See How Her Garden Grows

Tiny Phlox, Up Close

Morgantown, WV.  5/15/2013:    My sweet wife, Mary Alice, was a big-time gardener.  If a plant bloomed, she had a soft spot for it, so our houses have always had flower gardens.  When I'm not on the road, I'm "smelling the roses."

  Mary Alice got it from her parents.  Her mother, Hazel Henrietta Hall, found places for big flowering plants in odd corners of her yard; her father, Chaucer Hall, was big on vegetables.  It was in their blood, I think..certainly, the vegetables were a big part of life for them during the depression and war years.  So, Mary Alice got it honestly.  

                 Gardener at work (right).

  Mary Alice was an elegant lady in all respects.  We spent more than 60 years together, 57 in marriage.  Tragically, she succumbed to the effects of ALS last fall, and I miss her more than I can say.  We were wife and husband, partners, lovers, best friends and all the other good things that come from a life shared so long.  We knew what each other was thinking, what we liked and what we didn't.  We accommodated each other's tastes.  She understood the business I was in and made allowances for its eccentricities--the travel, the hours and so on.  I understood the things she did and worked to see that her interests were served.  it was automatic.  I'm not a gardner, but I loved that she was, and looked forward to seeing what she was doing.  Late in her life, we got help from a wonderful landscape gardener, Nick Gainer, who understood what she wanted and followed her design when she could no longer do it herself.  He keeps it the way she envisioned to this day.

  All of that is to tell you that the garden she left is going to be spectacular this year..a message of love that I see every time I walk out the door, and look for every time I come back.  I took some pictures to share here.  Mary Alice sends her love:

  The Iris was a special favorite of hers.  Maybe it's because her mother took such pleasure in the ones she raised in a special place at their farm  near Gladesville, Preston County, WV.  This one (left) is in our lower garden now, but its bulb came from that patch on the farm several years ago.  I like the colors and the soft texture of the bloom.  So do the bees.

  Mrs. Hall once scattered Daffodil bulbs in an open pasture above their house.  To this day, that field comes alive in the early spring with hundreds of yellow blooms--the first harbinger of nicer days to come.  It's always welcome; Preston County is at a high elevation where winter seems to linger  much longer than it should..but you see a Daffodil and you have hope.


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  Here's the reverse view of that garden wall you see her tending above.  I'm a big fan of Phlox, so banks of it have developed from her plantings over the years.  It certainly brightens what could be a fairly severe old wall..and it can be seen from the street as you pass.

  When we bought this old house in 2004, it was pretty much green shrubbery and trees around the property.  Now, it has different shades of color most every season of the year.  Some pansies keep on going almost year-round if the climate's right.  Apparently, it's right at this location.

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  Every garden needs a path.  This one was no different.  And if you have a path, you need a bench as a destination. 

  Along the garden path are rose bushes, azalea, rhododendron, hosta, plain and variegated, blueberries and honeysuckle.  We also discovered a plant which I nearly mistook for a weed, hiding in a corner behind a pine tree.  Before I pulled it out, it bloomed (probably in panicked self defense) with a trumpet-shaped yellow blossom that is loved by any and all Humming Birds.  It's still there and gets bigger every year.

  The old house was built of West Virginia limestone in 1929.  There are still remnant stones from the construction period in the ground around the foundation.  Flowers, ferns  and moss love their protection and I wouldn't think of removing them (below).










  More Phlox along the garden wall (left).  It grows so profusely that if you squint your eyes, it is dazzling.

    
                                                                    

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   Two more of Mary Alice's favorites:

            Columbine.                                                      Bleeding Heart.

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    I know this column is basically about travel, but it must always be understood that a good trip, like a good story, needs a beginning and a middle and an end.  There's no fun in going if you can't look forward to your return.  Mary Alice kept the fires burning for many years while my job sent me trotting around the globe.  The home she made was a joy to come back to, and the flowers she raised iced the cake.  But it wasn't just for me--she considered a beautiful garden a greeting to friends or passersby.  "Hello, enjoy the day."

   This year, the garden continues and seems to be bigger, more beautiful and more promising then ever before.  If that's a message, I'm listening.

                                                    -0-

                                           

    

   See you down the road.

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5/15/2013

     

Rodeo!!

Cheyenne Arena

Morgantown, WV.  5/6/2013:     If you asked a true Westerner whether he or she liked football or rodeo best, it's likely rodeo would be the choice.  Just look:  there are always two teams (in rodeo, it's cowboys and the animals), and statistics are kept on everything.  If a rodeo rider gets a certain bull, he can look up the critter's record just like a pro football player can scan his opponent.  Believe me, both sports are skill sports and both are really physical. 

