My Kind of Bookstore!

 We had hoped to see some of the leaves starting to change in their yearly show but for the most part, we were a bit early. There were lots of leaves on the ground but the colors hadn’t hit their peak yet. While driving we passed through areas with the sweet smell of burning leaves, taking us back to our childhoods. We ended up across the border in West Virginia and so we stopped at a bookstore located not far from Cheat Lake.

    We have tried to visit this store on other occasions but every time we had come down to this area it wasn’t open either because it was too early in the morning or the store wasn’t open on the day we arrived. Today our timing was on and the store was open!

    From the outside, Antiques and Old Books doesn’t look special but walking inside the door, I was taken to another time and place. It was as if we had been invited into the owner’s home. Books filled the shelves and cabinets in all directions. Desks and tables had groupings of books along with antiques nicely placed around them. It wasn’t overcrowded; everything seemed to be right in its proper place. It was as if we had stepped back in time.

    An old brass bell ringer sat beside the cash register with a world globe sitting near-by. Books were lined up in front of the counter and a glass display case held a variety of smaller items above them. Behind the desk was a set of shelves with nicely bound books, giving the shop a look of distinction. But it was all the other bookshelves that grabbed my attention. Where does a person start in a strange bookshop? Where else but with the owner, of course...

    Jo Ann was standing behind the desk right inside the door and after greeting us was happy to show us around and familiarize us with her shelves. She has a lot of West Virginia related books and authors including many signed volumes. Antiques sat amongst the books as if they had been put more for display than to be sold. Pottery, wooden bowls, linens and typewriters sat with small collections of books beside them. Open shelves and cabinets with glass doors held books and there was even a doll house beings used to store some children’s books. While many of the books were old, they were in good condition!

    I went over to the books written by West Virginian authors. It was a tall set of shelves with a chair sitting across from it. Stretching up a bit I squinted to see what was on the top shelf. Running my eyes across the titles I would occasionally pull one down and open it up. I’d look at the paper it was printed on, is it thick paper that has started to disintegrate with time or is it a better quality of paper? Of course the subject matter of the book is important. If I’m not interested in the subject, the book gets replaced. I check the front to see when it was published and to see if by chance the author had signed their name in it. I find looking through a book store much like a game, a search to see what I can find.

    There is a good feeling I get when I’m turning thin nicely printed pages. These books are fragile, they need cared for and a quick glance through the pages show if any drinks have been spilled on them or if any notes have been scribbled in the margins. I want to know that the previous owners cared for their books. I look for any illustrations or maps that might be in them. 

    If it is non-fiction, I check the index for things I’m interested in and if so, check to see what the author has written about it. Are there any water spots, mold or a cracked spine and how does it smell? Old books should have a wonderful smell. These are all part of my process of evaluating a book. Another very important thing I check is of course, the price!

    I worked my way though the shelves and then went over to where the train books were stored. While I browsed I marveled at the various antiques and pictures setting beside the books. I ended up in a small corner cabinet where I found some books dealing with Pennsylvania and its history.

    While Ann Marie was going through sets of linens in the drawer of a near-by dresser I was delving into Pennsylvania’s past. I left the store with a nice copy of The History of Pennsylvania from the 1940’s written for students and also picked up a book titled Living with Books published in 1965, which I think was intended for librarians. Ann Marie purchased a copy of Onward and Upward in the Garden by Katharine S. White, printed in 1979, written by the wife of the author who wrote Charlotte’s Web.

    Visiting a bookshop for the first time, it is nearly impossible to see everything. We will definitely return here again to see what other treasures we might have missed. This bookstore will be added to our list of “favorites”!

    On our trip we visited some iron furnace remains; some waterfalls, another bookstore and we ate dinner in Morgantown before heading back. It was a beautiful day for a memorable drive. We got lots of fresh air and saw three sunrises and two sunsets thanks to the topography of the roads and the mountains in the distance. I’ve said it before, the area around western Pennsylvania has so many nice things in it to explore and discover!

    Another thing that will draw us back to this bookstore again is to visit with Elliott. He was sleeping behind the counter but we could hear him snoring. I don’t know how old this Basset Hound is but he sure enjoyed having his throat rubbed. His long ears felt like silk. He reminded me of my own Basset Hound, Romeo, a cherished pet from my youth. Books and dogs, a couple of the things I’d learned to love at an early age!

