Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Thoughts of Christmas Past

Jarrod Fuhrman is on duty at the fire station today so we celebrated Christmas yesterday, December 24th, instead. It was a good day.

This morning I sit here alone and have time to think about the Christmas my father celebrated in 1944.

Stalag III-C, Alt Drewitz bei Küstrin.

His sacrifice makes me particularly thankful for yesterday.

Merry Christmas.

Tuesday, December 04, 2018

Lost In a Snowstorm In The Alps!


So what's the last thing you want to do when you're driving through the Alps in the month of December? Get lost? 

Yeah.

The ALPS.

Lost!

No. 

How about driving lost through the ALPS with precipitation coming down?

Oh yeah. 

So before we left Schwangau, Germany this afternoon we stopped for lunch - schweineschnitzel, kartoffelsalat und rot kohl - pork schnitzel, potato salad, and red cabbage - hopped back in the car, set the GPS, and headed out. 

The further we got, though, the snowier the countryside became. 

And more snow was falling. 

And we realized that we weren't going north to Munich. 

We were driving higher into the altitudes. 

Heading south toward the Austrian Alps. 

About twenty miles from the border - around Garmisch-Partenkirken - we stopped, made a correction, and started again.

And made it back to Munich.

End of story. A fun time had by all.

Note 1: Be careful what you input to your GPS. It assumes you know what you're doing and that you didn't have beer for lunch.


Note 2: The Alps sure are beautiful when they're snow covered.


I Don't Speak Chinese German

[Note* This was originally posted to the "I Love My German Heritage" Facebook page.] 


I read Amy Joanna's post to this page yesterday in which she wrote that she was making plans to travel to Germany and wanted to sharpen up her language skills, asking about books that might help her improve her German literacy. For some reason it reminded me of a funny thing that happened when I was in Munich in December. AWKWARD FUNNY.
First, I should mention to Joanna that my experiences there have taught me that if she's in one of the major cities in Germany she'll have little trouble finding people who speak English. In the countryside, though, it's another matter. So, yeah. it would be a good thing to be able to speak the native tongue. Plus, it's a common courtesy.
That said, I think I know German reasonably well. The written language very well. The spoken language too, until I come upon some slang word or colloquial term that gives me pause ("Sie gleichen sich wie ein Ei dem anderen." What?) (But that holds true for Germans trying to learn English as well - "I'm gonna open a can o' whoop-ass!" Gott im Himmel.) Overall, I can "hold my own" (another term that doesn't translate directly into German) when I'm wandering the land of my ancestors.
So I'm in Munich in December, 2018. Staying at a hotel near the central train station - der Hauptbahnhof - downtown. My grandson and I decide one evening that we are going to get Chinese takeout for dinner (hey, when you're in Germany you have to eat Chinese, right?). We had earlier in the day, on our way to St. Mary's Square - Marienplatz - (to enjoy the fabulous Christmas Market - Christkindlmarkt - festivites going on there), passed a small Chinese restaurant (see photo) on Paul-Heyse-Strasse and decided to go there.
It wasn't late in the evening but it had been dark for a while so I wasn't surprised to find that there were no customers in the place. It was, when we entered, me, my grandson, an elderly Chinese cook leaning out the kitchen window into the restaurant area, and an elderly Chinese woman doing the customer service. Probably the elderly gentleman's wife.
I mentioned that I have reasonably good German comprehension skills. But I don't know Mandarin-German. Or Seshuanese-German. Or Shanghai-German. Or whatever language the little Chinese woman was speaking.
I had picked up a menu and, when she came up to us, I pointed out an item and said, "Hallo. Ich möchte die Nummer M8 bestellen: Kung-Pao gebratenes Schweinefleisch mit Buttergemüse, bitte." ("Hello. I'd like to order number M8, Kung Pao roasted pork with buttered vegetables"). 
Seemed simple.
And then it went off the rails (another colloquialism, sorry).
The Chinese woman, standing not much taller than 5 feet, rather plump, replied, saying ... something.
But I had no idea what.
Not one syllable was discernable.
It wasn't any German that I'd ever heard.
It could have even been Chinese, for all I could tell.
I tried to compare what she said to what I would have said had I been selling dinners there. Did she ask me if I wanted fried rice rather than white rice? (Gebratener Reis oder weißer Reis?) No. Did she ask me if I wanted an egg roll with the meal? No way. I didn't have a clue.
So I looked at her and said, "Entschuldigen Sie bitte? ("I'm sorry?")
She asked again. I think.
Now we reached the point where I stood there with nothing to say. Like an idiot.
So I did the cowardly thing and turned to my grandson and asked, "Any idea what she's saying?" (Oh, yeah, he can speak all of ten words of German. And no Mandarin.) He was no help.
Then I went to the old standby. "Sprechen sie Englisch?" ("Do you speak English?")
"Nein."
Darn.
I stood there. Hmm. How to get food out of this woman ...
I pointed at the menu again and said, "Kann ich Nummer Acht bekommen, BITTE?" ("Can I order number 8 PLEASE?")
She smiled.
The cook smiled.
I smiled.
She and he chattered for a moment. He disappeared into the kitchen.
I have no idea what was discussed but it was probably a hoot. Something about the miracle of Americans landing on the moon.
Bottom line?
The food was absolutely ausgezeichnet (excellent).
The name of the joint? Asia Today on Paul-Heyse Strasse, Munich, near the Hauptbahnhof. I highly recommend it.
Just have someone with you, Amy Joanna, who can speak Mandarin. Or Seshuan. Or ...


