Visit Canada's Fort Louisbourg; Wind Clocks Way Back in Time

     It is hardly unusual for the host of a tourist site to ask a visitor his place of origin.  But the method of inquiry at Fort Louisbourg in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, is more like an interrogation.

     Do not be alarmed!  The musket-toting French guards at Dauphin Gate are merely checking for British spies or sympathizers.

     And do not be surprised if your response, "I'm from the United States," is met with bewildered expressions.  How could the French guards have heard of a nation that does not even exist?

     After all, this is 1744, a full 32 years before the American Revolution.  While the New England colonists were in the process of gaining their own measure of independence, Britain and France were on the verge of entering into a global war.  The future of North America was destined to be one of the victor's spoils, and Fort Louisbourg was the key to France's hopes.

     But the end of King Louis XV's New World dream of colonization came in 1760.  Following a British siege, Louisbourg's townspeople were exiled, and the fort's walls were demolished.

     During the 1960's, the Canadian government began a massive restoration process, rebuilding a significant portion of the fort.  It presently encompasses 20 square miles, making Fort Louisbourg Canada's largest national historic park.

     But Louisbourg was more than a fort.  Hundreds of townspeople also lived within its walls.  Today's visitor will experience the sights, sounds and smells of a mid-18th century village.

     You may see a fisherman mending his net, hear the snap of a shutter slammed by the wind, smell tallow candles or see obedient soldiers being put through tedious marching and musket drills.

     Whether it's young women applying their lace-making skills or the town drunk being hoisted away, wherever they look, visitors are treated to an eyeful of authentically costumed townspeople.

     In addition to the continual bustle of activity, many of Louisbourg's more than 50 buildings are historic.  Beneath the fleur-de-lis that tops the bell tower, is the citadel, the largest and most imposing building on the site.  Besides being the place where the troops reside, it served as the administration center.

     The Chateau St. Louis, which housed the governor and his staff, is another majestic stone structure, with some 20 chimneys.  Within the 52 rooms is silk upholstery woven in France from 18th century models; it still is preserved by an old, established family of Lyons artisans.

     Louisbourg also provides an interesting taste experience.  The typical fare of hot dogs, hamburgers and fries found at many tourist spots is replaced by authentic food and accompanying atmosphere.

     A L-Epee Royale (Royal Sword) was considered the merchant class restaurant.  It was a privately owned home where sea captains, officers and other upper class citizens dined.  Just one meal would have cost one month's wages to the working class person.

     Today's visitors (old article) pay $9.95 in Canadian dollars (about $11 U.S.) per adult and $5 per child (about $6) for a main dish of chicken, beef or pork, plus vegetable and rice, vegetable soup, roll and cheese, and tart for dessert, except on Sunday.

     Everyone else ate at Hotel de la Marine, which cost exactly one day's wage for the common folk.  Its fare consists of sausage and cabbage with carrots and bread pudding for $7.95 Canadian per adult and $4 per child.  Beans and herbs with bread, molasses and a cookie were $4.95.

       For those who choose not to squander all their earnings, there is pea soup and bread for $2.75, and bread and beverage for $3.  The bread is served with cheese and brown sugar.  Just as in olden days, the only utensil is one long wooden spoon, whose handle is also used to scoop the brown sugar from the bowl onto the bread or into hot buttered rum.

     Louisbourg National Historic Park is open to visitors from June 1 to September 30.  During May and October, it is not fully open, but there are daily tours.  It is located  37 miles south of the town of Sydney on the southeast coast of Cape Breton Island in northeastern Nova Scotia.

    It can be reached by car through the Canadian province of New Brunswick or by way of a connecting flight from all major East Coast cities to Halifax.  That Nova Scotia capital city is 465 miles from Louisbourg.

   

   

Was it a Message from the Universe?

     Nearly a decade ago, I was a member of an Abraham Hicks’ Law of Attraction Meetup group.  Its function was to read and learn from various reading materials and tapes what we specifically have been doing to either attract or repel certain types of people and also certain outcomes in our lives.

     In addition, we were supposed to analyze and speculate what the Universe was telling us in a wide variety of situations.  Well, that is primarily what has been wandering through my mind most of Friday, January 25 and beyond.

