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Friday, February 7, 2025

Friday Funnies

Whoops!
Last week, a construction crew was working along the bank of the Nashua River, where a river walk is being constructed. While the river is ice covered now, it's not frozen solid. This small piece of equipment got too close to the edge and started to slide into the water.
This project is being undertaken on the opposite side of the river near the Main Street bridge and will eventually be a walkway.
A large crane was also working in the area, a hook was put on the smaller equipment to help steady it.
It was eventually hauled back on the ground. Both the operator and the equipment seemed to be OK. 
These photos were taken from our 5th floor apt window and zoomed in.
No ice skating (or walking) is possible on the Nashua River now
There's always something happening and we certainly have a great view from the very large windows, a benefit of living in this repurposed mill structure.

Thanks, everyone, for the birthday 🎂 wishes. We had an adventuresome NH getaway to celebrate, details and photos will be posted next week. A(nother) snowfall is predicted here over the weekend.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
Always be very careful of thin ice

Monday, February 3, 2025

Birthdays, Mine & Others

Do you know who celebrates the same birthday as youself?
Birthday cards displayed on our bookcases
Since today is my 🎂 birthday, I did an online search to see who else was celebrating even if we won't be doing so together. As mentioned last week, we’re on a celebratory adventure. I already knew the names of a few of these famous co-celebrants. It was interesting to learn that many of those also celebrating today are (or were) active in the creative arts fields, like these folks:
  • Nathan Lane, actor
  • Blythe Danner, actor, singer, dancer
  • Amal Clooney, lawyer & human rights activist
  • Fran Tarkenton, football quarterback and announcer
  • James Michener (1909-1997), author
  • Morgan Fairchild, actress
  • Maura Tierney, actress
  • Bridget Regan, actress
  • John Handy, musician
  • Shelley Berman (1925-2017), comedian and actor
  • Horace Greeley, newspaper editor & publisher
  • Warwick Davis, actor & TV show host
  • Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, 1st woman in U.S. to receive a medical degree
  • Daddy Yankee (Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez), rapper and singer
So, it seems I am in some very well known birthday company.
Some February 3 birthday folks along with myself
Aside from birthday celebrations of myself and others, the date of February 3 is significant in several other ways — historic, sweet and very tragic.

On this day in 1870, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, which guaranteed the right to vote regardless of race and intending to ensure, with the 14th Amendment, the civil rights of former slaves.

For those who enjoy cake, In the U.S. today is National Carrot Cake Day, a sweet and delicious way to celebrate. That has me thinking that I should have a piece tonight.

Sadly, it's also known as The Day the Music Died in reference to the deaths of three young pop music stars: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Jr. All died in a 1959 plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa. Don McLean's 1971 hit song was in homage to their passing.

In astrology, Aquarius is the 11th sign of the zodiac, considered as governing the period from January 20 to February 18. I knew that there was Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In popularized by the American pop vocal group, the 5th Dimension was a song associated with the sign.

According to the "birthday paradox," in a random group of 23 people, there is about a 50% chance two people will share a birthday. Any more than that, and it gets increasingly likely that a pair of matching birthdays exist. It's considered a paradox as it goes against our intuitive understanding of probability

While that be true, I know that in my own family, I shared this birthday with my late cousin, Richard, was also born on Feb 3; his older brother will be celebrating on Feb 5.

Did you know that the other 11 signs of the zodiac (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn and Pisces) also have songs named for them? 
Here's some examples, most nearly all of these songs were unknown to me: 
  • Aries: "Aries" by Gorillaz, "Aries (YuGo)" by EMike WiLL Made-It
  • Taurus: "Dirty Taurus" by EAnt Beale, "Taurus" by EAby Coulibaly
  • Gemini: "Gemini (2 Sides)" by E Wale, "Gemini Feed" by BANKS
  • Virgo: "Virgo" by Atmosphere, "Virgo" by Victor Internet
  • Libra: "Libra" by Pity Party (Girls Club)
  • Scorpio: "Scorpio Rising" by Soccer Mommy
  • Sagittarius: "Sagittarius" by 88GLAM, "Sagittarius" by Trevor Hall
  • Capricorn: "Capricorn Dancer" by Richard Clapton, "Capricorn" by Elderbrook
  • Aquarius: "Aquarius" by Tinashe
  • Pisces: "Pisces" by RIZ LA VIE, "Pisces Dream" by Shamefac
An interesting statistic is that my birth month, February, comes in last place when birth months of the year are ranked. According to online data sources, birth months from most common to least common are: August, July, September, October, May, December, March, June, January, November and April. Where do you rank?

