Inverness Florida - When Irma Came To Visit

It is ironic that the most recent post on this site was about Cedar Key and the destruction left behind by hurricane Hermine in the early part of September 2016.

However, in early September of 2017, we were paid a visit by hurricane Irma which left us with a massive oak tree on our house and structural damage to our garage.

We have a lot to be thankful for. No one in our home was hurt or injured. In fact, we all went to bed and slept through the storm. We actually heard the big thud of the tree hitting the roof as we were just falling off to sleep. The full impact of the storm didn't arrive for several hours later. But we are so fortunate that the tree fell on the garage and not on the bedrooms next to it. We only had to wait 5 days to get the tree off the house, which is excellent, considering how many people were in the same situation as us.

However, the good news is the tree has now been removed and our power was turned back on. See video below of the guys removing the tree from the roof of our house.

We wanted to take the time to wish the best for Floridians and those in Texas reeling from the aftereffects of these two powerful hurricanes, Harvey and Irma and to commend the wonderful people who have pulled together to help us get through this disaster without much loss of life.

A special shout out to the Citrus County Sheriff's department, Citrus County officials and City of Inverness who all did a fantastic job of helping keep people safe and informed. A hotline was available which was very helpful to those people who needed to get quick answers to questions. This kept the 911 lines freed up to handle emergencies.

One of the most helpful things the Sheriff did was continually update the status on Facebook and other social media of roads, shelters and other facilities. They put up lists of open gas stations and other businesses and information about restoring power. It was hugely helpful to know what was open and available and when we might get power back.

Bob and I wanted to give a great big thank you to all the police, firefighters, medical personnel and others who helped out to keep everyone safe, not only here in Citrus County, but all over Florida. A big shout out to all the linemen working round the clock in such dangerous and terrible conditions to restore power. You really don't realize how dependent on power we are, especially when not having means no water in our case.

Also, a great big thanks to President Trump who pulled out all the stops and managed the government response to these natural disasters with all the speed and efficiency needed to help us all through this trying time. We are extremely grateful to the President and Mrs. Trump for all they have done to show their support for all the people who have been impacted by these two terrible natural disasters. God Bless you President Trump for your fortitude and expertise in handling the situation so very well and God Bless America.

God Bless America and Trump

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on September 16, 2017.

Homestead Florida - Coral Castle Where Love Turned To Stone

Coral Castle

Built during the 1920s and 1930s, Coral Castle, a monumental stone structure and sculpture garden, was built by a lonely immigrant from Latvia named Ed Leedskalnin. Its construction became a daunting force for creativity ­­‑ the embodiment of his broken heart carved in stone.

Tara Patten and life size photo of Ed

In 1913, twenty-six year old Ed was jilted by his 16-year old fiancé, Agnes Scuffs, his “sweet sixteen”. On the day before the wedding, she said he was too old for her. Devastated and ashamed, Ed quickly left Latvia and headed to America where he worked in Canada, California, and Texas as a laborer in lumber camps and on cattle drives. Along the way Ed contracted Tuberculosis. To get relief for his ailing lungs, Ed made his way to Florida in 1920. He had been told the climate would give him a fighting chance to recover from what was at that time a nearly always fatal disease.

Ed was on the verge of dying when Ruben Moser, a wealthy landowner and property developer in Florida City, found Ed lying in a heap on the side of the road. Moser picked him up, put him in the back of his car and took him home. Over the next few weeks, Moser’s wife, Frances, and daughter, Lois, helped to nurse Ed back to health in a nearly miraculous recovery.

Moser sold Ed a one acre piece of land in Florida City, where Ed began to construct his first “Rock Gate” as he called it. Using hand-crafted primitive tools made from scrap auto parts, Leedskalnin, who was five feet tall (the size of a ten year old boy), never weighed more than around 100 pounds, and always worked alone in secrecy during the dark hours of the night.

Outside wall and admission stone

In 1925, Ed determined he needed a location with more privacy and space. He found a site in Homestead 10 miles up the road on US1. Ed deconstructed his sculpture garden and moved his massive stone structures on truck trailers he designed himself, which were then hauled by a neighbor’s tractor to Homestead. That is the only time Ed ever accepted help from anyone. Alone in the dark, Ed loaded and unloaded the massive fragile sculptures, making sure no one was watching.

3 ton swivel stone gate

Stone bedroom and obelisk

Sculpture garden

Florida shaped table

Polaris telescope permanently pointing at the North Star

Telescope eyepiece

Hand dug well and only source of water

2 story tower

View of garden from Ed's room in tower

Eds swinging chair in the tower

Eds bed

Eds first rocking chair

Now situated on a 10-acre site, Ed continued sculpting new creations. He built massive stone walls and a large tower to surround his sculptures and insure his privacy. Overall, he cut, carved, and moved over 1,100 tons of stones, some weighing more than 25 tons each, made from fragile fossilized coral reefs, without the use of electricity or mechanized construction equipment. He would often tell people he had figured out the secrets to building the great pyramids of Egypt and that he understood the laws of weight and leverage.

Obelisk towers over garden

Ed died alone in a hospital in 1951. Some people say he had acquired alien technology, others that he used magnets to levitate the stones, or that he was a brilliant engineer and stonemason. To this day no one knows how he moved the massive stones.

