CHRISTMAS 2006 IN MIAMI

We have spent our last two Christmas in Miami with brother Roland, sister in law Tinina, their two children, and my mother. We have enjoyed the times with them immensely. Tinina is a terrific Cuban cook and she is always ready with delicious traditional dishes that we do not get to taste any other time of the year. With Teri's gourmet cooking, and the terrific traditional Spanish sweets imported for Christmas by grocery stores in Miami, it is a moveable feast.


From left to right: Roland, Bernie, Teri, Tinina, and Anthony. Here we are sharing a meal at the campground; 25 minutes South of their house near the Metrozoo.

LP Thompson is a great public campground. Here we are walking by the large lake in the park grounds. It has a nice sandy beach in cystal-clear water.

OUR NEW RECUMBENT BIKES

While staying at Lazydays in the Tampa area for RV repairs we used our time (1.5 weeks - AARRGG) to shop for new recumbent bikes. We spent two days with Marc, the very patient and knowledgeable owner of Power-On-Cycling, trying several of the better recumbents. We finally settled on the new Burley Koozas as the most comfortable and stable overall for both of us.

These are FAST bikes. I have easily clocked 16 mph without any training whatsoever. We have riden 10 miles and had not a trace of pain or discomfort anywhere. The world land speed record for human-powered vehicles is held by a recumbent clocked at 62 mph. (well - a tandem recumbent twin engined with two professional cyclists and with the advantage of a fairing to reduce wind drag).

Besides comfort and efficiency of motion, there are other definite differences between recumbents and regular bikes. In this picture Teri is in starting stance on her recumbent. Since one rides in a reclining position with pedals far forward, there is no such thing as standing up on the pedal to start, or pushing off with the free foot. One must be a good manager of the available 24 speeds and use the gears. Typically to start one must use a mid-range or lower gear and use a large upper leg muscle to push on a cocked pedal like she is doing.

Wubie stalking his favorite play ball

Here is Wubie stalking his favorite play ball.
He races from one end of the RV to the other batting it around.

The other day Teri was walking with him in the campground and someone saw them saying to Teri: "What do you feed that cat?"

With all his hair he looks like a small lion when he walks on the leash.

OLD SAVANNAH, SKIDAWAY, AND TYBEE ISLANDS

English General James Oglethorpe named Georgia after King George II, and founded its first city: Savannah in 1733. He developed 23 squares where colonists gathered for social outings.
Rum, lawyers and slavery were forbidden - for a time.

Tomo-chi-chi, the Yamacraw chief granted the new arrivals permission to settle Savannah on the river bluff. Clearly the either naive, greedy or stupid chief did not know he was dealing with the death of his people.

The first two pictures are fuzzy because I was taking them with the cell phone camera - had dead batteries in the camera.

This is one of the many squares in the compact old city. Near this monument there is a small plaque indicating that at one time this spot was the tomb of Tomo-chi-chi, but at some point it was razed to put this monument to a Revolutionary war veteran.

This is one of the many city streets. Live oaks form a tunnel over most of the streets. Spanish moss drapes the branches of live oak and crape myrtle everywhere.

Teri at another of the squares. The old city is compact and we walked by a good number of the squares.

Some of the houses have ornate ironwork which in some cases was imported from England.

The old Savannah riverfront used to be full of cotton warehouses and services for seamen. Nowadays it is a turist place full of restaurants, t-shirt and souvenir shops, and tour guides. There is a great deal of industry but it is out of sight further up the river.


We took the Paddlewheeler Riverboat tour and were fortunate enough to sit in the shaded outdoor upper deck in a nice dining table. A couple of part-time visitors from Pennsylvania asked to join us at the table.

The tour took us upriver in front of large ocean going tanker ships and other cargo ships.
The one below was of Greek registry.



We also passed a luxury yatch production center. These beauties are sleek and luxurious transoceanic cruisers with all the modern communications and navigation electronics.

Skidaway Island has large tidal hammocks that separate it from the mainland.

Skidaway island is a sandy barrier island on the East side of the Intracoastal Waterway South of Savannah. We were staying at the State Park there. To get to it we had to go over the "Moon River" of Johnny Mercer song fame.


This is Teri biking in the State Park. It is a beautiful park dense with Spanish moss draped live oak, palmetto, and pine forests, and also - unfortunately - enough standing water to be a mosquito paradise.