Did You Know?
More people are born in summer (May to August) than in winter (October to January). And, the most common birthday is September 9 (also my late mother's birthday). This is based on data collected for over 20 years by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics and the Social Security Administration. 

On average, over 12,000 babies are born on September 9 annually. Nine of the top 10 most popular birthdays fall between September 9 and September 20. 

Famous September 9 Celebrants
If you were born on the most popular day of the year, here's some of the famous folks who also share the same birthday:
  • Adam Sandler
  • Hugh Grant
  • Michelle Williams
  • Otis Redding (1941-1967)
  • Colonel Harland Saunders (1890-1980)
  • Angela Cartwright
  • Michael Bublé
  • Cesare Pavese
  • Tom Wopat
  • Eric Stonestreet
  • Zoe Kazan
  • William Miller
  • Kelsey Asbille
  • Henry Thomas
  • Constance Marie
Some folks who celebrate on Sept 9, including my late mother

What's the Rarest Birthday?
Out of the 365 annual calendar days, that would be December 25, Christmas Day. These folks, among others, celebrate both a birthday and holiday:
  • Jeremy Strong
  • Justin Trudeau
  • Issac Newton (1643-1727)
  • Anwar el-Sadat (1918-1981)
  • Jimmy Buffett (1946-2023) 
  • Clara Barton (1821-1912)
  • Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957)
  • Annie Lennox
  • Rod Serling (1924-1975)
  • Eartha Kitt (1927-2008)
  • Sissy Spacek
  • Barbara Mandrell
Happy Birthday & Merry Christmas to these folks
While a Christmas Day might be unusual, the least common birthday occurs on leap year, February 29. That's because as this date only happens every four years, it yields the fewer number of birthdays. The odds of being born on Leap Day are 1 in 1,461 and that's compared to 1 in 365 for any other day of the year. If your birthday is on this date, it's a very special one.

And, now you know the rest of my birthday story (for now).
Thanks, in advance, for the birthday wishes; taking a blog break for a few days.

Friday, January 31, 2025

Local Fame, No $

In a previous post, I stated that a recent photo I'd taken that showed two swans in the Nashua River (before the snow and ice) had been used in an online Nashua publication, the Great American Downtown.

This weekly online publication invites readers to email photos taken around the city of Nashua However, there's a scarcity of those who submit images although some local photographers regularly send in amazing drone images. Alas, I don't own (or plan to acquire a drone).

But no need for a drone, as last week another of my photos was used. This one shows a partial reflection of Clocktower Place apartments in a former mill building across the parking lot. Called the Green Milll it's been used as a warehouse, hotel furniture store, wine and paint event site.The second floor is currently in use as a dance school. Since this is an old building, most likely the window glass is original and caused the wavy reflection on this straight out of camera (SOOC) image. This was a chance shot as we usually park in the underground parking, but had parked outside as we were going out again. (My last name was purposely omitted for this post.)

There's no cash payment for photos used, just braggin' rights, that's OK with me.

Many thanks for your comments on my previous post about the Wilbur Chocolate Company and Wilbur Buds. It would be great if you could grab a sample taste from the post because they are really good. Sadly, that's not possible, but they can be ordered online.

Speaking of sweet things, on our way home from our recent PA road trip, we stopped in NJ to meet our new great niece. Willow was born the week before Christmas 2024. She's pictured with us and her parents, Michael and Julie, our niece.
While In PA, we also visited my high school friend, Sara, and husband, David, also former NJ residents. As their Christmas tree was still up, we followed our long-time tradition of taking group and individual photos. Many have been taken during the holiday season or afterwards.
We're always happy to see good friends and spend time together. It was great catching up on all the time in between our visits. I hope you also have some in your lives.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
Next week is my birthday; we're going on a unique adventure, 
Details in a future post

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

How Sweet It Was

Maybe, it's because we currently live in a former textile factory or that we always seek out older, especially re-purposed buildings. Either way, our recent trip to PA combined both of these interests.
Day and night views of The Wilbur Hotel, Lititz, PA
That's because our accommodations were in a former chocolate factory, After the Wilbur Chocolate Company closed is was redeveloped and this hotel opened in 2016.. What's not to like about that? The ever-so-faint scent of chocolate could still be detected or maybe that was our imagination.

