Life Lessons

   I just read of the tragic death of a 22 year old West Pointer from a accidentally self inflicted gunshot wound.   While demonstrating his weapon to some friends he removed the magazine and then for whatever reason he pointed the gun at his head and pulled the trigger.  Unfortunately a round had remained in the chamber and he was fatally wounded.   As a youngster, I grew up with guns in the home.  They were all long guns used for hunting deer, squirrel, rabbits etc.   My father had a severe aversion to hand guns.   He was always safety minded and ingrained in me forever the rule you never pointed your gun at  yourself or any other human being at any time.   This rule was rigidly enforced!   Thus in the 60 years my dad hunted he never inflicted a wound on himself or anyone else.   However, he did not escape the stupidity of a hunting companion.  Fortunately the ammo was bird shot from a significant distance that hit him in the back of his hunting jacket with no penetration of the skin.
    Ownership and use of a gun is a huge responsibility.   In my opinion civilians have little need for a hand gun other than recreational target shooting.   The decision to use a weapon for protection is huge and the margin for error is very small.   The statistics show that the presence of a hand gun in the home sharply raises the probability of accidental death of the residents.
   The young man that died was not as fortunate as I was to have a  responsible father who ingrained safe behavior.   I grieve for his death and for the deaths of all those that die from gunshot wounds.   I am grateful for the life lessons of my father and mother that have protected me in many ways over my life time.

 

Carousel

     A dental appointment took me to Syracuse today so I took this opportunity to visit the Carousel Mall (Destiny?).   A new Apple Store has just opened so I wanted to look at the latest iPads and iPhones.   After my Apple Store visit, I noticed I was in the vicinity of the Food Court which also houses the Carousel.
   The Carousel is a part of my personal history.   During my youth we would occasionally visit Roseland Park in Canandaigua, New York  where I would ride the very Carousel that has been installed in the mall.   This carousel has a long history since it was manufactured in 1909.   After use in many other places this carousel arrived at Roseland Park in 1941 and remained there for 43 years until Roseland Park closed.   The Pyramid Companies of Syracuse purchased it in 1985, restored it, and installed it as the theme piece of the new mall.   I have fond memories of riding this carousel, grabbing the rings from the  supply chute and attempting with my toss to hit the bell with the ring.   Today, about 65 years after my first ride on this carousel I bought my token and took another ride.  Not only did I enjoy my ride, I also enjoyed the looks of pleasure on the faces of the youngsters around me.  However, it didn't seem like the carousel moved as fast as it did when I rode it as a kid. Maybe the modern age safety requirements slowed it down.

The Carousel

A Beautiful Horse - Originally Hand Carved

    Beyond the ride itself there is great beauty in the decorations, mirrors and painted horses.   It is indeed a work of art.   For me the mall at Syracuse will always be the Carousel Mall even if they try to rebrand it Destiny.

A Post Ride Smile

A Dad and His Sons - More Generations of Carousel Riders

On The Horse - Mirror Image

Information Outpost - Cornell 2012

   The 2012-2013 Cornell academic year was kicked off today with the arrival of the Class of 2016.   Each year the emeritus faculty and retired staff volunteers man information outposts at the main entry points to the campus.   We enjoy welcoming the parents and students and helping them find their way to their dorms, registration sites and local businesses.   Most of them are suffering from a bit of stress and appreciate a smiling face and assurances that they can find their way to specified locations.
   Every form of conveyance can be observed.   Vehicles range from U-Hauls to pickup trucks to  huge SUV's to totally stuffed compact cars to an occasional mega luxury vehicle.   I was blown away by a very hot Porsche Panamera sedan.   An amazing piece of machinery.   Depending on the model and options your can buy it for as low as $80,000 or as much as $176,000.  I guess it is good that their is enough wealth around to keep this manufacturer in business!
   Cornell's needs blind admission brings an eclectic mix of students and parents.   With a yearly expense at full cost of over $50,000 we have the wealthy clientele who find that expenditure only a blip on their yearly income.   On the other hand we also have the capable student from the a low income single parent family who is able to attend Cornell with a combination of financial aid, loans, work-study and a modest family contribution.   I like to think that Cornell can bring together both the 99% and the 1% and all in between to learn and appreciate the range of paths each life can take.

Left to Right - David, Jeannette, Art, John, Ann

Left to Right -David, Art, John, Ann, Gerry

   All of us who work at the outposts have a great love for Cornell and are happy to give back to the Cornell community that has enriched our lives.   And our two hour shifts gives us a chance to swap a lot of stories and reminisces of our time at Cornell.  See the photos above of my companions for today.  Even an hour of rain failed to dampen our spirits.
 
 

Patio Project - Entertainment?

