O'Briens Keep in Ireland

I thwarted my husband’s vacation plans. Days before he purchased tickets for a Caribbean cruise, I suggested Scotland.
In the blink of an eye, I wasted months he spent researching itineraries. Gone were his plans to lounge poolside on the lido deck, dine on all-he-could-eat buffets and enjoy nightly live entertainment aboard a floating mega-mall.
He tossed them aside in an instant when I pointed out Scotland has spooky ruins, damp castles and foggy moors. We’re passionate about history and figure we can cruise when we’re old. Besides, who wants to spend December snorkeling in warm, tropical waters when they can stand beside the frigid waters of Loch Ness, which is close in latitude to Juneau, Alaska?
It’s been a dream come true, traveling abroad to ancient cities and world capitals, and we’ve added Rome, London and Dublin to our scrapbook.
There’s one vacation I would like to take, but he may not agree as readily to this idea.
As an American Archaeologist, my experience in the field abroad is non-existent. I’ve peeked at archaeological sites during my travels, and admired the results of antiquities research in various museums, but I’ve never had the opportunity to dig overseas.
I think my husband may pull out the cruise ship brochures when I tell him I’m looking at archaeological vacation packages. He doesn’t care to get dirty unless it’s in his own garden.
What most people don’t realize about archaeological vacations is the work you’ll do is a service to all humanity. When you contribute to an archaeological dig, as either a shovel bum or a lab rat, you are a “Steward of the Past.” You help conserve heritage for future generations.

Visitors volunteer for a day at Muncy Heritage Park and Nature Trail (Muncy, PA)

Without the help of volunteers, most archaeological sites wouldn’t get dug, either. Although there’s a lot of interest in prehistoric and historic sites, there’s not a lot of money for excavation and preservation.
One way museums offset the expense of archaeological research is to team up with volunteer vacation groups. It’s a win-win situation, since the volunteer not only gets to visit exotic locations, they get to play Indiana Jones.
And is it fun? Heck yeah!
Anthropologist Kent Flannery once wrote, “… archaeology is still the most fun you can have with your pants on.”
As an archaeologist, I’ve met hundreds of people who want to spend an hour, a day, a week, even a month working on my digs. Entire families have joined my projects, some flying across the continent to spend their vacations with me, squatting in the dirt, brushing soil from rusty nails, screening mud for artifacts. Others want to spend their time washing those artifacts and still others, identifying and cataloging them.
To this day, it amazes me that people will pay me to let them play in the dirt and lift heavy buckets.
It’s also fascinating that a person will excavate a piece of broken glass, then handle it with care given to expensive crystal. That same person probably walked by and ignored dozens of pieces of broken glass between the parking lot and the dig site.
So, what is the difference between litter and artifacts? Context.
Context makes material things important. We want to know, “What is it? Who made it? Where was it found?”
Context makes our memories important also. We want to remember, “Where did we go? What did we do? Who did we see?”
Because memories are important, my husband gallantly tossed aside our trip to the islands. Instead of dining from the trough on a cruise ship, we will have Christmas Lunch at Edinburgh Castle. We will board the Royal Yacht Britannia, walk the Royal Mile to Holyrood, tour Rosslyn Chapel, hike the ancient volcano of Arthur’s Seat and maybe pet a Hairy Coo (the long-haired cows of Scotland). We do have a short cruise planned; it’s just a smaller boat and we’ll be watching for the Loch Ness Monster. And with respect, we’ll visit the Battlefield of Culloden, where thousands of highlanders fought and died with brave hearts for their “Bonny Prince Charlie.”
These are memories we’ll treasure, most of them thanks to the volunteers who helped to preserve them.

If they can’t reach a screen, put ‘em on a bucket. Lycoming College student Kathleen Eierman works with two young volunteers at the Muncy Heritage Park and Nature Trail (Muncy, PA)

Since we can appreciate their efforts, next year, I’ll suggest we spare a few vacation days and work as volunteers at an archaeological site. Imagine being the person who discovered the golden horde now on display at the British Museum!
Perhaps you’ll consider a volunteer archaeological opportunity next time you’re making vacation plans. There are dozens available, from small historical society digs in local parks and pastures, to large university excavations at Roman ruins.
So why consider voluntourism?
Unlike college students enrolled in a field school and their instructors, volunteers on vacation can work at archaeology sites during the day, then skip the lectures. I know, roughing it in the field is supposed to be part of the charm of an archaeology dig, but I’m a woman in my 50s. I’m not interested in going to the bathroom behind a tree, sleeping on a cot, or eating dirt with my peanut butter sandwich. I want  dinner at a five-star restaurant, 800-count Egyptian cotton sheets, air conditioning, a private bathroom and wifi.
I want the selfish gratification of a vacation and the personal satisfaction of performing a good deed, and I can have both as a voluntourist.
So where do I want to go?
From an Iron Age hillfort in Scotland, to an ancient pottery mound in Italy, from prehistoric villages in Mexico, to underwater sites off the coast of Spain, opportunities are plentiful. There are dozens available, from small digs in parks or pastures, to large excavations at Roman ruins.
While perusing the Archaeological Institute of America website, I found an interesting project: a church site and graveyard survey in Ireland. There are a lot of interesting projects on the AIA’s Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin, and I like that I can sort them by geographic location.
Another resource is Earthwatch, although its expeditions aren’t limited to archaeology. This group offers paelontological digs as well as environmental projects working with elephants or dolphins.
I’ve also bookmarked Archeolink’s comprehensive website and plan to explore its numerous links to historic tours and volunteer opportunities.
Now how do I select only one? And, how do I convince my husband it’s a grand idea?

Swallows and Amazons: a sailing adventure series for children -- and adults

Barbecued Billygoats!

You mean you haven’t read Swallows and Amazons or any of the other books in the 12-volume series? Technically, we’re all supposed to read these books when we’re children, but if you haven’t don’t worry — you’ll still enjoy messing about in boats with the crews of the Swallow and the pirates of the Amazon.

Swallows and Amazons

by Arthur Ramsom

Sailing the Swallow are siblings John, Susan, Titty, and Roger Walker. The Walker children inherited their love of the sea and their sailing experience from their father, an officer in the British Navy. Their mother, who learned how to sail as a child growing up in Australia, allows the children freedom to explore, camp and sail during their holidays at the lake. The parents’ only request is that the children not drown or be “duffers.”

Captain John, the eldest, is generally in charge, however he often is persuaded to join Nancy in her misadventures. He also makes grievous mistakes, such as holing, dismasting and sinking his ship, and then there was that time he “accidentally” sailed the stormy North Sea winding up in Holland. This adventure is the focus of We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea (sure you didn’t), the seventh in the series.

Next in the Walker lineup is First Mate Susan, a highly organized and nurturing young woman. She is in charge of the ship’s stores, cooking, and making sure the crew remembers to brush their teeth and pause for afternoon tea. She also makes sure that the Ship’s Boy Roger (the youngest next to the ship’s baby who joins the crew later) doesn’t eat too much chocolate and goes to bed on time. Titty, the dreamy artist of the family, is the Able Seaman. She foils the pirates in the first book —Swallows and Amazons — and is also the crew’s cartographer. Bridget, the ship’s baby, eventually joins the crew and her first real adventure with the Swallows is the unplanned voyage across the North Sea. She earns her keep later in Secret Water, the eighth S&A volume, when she makes allies of a new enemy — the eels.

Sisters Nancy and Peggy Blackett are the pirate crew of the Amazon. Nancy refuses to use her given name of Ruth because Uncle Jim Turner (Captain Flint to the children) told her that pirates are supposed to be ruthless. Nancy is a tomboy. Her sister, Peggy (Margaret) is not as courageous but is a highly competent sailor and First Mate. Her greatest fear is thunder and it is at these moments that Nancy shows her soft side, comforting the sister she generally calls a “galoot.” I thought Harry Potter broke a lot of rules and generally misbehaved, but he is tame next to Pirate Nancy Blackett of the Amazon.

Sister and brother Dorothea and Dick Callum are introduced in the fourth book, Winter Holiday. Both are intellectuals who yearn to be friends with the Swallows and the Amazons, and learn how to sail in order to be part of the group. Dorothea is a writer and Dick is a scientist. They later acquire a dinghy of their own, the Scarab.

The author uses the Callums as a link to new locations and new characters: the Norfolk Broads and the members of the Coot Club. The Callums are the main characters in two subsequent books where they meet Tom Dudgeon, twins Port and Starboard, and the crew of Death and Glory: Pete, Bill and Joe, three working-class boys.

The emphasis of all the books is on the sailing-related (mis)adventures of the children, but often Captain Flint is involved in the tales. Other generally benevolent adult characters also appear, along with a motley assortment of ne’er do wells.

I did enjoy all of the books, and some more than others and, for a while, I adopted many of the salty sayings of Captain Nancy. Many a times I told my husband to “stir his stumps” if I was in a hurry, or “shiver my timbers” when my usual “crikey” would do. The best thing about the book is that each character is well drawn and throughout the series remains true, except for Roger who showed signs of becoming a belligerent prankster as he grew up. The small boy who “tacked” his way across the meadow to his mother in the first book became quite greedy and often sullen in later books. Despite their many flaws that often ring true, the children also exhibit bravery, fortitude, ingenuity and abiding friendship.

Novel Series

• Swallows and Amazons (1930)
• Swallowdale (1931)
• Peter Duck (1932)
• Winter Holiday (1933)
• Coot Club (1934)
• Pigeon Post (1936)
• We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea (1937)
• Secret Water (1939)
• The Big Six (1940)
• Missee Lee (1941)
• The Picts And The Martyrs: or Not Welcome At All (1943)
• Great Northern? (1947)

Jibbooms and Bobstays!

Get your own copy of Swallows and Amazons, and while you’re at it, get the rest. You’re never too old to enjoy a good story.

About the Author

Arthur Ransome is best known for his “Swallows and Amazons” series of books, first published between 1930 and 1947 and all of which remain in print to this day. The books have been translated into many languages, such as Chinese, Czech, Hebrew, Hungarian, French, German and Slovak.

Ransome was a journalist, literary critic, biographer, story-teller, keen fisherman, sailor and, some people believe, even a spy. The Arthur Ransome Society (TARS) was formed in 1990 in order to celebrate and promote his life and works. While based in the UK, TARS has members in thirty countries throughout the world, including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the USA.

Article source: http://www.robinvanauken.com/archives/253

Hobie Mirage Kayaks

Hobie, a leading catamaran design company, expanded and introduced a line of sit-on-top kayaks, fishing kayaks and float cats. One of its more useful boats for use on local creeks, lakes and rivers is the pedal-driven Hobie Mirage Kayak.

A river reputed to be “a mile wide and a foot deep,” Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River’s depth is due to its age. During millions of years of existence, the mighty river has literally moved mountains and eroded the landscape to its present shallow, rocky state.  There are few areas that are amenable to boaters on the Susquehanna and, because of this, the boat perhaps best suited is the kayak. And given that the river, which is fed by numerous creeks and streams, has a strong current in places, the Hobie Mirage is the kayak of choice.

The Hobie Mirage is a unique boat with three forms of propulsion – you can pedal it, paddle it or sail it. Pedaling is quiet and creates no splash, and leaves your hands free for fishing, taking photos or holding a drink.

This sit-on-top kayak can be used by people of all ages and sizes thanks to its movable seat mount. It is a lightweight pedaling kayak that can be adapted to fit paddlers from age six to eighty, from four feet to over six and everyone in between.

The MirageDrive is simple and easy to use, and you pedal effortlessly similar to a bicycle. The larger leg muscles produce more powerful propulsion versus arms using a paddle.

The manufacturer tested the heart rates of several kayakers at varying speeds in several paddled kayak models. In every case, the heart rate, or effort expended to maintain a particular speed, was three to ten percent less for pedaling versus paddling.

This means the MirageDrive converts the effort of the human body into forward thrust more efficiently than a paddle.

Underwater, Hobie’s MirageDrive fins work similar to a penguin’s fins. Steering the kayak is easy with the hand-controlled rudder and, when not in use, the fin blades can be tucked up against the hull, making for beach landings.

Hobie builds the boats with a variety of recesses for stowing gear. A plug-in cart makes for easy portaging across rocky terrain both in, and out, of the water.

If you’re sailing, you steer with one hand, control the mainsheet with the other hand and pedal with your feet. The fins provide lateral resistance like the centerboard of a sailboat. The optional sail furls around the mast and can be stowed on the deck. Stretch cords hold it in place.
It’s the kind of boat that offers versatility and ease of use, which means it’s a boat that will be used more often.

Test drive the MirageDrive

By ROBIN VAN AUKEN

Boat shows are a great place to compare kayaks

FLORIDA—After viewing the Hobie Mirage line of kayaks at boat shows in Annapolis and Baltimore, my husband, Lance, and I decided we were interested in buying a couple. But, at about $1,600 each, we wanted to “test drive” the boat first.

There are few Hobie dealers in Pennsylvania, and none that were renting the kayak during the winter. We made the difficult decision to leave town (and a few inches of snow) and visit our hometown in Florida. Using the Internet, I had contacted a variety of kayak dealers in the Tampa Bay area and found one that rented Hobies for the day.

We reserved two Hobie Mirages – the Outback, a kayak that’s designed for fishermen, and the Revolution, a hybrid that offered the utility of the Outback, but the speed of the Adventure line.

Take a look at Hobie’s Web site for descriptions and details on its complete line of watercraft: www.HobieCat.com.

We also rented a trailer, wanting to see how easy it is to load and tow the kayaks. If it’s easy, we’ll probably use them more often. At least I hope so; I already have an Old Town sit-inside kayak that is collecting dust in my garage. It’s too heavy for me to heft on top of my car, so I seldom use it.

Test driving the pedal-driven Hobie Mirage Kayak was fun and easy, and the flippers could be raised in the shallows. The ability to switch between paddle and pedal meant more time on the water, and more distance covered in less time.

We got an early start and drove to Fort DeSoto, a Florida state park that recently claimed fame as America’s best beach in 2005 and in 2008. We were impressed with the changes to the park, such as new sand for the formerly shell-strewn beach, bike paths, boat launches, kayak rentals, concessions and other vendors, as well as a dog park.

We scouted the area for a quiet spot among the mangroves to launch. It only took us a half-hour to prepare the boats – 20 minutes of that was to figure out that we couldn’t figure out how to use the sail, and to slather on sunscreen. It may have been mid-winter here, but on the Gulf of Mexico, the temperatures were nearing 80.

I chose the pretty blue Revolution, leaving my husband with the beige Outback. I had looked forward to this moment and was excited about adding another boat to our “fleet.” Within minutes I was frustrated and disappointed. The seat wasn’t adjusted properly and I was reclining too much. The pedals were too far away. The kayak was too narrow and my bottled water wouldn’t sit properly in the recessed drink holder. Meanwhile, Lance was pedaling circles around me and exclaiming about how much he enjoyed the boat.

