Slippin' Into The Past

 The past is all around us, the buildings in our neighborhoods and towns, the technology we hang onto, the faces we see in the mirror and the memories we hold in our in our thoughts. Some of these memories stick with us and others tend to drift into the deep, depths of our brain cells.

    During the past few months I have been copying the black and white negatives I had taken 30 or 40 years ago. This was during the midst of my darkroom days, photos taken with celluloid, light sensitive film. Pictures would be taken, the film developed and then hours spent in the darkroom trying to get that one, “special” picture.

    When moving into my present home, the darkroom and film developing was left behind. (The processes, not the equipment!) The age of the digital camera was rapidly taking over the photographic market. My developing started going to commercial companies rather than my basement.

(1985?)

    The Pittsburgh area had lots of camera stores in those days and when pictures were needed there a couple excellent places where enlargements could be made. It was amazing how many hours were saved by doing this! Never the less, I miss those days in the darkroom!

    While copying these negatives onto my computer, I was continuously being reminded of the places and adventures I had experienced. That and the people I shared them with. Most of these weren’t forgotten, they just hadn’t been thought of for decades. Seeing pictures of landscapes which have changed because of buildings being built or removed is reliving history. The cars are dated and signs reflect the times, they are showing us the past.

    Trips taken, places visited, experiences... Here are a few shots I’ve recently uncovered and re-remembered. Just a little bit of my own personal history!

Entrance to the Waterworks

(1984)

    The city of Pittsburgh had a water treatment plant where the Waterworks Mall is now located. There were acres and acres of underground filtration beds, unused because of more efficient means of purifying the city’s water. They were abandoned and used only for parties and visits by urban explorers. A parking lot now occupies the spot where this shot was taken.

The Civic Arena

(1986)

    Before the Civic Arena was torn down, it was a premium spot for concerts and sporting events. The arena was equipped with a domed roof which could be opened, allowing fresh air in. (and letting “smoky” air out) It was always exciting to see the roof open. In the background, the Veteran’s Bridge was still in the process of being built. The dark building in the center was once the Pennsylvania Railroad headquarters. During the 60's it had been scheduled to be demolished but the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation managed to stall the destruction of this building. It is presently the location of the Amtrak station with apartments above, called The Pennsylvanian.

5^th Ave, when people used to fill the streets

(1987)

      Pittsburgh is a major city and the sidewalks showed it. The storefronts were all occupied and when one closed, another took its place in no time. The buildings were filled with offices and the workers crowded the streets as their work days ended.

Early morning at DeLuca’s 

(1987)

    There were diners all around the city but some of the best were located in the Strip District. They didn’t cater to sightseers and tourists as much as to the working men and women of the city.

Pencil Vendor in NYC

(1989)

    On a trip to New York City I was amazed at the size of both the city itself and the population. My camera got a good workout as I explored the town.

The start of demolition at the Syria Mosque

(1991)

    Early in the morning, I took a ride into Oakland to watch workmen remove the 2 Lions from the entrance of the Syria Mosque. After they put the lions on a truck and drove them away, the bulldozer moved in and started with the roof covering the main entrance. I had my high school graduation ceremony there and spent many a night watching my favorite bands perform in it.

Amtrak and Circus trains at the Pgh. Station

(1992)

    Amtrak still stops at the Pittsburgh station but the circus trains are a thing of the past. I watched a couple parades where they marched the elephants up to the Civic Arena. The last year I saw it, they were trucked up from the RR station in the early morning. The excitement of the circus was waning.

Workers building a sculpture in Pittsburgh

(1986)

    I liked how the workers placing the cobble stones mirrored the sculpture mounted on the wall. The wall is what's left of an old building. This is pure Pittsburgh, always re-building itself!

    It's just a couple pictures, a quick journey into the "good old days". I shudder to think how many more pictures are “stored” in the attic. That will be in my future…exploring the past!

Crossing the Field

 Taking my hiking staff out of the car, the humidity was immediately noticeable. It was still fairly early in the morning but already the temperature was in the 80’s. The weather forecasters were warning about dangerous conditions as the day progressed.

    Working my way down to the stream on an overgrown path made by fishermen, I tried my best to avoid brushing against the weeds. Both to avoid the dew which was still coating them and to avoid any ticks which might be waiting for me to pass.