What a Wonderful Combination

Sitting on a set of cold hard marble steps, I paged through a 1910 version of Norton’s Star Atlas. The steps were far from comfortable but I wasn’t complaining. I was happy to be where I was.

    It was Friday night and I was helping out as a volunteer for the Allegheny Observatory’s open house. My chore was to direct the various groups of visitors between the 13” Fitz-Clark refractor and the next stop, an explanation by some students of how the new Keeler scope was being used for research. I was positioned at the top of the three-story set of marble steps leading up to the telescope. Beside my perch was a small set of steps which I was using as a seat between tours.

    At the top of these three steps was the entrance to the second balcony of the observatory’s library. Inside the door was a narrow balcony lined with books and journals. A thick pipe railing surrounded the opening. Three stories below was a gentleman describing and showing videos of the April total solar eclipse. Above was a glass ceiling. No light was coming through it but in my mind, the shelves were glowing!

    After directing a group into the dome of the 13” refractor, I had about 20 minutes on my hands before the next group arrived. In those minutes, I talked with other volunteers and walked around a bit, peeking through windows to see what I could see. I also went into the library and explored the bookshelves!

    The books on the third floor were a collection of various subjects. Placed in alphabetical order by author, I was taken for a journey between astronomy, the workings of light waves, the design and manufacturing of optics all the way into machine shop practices. There were also numerous volumes written in languages I couldn’t understand.

    Being a machinist by trade I started out with a book about jigs and gages written in 1901. Books such as this are always fascinating to read. Having line drawings of old machinery and equipment, they are filled with lots of rich information which often isn’t passed on to new machinists these days. It is information which is usually picked up through years of experience. There are mentions and examples of tools and tooling which are no longer used in the modern machine shops because of the advancements of technology. 

    From there I headed into the field of astronomy. Since this library was in an observatory most of the books dealt in some way or another in that subject. I would remove a book from a shelf, being careful not to damage any fragile binding or covers, open it slightly and peruse the pages. If it interested me, I’d mark the spot it came from and go and sit down and read for a bit.

    The Norton’s Star Atlas I mentioned before was one of the ones I had taken down. I have a copy of this book at home, written in 1989. I use it quite often. My copy was bought in 1990 and I had inscribed on the first page that the first observations using it was at 5AM on March 3^rd, 1990.  I was observing in Sagittarius. It also says, “It was a beautiful, warm morning, the way they all should be!” The 1910 version in the library was a lot thinner than my copy and it doesn’t have any of the glossy pictures that mine has but it does have the great sky maps.

 

    I also looked at a book called “Astronomy by Observation” written by Eliza A. Bowen. Written in 1890 it has some photos of plaster reproductions of craters on the moon made by Nasmyth and Carpenter. Listed on its’ back cover are an assortment of scientific books ranging in price from 60¢ to $5. Sadly, the price of books has risen just the same as groceries.

    I went in and listened to some of the talk about astronomy and the history of the 13” telescope. One of the stories told was about the time that the lens for the scope was stolen and held for ransom.

    The telescope was built in 1861 by Henry Fitz and was installed in the original Allegheny Observatory. (It was later moved to its present location in the new observatory in 1906) When it was built it was the third largest telescope in the country! In 1872 the lens was stolen. A note demanded money but the observatory director, Samuel Langley wouldn’t pay. He figured this would only lead to more “lens-nappings”. The glass was eventually recovered in a hotel in Beaver Falls. The lens had a large scratch on it and it was shipped to Alvan Clark to refigure and polish. This ended up making the lens even better than it was before it was stolen! Ever since the lens has been replaced in the scope it has been known as the Fritz-Clark telescope.

    Another book I looked at was called “The Elements of Theoretical and Descriptive Astronomy” written by Charles J. White. It was published in 1872. What makes this book special was that it had been owned by Samuel Langley! His signature was on the first page! To think I was holding a book once owned, signed and read by this important man was extremely exciting.

    I get the same feeling when I think that John Brashear walked in these same corridors and climbed the same steps where I was stationed! This building is living history!

