the city during the rush hour, in construction and at both high and low speeds I conclude that the vast majority of the drivers are courteous, considerate, and caring for the well being of their fellow drivers. All it usually takes is a flashing light to get a space to pull into. Several times I have seen two or three cars changing lanes at the same time each taking the space vacated by one of the other vehicles. In a way it looks like a choreographed dance on the highway. Sure I have seen accidents, a couple I even saw happen, but considering the number of cars on the road passing any given point I think that people are doing a great job. One thing that I hope is that I am not the cause of a accident due to my own ineptitude. It also would be too much trouble to get repairs.

We are currently in Elkhart, IN and are slowly headed to Rochester, NY. That decision was pretty much necessary about a week after we left the Winnebago factory and decided that we were mobile again. Although while we were in Door County, WI we were shut down for a short time. At a campground the first thing we do is put the leveling jacks down. One pair went down and the whole hydraulic system shut down. We could not finish leveling or put the slides out. I even had to spend the night on the couch. Since two jacks were down I dare not move the motor home even an inch. It was a simple fix that I can now do if it happens again. But it took three hours for the service technician to find the problem. Not only did I learn something, so did he. An education can be expensive at times but one thing for sure is that being uneducated or as some would say “stupid” is even more expensive.

Till Later This Is Doug Of,

PEACE ON THE ROAD

POTR #71 North Shore Of Lake Superior

PEACE ON THE ROAD

North Shore Of Lake Superior

June 7, 2010

In approximately a month we have traveled from three miles north of the Mexican border in Texas to about a hundred miles south of the Canadian border in Minnesota. The temperature at night has gone from somewhere in the eighties to barely above the thirties. We have traveled from a place that water was only found in a few streams to an area where it is seldom more than a couple miles to a lake. This country is so large with vast difference from one area to another. And yet there is a sameness that can be found no matter where we travel. We are really enjoying the tour across our wonderful country.

It is necessary to be either on one of the coasts or at some port along the Great Lakes to see a really big ship up close. Most sea ports are closed to the casual visitor, partly because they are a working area and also because of a perceived threat to national security. While this also seems to be true around the Great Lakes there are places that the great ships can be closely seen. One of those places is in the Port of Duluth, Minnesota where the large ore ships pass through a channel that is only 300 foot wide. Along both sides of the channel are areas that people can stand just two foot from the waters edge. When an incoming ship is a half mile out the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge that is across the channel starts to raise to allow passage. When the bridge reaches its full height of 227 feet there is ample height for the largest ship that sails the Great Lakes hauling iron ore or grains. This bridge was originally built in 1905 as an aerial transporter bridge. There were only two of these bridges ever built in the US. It would transport a gondola with up to 350 people plus horses and carriages from one side of the canal to the opposite side in a minute and it made the trip every five minutes. In 1929 it was converted to a lift bridge to accommodate a greater auto traffic load. The bridge can lift to its full height in three minutes. During the busy times of the shipping season the bridge cycles 25 to 30 times a day. It is operated by a

THE 902 FOOT HON. JAMES L. OBERSTAR HEADED TO PORT AT DULUTH, MINNESOTA

set of batteries which can be charged with generators. If the power lines to the lift should fail it can still be operated. The traffic platform is counterbalanced by two 450 ton weights. The bridge and the ships that pass beneath it is a large tourist attraction in Duluth. We have seen a couple 1000 foot ore boats come through the channel. One of those was at night. The schedule of ships in and out plus interesting information about the ships is published daily and made available to the public. Coal is loaded on to ships here, taken to Quebec City and stored. Then 4 or 5 laker (ships that only can operate in the Great Lakes) loads are transferred onto a single ocean going ship and delivered to Northern Europe. The lakers are BIG ships but must be a lot smaller that ocean going vessels.

