DAR Relative

For as long as I can remember I've known that I am related to one of the first famous women in American history: Penelope Stout. Born in Amsterdam in 1622, when she was 18 years old she came to America with her first husband, John Kent. Heading for Manhattan, they landed in what is now known as Monmouth County, NJ. The rest of the group continued on foot, but she stayed with her husband who was very ill. 

They were attacked by Native Americans and left for dead. She was in very rough shape -- scalped, face fractures, left shoulder damaged, a large cut across her stomach -- which led to her bowels hanging out. I add these gross details because this happened before she bore my ancestor. A weaker person would have crawled up and died. She hid in a hollow tree eating bugs and parts of the tree for days until she was rescued a week later by a different, kinder tribe. The younger man wanted to kill her, but the older man stopped him. He carried her to their camp, where he sewed up her wounds with fish bone needles and vegetable fiber. After she recovered, he took her to New Amsterdam (now New York City) to return to her countrymen.

Two years later she met her future husband, Richard Stout from Nottingham, England. They wed when she was 22 and he was 40. Together they had seven children. She lived until she was 110 -- some might say 92 years longer than she should have. 

Clearly. Clearly. We had family living in the United States during the Revolutionary War. They settled in what is now known as Hopewell, NJ. I have met some of my distant relatives through the Hopewell Historical Society. Though I could connect my family history from Penelope Stout through to my mom's mom (whom we called Grandee), we didn't know of anyone who actually served in the Revolutionary War.

Fast forward to a Facebook post (yes, there are good parts to it). The Lawrence Historical Society shared that the Princeton DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) was planning to host a genealogy session, all were invited to learn their roots.

Claudia, their super sleuth, pretty quickly agreed with what I thought -- there was no direct line from my grandmother through to someone who served in the Revolutionary War. Just as I was about to stand up and thank her for her time, she became like a terrier with a bone and wanted to search the other lines. I knew my dad's line was out of the question since his grandparents came here in the early 20th century.

Then she spotted a name. Noah Wiswell.

You think Penelope was tough, born in 1699, Noah Wiswell decided at the age of 75 he wanted to walk 28 miles from Newtown, Massachusetts to Lexington to see how his son (who is not a direct line to me) was doing. He was wounded in the Battle of Lexington and continued to live another ten years.  

There you have it. Our connection to the Revolutionary War is a 75-year old man, perhaps the oldest at the Battle of Lexington.

To join, we must provide documentation for three generations: my birth certificate, Don's birth certificate, our marriage license; the same for my parents; the same for my grandparents (though death certificates also work). Only last August they certified that Noah fought, so that part is easy for me.

As I looked over how to actually join, though, I suddenly didn't want to. There are a lot of fees (club and national), but it was the rules on filling out the forms that got me. First there is a standard for how to fill out the dates (I understand the need to keep their records consistent), but it has to be printed on "acid-free, 25% rag content, watermarked legal size paper. The form must be printed on legal sized paper in legal sized format."

My first thought was: How elitist!

Followed by: What else should I expect from an elitist organization. The only people who can join can prove they have a family member who fought in a war in our country nearly 250 years ago. Let that sink in.

I am proud to come from such hearty stock, but I don't need to join an exclusive club.

Meanwhile, next April is the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington. Anyone want to meet up with me to celebrate Uncle Noah and his band of merry men?

Martin House, Buffalo, New York

When I googled the top things to do in Buffalo, New York The Martin House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright keep appearing as a must-see place. As neither Don nor I had ever been inside a Frank Lloyd Wright house, but have wanted to, we decided to book a tour. Though normally closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the off-season, they decided to be open to catch the extra tourists flooding to Buffalo for the eclipse.

We booked the first tour on Wednesday knowing after the tour we still had a six-hour drive home and at least one more stop to make (popping in the local LEGO store so Don could add a stamp to his LEGO passport). 

Much of the introduction talked about the friendship between Buffalo executive Dwight Martin and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright saw a chance to fulfill his dreams designed a Prairie-style house for Martin and his deep pockets. Though the finished product barely seems livable, Martin was proud of the home.

We were not allowed to take pictures inside the home (there are some on the website), but what stood out to me was that Wright also designed the furniture and dictated what went on the walls (and where), including artwork Wright picked up while traveling in Japan and sent to the Martins (along with instructions on how to frame them, and a bill). He designed the bed shorter than typical beds because he felt it looked better in the master bedroom (Mrs. Martin did not care for it).