After a half-hour of gritting my teeth and cursing myself for believing the boat show salesman, I asked if we could switch boats.

That’s when it all went right. Like Cinderella, my rear end found the perfect fit. Lance took a few extra minutes to help me adjust the pedals before jumping into his kayak. Finally, I was able to pedal and paddle circles around him. We both decided that for us, the Outback was the best kayak. We spent a couple of hours speeding past other kayakers – who stared covetously at our boats – exploring the mangroves and salt flats of Mullet Key. We quietly approached nesting eagles and snapped photos, watched fish forage just inches below the surface, and luxuriated in the sunshine.

So, it’s decided. We’re ordering a couple of Hobie Mirage Outbacks and a trailer soon, giving us yet another option to enjoy the lakes and creeks and rivers of Pennsylvania.

See you on the water.

Article source: http://www.robinvanauken.com/archives/255

Trailer sailing works for powerboats and for sailboats

Living in Northcentral Pennsylvania is advantageous for land-locked sailors. In addition to several large lakes and reservoirs nearby, boaters can use the Finger Lakes of New York.

Trailering a boat from Williamsport to the Finger Lakes is easier than it sounds. It’s little more than a one-hour drive on U.S. Route 15 from Williamsport to the New York border, and then 45 minutes more to Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen, or one hour to Cayuga Lake in Ithaca.

The Finger Lakes are glacially formed, linear lakes in upstate New York. Each lake is oriented on a north-south axis and reminded early map-makers of the fingers of a hand.

The lakes are New York’s largest wine-producing region with wineries and vineyards centered on Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, and Keuka lakes.

Seneca is the second deepest lake in the United States. It is promoted as the trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby, Because of its depth, Seneca Lake has been a testing site for submarines. The lake takes its name from the Seneca nation of Native Americans.

Cayuga Lake also is very popular among recreational boaters. The Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, a large state marina and boat launch, is located at the southern end of the lake in Ithaca. There also is a yacht club on the western shore a few miles north of Ithaca, and several other marinas and boat launches scattered along the lake shore

But if you go boating on Cayuga, beware of “Old Greeny.”

Boating Season on Cayuga Lake

For more than 200 years, rumors have circulated of a Loch Ness-type creature haunting the deep waters of the lake. The Ithaca Journal reported, in a Jan. 5, 1897 article, the 69th annual appearance of a sea serpent that the paper dubbed, “Old Greeny.”

“The members of the Journal staff have been living in daily anticipation of the monster’s appearance, and have actually shunned assignments which would take them near the water’s edge for fear of being compelled to shudder and tremble at the sight of him,” the article read, adding that an area resident was driving along the lake’s east shore when he saw the large, long sea serpent, “although a ‘tramp,’ who had also seen the creature, later told a Journal reporter that he believed it was actually a muskrat.”

Then, in 1929, the Journal reported that two sea monsters, about 12- to 15-feet long, had invaded Cayuga Lake, attributing the sighting to cottagers along the east shore. It was theorized that “Old Greeny” was a sturgeon that had entered the lake during high water and the paper reported that a sturgeon had been captured in Fall Creek by a fisherman.As recently as 1979, Jack Marshall, owner of J.T. Marshall Professional Diving Service, claimed to have seen some sort of serpent.

“There really is something there,” Marshall told Journal reporters. “I never used to believe it, but Cayuga Katie made a believer out of me.”
Marshall said he was boating with some friends on the lake one spring evening that year when he saw a log in front of the boat. Marshall called for the boat to stop, but the 30- to 35-foot long creature had disappeared underneath the surface, leaving ripples of water in its wake.
“I haven’t seen it since,” Marshall said.

Seneca Lake in New York is large and accommodating for both power and sailing vessels. These boats were launched from the Watkins Glen marina.

Seneca Lake is the second deepest lake in the United States and has been a testing site for submarines. At 38-miles long, It is the second longest of the Finger Lakes and has the largest volume, estimated at 4.2 trillion gallons, which is half of all the water in all the Finger Lakes. It has a maximum depth of 618 feet and a surface area of 42,800 acres. It’s perfect for sailors with large, fast boats, such as trimarans.

Cayuga Lake is the longest of western New York’s glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and volume. It is less than 40 miles long, 3 and one-half miles wide and 435 feet deep. Many boaters reserve seasonal slips at the Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, located at the southern end of the lake.

Article source: http://www.robinvanauken.com/archives/256

To Blave

We purchased a Precision 15K in March 2006 after investigating small, trailerable boats that we could tow with our Chrysler Sebring. We can only tow 1,000 pounds, so the boat had to be light. As new sailors, however, the boat also had to be seaworthy.

After learning how to sail (read about it here), We began to search for a new trailer sailer in winter, narrowing our choices to a few lightweight dinghies that included a Hunter 17 and the Precision 15. Backyard Boats in Annapolis, but ended up going to the Backyard Boats dealer in Virginia.

The first place we sailed was Rose Valley Lake in the mountains of Northcentral Pennsylvania. This 25-acre lake is about 25-feet deep in the center. It is a popular fishing spot, and, in the summer, the Rose Valley Yacht Club hold Sunday afternoon races.

When we visited Backyard Boats, we toured the lot and saw several dinghies. We had read somewhere that the H17 is a bit tender, capsizing in weather. We agreed that a keelboat with a little ballast would be better for us since we didn’t have much experience.

This is a beautiful boat and we’re enjoying learning how to sail on her. Soon, we will move up to a slightly larger, small boat that we will sail on the lakes and the

This wonderful, 15-foot sloop is an excellent starter boat. We’ve only sailed on freshwater lakes — never in salt water. It comes with galvanized 2006 Performance tilt trailer. It’s a comfortable daysailer with fixed, lead-ballasted keel and factory colored sails with the roller-furling jib.

We have a 3.5 hp Tohatsu outboard, but we augmented the boat with an electric trolling motor and marine battery for some of the freshwater lakes in Pennsylvania do not allow gas-powered engines.

We installed a three-step, folding swim ladder mounted to transom since sailing on the lake can mean variable winds, sometimes unexpected gusts. Yes, we have capsized the P15 — once. It was our first time on the boat and we were determined to sail despite the deteriorating weather. Winds up to 30 knots swept the lake, so we went swimming. We have installed a masthead float now and check the weather carefully before heading out. The float may be a little goofy looking, but we won’t turtle the P15 next time.

We’ve also added a tiller stay, which is handy for raising sails and also just steering. This boat is so responsive that the slightest touch can change its trajectory. A tiller stay helps us keep on course when we’re distracted with other chores. I use flexible foam twists as sail ties. These are awesome additions and are easy to use and reliable

Precision 15K Specs

• LOA -15′
• LWL — 13′ 9″
• Beam — 7′
• Keel — 1′ 9″
• Displacement — Keel 600 lbs.
• Ballast, Keel — 250 lbs
• Sail area — 130 sq. ft.
• Mast height above DWL — 25′ 4″
• Designer: — Jim Taylor
• Hand laminated fiberglass construction
• Vinylester resin hull skin coat
• Foam flotation
• 9 ft. 4 in self bailing cockpit
• Large forepeak locker w/watertight door
• 6 mooring cleats
• Kick-up rudder
• Tiller extender
• Harken ball bearing blocks
• Jib track with cars and harken cam cleats
• Harken boom vang
• Anodized mast and boom
• Hinged mast step
• Stainless steel standing rigging
• Dacron running rigging
• Stainless steel bow eye

A review by Bob Perry says this about the Precision 15K:

“An ideal trainer or family daysailer, providing both versatility and up-to-date performance. The cockpit is 9 feet, 4 inches long and the side decks are wide enough for comfortable hiking. The side decks will also help prevent swamping in the event of a knockdown. No centerboard means no centerboard trunk to interfere with the cockpit. The rig is a simple sloop rig with swept-back spreaders. It doesn’t get any more basic than this. There is a mainsheet traveler, and some attention to the vang is all that’s needed to take care of leech tension. Jib lead tracks are adjustable for close sheeting angles.”

Article source: http://www.robinvanauken.com/archives/112

Working with Muncy Historical Society and the students (past and present) of Muncy Jr/Sr High School, historian Robin Van Auken created a 30-minute DVD oral history project that features 35 alumni and current student interviews.

Historical Society volunteers and Muncy students collaborated on this important project as one component of the 75th anniversary celebration of Muncy’s High School. Since the release of the DVD, several alumni have passed away, reinforcing the importance of conducting oral histories for preservation of a community.

Each contributor received a DVD of their interview; more than 12 hours of raw video was edited into this glance through school days during the 20th and 21st centuries. DVDs are available from Muncy Historical Society.

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/school-days

Pennsylvania’s forests reflect a history of choices — from peaceful coexistence between humans and the forests to the massive harvesting of the forests in the late 1800s. Pennsylvania’s borders encompass 17 million acres of forestland, almost 4 million acres of which are publicly owned. However, more than 12 million acres are under private ownership. Which of today’s choices will affect Pennsylvania’s forests tomorrow?

THE LUMBER MUSEUM
Pennsylvania’s Lumber Museum preserves the rich legacy of Penn’s Woods and tells the story of these beautiful woodlands.

THE HERITAGE REGION
The Lumber Heritage Region holds a key to the rich heritage of Pennsylvania’s forests–from the struggles of the pioneers to the cut-and-run practices of the early lumber industry to the conservation efforts that led to the managed forests of today.

Funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and The Pennsylvania Lumber Heritage Region, Copyright 2007 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/pennsylvanias-forests

The Lumber Heritage Region holds a key to the rich heritage of Pennsylvania’s forests–from the struggles of the pioneers to the cut-and-run practices of the early lumber industry to the conservation efforts that led to the managed forests of today.

Pennsylvania’s forests reflect a history of choices — from peaceful coexistence between humans and the forests to the massive harvesting of the forests in the late 1800s.

Pennsylvania’s borders encompass 17 million acres of forestland, almost 4 million acres of which are publicly owned. However, more than 12 million acres are under private ownership.

Which of today’s choices will affect Pennsylvania’s forests tomorrow?

Funded by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and The Pennsylvania Lumber Heritage Region, Copyright 2007 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/lumber-heritage

P15K on Lake Owasco

We sold our Precision 15K, an excellent starter sailboat. Hold on, I have to wipe a tear from my eye.

It moved to Wisconsin. A local judge there wants to use it on a lake. We corresponded for a few months and I sent him a little video of “his new boat.” Made it harder to let her go.

It came with galvanized Performance tilt trailer, a like-new 3.5 Tohatsu gas outboard motor (never used), an electric trolling motor with marine battery and charger, a tiller stay, a masthead float, transom-mounted boarding ladder, mainsail cover and jib sock, dock lines and all the accouterments that a savvy sailor would need. It’s a fast, yet comfortable daysailer with fixed, lead-ballasted keel, factory colored sails and a roller-furling jib.

The tiller stay is handy for raising sails and also just steering. This boat is so responsive that the slightest touch can change its trajectory. A tiller stay helps us keep on course when we’re distracted with other chores.

We would recommend a Precision daysailer to anyone looking for a fast, fun boat. It was a great choice for us and when it’s not in the water, it is a beautiful lawn ornament. If you can’t be in a boat, at least be able to look at one.

So why have we made the choice to sell, if it is a perfect boat? A combination of reasons — time, a change of location, health. But the real reason is the boat wants to sail more than we can and it would be a shame to leave her on the hard.

A review by Bob Perry says this about the Precision 15K:

“An ideal trainer or family daysailer, providing both versatility and up-to-date performance. The cockpit is 9 feet, 4 inches long and the side decks are wide enough for comfortable hiking. The side decks will also help prevent swamping in the event of a knockdown. No centerboard means no centerboard trunk to interfere with the cockpit. The rig is a simple sloop rig with swept-back spreaders. It doesn’t get any more basic than this. There is a mainsheet traveler, and some attention to the vang is all that’s needed to take care of leech tension. Jib lead tracks are adjustable for close sheeting angles.”

Article source: http://smallboatsailors.com/archives/112

ANNAPOLIS, Md — Tony Smith, designer and builder of the 28-foot Telstar trimaran and the 35-foot Gemini catamaran, has retired and has hit the road — as promised — traveling the countryside with his wife, Sue. The couple are hauling a modified Telstar to the Pacific Northwest, according to an article “Three Hulls on the Road” by Peter Nielsen of Sailing Magazine.

Read the article here and watch an interesting video of Tony Smith and the Telstar: http://www.sailmagazine.com/three-hulls-road

We met Tony Smith one afternoon in March 2005. It wasn’t planned; we were in Annapolis and poking around marinas and boat shops, and stopped by Performance Cruising. He gave us a tour of the Gemini Catamaran, the one boat that has held our interest throughout the years we’ve considered buying a sailboat.t was a rainy day, but the cockpit was snug with its plastic enclosure. We sat at the dinette and talked with Mr. Smith for an hour, discussing sailboats, politics, economics and history.  He recommend we read “A Voyage for Madmen,” (and we did) and talked about sailing in general and his boat designs. Considering that we were not customers at that point, having the designer meet us and give us a personal tour meant a lot.

He confided that he planned to retire and when he did, he planned to hitch the Telstar to his van and spend his free time exploring. It’s been six years long years but he finally has achieved that goal. For a man who’s achieved a lot of goals — including selling more than 1,000 production multi hulls, that’s not a grand one, but in his heart, it is.

Article source: http://smallboatsailors.com/archives/tony-smith-and-his-small-boat

Boat No. 2 ... Maybe?

I admit it — I’ve been waffling. There are so many awesome boats available and every time I go to a boat show I fall in love with a new one. Or one that’s not suitable for our lifestyle.

Lance, however, has not waffled. He’s rolled his eyes a few times (a lot of times), and he’ll admit he’s impressed by the loveliness of the Gozzard, or the practicality of the Ranger Tug, or the appeal of a gaff-rigged catboat, but whenever I go back to our original choice and say, “Okay, that’s it — let’s get the Precision 23″ he promptly agrees.

Why can’t I trust my first impression? We’ve gone to numerous boat shows and each time I walk aboard a new boat I change my mind. I want this one, I say pointing to the Hallberg-Rassy. Then the Cornish Crabber catches my eye. Do I want beautiful sleek lines, or traditional and salty? I want them all.

But the one boat that we keep coming back to is the Precision 23, a small, easy-to-sail, and easy-to-maintain boat with a shallow keel that can be trailered to our destination. We have sold our Precision 15K, which we loved. We wanted to move on because it’s small and we want something we can use overnight (a polite way of saying it has to have a porta potti). We can keep the Precision 23 on the trailer during the winter and during the summer, plunk it down on one of the Finger Lakes. Lance’s brother has a cabin on a lake and it’s a great excuse for a visit.

And, when we retire early to a condo on a golf course by the bay in our Florida hometown, leaving this blasted northern state and all its snow and ice, we can pull it behind the truck and plunk it down at the dock and cruise the calm, shallow waters of Tampa Bay. Ahhhhh.