This wasn't our first PA visit, but our first stay in Lititiz was a family visit. Youngest granddaughter and family live in nearby Lancaster, PA. Her December birthday was celebrated belatedly with an indoor pool party at a nearby recreation center.
Lobby views of The Wilbur Hotel, Lititz, PA
Hotel lounge views of The Wilbur Hotel, Lititz, PA
Of course, it doesn't look anything like the former factory, but still preserves some of the original construction with the large wooden beams. Look closely at the bottom right photo for a larger reveal in the next photo.
The Wilburettes were company employees who performed at holiday parties
If you look in the center of the above bottom right photo, you can barely see this photo of "The Wilburettes" the Wilbur Chocolate Company employee version of the NYC Rockettes  In the 1940’s, the company held employee Christmas parties, quite often the party ended with some dance numbers by these ladies. 
Former Wilbur Chocolate Company on Broad St, Lititz, PA (Internet source)
Current view of Wilbur Chocolate Company (January 2025)
The Wilbur Chocolate Company was a mainstay on N. Broad St in Lititz, PA, for over 120 years. In January 2016, its celebrated 125-year old chocolate-making tradition in Lititz ended when chocolate production ended at the historic landmark. It's now The Wilbur Hotel, a 74-room boutique hotel, part of Hilton hotels. 
This photo, circa 1927, shows employees posed for a group shot outside the PA chocolate company. Apparently, everyone dressed up for this photo shoot.

How it All Began 
Back to the origins of the chocolate factory, which incidentally has a NJ connection (doesn't everything?) As natives of the state, it's interesting, sometimes not so much, to see how often our home state is involved mentioned in seeming everything.
Henry Wilbur

Way back in 1865, Henry Oscar Wilbur had a successful hardware business in Vineland, NJ. But, after meeting Samuel Croft, a candy maker, he switched businesses. The two men formed a partnership to produce hard and molasses candies for almost 20 years at a Philadelphia, PA, location. At that time, confectionery manufacturing equipment consisted of a kettle, a coal or coke fire, buckets and a marble slab. These hard candies were marketed to railroad companies to be sold onboard trains.

The partnership split up in 1884, Croft stayed in the hard candy business with a new partner. Wilbur went into the chocolate candy business forming H. O. Wilbur & Sons, with sons, Harry and William; oldest son, Bertram, later became a partner after Harry's death.
A 1911 newspaper ad featuring Wilbur Buds
The Wilbur Bud
What became the company's signature chocolate, the Wilbur Bud, debuted in 1894, and the exact date of a trademark is uncertain. But, the original machine used to make the candy was invented and patented by John Smith in 1889. The chocolate may look like another piece of well-known chocolate candy, but it was created first, 13 years earlier. More about that other candy later.
The machinery that made the Wilbur Bud chocolates
The chocolate's  creation was just good business. created by the company founder, Henry Wilbur. His mantra was that exceptional chocolate shouldn't be complicated, but he wanted it to be unique to sell more chocolate. Wilbur developed a process to deposit chocolate into a solid shape that looked like a flower bud. His creation was the Wilbur Bud, which is molded with a distinctive design and a flower shaped bottom. Each petal has a letter of the company name, WILBURYears ago, candies were wrapped, today the candies are unwrapped and sold in various packaging. 
Check out the price in this undated newspaper ad for Wilbur Buds
By 1905, the third generation of Wilbur family employees included Lawrence H. Wilbur, a European-trained chocolatier who invented a machine to foil wrap Wilbur Buds which were then packaged in boxes. Transport from factory to store shelves was slower years ago and protecting chocolate’s freshness was a concern. An exact date when this practice ended isn't known. It's speculated that the change occurred after the mid-20th century. By then, packaging technology had improved. The need for extra care lessened as new methods were adopted.
Ideal Chocolate Factory in Lititz, PA, was next to a Reading RR line
Although Wilbur Chocolate was still in Philadelphia, PA, another chocolate company was in Lititz, PA, Kendig Chocolate Company had started in 1900 and in 1902 was sold to The Ideal Chocolate Company which built a new plant at 48 North Broad St. adjacent to the Reading and Columbia rail station which made easy access to ingredients by rail. The company sold almond bars, chocolate cigars, and cocoa powder. In 1913, increased demand led to a five-story plant addition. In a 1927, Ideal merger with the Brewster Chocolate Company of Newark, NJ (another NJ connect) the company became the Brewster-Ideal Chocolate Company.
Red Book Magazine advertisement  for Wilbur Buds (year unknown)
Wilbur Chocolate Relocates, Eventually
Meanwhile,  H. O. Wilbur & Sons began business talks with a Swiss company, Chocolat Suchard, to secure rights to sell its chocolate. By 1928, the rights were purchased and the company name was Wilbur-Suchard Chocolate Company. 

