Journal

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. please...

2011-07-29T14:50:46Z

Here at Gettysburg, and all tourist areas around the country, Summer has begun and people are traveling and they're out and about. Every year, come about April, the first tour busses begin to come into Gettysburg and the tourist season begins with a yawn and progresses slowly to a primal scream by end of Summer. This is a good thing; many businesses in Gettysburg depend on tourists to fill their tills despite a short season, however, in some ways it's a bad thing because with the coming of the tourists also comes the days of frustration for the caretakers of the Gettysburg Battlefield.

Now, having said that, before you scrunch up your face and throw me to the wolves, let me clarify a few things. People who visit here are, for the most part, good, law abiding citizens and we welcome them, but there are a few who come here and just do what they please without caring about how it upsets other people and THAT just shows a disregard for the place you are visiting.

I've been visiting the battlefield for many years and what I see is so disburbing to me and many other people, I want to voice that here, just in case those people are listening.

Here's what I see during my trips to the battlefield:

Parking in NO PARKING areas

Parking in spots that are dangerous to pedestrians

Driving the wrong way on POSTED one way avenues

Parking in the grass during or after heavy rains

Not looking out for children or animals who may be crossing the avenues

Not cleaning up after your dogs

Throwing cans behind monuments (beer, soda, etc.)

Large groups walking in the middle of the road and not watching the traffic behind you

All these things happen on the Gettysburg Battlefield, they happen quite frequently, and they are a nusiance. I am at a loss to understand how some people who come here just blatantly show their disregard for the rules and their utter lack of respect for what these fields represent. Shame on those people. Think about where you are, keep it in your head that this is living history, we're trying to save it for your children and your grandchildren!

All that is asked of you while you visit this place is RESPECT. It's a small request, but it's impact is monumental.

NO WOODEN FENCES!

2011-07-29T14:31:55Z

Was anyone else out driving around town yesterday? If you were, you may have been surprised to see the activity up on Reynolds Avenue. I was on my way into town and drove past the avenue, but wasn't really paying attention to the fields at that time. It was on my return trip that I passed by the fields and saw that, yes, true to their word, the NPS has taken down the fences that not too long age were mistakenly put around that group of fields.

I first saw the piles of posts laying in the grass and I was very surprised that this happened so quickly after the rumblings were heard about the incorrect positioning of the fences.

I like that look so much better, someone has a fence fettish for sure!

I have to admit that when I first realized that the fences were down, I wanted to yell, "YAY"!, but what popped into my head was a phrase by Joan Crawford out of the movie , "Mommie Dearest", that she screamed at her young daughter, "NO WIRE HANGERS"! Sounds silly, I know, but it fits my title I think, and besides quite a few people were that angry when they saw those fences go up; a little more research and a lot less action is what's needed here...just sayin

Thriving In The Wheatfield

2011-07-29T00:17:44Z

Walk through the Peach Orchard and look at those of young trees there; stroll down along Wheatfield Road and you'll see browning grass; make your way through the winding road that snakes through Devil's Den, up and around the Triangular Field and you'll see more of the same. The scorching heat has browned most of the grass; the trees in some areas are wilted, dead or just about dying, but bypass Cross Avenue and walk down along the Wheatfield where you will see all of the above, but something that just jumps out at you...these yellow blooms shooting upward out of the weeds! We all know that weeds will thrive in any kind of climate; but it's a miracle that any kind of flower at all would survive this opressive heat; in some spots only the weeds are surviving.

I'm a sucker for a yellow flower! Pretty young things they are!

NPS Acquires Josiah Benner Farm

2011-07-28T23:30:47Z

The Josiah Benner Farm purchase brings excitement for the National Park Service. I've always like this farm, wanted to live there! Now thanks to the Civil War Trust, it belongs to the people and will be a great undertaking for the NPS.