    The stream was wide but not high. Evidence of high waters could be seen by the eroded walls on the banks of the far side. I stepped into the water and was instantly cooled down. Starting across, my staff aided me from slipping on the slick stones. The deepest section reached my knees, the ripples dampened the bottoms of my shorts. Reaching the far side, I had to go upstream a bit to find a tree whose roots had been exposed, allowing me to climb out of the water and up the bank.

    On the top of the bank, a large field of tall grass, cat tails and flowers spread out in front of me. A hillside covered with trees sat at the far side. The stream ran around the field, in essence, cutting it off from visitors.

    Large bunches of flowers grouped together. High grasses separated the various colors with waving greenish-gold bands. I followed paths that deer had created. The cat tails tend to grow in boggy areas, so I avoided those plants. In the grasses were tall thistles, covered in thorns, I avoided these also.

    Ruts lay in the field filled with water and mud, the tops provided a stable place to walk. My legs had dried off quickly from the crossing, but my shorts were getting wetter as I walked through the high, dewy weeds.

    I passed through batches of white daisies, bluish-purple spiderworts and crown vetch. Surprisingly, there wasn’t any poison ivy to be seen.

    At the far side of the field there is a small rise, the remains of the Pittsburgh to Butler Short Line, an electric trolley which stretched between the two cities from 1900 to1931. 

Not far from the cache…back in the day

    Remnants of the line can still be seen in numerous places, small bits and pieces were among the weeds where I was walking.

    Climbing onto the old rail bed, avoiding the wild rose bushes, I came to a spot I had visited just a week ago. I had been searching for a geocache and wasn’t able to locate it. Leaving a cache “unfound” plays heavily on my mind, so I was determined to return…soon.

    The stream level was low, even after a small rain the night before, a walk through the stream would be nice and cooling, but most of all, it was that anal desire to return and find the cache that brought me back today!

    I hadn’t brought my GPS, I remembered where I had been. I was pretty sure the cache was still there, even though no one had found it in close to a year.

    I rooted around at the base of the “obvious” tree and then slowly worked my search up the trunk and into its branches. With-in a couple minutes, the find was mine! 

    It was a small round match holder wrapped in camouflage tape. It was hanging on a small stick, blending in nicely with the branch behind it.

    After signing the log and replacing it for the next cacher, I headed back. Already the dew had evaporated from the weeds and bugs were starting to fly around. Still, it smelled wonderful and it sounded delightful. The birds were the only sounds I heard. I was too far from the stream and no cars had passed since I left, at least none that I heard.

    Haze filled the sky giving the field a muted look, like a painting with groups of flowers; their colors all mingling together with the grasses to create a masterpiece in the way only nature can create.

    A couple Red Winged Blackbirds flew by and as I neared the stream, I saw a Baltimore oriole. I was watching for the heron but “he” chose not to show himself to me today.

    At the stream, I climbed down the roots of the tree, back into the nice, cool water. Climbing out of the other side, a much easier climb, I passed a small batch of yellow Iris and then through another large patch of spiderworts.

    Back at the car, my legs had dried already but my shirt was soaked. It was only 10 in the morning and the heat would be continuing to rise as the day progressed.

    It was a great way to start the day, the rest of it would be spent in dark, cool places, avoiding the heat outdoors. I found my cache but seriously...the best part of the morning was the refreshing walk through the stream, walking through the field amongst the flowers, enjoying the smells and soaking in the quiet of the morning.

Welcome to the Star Party

 Welcome to a night under the stars. If this is your first time visiting a star party, here are a few guidelines.

    Star parties are held to allow the general public access to the telescopes owned by astronomy clubs and astronomers. The goal is to introduce you to the night sky and astronomy. On a good night you can expect to see double stars, galaxies and nebulas along with the moon, planets and satellites. Every time you visit one, different things can be seen.

    The telescopes are set up there for you to observe through. All you need to do to look through these instruments is to ask! These are often very expensive, be careful when looking through them and follow the owners instructions. Don’t touch the optics or move the scopes. If you want to look at something else, ask and if possible, the owner will show you.

    They will tell you what you are looking at and hopefully be able to answer any questions you might have. If they don’t know the answer, chances are that someone else near-by will!

    Weather plays a big part in star parties. If there are clouds in the sky, chances are the telescopes won’t be set up. Heavy clouds hamper viewing and the members don’t want any moisture getting onto the optics. So saying, rain will cancel these events. If the weather looks threatening, call the observatory before driving up!