Now comes the move to Lititz, after several mergers and acquisitions in the late 1920s, Wilbur-Suchard Chocolate bought out the Newark, NJ, Brewster-Ideal Chocolate factory and began operating three factories in Lititz, Philadelphia and Newark. Over time, the company shut down both the Philadelphia and Newark facilities and consolidated operations in the Lititz factory as that one was next to a railroad freight station. By year-end 1958, the company was solely the Wilbur Chocolate Company and it staying at the Broad St location there for nearly 60 years..
Besides the ever-popular Wilbur Bud, the company produced a variety of chocolate products and cocoa. In the early 1970s, a factory store was only open to employees for candy buys. Lititz is a small town, son word got out. Non-employees, mostly town residents, requested the store be opened to the public. And, it did in 1972 and, you know what, visitors came — to no one's surprise chocolate sales increased. 
These items were in the former Candy Americana Museum
Its value as a tourist destination increased even more after Penny Buzzard, wife of a former company president, spearheaded a move to add a Candy Americana Museum within the store Later, a candy-making kitchen was added so that tourists visitors could watch chocolatiers hand-make small batches of customer favorites. 

Chocolate Meltdown or Mergers and Aquisitions
In 1968, Wilbur Chocolate became a wholly-owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Company and was sold four more times in 12 years. In 1992, it became part of the Minnesota-based Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate family. In 2016, the aging Broad St facility was shut down. and the bulk of chocolate production that had been done in Lititz was shifted to Cargill’s other PA-based facilities. Today, Wilbur Chocolate is one of four premium chocolate brands produced and sold by Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, others are Peter’s Chocolate, Veliche Belgian Chocolate, and Gerkens Cocoa Powder. 
The Wilbur Chocolate Store is located across the street from the former factory
The factory closed and so did the candy museum, but within a couple of years, the Wilbur Chocolate Store opened across the street from the former factory. Cargill, Inc. spent an estimated $250K dollars on the renovation of a former family-owned hardware store. Pieces from the museum are now in the store. A candy kitchen is also featured in the new space. 
Wilbur Buds are sold in two varieties: semi-sweet (dark) and milk chocolate
There's free samples of Wilbur Buds which have remained the most popular of all Wilbur chocolates. (Yes, we had some.) They're still produced according to Wilbur’s original recipe and still only in semisweet and milk chocolate. When the factory closed, the museum did too, so the store now includes a display of Wilbur artifacts that provide an insight into the company's history including the original Wilbur Bud machine.
Street view of the redeveloped Wilbur Chocolate Factory, Lititz. PA
The closed factory has been redeveloped not only to include The Wilbur Hotel, but also condos, a restaurant, hotel, luxury apartments, senior living and specialty market shops. 

A Kiss is Still a Kiss 
But, not as in the As Time Goes By song in the 1942 film, Casablanca. In the early 19th century, the term kiss was a generic term commonly used to describe a variety of bite-size confectionery products like chocolate, cinnamon and molasses candies. Irish poet and novelist Oscar Wilde is quoted as saying "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery," but is it true for business as well? 

In 1907, Milton Hershey copied the Wilbur Bud, packaged it as the Hershey Kiss, a bite-sized piece of milk chocolate, and trademarked the name. Each candy was hand-wrapped until 1921 when new equipment automated foil wrapping. It also allowed adding the “Hershey plume” a paper strip that extends from the top of every chocolate. In early 1922, the Hershey Company took out full page ads reading: Insist upon having the “GENUINE” Sweet Milk Chocolate Hershey’s KISSES. Be Sure They Contain the Identification Tag ‘HERSHEY’S. In 1923,  Hershey trademarked the Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses name. The plume was trademarked in 1924, which prevents any other conical foil-wrapped chocolate to use the same packaging.
Compared to the Wilbur Bud, a Hershey Kiss is a cone with a flat, plain bottom. But as its design was less fancy, the candy could be made mass-produced by dropping it on a flat belt instead of using a special mold like the Wilbur Bud which was hand created. Also, unlike the Hershey Kiss, the Wilbur Bud was sold in milk and dark chocolate and this remains the same, unlike its competitor which is now available in various flavors. In 1909, Henry Wilbur failed in an attempt to sue the copy cat candy company. However, I was unable to find out exactly why he was not successful.
The two products were often compared due to their proximity. Lititz is about 20 miles from Hershey Company headquarters in Hershey, PA. Wilbur remained a regional brand for years, today it can be purchased online and at select retail locations, unlike Hershey which became a global brand. 

