Recently I wrote a travel article on the top ten waterfalls in the U.S. for the Uptake.com attractions blog. A few days later I received an email from Jesse Baier, who is employed by Delaware North Companies, the company that provides food, concessions and guest services for Niagara Falls State Park. Jesse had read my waterfall article and wanted to pass on some interesting historical information about Niagara Falls:

“When winters are cold enough for Lake Erie waters to freeze, ice flows down the Niagara River and over the falls, jamming and growing constantly until an ice bridge, spreading from the Canadian to American sides of the falls, is created. At 30 to 100 feet thick, the size and duration of the ice bridge vary from year to year. It has been illegal for almost a century for anyone to set foot on the ice bridge. Tragically, in 1912, Read the rest of this entry »

They call it the “White Giant” but its real name is Perito Moreno Glacier, one of more than 200 glaciers found in Glaciers Park in Patagonia, Argentina. For eons, it has been advancing at a rate of about one meter per day. Some years this 18-mile long river of ice advances across Lake Argentina, splitting it in two and creating a natural dam. Eventually water behind the glacier rises and, seeking equilibrium, tunnels beneath the glacier. Slowly, the warmer lake waters carve a giant hole through the glacier, leaving only a narrow ice bridge across the top. When the bridge becomes unstable giant chunks of ice begin to calve from the glacier. Towering plumes of water and mist explode from the lake whenever these mini icebergs plunge into the lake, 200 feet below.

Tourists come from all over the world to stand on an adjacent viewing platform to witness the spectacle. Prior to 2004, the bridge had not collapsed for 16 years. Since then, Read the rest of this entry »

Taking a break from my physical journey today to work on the inner journey, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than to share this amazing video sent to me by my friend Karen. Peace and love to you all…

This week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival is at Don’t Gel Too Soon. There are some really terrific articles on tap this week, discussing subjects ranging from nostalgic rememberences of Buffalo nickels to new online goodies from the White House. Why not hop on over a take a look? And while you’re there, take a look around “Don’t Gel Too Soon.” Blogger Cynthia Samuels has an extensive background online, in television, and in print, with particular emphasis on developing content for parents and families. Her writing is insightful and eminently readable and I’m sure you’ll enjoy her blog.

“Don’t be such a dingbatter,” my grandmother used to say to my sisters and me. Another of her favorites was: “go to the store that’s katty-whompus from your house and get yourselves some penny candy.” We knew what she meant. We grew up with these words. A dingbatter was a silly or foolish person. Katty-whompus meant across the street diagonally. But they weren’t words commonly used by our friends, or anyone else we knew, for that matter. So imagine my surprise when I wandered into the Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum and found those exact same words on an educational display!

Ocracoke Preservation Society Museum. Photo courtesy of www.ncbeaches.com.

Ocracoke Island, an isolated 16-mile long strip of sand that is home to only 800 residents, is perhaps the most fascinating destination on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Historically a fishing and whaling village, this tiny island was so remote and isolated from the rest of civilization that native O’Cockers developed a unique manner of speaking.

The isolation of the island began changing a number of years ago when the State instituted a ferry service. Soon, tourists were flocking to Ocracoke and the old way of life began to disappear. Today there are only a few remaining O’Cockers who speak in the old brogue, and most of them refuse to speak to tourists. Indeed, when I lived on the Outer Banks, I frequently spent weekends on Ocracoke and often encountered O’Cockers who pretended to be deaf rather than speak to you. Fortunately, the O’Cocker language will be forever preserved through the efforts of the Ocracoke Museum. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m thinking pancakes. It’s not my normal breakfast  – most days I just scarf down some fruit and a cup of coffee. But pancakes have been calling to me lately. Perhaps it is a longing for simpler childhood days when Mom mixed up a batch of buttermilk batter and lured us out of bed with the delicious aroma of flapjacks sizzling on the griddle. Sometimes Mom threw in bananas or chocolate chips for variety. On occasion she got really creative and made pancakes with Mickey Mouse ears. Ah yes, my sisters and I were pancake gourmands. Or so I thought until I visited New England.

Quiet during the fall "leaf-peeping" season, the Sugar House roars to life every spring as the sap is boiled down to produce pure maple syrup

Read the rest of this entry »

Last month, as I drove back home to Florida from my annual holiday trip to Illinois, I stayed a few days with my dear friends, Tom and Patti. They live in Atlanta and it is a great midway stopping point. Their house always feels like home to me and frankly, I hate to leave. Heck, their cat, who doesn’t like anyone, sleeps between my legs!

When I told my Dad I would be staying in Atlanta for a few days, he was quick to remind me of Benjamin Franklin’s famous saying: “Fish and visitors smell in three days.” (I’m not sure, but that may have been a hint, since I’d been at Dad’s house for more than three weeks by that time). I love visiting friends but always worry about overstaying my welcome. I’d been in Atlanta for two or three days when I broached the subject with Tom.

“You have to promise to tell me if my being here is ever too much,” I said as we were about to sit down to dinner. Read the rest of this entry »

A couple of weeks ago I received an email thanking me for posting photos of the old buildings in the village of Matten, Switzerland on my blog. The message, which was from a William Diesslin, read in part:

“You didn’t know it at the time, but you photographed my great grandfather’s store front! I’ve attached the photo for your reference.”

Matten was the town I stayed in when visiting Switzerland during the summer of 2007 and I had taken scores of photos of the intriguing architecture in the village. Curious, I downloaded the photo he had attached – an historical black and white image of an old storefront. I figured it would be a simple thing to find the present day photo among those I had published on the blog and began side by side comparisons. It was not as easy as I had assumed it would be, but by comparing things like the gables, roof line, and the horizontal strip that separated the first and second stories, I was eventually able to identify the correct structure.

Today the building is home to a hostel, the Balmer’s Herberge. The building is located on the same street as my hotel and I had even eaten at the Thai restaurant that now occupies the basement. Take a look at the photos below for a glimpse into the past and an idea of how well these old buildings have withstood the test of time.

Today one of the buildings comprising a large hostel, the Diesslin store hides its age well

Historic Diesslin store; the man standing in the doorway is Bill's great grandfather and the child to his right is Bill's grandfather

A closer look at the store from the opposite direction, as it looks today

But that’s not the end of the story. Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s Blogging Boomer Carnival host is Fabulous After 40.  There are some interesting articles this week on our various blogs, discussing subjects ranging from midlife dating to 3D movies. To learn more, navigate over to this week’s article at Fabulous After 40 and click on the links to read the full stories.