Happy Birthday Erin!

It is hard to believe that Erin is 26 years old! It seems like yesterday that she was just a baby - then toddling - and now ...

Happy Birthday ErinEliz!

The First Saturday in December

The first Saturday in December the battlefield at Antietam comes alive with luninaries – one for each casualty of the bloodiest one day of the Civil War. Last year, unknowingly, I happened upon this wonderful celebration of these lives. I went for a hike and found a national treasure.

Erin Eliz having an Antietam Adventure


Last Saturday, my daughter Erin and I, together with my friend Toby, went for a hike in Antietam. Like last year’s hike, this was a Sierra Club sponsored event. The hike started at 11:45 am and we strategically parked our cars near where the drive through the luminaries would begin 6 hours later. It was a cold day and we layered and bundled in an effort to keep warm as we walked. The hike followed the same path as last year and wandered through the farms and fields, Dunker Church and the bloody cornfield and after seven miles we were back to our cars. At this point, the hike continued south to the Burnside Bridge – only we discovered that Erin had worked a nice blister on her foot and opted to sit out the last 4 miles in our warm car.

When we returned to the car we discovered a flyer from the Antietam Café – you know those windshield flyers – I usually throw them away without a second thought. This one however said that they would deliver hot chocolate and sandwiches to our car – can you imagine? So we ordered pulled pork sandwiches and hot chocolate – all to be delivered to the eighth car in a five mile long line of cars! It was wonderful – it felt decadent – and we were warm and happy. About this time we discovered a woman in the car behind us that had also opted out of the last four miles of the hike – she was sitting in the car without the benefit of a running engine and heat – so we invited her into our backseat where it was warm – and ordered more food from the Antietam Café!


About 6:00pm the parade of cars began to enter the Antietam Battlefield – the battlefield we had hiked during the day while volunteers placed paper bags with sand and candles in neat and space rows. It was much different after dark as we slowly passed rows and rows – hundreds and hundreds – of candles. One candle for each casualty – one for each of the 23,000 killed, missing or injured in that one day battle in September 1862.

Gas Prices in Maryland

In late October, I was quite pleased that gas had gone from near $5.00/gallon to about half that.


... A month later, the price keeps falling...



I feel violated!

Star Spangled Banner

The National Museum of American History reopend after two long years of renewal and renovation. Wow, it was so crowded today - but it was nice to walk through the refurbished exhibits - and having seen several versions of the Star Spangled Banner exhibit (beginning in the mid '70's when it was still hanging in the museum and then a refurbishment exhibit with fiber workers on a scaffold over the flag making repairs and adding a new linen backing) I found it still quite awe inspiring.

I think I will wait awhile - avoid the crowds - before continuing my explorations in this museum. It is wonderful to have it back again!

Snow

Yesterday we had snow flurries - nothing stuck for long, but it looks like perhaps winter has begun.

Justin's Mom

Today I went to Arlington Cemetery with my photo group, Shutterbug Excursions. This is a wonderful meet-up group and we have taken a number of wonderful adventures. Today we went back to Arlington Cemetery for the Veteran’s Day ceremonies. Actually we thought this was the holiday where the put out all the flags, but we were misinformed.

Today parking was free as were shuttles up to the Amphitheatre and Tombs of he Unknown but with free comes lots of restrictions – like no big bags, no water bottles, and security check points everywhere together with military in dress blues – guess you need that when there are live dignitaries in the cemetery. But with the realization that there would be lots of people at the ceremonies and lots of security checks, we decided to venture off to Section 60. Actually I suggested it as an alternative and no one else had ever been there.

I am emotionally moved by Section 60. Always. And today was no different. As I entered, I met a young man who lost his dad to a parachute accident in Arizona after three tours in Iraq. His name is John, his dad was Tom. He and his mother and sister often visit Section 60; today his grandmother was along as well, she was Tom’s mother. John loves military aircraft and would like to fly someday. He’s not sure he wants to join the military, but he wants to fly. He was a wonderful young man. I believe he said that he was 11 years old.