Precision 23 Specs

LOA – 23′ 5″

LWL – 20′ 0″
BEAM – 8′ 6″
DRAFT, Board up – 1′ 11″
DRAFT, Board down – 5′ 4″
Displacement – 2,450 lbs.
Ballast – 850 lbs. (Internal fixed lead)
Sail area – 248 sq. ft.
Mast height above DWL – 35′ 4″
Designer: — Jim Taylor

Design Notes

Here are design notes by Jim Taylor (from the Precision Boatsworks website): Design Comments

Considered to be a “maxi-trailerable”, the Precision 23 far outstrips many boats in terms of true usable space, both on deck and below. Special emphasis has gone into giving the P-23 her particular bright and uncluttered interior. The bulkheads are intentionally trimmed back to avoid subdividing the visual space. Of special note, the typical intrusive mast compression support post has been eliminated by clever use of a rugged overhead support beam fiberglassed to the deck. The especially large companionway, multiple cabin ports and forward hatch contribute to the feeling of light open space. The double berth forward is generous and there are full sized berths aft which will accommodate 3 more.

The portable head has a dedicated space forward and the fixed galley is aft where it is convenient to both cabin and cockpit.

The Precision 23 hull represents a very careful refinement of the basic form that has proven so successful in all of our well known trailerable cruisers. Lively performance, reliable handling and high stability are all the hallmarks of these designs. They feature a sharp waterline entry, substantial topside flare forward and powerful quarters taper to a shapely transom. This precise combination of features avoids the trim and handling problems that less well balanced hulls suffer when heeled. This design provides a reassuring margin of both reserve buoyancy forward and ensures more knockdown stability.

For trailerable boats, winged keels and water ballast are more of an inexpensive expedient than a sensible design. The well proven internally ballasted shoal draft fixed keel with fiberglass centerboard used in the Precision 23 is the most practical solution for combining upwind efficiency and stability. This design allows the dense internal lead ballast to be placed as low as possible for increased stability. And the fiberglass centerboard is easily raised/lowered by a simple Dacron line. The centerboard provides lift for great pointing ability yet is easily raised up for increased off wind sailing.

The P-23 features a simple fractional rig mast that is easy put up and with her short spreaders inboard chainplates, upwind performance is impressive. A generous cockpit 7′ 3″ long with coamings high enough to keep your crew secure and the low sleekly styled cabin house provides excellent visibility forward. The cockpit seats are angled for maximum comfort both heeled and at anchor, the result of careful ergonomic design development. A ventilated fuel storage area and large cockpit sail locker round out the roomy cockpit.

The Precision 23 is a well thought out, meticulously detailed and carefully constructed trailerable cruiser whose interior lively performance will give you and your family one of the best sailing boats available in this size range.

 

 

Article source: http://smallboatsailors.com/archives/boat-no-2

West Branch of the Susquehanna

The Susquehanna River is a shallow river that flows about 440 miles, from Cooperstown to the Chesapeake Bay. Nearly 200 years ago, canals were used to transport goods and people instead of the river. Canal boats would use the river where it was deeper, or where dams had raised the water level.

The Susquehanna, stretching approximately 440 miles from New York to Maryland, is the longest river on the East Coast. Its North Branch, which begins at Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, N.Y., often is regarded as an extension of the main branch. Its primary tributary, the West Branch, rises in western Pennsylvania and joins the North Branch near Sunbury. The river drains into in the Chesapeake Bay.

The ancient river is possibly the oldest major system in the world, far older than the mountains through which it flows. Geologists believe that the mighty Susquehanna cut through the mountains even as they were forming nearly 300 million years ago. If so, the river predates the Atlantic Ocean.

Time, however, has reduced the river to a shallow waterway. Early settlers lamented that the Susquehanna was “a mile wide, a foot deep.”

The river is so shallow, small islands appear in the summer

The West Branch of the Susquehanna River, when navigable, afforded an economical and ready means of transporting articles down river, but to push a large boat or even a canoe against the rapid current, or over the shoals and rifts, was a formidable undertaking.

West Branch of the Susquehanna River

The first attempt to navigate the river by steamboat worked. The “Codorus” was 60-feet long, 9-feet wide, had a sheet-iron hull. Unloaded, its draft was 7 inches. The boat made a successful trip up the Susquehanna from Harrisburg in March and April 1826, reaching Binghamton, N.Y.

The second attempt, however, ended in disaster. The “Susquehanna,” at 80-feet with a beam of 14 feet, carried nearly 200 people. On May 3, 1826, the ship attempted to pass Nescopeck Falls (also called Nescopeck rapids). There, the river’s high ridge and shallow water forces the water into a narrow channel, creating a whirlpool. Navigation there is normally impossible, but the captain thought that the high water would permit it. The steamboat went aground on the rocks near the shore. A crew was holding down the safety valve, and the strain caused a boiler to explode.

Although the boat was not seriously damaged, two men were killed by escaping steam. Many others were scalded. The accident put an end to steamship navigation of the Susquehanna and led to renewed interest in building the Pennsylvania Canal.

Dug by men whose tools were picks, shovels and wheelbarrows, the local canals measured 28-feet wide on the bottom, 40-feet wide at the top and 8- to 10-feet deep.

The West Branch Canal was constructed between 1828 and 1834, formally opening on July 4, 1834. At this time, the canal only reached the mouth of Loyalsock Creek. The first packet boat to navigate the West Branch Canal was the “James Madison.”

Article source: http://smallboatsailors.com/archives/mighty-susquehanna

Shawn Gardner

Artisan Shawn Gardner, of Fair Chase Designs, presents on prehistoric technology and Native American art. This is presentation is suitable for people of all ages, including families and school-aged children.

Gardner lives in Montoursville, often presents programs to people who visit his teepee on school field trips. He also offers seminars and classes. Gardner specializes in making custom bows, arrows, quivers, antler and bone carvings, and jewelry of horn, wood, stone and silver. Utilizing prehistoric methods, he manufactures drums and musical instruments, makes birch bark baskets other containers, hunts and processes animal hides, knaps flint and manufactures stone tools and weapons,

Gardner brings many items of interest to his presentation, which is educational as well as entertaining. Learn more about Gardner at Hands On Heritage.

To learn more about Gardner’s unique gifts, seminars and classes, contact the artisan by calling 570-368-2489.

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/8

Barbara Barnes’ art vessels reflect a keen appreciation for nature in shapes and colors. She uses interactive glazes, often firing multiple times until she gets the results that mimic the hues of earth, flora, fire and water combined. She is an avid gardener and often wanders her gardens and woods for inspiration.

Barnes operates Emerald Falls Pottery in her Montoursville studio. There, she creates her stoneware vessels and teaches wheel-thrown pottery. She specializes in terra cotta garden vases, flower vases, unique art deco-style pottery and primitive pit-fired vessels. She also creates unique table-top water fountains.

All are hand thrown and most are made of high-fire stoneware, which she fires in an electric kiln multiple times until she gets the effects that are unique to her wares. She has shown her work at many Pennsylvania and New York state gift shops and galleries. She has been juried for many major arts festivals in Pennsylvania and New York.

To learn more about Barbara’s pottery and to schedule lessons, contact her through her website: www.EmeraldFallsPottery.com.

To download Barbara’s Pottery Review, click here Emerald Falls Pottery Review

Primitive Pit-Fired Vessels

Earth, wind and fire create the wondrous look and feel of pit-fired vessels. Each vessel goes into the pit in the same manner. After the smoke and fire licks the sides of the vessel weaving its magic hues, it becomes a thrill with every completed pot.

The basic steps are simple, but are complicated by the forces of nature; the humidity, outside temperature and the sun or clouds can affect the overall appearance of each piece. It is desirable to fire one piece at a time, due to the chance of multiple explosions and cracking due to the stress the pot undergoes.

A pit is dug large enough to accommodate the wares and the materials used for the fire. The burnished bisque fired pottery made of stoneware or porcelain is placed on a bed of coals and then surrounded with combustible materials and set on fire. The fire burns inward and with careful attention and constant care the fire burns for four to six hours. The fire is smothered with sawdust. After overnight cooling, the charred vessel is washed and when it dries the pot is polished over and over again to a high satin sheen.

Images from Smoke

When Barbara is creating stoneware, she often will see images in the mottled, dark smudges left behind by smoke during the firing process. As she burnishes the pottery the images become more dominant, similar to shapes in clouds. You may not see the same thing Barbara does, but let’s give it a try. Below are several pots with images that Barbara sees. Can you see them too?

Care for a Pit-Fired Vessel

Treat the vessel as you would a wooden piece. Approximately every three months, with a soft dust cloth, dust and wax the surface with Pledge or wax. Much like raku pottery, pit-fired vessels are decorative only and are not water tight or food safe.

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/14

Joy McCracken

Joy McCracken is a spinning and weaving expert. McCracken demonstrates the craft of creating fabric from animal hair to students. One of her specialties is drop spindle spinning, an early technique for making yarn without a spinning wheel.

When she heard how the women of Bolivia used drop spindles as they were fetching wood and water for their families, McCracken asked for a basket filled with wool and a drop spindle for Christmas in 1989. She took lessons, bought her first spinning wheel shortly thereafter and then moved on to weaving, and followed with her first loom purchase.

Owner of a farm, she raises various types of goats, sheep and other animals that provide the raw materials for her work, paying particular attention to animals that produce long, strong wool fibers. She uses her interest in historic textiles and love of children’s literature to demonstrate and instruct at Bradford County ’s home textile museum, at Muncy Historical Society’s educational events, at Lycoming County ’s Day Camp and at the Warrior Run-Fort Freeland Heritage Days Festival.

Learn more about Joy McCracken at Hands on Heritage.

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/19

The New Canoe

She’s gone. Dan picked “To Blave” up one bitter, cold day in April and headed for Wisconsin. He sent us a note; he and his son finally went sailing after picking up a new battery and repairing the gas tank.

Meanwhile, we bought a 14-foot, red Old Town canoe and have been going out to Bald Eagle Lake in Northcentral Pennsylvania. We wanted something simple and easy and quick for the summer. We plan on replacing our zippy little Precision K15 but with what, we’re not sure. I’ve suggested we go to a few boat shows — the Annapolis Bay and Boat Show, the Newport Boat Show, the Baltimore Boat Show … the list grows.

Saying Goodbye

Truth is, I like going to boat shows and stroking shiny gel coats, sniffing that new boat smell. I like all boats — big ones, little ones. Fat ones, skinny ones. Wooden ones, glass ones. Boats with masts and boats without. We’re leaning towards a powerboat now so we can travel the canals throughout New York and Canada. It’s also easier to pull up to the pier in Georgetown on the Potomac if we’re not fighting bridges and shallow drafts.

I’ve been admiring the Ranger Tug for a few years. Now wait, before you point out that this site is “Small Boat Sailors” keep in mind that you can still be a sailor on a power boat — just can’t sail it. And the tug is trailerable, coming in 25, 27 and 29-foot lengths, so it is small.

Plus, we could ship the Ranger Tug to Europe and sail — err, navigate — the canals in France, scoot along the coastline of the Mediterranean, hangout in the turquoise bays of Greece, then back up to the UK and cross the channel and spend the summer over in England on the Thames.

In our own backyard, here in the United States, we can make the Great Loop. I just read an article about a man looping in a pontoon boat.

So, tucked away in the back of our minds is the upgrade to the Precision 23 (Boat No. 2 — the canoe doesn’t count) and then, when there’s a bit more cash in the stock fund, trade up a few more feet for the Ranger Tug. It’s a plan.

Ranger Tugs

Article source: http://smallboatsailors.com/archives/downsizing-for-the-summer

Public Archaeology

As a historical archaeologist, Robin Van Auken specializes in promoting history, archaeology and preservation. She works with museums and non-profit organizations, colleges and universities, public and private schools, and avocational archaeology groups.  Services she offers include:

• Field trips
• Field schools
• Historical research, oral histories
• Ethnographic research and interviews
• Interpretive exhibit, video development
• National Register assessments, nominations
• Testing, data recovery programs

Robin also is an instructor at Lycoming College, Williamsport, PA, teaching archaeology methods and theory, which includes a field school. Contact Robin through her website at: http://www.RobinVanAuken.com.

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/28

Muncy Historical Society

Muncy Historical Society and Museum of History, a not-for-profit, all volunteer organization founded in 1936, focuses on preservation and conservation of the rich history and heritage of Muncy and surrounding communities – its people, businesses, education, arts, traditions and folklore – by sponsoring educational programs and activities, through research and publication of our history, and interpretation of the museum’s collection for the community, including schools, colleges, community groups and professional historians.

The museum and research library are located at 40 N. Main Street, Muncy, Pennsylvania. In 1936 Mrs. Forrest Clapp donated her husband’s family homestead, the Thomas Clapp House, to the town of Muncy for the purpose of housing the Muncy Historical Society Museum of History. The oldest 2 ½ story section was built in 1812 and features the original fireplace and squirrel-tail beehive oven. The back staircase leads to the second floor bedroom which features pieces of locally-made furniture and the Society’s fraktur collection.

The museum collection includes a WPA-commissioned replica of Fort Muncy and military gallery, Native American artifacts, diverse and impressive artwork, a working barn loom and William Lowmiller’s jacquard attachment and a sampling of his woven coverlets.

The Muncy Heritage Park and Nature Trail is 11 acres of historical and environmentally significant property that is a park and trail to be utilized by all Lycoming County, Pennsylvania residents, as well as tourists and visitors to the Susquehanna River Valley.

The 8-Square School Marm

The Society operates the “Eight Square,” a fully restored one room schoolhouse, built in 1872, on the site of Lycoming County’s first public school. This frame structure replaced the original 8-sided log structure built in 1796. Volunteers conduct one-room living history programs by appointment. The annual Strawberry Festival and Old Fashioned School Social is held at this site in Moreland Township, approximately 3 miles east of Clarkstown, left onto Church Road from Route 442.

Muncy Historical Society’s Pennsylvania Canal Packet Boat is the reconstruction of an authentic 1860s packet/passenger cabin that has become the Society’s traveling educational exhibit. The project received 2004 Honorable Mention Award from PA Federation of Museums Historical Organizations and 2004 Certificate of Commendation from the American Association of State and Local History.

Contact Muncy Historical Society, 40 North Main Street, P.O. Box 11, Muncy, PA 17756, (570) 546-5917. On the web at http://www.MuncyHistoricalSociety.org, or e-mail MuncyHistorical@aol.com

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/24

Hands  On Heritage  is a unique project that collaborates with a variety of individuals to highlight and introduce historical events, traditional arts and crafts and the people who celebrate them. Our audience are educators and their students, and our goal is to enable them to make exciting discoveries about their culture and art.

Created by writer and historian Robin Van Auken of The Omnibus, Hands On Heritage also seeks to inspire, educate and entertain people of all ages, enabling youth to work with parents or other adults to discover their own family’s history, as well as the community’s.

