For those of us who have lived 80 years or more, we have seen amazing advances in technology. I grew up with no telephone, no central heat and no indoor plumbing. As a kid I remember the comic strip Dick Tracy with the futuristic wrist radio. Today we have the iWatch and the Android equivalent capable of a whole spectrum of uses.
For the most part I love the data I get with the technological toys of today. My auto display tells me my miles per gallon, time travelled and average speed for every trip, large or small, I take. I have a weather station connected to the Internet. Any where I am in the world I can bring up the current weather at my home as well as the minute by minute record of the past weather.
As a skier, I am thrilled to know that my skis, bindings, outdoor clothing and helmets will continue to improve. And it is nice to know you can get an App that to track your vertical on any ski day.
So when does all this technological advancement become a curse? It seems like one or another of my devices will have a glitch that needs attention. Almost every day I am dealing with issues with my smart phone, iPad, iMac, PC, Apple TV etc. In some respects I am addicted to E-mail, texting, and Facebook. Fortunately, I think I have come to grips with enough is enough!
For approximately a year I had been using my Kindle App on my iPad to read books. It's a convenient way to access books. However, recently, I have rebelled. I am now enjoying the feel of a hard cover book in my hands. Very satisfying to turn the pages, mark the progress with a bookmark and consume the content in the old-fashioned way. And although it is convenient to text the children to keep in contact, face to face conversation is so much better.
Ski season is but a few months away. A great time to spend less time gazing at screen. Though most of the geezer skiers have their smart phones handy at coffee break, it would be rude to have those devices interfere with the camaraderie of that time.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Deja Vu All Over Again - Empire Farm Days 2015
Yesterday I made my annual visit to the Empire Farm Days near Seneca Falls, New York. A great farm show featuring the latest is agricultural machinery and technology. Long ago I grew up on a general farm and was always fascinated by farm machinery. Now some 65 years or so later I can reflect on the evolution of technology from my youth to now. Incredible changes have taken place. The simple and relatively small tractors of my youth have evolved to sophisticated behemoths with all kinds of bells and whistles including air conditioned cabs and driver less operation. Implements have also evolved to incorporate computers and controls for precision seeding and fertilizer application.
Here is an example of one evolution of a an implement. The round baler. Pictured below is the Allis-Chalmers round baler introduced in the later 1940's. It produced a round bale small enough to be handled by a person. That technology was revolutionary for its time since small square bales were the norm. Fast forward to 2015 and take a look at the second photo of the large round baler of today capable of producing a wrapped bale of a thousand pounds or so. Obviously a bale to be handled by machinery.
Another observation is the worldwide nature of implement manufacturing. John Deere and Case and New Holland are familiar United States tractor manufactures, for the larger machines. For the smaller tractors there is a multitude of overseas manufacturers. South Korea, Japan, India and so on are in the mix. I was amazed at the number of brands I had been unaware of. A few pictures below illustrates the proliferation of brands.
On the social side of my farmers holiday, it was fun to observe the community at the show and to connect with some of the folks operating the booths and displays. Numerous Amish families were evident by their dress and the size of their young families. Many of the older and retired farmers were handicapped enough to be riding around the grounds in golf carts. Enticing food was available at several venues run by run churches, associations and service groups. A money making opportunity for those agencies. Enticing smells of barbecue beef, chicken and pork wafted over the grounds. (Lunch for me was one of the biggest "small" barbecued pork sandwiches I had ever eaten). The whole gala is run by what used to be the Potato Growers Association. Many youth hired for the event are attired in brightly colored tee shirts and add a robust youthful ambiance to the program.
In closing, I bask in the memory of my day hobnobbing with the agricultural community. I covered all the exhibits, ate some good barbecue, saw some friends, and got my days worth of exercise. In a sense I am continuing a family tradition since my father was an annual visitor to the precursor of the Empire Farm Days. And so I honor him this day as well.
Here is an example of one evolution of a an implement. The round baler. Pictured below is the Allis-Chalmers round baler introduced in the later 1940's. It produced a round bale small enough to be handled by a person. That technology was revolutionary for its time since small square bales were the norm. Fast forward to 2015 and take a look at the second photo of the large round baler of today capable of producing a wrapped bale of a thousand pounds or so. Obviously a bale to be handled by machinery.
