Curse of The Mummy and ME

Well I have had to curtail some of my searching and digging this fall despite the excellent weather. I have developed an unusual health problem. I have a wart on my vocal cord which they originally thought was cancer. It comes from an unusual virus. My specialist at the Eye & Ear Infirmary in Manhattan has a theory as to why I have come down with this. My archeology hobby. It is a fact that if archeologists open a new tomb in The Roman Empire arena or Egypt Mummy Tombs they let it air out for atleast 24hrs because of latent bacteria {germs}that may line the walls. Many have heard of the Curse of the Mummy from the opening of King Tuts tomb circa 1923. One of the heads of the expedition died soon after , some diggers may have become ill. It may have come from germs inside the tomb or maybe not. It has become a legend anyway. So my various digs in the Moordener Kill George or into an old farmers landfill in my hometown of Schodack NY may have taken a toll. Or perhaps opening up old boxes stored away for years and all that dust that comes when one opens them to see the contents. Last summer I opened an old moldy looking suitcase discovered in the 06037 area of Connecticut. I am quite certain it had not been opened since circa 1948 or 1949. After breaking open the locks and using a screw driver to pry open the long closed case I received  a rush of old dust and musty odor in my face. For my trouble the contents inside were a balled up paper bag and an old  grocery list with such items as 2 packs of Philip Morris Commander cigarettes and something called a Bermuda Onion.written on it. Oh well. So , I will  not retire from being a  "potfinder" archeologist as the professionals call us amateurs. But perhaps an ounce of prevention next time. I have some more places to explore . Indiana Jones never had these problems but I never had to fight Nazis either. Be Seeing You.

Searching for Stone Tools Along The Moordener Kill Schodack N. Y.

This past summer some of my attention turned to the Moordener Kill stream in the Town of Schodack NY. I traveled along several parts of this ancient stream searching for the left overs  from the past. I found two stone pieces that may have been ancient stone tools. One was a piece of stone appx 16 inches wide by 12 inches long. One end appears to have been chipped away to somewhat of a point. This  might be used to hack away at a  carcass of a larger animal like a dear or even going back further a mammoth. I brought the piece to an avid collector of such items and James agreed that  it did appear to be a functional chipping  for use. i also found a stone about 7 inches wide by seven long. An all most perfect wedge shape. No sign of  chipping work the shape designed by nature. could have been used for a variety of  purposes.  The stone fits easily in the hand . These items were all found above the upper falls area near the Peters farm area. As has been shown in multiple histories this area was populated  by Native American tribes. I believe streams like The Moordener Kill were often used as hunting trails or used for an access route to nearby springs and branch tribes. It no doubt was also fishing territory especially in the more shallow areas.

In Praise of Brooklyn Atleast The DeKalb Area Anyway

 I was 20 yrs of age when I first stepped onto the streets of Brooklyn New York coming up the subway steps. I was visiting a friend while I was in the Christmas break from college. He was a Pratt Institute student engaged in the study of architecture. Both coming from small towns he was  a young man rapidly falling for the city he would make his home. I must say my first impression was not good. Still too much the country kid I was  somewhat stunned by the activity around be. From Grand Central Station to mid-town Manhattan to the crush of rush hour in the subways. It was early January 1971 probably in the later stages of   the { MAD MEN} era of the city. Brooklyn seemed  dark and run down in that first impression. The better days seemed behind this area....Dodgers gone west years earlier , perhaps a certain post 60's weariness had set in. Whatever. I spent the next four days getting to know Pratt and the surrounding area. To me it felt somewhat angry and depressive  and dark , a downward trend seemed apparent. This prelude now brings us to the same area only the year is 2011 on a warm early October Sunday not long ago. I was visiting the same said friend who made his home on DeKalb Avenue. Had dinner there with his family in his Brownstone. Afterwards , we took a drive in his new Prius , his 40 miles to the gallon new car. We drove around the area , there was activity galore all around the neighborhood. There was an outdoor October fest going on with long lines to get in , people in outdoor cafe's having dinner. People biking and walking and a young lady taking pictures with an old style box camera we engaged in conversation with. Some new buildings have been built in these past number of years since I first visited. A variety of people enjoying a beautiful fall evening. We also went past the new colosseum  being built to house the now New Jersey Nets. Pro sports to return to the area. I was and am impressed.  After our car ride over a glass of Applejack  I complimented Ron on having faith to buy here so many yrs ago.  It is a vibrant , comfortable , attractive place to hang your hat , to use an old phrase. Much different from my youthful first impression. Later on during my drive home that night I had a verse from the Bible come into my head. From Corinthians : Old things shall pass away. Behold all things are new.

