Indian Tower (Welcome to Nazareth)

As much as I despise living in Pennsylvania, there are two reasons why I tolerate don’t mind living here.

OK, maybe just one.

Overlooking Nazareth

The views are gorgeous in some parts of the area. This view was taken from outside the borough. It’s on top of a hill and has views for miles.

Opposite side of the first view facing north.

This is the site of the Indian Tower.

Indian Tower

This tower sits at the highest point of the original 5,000 acres that was Nazareth back in the 1700′s. The original pavilion was called “The Summer House” and was built in 1865 by John Jordan, Jr. It was replaced in 1916 with this present day structure. It was thought that it was a look out for hostile Indians, but they were no where around when it was initially built. The name comes from the graveyard that sits behind it. It has been used as a Civil Defense lookout during WWII, a repeater station for emergency services and just a place to relax and reflect.

Aside from the grafitti it's very well maintained.

Adjoining the site is a monument that is the first Moravian graveyard that was in use from 1744 – 1762.

It was once thought it was a burial ground for a nearby local Indian tribe called the Welagmika Indians. There are only 4 Indians buried here. Robert Haas created this marble monument that was dedicated by the Moravian Historical Society in 1867 which was about the same time the original pavilion was erected. It is inscribed with the names of 67 Moravians including the four Indians who are buried there.

Another plaque sits next to the Indian Graveyard plaque. It’s the plaque that describes the “Barony of the Rose”. The significance of this was when William Penn gave his daughter Letitia Penn Aubrey 5,000 acres. The only payment required was a rose to be delivered to her father on the 24th of June every year. The original 5,000 acres which made up the borough of Nazareth and Upper Nazareth became known as the “Barony of the Rose”.  Every June, Nazareth has sales and events commemorating this legend.

It really is a very peaceful place. On this fall day, it was sunny, breezy, and not a cloud in the sky!  Like I mentioned, the views are wonderful from at least three sides of this. The Holy Family Cemetery is across the street which I didn’t take a picture because I didn’t feel it was that attractive.

Nazareth has several other historical sites. Martin Guitar is one of them and the Whitfield House. So maybe I’ll visit them and report back.

Junkin’ It

The mountains are nice at least.

When you think “family outing” you automatically think of a picnic, , bowling, hiking, day at the beach or visiting a landmark with your next of kin in tow.

We go to auto salvage yards.

I was going to post about our day in the salavage yard. But it turned out to be a novel to beat War and Peace. And boring. Especially if you’re not a petrolhead.

I’ve done a post on this before here.  In short, this past weekend we traveled to a much larger place and cannibalized a Taurus SHO, a 2002 Chrysler Sebring and a early 90′s Ford Ranger. And saved a man’s life, well sort of. He wasn’t about to make the walk with his equipment up the hill to the check out booth in his condition, so we offered to get one of the yardmen to go down and get him in the bus shuttle. And they did. And the ambulance took him away. And my little Ford Exploder almost did just that going up and down these hills on the way there.

The one thing you will always be when you go to one of these places is dirty. Not one person, not even the pretty Latino lady with her scarf, pointy ass highheels, tight jeans and big hoop earrings (WTH?), is going to leave without getting at least dust in the hair. Or greasy hands. It’s just a very dirty place.

The Sebring I got my visor clips from.

But for car geeks, it’s a lot of fun!

I do belive that was a Ford Pinto at one time. That's a Jeep CJ7 on top I think.

If you own older cars (like we do), more than likely it’s going to be missing some parts. Or you will have to replace something that is no longer made. And finding a part or piece can be challenging on the internet and very expensive after paying shipping. So go to the junk yard. Granted you have to take the part off yourself but it’s worth it.  And less expensive. And you do meet some “interesting” people (psst, some don’t have teeth if ya know what I mean…like maybe they’re from “The Hills Have Eyes” or something…..).

 

 

 

4 Random Statements

Every Friday, my good friend Hilary from Feeling Beachie lashes out on her computer keyboard and posts the “Friday Four Fill-In Fun” blog hop. Here 4 questions are posed to the blog society. You’re job, if you chose to accept it, is to copy these 4 inqueries in a new blog post, answer them, add your blog link to the list on her site, and visit other blogs on that list as well.