     It happened around 4:50, and I was driving to work that morning on Interstate 270 northbound in northwest St. Louis County approaching the Interstate 70 west exit.  From that point, so much happened so quickly in the next several seconds that I’m not even certain of the exact order of the occurrences.  But this is what I’ll always remember.

     First, there was a very sudden slowdown in the dark from roughly 55 mph to a total stop in both the westbound and eastbound I-70 exit lanes.

     I immediately noticed a wrecked vehicle with a small amount of debris just 10-15 feet in front of me.  What looked like a freight train (It was actually an 18-wheel tractor trailer) sped from a few lanes over to my left to some 50-100 feet in front of me, across both exit lanes, crashed through the concrete shoulder barrier and down a hill into the total darkness of the pre-dawn.

     It was tough not to contemplate what might have been for me had I reached that same stretch of road just three to seven seconds sooner.

     Admittedly, my feelings had been all over the place lately regarding feeling appreciated at my full-time job, side hustles, near future expenses of my old car, old house with its monthly payments and its seasoned appliances, the astronomical costs of healthcare, and generally not keeping up with all the cost of living increases.

     There has been a lot of negativity and disappointment regarding a few aspects of life.  However, this recent experience has kind of shaken me regarding the essence of life itself.

     Perhaps the Universe was giving me a free wake up call to remind me that my life could have been entirely snuffed out in the blink of an eye.  It also reminded me that in many ways, my life is far better than most.

     Finally, it made me think that, what do I have to lose in taking more non life-threatening chances in other areas of life?  Borrowing a line from Yul Brynner, who played Rameses in the 1956 blockbuster movie, The Ten Commandments, “So it is written; so it shall be done!”

Gentry Trotter Soars High For Clients and Humanity

(one of MANY feature articles I had published long ago...this one in a terrific local newspaper)

It doesn’t require the keen eyesight of an eagle to immediately focus upon the major symbol of Gentry W. Trotter’s office.

Plaques emblazoned with eagle-inspired expressions surround prized possessions of eagle replicas of jade and gold, and other motivational sayings.

With all the eagle memorabilia in view, a few visitors have inquired as to whether Trotter’s MultiMedia Services and Companies, Inc was a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.  But it is not too difficult to understand Trotter’s penchant for the eagle.

“To me, an eagle is not a bird of prey like most people think,” Trotter said.  “It’s a strong bird that soars.  Like the eagle, I like strength in people. I’m allergic to naysayers and negative people.  I like decisiveness, the ability to soar above it all and the ability to dive into it all.”

That’s precisely the attitude Trotter employs as president of his full-service communications corporation.

“I like to develop my own strategies through my own experiences—not to copycat,” Trotter said.  “This place is not a bakery shop or candy shop where everything comes out on an assembly line format.  When I work for clients, I compete with myself, try to outdo myself, and enjoy bouncing new ideas off the other creative members of my staff.  I may have had a good day yesterday, but I’m going to do even better today.”

Although throughout his office are signs that read, “Efforts Don’t Count…Results Do,” Trotter nevertheless understands the logical bond between the two, and the importance of perseverance in attacking a job.

Trotter is indeed a tireless worker.  The 42-year-old native St. Louisan gets less than five hours of sleep a day.  He returns to his country home after a grueling 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. work day, which includes a heavy schedule of client, civic and employee meetings.

Few younger men can carry that workload.  But for Trotter, the sheer number of hours put into the task seems insignificant compared to the pleasure he derives from his efforts.  

“I wake up every morning revved up, but I have my pensive moments when everything just rolls through my mind,” Trotter said.  “I’m a very low-key person prior to attacking a client event.  When I leave my office at the end of the day, I’m mentally disappointed that it’s over with.  It’s not work to me; it’s fun and a great high.  I want to take a nap and get back to work, but God didn’t create our bodies that way.”

The diligent work performed by Trotter and his many staffers has earned MultiMedia major accounts like Laclede Gas Company, Hardee’s Food Systems, Fred Weber, Inc., the Clarion Hotel, Silo, Inc, and World Events Productions.