I like lighthouses whether they are old brick or stone ones or simple lights that are out on the end of breakwaters. There is simply something special, perhaps romantic, about a structure that is placed in a strategic location to guide ships and sailors to safe destinations or away from dangerous rocks. Lighthouses are varied in their design because of the builder, the location or simply for identification in the daylight. One lighthouse that I have admired for years is Splitrock Lighthouse in Minnesota. It is one of the most photographed lighthouses in the US. It was built and commissioned in 1910. In November of 1905 three severe storms hit the Great Lakes and caused the death of 116 sailors, it also damaged 29 iron ore ships, two of which sank off the Split Rock shore. There have been five other ship which have been damaged within twelve miles. This area was once described as the most dangerous waters in the world. Lake Superior is 602 foot above see level with the cliff being 130 higher and the light is 54 foot above the cliff. The light itself is a bi-valve Fresnel lens which was built in Paris, France. It was fired by a kerosene light from 1910-1939 when it was converted to a 1000 watt electric bulb which was used from 1940-1969. It was decommissioned in 1969 due to the use of GPS and other more modern navigational devices. Before it was electrified the Fresnel lens was rotated by a

SPLITROCK LIGHTHOUSE AT SPLITROCK, MINNESOTA

clockwork like mechanism that required the lighthouse keeper to climb the tower and wind the spring mechanism every two hours. The kerosene lamp burned about five gallons of fuel every night which needed to be hauled up the tower. All supplies brought to the lighthouse had to be lifted by a hoist at the top which was dangerous not only to the operators but also to the supplies themselves. It was not until the highway, which became known as the Lake Superior International Highway, was built close to the lighthouse in 1924 that supplies could be brought in by land. The close proximity of the highway to the lighthouse also brought a large influx of tourist that wanted to see and photograph the beauty of the area. Lighthouse keepers found it necessary to ask the Lighthouse Service headquarters for guidance on how to work amid the visitors and it was necessary to erect fences at the cliff edge. An advantage for the keepers that the highway provided was the ability for their families to live with them all year instead of just in the summer. The children were able to go to school at local towns.

A side note to the Splitrock Lighthouse is the Edna G., a tugboat that spent its working years at Two Harbors, Minnesota. In the November storm of 1905 the Edinborn was towing the barge the Madeira. They separated with the Edinborn being beached with 25 sailors. The Maderia was broken apart against rocky cliffs and sank. A crewman was able to climb the cliff and with a rope rescue 9 other crewmen. Both crews found shelter with either fishermen or loggers where they stayed until rescued by the Edna B. a few days later. The Edna B. was built as a coal fired steam engine tug in 1896. She primarily moved ships and barges carrying iron ore and taconite For two years during WWI she served on the east coast. She also participated in the rescues of several shipwrecks. She now serves as a museum at Two Harbors as the last coal fired steam engine to operate on the Great Lakes.

COAL FIRED STEAM ENGINE TUG NEXT TO THE IRON ORE DOCKS IN TWO HARBORS

Till Later This Is Doug Of,

PEACE ON THE ROAD

POTR #70 Going North

PEACE ON THE ROAD

Going North

May 28, 2012

I could very easily come to the conclusion that three days and Forest City, Iowa are not a good combination. I may need to stretch the imagination a bit, but here goes. A year ago we drove from Forest City to Rochester, NY in three days. I very simply do not want to drive that far in that short a time. I keep telling myself that I won't do it, but I do it anyway. It was my choice at that time. Then last fall I was driven from Forest City to our home in Texas in three days. I slept most of the way but it still seemed to be a very long trip. At that time it was really totally out of my hands. This past week we spent three days in Forest City with our Vectra in the Winnebago shop and parked for the night in the parking lot. I did not expect to have it in the shop during the first day or maybe not even the second so I actually expected for the time to be longer. Still I think it was the three longest days that I can remember for a long time. Winnebago has been very good to us beyond the repairs that we have had to have done. I have never talked to any person who owned a RV that never had problems. Some have been a lot more serious than anything we have had. I seem to be in good shape so I am happy.