After Dwight Martin's death, and after his widow moved out of the home, it had a sad life. Though located next to an Olmstead park, it was much more expensive than anything else in the neighborhood, and expensive to maintain. In 1946 it went to the City of Buffalo in lieu of paying the property taxes owed on it. Later an architect bought it with hopes of restoring it to its FLW glory. Another point it was owned by a local university, used to woo a their future president who always wanted to live in a FLW home (he left three years later, the house wasn't enough to keep him). It sat vacant longer than it was lived in. Just before it was to be subdivided into apartments, locals joined together to form a non-profit to save it. What we see now is the result of many years of fundraising and restoration. They are still working on replacing some of the windows -- over the years some were given away, and others were broken. The price tag to replace the windows alone is staggering.

Though this was our first FLW home tour, I suspect it won't be our last.

Buffalo, New York

Much to my surprise, I fell in love with Buffalo, New York. 

Yes, every place looks that much nicer on a pretty Spring day, but there was more to it. I was expecting a depressed former factory town, and instead found a charming Main Street with several theaters and many brew pubs, major league baseball, and biking trails -- in other words, the type of place where I would ideally like to live.

They are also located a quick drive from another country, and have affordable housing. Everyone we met was friendly.

If only I didn't know that they often get feet of snow in the winter I might be tempted to move there.

Let's Go Buffalo!

In 2022 as we drove through Buffalo at 70 miles an hour I noticed just how close the Buffalo Bisons stadium is to the highway. Tantalizingly close. Had we not struggled to cross the border due to extra COVID security, I would have been tempted to leave Canada to go to a baseball game in the United States. Through COVID complications, the Buffalo Bisons became the Trenton Thunder during part of the 2021 baseball season. Seeing that they had a scheduled home game for the day after the eclipse made staying an extra day a slam dunk (oops, wrong sport metaphor). 

We returned to our $4 for ten hours street parking spot and spend the day on the tandem checking out the Erie Canalway Trail. They have an impressive trail system, which we should have studied more ahead of time. We ended up on trails that went through industrial places -- which is great for people who want to commute, but not great for sightseeing. 

Some pictures from our two rides. All together we rode about 30 miles.

The bike ferry would have cut down the time
it takes to go back to Downtown Buffalo,
but it only runs in the summer.

We followed the advice of last night's server and had lunch at Pearl Street Grill. We relaxed into the warehousy vibe and air conditioning as we enjoyed our sandwiches.

After some more biking, we went to the 6 PM game. Between the late lunch and early first pitch, timing was off for dinner before the game. The evening cooled off enough for us to enjoy one of my favorite Spring baseball traditions -- hot chocolate. Until 2020 when Thunder switched to the much shorter Draft League season, Don and I would start the season in April with a cup of hot chocolate to help take the chill off. It was warmer that a typical opening day game in Trenton, not enough to need a blanket, but just the right amount of chill that we enjoyed the warmth of the hot cup. It was such a good cup, Don went back for a second one.

The stands were pretty empty

Always fun when the home team wins!

The stadium's chant of Let's Go Buf-Fa-Lo threw me off as I'm used to the four beat chant of Let's Go Thun-Der, but while they could have done a four beat Let's Go Bi-Sons, they chose the five beat version and we went along.

When we got to the stadium, though we were seated in what I suspect were season ticket holder seats, it was quite empty. Afterwards I told Don I would have loved to have asked a season ticket holder if they visited Trenton during the 2021 season to see their opinion. He said I wished I had said something sooner as he noticed a couple of people seemed to be season ticket holders and I could have talked to them. Missed opportunity. Instead we sat behind a co-ed group of six friends in their late sixties, early seventies having as much fun as college-aged fans. Some knew the game. Some seemed to be at their first game. They worked together so everyone had a good time. I enjoyed watching their interaction between plays.

A highlight was the Bison had a Double Play in the Chik-Fil-A Double Play inning so we scored a free 5-piece set of nuggets. We cashed that in the next day for lunch on our ride home to New Jersey. It was just as bad as I remembered, perhaps a bit worse. Don ate mine, too.

I really enjoyed seeing a AAA game again. Each season Thunder says they are closing to having an affiliate for the following year. Once again, they don't have one.

After the game we caught dinner at the Big Ditch Brewing Company. We had dessert, too.