But Trotter has been anything but an overnight success.  He started in the communications business when he was 17, and credits the late Howard B. Woods, former publisher of the St. Louis Sentinel; Citibank’s Gayle Lichtenstein; Radio KRJY’s Richard Miller; former Globe-Democrat publisher Duncan Baumann; the late grocery mogul Ed Schnuck; and former KPLR-TV owner Howard Koplar for most of his apprenticeship and support.

Trotter left KPLR-TV as director of programming, where he mastered managerial skills in his seven-year association.  In 1982, with the encouragement of Lichtenstein, Trotter took his compensation money, sold some of his art and other personal belongings and started a small, one-room business.   

“Many of my cheerleaders said, ‘You should work for someone else,’ while others said, ‘You should work for yourself,’” Trotter said.  “I like the partnership concept—working with the client to help him achieve his goals.”  Today, the full-service agency is housed in spacious, 5,000-square-foot offices downtown in the historic Security Building.

Since its inception, MultiMedia has grown into an agency with five major subsidiaries—Graphics Plus, Fun Fundraising & Company, MultiMedia PR Group, MultiMedia Ad Group, and Gentry Trotter Productions.

Trotter knows that he is considered an entrepreneur by definition, but his profit-making businesses hardly tell the complete story of the man.  He is equally dedicated to the cause of helping his fellow man.

“You can’t be just a businessman, work all day and not be concerned or aware of your environment,” Trotter said.  “You drive through the daffodils and mountaintops every day, but you know there are people without shelter or food, in bad weather without heat, etc.  You have an obligation as a human being to share your spirit of concern as well as your profits.

“As a spiritual person, you have to consistently give back something to the community what God gave you.  People deserve your time, effort and resources.  It’s a good feeling you can’t get by smoking marijuana or coke, which some do.  Giving and caring are the ultimate highs.”

Trotter is proud to declare that all his clients are involved in charitable work.  To the same degree, Trotter utilizes his positive nature, assertiveness, and outspoken demeanor to achieve considerable results for causes in which he believes.

A few of the areas where Trotter deserves credit are the Big Band Benefits which assist Edgewood Children’s Center, Annie Malone Children’s Home, Missouri Energy Care, the NAACP, the Arnold Palmer Gold Tournament, and several local hospitals.

One of Trotter’s greatest fund-raising achievements is $10,000 raised within just two hours for Hardee’s “Rise and Shine,” benefiting the late Sister Pat’s Dollar Help program.  Since its inception in 1982, Trotter has helped raise nearly $3 million for that crisis intervention program underwritten by the Laclede Gas Company.

Although he recently retired after serving 10 years as chairman of the St. Louis NAACP’s Freedom Fund dinner—helping to raise a record $70,000 at last November’s event—Trotter still has plenty of causes to pursue.  He also worked behind the scenes in New York recently for the National NAACP’s 80^th Anniversary Gala.  That event raised almost $500,000.

Trotter is still very active with the United Way and in serving as National Press Secretary to the Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors, and as a member of the National Board of Trustees for the Special Contribution Fund, Inc.  But he is more excited by his service on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement.

“That’s my greatest pride and joy,” Trotter said.  “I’m concerned about the future of young people.  That’s why I keep pushing to get young people into Junior Achievement.  It develops CHARACTER and PERSPECTIVE (his emphasis) on life.

“Basically, young people today—who are not in J.A.—don’t give a damn about anyone but themselves.  They swing from job to job, pillar to post.  Youngsters today have no loyalty to companies, just to themselves.  They don’t care about company productivity because they have no commitment or integrity, either.”

Trotter has seen firsthand the unwillingness of many youngsters to be cross-trained—to learn to perform as many functions in an organization as possible.  “The secret to a viable corporate entity is multi-talented and experienced employees,” he said.

In addition to our youth, Trotter is concerned with every aspect of racism and bigotry—whether it’s directed at blacks, religious groups, the downtrodden, or the elderly.

“There are black people who are bigots and racists, and whites who are racists and bigots,” Trotter said.  “There is even class discrimination within blacks and within whites.  The problem is that the white racists are running the candy stores and have all of the economic power.  In their greed or insecurity, some haven’t learned to share the power or the wealth.  The everyday people who spend their hard-earned nickels and dollars in those stores expect the powers that be to hire them and provide them a chance to grow.  The problem is not dialogue; it’s sharing the wealth.