     A year or so ago I wrote about construction entertainment when our local Walmart was being built.   I continue to love to watch the progress of construction projects.  In my commute to the Cornell campus several times a week I get to observe the progress on a major housing project opposite the Dryden High School.   Each trip I see a bit more progress.   In time the project moves from surveying to earth moving to drainage and infrastructure to footings and then the erection of the structures.   Eventually the structures will be complete, the roads will be put in and the landscaping will be finished.   A great sense of accomplishment when the project is done.
    When we moved into our present home we thought it was perfect and we would have no need construction projects.   Not so!!  So now I am into our own construction project.  Nothing major.   Just the addition of a ground level patio off our sun porch.  We envision entertaining outdoors as well as sitting in the morning breezes a bit closer to nature.   Since I have built many decks and enjoy the process of creating a new structure I am in the do-it-yourself mode.   The plans have been completed, the building permit obtained and the materials have been purchased and delivered.    Construction is under way.  See photos below.
    As a farm boy I helped my dad with construction projects and in my college days I worked on numerous construction projects including water pipe lines in Fairport,   the New York State Thruway across the Montezuma swamp and a building for Rochester Gas and Electric in Sodus, New York.   We work long and hard on those projects.  Even up to 12 hour days on the Thruway.   Over 55 years later in my geezerhood I notice that I no longer have the stamina of my youth.   After four to six hours of work on my patio project I am pooped!   On top of that my hands and legs will suffer muscle cramps even if I consume tons of Gatorade.   In spite of these annoyances, I am enjoying the completion of our patio project.   And when it is done, the pleasure of sitting on the finished patio will be enhanced by the satisfaction of creating a new structure myself.

Staked out Area

Platform in Progress

Contrasts

  If one is accustomed to living in rural upstate New York, a visit to New York City and Eastern Long Island is always a study in contrasts.   Upstaters live in a sea of greenery and easy access to wide vistas of rolling hills, farms and a multitude of lakes and streams.   By contrast the city is marked by oodles of concrete, massive buildings, bustling traffic and a cacophony of sounds.   The vistas tend to be marked by iconic buildings such as the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty.
   Although millions choose to live in an urban megalopolis, there still is an innate human desire to experience greenery.    Millions will flock to any green space available.  Small havens of greenery are a welcome respite from the concrete jungle.   When I am in the city I enjoy observing the presence of tree lined streets and avenues,  tiny parks, and even larger parks like Central Park.   Recently we visited a relatively new linear park that is elevated above the city NYC streets.  It is the High line park built on the abandoned elevated railroad of the New York Central.   This park was dedicated in 2009 after the concerted effort of several individuals and the support of Mayor Bloomberg.   After this railroad was abandoned volunteer vegetation began to appear and flourish.   Local observers were inspired to build upon the presence of the new greenery with a vision of a linear park including walkways, newly planted grass and plants and areas to rest.  The park is a delightful haven.   In our walk of this park we enjoyed the contrasts of flowers, trees and grass with the surrounding man-made structures.     Within each human is the pride of our ability to create man made structures but at the same time we are nurtured by the gifts of the natural world.   Here is some evidence of our appreciation of both the man-made and the natural world.   Perhaps each of us has an individual perception of the balance of contrasts we wish to live with.   I, for one will tilt my balance toward the natural world - even if I am an engineer!

Old Rails

Turrets of Buildings

Trees, Shade and Rest

Sculpture Among the Flowers

Flowers Proliferate

Empire Sate Building View

Adjacent Church

Museum Learning

Farmer Wayne with Restored Plow

   Thursday's adventure was a journey to the Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, New York.   Cooperstown is about a two hour drive from our home through the back roads and farms of central New York.   Modern and marginal farming are a part of the rural scene.   The Farmer's Museum captures the essence of bygone farming and rural living with exhibits of tools, businesses, and trades of the colonial through 1800's period.
   I was particularly interested in the farm machines and tools of the past.   Since I have been working with the model artifacts of the now defunct Cornell University Agricultural Museum I was especially interested in the full sized plows and other agricultural machinery on display.  Much to my delight I saw full sized models of ancient plows, harrows, threshers, dump rakes and so on.   Many of these implements were full sized versions of models from the Cornell Agricultural Museum.   During my visit I had a chance to converse with "Farmer Wayne" who serves as a part of the museum crew in period costume welcoming and informing visitors.   We shared stories of plow design and use and the vagaries of proper plow adjustment.   He also showed me a plow they had restored using the skills of the museum's blacksmith and other artisans of their group.  I was able to identify the plow as a late 1800's model similar to a model we have in our Cornell collection.
     In addition to observing the farm equipment Nancy and I also learned about the early practice of medicine, unusual pharmaceuticals, printing, and early law practice.   It was further striking to observe the tools of the various trades of basket making, barrel making, plumbing, leather working, carpentry, tinsmithing and on and on.   There was a huge amount of knowledge and lore on display.   One cannot but wonder how we would be able to recreate all those skills if we were suddenly thrust into a world without cell phones, computers, electricity and all the modern conveniences.  Undoubtedly the old codgers who had preserved the skills of the 1800's and colonial America would be in high demand.
    I have no desire to live in the America of the 1800's, but it is good to admire the ingenuity of our ancestors and to learn that one can survive and thrive in any era.

1800's Era Mower

A Geezer's Love Story

  One of the special privileges of being a pastor's spouse is being a part of the ministry to past and present parishioners.   Today we visited with a previous parishioner whose wife passed away on Friday.   She was 89 and they had been together since 1945 when they were married when he had a brief leave from the service in the Navy.   They had remarkable life together and his stories of their courtship, marriage, and child raising were both poignant and sweet recollections of long loving marriage.   They are both of a generation that served our country and society with generosity and integrity.   Tuesday we will attend her funeral and I am sure the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will have more to tell about their great love story.   Nancy, who has considered Marilyn to be a second mother, will provide part of the eulogy.   We will mourn, but we will also celebrate an exemplary life and love story.   Passing with dignity is such a gift!