A free eBook, “My History Is America’s History: 15 Things You Can Do to Save America’s Stories,” can be downloaded to help you start your journey. This guidebook published by the National Endowment for the Humanities helps families and individuals to explore family history and discover how our own family stories connect to the history of our nation.

Follow this link to download it now (NOTE: Large File)

Article source: http://www.handsonheritage.com/archives/268

Jack Davis and his monument to Exodusters

DUNLAP, Kansas — On a lonely, country road in Dunlap, Kan., a monument soars. An engraved stainless steel plaque stretches between two pillars of limestone and marks the family farm of a freed slave.

Built by Jack Davis, whose family bought the farm more than a century ago, the monument honors the thousands of African Americans who fled the lower Mississippi Valley for Kansas, seeking a better life.

Sometimes called “Exodusters,” a derogatory term coined by newspapers of the time, they’re former slaves who left the South in 1879 after Reconstruction failed to grant them the benefits of citizenry: the freedom to live as they chose, vote freely and own land. Instead, Reconstruction resulted in the Black Codes, new laws that reinforced oppression, exchanging the chains of slavery for the yoke of tenant farming and sharecropping.

But more than abject poverty, Exodusters fled the anarchy and violence that followed the Civil War when marauding ex-Confederate soldiers and angry Southerners forged the Ku Klux Klan. This “tide of disorder” swept through the South with its members stealing livestock, burning barns, terrorizing and killing African Americans.

Most immigrants were spurred by word of mouth, while others followed organizers such as Benjamin “Pap” Singleton of Tennessee and Henry Adams of Louisiana. Entire communities immigrated to Kansas, “the Garden Spot of the World” and home of abolitionist John Brown.

The story of the Exodusters is a difficult one to tell because, as historian Nell Irvin Painter writes in ” Exodusters: Black Migration to Kansas After Reconstruction,” it was a movement “of poor, rural Southern Blacks not sufficiently Westernized to write their own histories,” largely ignored by scholars.

It’s an important story to Davis, who built his monument to Kansas Exodusters and his family after a life-changing event: doctors diagnosed him with stage IV pancreatic cancer in spring 2010.

“My doctor finally listened to me in March 2010. She said I had spots and lesions on my liver,” Davis said. “I went to the VA (Veteran’s Administration). They said ‘don’t worry about your liver; you have stage IV pancreatic cancer. You have three months to live.’

“I just take life a day, a week at a time,” he said. “I have gone past the doctor’s timeline and am doing good. I could make it years longer. Not likely, but possible.”

So with the time he has left, he built the monument, which consists of donated steel and two massive slabs of limestone, purchased from Higgins Stone Co. of Wamego, Kan. The twin, rough-hewn pillars stand 10 feet out of the ground in the garden of the former family farm, which Davis sold in 2010 to his neighbors and friends Clayton and Patricia Finney, who moved in the area as a young couple and now operate a ranching business, Wright Creek Ltd.
There, Davis recalled, his family raised cattle, horses, hogs, chickens and other livestock, and grew wheat, milo, sorghum as silage for the cattle, corn, alfalfa and prairie hay.

“My grandfather always had a large garden. Everyone who came to our house, if they left hungry, it was their fault. I remember hearing the older folks say they starved, but if they went to the Davis place, they got full,” he said.

The son of a mixed-race couple, Davis didn’t grow up with his mother. “My daddy never married, and I haven’t either. I was the only child my dad had. Because of racial differences, families would not let them marry.”

As a child, he called his aunt Velera Davis “Mommie,” and would listen to her stories. “Since I was a child, I listened to the older folks talk. Unfortunately, my memories of the stories and the people are vague.”

One of his favorite memories of growing up in Kansas was the sense of connectedness.

“The older people were always ‘Cousin’ or ‘Aunt.’ It seemed like a big, extended family. They’ve since moved all over the U.S. and some are quite famous,” he said.

Davis also moved quite a bit, working as a “Jack of all trades, master of none,” he said.

His experience includes stints as a roofer, farmer, painter and a mechanic. He’s driven 18-wheelers in all 48 contiguous states, as well as dump and oil field trucks. A third assistant engineer, he’s served on ships around the world, including tankers, ore carriers, dive boats, supply boats and fish processors and catchers.

“I was going to sea making good money. While at home, I was rebuilding buildings and fences, trying to keep the place up,” he said. “Then, from 1979 to 1986, vandals destroyed the property. No one knew anything. My family tied up the farm. When I got it back, I could not rebuild. There were no others that I could pass it to that could and would successfully farm the place. I sold the family farm that my Dad and his father spent their lives building.”
It was a close friend’s eldest son, Terry Lyon, who helped “Uncle Jack” erect the monument along Road 300, Lyon County, in Americus, Kan.

“He has been an invaluable help, loaning tools, equipment, his help, the use of his place,” Jack said. “This would have been a lot more difficult without him.”
Although it is tucked away in rural Kansas, the monument is important to Davis personally, and should be important to the descendants of all Exodusters, he said.

“Very few people are even aware of the Exodusters. People forget, or deny, their history. Many have never heard of the contributions of their ancestors,” Davis said. “The descendants of the Kansas colonies have moved all over the U.S. and various countries. Some are successful; others are on welfare or in between.”

It is his hope that a local historical society will help preserve the monument. His lifelong friend Ustaine Talley, now in her 70s, is gathering notes and oral histories for the event. She is planning a dedication ceremony in August.

“I have tried to use durable materials so it will last for centuries,” he said. “I hope it lasts as long as the land.”

Robin Van Auken, of The Omnibus,
is a writer in Pennsylvania

A Monument to Exodusters by Robin Van Auken is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.robinvanauken.com.

Although it’s been 40 years since the publication of her runaway bestseller, “Silent Spring” (1962), Carson remains one of the greatest nature writers of America and one of America’s Top 100 Scientists according to a Time magazine poll.

“The beauty of the living world I was trying to save,” she wrote in a letter to a friend in 1962, “has always been uppermost in my mind — that, and anger at the senseless, brutish things that were being done. I have felt bound by a solemn obligation to do what I could — if I didn’t at least try I could never be happy again in nature. But now I can believe that I have at least helped a little. It would be unrealistic to believe one book could bring a complete change.”

A Naturalist Is Born

Rachel Carson

Born May 27, 1907 in Springdale, Pa., Carson graduated from Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham College) in 1929, studied at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, and received her master’s degree in zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932. While attending the university, she was published in the Baltimore Sun.

She began a 15-year career in federal service as a scientist and editor in 1936 and rose to become editor-in-chief of all publications for the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Her first book, “Under the Sea Wind” (Oxford University Press 1941), was published just before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Lost in the tide of war, the book was largely overlooked.

Her next book, “The Sea Around Us” (Oxford University Press 1951), was first serialized in The New Yorker, and caused such a stir that it became a bestseller when finally printed. It was followed by “The Edge of the Sea” (Houghton Mifflin Company 1955) and then by “Silent Spring” (Houghton Mifflin Company 1962).

As early as 1945, Carson had become alarmed by government abuse of chemical pesticides (such as DDT) and pest-control programs that poisoned with little regard for the welfare of other animals.

“The more I learned about the use of pesticides, the more appalled I became,” Carson recalled. “I realized that here was the material for a book. What I discovered was that everything which meant most to me as a naturalist was being threatened, and that nothing I could do would be more important.”

Carson eloquently penned her dire warnings in “Silent Spring”: “There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings . . . Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change . . . There was a strange stillness . . . The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices.”

In a vile attack to undermine Carson, chemical companies and the U.S. Department of Agriculture had only increased public awareness. “Silent Spring” became a bestseller and is regarded as the cornerstone of the new environmentalism. Sense of Wonder Carson died in 1964 at the age of 56 following a long struggle with breast cancer, but her enduring love and wonder for the universe — and her ability to provoke the same sense in others — was posthumously published in New York.

“The Sense of Wonder,” by Carson with photographs by Charles Pratt (Harper & Row 1965), encourages adults to endow every child with “a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life.” Her narrative charts a path for adults and children to take together on a journey of discovery — the same path she took with her grandnephew, Roger, to whom the book is dedicated.

In her book, “The Sense of Wonder,” Carson encourages parents and other adults to overcome their sense of inadequacy when confronting the complex natural world and instead concentrating on how they “feel” instead of what they “know.” “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift from the fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in,” she writes. “It is more important to pave the way for the child to want to know than to put him on a diet of facts he is not ready to assimilate.”

What are you waiting for? Go outside and reawaken your own sense of wonder.

The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, located at the City Dock in historic Annapolis, is the only memorial in the country that commemorates the actual name and place of arrival of an enslaved African. The sculpture group features author Alex Haley seated before a group of three children of different ethnic backgrounds. Holding a book open on his lap, he recounts his family's history and that of the Annapolis port as the symbolic beginning of the history and journey of African Americans.

If you’ve ever wanted to know who you are and where you came from, you’re not alone. More than 100 million Americans are looking for their roots, a remarkable explosion in genealogical research inspired, in part, by author Alex Haley who discovered his own “Roots” three decades ago. In fact, family research and genealogy is one of America’s favorite leisure-time activities.

Many parents keep track of the accomplishments of their children – recording first steps and saving locks of hair in a traditional baby’s first album. These precious mementos are stored away and, as a child matures, a parent will accumulate photo albums and scrapbooks, filled with school-related memorabilia.

But how do children understand their relationship with other family members – many of whom they’ve never met? And how do children understand their context of American history?

Every child born before 2001 has lived through the most tragic — and most visible — event in America’s history: the terrorists’ attack on the World Trade Center. This becomes part of their history. Every child born before 1998 has lived through the impeachment proceedings against former U.S. President Bill Clinton (although the U.S. Senate acquitted him of charges of perjury and obstruction of justice in 1998).

Your 6-year-old might not realize the importance of the cloning of the first mammal, Dolly the sheep, but the medical advances scientists have made since that 1997 venture could prolong the child’s life by 50 years or more. It’s important for your child — and for you — to identify, interpret and preserve your family’s visual history.

My History Is America's History

One of the best tools for accomplishing this is to use a guidebook such as “My History Is America’s History.” An initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities, “My History Is America’s History” is designed to encourage and help you explore your family history, discover your family’s place in American history and make your own contribution to history. Using the NEH’s guidebook is an opportunity for every American to be an historian — to remember, to record and to see things in the “big picture.”

These books are no longer available free from the NEH, however, you can download a PDF from Hands On Heritage.

You may even consider taking a “My History Is America’s History” workshop — a gathering place for sharing family stories, for meeting folks in the community who are prepared to share or help with your voyage of historical discovery, and for getting the scoop on Web sites, books, films, and places to visit where our nation’s past is seen through the triumphs and trials of ordinary families.

Here are some of the meanings of “My History Is America’s History”:

• We all share ownership and have a stake in America’s past, present and future.
• Every American family’s story is a part of the making of our nation.
• Ordinary men and women play an important role in history.
• Oral histories, family stories, letters and diaries are valuable resources.
• Family history and genealogy are meaningful when put in a larger context.
• History needs to include the example and testimony of those who lived it to be appreciated.

Some people wish to take their history a step further and create a memoir to share with family members or as a legacy for future generations. Such projects could be the results of long-term research. A short-term project would focus on a central idea you want to write about such as: your experiences in World War II, Korea, Vietnam or the Gulf War; a special trip; your high school life; raising your family; character sketches; the birth of each child; falling in love and other important events in your life.

Whatever you choose to recall and record, remember that your history is America’s history.

Robin Van Auken, of The Omnibus,
is a writer in Pennsylvania


My History Is America's by Robin Van Auken is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.robinvanauken.com.

Newport, RI

NEWPORT, RI – Seagulls surf the bitter wind off Narragansett Bay as a lone lobster boat chugs home. By January, the blue bay in Newport, the “Sailing Capital of the World,” is empty and few people remain in the small coastal town.

The lovely 12-meter yachts used in the internationally famous America’s up Race have been stored for the winter, and most of the seasonal residents have fled to either the Bahamas or Florida.

Don’t be discouraged, however, by the fact that Newport is a seasonal destination. An off-season weekend means you’ll have the whole town to yourselves. It is also a chance to admire the geography and geology of area instead of having your view blocked by sailboats and people. For example, the beaches are deserted, and the roads are traffic-free.

Visitors to Newport usually have two destinations in mind: Thames Street with its specialty shops, restaurants and wharfs, and Bellevue Avenue to tour the Newport Mansions, a collection of 11 historically significant properties and landscapes maintained by the Preservation ociety of Newport County.

Newport mansion

Many of these glorious mansions were built during America’s Gilded Age by captains of industry, millionaires whose fortunes were made in steamships, railroad and coal.

The most popular mansion on the tour is The Breakers, the grandest of Newport’s summer “cottages” that belonged to Cornelius Vanderbilt II. In 1893, Vanderbilt commissioned architect Richard Morris Hunt and an international team of craftsmen and artisans to create a 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo.

Cornelius’ brother, William, also build a summer house in Newport, but his “cottage,” Marble House, was a social and architectural landmark. Marble House also was designed by Richard Morris Hunt and set the pace for Newport’s transformation from a quiet summer colony of wooden houses to the legendary resort of opulent stone palaces. It cost $11 million, of which $7 million was spent on 500,000 cubic feet of marble.

The Elms, another popular mansion, was the summer residence of Edward Julius Berwind, who made his fortune in the Pennsylvania coal industry. In 1898, the Berwinds engaged architect Horace Trumbauer to design a house modeled after the mid-18th century French chateau d’Asnieres. Construction of The Elms was completed in 1901 at a cost reported at approximately $1.4 million.

Another popular mansion, Rosecliff, was commissioned by Nevada silver heiress Theresa Fair Oelrichs in 1899 and designed by architect Stanford White after the Grand Trianon, the garden.

Only a few of the mansions are open year-round, but many are decorated for Christmas. More information and a schedule are available online at www.NewportMansions.org.

Although many of the specialty shops in town are closed for the season, a few are open and two spots that preserve the ambiance of Newport are the Armchair Sailor Books and Charts at 543 Thames Street, and the Red Parrot Restaurant at 348 Thames Street.

The Armchair Sailor bookstore is operated by Bluewater Books and Charts, and is accessible on foot or by dinghy, not that many “yachties” are visiting in winter. Operated by a staff of lifelong boaters, it is America’s largest nautical bookstore and chart agency, specializing n serving yacht owners and crew. For landlubbers, the shop is a wonderful introduction to sailing and adventures at sea.

Red Parrot Restaurant

The building that houses the Red Parrot Restaurant is listed on the National Register, and was built in 1898 by John Alton Barker. Originally a meat packing house, through the years it has hosted a variety of estaurants serving heads of state, diplomats, royalty, movie stars and thousands of sailors and tourists. It serves steaks and seafood with a Caribbean flair.

After tiring of mansions, shops and restaurants, consider a walk around Fort Adams. Built at the mouth of the Newport Harbor, Fort Adams State Park looks over both the harbor and the east passage of Narragansett Bay, so wear a hat and muffler during your off-season hike.