Here she is gaining on a mosquito squadron after her.

Tybee Island is the Savannah area beach 18 miles East of the old city.

You can see the relative position of Tybee (means "salt" in the native language) and Skidaway where we were staying with our RV.

HUNTINGTON BEACH STATE PARK - SC

After experiencing Fall in Pennsylvania we went back to the warm waters of South Carolina near Murrells Inlet. Huntington Beach is one of our favorite campgrounds. We can hear the surf from our bedroom and it is close enough that if we want we can take our notebook computers to the beach and still be within range of our RV's Wireless internet.

This is the short boardwalk separating the campground from the beach.

The beach is uncrowded, wide, and clean. The fine white sand packs hard enough for us to ride the bikes on it.
There are many very nice beach homes nearby. Plenty of good shopping and numerous seafood restaurants. Everywhere you see large live oaks with branches decorated with Spanish Moss.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT'S FALLINGWATER MASTERPIECE

While staying near Somerset Pennsylvania this fall we took a side trip in the Laurel Highlands to Frank Lloyd Wrights architectural masterpiece.


Here it is in each season.

Construction began in 1936, and ended with the completion of the guest house in 1939.


The Kaufmann family used Fallingwater in all seasons as a weekend or vacation home until the 1950's, when their son inherited it.

The Kauffmans owned a department store in Pittsburg. When we went to Pittsburg we saw a Kauffmans department store still operating in a local shopping center. The Kauffmans took the train to the nearby town of Oligopyle where they were picked up in a car by their Fallingwater caretaker and driven up the mountain to the weekend retreat.

The servant quarters is a complex of buildings up the side of the creek canyon behind the main house.

An interesting thing about the house is that everything inside and out, including all furniture, floors wall decor, lighting, etc. except for the kitchen - was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

The house gives you a feeling of cozyness while at the same time making you experience the outdoors surrounding you. It is fantastic.

Wright responded to the family's love for a waterfall on Bear Run, a rushing mountain stream in Western Pennsylvania. Mimicking a natural pattern established by its rock ledges, Wright placed the house over the falls in a series of cantilevered concrete "trays," anchored to masonry walls made of the same Pottsville sandstone as the rock ledges. Although the house rises over 30' above the falls, strong horizontal lines and low ceilings help maintain a sheltering effect. Almost as much floor space is taken up by outdoor terraces as indoor rooms.

I think this is a design masterpiece, but we have to be clear - it is no engineering masterpiece.

An engineer must achieve excellence in three dimensions: design, economics, and operational survivability or quality.

Frank Lloyd Wright had only to achieve excellence in the first of these. He was building for people for whom cost was no object, and he exceeded materials design parameters so that within the first 25 years, the building was collapsing and had to be restored at a cost of 11 million dollars.

WHISKEY REBELLION CELEBRATION - Berlin, PA

Doctor's Implements - The Whiskey Rebellion occurred during the late 1700s when the cash poor US government decided to impose a tax on whiskey to raise revenue. Now the thing is, the folks that sold whiskey were way out there in Pennsylvania. These folks had fought for our country's independence and were rewarded with land that was hilly, rocky,
poor soil in Pennsylvania. When these farmers found a way of making money from the whiskey they made from one of only a few crops that was successful, Congress thought taxing them would be a good idea because the farmer's vote didn't matter to them and the farmers were so spread out that how could they possibly raise any resistance forces. Well, ultimately the whiskey tax was repealed.

Now, if you were shot during this time, your doctor was able to use one of these great implements to get that bullet out. Since there was no anesthesia, whiskey was a great help during these operations. Surgery anyone?

Making Maple Syrup - Berlin is a town of 2,000 people, and the gentleman on the right was demonstrating the process of gathering and making maple syrup. He said that he had lived in Berlin all his life and in fact, knew all the other craftspeople since they were all small boys and girls. Folks from this area have a very resourceful mentality. He said that he has land outside of town and for most of his winter heating needs, gets the wood himself from his land. This way he is not depending on energy companies for his needs nor does he have to pay their high prices. It was very refreshing talking to this very talented individual.

Historical Society's Parade Float - This was a great country parade, and we were fortunate to sit next to a woman whose children and grandchildren were with her at the parade, and who told us some much about the town and its community minded folks.