There are some very odd places around this country and around the world for that matter. One of the most famous of man made monuments is in England. You all have heard of the druid monument called Stonehenge. In the last hundred years there have been several reproductions of Stonehenge around the world. It is claimed that in the USA there are over forty different henges, I have had the privilege to visit an American Stonehenge in Texas. It was a one quarter scale reproduction that was quite impressive even at that size. The full size one in England must be REALLY impressive. There is a tribute to the druid monuments built near Alliance, Nebraska that is built from automobiles instead of stone. In Topeka, Kansas a fellow named Ron Lessman who has figured if Nebraska could have a carhenge then Kansas could have a truckhenge. Of course there is more to the story than just a desire to create art. He had several old trucks and buses on his property to be recycled at some time. The Shawnee County health and zoning officials ordered him to remove any loose metal. He was ordered to “pick up” the trucks, is spite of his claim that his property was the cleanest in the area. So he “picked up” all the metal (trucks) and buried them in 42,000 pounds of concrete and used the sides of them as billboards and added other sculptures with them. His work caught the fancy of the Shawnee County Preservation Association, which awarded Truckhenge a Kaw Region Art Park marker in 2006. Unfortunately I had a small problem with my Jeep navigation system. It took me to the location that ended in between a couple business along a county road. Purely by accident we were back along that road a day later. Just for grins I poked truckhenge in as a recent route and it directed me an additional one and a half mile down another road and there it was. It was closed by the time we got there but we were able to see at some distance some of the trucks. It will be a future destination sometime during the daytime now that I know I can find it. I will tell you more when I see it.

I did run across an usual place in Topeka. It is called a Fire Hydrant Garden and perhaps it should be called Doggie Heaven. Claude Belshe started collecting fire hydrants when the dogs he owned trampled everything he had planted in their garden. One hydrant led to two and then three till now he owns between seventy five and a hundred, by my estimated count. There were two smallish dogs there that did there their best to either run me off or talk me into coming in and playing with them. I think that either choice would have made them happy. The lady of the house came out to see what was causing the dogs to cause such a ruckus. I told her that the dogs were just being dogs and they were doing their job. When I said that I was impressed with the collection she said that Claude liked them but she thought they were barely more than junk. While a person might look at all the hydrants and think that they would be a heaven for dogs she said that the dogs barely pay any attention to them. That makes sense because everything in the yard would be well within their territory and have their scent on and around every one of the hydrants and everyplace else. But let a strange dog in and he would have to establish his area by marking every one of them.

FIRE HYDRANT GARDENS IN TOPEKA, KANSAS

Driving from Mission, Texas up to Forest City, Iowa was in one part a pain because we were just trying to get to the factory. In another way it was fun because we were able to simply take our time and enjoy the countryside. Driving like that gives time to observe and contemplate about the farms and towns. Many of the towns are so small that they do not even have a Martin Luther King Boulevard. Last evening we decided that we would go to a restaurant that featured prime rib. Winnebago closes all services at 3:30 so we picked up our coach and got set up in our site for the night. We got to the restaurant an hour before it opened. We drove around the town to see any sights that we could. The town was about 6 blocks wide and about 10 or 12 blocks long so it did not take long to see all the sights. That town was so small it did not even have a historical district. About the only thing that could be called historical was three buildings in the downtown area that were built around 1900, but they did not have the date in the facade like many old buildings do, so I don't really know when they were built. In this area I think the only new buildings are on farms and those are silos to hold grain. There are rows of trees that at one time marked a property line and was part of the fence. Many of the farms are now combined, the fences gone and the trees are all that are left to mark the passing. I have also notice that in many places there are patches of trees that seem to be there without reason. Closer observation reveals that either there is a farm house still there or the foundations are usually evident. In the places where vision is open it is easy to imagine the great many farms that were at one time there by the clump of trees that do not belong in an open farm. This is pretty country if you like farmland and I do. There is something about farms that are all the same even if they are all different. Does a grape vineyard in California look like a corn field in Iowa, or a cotton field in Texas? Yes, they are very much alike. Does a wheat field on the right side of the road resemble a wheat field on the left side of the road or one over in the next county? No, there are differences that only take a closer look to see. I suppose that is one of the reasons that no matter where I travel I think it is a great place to be.