As I wandered on, I was attracted to a stone with a birthday balloon. This was Justin’s grave. A little distance away was a woman about my age and several others folks as well. I asked if she was Justin’s mom – but I didn’t need to ask, I knew. What a wonderful woman. She lives in New Hampshire and was here for Justin’s birthday – November 10th – yesterday. Justin would have been 24 years old.

His mother talked about what a wonderful son he was, about how he planned a proposal to his girlfriend, how he loved the army, about his anticipated return home, and his position as a gunner on a Humvee – until it hit an IED on a fateful day in March 2007. She lost her son that day, and six other mothers lost their children in that same incident. She shared that when the army returned his personal effects, his digital camera had an untouched memory card; apparently these are usually cleaned before returning; his had photos and a recent video. Through these, she was able to be a part of his last days. I am sure those pictures and especially the video of free time antics will be treasured always. Justin’s mom, Rhonda, is a special mother.

This is not my first visit to Section 60. I always leave emotionally drained - last time I was angry - this time I felt a relationship with Justin's family. I felt personally touched - no kicked in the butt - by this war ... and I hurt.

Happy Birthday Justin

Today I felt Veteran's Day, and it didn't feel very good.

Whiteside Mountain

When I was in Highlands last week, I wanted to get away and hike Whiteside. That mountain has been a source of insipration for me for oh so many years. I was in Highlands to bid farewell to Joyce Hetzel. And it was Joyce that first introduced me to the magic and beauty of Whiteside.

Joyce Hetzel

Joyce Merideth Hetzel
1923 - 2008

Blackwater by Bicycle

Sunday at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

...So it was Sunday morning - and I ventured off with a few friends for a spin around Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. I hadn't been to Blackwater in probably 25 years - and mostly it was unchanged. We rode 27 miles - the weather was cool - and the wind was brisk. I am in the middle of the group photo in the very yellow jacket.

SECTION 60

Have you seen the HBO special “Section 60”?

I had not seen it before I found myself wandering through that portion of Arlington National Cemetery last Saturday. I had joined a Smithsonian tour of the cemetery and a gentleman on the tour was telling me about an HBO documentary about Section 60 – called the most tragic acre of land – the final resting place of so many young men and women who fought and died in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The tour of the cemetery, lead by a really wonderful Washington Guide, Jennie Fogel, took us to some famous landmarks. Jennie was like a walking encyclopedia and had stories, dates, and interesting tidbits to offer throughout the tour. She stopped at the Tomb of the Unknowns and left us to watch the changing of the guard. Having been there only a week before, I left for a hike to Section 60.

Unlike other parts of the cemetery – this section was alive with living, breathing and grieving people. Most of the cemetery is little more than rows and rows of granite headstones; Section 60 has families, children, flowers, little rocks on headstones and for me a feeling of despair. Why this war? Why these children? So many Why’s – and no good answers.

Section 60 is a statement of our times… and a sad and devistating statement. If you get a chance - watch the HBO documentary, it will break your heart. Walking through Section 60 left me sad, brokenhearted, and angry.

Garrison Keillor

Garrison Keillor sang sonnets at the National Cathedral this evening. The audience participated with the “Amen” chorus.

There was little news from Lake Wobegon, the folks at the Chatterbox Café don’t quite seem to understand this $700 Billion bailout. There does seem to be some optimism, however, about the presidential elections -- it appears that the next president of the United States (which ever may be elected) will be able to speak in complete sentences and compose his own thoughts….

Intimidation

My new camera arrived today … a Canon Rebel XSi. Holy Crap! What have I gotten myself into? This thing is flat out intimidating – how will I ever learn all of its intricate functions? How will I ever learn ANY of its intricate functions? Was I really better with my pocket point-and-shoot?

Tomorrow will be another day (that’s a quote from my friend Gary in Tampa). I am going to spend a little bonding time with it and perhaps a little more time day after tomorrow. After that, I will decide whether it becomes part of my everyday adventures or is buried in the bottom of a closet somewhere.