Another observation is the worldwide nature of implement manufacturing. John Deere and Case and New Holland are familiar United States tractor manufactures, for the larger machines. For the smaller tractors there is a multitude of overseas manufacturers. South Korea, Japan, India and so on are in the mix. I was amazed at the number of brands I had been unaware of. A few pictures below illustrates the proliferation of brands.
On the social side of my farmers holiday, it was fun to observe the community at the show and to connect with some of the folks operating the booths and displays. Numerous Amish families were evident by their dress and the size of their young families. Many of the older and retired farmers were handicapped enough to be riding around the grounds in golf carts. Enticing food was available at several venues run by run churches, associations and service groups. A money making opportunity for those agencies. Enticing smells of barbecue beef, chicken and pork wafted over the grounds. (Lunch for me was one of the biggest "small" barbecued pork sandwiches I had ever eaten). The whole gala is run by what used to be the Potato Growers Association. Many youth hired for the event are attired in brightly colored tee shirts and add a robust youthful ambiance to the program.
In closing, I bask in the memory of my day hobnobbing with the agricultural community. I covered all the exhibits, ate some good barbecue, saw some friends, and got my days worth of exercise. In a sense I am continuing a family tradition since my father was an annual visitor to the precursor of the Empire Farm Days. And so I honor him this day as well.
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| Allis-Chalmers Round Baler |
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| Modern Round Baler |
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| Youth Crew |
Monday, August 3, 2015
More Construction Entertainment
It is has been a busy summer. The transition from skiing to tennis was smooth and lawn mowing has been a frequent activity along with landscape maintenance. No trouble keeping this geezer busy with weeding, mulching, pruning and mowing. The urge to blog has come and gone while I have waited for inspiration to write again. A family genealogy activity has also engaged my creative efforts. However today I am motivated to follow up one of my earlier blogs about construction entertainment.
This morning I went out for an early walk/run in my neighborhood in training for a 5K walk/run in Homer, NY this coming Saturday. The finish to my training passes by an new home being built in our neighborhood. The construction is even visible from my front yard. Over the past several months I have been watching the progress of the construction. Building progressed from excavation to foundation to rough framing to sheathing roofing and siding in sequence. Interior finish is now in full swing. Recently there have been piles of soil in the front yard in anticipation of grading the site ready to eventually seed the lawn.
A bulldozer was parked in the yard as I finished my walk and the operator was doing a walk around the site. Several obstacles are marked out in the area and I presume he was making sure he would miss the buried cables and so forth when he went to work. As I cooled down from my walk I got my camera knowing that I was going to see a pro at work. Sure enough it was a performance to bring a smile to my face. This guy was a truly skilled operator. I am sure that he could pick my teeth with the dozer blade if necessary. Very skillfully he cut the banks, moved the piles, smoothed the surface and neatly extracted the clumps around the cable riser and so forth. Hats off to these people that are so creative in their own way. To me construction work is an art form to be appreciated.
This morning I went out for an early walk/run in my neighborhood in training for a 5K walk/run in Homer, NY this coming Saturday. The finish to my training passes by an new home being built in our neighborhood. The construction is even visible from my front yard. Over the past several months I have been watching the progress of the construction. Building progressed from excavation to foundation to rough framing to sheathing roofing and siding in sequence. Interior finish is now in full swing. Recently there have been piles of soil in the front yard in anticipation of grading the site ready to eventually seed the lawn.
A bulldozer was parked in the yard as I finished my walk and the operator was doing a walk around the site. Several obstacles are marked out in the area and I presume he was making sure he would miss the buried cables and so forth when he went to work. As I cooled down from my walk I got my camera knowing that I was going to see a pro at work. Sure enough it was a performance to bring a smile to my face. This guy was a truly skilled operator. I am sure that he could pick my teeth with the dozer blade if necessary. Very skillfully he cut the banks, moved the piles, smoothed the surface and neatly extracted the clumps around the cable riser and so forth. Hats off to these people that are so creative in their own way. To me construction work is an art form to be appreciated.
