8 posts tagged “waymarking”
Siiiiick. Yesterday was just full of sick and sleep.
I did venture out in the evening and I can tell you, without any doubt, that there is nothing Scenic At Night in Rensselaer. I am happy that I get to wear my red suede parka and my white suede boots.
On Day 4, I've had my caramel latte and I'm fixing to gather myself up to go photograph something. My fever will not have me attending the Lafayette event but I can still move around town and get some shots.
I am really looking forward to starting back home on Sunday!
I did not geocache today. I started, but my first stop was a "pile of sticks" micro and I lost interest in 30°F weather after two minutes at ground zero. So, let's save it for a day when my heart's in it. From that point, I crossed the Iroquois River into Weston Cemetery to seek out the two remaining zinc headstones for waymarking. I found them easily. Both are marked with Detroit Bronze Co. Detroit Mich. text in the rear righthand corner of the monument. The morning light was gorgeous in the cemetery!
Then I took a nap! This cold is still kicking my butt. I've stayed inside for the rest of the day, venturing out to get dinner. I'd like to be healthy for the drive home so if I don't get as much done during these days, it'll be fine as long as I'm good as new on Sunday.
I'm writing Rensselaer Day 1 post this morning instead of last night because I went to bed early last night. I didn't do much yesterday. I'm still resting off this cold. I'm doing it with the help of all the OTC feel goods featured above, including some orajel to help with the tooth pain caused by the sinus pressure.
I had to go out in search of a CF card reader and when I did, I photographed the new historical marker downtown and took the shots I needed for the crap haunted story about the cemetery across from my hotel. The claim is that the statue moves. It obviously doesn't and there's a spotlight on it all night so you can see it doesn't move ever. What's more disturbing is that Shadowlands has this thing described as a statue of a saint when it's a statue of Jesus. Shadowlands never updates the website to remove places that aren't haunted and the stories are just bogus. I can't begin to tell you how many places have inaccurate or outdated information about their history and use. The statue was vandalised. The right hand was broken off and stolen. This just proves that the living are more dangerous than the dead.
Most people are celebrating Thanksgiving today so, if you are, Happy Thanksgiving. My family celebrated last Sunday so today is just an odd day where barely anything is open. I think I'll go geocaching.
The residents of Punta Gorda's historic district not only believe in preserving history. They also believe in making it.
I voted via Early Voting today at the North Port City Hall. Then I photographed, waymarked and hid a geocache until it was time for a meeting. After the meeting, I came home, but it was too late for Tom to go early vote. He'll have to go tomorrow. Hopefully, it won't be too crowded in the morning.
The diversity in company that I keep makes me laugh. I've blurred names to maintain people's privacy but I think this caption from Facebook says it all:
This statue of Christ at the Garden of Gethsamen is inside a cave at the Lourdes Grotto on the St. Joseph's College Campus in Rensselaer, Indiana. It was cold today but bearable until the wind kicked up. My stay was brief thanks to my very low tolerance of cold, but St. Joseph's College is an incredible place to walk around. The Lourdes Grotto depicts one of the eighteen moments in France when St. Bernadette saw the Blessed Virgin Mary and compliments the moment with a stone archway, waterfalls and koi ponds, with an altar in the center. The grotto was built over 100 years ago by a semarian of the college. If you walk beyond the Lourdes Grotto, you begin the outdoor display of the Stations of the Cross, which are constructed on a circular path so Station 12 brings you to Station 1. There are many benches and little seating areas, everything with a dedication plate on it to remind visitors of a loved one, former student, or friend of the college. One of the stones used as a dedication stated my life motto:
Past the college was a small cemetery called Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, hosting a humble 100, if that, devoted Catholics. The grounds took a sudden steep decline, at the top of which was a sign:
I have to tell you, it would be a righteous sledding hill. I'd have to imagine that those resting would appreciate that fact. At the bottom of the decline was a small area platted for additional graves which have not been occupied, yet. In the center is an etched memorial stone for St. Katherine Drexel.
The firefighters weren't "home" so I took photographs of the outside and hope the weather cooperates tomorrow so I can return to take some vehicle and firefighter shots if someone is at the firehouse then. The old Rensselaer Carnegie Library, now the Carnegie Center, was a great experience. The main floor had an exhibition from the Senior Portfolio of St. Joseph's College. The work was spectacular and they allowed photography of the pieces. I have been careful to note the artists of the works that I've photographed when posting to flickr. The lower level was the offices of the Jasper Foundation, which is a charitable organisation that helps philanthropists donate to local programs that support the community. I spoke with Executive Director Linda Reiners, who was very friendly and informative about the history of the building.
I got some of the perspective shots of farms that my mother wanted, but I'm not sure she'll be pleased with them. I'll take more before the week is done but I hope she understands that I've done the best I can with the farms in the area.