    Once the last group had passed by I started saying my good-byes. I stopped in the basement and saw a glass negative taken using the 30” Thaw refractor. Just barely visible are two faint dots. This is a picture of the planet Pluto. The picture was taken on February 16^th, 1953. This negative was taken 23 years after the planet was discovered. The reason there are two dots on the negative is that they would take a picture and then move the scope a slight bit and then take another shot. This was helpful in determining the exact position of the object they were observing. History, isn’t it exciting?

    Talking with the people who run this facility, the students that do their studies and research here along with the various volunteers who helped pull this event off was a learning experience. There is so much to learn when talking with them; I can only hope that at least a little bit of their knowledge rubbed off on me!

    I left the building without looking through either of the two telescopes that were being used. The clouds were making viewing difficult but most of the visitors saw Saturn and that is always something to remember! Even though I didn’t do any observing, as I headed home I had a feeling that in a small way I had participated in the history of this building and that I had been submerged into history itself. Old books, history and astronomy; what a wonderful combination!

Before the Dawn

 Stepping outside after waking in the early morning, I notice at once, the shadows. The moon, just a few days past full casts shadows into the yard giving an appearance of almost daylight. Darkness is prevalent in them. No details are present, only shapes and suggestions. Clouds drift quickly by.

    It is quiet, peaceful. An occasional car breaks the silence passing on the highway in the distance. Acorns fall every once in a while, their sharp loud noise, startling. I take a seat on the chair sitting on the porch to relax and watch.

    A cloud drifts in front of the moon darkening the shadows even more. The trees are just silhouettes, two dimensional, framing the sky above. To the east in a patch of clear sky Jupiter stands proudly by itself, a couple brighter stars standing a few degrees away. The clouds then slowly reveal Orion sitting below to my tired eyes.

    Sitting in the moonlight, even though the moon is covered by clouds, my seeing improves.  I can see the watering cans sitting beside me, the speckling of the paint on the porch, the cracks between the slabs of the sidewalk and the sticks placed in the garden months ago to hold back the overgrowth.

    The neighbors' lights are all off, no porch lights disturb the darkness. Dim lights show through here and there, nightlights escaping from with-in.

    The moon disappears, the clouds hiding even its shape. A mere brightness is all that remains to remind me where it is. Jupiter and Orion have gone also, covered by the advancing clouds. Though the moon is gone, the scenery is still visible.

    Traffic on the highway has increased, the sounds becoming a steady hum, hiding the silence of the night with the noise of the day to come. Cars pass by on closer roads, a motorcycle, an airplane passes overhead and then the drone and lights of a helicopter passing by.

    Jupiter and the moon peek through holes for a minute or two before disappearing again in the thickening clouds. In the eastern skies a faint orangish hue touches the clouds, just barely noticeable.

    Twenty minutes later, the clouds have dissipated, and the moon and Jupiter are visible once again though most of the stars have faded away. Pinkish clouds sit off in the east. The sky is now blue as compared to the near black of before.

    The background noises are now continuous, traffic, planes, the cracks and bangs of the manufacturers located below me.

    As I watch as the remaining stars slowly disappear, a flock of geese passes somewhere above and behind me. Only two stars remain beside Jupiter and then, they are gone also. The yard is brightening. Dawn is nearing. The brakes of a delivery truck squeal as they are set and a bang sounds as a ramp is attached to it. The noises of the day have successfully eradicated the silence of the night. Watching as the clouds return to cover the moon and Jupiter once again, I decide, it’s time to go back inside and maybe make a cup of coffee; the day is well under way!

Going, Going...

Hubble Telescope picture

    Saturn is known for its rings. They are visible even in a small telescope. I never miss the opportunity to view this planet; it is definitely my favorite, with Jupiter coming in a close second.

    Six months from now, the “Ringed” planet Saturn will become just plain old Saturn. Due to its orbit around the sun it will appear to us here on Earth, as having no rings!

1996

    If you get a chance to take a look at the planet in the next couple months, by all means do it. The rings are bright, but they don’t look like rings right now. They are in the process of disappearing and appear more like a line drawn across the planet. As the planet slowly tips, the rings will be seen edge on and will appear to vanish. Like looking at a piece of paper edge on, it is very difficult to see.