“Education is a major tool for black achievement, but economic parity is more important.  You can have five degrees, but it doesn’t mean a damn thing if you cannot get promoted, get a bank loan, or move to a better neighborhood.  The power entities have to sensitize people not to give blacks a free ride, but to give us opportunities, and we will do the rest.  What good is it when the doors open, and there’s something on the other side keeping you from getting in?”

Regardless of all the long hours Trotter spends in pursuit of satisfying his clients’ economic goals, he said that his principal concern is helping his neighbor.

“The older I get,” he said, “the more I realize that I have only begun to scratch the surface in terms of professional accomplishments and helping others.”

Unfortunately, the breed of truly concerned people like Gentry Trotter has become as rare in America as our national symbol, the bald eagle.

Arch Madness

 (Do any of you remember when the U.S. Olympic Festival came to St. Louis back in 1994?  That was just one year after our 100-year flood annihilated the Chesterfield Valley and everywhere else in the Greater St. Louis and St. Charles County region.  Well, here is the preview I wrote for the sporting event and the St. Louis area, published in The Cincinnati Enquirer Travel Section.)

     The march to the Arch began when the Torch Relay left Kansas City last Wednesday.  Some five weeks later, it will be more like a stampede to St. Louis as U.S. Olympic Festival-’94 rocks “The Gateway City,” July 1-10.

     An estimated 500,000 spectators will watch in wonderment as more than 3,000 of our nation’s premier amateur athletes compete in 37 sporting events.  The purpose of the festival is to prime the athletes for international competition, like the Olympics.

     In the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, held in Barcelona, Spain, 106 of the 187 U.S. medalists had previously competed in at least one festival.

     Many former festival participants became Olympic stars and household names, including basketball’s Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing; diver Greg Louganis; speed skater Bonnie Blair; boxers Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield; gymnast Mary Lou Retton; figure skaters Scott Hamilton and Nancy Kerrigan; and track & field stars Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses.

Cincinnatian Pace Competed

     Another top Olympian, Cincinnati’s own Darrell Pace, competed in St. Louis in 1986 (I did a feature on him in Forest Park) in what was then known as The National Sports Festival. 

  A couple years later, the competition’s name was changed to the Olympic Festival.  That was fitting for Pace, who won the Olympic gold in archery in 1976 and 1984, sandwiched around the 1980 U.S.-led boycott of the Moscow games.   

     Joyner-Kersee, a native of East St. Louis, IL, is considered by many as the world’s greatest female athlete.  She has competed in three Summer Olympics, winning three gold medals among five medals in all.  In addition to serving as one of the chairpersons, Joyner-Kersee is actually expected to compete in Festival-’94. 

     A host of other Olympians and hundreds of future ones will participate in some 250 sessions of competition.  A few of the events are free.  The majority of the action, held at 25 sites throughout Metropolitan St. Louis and neighboring communities of eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, costs $4-$15 per session.

     Perhaps the most memorable of all the Festival-’94 events is open to the public and free of charge.  It’s the Opening Ceremony, held July 1 under The Gateway Arch.  Emceed by nationally-renown broadcaster Bob Costas, the gala affair will feature the parade of athletes and the official lighting of the 60-goot-high festival cauldron holding the Olympic flame.  Big-name entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display also highlight the event.

     The ceremonies pack a double-barreled punch.  They mark the opening of Festival-’94 and also kickoff the 1994 V.P. Fair, held July 2-4 on the Arch grounds.

Gateway to the Best

     What began in 1981 as a mere community-wide celebration devised to benefit area charities grew by leaps and bounds into today’s V.P. Fair.  The annual fair, now billed by many as “America’s Biggest and Best Birthday Party,” is a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed.

     The Veiled Prophet Parade starts off the festivities, which include sensational air shows, six free “big-name” concerts, a terrific Children’s Village of rides, games and entertainment; an International Village featuring the tastes of several popular St. Louis restaurants among 100 food booths, amusement rides and spectacular nightly fireworks.

 Whew!  No wonder the V.P. Fair draws more than a million people on each of the event’s three days.  There’s never a dull moment!

