Covering Covered Bridges and More

When I started planning our short vacation to Ohio, I was so pleased to find that there are over one hundred historic covered bridges remaining in the state. It would be an awesome quest to visit them all, but we only had a couple days and those bridges are located throughout the entire state. I picked the ones which were within an hour’s drive or so of our route to the safari park and back home again.

I didn’t get a picture of the very first bridge we passed, on our way to The Wilds Tuesday morning, but come to find out the Mail Pouch Bridge was only built in 1981. Cool to see, but shouldn’t be on my list.  

I was much more excited to visit the Historic Rosseau Covered Bridge on the Fairgrounds in McConnellsville. I hadn’t seen it on my original online search. Also known as the Rosseau-Glass Bridge, it is a 58-foot-long Multiple Kingpost truss bridge built in 1881, across the West Branch of Wolf Creek in Rosseau. It was the first covered bridge in Ohio to be preserved by relocation and was moved to its current location in 1953. I was disappointed that it was sadly in need of paint and some repairs.

Just driving through the quaint village of McConnellsville was another surprise. It was so cute with many old Victorian-type buildings. The Morgan County Courthouse was built in 1858, in the Greek Revival style. Across the street, the brick Twin City Opera House, built in 1890, houses the McConnelsville City Hall, among other things.

Built in 1863, Helmick Covered Bridge was down a winding, hilly road which seemed to go nowhere. Luckily it is open to vehicle traffic so we didn’t have to turn around, we just kept going on the winding, hilly road. 

Our last stop of the day was Salt Creek Bridge in Zanesville, built in the 1870s using Warren type tresses. (If I continue this, I should probably research the types of trusses, huh?)

Wednesday morning, our first stop was the Armstrong Covered Bridge, also known as the Clio Covered Bridge. It was built in 1849 by Abraham Armstrong and is a multiple Kingpost truss bridge that originally crossed Salt Creek near the small community of Clio. The bridge survived Confederate General John Hunt Morgan’s raid through Ohio in 1863, one of the war’s northernmost episodes. In 1966, it was moved to Cambridge City Park. 

Then, as we were driving down more winding, hilly roads, we stopped for these two and spent way too much time watching them play. 

 

That particular road took us to Indian Camp Bridge, another multiple Kingpost truss bridge. It was built in 1855, crossing over Indian Camp Creek and was restored in 1999.

Hard to believe, but after that bridge, I was done with covered bridges, or more likely just done driving down those crazy roads. I did find this abandoned asylum in Millersburg. 

According to an internet search, the building had been a hospital and long-term care facility in the 1950s, and now is one of Ohio's most active paranormal research sites. Did not look haunted to me, but we did just drive by, as there were lots of “no Trespassing” signs

The detour wasn’t a total loss, though, as there were cool old buildings in the downtown area of Millersburg. 

But the highlight of the entire day was this grand old building, pictured above and below. The former Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield. 

The Ohio State Reformatory was built over ten years in the late 1800s. It was originally known as an Intermediate Penitentiary since it accepted inmates who were too old for juvenile corrections but had committed crimes which were not serious enough for the Ohio State Penitentiary. The first inmates were admitted in 1896.

In the early 1960s, it was converted to a maximum-security facility, and by the 1980s, the conditions had drastically deteriorated, leading to construction of a new prison nearby. The Reformatory was finally closed in 1990. If you are a film buff, it may look familiar to you as it was the setting for 1994’s The Shawshank Redemption.

And then it was time to hit the dusty trail for home. A quick, but nice, four day vacation with Hubby. 

Trying to not go Wild at the Wilds

 

Since I can’t talk Hubby into making that arduous plane ride to Kenya to go on an African safari, I found one a single long car ride from our home. The Wilds sits in eastern Ohio, 75 miles from Columbus. After a long drive on a Monday in June, we arrived early the next morning for the two-hour long safari and really enjoyed it. 

The Greater One-Horned Rhino has a native range in Bhutan, India, and Nepal. In the early 20th century, there were fewer than 200 living in the wild. Thanks to conservation efforts and protection, there are now close to 3,500. This rhino is known for folds of skin which look like armor.

