Anyone remember the coal mine fire which is still burning in Centralia, PA? On one of Mandy’s “excursions” several years ago, I was able to stop by while driving through, and see the so-called “Graffiti Highway” in person.

It’s gone now…Pennsylvania’s “Graffiti Highway,” the abandoned stretch of road that’s become an unofficial tourist attraction, is being covered with truckloads of dirt to discourage trespassers.

The road, once part of Pennsylvania Route 61, has a colorful history. It was closed in 1993, because it was damaged by a coal fire that’s been burning under the town of Centralia since 1962. The state says the area is extremely dangerous, but that hasn’t stopped people from coming to see and add to the graffiti that covers the ¾-mile section over the last decade

CNN reported last April that crews from a local coal company hired to haul dirt were working to cover the highway as tourists came to get one last look.   “We’ll bring in approximately 400 loads of material, and then we’ll level it off, and then we’ll probably plant it, and hopefully, there will be trees and grass growing there,” said the company representative.  The organization which owns the property hired them to cover the “Graffiti Highway” because of liability issues and concerns that large crowds were gathering there.

As the police often say to bystanders: “Nothing to see here, Ma’am…move along.”

Mandy

During the trip which brought with it “cable car pictures”, we also experienced the following, nicknamed “Street furniture.” 

From current internet offerings, this Street furniture, such as JC Decaux kiosks, are a vital part of SF’s sidewalk environment. The kiosks can be re-purposed by non-profit agencies and will encourage economic development in our commercial districts. Re-purposing kiosks are one of many ways to activate the space in the public right of way under the SF Better Streets Plan.

The Automatic Public Toilet Program was developed because of a growing civic concern about the lack of sufficient public toilet facilities in the City. The toilets automatically clean themselves after each use, and are fully accessible to people with disabilities. This program is operated at no cost to the City. In exchange for the toilets, the City allows the contractor to install public service/advertising kiosks and newspaper kiosk stands on City sidewalks. There are currently 70 kiosks located throughout San Francisco generating revenue to support this program.

There are 25 self-cleaning public toilets operating through this program which are accessible for people with disabilities. (And nowadays since they are unisex, presumably those of us who are transgender.)  When will the rest of the world catch up?

This is a great idea, but with the pandemic, probably not practical to keep clean…

Mandy

A bunch of little things are catching up with me…and will need to be dealt with. 

The most important one at the moment: Mom passed away last year (no, not the virus), and I’ve had a bunch of her clothes stored in the basement that she wasn’t using (but she COULD have if hers had been lost or damaged at the nursing home).  I haven’t so much as looked at them since that fateful day, not wanting to stir up the memories.  

But, the time is coming to do something about that.  And I keep remembering that I already have her stirrup pants in my daily wardrobe.  So, one of these days when wifey is out shopping, I need to check her clothes out, see if any of her other pants or tops might fit me, and send what doesn’t to the charity shop.   My guess is that not much will work.  She was shorter than me, and weighed a lot less, even in her younger days.  I’m not sure why her stirrup pants fit me…but they do.  And if some of her generic tops would fit, it would certainly be wonderful to be able to wear some of her outfits – maybe even with her jewelry.  Hand-me-downs are always good.

Of course, events happen almost daily, and there are bound to be others which need attention!

Such fun!

Mandy

After leaving the alteration shop, I headed for another errand – dropping off a donation to a charity shop.   That turned out to be uneventful.  But I had so much stuff in the trunk of the car that I had to get out and set it on the ground for the attendant to pick up (violating their “we’ll take it from your trunk rule.”  I didn’t get in trouble because there was nobody around at that moment.  Whew!)  And I heard “Thank you, Ma’am” as the attendant picked up the donation.

From there it was off to visit a stamp collector, to have my kiddie stamp collection evaluated.   When I walked in, the clerk asked “Are you the lady who called from the Eastern Shore?” (Probably referring to my female given name…) Standing there in heels, earrings, bracelet and necklace, and my usual attire, there was no way I was going to be able to correct him!  “Yes sir, I am!”  He insisted on walking out to my car with me, to carry in the box.  Very chivalrous! (And even though he carried the box, he managed to hold the door for me.  I’m really beginning to like this!) 

Once finished there,  I drove to a northeastern suburb of Baltimore, to see an old-but-still-operating drive-in theatre (which is a bit of a rarity these days, though it’s a good way to see movies without risking life and limb to the virus!)  Too bad it’s so far away…an hour and a half drive plus the Bay Bridge with its typical delays!) And nearby was a commuter rail station with only about 15 cars in the nearly 200-car lot…on a Friday! Guess things aren’t picking up over there – yet.

After checking out the theatre, it was time to head south.  On the way, I detoured to North Point State Park (on the bay.) The park occupies the southeastern portion of Patapsco River Neck, a peninsula of historically agricultural use. Evidence suggests that the area was first occupied by humans 9000 years ago. During the War of 1812, it was on the route traveled by British troops intent on invading Baltimore and several skirmishes were fought there. The site was used for farming for some three and a half centuries before becoming the site of Bay Shore Amusement Park, a popular destination for summer visitors from 1906 through 1947.