     The V.P. Fair is a one-of-a-kind event attracting massive crowds, but the St. Charles Riverfest is another colossal Fourth of July weekend celebration.  Located about 25 miles west of the Arch along the Missouri River, the Riverfest, near Missouri’s first Capitol and the Frenchtown Antique District, also features top entertainment, food booths and great fireworks.

     But few sights can match the towering majesty of St. Louis’ most popular attraction, The Gateway Arch.  The 630-foot-high, stainless steel catenary curve, completed in 1965, is the symbol of the city’s nickname, “The Gateway to the West.”

     St. Louis was the starting point for America’s westward expansion of the early 1800s, after the Louisiana Purchase agreement was signed.  The story of that era is dramatically and colorfully depicted in the Museum of Westward Expansion, beneath the Arch.

     Other top remnants of the past lie in the shadows of the Arch.  Life-like replicas of 19^th century steamboats beckon visitors with narrated cruises.  The Illinois side of the Mississippi features riverboat gambling.  Authentic cobblestone streets on both sides of the river showcase lively night spots which fill old cast iron and brick buildings.

Gateway to Bargains

     St. Louis is one of the least expensive cities in which to live.  That value for the money is also reflected in its tourist bargains.

     Anyone who abides by the adage “You get what you paid for,” has never been to Forest Park!  The 1.293-acre park, far larger than New York’s Central Park, requires a full day plus just to visit its three free offerings.

     The St. Louis Zoo is considered one of the biggest and best in the world.  In addition to housing some 2,800 birds, reptiles and mammals, it features the ferocious felines of “Big Cat Country” and the spectacular “Living World” education and discovery center, complete with hands-on interactive exhibits and animatronics of Charles Darwin.

     The new St. Louis Science Center, opened in late 1991, features four main galleries with fun, educational displays of ecology, the environment, medicine, dinosaurs and the development of flight.  You can also stand on an enclosed bridge over Interstate 64 and clock traffic with one of several real radar guns.

     Meanwhile, one of the nation’s finest collections of ancient and modern art can be found in the St. Louis Art Museum; also with great views overlooking Art Hill! 

     St. Louis’ other spectacular free sights include Grant’s Farm (reservations required), Jefferson Barracks National Military Park, Laumeier Sculpture Park, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, and the Old Courthouse where the famed Dred Scott slavery trial was held.

     Also free of charge is St. Louis Union Station, a long-time, great railway station celebrating its 100^th birthday!  This National Historic Landmark now houses more than 100 specialty stores and restaurants.  But it still maintains its vintage flair.

Plenty of Sights

     The St. Louis area also boasts Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site, the oldest prehistoric site north of Mexico; Six Flags over Mid-America; the Missouri Botanical Gardens, featuring the world’s first geodesic dome and the largest traditional Japanese garden in North America; the Magic House Children’s Museum; National Museum of Transportation; St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame; Municipal Opera (MUNY)--the nation's largest outdoor theater; plus caves and wineries galore!

     That’s just a tip of the iceberg for St. Louis, where the first kindergarten in the United States was built in 1873, where peanut butter was invented in 1890, and McDonnell-Douglas built the Mercury space capsule that carried the first Americans into orbit.

     In between, the ice cream cone, hot dog, hamburger and iced tea were popularized at the 1904 World’s Fair, held in Forest Park.  One of the events showcased there was the first modern Summer Olympic Games held in the United States.

     Now, 90 years later, future Olympians come to St. Louis to compete near where the Cardinals will be packing in huge crowds at Busch Stadium for the first six days this July, and where millions of people will flock to the V.P. Fair, St. Charles Riverfest and countless other attractions.

     If that’s not Arch Madness, what is???

One Thing Leads to Another

     It’s strange how The Ripple Effect sometimes works in life. 

     This morning, I was flipping from one radio station to another in my car.  After being reminded of how dreadful the Blues’ home performance was last night against Minnesota, an ensuing story told of the great successes of long-time Incarnate Word Academy basketball coach Dan Rolfes.  It’s tough to argue with eight Missouri state championships and an incredible 43 student-athletes earning college basketball scholarships over a 19-year coaching stint.