FORT SNELLING IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA

All forts have similarities and they all have unique qualities and history. Fort Snelling in St. Paul Minnesota was built in the 1820's at the junction of the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers to protect the interests of the nations fur trading industry and to promote relationships with the Dakota (Sioux) and Ojibwa Indians. Many treaties were signed with the natives which were seldom or never honored. Laws of the land were in many instances ignored in this new territory. According to the Missouri Compromise of 1820 slavery was not allowed at Fort Snelling, but because it had existed before 1820 it continued to be accepted. In 1836 Dr. John Emerson was transferred to Fort Snelling with two slaves, Dred and Harriet Scott. When the Scotts were moved to St. Louis they sued in court for their freedom based on being held as slaves in a free state. For eleven years the case was in the courts. First they lost, then appealed and won. Their owner appealed that decision and it was reversed. Then their ownership was transferred to a man in New York and since the case involved residents of two states the Scott's case was heard by a Federal court in Missouri which they lost. Then they appealed to the US Supreme court whose Chief Justice stated that African Americans “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect; and that the negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his benefit.” This decision was instrumental in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln who objected to the decision and is considered by many to be the beginning of the conflict which led to the Civil War. In the above picture the round tower is the oldest structure in Minnesota. The flag has twenty stars. In the opposite corner of the fort is the Officers quarters which is the oldest occupied structure in Minnesota.

Till Later This Is Doug Of,

PEACE ON THE ROAD

POTR #69 It Is Spring Time In Texas

PEACE ON THE ROAD

It Is Spring In Texas

March 24, 2012

The first thing that I should do in writing this is to bring you up to date on the condition of my health because the last I wrote I was still in pretty poor condition. The last thing I wrote was that I was unable to get from a kneeling position to a standing position without help. I am thankful that I can now get up without help. I would not mind having something, maybe a bucket, to place a hand upon to assist my legs. I did not drive any vehicle from September to February, but now I have been driving seven weeks and feel confident that I am safe back on the road. People who are not close to me think that I have recovered totally. I am not claiming more than 85-90% recovery so far. I still have a ways to go but at least I feel that I can do about everything I need to do. I was able to resume being the editor of the park newspaper back in November. That was a job that I could do sitting down at the computer and my brain was recovered enough to handle the job. Around Christmas time I started to teach in the Computer Club on a limited basis. A few times I had to cut off a session or pass the session to someone else because I would lose my voice and could not talk. By this time I can be almost as mouthy as I ever could. The other day I drove an hour and half to South Padre, took a “Pirate” cruise, and drove an hour and half back home and still felt like I was fresh. That made me feel good mentally of course. I know that I have some more recovery to still do. I am certainly glad that I have recovered as well as I have. To be honest I do not believe that I will ever fully understand how fortunate I have been this year.

In a lot of respects I live a lifestyle that is not common to the average person. Just the fact that I live in a motorhome fulltime and do not have a home anywhere that has a foundation touching the ground puts me in a small percentage of the population. Couple that with wintering in an area that has people from both the countries that border the USA and I drop to an even a smaller percentage of the population. Here in Rio Grande Valley just 3 miles from the border of Mexico border there are a lot of Mexican residents and workers. In fact it is reported that 80% of the population is Hispanic. When the Winter Texans return to the valley that figure must drop somewhat because there are nearly a quarter million that come to the valley when it is the coldest in the north. It has also been stated that 80% of the population is bilingual, and I think that must drop in the middle of winter with the Winter Texans back.

There are also a lot of Canadians that come down from north of the border, with quite a few being from the Provence of Quebec where they speak French. So here we sit with people speaking Spanish and French. Everywhere we go to eat or shop a lot of people are speaking a language that I do not.

I have always been partial to little girls. I suppose that is due at least in part to the fact that my only child is female. I am sure I would have been happy with a son but I have never felt any loss in not having a one. With the large Hispanic population down here there are many small children anywhere we go and they are so pretty. I tend to like the little girls more than the boys after a certain age, but either of them have such beautiful brown eyes and black hair. Also the parents tend to dress up the girls in cuter outfits with bows and frills than the boys. I have heard from several people that the kids are disciplined at home more that the children of the whites. That may well be right because they seem to be better behaved than the average child. It also seems to me that there are family values in the Mexican families that may have been lost in many homes. While I cannot prove it and I don't like generalities, in general I think that the care of the elderly by the Hispanic people is better than average.