Sunday, December 02, 2018

Munich

My bucket list is complete. I made it to the Hofbräuhaus in Munich. For decades I had talked about traveling to this world-famous restaurant/brewery, ordering a liter (ein Maß) of hefeweizen Bier and singing beer hall songs with other drunken tourists. It was fabulous.

The Hofbräuhaus is the most famous beer hall in the world. Built in 1589 it has entertained many famous patrons, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (who lived around the corner) and Adolf Hitler, who conducted one of his first meetings here.

Michael, Chase and I rocked it.



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Michael and Chase in front of one of the oldest restaurants in Europe and the oldest brewery in Munich, dating to the year 1328, the Augustiner-Bräu. 

Originally owned and operated by Augustinian monks, for centuries this brewery served Bavarian nobility.

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Peterskirche. Or Church of St. Peter. Munich. Catholics know how to make worship a memorable experience. Known locally as "Alte Peter," or "Old Peter," it dates back to the year 1181. 
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Forggensee (the word "See" means "lake" in English), near Hohenschwangau, Germany. 
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It was a drizzly winter day when we visited so I didn't get a good photo of Neuschwanstein Castle while we were there. But this is what it looks like on a clear day. 

Built for "Mad King" Ludwig II of Bavaria and frequented by the greatest composer in history - Richard Wagner - this castle is one of the most popular tourist attractions in all of Germany.

Alas. Ludwig spent only 172 days here before he suddenly - and mysteriously - died.

- - - - - -

The Ratskeller is a restaurant that operates in the cellar - der Keller - beneath the old town hall - das alte Rathaus - here in Munich. Thus, the name Ratskeller. It has a seating capacity of 1200 people. There had to be that many there. Good food - Schweinshaxe (pig's knuckles) - and hefeweizen Bier (wheat beer) (pale ale, in today's world). Well worth the 30€ I paid. 

Saturday, December 01, 2018

On Germans and Their Humor

[Note* This was originally posted to the "I Love My German Heritage" Facebook page.]


Who says Germans don't have a sense of humor?
Wer sagt, dass Deutsche keinen Sinn für Humor haben?

This is a photo of me at breakfast in the lounge at the Art Hotel, Paul-Heyse-Straße, Munich. December 4, 2018.
Dies ist ein Foto von mir beim Frühstück in der Lounge des Art Hotels, Paul-Heyse-Straße, München, 4. Dezember, 2018.