     I spent countless hours this weekend highlighting a few hundred of my 1,000 or so best published pieces over a 20-year span for future article queries.  From that, it was easy to ponder and recall that some of the fall high school sports should have been wrapped up by now.  So, I decided to check the Missouri State High School Activities Association website to see where things stood.

     Lo and behold, I came across yesterday’s state cross-country results.  Having a third cousin who is an absolute running phenom, I quickly looked to the girls Class 4 results.  Right there I saw that Amie Martin of Fox High School placed 31^st at state, narrowly missing Top 10 status (including Washington High School) for the entire Greater St. Louis Area!

     Nearly always upbeat, positive and cheerful herself, plus an extremely hard worker, Martin’s feat made me think of someone else I knew looooong ago.  Her name was Shelly Hill, and she was a strong cross-country runner and track star for Lafayette High School. 

     What’s also very strange is that, after not seeing Lafayette High School for well over a decade, I had just passed by it on October 16, heading home from a wine and cheese party just a few minutes away.

     So, here is former Lancers’ sensation, Shelly Hill!

THINK POSITIVE!

     Shelly Hill is used to spreading sunshine wherever she goes.  So, Saturday morning’s inclement weather hardly put a damper on her spirits.

     The Lafayette sophomore let a smile be her umbrella as she raced to a sixth-place finish through a cold, steady rain at The St. Louis District Metro Association cross-country meet at Jefferson Barracks Park.

     “It was a hard race today because it made everything really wet and muddy,” Hill said.  “There was a big hill and it seems like it took five minutes to climb it.  I started laughing and people couldn’t believe it because we were slipping and sliding all over the place.  At the end of the race, my legs were totally numb.”

     “Shelly doesn’t let things like that bother her because she’s a real positive kid and she gets a lot of strength from her workouts,” Lafayette coach Mike Moss said.  “She’s improved a lot, and her workouts with Melisa (Rice) have really helped.  They match up real well in their abilities and really encourage one another.”

     Despite being in just her second year of long-distance competition after a good summer track sprinting background in her native Utah, Hill is hardly a newcomer to cross-country success.  As a freshman, she finished eighth in the Utah state meet running for Alta High School.

     Even then, Hill had to get used to running behind one of her teammates.  But their relationship was drastically different from Hill’s association with fellow underclassman Rice.

     “It’s great running with Melisa because she pushes me and I push her,” Hill said.  “In Utah, the girl helped me a lot, but she was a senior and I tried hard to beat her before she graduated.  I broke her freshman record and it was more competition than friendship.”

     Although Hill and Rice get along well together, that doesn’t mean that they’re not both competitive.  After running a 19-minute, 20-second race at The Northwest Invitational at Logan Chiropractic College, Hill’s goal in the final month is to break the 19-minute mark.

     Hill is quick to credit Moss for much of her improvement since she moved to the St. Louis area on July 28.  Thanks to Moss, Hill is also proud to announce a longer-term goal—to be a running coach herself.

     “I’d tell my kids the things that really helped me,” Hill said.  “I’d tell them to work hard, and if hurts, push harder because the hurt doesn’t last long after the race is over.”

     Moss said Hill has just the right disposition with people and the attitude toward life to be successful in that arena.

     “She’s a Mormon, a really religious girl, and I think her faith and attitude helps out a lot,” he said.  “She’s a very positive girl, is always grinning, and never seems to be down.  Somebody like that helps everybody smile readily.  It permeates the whole team.  Shelly is a real blessing!”

     *****Some 19 months later, one of my greatest of journalism thrills was covering the Lafayette Lancers girls first ever Missouri State High School Track and Field Class 4A Championship, held at Jefferson City’s Lincoln University.  Both Hill and Rice played major roles in that title!

The Writing Rider: California or Bust...By BUS???

     In just a five-year span, we drove to southern California three times and flew there once more.  Each time, we utilized a variety of different routes to get there, return home or both.  There was always such a variety of things to see and do, and this was well before a huge population explosion transformed nearly every separate suburb into a free-standing city.

     Since it had been nearly a decade since those trips, we decided to make a return trip.

     “Let’s do something different this time!  Let’s go by bus!”

     “OK.  We’re tired of spending so many nights in Amarillo, Albuquerque and Flagstaff, anyway!”