I have seen a lot of different attitudes toward both the Quebec, Canadians and the Mexicans down here. A lot of people have an attitude that I would have to say is incorrect. Most of my life I have heard that the people in New York City were rude and unfriendly and never helpful. When I was there I found the opposite. People were polite, friendly and very helpful. I have come to the conclusion that a lot of times a person sees in people a combination of what they expect and what they act like themselves. I have heard people say the French from Quebec are unfriendly and do not associate with Americans. I have found exactly the opposite to be true. They are very warm and eager to be friends. If I were in Quebec or Mexico City and could only speak a small amount of the local language I would guess that I would tend to spend my time with American speaking people and might well be considered stand offish. In a lot of ways it is unfortunate that my willingness to learn another language is not great. If I wanted to, I could submerge myself in Spanish or spend a lot of time with French speaking people. But I only want to learn a few words of either language, just enough to be polite I guess.

My daughter teaches in a section of a college that is set up for the people that live in the deaf culture. So of course she has learned American Sign Language. From what I have been told by others she is quite good at it. This is another culture whose language I could learn. While I would have less contact with that language than I do with French or Spanish I could learn it. I know quite a few of the deaf at least by facial recognition. If it were not for their willingness and ability to share with me in my own language I would have less friends, and I do consider some of them to be friends. With just a little effort I might consider them the same way some people I have met consider the people of New York City, or Quebec or Mexico. But I have learned that to my thinking that way is simply wrong.

I have heard many bad things about “Mexicans” in general. But I am willing to bet that any group that could be conceived has had the same things said about them by some other group. When I say group I mean someone like the Irish, the Jews, the Germans, the teenagers, the Texans, the hill people, the valley people, the Christians, the lumberjacks, and the list could go on for pages. In every group there are some that will be undesirable and live up to the bad reputation. But I for one believe that for the most part people just want to live a good life by their standards and raise their children in a healthy situation. Because a person does not agree with my beliefs does not make them wrong, it just makes them different.

Things are different down here in the Valley where there is a culture difference from what I grew up with. There are several “Colonias” in the area of Mission/McAllen. It is reported that there are well over 2,200 of them near the Texas/Mexico border with a population of nearly a half million people. The Colonias are usually laid out on land that is not suitable for for farming or ranching. The people that live in the Colonias are some of the poorest people in the country. According to many they are also some of the hardest working people if they have an opportunity. Bentsen Grove resort does what it can to help one of the local Colonias. When people replace furniture or household dishes or bedding or just about anything that is found in a home and have no need of the old items they are often given to some of the residents here who in turn take it to the Sisters at the Colonia who then give the items to the needy. I understand one or two truck loads are taken there every week. The residents build homes as they can afford material which includes things like a door or a used window or wall which is torn down one place and brought home to build another room. Often the only water available is from a garden hose connected to a neighbor or an extension cord from a neighbor who has electricity. Well over 1,500 coats are collected by BGR (Bentsen Grove Resort) and given to a group that is represented by the weather reporter of a local TV station. BGR auxiliary sponsors ten families every Christmas so that the children can have some new clothes and toys and a quilt that they have made. As people are leaving the valley for the summer they are asked to donate any food that they would normally throw away to the Colonias. It is a bit strange to think that these people would welcome a half box of cereal or half a jar of ketchup. But that is the situation they live in. I truly cannot imagine the desperate situation that these people live in. Compared to them most people I know are rich.

There are a lot of Ropa Usada (used clothes) stores down here unlike any thing that I have ever seen anywhere else. Some are clean, organized, and equal to any upscale used clothes store I might see in Kansas or Colorado or New York. But there are many that are quite different. Forklifts will bring in bundles that weigh a ton or more and are bound with steel bands. The bands are cut and the clothes are dumped on a warehouse floor where people searching for clothes sort through large mounds of new or used articles. Some BGR residents have found New Tuxedos with a price tag on them. Others have found some of the weirdest clothes you could imagine which they bought to wear for Halloween or some of the stage performances here at the park that almost require a weird attire. We went to one the other day and bought nine coats for $5.25, or thirty cents a pound for the coat drive. If we had wanted to spend more time there were a lot more available. The women that were looking for clothes were into the piles like chickens after a fat bug every time the forklift brought a new batch of clothes to the area.