    This won’t be forever; gradually they will get thinner and thinner until only larger telescopes will be able to see them. Then they will slowly start to reveal themselves again.

June 17, 1995

    This isn’t the first time this has happened, it last happened in March of 2009. In 1995 it happened twice with a third disappearance happening at the beginning of 1996. I dug out my notes from 1995 and on June 17^th, 1995, using a very good telescope, I had trouble seeing the rings without using averted vision. The next disappearance will occur in October of 2023.

    Right now, Saturn lies “about” 805 million miles away from us and its rings are only around a mile thick. This distance makes them extremely difficult to see edge on. In case you are wondering, presently it takes the light from the sun about an hour and 12 minutes to reach us after bouncing off Saturn’s disc. Another interesting fact is that Saturn takes 29.4 years to make an orbit around the sun! 

    On Saturday, September 14^th, the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh will be holding another star party at the Wagman Observatory in Deer Lakes Park! This will be a great time to take a look at the rings through one of the scopes that will be set up there. The planet Saturn will definitely be the focus of the night, along with the moon and other celestial objects. Bring your own scope if you have one, if you’re not sure how to use it, we will be happy to help you out! Come up to the hilltop and take a look at Saturn’s rings, before their gone.

For more info about the AAAP Star Parties, go to

3AP.org

Road Scrabble

 Here is a game that Ann Marie and I often play when we are on the road. It is much like the “License Plate Game”, where you attempt to accumulate as many different state plates as possible, this game uses the basics of the board game, Scrabble.

    It is extremely easy to play and you can make up your own rules if you want to. No dictionary is needed. Here is the way we play it.

Using the three letters on most Pennsylvania license plates, we have to come up with a word using those letters in the same order as they are on the license plate. (any state will work as long as there are 3 letters on the plate) Some license plates just can’t be done.

    The letters don’t have to be in contact with each other, just in the same order. License plates with an “s” at the end are very easy because by adding an “s” to something, you’re pluralizing it. “R’s” at the end of the sequence are easy also by adding “er” to a word. The same as the rules in Scrabble, we don’t use proper nouns. Occasionally we will keep score using the numbers on the Scrabble tiles.

The numerical values of the tiles are;

Q & Z’s are 10 points

J & X’s are 8 points

K’s are 5 points

F, H, V, W & Y’s are 4 points.

D & G’s are 2 points

And all the rest of the letters are 1 point.

(If you are a regular Scrabble player, you already knew that.)

    We normally don’t bother with scoring, we just shout out a word as the car goes by, then another and another, until the car is gone or another one comes into sight. I often find myself doing it when I’m alone in the car. I’d like to think it helps keep our minds sharp. (and my mind can definitely use some sharpening!)

    Watching the license plates going by makes us notice vanity plates more often. They sometimes need a bit of brain power to figure out also!

    Here are a couple examples…

Happy, Hippy or Harpy are all good.

How about Lighthouse?

Shock or Showcase.

Oh, there’s a winner!

   

    And so the game goes on, until one of you gets tired and quits or you just forget about it and enjoy the sights you’re passing. You might want to try it on your Labor Day trips…

 

A Short Stroll on the Trail

 The morning was beautiful, the sky was blue, the moon could be seen in-between the trees in my front yard, and the temperatures were in the low 70’s. It was a perfect day for a walk on the Rachel Carson Trail!

    Ann Marie and I have hiked this trail many times, we completed the entire trail back in April of 2013.  Even further back, a hike on the trail was one of our first outings together! There are lots of sections which are great for short walks.

    This trail was named The Rachel Carson Trail since it passes near where the famous writer and environmentalist used to live. Back in 1975 the trail was 33 miles long, today it is 46.1 miles long, stretching from North Park to Harrison Hills County Park near the town of Freeport. Like so many trails in the country, it is a work in progress. Due to road work, new homes and safety concerns, the trail often changes its route.

    I have 3 different trail guides, one from 1975, one from 1997 and one from 2004. I guess (?) I should get the newest guide to complete my collection. A guide really isn’t needed; the trail is very well marked!

    The section I was walking this morning was changed a few years ago to eliminate some of the road walking and to take the trail back into the greenery.  Ann Marie and I hadn’t been on this section, so I thought it would be a great place to take a stroll.