  I've always been a western fan, but had never seen the "big show" until Mary Alice and I decided to take in Cheyenne during one of our trips west.  That was 2009..and we were hooked from the git-go.  

Flying Cowboy

  What's not to like?  For a photographer, it's non-stop action.  For the sports fan, both the cowboys and the animals are considered athletes.  Both are trained.  

  For spectacle, you kidding?  There are parades and clowns and colorful folks down in the arena and up in the stands.  Everybody's there to have fun.  Well, maybe the horses and bulls get a little ticked off, but they usually win.  The Cheyenne newspaper runs a daily box score over the nearly two week "Frontier Days" rodeo and it's usually something like Bulls, 19..Cowboys 10.

  There are a lot of big rodeos in the US..Houston and Denver come to mind..along with the season finals in Las Vegas, but for all around western fun, Cheyenne, "The Daddy of 'em All," is my favorite. For two weeks in July,  it's the place to be.  Parades in the morning, rodeo in the afternoon, music in the evening and food..wow.   

Apple of his eye.

  It's great for families.  Folks dress up and go to town for rodeo.  And they follow the sport from place to place.  Individual riders become stars on the circuit and have their fans. So do the animals.  Not living in the region, we always tried to get to Cheyenne during the last couple of days before the finals..that way, we got to see the best of the best and enjoy the growing excitement.  

  And there's the shopping to do.  Any big rodeo has a festival area where you can get a new big hat, a belt buckle, boots or a saddle..and it's the real thing.  The locals buy it, why not try it?

  You can even get some free advice  (right).  Good advice, too.

  "Rodeoing" got started 'way back.  Cowboys would entertain each other by showing off their horse skills.  People gathered around the corral to watch and pretty soon somebody decided to put on a show.  I have no idea who first decided to ride a bull--it was probably on a dare.  For me, the bull is going way too far.  But, as a photographer with a camera that can shoot fast action..well, it's hard to beat.   Take a look:

  That's a thousand-plus pounds of bull..airborne.   The rider has lost his seat and is headed for the dirt.  The guys on the side are the clowns who'll distract Sir Bull when he comes down so he doesn't stomp the cowboy he just threw off. 

  

   This one has a different idea.  He just sits down..

   

..and the rider slides off.  Easier'n buckin'.  

 That one happened at the Tucson rodeo, which is usually held in February or March.  The weather's not so hot that time of year in Tucson.

This was also at Tucson.  Look at the rider's face.  Think it's easy?

The Winnah!!

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  If you're a people watcher, rodeo's great..but don't forget to watch the horses and bulls, too.  You will get the sense that they know exactly what's going on and are actually competing.  I have seen horses take a victory lap with what looked like grins on their faces.  I have seen bulls refuse to leave the arena, having just finished their daily trick.  Horses who compete in the barrel runs are really trying to get just as close to the barrel in the turn as they possibly can--the footwork is wonderful.  Young bulls that run in roping contests know how to dodge or simply refuse to go down.  

  Funny thing: they don't feed the broncs and bulls until they've done their bit. When they finish up, they usually dash for the chute that takes them back to the pen.  If they misbehave, they're given "time out" without dinner for awhile.  Sometimes, the bulls are put in with horses.  It's insulting and they sulk.  These animals are raised for rodeo.  They're usually treated very well.  They're valuable.

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   Oh..and rodeo riders start young.  There's usually a bit of "Mutton Busting" before the big show starts; little kids will ride a sheep.  Sheep are fast and hard to hold onto.

The bigger kids get sumpin' heftier.  Ride 'em Cabboy!

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  If you're looking for some fun and you've never seen one, try a rodeo.  Bet you'll be hooked.  

Just don't forget your camera.

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5/6/2013

Savannah

  Morgantown, WV.  4/28/2013:  

  On December 22, 1864,  General William Tecumseh Sherman presented the city of Savannah, GA to Abraham Lincoln as a Christmas gift.  The city was too beautiful to burn.  

  Sherman had disappeared into the "wilds" of Georgia six weeks before.  As he stepped off, he cut his communication and supply lines behind him, declaring that his army would live off the land as it destroyed the state's capacity to make war.  And he did. 

  Lincoln told those around him that he knew where Sherman had gone in, but had no idea where he would come out. In the course of his march, Sherman took three of Georgia's capitols, Savannah, Milledgeville and capitol-to-be, Atlanta. But he needed a place to stop and Savannah was the prize. An important port, it had abundant stores of cotton and other supplies for the taking. And, as stated, it was beautiful to boot.  It still is.