(Observatory phone #’s are usually on the clubs web site)

    If you have a telescope at home, bring it along. Most star parties have darker skies than those closer to the cities; this will enable you to see more than you normally do. If you’ve never used your telescope before, come up early, while the sky is still light, and someone will be able to help you set it up and explain how it works. If you have a pair of binoculars, bring them along also. You will be surprised at how many stars you can see through ordinary field glasses. Bring a lawn chair if you want, to just sit and enjoy the skies above.

    If you are considering buying a telescope, a star party is a great place to see what is available. Compare the views you get through different styles and brands, ask the owners what they like about their scopes and what they would recommend.

    Bringing a jacket and a hat and wearing long pants is suggested since the temperature quickly drops after sunset. Most star parties are held on hilltops and there is usually a slight breeze blowing!

    There is no smoking or alcoholic beverages allowed near the telescopes and it’s best to leave your pets at home to avoid any problems.

    Another important thing is, don’t bring a flashlight! Bright lights are frowned upon at star parties. If you don’t know how to dim your cars lights, please park near the entrance and walk up to the site, it’s won’t be far! This will preserve everyone’s night vision.

    After being in the dark for awhile, your eyes become accustomed to the dim light. Your pupils open up to permit more light in, allowing you to see more. Just a brief glimpse from a white flashlight or a car headlight will cause your pupils to shrink. It will then take up to 20 minutes for you to regain the night vision you had before. Astronomers use red flashlights since this won’t cause your pupils to react.

    Children are very welcome at star parties; we hope to instill the love of astronomy in them at an early age! Keep your children close at hand. Explain to them about how costly these instruments are and share the need to respect the equipment and the owners.

    When you go on trips, check to see if there are any astronomy clubs in the areas you will be visiting. They will usually have the dates of star parties they have planned on their web sites. Major parks have star parties also, their skies are often much darker than what you experience normally and they want to share this with you. Check before you visit. Commonly, star parties are held during the summer months and whenever something special happens, such as eclipses or meteor showers. Keep an eye out for them and come up and visit!

    Should you be bitten by the astronomy bug, members will be more than happy to tell you how you can join the club, anyone is welcome to join! You don’t need any expensive equipment, just your enthusiasm!

    To find out more about the Pittsburgh club, the AAAP, their two observatories and their star party schedule, visit;

http://3AP.Org

    The night sky is a treasure which is often over looked; a visit to a star party just might help you see what great things you’ve been missing! Chances are, I'll be there and I’ll be watching for you! Be sure to say "hi"!

HoJo's

 Whenever my parents and I took a trip across the state to visit relatives, our route was along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. At each of the service plazas was an easily recognizable restaurant, Howard Johnson’s. While we rarely stopped at any of these plazas, other than to use the bathrooms, we passed lots of HoJo’s in our travels.

    The restaurants along the turnpike were housed in attractive stone buildings but the Howard Johnson’s on other roads usually had that distinctive shape and orange colored roof. You knew what they were before you even saw the sign.

    The company started in the 1920’s, opening its first restaurant in Quincy, Massachusetts. In the mid-50’s they opened their first Motor Lodge. The company used to be huge, in 1965 its sales exceeded McDonalds, Burger King and KFC combined. Sadly, this wouldn’t last. Fast food claimed the prize eventually. Howard Johnson’s had over 1000 restaurants and 500 motor lodges before their success started to wither. 

    I can remember going there for my birthday. I think I looked forward to the fried clams more than their 28 flavors of ice cream!

    The chain was bought and over time the iconic buildings started to disappear or change purpose. As of 2018 there was only one restaurant with the Howard Johnson name on it, located in Lake George, New York.

    In Hampton Township there are the remains of what used to be a HoJo Motor Lodge. Once being visible from the turnpike exit it is now hidden from view by tall trees and weeds. When exactly it closed, I’m not sure but in 2012 it had been approved by the township to be rebuilt and reopened. That never came to be. 

    It sits beside a closed Max and Erma’s restaurant. The motel is covered with plywood to keep scavengers and vandals out. This hasn’t worked since some of the wood has been torn off and the sliding glass doors broken. The rooms and furniture are exposed to the weather and the openings provide easy access to the insides. I stayed outside since there are No Trespassing signs posted on the building. I did look inside though.

Vines and weeds covered the balconies.

Guests would have to search for their room numbers!