Biking and Walking Around the Niagara River

Feeling silly for driving six hours each way to see something that lasts less than five minutes, Don and I planned a mini-vacation around the eclipse. We got so excited about the rest of the trip, it discouraged us from changing plans to find someplace expecting more sunshine. That and he read an article in the Wall Street Journal that predicted the "lake effect" would encourage the clouds to burn off at peak (so we could get a "peek"). I think the Buffalo Tourism Office paid them to print that.

An hour after the eclipse we had beautiful weather so we drove to the border and rode the tandem along the Niagara River. It was a beautiful day for a ride. After the ride, we walked along the water and crossed into Niagara Falls, Canada.

As we walked across the Rainbow Bridge I was reminded of walking across the same bridge in 2022. Two years ago we were still living in the grips of the pandemic. The Canadian border had recently reopened. We had to use the ArriveCAN app to announce when (and how) we planned to enter Canada. The line to walk into the country was 45 minutes long. I suspect much of the hold up was people explaining they were there, so just let them in even though they hadn't filled out the official form on the app. This time we just showed the agent our passport and we were waived in. We were asked one question: how long do you plan to stay? I answered truthfully, an hour. After all, our car and belongings were on the other side.

Niagara Falls did not look much different in April 2024 than it did in July 2022. Due to being in totality, they had more crowds than usual, so many that they took the Maid of the Mist boats out instead of waiting until Memorial Day Weekend. It helped the weather was lovely. It was one of these moments I was grateful that I always keep my passport up to date.

Wonder how many stood between
the US and Canada to watch the eclipse

As we walked back over the Rainbow Bridge, we were treated to a fireworks display over New York. We ignored the sign's warning, and stood to enjoy the show. 

After the fireworks, there was an electric light show that was impressive. It ended with a QR code we could not get to work with our phones. Those near us could not get it to work, either. It was mesmerizing.

As we walked away we realized it was after 9 PM, we had been awake since 2:30 AM, and other than that pre-eclipse brunch, we had not eaten all day. We were starving!

I found a Texas Roadhouse near our hotel that was about to close. Made an online reservation and hightailed it before they closed. We walked in with another family who also misjudged the time. Our local bartending server gave us dinner recommendations for the next two nights. His recommendations were spot on! 

Total Eclipse of the Sun

Reminded of a promise I made to myself in 2017, and currently not working, Don and I made plans to experience a total eclipse. Unfortunately, the clouds had a different plan.

A month before the event, I went to Lowe's to buy eclipse glasses. Asking the salesclerks about the special glasses brought answers ranging from: What eclipse? What special glasses? All glasses are by the registers. They are in seasonal. They are in Aisle 14. They are in Aisle 2. Someone was asking about them last week, they have to be here someplace.

It turned out a different salesclerk moved them from electrical (Aisle 14) to the top of Aisle 2 (above toilets) in an unmarked box. (Made up the aisle numbers, but you get the gist.) It was taken down, but not opened. I was allowed to reach inside and grab a pair at random. Fortunately, it was what I wanted: a pair of glasses with a pair of covers for our iPhones. No idea what the other options were in the box. I left to finish my errands.

Next up, finding a reasonably priced place to stay. At $300 a night, the Motel 6 more than tripled their rates. We found a place outside Buffalo that wanted $99 a night instead of their usual off-season $59 rate. The caveat was we would have to drive up the day of the eclipse instead of staying over the night before.

We went on vacation to Cuba.

The eclipse was set from Texas to Maine. If we stayed home, we would experience about 89% totality, more than we did in 2017. I wanted more. And I wasn't alone. Before, during, and after I heard from friends making wild treks to see totality. We commiserated as we looked at weather forecasts (what exactly did they mean by cloudy?). Friends who made plans to go to Vermont saw an amazing eclipse. Family who traveled to upper Ohio saw an amazing eclipse. Friends who climbed to a rooftop in Montreal saw an amazing eclipse. Family who rented a car and studied the forecasts and drove to the middle of Arkansas saw an amazing eclipse.

Friends, like us, who made plans to upstate New York felt an amazing eclipse, but did not see it.

Somewhere along the way we had a choice to make. Do we chase the eclipse or do we enjoy the plans we made in Buffalo? We still had time to get a refund on our hotel room.

We chose Buffalo.