Tara Patten and Patricia Paredes

My daughter Tara and I visited Coral Castle on May 16, 2014. Our expert museum guide, Patricia Paredes, (featured in the videos) was as enthusiastic about showing us around as we were to see the place. We are very grateful for all the time she gave us and in helping us to understand the magic and mysteries surrounding Ed Leedskalnin and his magnificent creations.

Coral Castle Museum is located at 28655 South Dixie Highway, Homestead, Florida 33033. Phone: 305-248-6345

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on May 24, 2014.

Bamberg Germany - Table Set For Fallen Soldiers

Table set for fallen soldiers

Earlier this week I was meeting Bob at the dining facility on base (USAG Bamberg, Germany) and, realizing I was going to have to wait a while, I asked if I could sit in an empty chair sitting behind at a table located near the door. The soldier collecting the money at the facility said, “No, Maam, that table is reserved for our fallen soldiers who never made it back.” It was only then that I noticed the tableware and a large standing card that explained the significance of the setting.

Today was Thanksgiving and we again went to the dining hall to have a truly fantastic meal, surrounded by soldiers and officers in their Dress Blues. This time I took my camera and asked permission of the soldier collecting the money at the door to photograph the table. The staff sergeant in charge of the facility happened to walk up at that very moment and heard my request. He smiled and said, “Yes, of course, please do.”

It’s strange how things happen. As we moved down the cafeteria-style line, I asked permission to take a picture of the five handsome Commanding Officers all decked out in their finest uniforms, serving the food. They all looked excited and lined up, but my camera batteries died at that very moment. I never got the shot. The significance of which to me served as a reminder to keep me focused on the spirit of Thanksgiving, and what we, who live in peace and freedom, truly have to be thankful for.

I have done a little research and found out that at every Army military ball and dining facility, a table like this is set up.  At the formal events, a toast is made, reciting the material noted on the card, to which no one drinks, in honor of the fallen soldiers.

I copied the information from the card on the table that relates the significance of the items placed thereon. I hope you find it as poignant and moving as I did.

Table set in remembrance of fallen soldiers

This Table, It is Small – set for one, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner alone against his oppressors.

The Table Cloth is White – symbolizing the purity of their intentions to respond to their country’s call to arms.

The Single Rose – displayed in the vase reminds us of the families and friends of our mission brothers who keep faith while awaiting their return.

The Red Ribbon – tied prominently on the vase reminds us of the red ribbons worn on the lapels and brothers who are not among us tonight.

The Place Setting – single, alone no friends or family to dine with.

A slice of Lemon – reminds us of their bitter fate.

Salt Sprinkled – on the plate reminds us of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait.

The Glass is Inverted – they cannot toast with us this night.

The Chair is Empty – they are not here.

The Candle – reminiscent of the light of hope which lives in our hearts to light the way home: from their captors to the open arms of a grateful nation.

The Bible – represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from us, from our country, founded as one nation under God.

Let us pray to the Supreme Commandant that all our brothers will soon again be among our ranks.

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on November 26, 2009.

Bamberg Germany - May Day Celebration

The Germans love to party and May day is a national holiday. Check out the video I shot from the window of our apartment of the awesome mostly female drum band performing in the Gruner Markt.

This piece, written by Pat, originally appeared on our website on May 2, 2010.

Bamberg Germany - How to buy a ticket and ride the bus

This is a series of videos  on how to buy a ticket and ride the bus in Bamberg, Germany. The entire system was revamped when the Stadtwerke-Bamberg bus company joined a larger regional bus company, VGN.

It can be confusing for people who are new to the area or tourists just trying to get around Bamberg and the greater Bavarian region in Germany. There was so much material to cover that we broke into three videos.

We want to thank Kenneth McCarthy from the Stadtwerke-Bamberg bus company for giving us so much of his time and explaining the details of the process of buying a ticket, riding the bus, the different kinds of tickets you might purchase and which machine you use on the bus to validate your ticket.

Thanks also to Astrid Rosenberger from Stadtwerke-Bamberg for following up on our chance meeting and making it possible for us to make these videos. We hope you enjoy it.

Revised 7/30/2010

Part 1 - We begin with getting breakfast at the bakery and then follow Bob walking in the snow from our apartment in the Gruner Markt to the bus station called the ZOB, highlighting places of interest along the way.

Part 2 - Bob interviews  Kenneth McCarthy, a supervisor with the Stadtwerke-Bamberg bus company. He has been with the company for more than thirty years but is originally from Liverpool, England. Mr. McCarthy explains in detail the intricacies of buying a ticket and riding the bus in Bamberg.

Part 3 - Bob learns how to use the self-service ticket machine, where to buy discount tickets, and which of two machines on the bus to use to validate your ticket.

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on January 14, 2010.

Bastogne Brussels - Battle of the Bulge

This was the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge. It is an amazing story of American determination and the will to win. Our troops were surrounded, outnumbered 4-1, facing an enemy who had superior equipment and firepower. At one point, the 28th Infantry Division were completely surrounded and the Germans tried to get them to surrender. General McAuliffe's reply was one word, "Nuts".  It's an amazing story and one that all Belgian school children are taught. I was told this by more than one of the Belgian re-enactors I met at the event. American flags were everywhere. It was such a nice feeling to know that America is held in such high regard here in Belgium.

Click on player to see a narrated slideshow of my trip to Bastogne to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge.

Click on player to see a video of the 1st Belgian Field Battery reenactors commemorate the Battle of the Bulge in Bastogne, Belgium.

This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on December 21, 2009.