What was I thinking…

NYC Excursion - 20 Sept 2008

I joined a photography group a few months ago – it has been many years since I did anything except point-and-shoot – and maybe it was time to rekindle my creative interests in photography. That’s how I came to Shutterbug Excursions, a meet-up group of mostly amateur photographers. At our first meeting in Annapolis, we talked about venues and interests, as a result of this discussion we planned a wonderful photo excursion to NYC.

The insanity, I believe, began with the 3:30am departure. Our chosen mode of travel to the Big Apple was the Apex Chinatown Bus, mostly because it is cheap ($35.00 r/t) and runs throughout the day and night. The terminal (actually a tiny store front on a side street) was in DC Chinatown which I found surprisingly bustling during the wee hours. We boarded the generic white bus for four cramped and bumpy hours as we cruised into Chinatown – New York’s Chinatown!

Chinatown was alive with activity and aromas when we arrived at 7:30am. We walked past street vendors, fish shops, and women practicing Tai Chi in park. Then we ventured to what I consider to be the set of Law & Order - The Manhattan Municipal complex with the Manhattan and Federal Courthouses and Foley Square across the street. Of course we all had to pose for our best Law & Order group shot.

(Photo credit to Steve Rosenbach)

Foley Square itself was interesting with it’s circular green benches and spiral handrails. From there it was off to the Brooklyn Bridge and a chance meeting with about 3,000 walkers. I snagged one of their shirts, it says “Live United” and credits its sponsor, the United Way of New York City.

There were 11 of us on the DC bus, joined by 2 from Baltimore, and Steve’s son Ben from Philadelphia later in the day. So, for most of the excursion we numbered 14. Keeping 14 photographers together in NYC is no easy task. Our first lost soul wandered off in search of a restroom and food while we were at South Street Seaport – so we all took a lunch break thinking she would wander back. Eventually she spotted us, because we never did find her in the crowd.

Our travels then found us in Central Park where we walked and walked. I had never really explored much of the park and relished each step and was amazed at the people, activity, and splendor of the park. It is a treasure! We entered around 89th street and wandered through Shakespeare Gardens and over toward Belvedere Castle and Bethesda Terrace. Time was running out and we bypassed Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial – which means I need to go back! Actually we all decided on a return trip this spring – and maybe even making it a two day trip.

With Central Park behind us, we headed to the subway for our return trip to Chinatown and the bus south to Baltimore and DC. We boarded the subway at 59th Street – at that time we were all together – we opted for an express and that’s where the misadventure began. About half of us had boarded a really crowed train when we heard an announcement about “limited service” – Steve decided we should wait until the next train. We all got off – all except four who hadn’t heard the change of plans. As fate would have it, we all managed to meet up at grand central (of all places). We boarded our bus at 6:00pm and in spite of the cramped conditions – I think we all caught some shut-eye on the trip home.

See our collective photographs on Flickr – look for Shutterbug Excursions.

Yard Work

I’ve been thinking about yard work … about how I missed the smell of fresh cut grass, about the feel of dirt under my fingernails, about working up a sweat and jumping in the pool. Yeah, every now and then I really miss getting outside and participating in the suburban routine of a well manicured lawn. The thought, thankfully is often fleeting.

Thoughts sometimes, however, linger. So without a yard of my own anymore, I volunteered for trail work. This, I believed, would cure my hunger for the taste of hard work in the out of doors. So, last Sunday I got up early, packed my backpack with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a trail mix bar, some bug repellant, water bottles, several cotton bandanas, and the other outdoor accoutrements in preparation for a day in the park. This time, however, I added some work gloves and safety glasses. I was off to Gambrill State Park in western Maryland.

