The End of a Child's Summer

Last weekend we went to the beach like we normally do, but now that I am working at a school, this visit took on a totally different meaning. The calendar may say that Summer is still upon us but for a child the approach of the return to school signals the unofficial end of Summer as they officially know it. As usual click each photo for a better view.



I like to visit the beach in the cool of the evening when the Florida sun is not so oppressive and the beach itself is a lot less crowded. There were still a few kids playing around. For them it was another fun day in a long list of fun days at the beach.

Vilano Beach allows dogs on the beach after 6pm and as you can see, Sunny-Girl was doing her part to look around. She really liked playing in the water as kids came up to pet her. There were belly rubs up and down the beach.

The beach at night takes on a whole new perspective. There is less to distract you, and so the sounds around you, like the lap of each wave, become important. I saw this young girl gazing off into the distance and this vision was what prompted the thoughts of return to school. As I sat there watching her, I had to wonder what thoughts were going through her head that would cause her to be so deep in thought?

It was then that it came to me: the march of each new day brings a child one day closer to the end of the carefree, unstructured, days of Summer. A sad thought, but the piper must be paid. And so, as we watched the slow rise of the moon behind overhanging clouds I gave a salute to the end of a child's Summer.

Men Who Run Toward Fires

I always love when I stumble upon something amazing and today's blog is a perfect example. During my visit to the World of Nations Celebration I happened to see a sign that mentioned the Fire Museum. I made a mental note and with some free time one day, it offered the opportunity to visit the museum. As usual, click each photo for a better view.

Have you ever wondered what makes a person run toward a fire? Fire is one of those things that automatically generates a fear response in most humans. Take a good look at the picture to the left of an oil tanker fire that was started in 1984 by a lightening strike. We are talking tremendous smoke, fire, and heat; and yet you can see the fireman in the picture up close and personal as they attempt to extinguish the fire.

As I walked through the museum I realized it is a testament to the brave men and now women who resist the most basic of human urges and run toward fire!

The next picture illustrates the march of firefighters through time. To the left is the age old concept of the firefighter saving a child. On the right is the new technology that is sometimes employed.

I found it particularly exciting to view the turn of the century fire engines that cover the main floor. This shiny model makes you almost hear the clanging of the fire bell as you imagine it rolling through some town ages ago.






And, another treat is a couple of antique fire alarm systems on display. The Gamewell Repeater alarm system was created in the 1880's and was a show piece of technological marvel for the age. The automatic repeater was an essential and central part of the fire alarm systems installed in many cities during the era. The repeater was connected to a number of telegraph station boxes scattered throughout the city. Activation of the switches in these boxes would broadcast a signal to the repeater and through a complex series of relays would be re-broadcast across all the boxes in the system. The relay contained a unique signal from which the location of the fire could be determined. Fire alarms have truly come a long way since that time.

This picture of Jacksonville Fire Station Number 2 completes the mental picture of what was considered "at the ready" for the time, complete with horse drawn fire engine.

With that in mind you can imagine why little boy's imaginations ran wild when the internal combustion engine arrived on the scene. This shiny red number could not help but generate excitement as it rolled through city streets ready to do battle with the frequent fires that occurred due to oil lamps and stoves.

So the next time you hear the sound of a fire alarm and see a fire engine go racing by, realize how far firefighting has come; and say a little prayer for the men who run toward fires.

Gloom and Doom

After a 500 point drop in the Dow here in America, rumors about financial problems in other countries, and general despair all over; I thought it only fair to add my two cents to the mix and give everyone a reason to smile among the wreckage.

Below is a video clip that I think perfectly fits all the economic woes we have been experiencing. So gang... enjoy the gloom and doom!


Now... don't you feel better?

Old School

I have been away but not gone. At this point I guess I should disclose that I have been involved in developing an innovative new school that incorporates technology, and self paced group learning as a new model for education.

My relationship in the process is funny from the stand point that I was attracted to the project by the fact that it is a new concept. However, the most difficult part of the process is the fact that it is a new concept. In other words, claiming new territory is hard work because there is no model to follow. One day you are blazing a path and the next find you need to go in a very different direction, but exciting none the less.

In the interest of confidentially I will limit the extent of disclosure about the day-to-day of the process, but wanted to share a little about the experience with you and will start on the most basic level: the building that will house the new school. As usual, click each photo for a better view.

The building itself has gone through a number of metamorphosis' from its completion in 1911 as Beulah Beal Elementary School. Try as I might (doing an online search) I could not locate any information regarding the woman Beulah Beal; which is a shame but adds mystery to the history of the structure. Evidently it marched through the decades as an elementary school, all the while watching the neighborhood change around it.

I say that because the Springfield section of Jacksonville, with it's mix of old Victorian houses, used to be a place for the well-to-do set that fell on hard times. Recently renovated houses provide a hint of it's former glory. Slowly the area is returning to life as new families relocate to the area and lovingly restore the old homes.

During the early 80's, four founders - Doris Carson MD, Sam Rowley MD, The Reverend Gene Parks, and Davy Parrish DPA, led a reorganization of an organization called The Bridge of Northeast Florida" which transformed the building into a school for unwed mothers.

The hallways have an almost "back to the future" quality when compared to the large modern schools you encounter today. And, with such a long history of course there are stories of ghosts. Haven't seen any yet but again it adds to the mystery.

And now the school prepares for it's third age as it enters the 21st Century complete with WiFi, computer labs, and state of the art equipment. It is a wonderful old building that has stood the test of time, weathered hundreds of storms, and held many secrets. It is only fitting then that on it's 100 birthday it faces the future ready to be of service. Stay tuned...

When Worlds Collide: Houdini and Conan Doyle

One of my favorite spots for adventures, the Karpeles Manuscript Museum, has a current exhibit that I just had to attend. Writings that detail the meeting of Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It offered the potential for high drama. As usual, click each photo for a better view.


Despite being the author of the very logical and deductive detective Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle held deep beliefs in spiritualism and periodically attended seances. In fact, his wife often served as the vessel for a spirit guide named Pheneas who presented himself through her automatic writings.

Doyle and Houdini became friends around their desire to expose fake mediums who were quite popular at the turn of the Century. It was a fast friendship despite Doyle's initial unfavorable impression of Houdini.



Doyle always kept detailed notes of various seances he attended and at the very bottom of this note he writes: "As the medium was half out of my control he was observed by a very bumbling, vulgar, American who made a few indifferent jokes." The bumbler was Houdini.



Houdini believed that the creator of Sherlock Holmes would have the deductive powers of his famous character that could be used in exposing fake spiritualists. However, Doyle's tight and highly controlled handwriting belies a personal style that believed in things such as fairies. Not only did Doyle not have the deductive powers of his famous creation, he also had no interest in disproving the existence of spirits; and in fact was quite gullible on the subject.

Evidently Doyle desperately wanted Houdini to believe as he did. So much so that he and his wife arranged a seance where he hoped to speak to Houdini's mother using Mrs. Doyle as the medium. Doyle's wife claimed she had made contact but Houdini believed she was a fraud. It seems Mrs. Doyle had the habit of making a cross at the beginning of her automatic writing and Houdini doubted that his mother who was an orthodox Jew would have allowed such a practice, in addition to his Hungarian mother's inability to write in English. And, he went public with his thinking on the matter. Notice the cross at the top of the page in the picture to the left.

A very public argument erupted that shattered the relationship and ultimately turned into a feud that lasted the remainder of their lives. It was very instructive to view the writings of these two giants of the early 20th century, and yet just as sad to learn what happened when the two very different skeptical and gullible worlds collided.