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| A Work in Progress |
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| Move That Dirt! |
Monday, June 8, 2015
On Being Eighty
Must be I am truly into geezer territory now. A month or so ago I reached a milestone birthday of 80 years. Now entering my ninth decade. Oh where oh where did the time go! The step is a little slower but I still like to think that exercise and good living can slow the ravages of time.
There have been a lot of interesting events since my 80th birthday in April. A particular notable event was my 80th family birthday party in Saratoga Springs on May 3rd. A date arranged so lovingly by my wife almost a year in advance. It takes that amount of early planning to get all the family in one place in view of their many different schedules. As one who has parented seven children (four biological and three who have become my children through marriage) I have enjoyed a rich and fulfilling variety of experiences. All of them bring to the party spouses, companions, children and even offspring of their children. Yes, I am even a great-grandfather three times over.
It was amazing that all but two of the grandchildren were there. One had a work conflict and the other was on a semester of studies in Israel. What a delight to celebrate with the crew. They made me feel like king for the day. Perhaps I should be identified more with Abraham of the bible! He had a complicated family tree for sure. Dear wife Nancy provided amazing activities. There was a scavenger hunt, activity bags for the little ones and a trivia exercise challenging the family to answer questions about my life. A most wonderful day of food, entertainment, photography, and socializing. Makes me hopeful to reach 90 to have another great milestone celebration.
At Cornell on May 24th I joined the faculty procession for Cornell graduation. This is the Sesquicentennial year for Cornell. 150 years since the charter in April of 1865. In my 80th year I mark 62 years of association with Cornell starting with my first undergraduate year in 1953. It was a progression of undergraduate, to graduate student to faculty and more recently professor emeritus. Not half of Cornell's existence, but pretty close. The oak trees lining Tower Road on campus when I arrived were young trees if not nearly saplings. Now they are mighty oak trees with trunks two or more feet in diameter.
Not all events in ones eightieth years are likely to be joyful. There is also the time to mourn contemporaries who pass on. Such was the case on May 30 at a service for a class of 1952 high school classmate. A service at his church in my home town was a celebration of his lifetime in his birth community. It was an amazing tribute to a happy-go-lucky fellow with an upbeat demeanor and a zest for life. I would observe that everyone has the opportunity to leave a unique legacy, regardless of your calling in life.
With this new age milestone, I have move into a new bracket in the Empire State Senior Games. Some of my usual tennis opponents are still languishing in the 75-79 bracket. Looking forward to some of them joining me next year. Meanwhile, my bracket is rather thin with only one opponent in the bracket this year. We had a spirited contest in the "final". A close match that I regret to have choked in the tie-breaker after a strong lead early on. Ah well at this point my mantra becomes. "For the love of game". Also, at this point showing up is a win.
So, being eighty is really just another step along the way. Each day is a gift to be enjoyed to the fullest. For this day, I had hoped to play tennis this afternoon. However, the weather is dreadful with rain, wind and lightning. Time to crank up the treadmill! Remember, 30 minutes of vigorous exercise a day is a goal for good health. Maybe I better get one of those FitBits.
There have been a lot of interesting events since my 80th birthday in April. A particular notable event was my 80th family birthday party in Saratoga Springs on May 3rd. A date arranged so lovingly by my wife almost a year in advance. It takes that amount of early planning to get all the family in one place in view of their many different schedules. As one who has parented seven children (four biological and three who have become my children through marriage) I have enjoyed a rich and fulfilling variety of experiences. All of them bring to the party spouses, companions, children and even offspring of their children. Yes, I am even a great-grandfather three times over.
It was amazing that all but two of the grandchildren were there. One had a work conflict and the other was on a semester of studies in Israel. What a delight to celebrate with the crew. They made me feel like king for the day. Perhaps I should be identified more with Abraham of the bible! He had a complicated family tree for sure. Dear wife Nancy provided amazing activities. There was a scavenger hunt, activity bags for the little ones and a trivia exercise challenging the family to answer questions about my life. A most wonderful day of food, entertainment, photography, and socializing. Makes me hopeful to reach 90 to have another great milestone celebration.