A Nice Evening Surprise

2011-07-28T23:19:09Z

Last weekend the battlefield had spurts of people coming in. The heat may have kept some away, but we had a good soaking rain shower and then the dust cleared away. The battlefield is devoid of lights except for cars, or flashlights or cameras, except of course when there is a full moon (it's most bright then). I remember looking at the weather channel and seeing that there was supposed to be a thunderstorm, but also there should have been a full moon. The darkness that followed after the storm made it difficult to see anything, as those of you who have been down in Devil's Den after dark know, but then all of a sudden, a slight light appeared over Little RoundTop...it was subtle at first, looking at it was hard on the eyes, but then the heavy cloud cover parted and there it was in all it's brightness...a full moon.

My friend and I grabbed the camera and she stuck it out the window of the car and there it is! That's the best "moon shot" that I've ever gotten...almost looks like an angry dragon watching over The Roundtops.

Gettysburg Survived Round One

2011-07-28T23:12:03Z

Gettysburg survived 4th of July Reenactment weekend and Bike Week in spite of all the torn up roads and heavy heat. It was business as usual on the fields and in town. Since there wasn't a place to put the bikers, they camped out at a nearby campground or stayed in one of the many hotels, and all the entertainment flip flopped between the campground and Steinwehr Avenue where there were live DJ's, music, food, merchant tents and of course bikers and their bikes.

And a good time was had by all, as I like to say. We should now brace ourselves, summer is in full swing here in Gettysburg, take a minute to absorb the noise, the smells and the mass of humanity that shares the sidewalk with you.

HOT, HOT, HOT July

2011-07-28T23:02:19Z

I could be wrong on this, but I believe this is the hottest July we've had in many, many years. We have reached triple digits here and the humidity is soaking everything. We try to find shade, but even in the shade it's 98 degrees, so the heat will go on until that big cooling off break comes.

Days of Thunder in Gettysburg

2011-06-28T20:05:08Z

How will you celebrate the 4th of July this year? Will you take off for the beaches, or to the mountains, or will you travel to Gettysburg for the 148th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg? It's always the best game in town when the Days of Thunder come once again to this small town in South Central Pennsylvania.

Don't miss it! Come for the camaraderie; come for the battles; come for the history and make it a great getaway weekend for the whole family. Park the car; ride the trolley; have some ice cream, and watch a battle. Above all else, enjoy our town!

Park Yourself Here

2011-06-28T18:40:24Z

With all the construction going on in town and on the outskirts of town, I found a refreshing little spot to sit and watch the people passing by and enjoying the shade of trees and the sound of a waterfall (on a small but nonetheless refreshing) scale right in the middle of Steinwehr Avenue.

Stop here after you visit the Civil War Chapel, (right next door), the American Civil War Museum (also next door) or after a grueling walk from the other end of town.

You can sit under the trees on benches provided for your comfort, you can drink from the two-tiered fountain or you can just listen to the water falling into the small pond. It's a small Oasis in the middle of town that offers shelter from the sun's heat and a "treat for the feet".

While you are traversing Steinwehr Avenue, stop in the American Civil War Museum (see link above), and then stop in at the US Christian Commissions new site for their chapel (see link above).

There's lots of stuff to see and do and if you are patient enough, you'll even find that coveted parking space somewhere nearby.

Klingel Farm Views

2011-06-25T22:32:47Z

A famous line from Pope Julius II to Michelangelo comes to mind when I look at the Klingel Farm and the newly restored log house; "When will it be finished"?. I've tried to wrangle answers from different people, but no one really has an answer for that. It's been a long road for this farm and there is still much work to be done, but I can tell you that work IS progressing, ever slowly it seems to me. It is a work in progress.

The brick oven gets a make-over with smooth coating, and a brick cleaning.

It's kept covered with tarps to protect it. The new walkways surrounding the house are beautiful slate grey.

A new front porch (more like a portico) graces the front of the house.

A relaxing evening view of the Round Tops from the back yard.

To my great surprise I discovered that a new grape arbor was constructed and the existing vines have been set upon it, luckily they survived all this construction and destruction; let's hope they return to full bloom.

...and so Michelangelo said, "when it satisfies me as an artist". I suppose the artists working here on this restoration are thinking just that!