It’s a little over an hour to the park from where I live, but I trusted “Alice” my Magellan GPS – and went about twenty miles out of the way to the park administration office. I finally found the Nature Center at Gambrill State Park – only about ten minutes late. This was supposed to be a work trip for the Western Maryland chapter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) – I was looking for a group. It seems that the group turned out to be me and Dave. Dave is the volunteer in charge of the trail in that area. PACT is a sizeable organization with a mission to create and maintain trails including portions of the AT in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania. I joined because I felt I was way over due in paying the toll for all the trails I had used over the years.

Dave had me gather tools and we went to work. I began with an old fashioned weed whacker – no string, no power – just me and a blade. When the weeds looked to be under control, Dave began teaching me how to construct a water break – about looking at the erosion and flow and determining a path for the break, gathering materials (usually a log or timber) and starting construction. Unlike projects at work, there were no meetings, discussions, design reviews – no, just me and my new best friend – something called a mattock. I always thought that thing was called a pick-ax – but then my thinking is often faulty. Well, I swung, dug dirt, chipped away on rock, measured, rolled that log in and out, measured again, and so on. It took a little more than two hours to construct my first water break – but it was done – it looked wonderful – and I was right pleased with myself. Also I was exhausted. It was lunch time and my P B&J was calling.

Gambrill State Park has several CCC structures including lookouts, shelters, and a really enchanting building called the “Tea House.” (See the website: http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/gambrill.html)
They all have that lovely stone masonry construction that came out of the CCC era and that I came to know and love in the Carolinas in my youth. These structures can still be found along the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Skyline Drive. As it turned out, Gambrill was hosting a reunion of CCC’ers that afternoon. When the ranger told us about the gathering, I commented to Dave that they had to be either really old or dead – and sure enough there were perhaps a half dozen of them – and they were really old! Together with their friends and families, the reunion was a joyous gathering with lots of stories, reminiscing, and some old photos. When they were leaving, several mentioned getting together again next year – that is if there were any of them left to get together. I would rather have stayed and listened to their stories, but I had a job to do and yet another water break to build.

So, for the afternoon I spent my time building another water break. This one was a little longer and more complicated than the first. It needed some channeling as well as the water break and Dave helped with the design – and subsequent redesign. The original design was hampered by underlying rock that I could not begin to break, move, or levitate with mental, physical, or spiritual powers. By mid afternoon, this task was complete and I was exhausted. With at least an hour’s drive before home, I abandoned my buddy Dave and went in search of a hot bath and long nap. Before leaving Gambrill, however, I filled my water bottles with some really wonderful mountain spring water, climbed one of the CCC overlooks, and reflected on my yearning for yard work.

Saturday At Oregon Ridge Park

Oregon Ridge Park – Saturday (Sept 13, 2008)

Believe it or not, Baltimore County has some really awesome parks. Last Saturday I hiked in Oregon Ridge Park with a Meet-Up group that I have been having good times with since I arrived in Maryland last year. (Can you believe that it’s been a whole year!) There were twelve of us out for this adventure – which turned out to be a really nice walk in the woods. The weather was wonderful, no bugs, and the park (a former ski resort I am told) was in its pre-autumn splendor.

Photo Credit to Francisco – He has mastered the art of the self-timer feature and is in the photo next to me in the center.

Still Crazy

Last Saturday, I attended a Paul Simon concert – it was the culmination of the AARP Expo in Washington. As an AARP event, I expected to encounter some older folks – well at least a few boomers anyway. What I didn’t expect was for the star performer to look like much of the audience. Actually Paul Simon was looking old… How can that be?


I went to a Moody Blues concert several years ago in Tampa. At that time I was amazed that the audience was so old – so much silver hair at a Moody Blues concert. We brought our Bic lighters to the concert that night and in the flickering lights I know that we believed that it was still 1968.

This time I was amazed at Paul Simon. In appearance he looks much older – but his stage presence and the performance was awesome. Who was this person pretending to be the great Paul Simon? He warmed up with a couple of numbers before he invited the audience to get out of their seats and feel the music – from then on – the ballroom of the DC convention center rocked with boomers dancin’ and moving to the likes of “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” and “Still Crazy after All these Years.”

