Charcoal Hearths

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Originally uploaded by P_Linehan.Yesterday I hiked on the Charcoal Hearth Trail at Caledonia State Park. Five of the old hearth sites are marked along the trail that goes around the hill.

The hearths were part of the charcoal production necessary for the iron industry in the 1800's. All that's left of the hearths now are the flattened areas, usually about twenty or so feet in diameter. There is also a network of trails that were necessary to haul out the finished charcoal.

Here is another one of the hearths:

This is a picture from Penn State Mont Alto showing a hearth. The caption says it was the last hearth in 1905. But this was at least fifteen years after the iron industry ended. Maybe it was a forestry student project?

The trail starts at the entrance to the park along Rte. 30 in Fayetteville, PA. It is also the site of the Caledonia Furnace that was owned by the abolitionist Senator, Thaddeus Stevens. The original was destroyed by the Confederate Army on the way to Gettysburg.

Follow this link to the rest of the pictures.

Sunset at the Park

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Originally uploaded by P_Linehan.

We decided to take the dog for a last walk before evening and were rewarded by this fabulous sunset. The white line in the bottom photo is a backlit jet contrail.

Misty Morning

Even though it's winter and there is still ice in the stream, we have been having a bout of really warm weather.

Norlo Park in Guilford Township, PA

Tabaski

I heard a story on NPR today about the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha or Festival of Sacrifice. It commemorates the story of Abraham who was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac to show his faith. At the last minute an angel appears to stop Abraham just as he is about to plunge the knife and commend him for his faith. Instead a ram appears.

In the NPR story the Kabul, Afghanistan bureau chief, Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson,
was at the cattle market to buy a calf for her staff. She was discussing how the high price of cattle caused by the war and recent drought has reduced the number of buyers. Most of the cattle sellers will lose their investment on their animals imported from Pakistan.

In West Africa the festival is called Tabaski. It was always a big deal when we lived in Burkina Faso and Senegal. Even the Christians got involved, because in Africa one person's holiday is a good reason to celebrate. I especially remember how an entire family would get new clothes to go to prayers. In many families the mother would be several pagnes (1 meter of cloth) of the same material, so all the children would be dressed the same.

This picture comes from the livestock market in Thies, Senegal. Most of these animals were imported from Mali. Often they would cost as much as a month's salary! Many people joined savings clubs, a lot like the Christmas savings clubs that banks used to offer.

Tabaski is celebrated with the same festive spirit as Christmas. And mouton stuffed with couscous can't be beat.

Newest Spy Book

I just finished The Spies of Warsaw. I read it in pretty much one sitting during a flight with multiple stops. In many ways it's like most of Furst's. The hero is struggling against vast odds in the buld-up to World War II. Colonel Mercier is the military attache in the French embassy in Warsaw. He dabbles with espionage on the side. And he has a sad past, being a widower. In his Warsaw job he controls some spies and does some espionage himself.

What interested me the most about the book is how, through the encouragement of a mentor in the the French intelligence service, he finds a way into the the German military high command. This involved dangerous trips to areas under Germna control and eventually even Berlin. Yet because the information he brings back isn't what the French army leaders want to hear, they find a way to disregard it. They are too committed to the Maginot Line. Is it true then, that often people do control their own destinies and fail by refusing to see the truth?

At least Mercier gets a promotion and finds a new wife. We learn at the end that the couple flees France for England when the Germans invade. Mercier works with DeGaulle to eventually liberate France.

Hiking on a Friday Afternoon

One of the nice things about our new home is that the Michaux Forest is just across the street. This afternoon I went up Ridge Road with Beans, the dog, and hiked a mile along the Appalachian trail. We stopped at the powerline. I definitely plan to go back again.



Here is a map showing where we went:


View Larger Map

Enter the Haggis slide show

I didn't realize that Flickr slide shows could be embedded on another site. I have been using third party options that worked some times and not others. I just figured out how to use the native Flickr slide show.

Here are slides from a concert of Enter the Haggis performing at the Celtic Fling in Manheim, PA last summer. I think I got a few good shots. We were lucky that the thunderstorms held off for the show.