PEOPLE LOOKING FOR CLOTHES AT A ROPA USADA WAREHOUSE

I have not been doing a lot of activities more than have been necessary. A year ago while we were at a park meeting Erma won a free ticket to the South Padre “Pirate” cruise. We immediately bought a ticket for me, but due to circumstances we could not go for about a year. The cruise was a lot of fun. There were several “crew members” that put on quite a show for all the passengers and it was especially a show for the kids, which there were several. There were sword fights between the crew and they passed out water pistols to everybody and there was a lot of water squirted at everybody. If a person did not get squirted by other passengers the crew squirted them. They also had a treasure hunt for the kids. Pieces of eight were scattered around the deck and the children picked up the “booty” and put them in a bucket. Whoever picked up the most “pieces of eight” would get a prize. When the pieces were counted the crew decided that everyone had done such a good job of collecting the booty that all should get a prize. The crew was great! Most of their talk was right out of a buccaneer movie, and they tried to get everybody to talk the same way. Just about everybody was painted up with a mustache and some of the ladies had a small bird or fish or something else painted on them. After all don't all pirates have a tattoo? Out of the same port they have dolphin watch cruises. We saw several pods of dolphin. We were told that two hundred or more dolphin spend the whole year in the area we were cruising. We got some pictures but maybe on some later outing I can get good pictures.

THE BLACK DRAGON PIRATE SHIP TIED TO THE DOCK AT PORT ISABEL

It is definitely getting to be late spring here in South Texas. The trees are all leafed out again, flowers are blooming everywhere and the temperatures are up in the 80's and 90's. But one of the big signs is all the Winter Texans are leaving in hordes. The park is getting to actually look vacant. Many of the activities are shutting down and the chair people are heading north. In just a few weeks there will be none left except those that live here all year. There are about a hundred full time residents.

We have not decided when we will slowly move out of Texas but I have been telling neighbors that we will be here till some time between the end of April and some time in May. We will need to go back to Forest City, Iowa to the Winnebago factory with the hope that they can fix the leak problems that were supposed to be fixed last fall. I am not anxious to return to where I got bit by the mosquito. It is hard for a lot of people to understand that we do not make a lot of plans as to where we will go. We want to travel as the wind of our minds dictate. There have been several times that we left for vacation with no destination selected. That will be our plan this summer also. I will let you know later where we are.

Till later this is Doug of

Peace On The Road   

POTR #68 Undesired Events

Peace On The Road

Undesired Events

November 1, 2011

I remember back when I was a teenager that there was a joke that was told and at the time it seemed very funny. The question would be asked, “Do you know how to keep an old person occupied and happy for a couple hours?” And the answer was, “Ask them, 'Have you ever been in the hospital?'” Then we would laugh and mention someone who had been in the hospital having some operation. At that time I did have some interest in the “adventures” of the person who had been in the hospital but not a lot of interest. I will not try to say why, but as I have aged I truly have become more interested in the medical events of peoples lives. I suspect it is a lot due to the fact that I care for people more and I am closer to being in the same situation. I have experienced one of those situations now. As a much younger man I had thought that I never wanted to become an oldster who always told about “my experience in the hospital.” I WILL try to not be one who has nothing else to discuss. For a couple of reasons I feel that it is acceptable to write about my hospital adventure here. First, I have been specifically asked to write this in a POTR by one of my friends. Second, seven years ago I made a promise to some friends that I would write about the things that I did, where I traveled and what was happening in my life. This definitely has happened in my life. So to honor both reasons I will write this for you. At least this POTR is more than just the hospital.