    The lodge provided top of the line technologies as the satellite dish shows. Looking at this site takes us back to another time, the days of traveling and pulling into a motel to get some rest, often without even calling for a reservation. Motels scattered alongside the roads, often owned by the families that cleaned them and lived in the house next door.

    Many were just 5-10 rooms with the bare essentials, a place to sit your bags, a bed and a bathroom. If you were lucky there would be a “color” TV! Hanging by the road would be a flashing Vacancy sign. Of course, the locals used these rooms also. There is no need to go into any details about that here, we’ve all heard the stories. (I’m not talking about the stories where you’d wake up in a bathtub full of ice and missing a kidney!)

    Chances are that this place is destined to be torn down and a new, multi storied, corporate hotel will take its place. For now, it is a reminder of what used to be and another thing that is slowly disappearing from our lives.

A Little Bit of History

 Doris Day…Can you believe it? It was Doris Day! She was looking out the window of the hotel along with a bunch of other patrons. They were watching a movie that was being filmed outside. I was there, beside the camera. Turning to look at the actors, I noticed that she was now standing beside me. There was no mistake, it was her!

    Together we went over to a red Karmann-Ghia convertible, with the top down of course, and drove away. It was right about then that I woke up. Just a few minutes before midnight, it was still Monday. I wanted to go back to that dream but it wasn’t to be. I tossed and turned.

    Finally the alarm went off, a soft gentle blues tune playing. I opened my eyes and discovered that I was holding a cup of coffee in my hand. I must’ve fallen asleep with it.  Feeling around, I realized nothing had spilt. There was still coffee in it, I could smell it. Probably pretty cold by now I thought.

    I swung my legs out of bed, without spilling anything and instinctively took a sip. It was hot and it tasted wonderful! Wow! I looked at the alarm and wondered why it was playing music, for that matter, the blues. Why hadn’t my phone alarm gone off? They were both set for the same time! It suddenly dawned on me and I exclaimed “Because, I’m dreaming!” and then started to laugh. That was when I woke up the second time, laughing no less!

    It was 4:00, the alarm was set for 4:30. No sense going back to bed. I’ll get up and jump into the shower and start the day. I was going to leave for Frank’s house at 5:30. I’d have time for breakfast and some coffee. We had some caches to find!

    Looking outside, I saw stars! Making the shower extremely quick, I grabbed my gear and drove to the near-by hilltop. The Moon was fairly high in the sky and off to the left was Mars and Jupiter. 

    Combined with the thin clouds and the brightness of the Moon, a group shot wasn’t possible. I took a few pictures and returned back home for a quick breakfast and made some coffee to sip on the way. I still made it to Frank’s house 10 minutes earlier than planned.

    We had 8 caches to find, 5 were in the Blairsville area. The first one, hidden in a tree alongside the road went well. It took us a few minutes, but we found it. The next one didn’t go quite as we had planned.

    Hidden near Dean’s Diner, it is a cache that I have looked for numerous times. We searched high and low without any luck. Some caches just aren’t meant to be found, this one is one of them! We went inside and got some coffee and something to eat and then looked some more. Nope, it wasn’t there.

    We did a few in the town but by far, the best one was across the river in what used to be Cokeville.

    A small town used to sit here but now it is mostly weeds. A long time ago, there were coke ovens on the hill here. (I don’t believe they are still there, that will be another adventure!) The houses and businesses were removed when the Canamaugh Dam was built.

     A set of cement stairs leads up to a flat spot where a house used to sit. You can see where a driveway used to be between them and the tree. Small trees grow where the houses used to sit. By looking carefully, we could see other remnants that were left behind, most of them, nearly hidden from view.

Blairsville and the bridge in 1908

    Bits of a roadway lead to the foundation of the old bridge. Who knows what else lies underneath the weeds? The Pennsylvania Canal crossed through this section of land, there might be evidence of it somewhere!

After the St. Patrick’s Day Flood in 1936, a new bridge was built. A lot of the houses in the town were destroyed by the high waters.

    It took some scrambling around with a little hill climbing through brambles and jagger bushes, before Frank found the cache. It was hidden in the notch of a tree.  We had found this cache in 2011, it isn't in the same place now. It was the toughest cache of the day but it was also the most satisfying one!

    We did a couple more in the area and then turned back towards home. Out of 9 caches, we found 7. Not bad for a quick morning hunt.

    Back on rt.22, we were surprised to see that it was only a little past 10. We usually end up returning in the early afternoon. We were home in time for lunch and afternoon chores. It was a great morning; I always enjoy looking for caches with Frank but finding a little bit of history made it even better! 