This has nothing to do with chocolate, but Milton Hershey was a confirmed passenger on the Titanic's ill-fated 1912 voyage. After vacationing in France in the winter of 191, Hershey had booked passage on the Titanic, but work-related matters may have caused him to cancel the sailing. Instead, he rebooked passage on the SS Amerika (later USS America) and left 4 days before Titanic sailed. 
The Wilbur Hotel gives guests a sample chocolate package
As chocoholics who have savored various types of chocolates, our preference is for the Wilbur Bud.
This was the view from our living room window early this morning. An overnight snowfall has nearly filled in the Nashua River. (I never tire of this scene.)

Monday, January 27, 2025

What Is This, the Reveal

There were a lot of guesses to the What Is This? in last week's Friday Funnies post. 
Good news is that several folks were absolutely correct ! 

You ALL know who you are as there were quite a few, but the first one to ID it right on was Brenda, seconded by Sandra and then many others. 

It just goes to show that fooling some folks can be tough. Still, it was fun to read the other IDs which included a lighthouse, tower. chimney stack, building vent and staircase rail. 

Yes, it's an outdoor trash receptacle that was photographed in downtown Nashua, NH.
Far too many times commonplace things catch my attention and I'm too easily amused (just ask Grenville). This gets me wondering if such images would intrigue others too.

Thanks for playing along and there may be similar posts in the future.

Friday, January 24, 2025

Friday Funnies

This week's Friday Funnies photo is different for a change up. It’s a What is This photo? that was taken in Nashua, NH, recently.


No clue?
Here's some hints, which may (or may not) help.

This item is not unusual and this is a shadow photo. The actual item is something found in an outdoor location, even if not in this exact shape. Despite the fact that the shape can be different, it is something that is used by folks in many places. Most likely, in your town too.

As usual, no prizes awarded to those who get it correctly, just braggin' rights. 

Good luck and the reveal will be next week.


Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone & Stay Warm
A slight warmup coming after single digit temps overnight, daytime in the teens

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Here We Snow Again !

Nashua River snow scenes from our living room window
This past weekend, NH had several inches of snow Sunday 
overnight into early Monday a.m. Official tallies place the amount here in Nashua at just over 6 inches and due to temps that plummeted from the 40s to the teens, this snowfall was very fluffy. By mid-morning Monday, most area roads were down to blacktop, but roadway traffic was light as it was a federal holiday celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr and federal offices, including the postal service, schools, banks and some business were closed. 

Instead of going outdoors to walk on snowy or icy walkways, my exercise was walking inside the very long mill building hallways. The main floor or 3rd floor, is a 1/4 of a mile, there are five floors in two connected buildings. In addition to exercise, the walk provided a look at displays outside the apartments of other residents.
These figures were the size of a small child
A campaign to create Martin Luther King Jr. Day began after the civil right leader's April 4, 1968 assassination. (A date that coincides with my brother's birthday.) In 1983, the holiday was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, yet wasn't officially observed until 1986. 

Why? there was resistance from groups and some states who questioned whether King deserved a federal day of commemoration. Since 2000, MLK Day has been recognized in all 50 states. It's always observed on the third Monday in January, which falls near King's January 15 birthday.
Other displays were quite smaller
Yesterday, celebrations for MLK Day and Inauguration Day coincided for the third time. (Please refrain from comments about this irony; it's not a political post.) Each time this has happened for a U.S. President's second term of office. President Bill Clinton was sworn in on January 20, 1967. President Barack Obama was sworn in on Sunday, January 20, 2013, but Inauguration Day events took on Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, MLK Day. These two events won't coincide again until January 2053.
Besides snowman, penguins and gnomes were popular displays
Only a couple of southern states, Alabama and Mississippi, have combined the holiday with Robert E. Lee Day to honor the January 19 birthday of the Confederate general. When we lived in Virginia, Lee-Jackson Day was celebrated as a state holiday to commemorate two Confederate leaders, Lee and Stonewall Jackson. The date was celebrated as a state holiday during the dozen years we lived there. It was eliminated in 2020 and replaced by Election Day as a state holiday.
In addition to shelf displays, the entry of some resident's apartments feature floor rugs and flags that included snowmen and also a moose.
There's no further snow predicted in Nashua, NH, for the 10-day forecast, but frigid temps are already here. This snow is expected to stay around for the rest of the week at least.
A few snowman competition entries
Currently, there's a snowman competition within the mill apartments with entry of the above creations. Residents vote online or by paper ballot. The winning entrant will receive a one-month indoor parking spot. If the winning resident already pays for an indoor space, that amount will be credited to his/her account.
Snowmen keeping warm in our apartment
While, this snowfall was less than expected, yesterday was a good day to be indoors, so a pot of homemade chicken soup was on the F&P menu. Today, Grenville is trying out a focaccia recipe, so our dinner is all set. We hope t
hat everyone who had snow and cold temps are safe and warm — think Spring, 58 days away on March 20 !