The Southern White Rhino is found in Southern Africa and is much larger than the Asian Rhinos. This rhino sub-species is doing okay in the wild, with possibly as many as 20,000 living in the wild. Tragically, his nearest relative, the Northern White Rhino, is basically extinct with only two surviving females living under armored guard at a preserve in Kenya.

Persian Onager is one of the species of Asiatic asses. There are only around 600 to 700 Persian onagers surviving in the wild in two protected regions in Iran. The herd at the Wilds is the largest breeding herd of onagers in North America.

Looking like a crazy mix of a moose, a bison, and a goat, the Sichuan Takin is related to other cloven-hoofed mammals in the bovid family, including sheep and antelope. They are native to Tibet and several provinces of China.

Cheetah. What can I say? I’ve seen many cheetahs over the years on my trips to Kenya. They are magnificent creatures, and they even purr.

The African Painted Dog is from Africa (what a surprise), mostly in southern and eastern countries. They are covered in beautiful markings, and each coat is as unique as a fingerprint. Though they can live in large packs, they are elusive and not commonly seen in the wild.

The Dhole is also called the Asiatic Wild Dog or red dog. Though they are native to Southeast Asia and India, they are closely related genetically to the Painted Dog.

Wild Bactrian Camels are critically endangered due to breeding with domesticated camels, hunting, and habitat loss. They are native to Mongolia and China.

The Przewalski's Wild Horse is native to southern Russia and Mongolia. They became extinct in the wild in the 1960s, but have been reintroduced back into the wild due to conservation efforts. Sometimes shortened to the P Horse, the P and the R are actually silent in pronunciation.  

Did you see the baby in laying down in the first picture? We circled around and the herd moved so that we came right up beside them. Isn’t he or she adorable? And very new to this world.

Eland are the largest species of antelope in the world. They are native to southern and eastern Africa, and I have seen them in the wild in Kenya. The boys are huge.

The Scimitar-horned Oryx, from northern Africa, went extinct in the wild in the 1980s. Thanks to the work at The Wilds, some of them were sent to Chad to breed with animals there.

The Bactrian deer is one of the largest deer species (but smaller than the American Elk). They come from Central Asia and the Middle East.

Pére David's Deer were once extinct in the wild, but now there are an estimated 600 deer living totally in the wild in China. The largest breeding herd in any zoo in North America at the Wilds. 

This buck was pretty into this mud puddle and making sure he was covered in mud.

The 10,000 acres where the Wilds now sits was once a surface coal-mining operation. The remarkable story of how this land was resurrected to become one of the largest conservation centers in North America is on their website. Click on this link to learn about it.

Forgiveness

        If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, New King James Version)

Fourth of July weekend last year, Val and her boyfriend went camping along Lake Superior. She invited Hubby and me to join them for one day. In addition to their three dogs, they had taken along her boyfriend’s teenage niece for the weekend. We’d met her once before when we joined them for a day at a lake near our house.

The weather was beautiful, comfortably warm, with the sun shining off the Great Lake and waves lapping at the beach. After a walk with all the dogs along the shore, we returned to their campsite. Hubby and I took seats in the camp chairs, and Val offered us a beverage. We had brought our own – bottles of water and orange juice. Val, of course, was drinking some sort of mixed drink.

I asked if she had any extra food, as we hadn’t eaten lunch. She invited me into the camper, where she started pulling containers out of the refrigerator.

“Oh, I gotta show you something,” she said as she reached into the area his niece had claimed for her stuff. “We went to a craft show yesterday and look what she bought.” She held up a cross necklace and a coin purse which had “Jesus” embroidered on it.

“Nice,” I answered with a smile. “Maybe she’ll rub off on you.”

Val sighed, not in disgust like she often did when I brought up my faith, but more in disappointment over herself.

“All the things I’ve done in my life? God will never forgive me anyway.”

Wow! I had not expected that. I’d been waiting for years for the door to be opened, for me to get a chance to remind her what Jesus had done for anyone who was willing to accept and believe. And for her not to throw my beliefs back in my face.