My hotel decided to stain the coat rack and bathroom door in my room. It was a project for all the rooms, and I was assured that the smell would be minimal and I would not have to take my clothes from the room. The smell was horrible, even before they returned the door. I expect a refund for this day. She said I didn't have to take out my clothes or leave. I had left for part of the day and it was still a nauseating experience dealing with these fumes. In fact, the room still smells and I've had the window open and the bathroom fan running for hours. I can't sleep with the window open in freezing weather on the first floor of a hotel in a strange town.
Here are more shots of St. Joseph's College, the Rensselaer Carnegie Library, and the firehouse:
I went to Mass Sunday morning, which I'm officially referring to as Day 1 of the Rensselaer Days, at St. Augustine off McKinley Avenue. I did not get to meet the priest, but many of the parishoners were very friendly and welcoming. The organisation of the Church itself is welcoming to visitors, with informative pamphlets posted inside at every entrance. I walked away with a magnet, a bookmark and a prayer card. The grounds seem humble for a parish that dates back to 1883. The Rosary (The Glorious Mysteries) was prayed by the priest and many parishoners in between the 7:30 and 10 o'clock Mass, led by a woman in the choir balcony. What struck me the most was that the confessionals had red and green lights on them; that must be so convenient!
Afterwards, I went on my waymarking spree of the World War I memorial in Memorial Park (Flat Iron), James Van Rensselaer's grave outside the First Presbyterian Church, the City Hall, the Jasper County Courthouse, General Milton's memorial, and all the particulars on all those grounds. I met Dr. Robert Berland, of the Couey trial. Couey kidnapped, raped and murdered Jessica Lunsford. I was not in a murder-case frame of mind so when he first mentioned Couey, I didn't know what he was talking about! That was embarassing.
On Day 2, today, I returned to the Rensselaer City Hall to take interior pictures. There wasn't a marker posted outside detailing when the original building was constructed so I assumed it would be inside. I photographed the markers that were available, none of them the original that I was looking for, and then asked the police department, who occupy the original City Hall building next door. They directed me towards the Mayor's Office. So, today, I met Mayor Herbert Arihood as I was wearing blue jeans and a sweatshirt. Understand that I wasn't expecting to meet anyone. I was just going to quickly take a few images of plaques on the interior of the building. I didn't even bring a business card with me. I explained waymarking and what contributions I was making to the website and he provided me with information that I could quote him on. Mayor Arihood is a member of the Historical Society and I feel comfortable calling his office or emailing him with any more questions that I may have during my stay.
Unfortunately, Rensselaer's rich history is more available for sale under copyright than it is offered freely on the internet. I cannot impress enough the importance of having historical information readily available through internet searches. Providing people with instant access to information is worth more than any royalties. As a moral position, I believe history belongs to everyone who wishes to know it; and while a historian is more than welcome to publish materials in a book for sale, the same information should be easily accessible for free on the internet.
Here are images from Day 1 & 2:
We left Cave City, KY at 8am and arrived in Rensselaer at 1pm. The time zone fluctuated between Central and Eastern so my times are all Eastern.
We had time to run back to Sayler Makeever Cemetery to get the micro geocache hidden there, run some audio and take photos. It was cold and the wind made it worse, but the road was solid and the ground was firm enough. The cemetery is amazing.
We got to McDonald's at the same time as my mother and she bought us lunch. She's also giving me $100 when she brings the boys back so I can make it home. I said I was short. I won't worry about getting home now but I look forward to losing some weight this week!
The hotel I'm staying at is a small, family-run operation that's clean and reasonably priced. I'm across from the big cemetery and a mile down the road from Rensselaer's historic district. I didn't feel like doing anything today after I'd done the Sayler Makeever Cemetery. I want to rest and I'll get to waymarking and photography tomorrow after Mass. I have until Friday.
My mother is taking Michael and Eddie to see Horton Hears a Who and she's spoiling them as usual. I told them not to take advantage of my parents since my kids tend to ask for the moon and, being proper grandparents, my parents will give it to them. Their father should pick them up tomorrow at noon and drop them back to my parents' house on Friday at noon. Here's hoping it's all uneventful.
My father-in-law is a piece of work. That's all I'll really say about that since his huffing and puffing doesn't change anything, but it's just irritating. I'm thankful that Tom is handling all that now.
The totals for this leg of the trip:
Yesterday's total of hotel, food and fuel: $187
Today's expenses: food - $8, fuel - $25; Total travel expenses for today: $33
Total northbound trip: $220
My six-day hotel stay cost $285 and food will average $25. I've already eaten today at 0 cost, thanks to my mother.
My Groups
-
Photography Updated: 4 hours ago
-
What's Cooking? Updated: 6 hours ago
-
Freelance Photography Updated: 10 hours ago
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
