CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
HONUS WAGNER & ME
When Johannes Peter Wagner babysat the late Harriette Parker in Carnegie (PA), she feared him because of his large hands, according to her daughter, Arlene Carr. Those same hands, later described as “shovel-like,” accompanied his large size, bowed legs and long arms—a combination that contributed to his clumsiness.
Johannes, who played eighteen seasons with the Pirates—1900-1917—is featured in the play (more…)
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
KUDZU IN PENNSYLVANIA? OH, NO!
State gears up to battle kudzu, the Ligonier (PA) Echo headline warned.
KUDZU? Here? In Pennsylvania?
I’d previously posted a warning story about kudzu on this site (to read KUDZU BLACKOUTS click on A KUDZU COVERED VEHICLE GRAVEYARD or visit www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com and click on the HUMOR category and scroll down).
It makes sense to warn persons to be wary of Pueriaria Lobata (its scientific name) in southeastern United States, where the Leguminosae (member of the pea family, biologically speaking) grows so prolifically it’s a.k.a. is (more…)
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
ELIMINATE FERAL BIRDS:
A Call for Political Action
This is a follow-up of a previous post, FERAL BIRDS: THE LATEST COMMUNITY HAZARD. The stories keep coming in. Michael’s story is compelling!
Michael’s story: It happened in June (2009), very early in the morning, between Ford City and Kittanning (PA). I was traveling on a work assignment. It was too cold to open the car windows, about 60 degrees.
When it warmed up, I decided to put my window down. As I reached to do so, I saw something from the corner of my eye, on my left side. I thought it was a bird and that it would slip away, and shoot up the window to the other side of the car. But no sooner had I put my window down when something came into the car and nailed me in the head. It happened fast, and I didn’t see what it was at first—I just saw feathers flying.
I looked to the right and saw (more…)
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
VIOLET INFESTATION? WHY COMPLAIN?
As I sat on my comfortable couch this winter, watching the snow drift with the winds and the birds fly to and from the window bird feeder, I was invited to contemplate on the number of blades of grass that would be on my lawn come summer. This invitation, in a Vital Stats column, Growth Industry, (the May 2003 Pittsburgh Magazine), states that the “Number of blades of grass on the Cathedral of Learning lawn” is 278,784,000.
Naturally, my mind wonders about my lawn—and I wonder how I could ever count the blades of grass on it. I recollect how I once did red blood cell counts (I once worked as a hematology technician doing differential counts under a microscope). A section of blood, smeared on a slide and stained, is counted, and the total is projected from that count. Ah, so I could take a patch of lawn, say three inches square, and count the blades of grass in it. There are sixteen of these squares in (more…)
I entered an office today to see if they had any news story updates. While waiting for the director, I heard an employee on the phone: THAT’S NOT MY JOB! Hmmm, I thought, good prompt for the writers group. It wasn’t totally eavesdropping—the office was small and the employee was speaking in a loud voice.
However, writers are instructed to (more…)
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
ROUTE 30: A Review of John Putch’s Movie
This afternoon a friend and I attended a movie that had great raves. Attendance at the local Ligonier Theater, which I’ve heard has poor movie attendance, was almost SRO. I splurged (diet-wise) with hot buttered popcorn and settled in for an afternoon of enjoyment.
Within the first five minutes, I was disappointed. I guess I didn’t expect (more…)
A SINGAPORE PINE TREE & KAMPONG BUANGKOK, SINGAPORE
A pine tree grows on our property in rural Slippery Rock, PA. It’s not just any pine tree. It has a nickname. It is our “Singapore pine.”
Lest you think that there is a species of tree called Singapore pine, let me correct you. We refer to this particular tree (more…)
FIRST, DO NO HARM…THE SULEMAN OCTUPLET CASE
Much controversy surrounds the birth of octuplets born to Nadya Suleman on January 26, 2009.
Suleman is a single mother of six children under the age of seven, that she suffered a work-related back injury, and that she receives food stamps are undisputable facts. Suleman and her parents relate conflicting stories about (more…)
SHOULD THIS HOUSE HAVE SOLD AT A TAX SALE?
And an 86-year old woman displaced after 60 years in her home
Sixty years. Almost all of my life, and all but sixteen years of Dolly Silbaugh’s life.
That’s how long Silbaugh has lived in her home on the Farmington Ohiopyle Road, Wharton Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. During that time she raised four children. Today, she is homebound there.
All it will take now, to remove her from her home, is a signature on a deed. A signature that will make the transaction legal, since, in October, the house was (more…)
Vicious dog or man’s best friend?
Tags: A 150-pound Rottweiler shot by police, A Jeanette (PA) dog owner, Bob Petrillo, COMMENTARY, Culture, Current affairs, Current Events, Dangerous pets, Diary, Dog attacks, Dogs, In the News, JOURNAL, Journaling, Latest post, Life, Lifestream, Lifestyle, Misc., Miscellaneous, Musings, News, Opinion, People, Personal, Pets, Philosophy, Psychology, Ramblings, Random, Reflections, Relationships, Society, Thoughts, Vicious dogs
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
VICIOUS DOG OR MAN’S BEST FRIEND?
Often dog owners often have a less-than-realistic opinion of their pet’s personalities. An owner’s loyalty to their dog precludes any insight into its degree of viciousness.
Bob Petrillo, a Jeanette (PA) dog owner, believes authorities “overreacted” when they shot and killed his pet. Rocky was a one hundred fifty pound Rottweiler. Police justified the shooting because, they claim, Rocky (more…)