Bay Shore Amusement Park (or Bay Shore Park) was built on 30 acres in 1906 by the United Railways and Electric Company of Baltimore using plans drawn up by architects Otto Simonson and Theodore Wells Pietsch. During its time, the park was a lively and attractive place offering a variety of recreations and relaxation along the Chesapeake Bay. Activities included a dance hall, bowling alley, restaurant, and pier. In addition to the trolley/streetcar from Baltimore (a 30-cent fare back then – not running any more), visitors could also reach the park by steamboat from Baltimore to the park pier. Jimmy Doolittle won the Schneider Trophy seaplane race held at the park in 1925, an event attended by aviation pioneers Orville Wright and Glenn L. Martin.

In 1947, Bethlehem Steel bought (and tore down) the amusement park. The attractions were moved to a new park, Bay Island Beach, in the 1950s, which was then torn down by Bethlehem Steel in the 1960s. In 1987, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources purchased the land from Bethlehem Steel for five million dollars to create what was then known as Black Marsh State Park.

In 1992, Bay Shore Amusement Park property and its trolley station were evaluated by the Maryland Historical Trust for the National Register of Historic Places. They were found to eligible because of their association with streetcar-related recreation.  And the old fashioned trolley station was restored into a picnic pavilion.

There were a fair number of people present (mostly hikers and bicyclists), and though there were no interactions with any of them, my appearance was apparently feminine enough that I was basically ignored.  Just a girl out sightseeing.

Back on the road again, and the traffic was terrible.  There were a lot of idiot drivers, too.  Only one more stop to make,, to drop off a small appliance for repair.   When I arrived, there was nobody around to help, so I had to carry it in myself.    The clerk basically took the “no gender-specific” route when addressing me.  Which was fine. 

From there it was back to the Bay Bridge and the trip home.  As often happens, traffic on the main road was jammed.  I avoided as much of it as possible by using back roads, and only lost about 15 minutes.

That was a reasonable end to a wonderful day! (And to think, I should get to do at least part of it again in several weeks…) Too bad I can’t do it in a dress…

Hugs…

Mandy

Recently I had to make a trip across the bay, to accomplish a number of “honey do” errands.  Fully masked and following all distancing rules, plus knowing that my age group is now eligible for vaccination (which we both received and fortunately had no side effects), were my big safety factors.  

Despite cool weather, I had planned to wear black capri pants and sandals, like so many women that wifey and I have seen.  Instead, she thought I should stick with my black stirrup pants, and wear pantyhose for warmth.  She added that Mom’s silver necklace, matching bracelet, and one of my blue turtleneck tunics with black ballet flats would make a perfect outfit.  I love all of them, thus didn’t argue.

But unbenownst to her, a few other articles accompanied me…namely, my heels, earrings and finger ring, plus those two cute new tee dresses.  My first errand was a quick visit to the eye doctor.  I dropped in, wearing the outfit as it was when I left home.  No issues.  They know me.  Uneventful.

From there, it was off to visit my former seamstress (near the eye doctor), who has taken care of altering most things I’ve needed altered (at least until we moved.)  I put on my earrings, finger ring and heels before arriving.  She was excited to see me, and thought I had moved away, it’s been that long.  We talked about our families a bit, then she told me it was time for me to go back to the dressing room to change.

I slipped on my black dress (over the stirrup pants, to be sure of proper fit) and she marked it to take in – “you’ll look a lot nicer once we alter it.  I hope you’ll wear it as a dress, too – with bare legs or pantyhose.”  “Absolutely – particularly during the summer.  What girl doesn’t need a little black dress?” “Then I’ll leave the length alone.  It’s a bit long to wear as a tunic over leggings.  As a dress, it’ll keep your pretty legs on display.  But it’s long enough to protect your modesty.”

Then she was ready for me to change to the blue one. It turned out to be a little bit shorter than the black one, but more “blousy.”  So she will take it in a bit more.   “You’ll have so much fun in this dress!  It’s so nice and airy – over the summer you won’t want to wear anything else – you’re going to love it!” And we discussed where I bought it…she may want one like it.  “If I get one, wouldn’t it be fun for you to come by and find we’re both wearing the same dress?!”

Yes, that would be so much fun!  Visits to her shop are always so affirming!

More about my day out to follow…

Mandy

Recently, I was making some repairs to a piece of furniture in the basement, and using our OLD OLD OLD staple gun.  And wouldn’t you know, it ran out of staples.  Couldn’t find any around the house.  So, off to the local hardware store…in my everyday women’s stirrup pants outfit and ballet flats, carrying my purse.  I asked the young lady at the checkout counter where to find them.  She told me, and said “I’ll have someone meet you in aisle 10, Ma’am.”  “Thank you so much, Miss.” 

As I stood there, blankly staring at the old staple gun and trying to figure out how to open it, a 20-something young man approached. (Bear in mind that the staple gun was probably 30 years older than the clerk, and did not bear any staple info.) “May I help you, Ma’am?”  