    I had just finished reading “A Walk in the Park”, by Kevin Fedarko. This book tells about his “walk” through the Grand Canyon, an idea that turned out to be much harder than he originally thought. After reading books about long hikes and extreme camping, they just make me want to go out into the wilderness. Now, the RCT may not be wilderness, but it is out in the woods.

    The section I was going on was all of about a mile and a half. That would be a good distance for me to haul my lazy butt without killing me. After all, it is just a short walk…

  

    The trail from where I started took me up a slight slope to the edge of a hill overlooking the turnpike and rt.910. The highways soon disappeared but the noise from them stayed with me almost the entire walk. I came across a farmer’s field with wild grass growing beside it. The sunlight was illuminating the buds at the ends of the stalks. I got a bit wet from the dew as walked through them. I was hoping they weren’t hiding any ticks.

    I came across an old cement structure; I believe it is an old sedimentation tank from back in the days when a Nike site was located near-by. Some cement steps led up to nothing, whatever was there is now long gone. Just the tank and some other cement structures, all the rest has disappeared.

    A bit further on, the trail drifted away from the edge of the hillside and the noise of the traffic lessened. It was nice walking along the level, twisting path. Then I came to the downhill section.

    The RCT is known for not taking an easy way whenever a straight line will work. The path led right down a rather steep hill, the trail was basically a sloped wall of rocks. I went down carefully, not wanting to slip. It wasn’t as bad as I imagined and I was down alongside a stream before I knew it.

    The air was a bit cooler near the stream. There were lots of wildflowers growing in batches on either side of the trail. A few mud holes were intermingled with the dirt path but nothing to cause any problems, the tracks of deer in them showed that they had recently been on the trail also. I crossed a dried up section of the stream and soon was at the road and the end of this brief walk. I only saw one person while I was on the trail, a runner who made me feel old as he sped past me. I remember the days when I used to do that…for now though, I’m happy to just take my time and enjoy the flowers, the birds and the fresh air!

Motels, Book Barns, Family and a Furnace

 Our schedule this weekend would be taking Ann Marie and me across the state. We had a birthday party to attend and we wouldn’t want to miss it. My grandson Mateo was turning 5 and you know, this only happens once in a lifetime! Five years, wow, like they say, “Time flies!”

    We got off to a late start due to a doctor’s appointment. It wasn’t until around 10 before we left. Hurricane Debby was working its way up the eastern coast and predictions said we would be driving into rain. For a change of pace, we took the turnpike instead of route 22. We haven’t taken this route in ages. Our travels are so often about what we happen across and the turnpike, while quick, limits these opportunities.

    Exiting at Fort Littleton we did a couple geocaches to break up the drive. We were in-between rain showers which worked out perfectly for us. The first cache brought us to an old abandoned motel. The grass was uncut and full of weeds and poison ivy had spread across the walkways. A few of the doors were open and inside, the beds were still made, ready for the next guest. Gideon Bibles were inside the drawers alongside nests that mice had made from the curtains and bedspreads. I can’t remember the last time I saw a bible in a motel.

    The cache was hidden behind the motel. Peeking in windows I was watching for the raccoon that a previous finder had run across. I didn’t see any wildlife while we were here but I’m sure the motel has seen plenty of it when it was in business.

    Back on the turnpike we continued going east until we crossed the Susquehanna River at Harrisburg. Here we headed towards Lancaster and our next stop. We passed through a few more rain showers as we drove. Following our hand drawn map, we made it to our destination without any wrong turns. It pays to have a good navigator pointing out the turns!

    Moyer’s Book Barn has been operating in Strasburg for over 40 years. Inside a red painted barn with ivy crawling up the sides lays a labyrinth of shelves on two floors and an attached (1/2 price) garage. The shelves are well organized and Judith, the owner has a good idea of where everything is located. It was a perfect spot to while away some time on a rainy Friday. With a couple finds under our arms we hurried out to the car, shielding our books from the rain.

    A little over 35 miles away in West Chester, we came to another book barn. A bit higher and sturdier, this store, The Baldwin’s Book Barn is made out of stone. Built 202 years ago, in 1822 it was originally a milking barn. The Moyers moved their store into it in 1946. Inside there are 5 floors filled with around 300,000 used and rare books. Laid out like a maze, I found myself discovering new rooms and different staircases leading up to higher floors. Some of the shelving consists of wooden fruit cases, many with their colorful labels still attached. Thick stone walls and massive wooden beams make wonderful backdrops for the book collection. Chairs are scattered around to allow perusal of your potential purchases.