  General James Oglethorpe laid out a city plan upon his arrival in 1733.  That wasn't his first priority--he was sent there by King George the second to protect the Carolinas from the Spanish in Florida and the French in Louisiana.  But in the course of events, the city shaped into  streets centering on 22 public squares and a laid-back but sophisticated architecture that make it so interesting today.   

  I run down the Carolina and Georgia coastlines on my way to Cape Canaveral every year or so, knowing that Savannah will be a stop either going or coming.  It's irresistible.  If you have a camera and good walking shoes, Savannah's your oyster.  Spend the day prowling for pictures and in the evening, take your pick of dozens of fine restaurants.   Hint:  if Paula Deen's  Lady and Sons  is on your must-try list, ask your hotel when you should go to line up for a reservation.  If the line's too long for you, be assured you'll do very well somewhere else; for instance, try the City Market, which is known for good dining and art galleries. But that's just one suggestion among many.

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  One of my quiet passions is photography..and Savannah's a prime place to go for it.  The following shots are just samples.

  (Left)  The door to one of Savannah's historic churches.

  General Sherman settled into a rich cotton trader's mansion in what is now the historic district after marching into the city.  His troops pitched their tents in a graveyard, among other places, but Sherman needed a headquarters and it might as well be comfortable.  Needless to say, neither he nor his soldiers were high on  Savannah's popularity list.

  Anyway..

  The mansion Sherman chose--the Green-Meldrim House--was right next to St. John's Episcopal Church.  Annoyed by their constant ringing, Sherman threatened to melt the church's bells into bullets for his troops.  Citizens of Savannah telegraphed President Lincoln, imploring him to countermand Sherman.  Lincoln did.  


                     
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    As you march through Savannah, look closely; elegant details are everywhere.  Take a look at the design work on this lamp post (right).



   The town is known for fancy ironwork on its garden gates, too.  But those touches are virtually everywhere you look.  An old door, a downspout with a metalwork flourish and a dolphin mouth. Porch galleries running two or three floors up the front or sides of old houses.  Spanish moss draping the trees, huge ferns by the curbstones.  In some ways, Savannah feels very much like New Orleans.  Even though Oglethorpe tried to keep the French and Spanish well south of the Savannah River, their influence is clear.

                                                

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Gracious Entrance

My camera does pencil sketches, too.

Savannah Skies

Treat yourself.  Visit Savannah.  I'll bet you can't do it just once.

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4/28/2013

Timeless Jerusalem

Wailing Wall and Dome of the Rock

Morgantown, WV.  4/22/2013:   No other city inspires human emotion like this one:  love, hate, greed, charity, grudge, forgiveness, laughter, tears. You can think of more.  Only Rome spans modern history so dramatically.  

Centuries are visible in the picture above..and so are the homes of members of four major religions.

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  It is impossible to divorce yourself from political reality; "it is what it is.."  But if you can stand back and just look at what's before you, then it's easy to see the beauty of Jerusalem as it must have looked 2000 years ago.  Squint a little, and the TV antennae and construction cranes go away, leaving you with the stone rooftops and narrow streets that greeted the ancients.

  These pictures were taken in the 1980s when I traveled as a reporter covering Secretary of State George Shultz.  We went to Israel frequently, and I never got over it.  This shot was taken from atop the wall at the Damascus Gate.  I apologize for the quality; the shots were scanned to digital from color slides.  That being said, I make no apology for the stories they tell.

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  I loved wandering the streets of old Jerusalem.  We had a lot of time on our hands since we were not allowed to attend Schultz' meetings with the Israeli government or with the Palestinians.  The sessions would last hours, leaving us either to wait outside closed doors or get out and see things.  A regular "briefing" was scheduled for us after each meeting, so we had time to spare.  It was irresistible.   

  Shops are everywhere and the products are eclectic.  You can find anything in the stalls, which are niches in the sidewalk base of buildings.  Gold?  Antiquities? Leather goods? Baubles or Beads? T-shirts with Coca Cola in Arabic?  Whatever you want.  But be sure to haggle..the merchants expect it and enjoy it.  I wanted that Coca Cola T-shirt for my younger son (he collected Coca Cola stuff at the time) and simply paid the guy what he asked.  His eyebrows rose and he asked in a disappointed tone if that was "it?"  I told him it was and he shrugged a middle-eastern shrug and took my money.  I really don't think it made his day.

  One of my friends broke a strap on his brief case and took it straight to a leather merchant, who promptly sewed it back for him right there on his Singer machine, which was parked by the sidewalk.  