Ford Adams

Established on July 4th, 1799, as a First System coastal fortification, Ford Adams was first commanded by Captain John Henry, who was later instrumental in the onset of the War of 1812. Construction of the fort began in 1824 and took nearly 30 years to complete.

The fort was used briefly by the U.S. Naval Academy during the Civil War. On April 25, 1861, the frigate U.S.S. Constitution carried academy midshipmen to Newport. By Civil War’s end, 400 graduates had served in the Union Navy and 95 in the Confederate Navy. Of that total, 23 graduates were killed in battle or died of wounds. On August 9, 1865, the Naval Academy returned to Annapolis.

During the warmer months, the park is the popular for its fishing, boating, soccer, rugby, and picnicking. Fort Adams is also the site of annual summer concerts and festivals.

For more information about Newport, its history and its businesses, and to request a free travel guide, contact the Newport Chamber of Commerce at www.NewportChamber.com.

Key West sunset

KEY WEST— It is time for the annual migration of snowbirds. Houses are secured, SUVs are packed, and neighbors are waved farewell. Those fortunate enough to have a lifestyle that allows them to trade views of white snow for white sand are heading south.

The rest of us are left behind, envious, while these snowbirds (nix avis) head down Interstate 95 to Florida, often staying for several months.

Believe it or not, there are a few Florida natives that have reversed the trend and moved north. We’re the ones who are most envious because Yankee retirees are going to stroll our beaches, collect our sea shells, drink our Margaritas.

Dang it; why did we move?

There is a vaccination for winter, however. A concentrated blast of South Florida hedonism that carries through the long, cold months until June (when spring really arrives in Pennsylvania). And that’s a quick trip to Key West.

The southernmost city in the United States, closer to Havana than Miami, Key West is three miles wide by five miles long. It’s where U.S. Highway One begins. It once was the home to author Ernest Hemmingway and the hometown of singer Jimmy Buffett. You really don’t need more than three or four days in Key West, if you plan the trip well.

Day One, you arrive in Key West via airplane. For gosh sakes, don’t fly into Miami and then drive to the Keys. That’s a waste of time that could be better spent doing the “Duval Crawl.” The Crawl, by the way, is an ambitious venture down the main drag stopping in at every pub or bar, having one tropical drink after another, listening to live music and making new friends. A tradition in several bars is to leave a business card and wait – sometimes for years – for a “drunk dial.” That’s when a slightly sloshed person visiting the same bar notices your card and calls and you tell them to “have one for you!”

Hemmingway's House

Day Two, you sleep off the Duval Crawl and around 1 p.m. or so, sneak into the hotel restaurant for a very light breakfast of coffee and toast, then sleep for awhile at the swimming pool. When it’s dusk, you go back to Duval but this time you concentrate on the restaurants and the art galleries and watching the sunset at Mallory’s Pier.

Day Three, you take a boat trip or a plane ride to the Dry Tortugas for an afternoon of sightseeing and snorkeling. When you return to your hotel, sun burnt and exhausted, you shower, nap and then head for Duval Street and another evening of the Crawl. This time you limit yourself. Nothing to prove.

Day Four, if you’re still in Key West, you need to head back downtown and pick up presents for friends and family, grab lunch at the Conch Republic and continue down the marina to book a sailboat, sunset cruise. Don’t forget to pick up a small bottle of champagne and toast the most magnificent sunset in North America.

Day Five, catch the airplane home. Sigh.

Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas, Florida Keys

DRY TORTUGAS – If you can swim – okay, if you can float – then you can snorkel and the best snorkeling in North America is at Dry Tortugas National Park, nearly 70 miles west of Key West. Its shallow waters have spectacular views and are perfect for beginners and experts.

The Dry Tortugas is a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand. The area is famous for its bird and marine life, and its legends of pirates and sunken gold.

Often called the “Gateway to the Gulf,” it was an important landmark to passing ships beginning with Juan Ponce de Leon who first recorded it in 1513. The Spaniards found an abundance of sea turtles or “Tortugas” using the islands as nesting grounds, and provisioned their ships with fresh meat. But the Tortugas were dry, meaning no fresh water so it was renamed “Dry Tortugas” to warn mariners of the lack of water.

The reefs and shoals of the Dry Tortugas have been a serious hazard to navigation and the site of hundreds of shipwrecks and, beginning in 1825, the United States government has maintained a lighthouse on Garden Key.

Key West's seafaring tradition lives on at the renovated Historic Seaport district, known locally as the Key West Bight. Not only do local fishermen and visiting millionaires use this marina, but sailboat charters and ferry boats to the Dry Tortugas sail from these docks.

The U.S. military utilized its strategic location in the Florida Straits and began constructing the massive Fort Jefferson there in 1846. Like many pre-Civil War forts, it was never completed because the invention of the rifled cannon made it obsolete. This probably was a great relief to soldiers stationed there because the relentless heat and disease outbreaks (yellow fever) made it an undesirable post.

Fort Jefferson lost its military value, but the area was still admired for its unspoiled coral reefs and its plentiful sea and bird life. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt set aside Fort Jefferson and the surrounding waters as a national monument. In 1992, the area was designated as Dry Tortugas National Park protecting its historical and natural features.

Getting there is the hardest part of enjoying the Dry Tortugas. Once on the main island, you can visit Fort Jefferson, which offers daily 45-minute guided tours. Sport fishing is permitted but a license is required. Private boaters can visit and tie up at the park docking and picnic or camp. Bird watching is renowned and at certain times of the year the skies are raucous and noisy with nesting and mating tropical birds. Turtles still lumber onto the beach each summer to bury eggs.

Almost 70 miles (112.9 km) west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, its legends of pirates and sunken gold, and its military past.

But it’s the snorkeling that is the primary attraction at the Dry Tortugas. Even the novice can enjoy the myriad of colorful tropical fish and living coral by exploring the island straight off a brilliant, white sand beach.

The water remains shallow for several yards and swimmers and snorkelers must stand in the sand, never on coral or sea grass. As a national park, regulations forbid you from taking coral, conch, lobster or ornamental fish or collecting artifacts from land or water.

In addition to viewing fish and coral, snorkelers can swim near the fort moat wall (just don’t go into the moat or stand on the wall). The fish and coral also have claimed the large limestone foundation of the fort, and some of the largest fish can be found there.

Historical artifacts also abound and, if you’re lucky, you’ll spot abandoned anchors and other pieces of machinery tossed overboard.

The park is staffed by nearly a dozen rangers and maintenance workers (and their families) who live in a casement section of the fort. Employees’ residences are off limits to the public, but there is a small visitor center and shop.

There are two modes of transportation to the Dry Tortugas – by sea and by air. There are large, fast ferries that make regularly scheduled trips to the park for about $100 per person. They also provide a refreshing picnic and snorkel gear. All you have to bring is a bathing suit, a towel and sunglasses.

If a two-hour boat ride (one way) doesn’t fill with enthusiasm, consider taking a sea plane. Although the fee is about $200 per adult for a half-day, the trip is fast (40 minutes one way), exciting and the view is spectacular. Seaplane charters, also, provide snorkel gear.

More information about the Dry Tortugas is available on the Internet at www.nps.gov/drto.

The Dry Tortugas became a military reservation in 1845 and construction on the fort began in 1846. A year later, the officer's quarters were completed and the fort was officially named for Thomas Jefferson. The walls didn't reach their final height of 45 feet until 1862. A moat surrounds the fort.

Historically, the Dry Tortugas has been a graveyard to sea-going vessels and still represents an obstacle to mariners. Here, an abandoned dingy rests on the beach next to Fort Jefferson.

Dry Tortugas National Park protects the southwest tip of South Florida's coral reef tract. This represents the third-largest barrier reef system outside of Australia and Belize, so be careful when snorkeling there.

One of the benefits of snorkeling at a historic site is the "garbage" tossed overboard from ships and from the walls of Fort Jefferson. Here is a Civil War-era anchor, covered in barnacles and spanning at least 10 feet.

Catamarans dominate the Miami Boat Show

MIAMI BEACH – The traffic had stalled on Collins Avenue, also known as A1A. Drivers didn’t seem to mind; their eyes were glued on the mega yachts moored in the nearby canal, part of the Miami International Boat Show at the Sea Isle Marina.

Sailboats, including luxury multi-hulls, were sequestered a few miles away at Miamarina at Bayside. Smaller powerboat dealers and others in the marine industry vended in the Miami Beach Convention Center, through which more than 146,000 people traversed.

“Considered the Super Bowl of all consumer boat shows, the Miami event kicks off boating season and sets the barometer for annual industry sales,” said Cathy Johnston, vice president of Southern Shows with the NMMA. “Judging by the results of this year’s show, we expect strong sales to continue through 2006 in all categories of recreational marine products.”

Attending a boat show is a great way to familiarize yourself with products you’ve been drooling over in the magazines. It’s a place where hordes of sweaty, barefoot people in shorts and T-shirts mingle with well-heeled (in Sperry boat shoes, of course) captains of industry, each waiting in line to board a million-dollar yacht.

The Miami Convention Center in South Beach hosts the annual Miami International Boat Show featuring more than 2,000 of the world's leading manufacturers and display powerboats and accessories in its 2.5 million square feet of exhibition space.

A boat show is a world of captains and first mates and, honestly, it’s a world mainly segregated by gender. Boat-owning married couples often joke that the husband is the captain, but the wife is the admiral (yes, and the first mate and chef). Women ogle galleys (kitchens) and heads (bathrooms) and staterooms (bedrooms) while men peek into lockers, examine diesel engines and admire anchoring systems.

Of course, living in Northcentral Pennsylvania means we have to travel to boat shows so we time vacations with one. Florida, one of our a favorite destination, has two large sailboat shows: Miami and St. Petersburg. Strictly Sail also hosts shows in Chicago and Philadelphia.

Some people aren’t interested in sailing; they prefer powerboats. There are several Trawler Fests each year: Annapolis and Mystic, Ct., to name a couple. Fancy and fast powerboats can be found at the New York boat show, as well as Atlantic, St. Louis and New Orleans.

If you’re not ready for a vacation that’s actually an excuse to look at boats, consider a day trip. Strictly Sail hosts boat shows in multiple places such as: Strictly Sail St. Petersburg in November. Strictly Sail Philadelphia in January, Strictly Sail Chicago and Miami both in February, and Strictly Sail Pacific in April.

See you there.

The Maryland State House is the oldest in continuous legislative use in the United States.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – If winter winds on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island aren’t your cup of tea, then consider heading south to the Chesapeake Bay and spend a weekend in historic Annapolis, Md.

Founded in 1649, Annapolis once served as the capital of the United States when the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, was signed there. It is Maryland’s capitol city and home of the U.S. Naval Academy, founded in 1845. Annapolis is a city that retains an old-world appeal thanks to its historic architecture. Some of the finest 17th and 18th century buildings in the nation, including the residences of all four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence, are found there. It also is the home of St. John’s College, founded in 1696 as King William’s School and the third oldest institution of higher learning in the United States after Harvard and William and Mary colleges.

A historic seaport, Annapolis also claims to be the “Sailing Capital of the World” and is a popular destination for international sailors. In 2005, plans were finalized to build the National Sailing Hall of Fame in Annapolis, lending credence to its claim as sailing capital.

The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, located at the City Dock in historic Annapolis, is the only memorial in the country that commemorates the actual name and place of arrival of an enslaved African.

There are year-round activities for the tourist in Annapolis. Downtown there are quaint shops, interesting historic structures, and even sailboat races at the City Dock. Because the Naval Academy is so close, formally attired midshipmen often stroll the city’s streets. The academy has a small and informal museum, but makes up for it with the mausoleum of John Paul Jones, the “Father of the American Navy.”

Midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy spend free time in downtown Annapolis.

A century after Jones’ death in 1792 in France, President Theodore Roosevelt launched a search to find his body. In 1905, it was rediscovered and transferred with great ceremony to the Naval Academy. It is interred below the academy’s chapel, in a magnificent marble sarcophagus modeled after the tomb of Napoleon. A Naval midshipman stands at attention beside the sarcophagus when the tomb is open to the public.

Dining is eclectic, and one of the best choices downtown is Galway Bay, an Irish pub and restaurant. Galway, on Maryland Avenue, features original red-brick walls and a beamed ceiling. There are Irish artifacts and antiques scattered throughout, along with original prints of famous Dublin scenes.

No visit to Annapolis is complete without a stop at Chick and Ruth’s Deli on Main Street. This cramped, Jewish-style (but not strictly kosher) deli serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night snacks. The restaurant was the site of the original Annapolis City Hotel, from 1788 to 1890, where George Washington lived for some time after he retired as commander-in-chief.

Sunday brunch is a delight at The Chart House on Second Street, where champagne mimosas flow freely. Within walking distance of historic downtown, the Chart House has outstanding waterfront views of City Dock, the state capitol and the U.S. Naval Academy, and is accessible by water taxi.

Galway Bay is an authentic Irish restaurant and pub in downtown Annapolis.

Despite its unique place in American history, its ambiance and its great food, Annapolis is best known for its maritime community. Fishing and recreational boating are popular on the Chesapeake Bay, and marine-related trades comprise a major part of the city’s economy. It is home to many maritime organizations and yacht clubs, boating schools and companies that offer fishing charters and sailboat and yacht charters, Each October, the Annapolis City Dock and harbor plays host to the two of the largest in-the-water boat shows in the world.

More information about the city is available online at http://www.Annapolis.gov.

The eBook is emerging as a true friend of the reader: they’re useful, entertaining and you can have thousands on your virtual bookcase without taking up valuable space.

If you don’t know much about eBooks, this is a primer. An e-book reader, also called an e-book device or e-reader, is an electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital books and periodicals and uses e-ink technology to display content to readers. The main advantages of these devices are portability, readability of their screens in bright sunlight, and long battery life. Any Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) capable of displaying text on a screen is also capable of being an e-book reader, but without the advantages of an electronic ink  display. Personal computers and some cell phones can also be used to read e-books.

Kindle vs. Nook

eBooks have been around for a long time and the most well known provider of digital content has been Project Gutenberg. Hundreds of volunteers help with this non-profit organization as it digitzes and edits its way through books that are in public domain. These are books that either do not have a copy right or the copy right has lapsed because they’ve been around awhile. Gutenberg makes books available in a variety of formats, including text, html (web page), epub and mobi, the last two of which are useable on portable reading devices such as the Amazon Kindle, the Barnes & Noble Nook and Sony’s (Borders) eReader.

Apple’s iPad breaks the eBook reader stereotype and offers a touch screen, color, and wi-fi and web capability. Other Android platform tablets compete with the iPad and offers similar options but without Apple’s proprietary software and hardware restrictions.

It seems like everyday new devices are either being released or upgraded and as they do, prices drop. So, which one is right for you? Well, it’s hard to say. I like — no, make that LOVE — the iPad for its versatility, and its web and video options. If you don’t want to go with that expensive a tablet, consider the Kindle Fire.