Passing Through Kurt Vonnegut : Schenectady N. Y.

I grew up living in the shadow of three small cities. Albany , Schenectady and Troy ,New York. Three well know writers , atleast to some  spent time in these areas. Herman Melville author of Moby Dick lived for a couple of years near South Pearl Street in Albany. Andy Rooney of CBS Television grew up in Albany. For a short time Kurt Vonnegut , a prime author of my generation spent time in Schenectady. He worked for General Electric in the early 1950's during America's post war industrial empire years. A couple of Friday's ago I spent an over night in Schenectady. I was attending my nephews wedding. A highly staged affair that so many weddings now a days have become. It started at a large church across from Union college and ended up at the Glen Sanders Mansion  across the Mohawk River from Schenectady and near the old GE complex. As the evening wore on  and frankly perhaps one to many drinks and a noisy crowd I went out to sneak a cigarette. I am not supposed to smoke.  Anyway as I set out on their large patio area with the outdoor fire place burning and the people around me openly speculating about the cost , my mind went back to Vonnegut. Schenectady and the Tri - Cities area figured often in his novels. Though he sometimes changed the names. Player Piano being the book he used Schenectady and GE in metaphor form the most. For a moment I guess I became unstuck in time. I went from my present moment back to the boom yrs. The years when the USA was the major manufacturing country in the world. We had won a major war....our cities were not bombed out shells of themselves. Once everything General Electric made they made in Schenectady. From refrigerators to light bulbs. Those were the yrs that Vonnegut worked here. These yrs here and during World War Two were some of the foundations of what he was and taught through his writing. I admit he was a major influence on my thought processes. I believe from Vonnegut I learned about the danger of consolidated power.......Of arrogance whether from an educated elite , or people who inherent their wealth and think they were the ones that earned it. From political pols who live multiple lives to religious fanatics who do the same to the engineer who wants humans to behave more like math equations. I explored many of these concepts in my high school and early college yrs from this author. Schenectady is no longer the city it was. As a matter of fact I would say it is a shell of it's former self. GE is still here but only the turbine generator area is active along with some R&D and administrative functions. Most of the people he knew are long dead. Many pine away for those yrs. I remember fondly my early married life living in the stockade section of Schenectady. But I was just passing through , like Vonnegut. I was aroused from my daydream in the late evening by a bird across the nearby canal calling out as the last of the sun set. It was not a sweet tune like ....Poo Too Weet....it was a crow. CAW CAW CAW...........

Lung Health in my Hometown of Castleton NY 12033

 In last weeks Science Digest there was a report from researchers in England. It essentially was looking at health problems associated with living deep within river valley's.. Especially lung function.  It found in a nut shell that yes there were more lung and sinus problems with people living within river valleys , especially in the deeper parts of valleys. Well......that was no surprise to me. Doctor Austin was our local country doc. He graduated Med School in 1916 and soon came to Castleton to start his practice. He practiced actively untill circa 1970.  His office was located on upper Main Street in Castleton. Very near the Hudson River. One diagnosis he would often make was what he called Hudson River Gutar. In other words ,  a heavier amount of gunk in his patience's lungs , even when showing no other obvious symptoms. He told me at one point it appeared to worsen after World War One. He speculated it was the post WWI usage of cigarettes , a habit picked up while our troops were in Europe. Before that point it was mainly pipes and cigars. As a matter of fact Austin smoked cigars even while examining patients. Those days are long gone. Other factors were easy to determine as well. Up untill the late fifties people burned coal in there homes for heat. The Niagra Mohawk power plant across the river burned coal untill their conversion to natural gas in the early 60's. We still were industrial with paper mills , concrete plants , and detergent factories and Breweries within a 10 mile radius of the Castleton / Schodack NY area. I have heard older residents report that the foggy days are not as thick as they once were. Fewer pea soupers as they say in New England. Obviously with all the particulate matter in the air back then it makes sense. But despite a cleaner environment I suspect that this study has merit. Whether a river valley in England or the Hudson Valley in New York all places have their risks.

