A few years ago I purchased a book on 1891 New Birmingham, Texas. I got pics from that book before I lost the book. The book documents the third year (of five years) that New Birmingham was a national boom town before it went bust in 1893.
In 1888 Anderson Blevins and a group of investors aquired the Cherokee Land and Iron Company and 20,000 acres of land with plenty of iron ore to be mined or pi Read on...
Inhabited since prehistory, it became part of the Duchy of Normandy in the 10th century. The Channel Islands came under the British crown when William, Duke of Normandy invaded England in 1066 and seized the crown. A fascinating fact is that even today, the Queens title in the Bailiwick of Guernsey is that of the Duke of Normandy, the local toast being, a little bizarrely, ‘The Queen, Our Duke. Read on...
Savannah was to be our Spring Road Trip this year. Susan and I and wanted to visit this Southeastern city for some time, after visits to Charleston and St. Augustine. Drew, on Spring Break from teaching, came along, too. From the blogs I have read, it seems most travelers go to Savannah after reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I had neither read the book nor seen the film or knew the Read on...
At the intersection of State Highways 2 and 3 you will find Woodville. It is a great place for to stop and take a break as you will probably be on your way to different, passing through Palmerston North in one direction or the other.
I love Woodville as my ancestors were some of the early settlers in the Seventy Mile Bush, which extended along the eastern side of the Tararua and Ruahine Ranges, a Read on...
The drive to Spitzkoppe was another outback spectacle. Passing more Himba villages with yelling children, waving stuff at us they want us to buy and bored looking half clad Himba ladies sitting on the dusty ground next to their wooden artwork and dyed textiles, we arrived to the gate of the Spitzkoppe Lodge property. Spitzkoppe, a German word meaning pointed dome, is also nicknamed the Matterhorn Read on...
We woke up this morning and ate breakfast, then headed to the port talk. Oh, my again, this is not Viking. The lady running the talk did not know anything. I asked her what time we needed to get a tender for the early excursion we had. I dont know. What time do we need to be back on the ship, I dont know. What else is there to do near the ship, there is the pancake house. The only slide was a map Read on...
I turned South on US Hwy 84 in Colorado. In New Mexico on US Hwy 84, I made a stop to see some wooden Historic Markers. I turned East on Carson N Forest road 115. (Driving the highway at the speed limit you would never see the sign for FS 115.)
Driving FS 115 for three miles I turned NE at FS 110 at the Town of Canjilon. Driving on the bumpy FS 110 through the forest service (and some private lan Read on...
We started the day out at Deer Ranch. Upon entering the ranch, we entered a fawn enclosure. The fawn was only 3 weeks old, still very soft, tiny, and wobbly. After this we walked the property and feed the deer apples and carrots. Apples are their favorite, but they are not too picky. I think that we enjoyed it more than others because we stayed much longer. Plus, we had to return to the fawn befor Read on...
One of the finest parts of Iceland is the district of Thingeyjar Sysla, to the E. of Akureyri, with picturesque scenery and of grand volcanic 1912. DSC_0452
Now on the other side of the Eyjafjrur from Akureyri, the coach ascended the slope of Valaheiar mountain. Rather than go around it, we took a tunnel through the mountain. At the other side of Valaheiar the road descends to traverse the valle Read on...
The Observers Book of Birds was my first bird book. I still have it – minus the but carefully wrapped in brown paper. It has been with me since May 1964. I know this because I wrote dates in the index, next to the birds names, and the earliest dates are from May 1964 - for example: Nuthatch 20/5/64.
I used to pore over the pictures in this little book and dream of seeing one of the rarities de Read on...