We had a wonderful time in Rochester visiting our daughter. I retrospect I can say that we did not leave there in the best of shape. Our Jeep has a tire pressure monitoring system. If one of the tires drops to below 31 psi there is a light that displays on the dash. Since the motor home is diesel it has air brakes and therefore a compressor on board. I put some air in the tire and it was over a day before the pressure dropped below 31 psi again. Okay, just a slow leak and not something that I was overly concerned with. We started back to the Winnebago factory to have the rest of the scheduled repairs completed with a slow leak in a tire on the Jeep. We also have a tire pressure monitoring system that will tell me the pressure on all ten tires of the motor home and Jeep while I am driving. The first day I had to put air in the tire only once. Then it got more frequent till it was about once an hour, not a big deal but a real nuisance. We stopped in a town that had a Discount Tire store. I bought the Jeep tires from them. They spent a long time diagnosing the problem and discovered that the wheel itself had developed a hole and was leaking under the chrome plating. The solution was to get a different wheel installed. They took the tire off the wheel and put it on the spare wheel so that I could drive until I could get a wheel. Then they remounted the spare on the bad wheel and put it back under the Jeep. All of this was done for no charge. It would have been expensive anywhere else. I like Discount Tire stores. They have treated me fairly and they are in many states and all honor their service contracts.

Somewhere along the trip I turned on the motor home dash air conditioner and discovered that the only air flow was through the defrost vents in the dash. This was no big deal for comfort because we could run the generator and use the house AC, which we do on very hot days when we are driving. This worked well until the house AC stopped and would not run at all. Fortunately the weather cooled off a bit and we were not uncomfortable. However I was beginning to feel like with just a bit more bad luck we would not make it to Forest City, Iowa for the repairs at all. But on Sunday afternoon we did make it without further problems and were ready to put the motor home into the shop.

We stayed in a motel for two nights while the rear slide was effectively removed and the repair work was done on its leak. This is the leak that existed when it was new and had been “repaired” numerous times, that is until it rained. The factory techs were not happy with some of the wooden parts that were sent to them so they had to reorder other parts. If you recall one of the reasons to go the the factory was to eliminate the necessity of ordering parts. The factory would have all the parts in their warehouse. Obviously that was not the case. They did have many parts in stock. Like a new air conditioning unit which we decided to have installed. The compressor had failed and it was almost as expensive to repair as the cost of a complete new AC. A new compressor installed with old everything else just did not seem prudent. At least the complete new unit has a two year warranty. There were several other items that we had worked on also. Like a house or a car a motor home needs things done on a regular basis and there is just a certain cost that will occur.

The Jeep needed an oil change so we took it to the Jeep dealer in Forest City. They did a 27 point check and found every thing okay, except they found some rubber bushings that were worn and age hardened. The Jeep would make a clunking sound under certain conditions which a couple other Jeep dealers were never able to find. To replace them it would require a full day of labor to remove the front axles, put in the bushings and replace the axles. We told them to order the parts and we would come back later and schedule the work.

Unless it is necessary don't ever buy a new wheel for a Jeep. The cost new was about $425.00. I went to the tire shop where I had purchased the Vectra tires. They checked the leaking wheel and said they had never seen that sort of problem before. They found a wheel at a salvage yard a few hundred miles away and I asked them to overnight it instead of shipment in a week. At the time I did not know that I was not leaving in about two days, but instead would be in the area for over a month. Even the salvaged rim cost me $170.00. At least I had a spare tire just in case I needed it.

Then things really fell apart. I have to be a bit vague about events for a while. I remember being tired for a while. Erma says I was not acting right for two days. Normally if I don't feel well I sleep for an entire day, get up and resume where I left off. I have snapshots of the events that followed and only a few of them. A lot of what happened I have learned from Erma. I was sitting at the table and she said that she thought she should call 911 and get me help. Of course I said I was okay. In a bit, whether seconds or minutes later I do not know, I fell out of the chair sideways. She said “I am calling 911”, and that time I agreed. The next snapshot is two men leaning over me, then the next one in being in a vehicle going down the road. I found out later that I was checked and had a fever of 105⁰ and they were traveling at over 90 mph getting me to the hospital. Erma was following behind in the Jeep. It has been years since she has driven a car that fast. After that it was about two weeks before I really remember much else. The 105⁰ fever indicated that I had an infection of some sort and they spent considerable time trying to determine what was infected. They of course ran the usual tests and found nothing wrong. It was stated that I was a puzzle to them. At one point I asked what time it was. When Erma pointed out the large clock on the wall I said there were two clocks. That got more attention from the Dr. and they ran a Cat-scan and an MRI which determined that I had not had a stroke. I remember thinking at one point that I must have had a stroke. Later when I heard someone telling Erma that I had not, it was sure a relief. A neurologist was brought in and he had a spinal tap performed. Then it was necessary to wait for the culture to grow for a day to determine that I had a viral infection. And still longer to determine that it was the West Nile Virus. During these several days the Dr. was saying, “If he survives this----”, which is not something that Erma wanted to hear, I did not know it was said. Since it was a virus there was not a thing that could be done except give me medication which would prevent any other infections. My body would have to fight off the virus on its own. I had very little knowledge of what was going on around me. I was never aware that there were four nurses getting me out of and back into bed. I was never aware that for a while I had a nurse 24 hours a day sitting by the bed just to keep the oxygen mask attached to my face. I understand that for a while I was not a good patient. I did not like the oxygen mask and I fought having it on.