    As for the caches we missed…Que sera, sera!

The Heron

 I had taken a run to the library to pick up some books that I had ordered and on the way home, I drove past the section of Pine Creek that parallels Bryant Road.  Since I had some new books to read, I pulled over and opened one up. Out of the corner of my eye I saw two large birds take flight from the stream below me.  Turning I saw a couple beautiful herons flying away from me. Smiling, I returned to my book.

    After a chapter or two I decided to take a stroll on the path alongside the stream. I went in the direction that the herons had headed. I brought my camera with a telephoto lens attached, just in case!  It was a nice warm, sunny day, a perfect day for a walk. I followed the RR tracks for a while and then moved closer to the stream to see if I could locate them. As soon as I approached the bank, a heron took off, going further upstream. I slowly followed only to scare the second bird into flight.

     The first bird joined it and they headed back down towards where they had originally been. This time though, a third heron joined them. I don’t recall ever seeing three herons here before; they normally tend to hunt alone. I turned around and followed.

    I passed a fisherman on the way. A brief hello and I continued on, going from the bank to the path above the water line and back again. I figured the heron was either in the water or on a tree branch. Scanning both as I walked, I was careful not to slip in the mud or trip on any of the roots or branches which lay in my path.

    In a tree, directly overhead, he squawked and flew further downstream. I hadn’t seen him but he sure saw me. His call was loud and being right above my head, rather frightening. It sounded guttural; it didn’t match the beauty of the bird. I tried to see where he landed and tried to keep him in sight as I crept forward. 

    Moving beneath a low lying branch, I spotted him. A Great Blue Heron, what a spectacular looking bird! I’m pretty sure it was a male; they often have a bit of plumage on top of their head. When the breeze blew, I could see it ruffle along with the long, beautiful feathers on his chest. I know he saw me; herons are very smart birds and have very good eyesight. I figured he would fly away as I neared him so I continued to take pictures on the way. He chose to ignore me. I eventually moved into a clearing across the stream, he acted as if I wasn’t there. 

    Eventually, after getting more pictures than I needed, I turned to continue on the path and he gathered his wings and dropped off his perch and flew back upstream. I followed the path until it met up with the RR tracks and then returned back to the car.

    Surprise, surprise, the heron had flown to a spot in the stream directly below my car. Of course, he heard me long before I saw him. I caught him as he flew over to an old bridge abutment. Standing on it he posed for me.

    I kept taking pictures as I neared him and once again, he ignored me. I got to the bridge pier across the stream from him and other than looking at me once or twice; he acted as if I wasn’t there. 

    I’d taken enough shots of him so I just sat down on the cement and watched for a couple minutes. These birds can stand over 4 feet tall yet weigh only 5 or 6 pounds. He kept looking at the stream, often not moving for a minute or two. His chest was facing me, giving me a good look at the long flowing feathers there.

    Getting up, I said “I’m leaving now, thanks for the shots.” Almost as if he knew what I was saying he spread his wings and flew back towards where the car was parked. After a couple more shots of him in the grass beside the creek, I went to get into my car.

    Opening the door, I saw him fly across the field, heading further upstream. Our time together was over.

    Driving back home I was thinking about my experience. I have seen herons many times and almost every time I saw them, they flew away. I’ve gotten shots of them catching and eating fish, but they were taken from across a lake. They have a way of flying away right as I bring the camera up to shoot. I don’t know why this one put up with me but I was glad he did. Maybe he was keeping me away from the two other herons I saw, maybe they were just fledglings? Whatever the case may be, I treasure the experience. It’s things like this, these little bits of excitement, these little glimpses of how wildlife looks and acts, up close, that make me happy to be alive and sharing their world!

A Special Day

Today has always been special to me. I’ve always looked forward to it! This morning, it started out around 3:45 as my alarm rudely awakened me from a great dream. Looking out the window, I saw darkness. Opening the door and stepping outside, I was treated to a view of numerous stars in a cloud free sky.

    Oh Yes!!

    I could’ve set up the telescope but I thought watching the planets come up over the horizon might be a better, and easier, way to go. I opted for a short drive to the near-by hill top with the camera, tripod and my binoculars. The view there is always superior to my front yard.

    About 20 minutes later with a warm drink in hand I was parking the car. It was quiet and there were stars everywhere. My observing spot is fairly light free. I could see stars pretty low to the horizon and that’s tough here in Shaler!