At Cornell on May 24th I joined the faculty procession for Cornell graduation. This is the Sesquicentennial year for Cornell. 150 years since the charter in April of 1865. In my 80th year I mark 62 years of association with Cornell starting with my first undergraduate year in 1953. It was a progression of undergraduate, to graduate student to faculty and more recently professor emeritus. Not half of Cornell's existence, but pretty close. The oak trees lining Tower Road on campus when I arrived were young trees if not nearly saplings. Now they are mighty oak trees with trunks two or more feet in diameter.
Not all events in ones eightieth years are likely to be joyful. There is also the time to mourn contemporaries who pass on. Such was the case on May 30 at a service for a class of 1952 high school classmate. A service at his church in my home town was a celebration of his lifetime in his birth community. It was an amazing tribute to a happy-go-lucky fellow with an upbeat demeanor and a zest for life. I would observe that everyone has the opportunity to leave a unique legacy, regardless of your calling in life.
With this new age milestone, I have move into a new bracket in the Empire State Senior Games. Some of my usual tennis opponents are still languishing in the 75-79 bracket. Looking forward to some of them joining me next year. Meanwhile, my bracket is rather thin with only one opponent in the bracket this year. We had a spirited contest in the "final". A close match that I regret to have choked in the tie-breaker after a strong lead early on. Ah well at this point my mantra becomes. "For the love of game". Also, at this point showing up is a win.
So, being eighty is really just another step along the way. Each day is a gift to be enjoyed to the fullest. For this day, I had hoped to play tennis this afternoon. However, the weather is dreadful with rain, wind and lightning. Time to crank up the treadmill! Remember, 30 minutes of vigorous exercise a day is a goal for good health. Maybe I better get one of those FitBits.
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| The Little Ones - Great grandchildren plus a mom of two. |
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| The Grandchildren minus two. |
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| The Children. |
Thursday, June 4, 2015
The Writing Muse
I can't believe I missed writing a blog for much of April and all of May 2015. Maybe I am just slowing up. I hate to think that turning 80 in April somehow was a milestone that means one is supposed to be slowing down. I like to think more likely I haven't slowed down but I was waiting for meaningful thoughts to be shared. Better to be silent than to be foolish.
Each day for the past several months I have been reading and listening to the Writer's Almanac hosted by Garrison Keillor. I find this daily exercise much more satisfying than reading about movie stars, comics and other celebrities that are routinely featured in our newspapers. To me the writers, poets, historians, inventors, and others substantial contributors to society featured in Writer's Almanac are far more edifying, inspiring and important. Although my professional career has been engineering and academia, I find now I aspire to being able to write meaningful essays, history and maybe poetry. With that ambition, I know that I have to find the right Muse for my writing urge.
At the start of this blog I was inspired to write about the experience of the geezer skier. It was an intent to speak to the quirks of the more senior skiers. Perhaps now I have moved beyond that limited scope and will find opportunities to explore other subjects. The common advice to aspiring writers is to write about things you have experienced. I guess that can be your everyday activities and sometimes the insights you encounter in your musings. Meanwhile, I look forward to exercising my "writing muscles" more frequently. If you are one of my followers, stay tuned.
Each day for the past several months I have been reading and listening to the Writer's Almanac hosted by Garrison Keillor. I find this daily exercise much more satisfying than reading about movie stars, comics and other celebrities that are routinely featured in our newspapers. To me the writers, poets, historians, inventors, and others substantial contributors to society featured in Writer's Almanac are far more edifying, inspiring and important. Although my professional career has been engineering and academia, I find now I aspire to being able to write meaningful essays, history and maybe poetry. With that ambition, I know that I have to find the right Muse for my writing urge.
At the start of this blog I was inspired to write about the experience of the geezer skier. It was an intent to speak to the quirks of the more senior skiers. Perhaps now I have moved beyond that limited scope and will find opportunities to explore other subjects. The common advice to aspiring writers is to write about things you have experienced. I guess that can be your everyday activities and sometimes the insights you encounter in your musings. Meanwhile, I look forward to exercising my "writing muscles" more frequently. If you are one of my followers, stay tuned.
