Until next time Dayton

This might be a longer post than needed, as it was meant to be two.  Just hang in there …

For our last day in Dayton we went to watch the Wright State Raiders wallop the visiting Purdue Mastodons, from Fort Wayne.  Why ???

Well, Fran’s brother, Bill, has a granddaughter who is the step-sister of their star!  Watch for Boston Smith to be in the MLB.

Boston Smith

double off his first pitch

And he scores!

A really nice young man signing autographs for the kids.  His signature may put them though college!  Well, maybe …

Wright State is know for turning out some of the best college baseball talent.  Check out this list of players that went on to the MLB.

We packed up and left the following morning.  Our destination was Hopewell Culture Historical Park.

We visited the Effigy Mounds in Iowa several years ago.  And like most mounds, those are burial mounds. 

However, the Hopewell people cremated their dead.  The mounds may contain remains, but their primary purpose ceremonial.

Mound City

Mound City is the single largest site that remains of the Hopewell.

All Hopewell sites include a square of 27 acres, large circle and a smaller circle.  The Large Circle was used primarily for the cremations, but the square was ceremonial.  They had no written language, not even  a village, but lived in family huts, only to join forces to build these mounds, which probably took generations.

The perimeter mound is not for protection, but to mark the ceremonial area.  Walking among the mounds is an experience.  Just to imagine a group would dedicate generations to moving the dirt to build the perimeter and the mounds for religious, astronomical and ceremonial use.

Within the mounds effigy figures are common.  But most prized was mica.

and lots of effigy pipes.  Yupper, it appears the Hopewell were indeed tabaco users

Each of the remaining 22 mounds have had archeological excavations and then returned to their original composition.

A nice shaded spot along the Scioto River that linked the many Hopewell sites

The river linked the Hopewell, while providing food, water and communications.

There is no other place that Links so many ceremonial sites than the Hopewell sites along the Scioto River.

Only six of the Hopewell sites remain, and are all preserved as part of the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park.

We were then off to Point Pleasant WV.  When George Washington surveyed this area, where the the Ohio and Kanawha rivers meet, he recorded it as a ‘pleasant point’.  But we’re here to meet the Mothman!

The Silver Bridge (built in 1928)collapsed on December 15, 1967.  Seventy vehicles were dropped into the Ohio River, resulting in 46 deaths.

More than 100 residents came forward to testify a ‘Mothman’ had warned them of the impending disaster.

So we’re at the Mothman Museum to see some of this for ourselves.

Meet the Mothman with large red eyes and batlike wings.

Dozens of pages of both handwritten and typed of affidavits are on display.

I’ve read the book The Mothman Prophecies

and we’ve seen the movie, of the same name, staring Richard Gere.

Profits soared after Carolin Harris renamed her Steak House the Mothman Diner.

Point Pleasant also has a river walk, which includes an amphitheater.

The river walk is paneled with numerous murals depicting their history.

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Eventually treaties were made.

We stayed at the Point Pleasant Krodel Park.  A city park with FHU for $35.  A small lake and walking trail.

But no pictures!  We would stay there again!

Driving east through West Virginia we realize John Denver made a good observation by calling the rolling hills 'Almost Heaven.'

We are now in Virginia and will begin our way south.

TIMBER !!!

Our time in Dayton is about over.  We enjoyed a bike ride to Ladder 11 for lunch.  It’s a new-to-us grill near the University of Dayton.

It is located in a firehouse built in 1892 that housed Dayton’s last horse drawn fire trucks.

Seems there are always some chores to do.  Fran cleaned the gutters,

while I cleaned up the side yard ... Well I hired Caleb to do most of my chores :)

Marion’s pizza is always a favorite stop.  We can fit 6 in our freezer!  Yup it's full :)

Dorthey Lane Marked is an easy bike ride.  They have the best salad bar.

and the freshest vegies

And now offer Killer Brownies for desert!

The brownie includes a layer of soft caramel in the center.  The Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough was really good.  They offer a few others, so guess we'll have to go back.

We went to a couple free concerts, including Banjo Nite at the Milton Club.

Last time our Ester Price candies didn’t even make it home.

We picked up a little extra this time :)  Might need another Killer Brownie, too.

And sadly the day finally came to have this century old maple taken down.

3n1 Tree Service showed up on schedule with the equipment to do the job.

A limb was tied off and then cut.

The cut limb was then lowered to the ground by a crane.

The pile of debris was then picked up to be hauled away.

I’d not seen such a contraption before.  Made quick work of the clean-up.

Finally the trunk was taken down and cut into 4 sections, be fore loading into the truck.

The automated stump grinder removed the last traces there was ever a tree there.

Very sad to see it go.  A 100 years of growth and only a couple hours to remove it.  Fran has her eye on a red oak to replace it.

This weekend we’ll be giving up our cozy spot in the backyard to begin a lazy trip home.

Capturing the Eclipse

Safely parked in the side yard of the family estate outside Dayton Ohio.  A perfect spot for a mini-watch party with the family over.

This is why we timed the trip.

Rufus at home for the next few weeks, as the eclipse begins

The eclipse occurred directly overhead.

Looking like Pac Man

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It's dark and chilly the last minutes before totality

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The Diamond Ring as the sun begins to reappear

Quite a few planes giving eclipse tours

And of course there are always chores to be done while here.  First off the hot water heater was leaking.  Yikes!  I took a look at where it was leaking at the drain valve.  And of course it began gushing!  More than the basement floor drain could handle :(  I shut off the water to the heater and its gas line.

I’ve used Kettering Plumbing before and they were here immediately, drain cleared!  And back the next day with a brand new 40 gallon water heater heater.

Out with the old

In with the new

In the next week the once beautiful maple tree in the front will be taken down :(

Yup it's a big'n

They were to start today, but it's raining.

Once we get the 'got-to-do' list checked off, we’ll have time for some fun!  Looking forward to some up coming fun!