Exploring unusual places has always been a passion of mine. Such was the case one Sunday afternoon in February, 2012, when I set out to find the gravesite of Ed Schieffelin, the founder of Tombstone. Schieffelin’s last will and testament instructed that he be buried standing up in the location of his first campsite. The strange cone shaped tomb stands alone on top of a hill surrounded by a magnificent unobstructed 360 degree view of an immense valley that 300 million years ago was the bottom of an inland sea. Schieffelin’s creation, Tombstone, sits two miles south of the monument, nestled in the shadow of the Dragoon mountain range, once home to the famous Chiricahua Apache leader, Cochise, and his people.
Heading back in the direction of Tombstone, I came across two dozen horses spread out through several large corrals standing in the shadow of what appeared to be a small western town.
Horses at Apache Spirit Ranch
Walking down Main Street, a dirt path wide enough for two stagecoaches to comfortably pass each other, I encountered a woman carrying linens out of a building with the words Doc Holliday over the door.
Main Street at Apache Spirit Ranch
Imagine my surprise when she spoke to me with a heavy German accent. When I inquired about what the place was she explained that it was a hotel named the Apache Spirit Ranch and pointed me to the lobby for more information. It was there I met several more German nationals, and in particular, Julia Wieck, Co-Manager of the Ranch.
I asked Julia for permission to make some videos of the ranch using my cell phone. She graciously agreed and then spent the next hour giving me a tour of the place and explaining the meaning behind the name, Apache Spirit Ranch. She later set up interviews for me with the owner and other ranch employees to help me learn more about this unique environment.
Click below to see the video of my tour with Julia Wieck.
Julia began my tour by a visit to an authentic Apache village constructed on the property by Joe Saenz, a Chiricahua Apache and friend of Peter Stenger, the CEO and manager of the German investment company that owns the ranch. Peter lives in Munich and has a passion for the history of the Wild West. I was lucky enough to meet him when he arrived two days later at the ranch.
Apache camp
Apache Joe Saenz is the Interpretive Display Consultant and Cultural Guide for the ranch. Guests are invited to sit by the campfire in the Apache village and listen to Joe and other members of the Apache Nation talk about the history and former lifestyle of the Apache people who once called this area home.
Click on the video below to see my interview with Chiricahua Apache Joe Saenz.
Brad Kissinger and Eunice Lindsay are the horse wranglers and trainers that lead guests on horseback to many of the unique trails, mines, and historic haunts surrounding the ranch. “We have a variety of horses to suit guests with different riding abilities or skill levels,” says Brad.
Horse Wranglers Eunice Lindsay and Brad Kisssinger
The facilities of the ranch are on a par with a three-star hotel, with all the comfort and amenities ideally suited for family getaways. Special facilities are easily accessible for handicapped guests. Tours are available to the main Arizona attractions, such as Tombstone, Tucson, and the border town of Nogales, just to name a few. An enormous barn is available for events that can include full catering services.
Guest room at Apache Spirit Ranch
Apache Spirit Ranch is far more than a western themed ranch. Peter Stenger, with the guidance and cooperation of his friend, Apache Joe Saenz, has created a unique resort where people can experience a different kind of vacation that goes beyond reliving the era of Cowboys and Indians. It invokes the Great Spirit of the Apache people and honors all those who once called this region home.
Click on the video below to see my interview with Peter Stenger, CEO Apache Spirit Ranch.
This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on March 3, 2012.
Situated on a main road that leads from London to the southern coast, Titsey, now just a tiny village, used to be a large bustling settlement during the 500 years the Romans occupied Britain, some two thousand years ago. The entire area is now part of a protected estate that once spanned 55,000 acres and has been owned by the same family for 400 years. The last remaining descendants were two brothers who never married and died in the early 1990's. They arranged for the estate to be protected in perpetuity by creating the Titsey Foundation. A quaint little church, the old vicarage, several ancient cottages and a dairy farm line the road known as Pilgrims Way, immediately opposite the private entrance to the stately manor house situated at the bottom of Titsey hill.
Click on player below to see my video on Titsey.
In the early 1980's, we used to live on the estate at the old vicarage known simply as Glebelands, situated on Pilgrims Way, made famous by Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. For hundreds of years pilgrims used to follow that road to get to Canterbury Cathedral over 50 miles away. The word Glebe means near a church and our massive house, second in size on the estate to the manor house, once served as the rectory for the vicar of the church on the Titsey estate in days gone by.
Titsey Manor House
In the spring of 1984, the oppressive gray clouds of winter finally melted under the crystalline spring sun. On such a glorious day, I couldn't resist ambling along down the narrow lane called the Bridal Path that ran alongside our house. After about a mile, I turned off the road and began to wander aimlessly into the pristine woods. As I was about to head back home something on the ground caught my eye. Staring up at me from the forest floor was a large circular piece of a mosaic depicting a beautiful woman outlined in vibrant azure tiles. As an amateur archeologist, I recognized it immediately and knew at one time it must have graced the floor of a large villa that had once stood on that very spot, but had long since disappeared over time. It was a shock to find such a thing out there in the middle of the forest. For some strange reason, I thought it best to cover the mosaic with leaves to protect it and vowed one day I would come back and examine it more closely.