These are today’s inquisitions (my answers are below italicized):

1. When I was little, all I wanted was a _____

All I wanted was Davey Jones of the Monkees. I was a young romantic at heart. And he was British. Even then I had a hankerin’ for the limeys. He was just adorable (yes, Jen, there’s that word again).  And funny. And British. Oh, sorry, said that already. This moppet had me at “Shades of Grey” at the tender age of 5. And I still like love him.

There was also a Sunfish. I had to wait another 7 years after finding Davey for dad to get us one. And when he did I was one happy brat.

2. I always want to love to ____ but no matter how hard I try, I don’t.

Fart is the first word to come to my mind, but I don’t think that is the intention of the statement.   I think play piano is more in tuned (har har har) to what is desired.  I’m not sure but I think my mom misunderstood my wanting to play piano when I took a swan dive off the piano bench. Pete Pan was big at that time. The thought of flying was intriguing to me. Unfortunately, no one taught me the laws of gravity at 3. One hospital trip and stitches in my head later(yes, this explains alot people!!!) mom thought “Maybe if I taught her to SIT on the piano bench and use her head to move her fingers on the piano keys…”. As hard as mom tried, she couldn’t convince me to take lessons. I was too hyper. I had taken guitar lessons and failed epically at that. She wanted me to try piano? What a masochist she was. I’m sort of regretting that now. I may still look into taking lessons, one is never too old.

3. The ___________________ of it all was that ______________________

This one took alittle more time. Not much to go on for me. I need lots of words. I could relate this to the previous statement as “The moral of it all was that what goes up, must come down.”

4. The mist around the mountains makes me

...feel like I should go driving up there today because it’s shit slippery.  Have you ever driven on a mountain pass? No? Need an adrenaline rush? Can’t wake up? Need a reality check? Drive on a misty, foggy mountain road, preferably with low tire tread, and in no time you’re senses will come to life. Bring extra undies. And airfreshner.

Yeah, I know, that’s not what Hilary meant. I love the mountains. I’ve always been intrigued with mist or fog that goes around the mountain. It’s one of nature’s softer elements. It really doesn’t make me feel or do anything really, it’s just really cool to see it around a mountain.

Now if you have ideas for questions for Hilary’s blog hop “Follow Four Friday Fill-In Fun”, email her. Or leave a comment on her blog which I listed above.  You could be a co host which gets you top billing! And it’s fun! Who doesn’t like answering random questions?

Endless Summer

As I stare out my bathroom window (it’s the best unobstructed view) at the green breeding pool as it has become affectionately known,  I watch my husband in the rain(if you’re one of those people that runs for cover in the rain when doing maintenance on your pool, you have GOT to be kidding me!) scoop the debris from the surface with the leaf net, I can’t help but wonder why I like this season so much.  Previously, I saw him throw about 2 pounds of SHOCK into it and stand there, on the edge, watching…..like if by magic it was all going to clear up, crystal clear in that moment. Unfortunately, it killed all the tadpoles, but I wasn’t about to go through THAT again as I did last year. Ok, shoot me, I’m not going green this year.

Summer. It’s here. And in full force.

This means:

Windows are open. Because I don’t want them closed! I spent the last 7 months all cooped up in stagnant air. When spring comes and the temps allow, I open those puppies and breathe in the fresh oxygen! Fans are running full throttle! This annoys my sons to the utmost. Sorry, but I’m in charge of the air circulation in this house. We turn on the A/C and you might as well turn the calendar to October. Or put my bedroom outside. I like to hear nature. I like to hear lawn mowers, I like to smell cut grass. I like the sound of rain.

Humidity. As I attain the golden age of 49, I’m finding it harder and harder to tolerate humidity. And ironically, I’m a water person. I’m at my happiest when I’m near or on the water. But when it’s in the air, I feel like a piece of fly paper. I stick to everything and everything sticks to me.