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Transitions
The ski season ended for me on April 11, 2015. After 100 days of skiing for the season it seemed appropriate to wrap it up on my 80th birthday. One would expect spring conditions in mid April but not so. More like the usual firm conditions of winter. To confirm the end of the season, I had my skis waxed and sharpened to be stored in my locker in anticipation of the next season. You might say it was a transitional ritual.
This is the time to transition to other things. Although we play tennis indoors during the winter, we always look forward to the start of the outdoor season. Fortunately the weather for the second week of April cooperated. Not the case this week! Cold, rainy and snowy weather has eliminated outdoor tennis for now. Exercise in lieu of skiing or tennis now takes the form of long walks on the treadmill in the sun room.
Reaching the beginning of the ninth decade of life brings on some reflections. Now that I am eighty do I see myself differently and likewise do others. Now that I am through with skiing, I spend more time in my emeritus office at Cornell so I get to interact with a much younger crowd. The late teen to early twenty students that I advise seem to accept me as a "wise" and seasoned prof. The active faculty group seems tolerate the old guard with a certain respect. In some respects returning to the campus is like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes. So the routine changes. Days on campus involved in projects that both serve and pique my curiosity. Days at home completing chores and playing tennis with my wife are further satisfying. And I throw in a bit of travel now and then to change the scenery.
Further, speaking of transitions, Cornell University is in the midst of celebrating 150 years of existence. My association with Cornell started in a a formal sense in 1953 as an undergraduate student so by now I have 62 years of involvement with this great institution. In honor of that involvement, I will participate in the Charter Day celebration this coming Monday including marching in the procession in Barton Hall. Should be fun!
Finally, it is also good to be returning to a pet project of displaying objects from the Cornell Agricultural Museum first established in 1877. We have just finished setting up a display of antique model plows other farm machinery in the Mann Library Gallery at Cornell. See the photos below for the display. Come one come all and take a look.
Meanwhile transitions will continue. Perhaps there will be more frequent posts to this blog!
This is the time to transition to other things. Although we play tennis indoors during the winter, we always look forward to the start of the outdoor season. Fortunately the weather for the second week of April cooperated. Not the case this week! Cold, rainy and snowy weather has eliminated outdoor tennis for now. Exercise in lieu of skiing or tennis now takes the form of long walks on the treadmill in the sun room.
Reaching the beginning of the ninth decade of life brings on some reflections. Now that I am eighty do I see myself differently and likewise do others. Now that I am through with skiing, I spend more time in my emeritus office at Cornell so I get to interact with a much younger crowd. The late teen to early twenty students that I advise seem to accept me as a "wise" and seasoned prof. The active faculty group seems tolerate the old guard with a certain respect. In some respects returning to the campus is like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes. So the routine changes. Days on campus involved in projects that both serve and pique my curiosity. Days at home completing chores and playing tennis with my wife are further satisfying. And I throw in a bit of travel now and then to change the scenery.
Further, speaking of transitions, Cornell University is in the midst of celebrating 150 years of existence. My association with Cornell started in a a formal sense in 1953 as an undergraduate student so by now I have 62 years of involvement with this great institution. In honor of that involvement, I will participate in the Charter Day celebration this coming Monday including marching in the procession in Barton Hall. Should be fun!
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| Mann Library Gallery of Exhibits |
Meanwhile transitions will continue. Perhaps there will be more frequent posts to this blog!
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| Sales and Patent Models of Farm Machinery |
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| Models of Farm Machinery and Fences |
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| Rau Model Plow Collection - Evolution of the Plow |
Friday, March 27, 2015
Chance Encounter of the Best Kind
Is there something special about a ski resort that makes people friendlier? I've noticed that strangers often begin talking to one another with little prompting. That was my delightful experience today.
It was a quiet day a Greek Peak today so when I took my morning coffee break there were only three of us in the Taverna cafeteria. I took my place at a table somewhat near a couple who was gazing out the window at the entrance to the quad chair lift. She glanced over at me with a smile and nod and I returned the smile of acknowledgement. As I was eating my donut I heard an accent which sounded Irish to me. I made some comment to that effect and was astonished to hear they were from Australia. From there we went on to an exchange of pleasantries as if we were old friends from way back.