Subsequent posts will be about the fun we had in Buffalo -- a city I never before thought about visiting, but now find myself recommending to friends.

Back to eclipse.

About a month earlier I saw a FaceBook ad from the Buffalo Bison inviting people to watch the eclipse from their stadium. NASA was hosting a free event from the stadium (or pay a dollar to have your ticket emailed to you). There would be seats, concessions, indoor plumbing, and someone explaining what we were experiencing. There was even a countdown to the moment of totality -- much needed since the clouds rolled in blocking the sun.

I've tried to write this post a few times. Had we seen the eclipse, the words would have flowed. It has been hard to write about my disappointment. I'll press on, disjointed as it might be.

We left home at 3 AM for the six hour drive to make Buffalo before the stadium doors opened at 1 PM. The night before we packed the tandem into the back of Don's 2008 Honda Element, and tossed some clothes into a suitcase. The weather the days before and after the eclipse were looking to be stunning -- sunny and 70s. The forecast for the eclipse, a little cooler and partly cloudy.

Look at that pretty sky! As we drove closer we were still optimistic. However, we were not seeing the traffic jams we were told to expect (and which one friend faced on the drive home). We easily made it to Buffalo by 10:00 AM, even with bathroom stops. I snoozed a bit in the car. Don was a great driver (as always). Still no hordes of people in Buffalo. Hmm... we easily found street parking for $4 for ten hours, instead of the garage parking asking a gauged $30 (as the clouds rolled in, we saw that rate dropped significantly). 

We found a cafe and had lunch. On one side of us was a family from Pennsylvania. On the other, friends from Connecticut. Everyone was buzzing about the eclipse. The line was super long for breakfast food, but no one seemed to mind too much. After all, we were all just waiting for totality at 3:08 PM. There wasn't much to do until then but walk around Buffalo taking pictures.

Around 1 PM we went inside the stadium. They were anticipating the place would be packed. We had most of a section all to ourselves. I set up my iPhone on a tripod and waited. 

The NASA program was lacking. If this was an annual event, I'd send them feedback, but as the next eclipse isn't expected in the United States until 2044, with the following one expected a mere year later, they have time to work on their presentation.

The NASA scientist explained he faced similar weather conditions in 2017, actually his were worse because it was raining, but then the clouds parted for totality. All was not hopeless!

They showed us what was being seen in Texas, as it became clear we would not have the same experience in Buffalo, they went quiet.

As we watched what was happening on the field from the upper level of the third base side, we would sometimes hear cheers from the lower level. The NASA scientist even quipped she knew the cheers weren't for her, but because the sun was making an appearance.

Quick! Put on the special glasses!!!

Take a picture (or 12):

The clouds covered the sun as quickly as they had uncovered it. 

It was amazing when we could see it! My photography skills did not do it justice. For quick moments we could see the moon cover the sun ... slowly, ever so slowly.

It was too hard to find with the special cover on the lens, and it was more cloud than sun, so we took the special covers off both the camera lenses and our eyes.

In silence we realized totality arrived. It was unlike anything I ever experienced before, and now I get why people chase eclipses. Why I suddenly have a burning desire to book a trip to see one -- but really see one. Why my friend Mike has chased them from Wuhan, China (long before the world heard of the city) to a part of upstate New York where it could be seen. Why people book flights to lengthen how long they would experience totality. Why the Woody and Linda booked cruises to be in its path.  Why 90% totality is nothing like 100%.

The air becomes still. The temperature dropped a few degrees. They turned off the extra lights in the stadium. We could see outside the stadium lights set to come on at night automatically turned on. We could hardly breathe in the stillness. No one spoke. My eyes grew as I tried to take in every second of the promised 3 minutes 45 seconds of totality.

I resorted to looking at an app to see the eclipse

Suddenly we saw a fast sunrise

Don's shot of totality

Then, slowly, I noticed a second sunrise. The horizon was becoming lighter. It was as if life was suddenly returning to earth. I could picture ancestors becoming terrified when totality hit -- or maybe that is simply an modern interpretation of what happened. 

I wanted more. I wanted a redo. I wanted to go back in time with the new knowledge and plan a better trip. I wanted a promise that if I booked an eclipse trip that I would see an eclipse.

The small crowd left in silent solidarity. It was late enough to check into our hotel, so we did. Within an hour the sun came out and it was a perfect day so we drove to the Canadian border and walked around Niagara Falls.