Bugs. Those little darlings. I’m not afraid of them. I don’t like squashing them, but if they bite me, they’re mincemeat. Mosquitoes, flys, ants, gnats, Japanese beetles and those bugs that hang out in the trees and make those noises when it’s really hot, don’t know how to spell it but they are just nasty! “Deep Forest” OFF is wonderful stuff! So is RAID! I do enjoy the butterflys, though. And the birds.

The Sun. And all it’s warmth. And burning. I’m very fair skinned. And a great candidate for skin cancer. How many times during my adolescence did I just hang out and sun bathe? Oh My God more times than I care to think about! And I never tanned, only burned. I finally accepted the fact that I don’t tan. I have a great relationship with sunblock. My husband made a funny the other day about connecting the dots with my freckles on my arms. Yeah, really funny my man. How ’bout I play connect my fist with your nose?

Bathing suits. God I hate them. I’m not fat, but I don’t think I look good in one. Never did. There are just certain parts of the female body that really shouldn’t be accentuated, like the waistline! And I really have to give high fives and props to those 200+ pound……..um…….women……who wear one. You’re braver than I am. KUDOS TO YOU!

The pool. Yes, the above mentioned breeding pond. The biggest ass ache of my life aside from the three vintage cars we own. Even the two spoiled brats I gave birth to aren’t as big a pain as that damn thing! I will NEVER buy a house with an inground pool again. Last year it was the tadpoles. This year it’s the tadpoles, Fred the toad and his happy humping family members along with the water spiders. To make matters worse, the mice took up residence in the filtration system. Not IN the filter, the PIPES! “Why won’t it pump?” Take a pipe or hose off…..yep….a mouse or nest. If you have any spare dynamite, C4′s, mortars you want to get rid of, mail me at “BLOW MY POOL UP” PO Box MAKE A TENNIS COURT, Dutchietown, USA.

Ice Cream. I eat copious amounts of this stuff every summer. And my arteries will probably haunt me for it.

Thunder storms. I used to literally hide in the closet when I was little when it stormed. Thunder and lightning scared the crap out of me. Now I welcome it. Especially if it’s humid and a cold front is coming though.

Picnics and BBQs. This is the best thing about summer. You can eat foods that you normally don’t eat.  Like peas and squash casserole with noodles that Auntie Em made. Or the Marshmallow Supreme with the mango and raisins.  And you thought it was the booze that upset your stomach.

Mowing the lawn. After about the middle of July, this gets old really fast. Beat snowblowing though.

Car shows (for me at least). Pre-registration – $15

1/2 tank of gas – $10

Munchies and drinks – $12

Sitting behind my car in 90 degree heat surrounded by chrome and rubber, sucking down the 8th bottle of water, munching on pretzels, cashews, or crackers, listening to vintage music, and forgetting about life for 6 hours – Priceless.

Crickets. Sometimes the Katydids are SO loud, they’re deafening. Usually, they’re out end of July, early August. I heard one this past May. It must be due to Global Warming. Yes, it must be.

Lightning Bugs. Same reason they’re out early this year as above. All that Climate Change. Obama said so.

The Beaches. Or if you’re from New Jersey, it’s “the shore”. We go down the shore. Not the beach. And a dirty little place it is. But  the shore and the boardwalk are the places to be. You can get a great sense of life from that. And learn alot. From drugs, to sex, to tatoos, to cultural behaviors, it’s all wrapped up in about 1 mile of wooded pathway. For me, it’s the salty air, the crash of the waves, the horizon, the sunrises, the sunsets. I’m a hopeless romantic and I can spend HOURS just daydreaming while walking along the shoreline.

The mountains. I have fond memories of my lake house in the Poconos. If you ever read my other blog, An Ending, it explains a lot of my attachment for this place. But the mountains are awesome in the summer. Even the bugs are cool.

I may bitch and moan about the season, but when September comes, I’ll get that pit in my stomach and think winter is just around the corner. And be depressed. And wish it was summer.

Then I can bitch about that.

Pass the corn on the cob please.