    Carol, the owner has the entire store cataloged in her head, instantly knowing if they have anything you’d want and where it would be. Maps are available at the front desk to help newcomers find their way around. There is a small section with maps and a sign indicating that others may be hidden elsewhere, just ask. The barn was a fascinating place to explore; we didn’t have enough time to do a deep dive into all they have. The barn is open every day of the year except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. If you’re ever in the area, it is well worth setting an hour (or three) aside to visit it.

    One of Ann Marie and my favorite book barns was located near the town of Carlisle. I had found it completely by accident. Stopping to take a picture of some signs I parked in a gravel parking lot beside a barn. Returning to the car I saw that it was a bookstore. Going inside I was astounded. The barn had polished floors and beams, bookcases were spread across the open topped room. Glass cases held pictures and special books, old magazines and pamphlets were in display racks along a wall and a nice wooden staircase led up to a balcony where more books were stored. From the balcony you could look out into the barn and see the layout of all the shelves.  Underneath the balcony was the checkout counter, their Pennsylvania books and a bunch of thin drawer cabinets with old maps and prints. On top of the shelves there was a collection of world globes, one of which sits in my living room now along with some of their framed maps.  Sadly the store has closed but it isn’t forgotten!

    From West Chester we went to our motel, a much nicer one than the one we visited earlier, where we cleaned up a bit before going to visit the birthday boy and his family. The next day was spent at soccer practice and partying with family and friends. Sunday morning, we stopped back again to say good-bye and have another taste of birthday cake before we left.

    We decided to revisit the Hopewell Iron Furnace on our way back. The last time we were there it was a rainy day and we tried our best to stay under cover as much as possible. This time the weather was on our side, the skies were blue and the temperatures were comfortable.  We were able to leisurely stroll around and visit some of the sites we missed on our last trip.

    This furnace was originally built in 1771 by Mark Bird. The furnace went out of blast finally in 1883. The grounds and buildings were rebuilt by the CCC in the 1930’s. We visited the ruins of a furnace, the failed attempt at early hot blast technology and saw a colliers hut, we visited the restored furnace and casting house, walked onto the loading bridge and watched and listened to the creaking of the big water wheel and bellows which helped heat the furnace. A blacksmith shop was being used by a couple men who were forging a piece of iron.

    A few gardens were spread across the yards near the workers houses, all of which were open for us to look through. After walking around in the sun, we returned to the car and ate our lunch, slices of fresh watermelon. Then we hit the road again. We drove through Boyertown, the town my father grew up in.  We stopped to visit the grave of my dad and his father and sister while we were there. Leaving Boyertown, we were passed by some fire engines racing towards a barn fire. By the time we caught up with them the fire was out but engines from other fire companies kept arriving. It was very exciting. Nothing like loud sirens and speeding fire engines to get your heart pumping!

    We returned by way of rt. 22, our old familiar route. We passed landmarks and sites we have visited before, each one another step closer to home. The old steamboat sitting in the field, the large short-wave radio antennas, the statue of Liberty sitting in the middle of the Susquehanna River and the Red Robin Drive-in, where we had dinner. The waiter remembered us from our last visit. After eating we continued on…

    We passed barns painted with tobacco and religious ads, the start of the 1000 Step Trail, the wooden doorway set in the cliffs at Lincoln cavern and then the winding road traversing the valley between the mountains and the fields of corn.  Climbing the hills outside of Altoona I watched for trains on the mountain across from us. There are so many great things to see in this state!

    As we neared the end of the trip, the sky above was getting darker and giving us a show. The bottom of the clouds turned pink and as the sun neared the horizon, purples, blues and orange filled the sky. The pinks turned red as the sun slipped behind the mountains. It was dark when I finally arrived back home, I was tired but still I stood outside for a few minutes looking at the moon and stars, hoping to see one of the Persied meteorites. Leaving my bags in the car for morning, I went inside and collapsed on my own, familiar bed, happy and content. "This is so much better than any motel!"