Handmade Rifle - The gentleman on the right makes these rifles that are made like they were in the late 1700s. (Double click on any picture for a larger view.) The rifles have elaborate scroll work and inlaid metal designs. He works on making these rifles as a hobby and it can take 6 or more months to make just one rifle. They were really beautiful.

Dinner is Served - I don't know what they were cooking, but it smelled so good.

Flight 93 National Memorial - September 11, 2001

Flight 93 Crash Site - It is windy with overcast skies that mirror the somber mood of those visiting the memorial site. It is a quiet rolling hill that once was a strip coal mine. The hills are gently sloping with a border of Hemlock trees. It is eerily silent.

The site volunteer lives in the small village of Shanksville, two miles away. She tells us the firemen were at the site within 10 minutes of the crash which they were alerted to as the plane was being followed on radar. A farmer and his wife who live only 1/2 mile from the site were first there. Both the farmer and his wife and later the fireman saw the black smoke billowing up to the stratosphere, but they did not see an airplane.

At impact, the plane was going 550 miles per hour and dug a crater of over 40 feet deep into the ground. There were only small unrecognizable debris in the area and later it was discovered that the debris covered an area of 9 miles.

The surrounding dirt had been removed to find whatever information could be found, and later the crater was filled in with fresh dirt and the area reseeded to grass. DNA was ultimately found for over 80% of the victims. Only a bible that belonged to Toshiya Kuge, a 12 year Japanese boy, and a backpack were found intact. Over time some belongings were found and returned to the families.

Temporary Memorial to Crew and Passengers - The volunteer told us that on September 11, she was at home in Shanksville, two miles away, working at her computer and watching the news on television of the attacks on the World Trade Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington. She heard what sounded like a screeching engine in reverse and the sounds were so loud, she had to cover her ears. She didn't know what was happening and then her home began to rumble from the ground up. She ran out of her house fearful as she had no idea of what could be happening. When she got outside, there was only silence.

Two miles in the other direction of the crash site, her husband, a teacher, at the local school that housed K - 12 said that it was a warm September day and the windows of most classrooms were open. Suddenly, they also heard a loud sound and children on the top floor of the building saw the plane going down. From the impact, windows slammed down and doors blew open and the building also began to shake. Had the plane crashed 2 seconds earlier, the school would have been in its path. The plane was 20 minutes from Washington, D.C.

The temporary memorial has an area where people leave personal items or write notes in remembrance of those souls who make an incredibly brave decision to try and overtake the terrorist so others would not become victims. Benches with the names of the crew and passengers is another memorial to them. There is a small building that has photos and stories about the event, and a book that has a picture and small biography of each crew member and passenger. Reading the biographies makes you realize even more that these people were no different than your family and your neighbors and your friends--just going about there daily business.

Being at the site is a profound experience and it is heartbreaking all over again.

Renaissance Festival of Greater Pittsburgh

The Enchanted Forest - The setting is England at the end of the War of the Roses through the culmination of the reign of Elizabeth 1 (1455-1603). It was a relatively peaceful time of recreation and enjoyment. It was the time of Shakespeare. (Double click to enlarge any picture)

The Wicked Wenches - Humorous antics about attracking men with audience participation--for a few unfortunate souls. This was a festival of humor on the period with folks in period dress walking throughout the grounds talking, arguing, and joking with each other.

Scottish Bagpipes - Throughout the Enchanted Forest there were singers, folks playing instruments, jugglers, and craftmakers. There was wonderful food to be had at places like the Cotswald Kitchens, Queen's Pantry, Royal Kitchens, 3 Creeks Tavern and the Guinness Pub.

Joust of Morelandshire - Queen's Squire. The Squire announces the Queen and King to the audience. As the queen gives us the wave, the audience cheers, long live the queen. Part of the audience is selected to cheer the knight in red, and part of the audience is asked to join in booing the black knight. Guess who was the bad knight??

Joust of Morelandshire - Knights Clash. After showing their skills in accuracy and strength, it is time for the lance. The Queen's squire announces to the crowds lining the end of the rink, that if a horse comes at full gallop towards them, do not stand in amazement, but step aside. The horses at full gallop traveling toward each other, knight's lances poised for battle, and CRASH, both knight's armor are pierced by the lances that are then torn from their grip. Does the red knight win. Of course the red knight wins; this is the Enchanted Forest!

Malarky and Poppycock - Originals from Ireland singing those Irish pub songs.