 “Oh, Val,” I knew I was treading on thin ice and didn’t want to blow it. “Jesus died on the cross for all our sins. There is no sin too great that can’t be forgiven. You just have to ask God for forgiveness.”

She turned back to the food she was rearranging on the small camper countertop.

“I don’t know,” she shook her head. “There’s a lot.”

I didn’t know what to say after that. I prayed that God would give me the right words, but all I heard was people talking outside; my head and heart remained blank, heavy. I could only pray that she would let Jesus into her heart and accept His forgiveness. And at the time, I had no clue how soon that would need to happen. 

What is Tomorrow All About?

Historic Capitol building in Williamsburg, VA, where the Fifth Virginia Convention passed a resolution on May 15, 1776, calling for American independence from Great Britain. 

Two hundred fifty years ago tomorrow, the Declaration of Independence was adopted as the document announcing that the American Colonies were breaking free from British rule. Sounds straight forward enough. Not so much. 

Here’s how that really played out.

June 7, 1776 – Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, read a resolution before the Continental Congress, at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, stating that the Colonies are free and independent States and that they have broken allegiance to the British Crown.

June 11, 1776 – The Continental Congress agreed with Mr. Lee, but decided to appoint a committee of five members to compose a more complete and convincing document. The chosen men were John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson.  

July 2, 1776 – The original Lee resolution was adopted, and Congress moved on to consider the Declaration, written mostly by Jefferson, with changes made by Franklin and Adams.

July 4, 1776 – After deliberating for several days, on the morning of July 4, the men adopted the Declaration. It was not signed that day; it was sent to a printer, where copies were made for distribution to various committees and other involved parties. Even as a small nation just starting out, there were apparently many people who wanted to offer their input. I guess that’s a good thing. This would be an important piece of paper.

August 2, 1776 – It wasn’t until nearly a month later that most of the members of Congress signed the Declaration. Several didn’t sign it until September, and one not until November. Thomas McKean, from Delaware, didn’t sign it until much later, possibly a year or more. Though McKean voted in July to adopt the Declaration, he immediately left after that to return to his post as a colonel in the Continental Army. After all, the Revolutionary War had already begun a year before, on April 19, 1775, in Massachusetts.

Final fun fact – Only six men signed both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution: Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, James Wilson, George Clymer, Roger Sherman and George Read. None of these men went on to become President.

Further Fun Fact – Two future presidents signed the Declaration of Independence: John Adams (the 2nd President) and Thomas Jefferson (the 3rd President). George Washington (1st President) and James Madison (4th President) signed the Constitution in 1787.

I could go on, but you probably have celebration plans to tend to. But when you get a chance, look up more about our country’s history. To move forward, we need to remember to look back.

Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's Virginia home.

Just Being Silly - Germany Trip Blog Post #13

A couple months ago, well before this trip to Germany, I bought a set of twenty or so little animals at Walmart, planning to throw a few into each of the Christmas Child Boxes that I’ll be putting together in November. I decided to take a few along on the trip to photograph at every location we visited.

At the airport in Appleton, Wisconsin, waiting for our first flight and the real adventure to begin.

In the bathroom at our hotel in Ulm.

Nearly in Brenda’s beer in Blaubeuren. 

Then I bought an angel at the Ulm Minster to add to my collection. 

They came out of my bag one day during our bus ride, to check out my snacks.   

Enjoying the weather at Linderhof Castle. 

Hanging out in Rothenburg.

The last night in our hotel in Wurzburg. Brenda had bought me a hedgehog in Bamberg. Now I think I will have to buy a new one wherever I go.

Which comes first: Faith or Good Works?

           My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. (James 5:19-20, New Living Translation)

Moving right along, today, we come to the Epistle of James.

Which James wrote this letter? There were two men named James who were apostles of Jesus. One of them was the son of Zebedee and the brother of the apostle John, and the other was the son of someone named Alphaeus and was called James the Lesser or the Younger. A third James was associated with the original twelve disciples; he was the father of the apostle Judas (not Judas Iscariot, the traitor, but the other Judas). Wouldn’t it be helpful if they all had last names back then?

