Ouch

One thing most Americans love to do is take a trip to the park. Seeing raw nature is always a treat and I hope everyone takes some time to enjoy it. There is some cause for concern though as the park can be dangerous to the unwary. Here are some things to watch out for.

Many believe that bear attacks are the worst thing that could happen. While they do occur on occasion, it is much more likely that an auto accident will occur. It is easy to be distracted by the scenery and lose concentration on the road. Those who drive should be especially careful. I hope everyone will remember to be safe while enjoying our national parks!

With so much pain and suffering going on in the country of Haiti, it’s good to hear some good news. One good thing is the ability of the United States to send help where it is needed most. One way we are doing so is by sending ships that will help supply the beleaguered country. Some of these ships are from my own local area.

Four ships that are normally based in Norfolk have been released to help move the massive amount of supplies that will be necessary to relieve the country of Haiti. The ships will be on location soon and will work to bring in supplies of cargo and skilled people. I am glad to be a part of this glorious action.

Once again, we are saddened to hear about another tradition that is coming to an end. This time it is the famous Orient Express train service that ran from Paris to Istanbul. After being established in the 1880’s, the service has provided people with transportation and mystery. One famous book that was based on the train is Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express”. Another of its famous passengers was Van Helsing who rode off to battle Dracula. I am sorry to hear about the demise of the service, but am glad that it will always be remembered.

I was reading an interesting story today about the town of Bridgewater, South Dakota. It seems that a plant that held 44 tons of Bison meat was left unattended over the winter and into the spring. Being as that the freezer’s electricity was cut, the meat began to spoil. The citizens of the town were left with a terrible smell.

The whole town was offended by the smell and was forced to clean up the meat that had now spoiled terribly. The owner of the warehouse could not be reached for comment, but has been given a bill for cleaning up the mess. I think they should have sent him some of the meat!!

This is a pretty funny story that reminded me of the famous Hatfield and McCoy feud. It seems that a Pennsylvania man named William Maser likes to work on old firearms. The history buff shoots old cannons on his property for fun. The problem is that when he fired a recently recovered cannon, the two pound ball went through his neighbors window before landing in the closet.

Luckily, no one was hurt in the incident and everything is forgiven. That is of course except for the police who have filed charges of criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, and reckless endangerment.