Spiraldanse - Celtic ballads and blarney and there was plenty of both!

Sak Theatre - This was a spoof on Romeo and Juliet with audience members "volunteered" to play the part of Romeo and Juliet. Just regular folks, and they really got into their parts with great fun.

Golden Hill State Park NY - Lake Ontario

Double click to enlarge picture - This is the view of Lake Ontario out our living room window. Lake Ontario is amazing. At first, it seems like you are looking at the ocean because, in every direction, land cannot be sighted. There are differences though as there is no smell of saltwater or feel of saltwater. There are tides of sort. When the wind is blowing towards shore, a foot higher lake level can be noticed, and when the wind blows away from shore, a foot or so lower level can be noticed. There are white caps when the wind is stronger and seagulls are well represented here.

On the banks of Lake Ontario - Our campsite side yard with our cat, Wubie doing a little exploring. Lake Ontario is 53 miles at its widest point, 193 miles long, average depth is 203 feet, deepest at over 800 feet. At the West end, it receives water from Lake Erie via Niagara Falls and the Welland Canal and locks in Ontario Canada. At the East end, it empties into the St. Lawrence Seaway towards Quebec. Relaxing by the banks to the sound of the swells rolling over the rocky shore is so soothing.

The most spectacular sunset occurs here. The red sun is a huge ball sitting on the horizon of the lake and slowly sinks into the lake. Once the sun has set, the sky puts on a brilliant show of color with ribbons of red, pink, mauve, lavender, and many shades of blue spreading across the last moments of the day and bringing you gently into the night sky.

Top of the Table View - Wubie wanted a closer look at the water, but had to settle for a table top view. Large container ships, ferries, and cruise ships can be seen on the horizon throughout the day, and closer to shore a sailboat or kayak can be seen drifting by. The sailboats and kayaks are mesmerizing as they pass quietly by with only a slight lapping of water against their bow.

Our Campsite at Golden Hill State Park - This is a campground with only 65 site of which all have a view of Lake Ontario. It is a peaceful charming place and has been rated as one of the top 100 state campgrounds in the U.S. It has a few trails, but what is has most, is the arresting beauty of Lake Ontario that inspires your soul and refreshes your inner self. It is a tonic of nature!

30-Mile Lighthouse - This lighthouse is in the campground and is one of the most beautiful lighthouses with keeper quarters attached that I have seen so far. It was built in 1875 and has saved many of ships from the rocky shoals and shifting sandbars. In 1995, the lighthouse was pictured on 32 cent stamps. This is one lighthouse that feels like someone's home and there is a sense of tender loving care that has been given to the lighthouse. From our campsite, we could see the flash from the automated light once the sun went down bringing us a feeling of being out in the waters with this beacon of safety.

Letchworth SP in Northwest New York

Click on the map to enlarge it. This Northwest corner of New York State is the ancestral land of the Seneca. It was fought-over by the French and British, and later the Americans and British. You can see the three campgrounds we visited: Letchworth to the Southwest of Geneseo, Golden Hill at the Northern edge of the Lake Ontario South shore, and Four Mile Creek right at the mouth of the Niagara onto Lake Ontario.

The Genesee river cuts deeply through sedimentary layers here. These lands used to belong to the Seneca indians. Not far from here was the land of a white woman that had grown-up as a Seneca. She cultivated it with some of her mixed blood sons. Her name was Mary Jamison. She was captured in a frontier Pennsylvania farm in the late 1700's by a warring party of French and indians. Her original family was massacred. She was given to the Seneca by the French to replace a dead warrior. Her life, and that of the Indian tribes fate is a tragic one. The Seneca were technologically in the stone age. This becomes SHOCKINGLY vivid when you look at their stone tools. The male Seneca were warriors and hunters. When they could no longer do this they got hooked by the white mans liquor. Mary's middle son - very much a Seneca - killed her two other sons that had inherited more white traits.

Middle Falls near the Glen Iris restaurant where we had a couple of unusually good meals. When the flood control dam at the North end of the park fills, the canyon water level rises from a fast whitewater brook at the bottom to a lake that just covers these Middle Falls. A tremendous amount of water is held back that otherwise would have flooded communities and farms to the North of the park.

The Canyon walls are 550 feet high at their highest point here. This view is past the Middle Falls, as the Genesee flows Northward

Teri looking into the Canyon of the Genesee river from Inspiration Point.