Finally somewhere around two weeks I started to rally. I heard comments about my improvement being amazing or marvelous. I spent another week out of intensive care, sleeping most of the time. My daughter came to the hospital in spite of starting a new job and needing to attend to her new duties. That uplifted my spirits. Most of the time my spirits were asleep along with my body. Still it was wonderful to hear her say, “Daddy, I love you. You have to get well.” One day she went with her Mother to get something to eat. When she got back I said to her, “You weren't here when I needed you the most.” She instantly felt bad and asked, “What did you need?” When I said, “I got lonesome.”, she knew that I had not lost my sense of humor and I was just teasing her. I think perhaps that was also one of the first things I said that indicated that I was starting to recover. The other statement that came through to me was one time when I was fighting the CPAP oxygen mask and Erma was trying to get me to leave it alone. She said, “You have to leave this on to get better. You have to get better because I need you.” I will say that if a person is out of contact with reality for whatever reason it is good to talk to them and some of it will filter through the subconscious and be of value on a conscious level.

I was moved to a regular ward where I continued to improve. At one point I heard someone say that I would be moved to rehab in a couple weeks instead it was less than a week. I could sit up and get myself across the room with a minimum of help and sit on a chair without the danger of falling off. Needless to say I was very glad to get moved to rehab if for no other reason it meant that I was getting better. The only thing that was good during those three weeks was the fact that I lost weight. I do not recommend the hospital to lose weight, but I did lose 30-40 pounds and that is desirable. Erma says I ate more for her than anyone else during that time. Apparently I was simply too tired to eat. I only have one snapshot of her feeding me. It was not until my last week of being in the hospital that I remember going to a dining area and eating with other people. It quickly became evident that I was better off than several of the people that shared the dining area who had strokes or brain operations. There was a double knee replacement there also and he was doing best of all of us.

Before I was to be released we discussed our options. There of course was several options but except returning to Texas they involved staying in the cold for winter. Erma went to a fellow at Winnebago and he recommended a man who had delivered motor homes but was now retired. He drove us to Texas in three days. I spent those days laying on the couch trying to sleep as much as I could. It was a very long three days. When we arrived in Bentsen Grove there were people coming out of the streets to welcome us back and offer us help in setting up. There are several places that we have friends who would be willing to help but here they at most are a few hundred yards away instead of miles away. I have had more offers of help for anything I need than I would care to try to count. The first night that I was out of the hospital and slept in my own bed was wonderful. I could sit up and get out of the bed so much easier than at the hospital and take care of my night needs. But it was not until I was parked in BGR that I really slept well. I did not have the stress of needing to get up early and be ready for another day of travel. I was set with all the utilities that we use in daily life and would not need to move for months. I was not aware of how much stress I was under in Mason City, Iowa.

I regret most the necessity of giving up my volunteer activities here in BGR. I am getting better consistently, but still I can be very tired in minutes. Talking can exhaust me some days. Recently I was getting something out of the basement of the motor home. Without thinking I knelt down on one knee. I was instantly in trouble. I could not stand up on two feet. Erma does not let me get out of her sight for long. She came out and said, “You got yourself in a pickle.” She grabbed me by the waistband and lifted enough weight so that I could stand up. I am very thankful for a very caring helpmate.

Till later this is Doug of

Peace On The Road