     Well, it sounded good at the time:  a)quick arrival, b)relatively low cost, c)a relaxing, air-conditioned motor coach excursion, and d)in the pleasant company of new-found friends!

     Boy, were WE mistaken!

     On the morning of our departure, we had relatives drop us off at the downtown Continental Trailways station.  It didn’t take long for us to start wondering if we had made a major mistake in traveling cross-country in this manner.

     Although we are hardly the snobbish, hoity-toity types, we couldn’t help but notice the variety of seemy-looking characters who were waiting to board the vehicles.  Not wanting to “judge a book by its cover,” we tried to discount appearance as merely the proper attire for seasoned bus travelers.

     We should have trusted our intuition.  We were immediately convinced beyond the shadow of a doubt that this would not resemble a romantic Olson’s, Caravan or Maupintour holiday.

     One passenger incessantly spat into a paper cup while another kept trying to borrow money for booze.  The driver had to stop the bus, walk to the back and tell two young men to turn down the volume of their blaring stereo.

     The guy right behind us was filling us in on one of his favorite pastimes.  “Can you believe that I served five years in jail?”  he inquired.  “All I did was commit armed robbery.”

     If the vast majority of people were a little too tacky for our tastes, the restaurants—and I use that term loosely—were even more tasteless.  It seemed as though Trailways’ drivers went out of their way to stop at every decrepit, greasy spoon of an eating establishment in the cruddiest sections of town.

     Sleeping on the bus—yes, that’s what I said—was no picnic, either.  One woman (among others) made it very difficult for everyone.  She had two crying infants named Chucky and Tony. Practically all evening, they would make loud noises in unison, sounding like “Aay-eee-dah!  Aay-eee-dah!”  I don’t think it was the opera they were singing, but whatever it was, it kept everyone awake.

    Their mother kept saying, “Shut up or I’m going to hit you!  Shut up or I’m going to hit you!  Shut up or I’m going to hit you!”  Needless to say, she never raised a hand to either one.  So, they persisted.

     The ‘highlight’ of the trip, or piece de resistance, occurred in the state of Arizona.

     As I recall, it was a pre-teenage girl who boarded the bus around Flagstaff, Arizona, and kept running back to the restroom to vomit.  Shortly after, about halfway to Phoenix, a middle-aged man went up to the bus driver and started threatening him.

     “You better stop this bus right now!” he demanded.  “You can’t take that girl any farther.  Don’t you know that it’s illegal to transport a sick person (maybe he was referring to himself) across state lines?” 

     Maybe the guy wasn’t aware of the fact that Flagstaff and Phoenix are in the same state.  In any case, I was sitting in the second row and started getting the idea of grabbing the man to help restrain him when we finally stopped to refuel.

     However, the man was promptly removed from that station by authorities who took him to find another means of transportation.

     That’s precisely what we have done for all ensuing trips.  We never again even took a bus ride across town, let alone across the country!

    

Ballooning For Onlookers and Sports Aficionados

    Very few visual objects are more captivating than hot-air balloons that drift through the sky at various altitude levels, seemingly suspended in time.  The non-sporting segment of hot-air balloon events often features a decent mix of balloons created in the shape of a variety of objects, and the vast majority of orbs display patterns resplendent in a kaleidoscope of colors.

     A balloon event is like an enchanting dream for passionate photographers like myself.  In past decades, I made nearly annual visits to the Friday night Great Forest Park Balloon Glow followed by Saturday’s race and the Jefferson Barracks event.  Thanks to my ex’s craft show entries, I also experienced several Centralia (IL) Balloon Fests.    
With the granddaddy of balloon events—the Albuquerque (NM) International Balloon Fiesta, held this October 6-14, here’s a hot-air balloon article and sidebar on the racing aspect that I had published long ago!   

PHOBIA BEATEN, REEVES NOW PLAYS IN THE CLOUDS

     Acrophobia and hot-air ballooning make strange bed fellows.

     It takes a lot of coaxing for someone with a relentless fear of heights to soar some 4,000 to 5,000 feet off the ground.  But that’s precisely what Tina Reeves has been doing since overcoming her phobia.