Dreams while in the hospital recovery room

Well , there I was last week being kept over night in the hospital after minor throat surgery. I woke up in a bad mood and was not doing well so I was being kept overnight. Around midnight I looked around the recovery room in a daze , addled from pain meds and other things. I fell back asleep. It was around then that I had an odd dream , not of some nightmare quality but of  a moment during the summer of 1970.  I am studied enough in biochem and know enough about such things as to know what this moment was now about. I had taken my English bike out of the back of the garage. Pumped up the tires , lubed the chain etc. I needed some exercise. I rode around my home town  , past my recently graduated high school. , past the houses of school mates ,  past farms and fields. The evening was closing in , I headed for home. I was tired but actually glad to be out. Then something began to happen........something quiet and deep. As I rolled up Scott Avenue I felt an odd feeling for a young guy who  too often played the angry young man role. I felt at a very total peace  I know brain chemistry but we didn't know that at the time. I stopped and leaned against a light pole. We had not yet modernized our streets lights yet so the light was a bare bulb with a plate over the top of it. I stood there leaning against the pole ,  The rapidly setting sun was red in color , off in the distance someone was finishing up mowing their lawn. The light pole had an ivy like plant growing up towards the light. The field next to me buzzed with insects. All seemed beautiful ,  peaceful and the years of teenage angst melted away. Wow this seemed better than even shooting my mouth off for some political cause. Time had seemed to stop so like a jerk I lit a cigarette to move this along. A car passed ,a Dodge Dart convertible. Rare. The song playing on the car radio was Joanne by Mike Nesmith.. You can Google it. So I finished my smoke and biked back home. The stillness lingered for a while. I slept well that night. Unlike this night as the nurse aroused me from my  memory dream to ask me if I could tell her my name and date of birth. By the way her name was Joanne.

U.S. Open Tennis : A Different Sporting Event

 Well, my wife Beth and I were comped a couple of tickets to the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows at the Tennis Center. Next door The New York Mets were playing a night game. As we waited to go through security I realized that it would not take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out this was a different sporting event. As we entered the bld a lady in an evening gown was playing a harp. We wandered a bit. One thing that venue has is great bars. I was able to get a new drink from a knowledgeable bartender. A Carte Blanche , a drink developed for the new James Bond novel by Micheal Deaver. So as I sipped my drink feeling somewhat under dressed , and feeling all  like a kid from farm country  in upstate New York in the small town of Schodack. So , as I looked at myself in the bar mirror I uttered words of  strength and  what I always considered one of the great movie lines.. I said very quietly to myself.......Bond........James Bond.  OK lets get to this event. We walked towards our seats , we passed two women , one playing a flute , the other doing  an Isadora Duncan type of dance. Nice. Anyway I have been to many a Yankees , Mets  Jets game. I have even been to a couple of professional MLS games and watch soccer from England occasionally. This crowd does not chant , do the wave , boo , yell , or generally get excited. What is allowed is a polite applause and not often. One hears the announcer request , "Quiet Please".  We watched our match , ate some good food and let the evening play out. Upon occasion , one could hear the crowd from the nearby Mets game. Ah yes baseball. So I visited the land where there is no tailgating , or raucous behavior. No beer and a hotdog crowd here. It had it's nice moments don't get me wrong. But as  we wandered back to our car , I realized that this was nice and interesting to be involved in. I am not a big tennis fan and was all ready thinking about the  upcoming Jets game  against Dallas.