Thursday, November 01, 2018

I Run Out Of Gas

Jarrod Fuhrman and I biked almost thirteen miles of the New River Trail this afternoon.

I discovered that I'm good for about twelve. The last mile was grueling.

Great day for it though.



Saturday, September 08, 2018

Fun With Family

A bunch of us hit the James River yesterday kayaking. We had fun! A perfect day to be on the water.


Jarrod, Lisa, Me, Mikayla, Sarah, Kaid, Jayla, Logan, TJ, Lindsey. 

Friday, June 08, 2018

The Lead Mines Of Austinville


My cycling destination yesterday: the lead mines at Austinville, Virginia. What's special about this locale is the fact that it holds a history that no other spot in America can boast of - it is the site of the longest continuing mining operation in American history.
In the 1750's a retired British colonel (remember - Virginia was still part of the British empire then) began mining lead here. Successive owners did the same for the next 225 years. In addition to lead, the area had considerable zinc deposits as well. 

The lead mines of Austinville were of critical importance to the nation for well over a hundred years. In the Revolutionary War King George's military leadership felt that it was of such importance that in 1780 a loyalist force was sent there to capture it. However a militia unit was able to prevent the capture. 

Then in the Civil War the lead mines, being critical to the South, were twice assailed by Union forces, the first time failing to reach their goal, but the second time, in 1864, managing to temporarily wreck machinery there. It is thought that in the last months of the war the Confederacy's entire source for bullets was right here in Austinville.


The Environmental Protection Agency came into the story and decided, in 1981, that the lead mines were too dangerous to be allowed to continue. The mines were sealed that year, the pumps were shut off, and a mile and a half of shafts were flooded, never to be reclaimed.
A company still operates on the site today (that's why I couldn't get close-up photos) but the only mining that is done is surface limestone mining. Once a massive operation, it is now essentially a strip mine pit.


Thursday, June 07, 2018

Hiking the New River Trail


The happy ending to this story? This photo doesn't just highlight a railroad tunnel (and me). It shows a tunnel that was carved into a dolomite rock formation. 

It was, for the most part, dolomite that proved to be the "waste" that ended up in mountains of "tailings" at the lead mine operation. Eventually some 29 million tons of "waste." 


If you understand what pH is all about you know that the best soils for growth of crops, lawns, or flowers are those that are pH neutral - neither acidic nor alkaline. 200 years ago the concept was unheard of. 


Here in Virginia, particularly on the old Tidewater plantations where tobacco was a cash crop and was planted year after year, the soil became so poor (from a lack of fertilization and from pH imbalance) that farmers abandoned the fields and moved west to find fertile ground. It was only in the last century that the value of dolomite has been realized and developed. Dolomite is high on the alkaline side. Soils all up and down the east coast tend toward the acidic. Especially if overfarmed. 


Dolomite makes for a great balance. Thus, if you go to Walmart, Lowe's, or Home Depot, you'll find "aglime"  - agricultural lime - for sale (either dolomitic or calcitic). And here in Virginia and West Virginia and Tennessee where does that dolomitic lime come from? You guessed it. Those mountains of tailings in Austinville. They're being reclaimed. Recycled. Rocks from the Lead Mines crushed, pulverized, and bagged for your convenience. 



Monday, June 04, 2018

Biking the New River Trail

So what do you do when you want to hike the back country but you also want to cover a lot of territory? You buy a bike! 

History Is All Around Us

This was my biking destination today. A hundred years ago there was a town here called Bertha, Virginia. It came into being in the late 1800's when the Caufee family found a sizable zinc deposit on their farm. They subsequently began mining the precious mineral and their farm became the Bertha Zinc Company, with a huge mining operation on site.
This house sits on the bank of the New River in what was then Bertha and was, I think, owned by one of the Caufees. It served as a home, and an inn for travelers, and as an office for the Caufee Ferry that operated here.
Ore was mined nearby and was brought in wagons to the river. From here it was floated down to Pulaski, Virginia where a huge smelter was set up.
The ore in Bertha played out by 1910. The operation ceased. The town was completely abandoned. Today there are a couple of cottages along the river and a handful of campers and … jungle.