Kevin and Terese are from a farm about 30 kilometers from Melbourne, Australia. They have been a host family for Australian visitors for several years and now are on a tour of Northeast USA visiting and staying with one of the families they hosted. They operate a dairy farm in their native country so Kevin and I have a mutual interest in agriculture. Among other mutual experiences would be the parenting of seven children. It would take too long to relate here the extent of information exchange that took place of 30 minutes or so. They truly had enjoyed their stay at Hope Lodge and looked forward to traveling to Niagara Falls later in the day. Perhaps via Cornell University that was well known and respected in their eyes.,
I took my leave to return to the slopes, not expecting to encounter them again for the day (or ever). To my surprise, as I approached the entrance to the lift, their two children, Kate and Jimmy who were the skiers were talking with the lift attendant about the various trails on the mountain. I introduced myself and suggested that rather than rely on the lift attendant's directions, I could guide them to a few trails appropriate to their level of ability. From there we enjoyed an hour or so of mutual appreciation of the art and skill of skiing. Kate is a competent skier capable of skiing the whole area. Jimmy, however, had one lesson yesterday. To my surprise, Jimmy had learned enough to be quite safe on some of the easier intermediate trails. Obviously a fast learner!
After leaving Kat and Jimmy, I finished my quota of runs and prepared to depart for home. As an afterthought, I rightly guessed the family would be having lunch in Trax Restaurant. On the chance they might want to contact me in the future, I left my card touting this blog and bid them farewell.
One would expect that to be the end of surprises for the day. Not so! In the cafe at the exit to the restaurant I ran into veterinarian friend Mark who was taking some time off from his practice to get in a few ski runs. Another chance encounter of the best kind!
It was a quiet day a Greek Peak today so when I took my morning coffee break there were only three of us in the Taverna cafeteria. I took my place at a table somewhat near a couple who was gazing out the window at the entrance to the quad chair lift. She glanced over at me with a smile and nod and I returned the smile of acknowledgement. As I was eating my donut I heard an accent which sounded Irish to me. I made some comment to that effect and was astonished to hear they were from Australia. From there we went on to an exchange of pleasantries as if we were old friends from way back.
Kevin and Terese are from a farm about 30 kilometers from Melbourne, Australia. They have been a host family for Australian visitors for several years and now are on a tour of Northeast USA visiting and staying with one of the families they hosted. They operate a dairy farm in their native country so Kevin and I have a mutual interest in agriculture. Among other mutual experiences would be the parenting of seven children. It would take too long to relate here the extent of information exchange that took place of 30 minutes or so. They truly had enjoyed their stay at Hope Lodge and looked forward to traveling to Niagara Falls later in the day. Perhaps via Cornell University that was well known and respected in their eyes.,
I took my leave to return to the slopes, not expecting to encounter them again for the day (or ever). To my surprise, as I approached the entrance to the lift, their two children, Kate and Jimmy who were the skiers were talking with the lift attendant about the various trails on the mountain. I introduced myself and suggested that rather than rely on the lift attendant's directions, I could guide them to a few trails appropriate to their level of ability. From there we enjoyed an hour or so of mutual appreciation of the art and skill of skiing. Kate is a competent skier capable of skiing the whole area. Jimmy, however, had one lesson yesterday. To my surprise, Jimmy had learned enough to be quite safe on some of the easier intermediate trails. Obviously a fast learner!
After leaving Kat and Jimmy, I finished my quota of runs and prepared to depart for home. As an afterthought, I rightly guessed the family would be having lunch in Trax Restaurant. On the chance they might want to contact me in the future, I left my card touting this blog and bid them farewell.
One would expect that to be the end of surprises for the day. Not so! In the cafe at the exit to the restaurant I ran into veterinarian friend Mark who was taking some time off from his practice to get in a few ski runs. Another chance encounter of the best kind!
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| Aussies Kate and Jimmy at the entrance to the Terrain Park. |
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