    I set up the camera and took a couple test shots and then scanned the stars with my binoculars. The moon had set about an hour before I arrived so there were no problems with it hiding the stars.

    Jupiter had just risen above the horizon when I arrived and Venus would soon be breaking out so I concentrated on that section of the hillside. It was easy to see where it would be rising, the other three planets, Saturn, Mars and Jupiter made a straight line right to where it would be showing up.

    Venus showed up a couple minutes after its predicted time of arrival. Suddenly…there it was behind the trees and then it was shining free. It is amazing how quickly they rise when you have a reference point to compare them to! I snapped a few shots and then went back to exploring the sky with the binoculars

    As the sky brightened, the International Space Station passed off in the north. I had hoped it would be close enough to Venus to get a picture but by then the sky was too bright. Watching it in binoculars would just have to do.

    The birds were starting to wake up, soon joggers would be out and I was ready to refill my coffee cup. I made it home in time to see the sunrise.

    I said this day was special to me. It isn’t because of the stars or the planets. Not even the ISS made it special. It’s because on this day my daughter Chelsey was born!

    She just had a new son, Nico, who arrived a couple days before Mothers Day and her birthday. Yes, I’d have to say that our lives are truly blessed. It’s going to be a great day. This day always is!

.

Independent Bookstore Day

     It was the last day of April. What made this day special was that it is Independent Bookstore Day. Ann Marie, Kelle, Frank and I were going to visit a couple of our favorite stores and hopefully we would be coming back with lots to read.

    Getting on the road early we had some time before the stores opened, so we did a geocache in a small local park. I had attempted this cache several times before, Frank found it almost immediately. It helps to have someone with a good set of eyes to help you search! Since it was found so quickly, we still had time before our bookstore adventures started. We took a short hike in Riverview Park to see the ruins of the zoo.

    When Riverview Park was first built, it had a small zoo with an elk paddock, a bear enclosure along with some other small cages. A merry-go-round was also set in the park. 

    All that remains today are the brick foundations of some of the cages, set along a large stone wall. They are situated on what used to be a road, now it is only a simple dirt trail going past what used to entertain the people of Pittsburgh.

    Our first bookstore was City Books located in the city’s Northside. Arlan, the owner was already busy handling customers when we arrived. (Masks were required at all the shops we visited.) I can’t remember seeing this many people in her shop in the past 2 years. It was great seeing all these people out and buying books. This is my favorite book store in the city! (As if you didn’t know!)

    We shot the breeze for a bit and browsed for awhile and then continued on, allowing other customers access to Arlan. We all left with books under our arms. The day was definitely off to a good start.

    Next on our itinerary was a quick stop at White Whale Books and Coffee in Bloomfield. After leaving, we went across the street to Paddy Cake Bakery for some Chocolate Chip Cookies to fuel us on as we headed into Oakland.

    People in the college section of town were happy to be outside, window shopping and eating at tables on the sidewalk. Students were laughing and talking with each other, families strolled hand in hand enjoying the warm temperatures and the fresh smelling air. These things all added to the beauty of the day. In the middle of the block we saw shelves of books sitting outside our next stop, the Caliban Book Shop.

    One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about this shop is the tight aisles. Books are stacked on the floor in places and the shelves are set in odd angles. Though I never have, I always have a sense of possibly getting lost in this store, and where would a better place to be lost than a book shop?

    I gravitated towards the Books on Books shelves. Squeezing past a couple patrons to get there, I scanned the racks looking for “that” book, the one that needed to come home with me. 

    There is a certain joy to wandering through a bookstore. There are always books I haven’t seen before and I’m always on the look-out for that “special” book, the one just sitting on its shelf, waiting for me to walk past. Sometimes it sits there for years until I happen to stroll by and it can grab my eye. Jumping out at me, it lets me know it needs to come home with me. I know this makes books sound alive…but you have to remember, they are! They have taken me along on adventures, taught me things which helped me through life, they have made me laugh, cry and love. I admit that I have a passion for new books, never certain as to where they will lead me. I am constantly looking for my next affair with these multi-paged lovers!

    We all made some purchases and then returned to the car. Frank and Kelle headed home and Ann Marie and I settled in and started leafing through our new books, happy and content.

    *Remember; always support your local bookstores. These stores are very important city resources. The people who run them will help you find the books that you didn’t realize that you needed!

 Be sure to thank them when you leave!