As I got ready to leave last Friday, my cat showed that she didn't want me to go. She kept sitting on my suitcase, before and after being packed. I was saying my brief goodbye to my dog, she did the "paw shake" but would not give me kisses as she usually does. She knew I was leaving her behind. She just knew.
I had a beautiful sunny drive to Cleveland Friday afternoon and arrived safely at my destination. My weekend was to be my 50 year high school class reunion. I had no idea what to expect, since it's been 10 years since I've seen or heard from anyone in my class.
The reunion committee had certain homes that were "host" homes that provided a place for a classmate to stay, especially ones who could not afford a motel room. I stayed with a classmate who lives in Pepper Pike, Ohio, not far from the venue where the event was to be held. I had a lovely time there and very grateful for the hospitality.
Stay tuned for more information on my weekend.
Taking a break from my NASCAR blogs, I wanted to share this photo with you.
I was at an auction and it was very warm in the building. The gal sitting next to me purchased a box and there were three fans in it. She handed me one to use, then she said to just keep it. On the hard paper fan with the little wooden stick handle was a photo. Under the photo it read, "The Pendleton line gets ready to start their day in 1885."
This photo peaked my curiosity since the date was 1885, and I had not heard much about horsecars from the late 1800s, so I started to research where the photo came from. After finding a few leads, I emailed the research department of The Cincinnati History Library and Archives. The response was (excellent and fast) as follows:
Pendleton was an unincorporated village which, according to The Bicentennial Guide to Greater Cincinnati: A Portrait of Two Hundred Years (1988), page 333, “lay along the Ohio River from a point east of Foster Street to Delta Avenue.” Pendleton was annexed to the City of Cincinnati in 1870. Today, Pendleton is one of the communities which make up Cincinnati’s East End.
To read more about Pendleton, the Bicentennial Guide contains several pages on this community, including information about the streetcar and railway lines which were located there.
The photograph appears in Cincinnati Streetcars No.1: Horsecars and Steam Dummies (1968) on page 19 with the following caption:
“One of the many horsecar barns of the city was on Eastern Avenue. This East End car paused for a picture in front of the barn before starting its rounds to Pendleton and picking up passengers for Music Hall and the Little Miami Railroad Depot. Barnman John Bauman is seated on the driver’s stool and Frank Fuhs holds a broom.”
My next car is a 1997 Monte Carlo #3 Goodwrench Wheaties Limited Edition originally driven by Dale Earnhardt, Sr. The Breakfast of Champions 1:24 scale car driven in the May 17, 1997 race.
The next 1:24 scale collectible I'm showing is the Dale Earnhardt Jr. #1 Polar Bear 1998 Monte Carlo Limited Edition from The Coca-Cola Racing Family.
These cars are just getting better and better.
My next share is #29, the 2001 GM Goodwrench Service Plus Monte Carlo driven by Kevin Harvick. It is a 1:24 scale collectible limited edition. I am so proud of my new cars.
My number 2 share of Nascar memorabilia acquired is this Pennzoil #1 car driven by Darrell Waltrip. It is a 1:24 scale 1998 Limited Edition Monte Carlo, marked "1 of 9,000" on the box tag.
I'm a CHEVY person, so I am enjoying all my Chevy models.
As I mentioned in a previous blog, I have acquired some wonderful items of NASCAR memorabilia. I am in the process of researching each item for rarity and possible value. I am proud of my new collection and want to share some of it on my blog.
My first photo is of my Dale Earnhardt Jr. clock and collectible card tin.
The demolition derby started over 30 minutes late Thursday. The first event was the small cars. It was over in short order.
The second event was the tractors. After pulling onto the track, two of the adult riders were off their mounts before the race started, one engine stuck in gear, one motor quit. The youth contest at the far end of the track went on and on and on. It got just so boring.
The final contest consisted of four cars in the finale. It was so boring I left before it was over. There was a good spectator crowd, but this year's derby on Thursday was more boring than Tuesday's events.