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  Of course, great storms of religious history are everywhere;  your stroll takes you through them at every turn.  This (below) is believed by many to be the Tomb of Christ, housed in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  

  Constantine removed rock and soil around the tomb and encased it in marble to protect it..in the process, making it difficult for modern-day archaeologists to examine.  But if you are a believer, this will take your breath away.

  Nearby--inside the same church--is the hilltop believed to be the site of the crucifixion.  A silver plate surrounds the hole where it's thought the cross was erected. The two artifacts, Golgotha and the Tomb, are only a few steps between.

  That is one of the things that strikes the visitor: great places and things we've heard about since childhood are just small distances apart.  It's said that Christ never traveled more than 200 miles from his home.  You can see how true that is with one visual sweep of the horizon.  The Mount of Olives, for instance, is easily within sight across a valley just outside the walls of the old city.

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  Look at the picture at the top of this column.  There, in the middle distance, is the Wailing Wall, where Jews go to pray and leave their messages to God.  Above it, within half a mile or less, is the Dome of the Rock, which in Islamic tradition, houses the rock from which Muhammad ascended to heaven.  It is the oldest existing Islamic monument, stunning in its beauty as it dominates a major part of Jerusalem's skyline.

  You can look around yourself and see the faith of millions expressed in a very small space.  The passions are ancient and often extreme.  

  But when I think of that part of it, the Philadelphia Restaurant comes to mind.

  The Philadelphia is located..or was when I was traveling there..in East Jerusalem, which is not a Christian or Jewish neighborhood.  Several of us would go there for a lavish dinner in the best middle eastern tradition whenever we were in town.  The meals were served "home-style," individual courses of meats and vegetables..mounds of food..passed around or simply left on the table within reach, whatever made you happy.  Dinner at the Philadelphia would take at least three hours.  The owner played host, standing and talking--often telling us about his dream of going to America to open a new Philadelphia Restaurant in Bethesda, Maryland.  I don't know if he ever made it, but he would have been a hit.

  One night, it was just so good that the seven or eight of us "closed the restaurant," last to finish, last to go.  We realized we had not been terribly wise. How to get back to the King David hotel at this time of night..starting from a part of town that might not be totally friendly?  The owner and his chef refused to let us look for cabs; they piled us all in their private cars and drove us back to the hotel.  After much hugging and hand-shaking, they pulled away, driving past a billboard which featured a huge picture of Yasser Arafat, who sought to remind us once more of political realities in the land of faith.  I liked their vision better than his.

Timeless

  Jerusalem tells many stories.  You know a lot of them, but not all by any stretch of imagination.  I hope you can go there and hear them for yourself.  

   Someday.  

   Soon.

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4/22/2013

Magic Mountains. The Tetons.

The Grand Tetons

Morgantown, WV.  4/15/13:   The word "awesome" has become trite in today's conversation.  But imagine coming up the road and around a hill and having the view above burst into view.  Unannounced.  That is awesome..a "Holy Cow" moment so powerful that the National Park service built a pull-over spot at the top of the bend so people wouldn't just slam on the brakes, stop in the middle of the road and stare.

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  The earliest explorers..fur traders, adventurers, fortune seekers..thought it was amazing, too.  Those mountains were visible to them from miles and miles  away, serving as a milepost or trail marker.  Far from civilization..and women..they wistfully named them "The Grand Tetons."  You decide why.

   I call the picture on the right "Ansel's View," a copy of a photograph made by Ansel Adams as he toured the National Parks System.  His was black and white and better than mine, of course, but that's where he stood to take it..I searched it out.  You can see the Snake River curling through Jackson Hole, the valley that spreads miles-wide at the foot of the range.

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  Ironically, few settled in Jackson Hole--it became a meeting ground for the Mountain Men and there were isolated ranchers..but for some reason, there were no large settlements.  There is something spiritual about the place; it makes your heart lift and soar.  Maybe it's best to just "let it be."

  We almost lost it.  

  While on a visit to nearby Yellowstone with his family in 1926,  John D. Rockefeller, Jr. toured the valley and fell in love with what he saw, but he was greatly disturbed by the casual mistreatment..hot dog stands, souvenir shops, junk that seemed to be taking over the valley.  Rockefeller quietly bought it..all of it..and turned it over to the nation to preserve.  It very nearly started a range war, led in part by old time western actor--and Jackson Hole rancher--Wallace Beery.  But it didn't, and what we've got today is a wonder.

  The park is huge.  That picture at the top is a composite of six shots.  In all, the photograph covers about 40 miles of Teton Front Range.  The tallest peak..the real "Grand Teton"..is 13-thousand 700 feet and change above sea level.  It's no wonder the frontiersmen considered it a beacon. With snow on the top and sunshine around it, it glows.  