Yep, thank God that we are still crazy after all these years! Ain’t life grand?

A Volunteer Adventure

Back sometime last June, I saw an advertisement in the AARP publication for the DC area – they were looking for volunteers for their annual expo to the held in early September. I tore it out and put it on my “desk” (for those of you that have come for a visit – you know my desk, but that’s another story) fully intending to get around to responding, or not, in a few days. Several weeks, well maybe even a month or two, passed before I picked it up again – and by that time the deadline for applications had long past. That was actually quite comforting meaning that a decision had been made in my procrastination. But I went to the website listed anyway and was amazed to find the link for the volunteer page was still active, so I clicked and applied. Of course I believed that since my application was late that it would end up in some cyber circular file and that would be the end of my otherwise good intentions.

In early August I got a letter in the mail – first class postage – from AARP. Generally bulk mail goes in the trash without the benefit of another glace. I opened the letter, and to my surprise it read “Congratulations, you have been selected…” I was going to be one of many local area volunteers at the AARP Annual Expo (whatever that was)!

Now to digress, I have been a card carrying member of AARP for a number of years. I joined mostly for the discounts at hotels, and for eyeglasses. You must know that I do not, in my own mind, believe that I am truly eligible for active participation in this organization as I am still working full time and I do not think or act like a retired person. But, I must admit, I do meet the only posted eligibility requirement – I am over 50 years of age.

Volunteer training was held at the Washington Convention Center about a week in advance of the big event. There were lots of volunteers – in my session, the third of three, I would estimate that there about 200+ people. It was evening and the provided beverages and refreshments before launching into a variety of lively speakers on everything from the history of AARP – to member relations – to special programs and events – and of course the roles and responsibilities of the volunteers. I left excited about both being able to attend the event and about my role as a volunteer.

One of the special roles of the volunteers was to dispense the “Panda Pins.” I didn’t really know much about how important these pins are … but when I arrived at the conference, everybody had pins and most were seeking the coveted “Panda Pin.” Each volunteer was given 8 or 10 pins to give out, mostly people asked for them but you could offer them too. My initial stash was gone in no time – I think attendees stalked the volunteer room in hopes of snagging a coveted panda.

I was a session room monitor – the session I had on Saturday was about self publishing. It was a lively group and aside from assisting with the mike during the Q&A, I actually learned a lot about trying to get published and the growing field in self publishing. This session was across the hall from a session on sex, there was a much larger and more passionate group over there.

Volunteering gave me access to the entire event. One of the highlights, for me anyway, was a session with Maya Angelou and Quincy Jones. It was held on Saturday morning – and started about the same time as the wind and rain from Hurricane Hanna hit the DC area. I took an early subway trip in and was in the staging area about 30minutes before the door opened. Fate and good fortune intervened and I found myself in the front row for a wonderful and lively discussion. By way of digression, I want to say that there are people that you can just feel their presence – I found this when I went to a lecture by Desmond Tutu several years ago – I can’t remember what he said but I vividly recall the feeling of being in the presence of that man. I felt that again with Maya Angelou – and I don’t think it had much to do with the front row seats. It was a wonderful exchange between the two old and dear friends – a format that I understand she uses often.

Another highlight was Paul Simon. That is the subject of yet another blog…

Overall, I found the volunteer experience wonderful and fulfilling. Moreover, however, I came away with a new perspective on AARP and growing old in America. AARP is a great organization; their staff is wonderful, knowledgeable, and very caring. I met many wonderful people there both volunteers and attendees – some like me that are not retired, some looking frail with their wheelchairs and walkers, but most I found to be lively and young at heart. The program was great, the concerts fabulous, the exhibit hall had vendors with everything you needed to get old, and the experience was a lot of fun.

Next year the gathering is in Vegas – and I am thinking that maybe I should find my way out there. Of course, this would only be an excuse to for inexpensive airfare, a discount hotel room rate, and an excuse to escape for a hike in the Grand Canyon – after all, in my mind I am way too young for AARP!