There were less vendors since the space rental was raised, and the fair was just not FUN this year. Better luck next year.
The Sheriff of Fayette County, Vernon Stanforth, met with Barney Fife in Floyd's Barber Shop Tuesday evening at the Fayette County Fair.
The Fair Board hired a Barney impersonator for Monday and Tuesday to walk around and entertain the crowd. The Sheriff got Barney in the barber shop setting on display in the Sheriff's Command Building. Most of the items on display were from Vernon's office, and a few were from the Fayette County Historical Museum.
Vernon is a big fan of The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry USA.
I recently acquired this photo at an auction for a low, reasonable price. It is an original photo in a plastic protective frame. When I researched this photo online, it was entitled The Rare Infamous Winston Cup * Photo 1987. I only found it on one website, an auction site from Florida that sells NASCAR memorabilia. Maybe that's why it's called RARE and INFAMOUS.
I have several items of NASCAR memorabilia, most of them Jimmie Johnson. I have recently acquired several Earnhardt items - Jr. & Sr. - this being one of them.
I would love to know how many of these photos are still in existence, so I need to do more research. At this time, I have no desire to sell the photo, but I was sure shocked at the starting price the auction house was setting for the bidding. Quadrupling my money is an understatement, but not until I learn more about it.
I will share more of my new collection in future blogs.
As part of the Civil War series, Abraham Lincoln visited the Fayette County Historical Museum Sunday afternoon.
James Crabtree has been portraying Lincoln for about 15 years and is a member of the Lincoln Society and the Abraham Lincoln Presenters of America.
He spoke about his youth, his studying law books to become a lawyer, and a letter from a little girl in New York who suggested he grow a beard to make him more presidential looking as he began his run for President. He talked about the presidential weight on his shoulders at that time in history, and the start of the Civil War.
After Lincoln's talk, he took questions from the audience. There was a good crowd, in spite of the heat. We all sat under the trees and there was a nice breeze blowing. This photo is only half of the people who attended.
I have always been a "make a list" person; jot it down, don't forget. I have been a big fan of "sticky notes" because I can write reminders and put them wherever I want. If I write all my notes on little note pad sheets, I end up with a stack of little note sheets.
The only problem with a bunch of little note sheets is: sometimes one will get misplaced or lost, then I forget what I wanted to remember. Maybe I should use a small notebook in the future, as long as I don't forget where I put it!
It was dark. I was waiting for the fireworks to start at the fairgrounds. I was intrigued by the bright light rising above the firetrucks parked in the lot.
I have a neat setting on my camera for night photos. I walked to the mailboxes at the entrance to the lot for camera stability and tried out the setting.
The setting leaves the shutter open longer to gather more light so the photo won't show up very dark, like the sky at 10:00pm. I was happy with the result, because it looks like it was taken in early evening, instead of total darkness outside.
The moon rises over the firetrucks at 10:00 pm on July 3, 2012. No photo adjustment was used after uploading to my computer. My camera is just GREAT!
In case you missed the Fire In The Sky fireworks finale in Washington Court House, watch this video and enjoy!
Today was surely sad news for me...Sheriff Andy Taylor...Andrew Samuel Griffith of Roanoke Island, North Carolina, passed away at the age of 86. He was a star of Broadway, movies, television, and singer wining a Grammy for a music album.
I grew up in the 1960s with The Andy Griffith Show, with its moral lessons of life taught to son Opie, and sidekick Barney Fife and Gomer Pyle.
I was also a big fan of his later TV role of the smart lawyer Ben Matlock, which ran for many years. Andy won a People's Choice Award in 1987 for his role in Matlock.
There is a 10-mile stretch of a North Carolina highway named after him, and he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
He started out learning the trombone in 1941 and received a music degree from the University of North Carolina.
Andy was born June 1, 1926 and died today, July 3, 2012.
R.I.P. Andy - Mayberry will never forget you, and neither will I.