Kindle Fire

What a game changer! The Kindle Fire preview seems fantastic and at only $199, is a perfect present for loved ones. If I didn’t already have an iPad, I’d be begging my husband for one for Christmas and, if he didn’t comply, I’d buy it for myself.

According to Amazon.com, the Kindle Fire is capable of running movies, apps, games and music, and of course is the ultimate reading platform. It’s using Amazon’s revolutionary, cloud-accelerated web browser, Amazon Silk. I haven’t had the opportunity to try it, but hope to do so soon.

It’s color touchscreen has an extra-wide viewing angle and it uses a fast dual-core processor, which enables “prime members” to instantly stream movies and television shows.

It uses Amazon’s Whispersync technology, which automatically synchronizes your library and the book you’re reading to the last page viewed. The Kindle Fire also uses Whispersync for streaming video.

And in addition to all the fun multimedia, you can browse the web, check email and even read your documents. That’s right, Kindle Fire lets you take documents — Word, PDF and more — with you or e-mail them.

And don’t worry about the space needed for the more than 18 million movies, shows, songs, magazines and books available for purchase — Amazon offers the customer free “cloud storage” of all content not being used.

Don’t expect too much. It is a device that falls somewhere between an e-reader/media player and an Android tablet, but at $199 it’s an awesome gadget.

So what are you waiting for? Pre-order your new Kindle Fire today. I would. Well, if I didn’t have an iPad, which I love but cost me more than $800.

Learn how ot handle lines properly

There’s value in sailors learning how to properly tie a knot because a bad thing can happen with poorly tied knots: The boat could drift away.

A short walk down a long pier on Cayuga Lake revealed an assortment of knot-tying techniques, mostly sloppy and dangerous. Wrapping a line (that’s what sailors call ropes) around and around a cleat until it’s a mass of cordage won’t guarantee that the boat is secure to the dock. Neither will slipping a spliced line through the eye of a cleat and then looping it over an ear. At best, this is a temporary solution.

To secure the boat to a dock or secure a line to the boat, most people use the cleat hitch. To do this, first take the line to the ear of the cleat furthest from where the line comes from the load. Make one wrap around the base of the cleat and then start a figure eight across the top of the opposite ear. Finish with a half hitch turned under so that the line is coming away from the cleat in the opposite direction from which it came.

Once the line is secure, it’s inappropriate to leave a tangled mass of lines. Leftover line lying haphazardly on the dock can trip people, or the line can fall into the water and get wet. It also can get knotted up preve
There are three recommended methods for stowing extra line on a dock:

• The first is to coil it in a flat spiral. This method is tidy and uses minimal space. However, some boaters are concerned that leaving a line coiled results in mildew and sun damage.
• The second method is to form a daisy chain. Boaters do this by making a small loop close to the cleat then pulling a length of the line through the loop making a second loop, and so on until the line ends. This method allows air to circulate around the line, hopefully preventing mildew. Daisy chains easily fall out and look decorative on a dock.
• The third method is to coil the remainder and hang it from a hook on a nearby piling.

Owning and sailing a boat is an expensive hobby so take a few extra minutes and take care of the equipment.

Not only is a properly tied cleat hitch secure, it is attractive. The extra line is coiled next to the cleat.

This boat is in danger of drifting away. The line is loosely and incorrectly wrapped around the cleat.

Here is an example of properly tied cleat with the extra line coiled on the dock.

The extra line on this dock has been tidily formed into a chain to prevent mildew.

This line is not properly tied and because the extra line has been wrapped around the cleat, it will take extra time to release it.

This is an example of an improper cleat hitch, and despite the fact that the line is balled around the cleat, it will not guarantee security.

]]> http://www.robinvanauken.com/archives/76/feed 0 http://www.robinvanauken.com/archives/256 http://www.robinvanauken.com/archives/256#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 22:13:51 +0000 Robin Van Auken http://smallboatsailors.com/?p=71

Trailer sailing works for powerboats and for sailboats

Living in Northcentral Pennsylvania is advantageous for land-locked sailors. In addition to several large lakes and reservoirs nearby, boaters can use the Finger Lakes of New York.

Trailering a boat from Williamsport to the Finger Lakes is easier than it sounds. It’s little more than a one-hour drive on U.S. Route 15 from Williamsport to the New York border, and then 45 minutes more to Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen, or one hour to Cayuga Lake in Ithaca.

The Finger Lakes are glacially formed, linear lakes in upstate New York. Each lake is oriented on a north-south axis and reminded early map-makers of the fingers of a hand.

The lakes are New York’s largest wine-producing region with wineries and vineyards centered on Seneca, Cayuga, Canandaigua, and Keuka lakes.

Seneca is the second deepest lake in the United States. It is promoted as the trout capital of the world, and is host of the National Lake Trout Derby, Because of its depth, Seneca Lake has been a testing site for submarines. The lake takes its name from the Seneca nation of Native Americans.

Cayuga Lake also is very popular among recreational boaters. The Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, a large state marina and boat launch, is located at the southern end of the lake in Ithaca. There also is a yacht club on the western shore a few miles north of Ithaca, and several other marinas and boat launches scattered along the lake shore

But if you go boating on Cayuga, beware of “Old Greeny.”

Boating Season on Cayuga Lake

“The members of the Journal staff have been living in daily anticipation of the monster’s appearance, and have actually shunned assignments which would take them near the water’s edge for fear of being compelled to shudder and tremble at the sight of him,” the article read, adding that an area resident was driving along the lake’s east shore when he saw the large, long sea serpent, “although a ‘tramp,’ who had also seen the creature, later told a Journal reporter that he believed it was actually a muskrat.”

Then, in 1929, the Journal reported that two sea monsters, about 12- to 15-feet long, had invaded Cayuga Lake, attributing the sighting to cottagers along the east shore. It was theorized that “Old Greeny” was a sturgeon that had entered the lake during high water and the paper reported that a sturgeon had been captured in Fall Creek by a fisherman.As recently as 1979, Jack Marshall, owner of J.T. Marshall Professional Diving Service, claimed to have seen some sort of serpent.

“There really is something there,” Marshall told Journal reporters. “I never used to believe it, but Cayuga Katie made a believer out of me.”
Marshall said he was boating with some friends on the lake one spring evening that year when he saw a log in front of the boat. Marshall called for the boat to stop, but the 30- to 35-foot long creature had disappeared underneath the surface, leaving ripples of water in its wake.
“I haven’t seen it since,” Marshall said.

Seneca Lake in New York is large and accommodating for both power and sailing vessels. These boats were launched from the Watkins Glen marina.

Seneca Lake is the second deepest lake in the United States and has been a testing site for submarines. At 38-miles long, It is the second longest of the Finger Lakes and has the largest volume, estimated at 4.2 trillion gallons, which is half of all the water in all the Finger Lakes. It has a maximum depth of 618 feet and a surface area of 42,800 acres. It’s perfect for sailors with large, fast boats, such as trimarans.

Cayuga Lake is the longest of western New York’s glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area and volume. It is less than 40 miles long, 3 and one-half miles wide and 435 feet deep. Many boaters reserve seasonal slips at the Allan H. Treman State Marine Park, located at the southern end of the lake.

Daysailing can be a solo activity or a sport, such as racing around the bouys

Daysailing, also called dinghy cruising, has been described as “a magical way of exploring new coastlines and experiencing nature at close quarters.”

You don’t have to wait until the bank account is full and until you have plenty of time for sailing to enjoy a daysail in your small boat. Trailerable boats are easy to acquire and inexpensive to maintain. Some have cabins, some are simply large cockpits with a tarp draped over the boom. Regardless, dinghy cruising is an affordable way to get on the water now, not later, and practice sailing skills and visit lakes and waterways. Some people joke that a trailerable sailboat can go 50 miles per hour. Some dinghies have centerboards and can be beached; some have small keels and can be anchored in knee-deep water. Regardless of the size or design, the most important aspect of dinghy cruising is the ability to go sailing quickly and easily and to have fun.

• Simple: One person can trailer it, step its mast, and be sailing in about an hour.
• Standardized: Recreational and racing sailors, alike, use standard rigs.
• Durable: These small boats can take a pounding, a knockdown or a capsize.
• Light: Dinghies are generally light and trailer well.
• Easy: Small boats are easy to maintain, and the cockpit is above the waterline.
• Ageless: People of all ages can enjoy sailing a dinghy.

Daysailing in small boats is very popular in the United Kingdom and in Canada. There are several clubs that maintain Web sites that promote the sport. Check the SmallBoatSailors.com for some suggested reading. There are several books that specialize in sailing small boats, because the reality is that the average person cannot (or does not want to) pay for the 35-plus-foot yacht, nor can they afford the time it takes to maintain such a boat. Books are perfect for the Armchair Sailor. If you want suggestions, take a look at the book links we’ve selected and placed on each page within this site. Many of these books are in our own collection, and we plan to buy the rest.

“In these days when maxi yachts are raced round the world at a cost of millions of pounds, financed by commercial sponsorship, aided by radio communication, satellite navigation, and all the complicated back-up of modern trans-ocean racing under the glare of international press publicity, it is perhaps reassuring to know that individuals, quietly and on their own account, can still find adventurous sailing and very special happiness afloat in suitable cruising dinghies at modest cost.”
Ian Proctor, designer

Swallows and Amazons: a sailing adventure series for children -- and adults

Barbecued Billygoats!

You mean you haven’t read Swallows and Amazons or any of the other books in the 12-volume series? Technically, we’re all supposed to read these books when we’re children, but if you haven’t don’t worry — you’ll still enjoy messing about in boats with the crews of the Swallow and the pirates of the Amazon.

Swallows and Amazons

by Arthur Ramsom

Sailing the Swallow are siblings John, Susan, Titty, and Roger Walker. The Walker children inherited their love of the sea and their sailing experience from their father, an officer in the British Navy. Their mother, who learned how to sail as a child growing up in Australia, allows the children freedom to explore, camp and sail during their holidays at the lake. The parents’ only request is that the children not drown or be “duffers.”

Captain John, the eldest, is generally in charge, however he often is persuaded to join Nancy in her misadventures. He also makes grievous mistakes, such as holing, dismasting and sinking his ship, and then there was that time he “accidentally” sailed the stormy North Sea winding up in Holland. This adventure is the focus of We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea (sure you didn’t), the seventh in the series.

Next in the Walker lineup is First Mate Susan, a highly organized and nurturing young woman. She is in charge of the ship’s stores, cooking, and making sure the crew remembers to brush their teeth and pause for afternoon tea. She also makes sure that the Ship’s Boy Roger (the youngest next to the ship’s baby who joins the crew later) doesn’t eat too much chocolate and goes to bed on time. Titty, the dreamy artist of the family, is the Able Seaman. She foils the pirates in the first book —Swallows and Amazons — and is also the crew’s cartographer. Bridget, the ship’s baby, eventually joins the crew and her first real adventure with the Swallows is the unplanned voyage across the North Sea. She earns her keep later in Secret Water, the eighth S&A volume, when she makes allies of a new enemy — the eels.

Sisters Nancy and Peggy Blackett are the pirate crew of the Amazon. Nancy refuses to use her given name of Ruth because Uncle Jim Turner (Captain Flint to the children) told her that pirates are supposed to be ruthless. Nancy is a tomboy. Her sister, Peggy (Margaret) is not as courageous but is a highly competent sailor and First Mate. Her greatest fear is thunder and it is at these moments that Nancy shows her soft side, comforting the sister she generally calls a “galoot.” I thought Harry Potter broke a lot of rules and generally misbehaved, but he is tame next to Pirate Nancy Blackett of the Amazon.

Sister and brother Dorothea and Dick Callum are introduced in the fourth book, Winter Holiday. Both are intellectuals who yearn to be friends with the Swallows and the Amazons, and learn how to sail in order to be part of the group. Dorothea is a writer and Dick is a scientist. They later acquire a dinghy of their own, the Scarab.

The author uses the Callums as a link to new locations and new characters: the Norfolk Broads and the members of the Coot Club. The Callums are the main characters in two subsequent books where they meet Tom Dudgeon, twins Port and Starboard, and the crew of Death and Glory: Pete, Bill and Joe, three working-class boys.

The emphasis of all the books is on the sailing-related (mis)adventures of the children, but often Captain Flint is involved in the tales. Other generally benevolent adult characters also appear, along with a motley assortment of ne’er do wells.

I did enjoy all of the books, and some more than others and, for a while, I adopted many of the salty sayings of Captain Nancy. Many a times I told my husband to “stir his stumps” if I was in a hurry, or “shiver my timbers” when my usual “crikey” would do. The best thing about the book is that each character is well drawn and throughout the series remains true, except for Roger who showed signs of becoming a belligerent prankster as he grew up. The small boy who “tacked” his way across the meadow to his mother in the first book became quite greedy and often sullen in later books. Despite their many flaws that often ring true, the children also exhibit bravery, fortitude, ingenuity and abiding friendship.

Novel Series

• Swallows and Amazons (1930)
• Swallowdale (1931)
• Peter Duck (1932)
• Winter Holiday (1933)
• Coot Club (1934)
• Pigeon Post (1936)
• We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea (1937)
• Secret Water (1939)
• The Big Six (1940)
• Missee Lee (1941)
• The Picts And The Martyrs: or Not Welcome At All (1943)
• Great Northern? (1947)

Jibbooms and Bobstays!

Get your own copy of Swallows and Amazons, and while you’re at it, get the rest. You’re never too old to enjoy a good story.

About the Author

Arthur Ransome is best known for his “Swallows and Amazons” series of books, first published between 1930 and 1947 and all of which remain in print to this day. The books have been translated into many languages, such as Chinese, Czech, Hebrew, Hungarian, French, German and Slovak.

Ransome was a journalist, literary critic, biographer, story-teller, keen fisherman, sailor and, some people believe, even a spy. The Arthur Ransome Society (TARS) was formed in 1990 in order to celebrate and promote his life and works. While based in the UK, TARS has members in thirty countries throughout the world, including Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the USA.

Learn to Sail

Captain Gardner Lloyd of Flagship Sailing

We made the decision to learn how to sail and to purchase a sailboat in 2005 so we took Basic Keelboat (BKB 101) sailing lessons with Flagship Sailing in Clearwater, Florida.

Captain Gardner Lloyd taught us the fundamentals aboard a Catalina 22. We learned to hoist sails, tack and gybe, practiced MOB drills and docking skills on the pleasant Gulf of Mexico. We felt very comfortable with Captain Lloyd and will most likely return to Clearwater to take more classes from him and Flagship. We’d recommend him highly; he is a patient and congenial teacher for both men and women.

Flagship Sailing staff is certified by the American Sailing Association and licensed by the US Coast Guard.