We moved back to the States shortly after my discovery and I never got the chance to go back, that is until our recent trip to London in early April of this year, twenty-five years later. For two gloriously sunny days I wandered around in the woods. Like a pig rooting for truffles, using old sticks, I scattered mounds of leaves, dug up the earth, heaved broken branches out of my path, all to no avail. At the end of the first day, as I was leaving, I stumbled over something sticking out of the ground. It turned out to be an old Roman pipe.
Partially buried Roman pipe
Close-up of Roman pipe
It was lead lined with a divider in the center, presumably to allow water in on one side and out the other and clearly from the Roman era. I was so excited, I could hardly believe my luck at finding the pipe. I wanted to examine it more closely but it was getting late and I did not want to be stranded in the woods in the dark.
Knowing I was going to be back the next day, I decided to head back to town walking down the narrow country lane in the direction of the train station at Oxted, three miles away as the crow flies. I figured it would take me about an hour to walk back to Oxted, hopefully arriving while still daylight. Imagine my surprise, when along came an SUV that stopped next to me. An American family of three women, mother, grandmother and daughter, were in the car. They had just arrived in England at Gatwick airport where they picked up their rental car. Sadly, it did not come equipped with a global positioning system (GPS). They were completely lost and asked if I could direct them to the on-ramp for the M25 highway. I told them that I could at least get them to the main road and from there perhaps they could find someone to give them suitable directions. As we drove, I looked at their map and didn't have a clue how to help them. After all, it had been 25 years since I was last there and I couldn't remember how to get onto the highway. We actually drove under the M25 bridge, but there was no entrance to the road above. As we approached Oxted, I mentioned that if they took me to the train station, the cab drivers there would surely be able to help them. I felt bad for the woman driving. They were all clearly exhausted from their flight and still had a long way to go before reaching their final destination of Sheffield, a good 3 hour journey to the north. The woman driving was becoming frazzled. When we stopped at the train station she said she would find her own way and didn't want me to ask for directions. As she sped away I felt bad that I couldn't help them but was very grateful they had given me a lift into town.
The next day I was back in Oxted. This time accompanied by a tiny coal spade, a sandwich and a drink, all of which I picked up at local shops in Oxted to sustain me for my afternoon of digging. I got into a cab and asked him to take me back to the woods. This time I asked the driver to come back for me at a set time. Mind you, I didn't have a watch on, but figured I could guess the time by the position of the sun. The cab driver asked me what I was doing, and when I told him, he got very excited about my little treasure hunt. As he dropped me off, we shared tidbits about our mutual Irish heritage. He was from Cork and so were my ancestors. He said I had the luck of the Irish with me. "From your lips to God's ears", I thought as I exited the cab.
Finding the pipe the day before was a clear indication that I was at least in the right area to search for the mosaic. The Romans were nothing if not dedicated to routine. All of their Britannic structures followed specific designs and layouts.
British Museum
Based on my research done on Thursday at the British Museum, I determined that if I could figure out the line of the pipe I could probably ascertain the layout of the villa which would give me a clue to the location of the mosaic. The villa would have been built facing east in the direction of the Roman temple which had already been unearthed about a mile away in Titsey wood. There used to be a river that ran through the area known as the River Eden. It would have come near to my location in ancient times, but there was very little evidence in the tomography as to its actual location today. I had studied the maps on the internet before I left and had a good idea of where it would have gone, but was not able to tell once there.
With my short handled coal spade, I began to hunt and peck, squatting down, scratching the ground, and praying to St. Anthony, the patron Saint of all things lost, the Blessed Mother, my guardian angel, and pretty much all the Saints in Heaven to help me find at the very least a single mosaic tile. After two hours, I could find no trace of the mosaic. However, I did find what I think may be remnants of roof tiles or a wall. I brought back a handful of small interesting rocks that were unusual in shape and color. I have a friend who owns a rock shop and she is going to help me to try to identify them.
In the end, my little spade simply wasn't up to the task of trying to dig out the pipe. After awhile I simply tried to see if I could find post holes that might have lined up with the pipe, as it rose up out of the ground vertically. It was not to be. My time there was coming to an end and the cab driver showed up just as I came out of the woods. My little spade was left laying on the ground next to the pipe secured under a large rock to mark the spot. I haven't given up my quest of finding the mosaic. We are going back to London in the late summer and I will try again. Hopefully, next time, the "Blue Lady" will make her presence known to me as she once did all those years ago.
This piece, written by Pat, was originally posted on our website on April 20, 2009.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