Most commonly, though, it is believed that Jesus’ half-brother James wrote this book. As usual, Biblical scholars have their reasons for this.

The thing is, James opens his letter with, “From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To all of God’s people who are scattered everywhere in the world. (New Century Version 1:1)”

My first thought would be that if he is the brother of Jesus, maybe raised with Him in the same household, knowing more about Him than anyone else, wouldn’t James be like – it’s me, the Lord’s brother? But as a true follower of Jesus Christ, I don’t think he would bring attention to himself. He was a humble servant of God.

James also tells us in that first line to whom he is writing. When I looked that up online, the experts disagree on even that, but I think, clearly, James was writing to all of us. And his book clearly shows that through his words.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. (James 1:2-6, New International Version)

I’m going to jump quickly to a different book of the Bible, Ephesians, to show you a pretty well-known verse.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9, NIV)

There’s a big debate among different Christian groups about this. Some say that all you need is faith, and that no amount of good works you do will get you to heaven. Others say you have to do good for others as well as have faith. 

I was taught that we do good works – helping others, donating to charities, putting others before ourselves – not to get saved, but because we are already saved. With Jesus in our hearts, we try to love as He did.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? (James 2:14, NLT)

James writes about this A LOT. His book is easy reading and makes sense to me. But I have written enough about him. Here’s one last thought. If you have a list of easy-to-remember Bible verses you want to memorize, this is a good one. It is on my memory list.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19, New International Version)

Nuremberg, part 2 – Germany Trip Blog Post #12

Uff-da, as my sister Pat would say. Here we are, the last official blog post from my trip to Germany in May (I might share one more silly post next week). We saw so much, heard so much history, and took so many pictures. And forgot a lot of what our tour guides said. As much as I hate relying on the internet, I have looked stuff up on every one of these twelve posts. Anyway.

There we were in the wind and rain on May 12 to be reminded of what one man’s plan was for Germany, and perhaps the world.

Ever since I was in high school, when I heard the name of the city of Nuremberg, I pictured the films of the Nazi rallies held there. I’m sure you’ve seen the same movie, where the Nazi soldiers are parading, goose-stepping, passed Adolf Hitler. Then Hitler gives a speech, shouting the words, saying that Germany is a great country and that her people deserve to live long, prosperous lives, and that he is here to make that happen. Or something like that. And the thousands of people attending thrust their right hands into the air and shout “Heil, Hitler!”

I always thought the road where those rallies were held was just that – a wide road next to an empty field where a stadium had been built and maybe some bleachers had been set up somewhere around Nuremberg. I never knew that those grounds were part of Hitler’s greater plan.

This plan encompassed over two-thousand acres and was going to include: a deployment area, the "Old Congress Hall", the “New Congress Hall”, a Zeppelin Field, a March Field, the German stadium, the "stadium of the Hitler Youth", the "Great Road” (never-used parade road), and the “House of Culture”.

Taken from the Nurembgerg website:

The structures at the Nazi Party Rally Grounds were intended both to impress and to intimidate, to impose discipline and to build a sense of community. Architecture was placed in the service of propaganda and shows of strength. As the self-appointed "Builder-in-Chief," Hitler was often concerned with even small details of his great construction projects. From 1934 onward, he tended to prefer Albert Speer as the architect to carry out his fantasies of domination. Hitler engaged Speer not only to build the Nazi Party Rally Grounds – by 1950 he was also supposed to rebuild Berlin as the "World Capital Germania." Only a few components of the Nazi Party Rally Grounds were ever actually finished. Others never got beyond the foundations or half-completed shells. Work essentially ceased when the Second World War began. But planning still continued until shortly before the war's end.

(Click this link for a map of what the grounds would look like.) 

I took what pictures I could, but the weather outside was horrible and the rest of the pictures were taken from inside our bus.  

We also stopped at the Hall of Justice, where the war crimes trial was held. You need to watch the 2025 movie, “Nuremberg”.

I hope this post gave you something to think about.