Friday, January 17, 2025

Friday Funnies

Recently, in a local thrift store, I spotted these ruby red shoes and thought of — can you guess what?

That's right, the ruby slippers sported by Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) in the 1939 American musical fantasy film, The Wizard of Oz. True, they don't look the same, but these were much less costly. It's amazing at what some uber-rich folks buy for who knows why.
Glinda, the good witch, gifted the slippers to Dorothy
The ones shown below sold  at auction in December 2024 for an astounding $28 million — for shoes without any rubies !

Dallas-based auction house, Heritage Auctions, had estimated they would surpass $3 million since online bidding stood at $1.55 million before live bidding began. Fast bidding surpassed that figure, some bidders phoned in offers and bidding ended in 15 minutes with an unknown buyer. Figuring in auction house fee, the total cost paid was about $32.5 million — all for movie memorabilia with no real jewels, the slippers are made of sequins(The previous auction record for entertainment memorabilia was $5.52 million for a windswept white dress Marilyn Monroe wore in the 1955 film,The Seven Year Itch.)
Ruby red slippers that went for $28 million at auction, December 2024 
Ironically, in the 1900 The Wizard of Oz book by Frank Baum, Dorothy's slippers are silver. Production company MGM chose red so they would stand out against the yellow-brick road featured in the Technicolor film. The costume team made multiple pairs to ensure against damage during filming. Only four pairs are known to have survived and are owned by private collectors. A pair is displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. 

In 2005, this pair of the iconic footwear was stolen from the Judy Garland Museum in the late actor’s hometown of Grand Rapids, MN, after a thief smashed a glass display case. Their whereabouts were unknown until the FBI recovered them in 2018. The later convicted thief said he'd been told the slippers contained real jewels. 

The pair has been on loan to the museum, Garland's 1920s restored birthplace, housing a Judy Garland and Wizard of Oz collection. After their recovery, they were returned to their owner, Michael Shaw, a California collector.  In 1969, he had bought the shoes and a gingham dress from former MGM film costumer Kent Warner for $2,500. When stolen, they were insured for $1 million.

Grand Rapids wanted to get the shoes back and bid in the auction. The museum had solicited donations to boost the amount raised by the city of Grand Rapids at its annual Judy Garland festival. Minnesota lawmakers had also set aside $100,000, hardly enough as it turned out. 
And, not only did the thrift store have a pair of red shoes, but also these actual red slippers. The shoes and slippers together were less costly than the movie ones. Full disclosure, while my name is Dorothy, I've never owned a pair of ruby red footwear of any type.

(In answer to a comment, the only thing obtained during this thrift store visit were the red shoes and slippers photos; however, I did do a clothing drop-off.)

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
It's good to be home without clicking my heels 3 times.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

An Unexpected Sighting

Photo was taken by myself and published in this local online publication
While we've become accustomed to viewing various types of bird life on the Nashua River from our 5th floor mill apartment window, such as gulls, Canada geese, Mallard ducks, cormorants and great blue herons. This was a very unusual site last week when we spotted this pair of Mute Swans. (All of these photos were taken indoors from our apartment.)
This pair stayed close to one another the entire time
This pair was quite attentive to one another during the half hour or more that we watched until they were out of our viewing. According to online sources, Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) mate in a complex ritual. They will stare at one another doing up and down neck motions and will often raise both heads together to look at each other with sideways glances turning their heads from side to side They are known for being monogamous and forming long-lasting relationships, usually until one of the pair dies.

Hopefully, this pair will return again, so I could take some photos from the riverbank. Gusty winds and frigid temps made going outdoors very uninviting last week.

FYI: The first photo above was published in the Nashua Great American Downtown online publication last week. Thanks to all who asked in the comments.