     The St. Ann resident was first exposed to ballooning more than a decade ago.  That was no accident because Reeves was residing in Albuquerque, regarded as the balloon capital of the world.

     "I started going to the big race, but I didn’t know how to get involved,” Reeves recalled.  “My boss flew the Manpower Temporary balloon.  He asked if I’d be on the crew.  I started crewing every weekend for different types of balloons, and took my daughter Kim along.  Since then, we’ve made it a family sport.  I eventually got my husband (Keith) involved.”

     While Reeves’ first involvement on her own was back in 1986, her phobia kept her from taking her first flight until May 29, 1989.  She’s been ascending on a regular basis ever since.

     “It’s very peaceful without a worry in the world,” Reeves said.  After that first ride, they made a family decision to shop around for their own balloon.  After checking out several types, they purchased a 70-foot-tall Aerostar RX8 made in Sioux Falls, SD.  That balloon was first used in the Albuquerque International Fiesta Race of May 6, 1990, a month before the move to St. Louis.

     Turquoise was the color chosen for the balloon because it means good luck to the Indians.  The balloon’s top and skirt are black, and hot pink pennants surround the balloon.  It was dubbed “The Lady” because Keith Reeves referred to Tina as his lady while separated as both were serving in the Marines.  The balloon cost $15,000 in 1990 and had a $22,000 replacement value just a few years later.

     Perhaps it was more than just “Lady Luck” that “The Lady” placed second among 625 competitors at the 1992 Albuquerque event.  In that five-day race, overall points were scored by consistent close landings to any of four huge ‘X’ marks placed around the city.

     Meanwhile, the Reeves’ involvement in the sport has ballooned.  Tina is the editor of The Gateway Aerostatic Association newsletter, The Log.  She is also the secretary of GAA and the land-owner relations chairperson, the position that handles disputes when a balloon lands on a person’s property.  Keith Reeves, an air traffic controller at Lambert Tower, is a certified pilot in charge of the GAA’s Wings Program.

     But like any sport, ballooning has its ups and downs.

     “The big part for us is the people we meet,” Tina said.  “It’s also a thrill to fly over small towns and see kids jump up and wave to us.

     “The only unsettling element is the weather.  It can be scary when storms come up.  It’s better to be on land wishing you were in the air than being in the air wishing you were back on the ground!”

*****BALLOON BIT:  John Wise flew his balloon 1,200 air miles from St. Louis to Henderson, NY back in 1859.  That was the longest distance flown at that time despite the fact that ballooning was primarily a European recreation since the 1780’s.

SPORT BALLOONING:  IT’S NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS!

     Sport ballooning looks pretty simple.  You merely pump air into the balloon to get it off the ground, let the wind push you about for awhile, then drop anchor when you’re ready to land.

     OK, but that’s not even close. It takes several people with various specialized skills to make a successful sport ballooning team.

     The team is actually a well-trained group of four to six persons that assists in the launches and landings.  One operates the fan which fills the balloon with air, two hold open the mouth of the balloon, and one or two maintain a control line to the top of the balloon to control the balloon’s rise.

     To inflate, the balloon is spread on the ground and cold air is blown in by a large fan.  As it inflates, members of the crew hold the mouth open while the pilot directs hot air inside from the propane burner.  Since hot air rises faster than cold, the balloon inflates to an upright position.  The gondola or basket is tethered to the ground until the pilot signals the launch to begin.

     The balloon is an aircraft, and pilots are required to attend ground school, take oral and written exams, amass several hours of flight time attending solo runs, and make a check balloon rise with a certified instructor.  The pilot is the man or woman certified to fly the balloon safely while also directing that balloon team.

     One cannot actually steer a balloon because it merely drifts with the wind.  But the propane burner can be used to control the altitude of the balloon.  To ascend, air is heated inside the balloon up to a maximum of about 225 degrees.  To descend, the pilot simply lets the air cool down or pulls a parachute valve at the top.

     There are several types of balloon competitions.  One of the most popular is the hare-and-hound race, a timed event in which a balloon (the hare), takes off, flies to an area and has a passenger get out to place a large plastic ‘X’ closest to the center of the target (the hound), marked by a 50-foot-square ‘X’ in the middle of the field.

     Most flights cover three to 12 miles in one to two hours.