Baltimore

The boy inexplicably woke up on Tuesday vomiting, which made our cruddy Red Roof Inn-Baltimore Airport hotel room all that much more appealing. When we went to the B & O Museum, all he wanted to do was sleep, so we let him stay in the car.

Sam was mortified that I was taking so many photos (she's getting to that age where she is clearly embarased by me). We participated in a tour, and took the speed-touring version of the museum.

The best parts were the beautiful roundhouse and turn-table (all interior), and the remains of the Sturbridge Lion, the boiler of the first steam engine imported from England in 1830 (or so), for use by a rail service. Lap seam construction (I know what that means now) and other quirky differences in construction.

They also had several early steam engines showing a vertical boiler configuration. Made it really obvious that all steam engines are just glorified boilers on wheels.

East Broad Top Railroad

Apparently, East Broad Top is analagous to Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, in that it is an operating steam locomotive maintenance shop and roundhouse, over 100 years old, and there just aren't any of these things left anymore. Much like in Jamestown, they have an operating machine shop with central power and a leather belt system.

On the day we visited, it was closed for the season, and there was no one around. I thought this added to its stark appeal, although it would have been nice to see inside.

This railroad is privately owned, and is narrow gauge. Like Railtown, it was a short line. It is in the town of Orbisonia, next to Rock Hill Springs (south of State College, and a very small town).

Sayre Shops

Many family members this weekend shared their steam memories. One of my uncles was generous to make copies of some of the old shop photos he has hanging on the wall in his barbershop. Another uncle shared a memory of seeing a long row of steam engines with "scrap" painted on their sides.

Its sad to see so little remaining of the old facilities, considering that they were responsible for so much of the area's development.

Sayre, Pennsylvania

I was born in Florida (parents in the military) and then lived in Sayre, Pennsylvania (where my father grew up) until I was 7, when my parents divorced and moved with my mother to California (where my mother grew up). We then spent summers in Pennsylvania, and the school year in California for many of my childhood years.

This past year, I got interested in family genealogy and spent some time doing research. It appears that for several generations on my father's side, the family actually lived in Towanda, PA. It wasn't until this trip that I understood why.

Apparently, Sayre didn't exist as a town until the mid 1870s. It appears that my great-grandfather moved from Towanda for a job at the railroad shops. These were some of the largest shop facilities on the east coast, and included 76 acres of facilities, including a large roundhouse, car shops, a blacksmith shop, and more. The town grew around the facilities, and many people moved here from the surrounding areas for jobs, including my great-grandfather. Then, my grandfather and grandfather moved to Sayre to join them.


My great-grandfather lived on S. Lehigh Avenue, directly across the street from the switch yards. My parents bought the house next door, and that is where I lived until I was 7. I remember when friends came over to play, they were always excited when the trains went by, but I was used to it. I also remember playing trains with a long line of cardboard boxes, seems to have been a favorite, but maybe that is with all kids.

Heading East

The kids and Mom (that's me), headed back east to Pennsylvania, for my maternal Grandmother's funeral. Started the trip early last Friday morning, flying out of Modesto on a tiny Brasilia EMB120.

Promises of junk food, cable TV, and a brand-new Gameboy game for each, softened them up for several side trips to Pennsylvania train sites, which mom is interested in, but the kids-- not so much.

Sam is very excited about the prospect of meeting new relatives. The boy is just zoned out on his game.

Back to School

Wow, its been over a month since last post. Dad got a job, he starts tomorrow.

The Boy started back at "regular school" on Monday. Here's what he said about it: "I got there, there was no sign of Dylan anywhere, this year so far, the people I have hung out with are Cameron, Peter, Donovan, Jack and Ronnie, and his friend, who I have not really met before, and I do not know his name".

"New classrooms, new books, new teacher, new desks, new building. (But its the same school, they just rebuilt). I sit right next to my friend Cyrus, and right in front of him is my friend CJ. I think I did really well at social studies, because me and Dad had already done a lot of Middle East studies, and our discussion in Social Studies was about the ancient Israelites."

The Girl bought a "American Girl Julie" game for her nintendo DS. Right now her Dad is doing an algebra problem to help her complete an assignment in the game. Hmmm.

The kids and I head to Pennsylvania at the end of the week for a family funeral. Its been a while since we've visited that side of the family, so we are looking forward to it. We plan to post about it.

Mccain Blog II

This is the second part of the John Mccain blog entry.

He is the U.S. senator from Arizona, from1987 to the present. He was a U.S. representative from Arizona, from 1983 to 1987; He was the Senate Navy liaison, from 1977 to 1981. He was a U.S. Navy pilot and captain, from 1958 to 1981.

His seven children are named Doug, Andy, Sydney, Meghan, Jack, Jimmy,and Bridget. He is an Episcopalian. He was born on Aug. 29, 1936.

He supported and served on at least five legislations acts and committees that I know of, there could have been many more. The first one that I know of is that he was on a committee with John Kerry that was going to find out if there were still any POWs left in Vietnam, he worked with senator Feingold on the McCain Feingold act, he supported the cap and trade legislation for emissions control but it didn’t pass, he supported immigration reform and was on the senate Indian affairs committee.