Making your writing last and last and last

Elmore Leonard’s Rules for Writing

• Don’t write what the reader will skip over anyhow.
• Never open your book with weather.
• Never begin with a prologue
• Never describe the physical look of a character in such great detail it takes away from the reader’s imagination.
• Use exclamation points sparingly.
• Never use another verb in place of said.
• Never let your writing sound like writing.
• Never use an adverb to modify said.
• Never us a colon or semi colon in dialogue. The same is true of ellipsis, dash and italics.
• Tell your editor to tell the copy editor not to mess with your punctuation.
• Don’t show your manuscript to anyone outside the business until you are satisfied with it.

Da Vicni's Notebook

I’ve been pondering the concept of a New Renaissance.

On the topic, Parade magazine’s resident genius Marilyn Vos Savant once wrote she would: “… found a school for art and music, dedicated to bringing back the classical beauty in sight and sound that – transfigured by contemporary imagination – could make the modern world a glorious place. In short, I would try to start a new Renaissance.”

Imagine, if you can, helping to make your community “a glorious place.”

The truth is that money isn’t the hurdle in achieving the mission of promoting arts within the community. It’s the way we think. We must think this mission is important.

Ahhh, but what is a Renaissance without a Leonardo da Vinci?

Is there a Leonardo lurking nearby? Are you one? Am I?

According to Michael J. Gelb, author of the national bestselling book “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci,” anyone can apply da Vinci’s approach to learning and cultivate their own intelligence. Da Vinci left remarkable notebooks, as well remarkable art and scientific inventions, which are veritable roadmaps.

It probably is arrogant, Gelb writes, to imagine that we can become the genius da Vinci was, however, we can use da Vinci’s resources as a guide to become “more of what we truly are.”

People underestimate their own capabilities, Gelb states, beginning with the concept of intelligence based upon the traditional IQ test. Created by Alfred Binet (1857-1911), the IQ test attempts to measure comprehension, reasoning and judgment. Although Binet was motivated to create the test by a desire to overcome the cultural and class prejudices of late 19th-century France, contemporary research shows it contains two significant flaws, Gelb continues.

The first flaw is that intelligence is fixed at birth and immutable.

According to a statistical review in the scientific journal Nature, genes account for no more than 48 percent of IQ. Prenatal care, environment and education account for 52 percent.

The second flaw is that IQ can be measured by verbal and mathematical reasoning skills.

This, Gelb purports, is a narrow view of intelligence that has been refuted by contemporary research. According to psychologist Howard Gardner (Frames of Mind 1983), there are seven measurable intelligences (and as many as 25 different subintelligences). They, and some geniuses reflective of each category, are:

• Logical-Mathematical – Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Marie Curie
• Verbal-Linguistic – William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Jorge Luis-Borges
• Spatial-Mechanical – Michelangelo, Georgia O’Keeffe, Buckminster Fuller
• Musical – Mozart, George Gershwin, Ella Fitzgerald
• Bodily-Kinesthetic – Morihei Ueshiba, Muhammad Ali, F.M. Alexander
• Interpersonal-Social – Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Queen Elizabeth I
• Intrapersonal (Self-knowledge) – Viktor Frankl, Thich Nhat Hanh, Mother Teresa

Exactly where do you fit in? What are your strengths, and which ones would you like to develop? Your brain is better than you think, Gelb writes. Appreciating your brain’s capabilities is important for a practical study of “Da Vincian thinking.”

According to Gelb, your brain:

• Is more flexible and multidimensional than any supercomputer
• Can learn seven facts per second, every second, for the rest of your life
• Will improve with age if you use it properly
• Is not just in your head – neuroscientists claim intelligence is located
• Not only in the brain but in cells distributed throughout the body (now we know why your heart aches!)
• Is unique (as are your fingerprints)
• Is capable of making virtually an unlimited number of synaptic connections
• Is capable of making virtually an unlimited potential patterns of thought.

Imagine all that you’ve learned today, just by reading this essay. Imagine others learning to appreciate the same things you and I do – art, music, poetry, literature, scientific and mechanical inventions, improvements and discoveries. I keep reminding myself that even if it takes baby steps, we are moving forward, but if any of you budding geniuses out there have bright ideas (or deep pockets), how about lending a hand?

Sunday Grit

Make room on the shelf for another book about local history. Written by author Robin Van Auken and published by Ogden Newspapers, parent company of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, “Sunday Grit: A Newspaper Legacy” is the fourth volume in a limited edition, commemorative series about area newspapers.

Richly illustrated, the new 136-page book features nearly 200 images, many never seen before.

Van Auken traveled to Grit headquarters in Topeka, KS, and acquired hundreds of historic photographs and memorabilia that were saved when the newspaper sold. Although Grit still exists and is published by Ogden, the glossy magazine targets a rural audience. Grit publisher Bryan Welch returned the photographs to Williamsport for the Sun-Gazette to curate and incorporate into its current collection.

Readers of “Sunday Grit” will enjoy the dozens of newly discovered photographs that form a virtual tour of the company and its employees during the early 1900s, as well as local news stories, advertisements and interesting features. Reminisce with beloved features like Odd, Strange and Curious, Aunt Beth’s Chat, the Golden Rule Club and Do You Remember?

For more than 100 years, the weekly newspaper delivered news, features, fiction, coupons, and comics to families across the nation. One million children have sold “Grit,” some for a few weeks, some for several years. Many look back with satisfaction on the experience when, as young entrepreneurs, they knocked on the doors of small-town homes and were welcomed with a smile and a dime for a weekly edition of homespun good news.

In addition to the national Sunday edition, “Grit” also recorded local timely events and celebrated family and community through good times and bad. Many of its stories and photographs are endearing and touching portraits that have chronicled the region’s progress and misfortune.

The newspaper’s origins were as a Saturday edition of the “Daily Sun and Banner” published in 1882 in Williamsport. It was a short-lived venture, however, and in less than two years, Dietrick Lamade bought the enterprise. A typical “Horatio Alger-type,” he sought and found opportunity in the creation of one of the miracles of modern publishing.

Dietrick Lamade, Grit publisher

Lamade was born in Goelshausen, Germany, one of nine children of Johannes and Caroline Lamade. His family moved to Williamsport where, on Jan. 1, 1869, Johannes Lamade died from typhoid fever. The day after his funeral, his widow bore their ninth child. At the age of 10, Deitrick Lamade, along with his older brothers and sister, quit school to support the family and worked as an errand boy for several years. At the age of 13, Lamade began working in the office of “Beobachter,” a local German-language publication. He earned $3 per week.

In 1882, Lamade went to work for the “Daily Sun and Banner” as its advertising compositor and assistant composing room foreman. There he typeset the first head for “Grit.” Two years later, he left the “Sun and Banner” to help revive “The Times,” a weekly publication that was scheduled to become a daily. Its owner, however, lacked the money to continue.

Now 25 and unemployed, Lamade had a wife and two children to support. He later recalled this as the first time he envisioned the opportunity of his life. Lamade gambled, and with two partners and a combined investment, bought the name “Grit” from the “Sun and Banner” to use for his new publication.

The first year of “Grit” was one of adversity and uncertainty. The newspaper owed more than it was worth and seven business partners came and went. Lamade did not lose faith. He knew that he would have to improve the newspaper’s circulation (then about 4,000) if the paper were to survive.

Lamade interested new subscribers with contests and drawings. He traveled throughout Northcentral Pennsylvania, using a lottery to stimulate statewide circulation. He convinced storeowners and newsagents to carry the publication, and his tireless efforts more than doubled circulation. His dedication saved the newspaper.

By 1886, “Grit” boasted a weekly circulation of 14,000, and all of its bills were paid in cash. With a $400 surplus, Lamade and his partners shook hands, patted themselves on their backs and gave themselves raises from $12 to $15 a week.

“Grit” moved into its new home at the corner of Williams and West Third streets in 1891. Circulation averaged 53,000 copies weekly in most states east of the Mississippi. Lamade began using direct mail and hired newsboys throughout the country to sell the paper. By the start of 20th century, circulation reached 100,000, and then tripled by 1916. By the late 1970s, its circulation was more than 1.2 million.

“Grit” thrived on Lamade’s concept of “good news,” and by appealing to small-town American traditions. He once said, “Wherever possible, suggest peace and good will toward men. Give our readers courage and strength for their daily tasks.

Put happy thoughts, cheer and contentment into their hearts. By such a course we can do much to improve the minds and lives of the millions of people who read ‘Grit’ every week, and bring them a higher realization of their duties in life.”

The unity of thought, purpose, and effort that existed between “Grit” and its employees is found in few industries. From the first day that Lamade acquired “Grit,” he never overestimated himself. He gathered about him the best men and women, calling them his “Grit” Family. Growing from three employees (himself included) to more than 250 in its Williamsport office, plus hundreds of correspondents and thousands of delivery boys and girls nationwide, Lamade’s newspaper never reduced wages and never missed a pay day for any of its employees (even during its infancy and the Great Depression).

“Sometimes we had to borrow the money back again from the men to operate the business,” Dietrick once said, “but we never really missed a pay day.” “Grit,” he added, “did not simply grow of its own accord. No one works for Grit. We all work with Grit.”

‘Grit’ Continues

The little newspaper that could, “Grit” gained its popularity by appealing to small-town Americans. It remained under the management of the Lamade family for most of its run. Lamade died on October 9, 1938 at the age of 79, a beloved figure mourned by many, and his descendents remain prominent today in Williamsport. His son George R. Lamade, then general manager of “Grit,” became its president. Another son, Howard J. Lamade, served as vice president and secretary. Four grandsons also were in the business. “Grit” became a tabloid January 2, 1944 and color made its first appearance in the Family Section on July 21, 1963.

Production costs spiraled, and circulation dwindled, and in 1990, the Lamade family sold “Grit” to Stauffer Communications of Kansas. The publication’s format changed to become a monthly magazine. Then, in 1994, Morris Publishing purchased it. In 1996, it became a holding of Ogden.

“Grit” is a nationally distributed magazine distributed every other month to approximately 100,000 customers. It continues to appeal to its largely small-town readers with positive, human-interest stories. Readers continue to submit its features, which include articles about gardening, hobbies and crafts, inspirations, unsung heroes, unique retirement pastimes, travel, and pets. “Sunday Grit: A Newspaper Legacy” is available at the Williamsport Sun-Gazette for $24.95.

Royal Navy Hospital, Greenwich

GREENWICH, England – This is where East meets West. This also is where Time begins and when the New Year begins, this is where the first clock chimes the midnight hour.

Each day at 12:55 p.m., the Greenwich Time Ball atop the Royal Observatory rises half way up its mast signaling the time to ships along the Thames. At 12:58 it rises all the way to the top. At 1 p.m., the ball falls and all around the world clocks and watches are adjusted to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Royal Observatory at Greenwich

Greenwich, England, Longitude 0° 0′ 0″ and Latitude 51° 28′ 38″ N, defines both time and place for the world. All places have a latitude (their distance North or South of the Equator) and a longitude (their distance East or West of the Greenwich Meridian). Greenwich was chosen to be the Prime Meridian of the World in 1884 when 41 delegates from 25 nations met in Washington, D.C. for the International Meridian Conference.

On the south bank of the Thames River, Greenwich is a World Heritage Site recognized for its concentration and quality of buildings of historic and architectural interest. The town became a popular resort in the 17th century with opulent houses from the Georgian period constructed above the town center.

Greenwich is home to the Palace of Placentia, which dates to the 15th century. The birthplace of many in the House of Tudor, including Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the palace fell into disrepair during the English Civil War (1642-1651) and was rebuilt in 1873 as the Royal Naval Hospital for Sailors by Sir Christopher Wren. It became the Royal Naval College in 1873 and then, in 1998, the Greenwich Foundation took control. At present, it is used by University of Greenwich and the Trinity College of Music.

Greenwich also is home to Cutty Sark, the only remaining original Clipper ship from the 1800s, and Gipsy Moth IV, a 54 ft ketch that Sir Francis Chichester commissioned specifically to sail single-handed around the globe, racing against the times set by the clipper ships of the 19th century.

Greenwich Park is home to the National Maritime Museum, which is actually comprised three sites: the Maritime Galleries, the Royal Observatory and the Queen’s House. Together these constitute one museum working to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people.

Prime Meridian at Greenwich

Royal Observatory

Home of Greenwich Mean Time and the Prime Meridian line, the Royal Observatory is one of the most important historic scientific sites in the world. It is the official starting point for each new day, year and millennium (at the stroke of midnight GMT as measured from the Prime Meridian). In 1675, Charles II founded the observatory to improve navigation at sea and appointed John Flamsteed as his first Astronomer Royal.

Disasters at sea, including a 1707 sinking that killed more than 2,000 men, prompted Parliament to “find the so-much desired longitude of places” – one’s exact position east and west – while at sea and out of sight of land. In 1714, Parliament established the Board of Longitude and offered a £20,000 reward (equivalent of about £2 million today) to anyone who could solve the problem of finding longitude at sea. Nearly 60 years later, John Harrison, a Yorkshire clockmaker, claimed the prize that stumped famous astronomers, scientists and mathematicians and Harrison’s “H4” changed navigation forever.

Queens House

Inigo Jones designed the Queens House in 1616, commissioned by King James I’s wife, Anne, to build a new pavilion for her at Greenwich. A student of Roman and Renaissance architecture, Jones designed the first fully classical building seen in England. Though generally called Palladian in style, its model was the Medici villa at Poggio a Caiano and it also served as a model for the White House in Washington D.C. The house’s design, classical in proportion and harmony, was revolutionary in Britain when the majority of buildings were Tudor-style red brick.

Nelson's statue in Greenwich

National Maritime Museum Galleries

The National Maritime Museum galleries are small, yet spectacular. The collections comprise about 2.48 million items, many on loan to museums elsewhere in Britain. The thematically arranged galleries contain the most important holdings in the world on the history of Britain at sea, including maritime art, cartography, manuscripts, official public records, ship models and plans, scientific and navigational instruments, and time-keeping and astronomy.

It also features more than 700 items about Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805), Britain’s greatest naval hero. His exploits were commemorated in paintings, prints, souvenirs, poetry and song and his death at the Battle of Trafalgar made him the model of duty and devotion to his country.

During the Victorian era, Britons found it difficult to mesh his celebrated standing with his immoral private life: Nelson deserted his wife for a ménage à trois with Lord William Hamilton, British envoy to Naples, and his wife, Lady Emma Hart Hamilton, who bore his illegitimate daughter, Horatia.

In 1800, Nelson’s wife, Fanny, issued an ultimatum on whether it was to be her or Emma. Nelson replied, “I love you sincerely but I cannot forget my obligations to Lady Hamilton or speak of her otherwise than with affection and admiration.”

The two never lived together again. The contradictions between the hero and the scoundrel have prolonged fascination with Nelson’s life and career for 200 years.

St. Peters Square, Rome, Italy

ROME, Italy – Despite best intentions to relax and to slowly wander the city and ruins, a visit to Rome is guaranteed to cause anxiety because there is so much to see and so little time to see it all.

One of the busiest – and most vibrant – city in the world, Rome defined civilization 2,000 years ago. Today, it’s a breath-taking mixture or new and ancient, and most of it is adorned with graffiti.