  The shot on the right is of Mount Moran, a few miles north of Grand Teton.  When we arrived on our last visit, everything was fogged in.  The mist had just begun to rise and there was a strong wind from the west when we saw Moran as you see it there.  Never leave your car without your camera.  Light and weather can change in a moment and then a shot like that is lost forever.

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  The ranchers who lived in the valley were a sturdy bunch.  Check the view below from Cunningham's Cabin, a ranch preserved as an exhibit.  All this is beautiful now, but can you imagine living there in the winter time?

From Cunningham's Cabin

Home Sweet Home,  Grazing Included

  When we last visited Teton in 2011..we planned for it and reserved one of the cabins at Colter Bay.  These are real ranch cabins like Cunningham's that were retrieved  from places around the valley and renovated as guest houses.  It was a great decision on our part.  Four wonderful days right in the middle of things.  Very comfortable, too (right).

     And to top it off, I got me a bear.  He was eating berries by the road and I took his picture.  So did a lot of other people, but I kept them out of the shot.  And, yes, that's a telephoto shot from waaay back.  I had no idea where his Mama was and I didn't want to find out.   Words of caution: give them lots of room--they are neither cuddly nor lovable, they don't particularly like you, and they can outrun you.

   Speaking from a practical standpoint--the Visitors Centers are terrific, so start there.  There are all kinds of accommodations, like our cabin to upscale hotels to camping if you are so inclined. Food in the park is really good for the most part--contractors provide it and the hotels.  You must reserve ahead, though--you'll probably be out of luck if you just walk in, hoping to get a place to stay.  Check the National Park Service's website.

    Of all the places we traveled, I'd have to put Teton at the head of the Favorites List.  We loved being there.  We loved sharing it together.  We loved going back.  

  And I say without hesitation that I will do it again.  

  And again.

  Just wonderful.

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4/15/13

Kitty Hawk, Then and Now

Day One.  Four Flights.

Morgantown, WV.  4/10/2013:   They flew four times on December 17th, 1903..the first day of aviation as we know it.  The first run was only 120 feet long, maybe 10 feet high and took just 12 seconds.  But it demonstrated the facts of flight: taking off from a spot at a known altitude, flying under control and landing at a spot that was the same altitude as the point of departure.  Flight.  You can see it there in that picture.  The first rock, next to the launching rail, is where the aeroplane lifted off; the next rock is where it landed.  120 feet, about the span of the horizontal stabilizer on a 747, but a distance that shrank the world.

  Orville and Wilbur Wright chose Kitty Hawk, NC after a letter to the weather service told them what the winds were like.  The winds, coupled with the existence of "soft sands," made it their choice for a place to try their idea.  They went down there from their home in Dayton, Ohio as early as 1900 to try kites that showed them how their wing design would work and..how to control it.

                         -0-
  
  It was not a pleasant place.  Heat, mosquitoes, isolation, but they got the work done.  In the picture above, the building on the left is the hangar..the one on the right is their work shop and living quarters.  They'd go down there after Dayton's bicycle season was over and spend late summer and the fall working on their "experiments."

  The picture on the right shows the National Park Service's replica of the site.  As you can see, isolation is no longer a problem.

 -0-

1903 Trials

  This picture, courtesy of the Library of Congress, gives you the layout.
  The aeroplane is perched on the launching rail, ready for engine start.  
  They made an attempt on December 14th with Wilbur at the controls, but it simply ran to the end of the rail and dropped off.  On the 17th, Orville took the helm for the first successful flight, then Wilbur, then Orville and then Wilbur, who made the last one, traveling around 900 feet.  They were going to do more after lunch, but a capricious wind rolled the machine, ending their season abruptly.  And, as the Dayton, Ohio newspaper editor observed, they were "home for Christmas."

  There's a lot more to talk about, but what I'm really angling at is to tell you that you can see all of this for yourself.  Kitty Hawk is a national park now, as you'd expect, and the Park Service does an excellent job of showing you how it happened.  There is a fine museum at the entrance.  The hangar and shop are done in scrupulous detail and the flight field is done "by the numbers."  Take the kids.  For those who want to fly in (and who wouldn't if they could?) there's a small airport behind the trees.  Camping is readily available both in the beach area and in nearby Manteo, NC.

  It's an exciting story I always enjoy telling when somebody asks me to make a speech.  Go down and get the material and work up your own presentation.

  
    Today, the Flyer lives in its own gallery at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, the centerpiece of the museum's collection.  When you see it, tip your cap..you're in the presence of giants.

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4/10/2013