I asked him if he could help me find some staples that will work in it.  And after he struggled to get it open, I couldn’t resist saying I couldn’t open it either, but gave up because I didn’t want to break a nail.  (Which got a laugh out of him as he worked.)  Once open, it took trying about 10-12 different sizes of staples, before finding one which fit.   That consumed almost 15 minutes…but I was so happy to have them, it didn’t really matter!  New staple guns cost about 3-5 times more than the pack of staples did.

At the checkout counter, the clerk omitted any gender-specific terms.  No problem, the good news is that it was another (admittedly short) day during which I didn’t hear the dreaded “S” word!

Mandy

To all my readers who celebrate today, wherever you may be: have a safe, happy and healthy Easter celebration!

Mandy

Since they do not have any on-board methods of propulsion, there is a very practical way of making them go…moving “cables” under the street surface. And the gripman (or driver) operates the gripper to make them move.

And as for the additional types of trams or trolleys, the line at the waterfront had the following in operation when we were visiting San Francisco.

No moving cables with these, just electricity. But the bright side: zero emissions at street level…

Enjoy,

Mandy

During this cold pandemic winter, I’ve kept walking as much as possible around the house (and basement when it’s not too cold down there), while carrying my phone to keep track of the daily total distance. I’d resurrected an old camera carrier (which looks like a small cross-body purse to the uninitiated) and put the phone inside to eliminate carrying it while I walk. That’s because lately the carpal tunnel issues I’ve had over the years have recurred from gripping the phone.

But that old bag was not without its faults. Its major one was that my phone could easily slip out and hit the floor. That actually happened several times, fortunately with no damage… I had discussed visiting a shoe repair shop on the mainland to have a strap or fastener added to secure the phone. But that would make retrieving it more time-consuming. Wifey thought it could take some serious work and might be a needless expense. A couple days later, she handed me the following, which she found in a box of clothes in the basement:

Surprise! My phone fit with room to spare, and the bag can be zipped closed, sealing the phone inside and eliminating any risk of damage. Good plan! I started carrying it around the house, and it worked as desired, without any complaints from wifey.

One day, I casually mentioned that it had extra space for keys, credit cards and a few other purse contents. It would work well on outside walks, or short shopping trips. Predictably, that suggestion mostly fell upon deaf ears…”Well, around the house, or at the kids’ place, OK because you don”t have many clothes with pockets. But not out in public – if I’m involved.”

Hmmmm. That almost sounds like a sideways “blessing.” Could this be something for use on any future “excursions?”

Hugs,

Mandy (the newest “Vera Bradley girl”)

Streetcar? Trolley? Tram?

Whichever you choose to call it, this conveyance (and many others like it) have been plying some of the hilly streets of San Francisco, California for many years.

Andrew Smith Hallidie tested the first “cable car” at 4 o’clock in the morning, August 2, 1873, on San Francisco’s Clay Street. His idea for a steam engine-powered, cable driven rail system was conceived in 1869, after witnessing horses being whipped while they struggled on the wet cobblestones to pull a horsecar up Jackson Street.

Hallidie’s father was an inventor who had a patent in Great Britain for “wire rope” cable. Hallidie immigrated to the U.S. in 1852 during the Gold Rush. He began using cable in a system he had developed to haul ore from mines and in building suspension bridges.

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Hallidie entered into a partnership to form the Clay Street Hill Railroad, which began construction of a cable line on Clay Street in May of 1873. The contract to operate on city streets stated the line must be operational by August 1. It was launched on the August 2. Even though they were a day late the cable car trials received great approval. Clay Street Hill Railroad began public service on September 1, 1873. It was a tremendous success.

Clay Street Hill Railroad was the sole San Francisco cable car company for four years. A former horsecar company, Sutter Street Railroad, developed its own version of Hallidie’s patented system and began cable service in 1877, followed by California Street Cable Railroad (1878), Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railroad (1880), Presidio & Ferries Railroad (1882), Market Street Cable Railway (1883), Ferries & Cliff House Railway (1888), and Omnibus Railroad & Cable Company (1889).

All totaled, San Francisco companies had laid down 53 miles of track stretching from the Ferry Building to the Presidio, to Golden Gate Park, to the Castro, and to the Mission.

By 1947, the lower operational costs of buses prompted Mayor Roger Lapham to declare, “the city should get rid of all cable car lines as soon as possible.” In response, Friedel Klussmann founded the Citizens’ Committee to Save the Cable Cars. The committee began a public campaign showing that the cable cars’ value to San Francisco was far greater than their operational cost. They succeeded in placing an amendment on the November ballot, Measure 10.

Newspapers picked up the story and public support grew quickly. Life magazine did a photo spread on gripmen. Celebrities rallied for the cable cars; business owners realized that tourists didn’t come to San Francisco to ride the buses. Measure 10 passed in a landslide victory and the city of San Francisco had rallied to save the Powell Street cable car system.

Today, San Francisco’s cable cars are one of two National Historic Streetcar Landmarks in operation (New Orleans’ St. Charles streetcar line is the other), and both the continued operation and minimum level of service of our cable cars are locked into San Francisco’s City Charter.

Have been on both systems, and they are a lot of fun. Be sure to ride if you are ever in the area!

Mandy