Rome’s narrow, cobble-stone streets are filled with tourists hurrying from one attraction to another, and small, zippy automobiles that make crossing the street a challenge. The hectic pace begins as soon as you enter the city, most likely through Roma Termini (Stazione Termini), the central train station named for the ancient Baths of Diocletian, which lie across the street from the main entrance. From here, you can catch both metro lines (A and B), or a bus at Piazza Cinquecento, the square in front of the station.

Termini is a destination unto itself: It not only is the major transportation hub, it is a shopping mall with fashionable and popular stores, restaurants and even a grocery store. After a long, tiring day of touring the city, reaching Termini for a train to your hotel can be a relief, if it weren’t for the fact that there is limited public seating. Perhaps it’s to discourage homeless people from taking up residence in the station, but that, coupled with the crowded pay-toilets that don’t even have toilet seats, is enough to make a sore-footed tourist whimper. But traveling is about becoming a temporary local, so while in Rome …

Small inconveniences – or, more accurately, cultural differences – aside, Rome is the type of city that leaves you breathless racing from one magnificent site to another and using the Roma Pass is a terrific tool that guarantees you’ll be able to get from the Colosseum to the Vatican to Trevi Fountain. This three-day pass not only gives you unlimited access to public transportation, it allows you to skip the long lines at some of the most popular attractions.

The Roma Pass costs 20 Euros and entitles holders to free admission to the first two museums or archaeological sites visited, and discounts for many other museums and sites. And, although you’ll probably purchase several tour guides before traveling to Italy, the Roma Pass Kit includes a map of the city, illustrating the location, addresses, phone numbers and even timetables of popular tourist information points, metro stations and museums/sites of interest.

It also contains Roma News, a program of events and tourist services that are eligible for discounts divided by area of interest: art, music, theater, dance and entertainment. Where to go, what to do and what to see are easier decisions with the Roma Pass because you’ll want to take advantage of the discounts and perks. It pays for itself the first time you use it as you enter the Colosseum quickly and smugly, bypassing the long ticket line.

If Rome is exciting and energetic during the day, it is ethereal at night, especially when the streets are lit with electric fairy lights and stars. Cars vacate the city’s Centro Storico, and people walk freely in the middle of the streets.

Waiters in white aprons post outside the osterias and bars (simple restaurants and cafes), enticing tourists to stop awhile, drink a glass of wine and dine under the stars. Of course, the best restaurants don’t post waiters outside; they’re far too busy serving the well-informed visitor and the local clientele. If someone stops you on the street and suggests a spot, listen; you won’t regret it. Most of the best places are small, almost hidden from view on side streets.

While a tour book like “Frommer’s Rome, Day by Day” will tell you how to get around the city’s quickly, a better book is Rick Steves’ “Rome 2008.” A practical guide, Steves’ book is filled with inside information and advice instead of colorful snapshots and pull-out maps. His back-door travel philosophy advocates “intensified living—maximum thrills per minute” and “freedom.” With chapters like “Eating” and “Sleeping,” Steve’s makes it easy to find what you’re looking for.

And if you don’t, there’s something just as good, or better, around the corner.

A lone villa perches on a hillside in Frascatti, Rome

Frascati: A world away from Rome

FRASCATI – The Castelli of Frascati, one of several charming “Roman castles” (hill town), is a wonderful antidote to the frenzied pace of Rome.
After a weary day of touring the ruins or the browsing one of the museums, a 30-minute train ride to the old town of Frascati is a way to wind down. If the sun is still up, you can dreamily gaze out the window and admire the scenery. It seems that almost every apartment balcony doubles as a clothes line, and every house has a fence. These fences can be thick, stucco-covered stone walls or they can be chicken wire interwoven with rusting corrugated tin sheets. It doesn’t seem to matter so long as there is a modicum of privacy or protection.
The spectacular ruins of Roman aqueducts intersect with the train route from Rome to Frascati. It’s almost eerie to watch as the tall stone arches creep into view, then within minutes, tower above the train as they march from the hills, across the valley and to the ancient city.

Frascati is the biggest of the Castelli, and has many restaurants and osterie (humble taverns). Frascati also is renowned for its white wine and for the 17th century Villa Aldobrandini, whose craggy façade overlooks the valley and can be seen as far away as Rome.

Villa Grazioli is another historic Frascati home, and is now a Park Hotel. The 16th century villa is surrounded by parkland and an Italian garden. Commissioned by Cardinal Carafa and completed in 1580, it sits atop a hill that slopes down towards the Tyrrhenian Sea. Many cardinals and aristocratic families have resided in the villa, and the Marquis de Sade is reputed to have stayed there.

The property was purchased by the Duke Pio Grazioli in 1843 and his heirs lived there for a century. Abandoned briefly after World War II, it was purchased the company Villa Grazioli, and extensive restoration work on both the villa and the gardens began. Unfortunately, part of the restoration destroyed parts of the magnificent 17th and 18th century frescoes. Still, the frescoed salons and galleries of the Park Hotel Villa Grazioli offer splendid respite.

Its panoramic terrace provides outstanding views of Rome, but, to the southeast is an even better view – a hillside dotted with umbrella pines and private villas and, further, a snowcapped mountain. The hotel is a quiet, spacious retreat that enables its guests to relax amidst museum-quality antiques and paintings, and its restaurant, Acquaviva, serves Mediterranean cuisine accompanied by superb regional wines. Its breakfast buffet is a munificent array of far-fresh eggs, fried pancetta, whole milk and fruit.

Frascati and the Park Hotel Villa Grazioli is a glimpse into Rome’s romantic past; a place where sunrises rival sunsets. It’s a glorious haven to view both.

David Stone launches his sailboat at Rose Valley Lake in the mid-afternoon as fishermen haul out their boats.

The temperature simmered in the mid-90s last Sunday, but it did not deter the sailors from a rendezvous at Rose Valley Lake. As the bass boats trailered out, sailboats took their spot. There seems to be a mutual agreement – sailors do not disturb the fishermen in their early morning forays, and fishermen clear out when the sun zeniths.

It was a near-perfect day, sunny with a light breeze. Although David Stone’s opinion of perfect sailing is in the fall, he’s at Rose Valley every other Sunday during spring and summer overseeing the sailboat races.

On this race day, three Sunfish competed against each other, racing around large, orange buoys. Stone won the race with second place going to Bud Thomas, and third to Greg Bressler.

Stone, 66, is commodore of the Rose Valley Racing Club and he has two sailboats: A Sunfish that he trailers to the lake on Sundays to race against other club members, and a 17-foot Hunter that he keeps in a slip at Lake Blanchard, Bald Eagle State Park. He gives lessons on both boats.

He’s been with the club for 20 years and said he prefers his Sunfish because it’s easy to rig and sail and there are more racing opportunities with it. Stone, who lives in Williamsport, began sailing more than 50 years ago, as a child growing up in Michigan. Still, he said, even as knowledgeable as he is, checking and rechecking the weather is imperative. Once he was caught in a violent thunderstorm on Rose Valley, similar to the one that swept through the valley two weeks ago. It was, he said, his most unpleasant experience on the lake.

Bob Fisher of Nippenose Valley owns a 1979 O’Day Daysailer. The 17-foot-long sailboat has a 24-foot mast that he rigs and raises in the south parking lot of Rose Valley Lake. When his wife, Bonnie, accompanies him to the lake, she brings along a folding chair and sits and reads. She does not sail, especially since Fisher’s first attempt at sailing the O’Day in April resulted in a knock down on Rose Valley Lake.

“I tried to sail the first time since attending U.S. Navy sailing school in Norfolk 10 years ago,” Fisher, 58, said. “There were gusty winds and I found I had not retained many sailing skills.”

A Penn State graduate, Fisher is a Navy reservist with 18 years experience. He is an instructor with the Center for Navy Leadership Mid-Atlantic Region, Washington D.C. He also provides contributory support to the Navy’s Office of Naval Research, judging the Naval Science Awards Program.

“After nearly tipping over – the water actually came over the side of the boat – I headed for the closest dock just to get on land again. That closest dock ended up being about three miles from where I had launched and I had to walk back,” he said. “Then and there I made up my mind I was not going to try to sail without formal sailing lessons, which I received from the Lake Glendale Sailing Club.”

Lake Glendale Sailing Club, in Prince Gallitzin State Park, near Altoona, offers an annual one-week sailing instruction day-camp in late June. The camp is for children ages 8 and up, and adults.

Fisher and his son, Bob Jr., both took lessons with his O’Day on Lake Glendale in June. He said the experience at camp has been his most pleasant, to date.

“We were trying out our newly acquired sailing skills and, with a stiff wind of 15 miles per hour (about 12 knots), we were able to sail all around the lake and even got back to the same dock we left from,” he said. “I learned that to sail safe and enjoyably you should have professional lessons.”

Three Sunfish sailboats race around large, orange buoys on Rose Valley Lake. David Stone won the race with second place going to Bud Thomas, and third to Greg Bressler.

Locally, sailing lessons are available through the Rose Valley Sailing Club. Stone, who has a U.S. Sailing Instructor’s Certificate, offers beginning and intermediate lessons for $15 per hour to Y.M.C.A. members, $20 for non-members.

Fisher, who works for the Department of Environmental Protection as an emergency response manager, joined both Rose Valley Sailing Club and Lake Glendale Sailing Club six months ago. He said he enjoys the clubs’ camaraderie and group activities.

“They have sailboat races, picnics and get-togethers that help to continue interest in the sport of sail boating. They also offer an opportunity to increase your skills just by being around others who know how to do it better than you do,” he said.

Also, joining a club and meeting others gives the members a chance to evaluate a variety of sailboats and equipment, he said.

The O’Day he purchased is very similar to the boats he used at the Navy sailing school, and was featured in a boating magazine he had read.

“They have been around from the early 1970s and have a good reputation,” he said. “It is large enough to feel comfortable in, yet small enough to trailer. It was reasonably priced. A good used O’Day Daysailer can be purchased for between $1,000 and $4,000.”

Although it’s difficult to sail in a region dominated by powerboats, mountains regions have great lakes, mainly because of the topography and valleys with dams, Fisher said.

“Many lakes have powerboat power restrictions on them, making them great for sailing. For example, Rose Valley Lake does not allow any power except electric, and of course sail. Glendale Lake has a 20-horsepower size restriction, which limits boat size and speed to a level that sailboats are not intimidated,” he said. “On the other hand, Bald Eagle State Park has unlimited horsepower, so the boats are large and go so fast as to be annoying and unsafe at times to sailboats; and that lake also allows personal watercraft, which can be particularly annoying.”

Information about the lakes mentioned is on the Internet at www.rosevalleyboatclub.com, www.lakeglendalesailingclub.org and www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks.

Getting Published

So you’re one of 20 million Americans who want to write a book. If you’ve already written a manuscript, chances are you’re looking for agent representation. As an editor and literary consultant for The Omnibus, I’ve had the opportunity to read more than 1,000 book proposals. Most, I’m sad to report, were inadequate because the author did not follow a few, very simple guidelines.

Before you complete your manuscript and send it on its way to prospective literary agents or publishers, take the time to make sure you have a professional query letter and (short) synopsis, and that you have edited your manuscript. If you can not do these chores, then find someone who can.

Before you begin, however, make sure you’re able to distinguish your manuscript from other books on the same subject, that you can identify the audience for which you are writing, and determine the marketability of your finished book. These are the most important questions agents and publishers will ask, and it will impress them that you’ve done your homework.

You should already have researched the market to determine how many books on the same subject are currently available. A handy tool is to use the Internet and search the large booksellers online. These services not only provide a list of books on the same topic, but often a synopsis and the book’s audience as well. Your book needs to stand out, not duplicate what’s already available.

Agents and publishers also want to know your ideas for publicity and promotion of your book, including how you intend to reach your target market, and any helpful contacts you may have.

Another common mistake is to assume agents and publishers will respond at their own expense. You need to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope so companies can acknowledge receipt of your proposal. If you would like to have your material returned, be sure to send an envelope that is large enough and has enough postage for them to mail your proposal back to you. Proposals that do not include an envelope and postage generally will not be acknowledged or returned.

Some companies will accept e-mail submissions. Because of the threat of viruses, they usually won’t open e-mails with documents attached. Many will read e-mail queries that include a short resume, a synopsis and sample chapters that have been copied and pasted into the body of the e-mail.

As mentioned, for security reasons companies do not like to open attachments without prior contact with the writer, and prefer you follow regular submission procedure. If prior contact has been made by e-mail, response and acknowledgments often will be made by e-mail.

If you are submitting book proposals by e-mail, it is wise to advise the companies in your cover letter the type of word processing program and version of that program that you used. Text is best transmitted through e-mail by converting it to Plain Text Format, ASCII (with no hard returns).

Take the opportunity to edit the work, correct misspellings, improper word usage, etc., before submitting it. It’s not a good idea to send complete manuscripts by e-mail unless they are requested.  Let’s break it down:

How Your Book Differs from Others

• What your book is about?
• What is the reason that prompted you to write your book?
• Why is your book is needed by others?
• What are its unique features?

Identify Your Audience

• Describe the audience you are targeting with your book.
• What is your level of expertise (no experience, beginner, intermediate, advanced)?
• What are some specific applications or uses for your book (e.g., sports, education)?
• Who would be the most likely candidates for purchasing your book?
• Why should they buy it and share it with their friends?

Beat Your Competition to Market

• List three to four books that compete with the project you are proposing.
• How do they compare to your book in length, spectrum, format, and visual appeal?
• Are there any that seem remotely comparable?
• What are the differences among your approaches?

Publicity

• Gather a local, regional, state and national media contact list.
• Consider contracting a company to make a website for your book.
• Do you have access to any authors who may provide a “blurb” for your book?

Don’t Forget the Postage

• Include a SASE with all queries.
• If you want your manuscript back, include enough postage for its safe return.

Electronic Submissions

• Check if the company accepts electronic (e-mail) queries and proposals.
• Make sure you’re not SPAMMING hundreds of agents/publishers at a time.
• Only include a short query, a bio, a synopsis, and the first three chapters in your e-mail.
• Don’t send attachments.
• If you are asked to submit an attachment, let them know the software program.
• Consider sending the file as Text only.

Here is a short list of books I’ve used and can recommend:

1. ‘The Elements of Style’
2. ‘On Writing Well : The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction’
3. ‘The Chicago Manual of Style’
4. ‘Writers Market’
5. ‘Writers Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents’
6. ‘Guerrilla Marketing for Writers : 100 Weapons to Help You Sell Your Work’
7. ‘Self-Publishing Manual: How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book’
8. ‘On Writing’
9. ‘Negotiating a Book Contract: A Guide for Authors, Agents and Lawyers’
10. ‘Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction–and Get it Published’

– Robin Van Auken is an author with 10 books published, and several in the planning stages. She acts as her own literary agent and works directly with all of her publishers.

Getting Published Requires Homework by Robin Van Auken is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at www.theomnibus.net.

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