Sunday, April 29, 2018

Foster Falls Iron Furnace


My bike and I came here today. 

This structure at Foster Falls is called a cold blast iron furnace. Everything in the area was dependent on its use. It was the center of the area's economy.

Here's how it worked: In order to turn iron ore into iron (and later steel) the raw material had to be heated to melting temperature. To heat the ore timber was turned into charcoal* and was then used to stoke the furnace to 500 degrees centigrade (today plants use coke and "hot blast" to smelt iron ore; it's cheaper and far less labor intensive).

Required for production were (a) iron ore (hematite - iron oxide), (b) limestone, ** (c) heat (charcoal or coke), (d) water, and (e) air.
The water (diverted from the New River) was needed to turn a wheel that operated a huge bellows that forced air into the lower unit of the furnace.
Train car loads of iron ore were hauled in on tracks above and behind the furnace. Workers then wheelbarrowed the ore - mixed with limestone - to the stack at the top and shoveled the mixture in. Generally when the furnace was started it ran 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
At melting temperature the iron ore (Fe2O3) separated into iron (Fe), carbon dioxide (CO2)*** and refuse (slag).
The melted iron flowed into molds that were located on the lower left side of the furnace, the slag flowed into a catch basin to the lower right.****
The iron ingots cooled and were put on railroad flatcars going to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and points beyond, where manufacturers used them for their various purposes.
This gives an indication as to why so many employees were needed in order to produce iron back in the day. Miners, limestone quarry workers (the quarries were mostly in nearby Austinville), lumberjacks, teamsters for the draft horses, railroad workers, and iron workers. That's not counting the auxiliary personnel - supervisors, mill workers where the timber was cut into logs ( the mill is still there and its interior is in such condition that it looks like the workers had just quit for the day.), distillery workers (they knew what kept the worker bees happy), general store employees (it's still there; I didn't get a photo), and hotel staff.

- - - - - - - - - 



This is an old photo of the Foster Falls Mining and Manufacturing Company's iron furnace in its heyday.

In the foreground can be seen piles of timber hauled in to heat the furnace.

At its peak the furnace employed 90 men.


- - - - - - - - - -

* The process that turned trees into charcoal was an elaborate process in itself. Trees were hauled in, sawed into logs, piled high and set on fire. Once the fire was going the logs were covered up with dirt and left to burn (airless) for up to a week. Charcoal was the end product. It required 2.5 tons of ore and 140.9 bushels of charcoal to produce one ton of iron. At its peak the furnace produced 12 tons of pig iron a day.

** Limestone was used in the process to bind with the impurities that were in the raw ore.


*** The bound byproduct - slag - was later used to line railroad beds (in lieu of gravel).


***** I'm sure you all remember your chemistry from high school. The balanced equation: 2Fe2O3 + 3C → 4Fe + 3CO2. The 3C being the charcoal or carbon. Fe being iron and O being oxygen.

 
***** The cold blast process was found, over time, to be less effective than the hot blast smelting process that is in use today. Thus, all cold blast furnaces in the U.S. were gone by the 1920's.


****** The end product - pig iron - a poorer quality product, was used in the manufacture of such things as railroad car wheels. During the Civil War it was attempted to use pig iron for artillery tubes (cannon) by the Confederate government but testing proved that the barrels kept failing.


This photo gives a clue as to when the Foster Falls economy finally collapsed. It's a bridge abutment. In the 19th century the Foster Falls Mining and Manufacturing Company operated an iron furnace on the south shore of New River in Wythe County, Virginia. Most of the iron mines were to be found in the Red Hills area on the north side of the river. In order to get the raw product from Point A to Point B the mining company needed a bridge. Each day a train transported ore on flatbed cars to the furnace across this bridge just downriver from its smelting operation. In 1916 a horrendous flood swept away the center span of the bridge and operations ceased. 

They were never started up again.