GA brought this article to my attention and I wanted to share it as an open to really bring it into focus! The article appeared on Cowboy State Daily:

When the Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon two weeks ago, the loss of the unique structure, opened in 1928, was mourned by historians and national park enthusiasts.

The Grand Canyon Lodge was one of many structures throughout the United States that exemplified the iconic “parkitecture” aesthetic prevalent throughout the U.S. National Park Service.

These impressive structures, made of locally sourced materials, were built to make the parks more accessible to the people — and make a big impression on everyone who stepped inside.

Knowing Why, Not How

Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, but many of its amenities were still lacking by the turn of the century. When the Upper Geyser Basin Hotel, “the Shack Hotel,” burned down in 1894, there was a need for a new lodge in the vicinity of the park’s most popular attraction, Old Faithful.

Harry Child, president of the Yellowstone Park Company, hired architect Robert Reamer to design and build a new lodge overlooking Old Faithful. Reamer was only 29 years old, but he understood the assignment.

Details about the construction of the Old Faithful Inn remain, according to Henry, “One of the profound mysteries in Yellowstone’s history.”

Despite the historical significance of the inn and the enormous effort and logistics it must have taken to build it, there are almost no records of the actual construction.

“It must have been the biggest thing that was going on in the park at the time, and yet, there are almost no records about the actual construction,” he said. “As far as I know, there are only two photographs of the inn under construction, and there’s very little mention of it in the U.S. Cavalry’s logbook.”

Locally Sourced

Details of the Old Faithful Inn’s construction aren’t an entire mystery. The lodgepole pines used to build the enormous structure were harvested within an eight-mile radius of the construction site, and the rhyolite stone used for the foundation came from a quarry in the Black Sand Basin, five miles away.

Mike Keller, vice president and general manager for the Xanterra Travel Collection in Yellowstone National Park, said the Northern Pacific Railroad provided a crew of 45 railroad trestle builders for the construction, which was overseen by Reamer. They relentlessly worked through the winter to bring Reamer’s design to fruition.

“Reamer tried to design it like you’re walking through the forest,” he said. “That’s why nothing is synchronized in the building.”

Even if the U.S. Cavalry’s logbook didn’t log a lot of information on the log work, it proceeded at an impressive pace. The initial construction, which consisted of the lobby and first wing of guest rooms, started in 1903 and powered through the winter and spring until the entire complex was open for business by June 1904.

When it opened in June 1904, the Old Faithful Inn had 120 rooms in one wing off the massive lobby, complete with an 85-foot-tall rhyolite fireplace. The hotel had the latest amenities, including electric lighting and steam heat.

Keller noted how most of the windows in the rooms are offset, and no two rooms are exactly alike. That was a deliberate choice by Reamer and the builders to give guests the perception that the Old Faithful Inn was an enhancement to the natural beauty they’d come to see.

The entire construction cost was $125,000, which is equivalent to more than $4.3 million today. Furnishing the massive inn cost another $25,000 (over $900,000 today).

“Nobody knew what to expect when they arrived in 1904,” Keller said. “They take their stagecoach to Old Faithful, and there’s this magnificent log structure sitting there that hadn’t been there the summer before. It’s stunning to think of what they accomplished in less than a year.”

The Sweet Spot

Keller, who lived and worked in the Old Faithful Inn for 15 years, has been infatuated with the historic structure since he first stepped inside.

“There’s a place in the lobby we literally call the ‘Sweet Spot,’ where people walk into the building for the first time,” he said. “You can always tell when people have been in that building for the first time, just by the reaction it draws out of them. It’s amazing.”

The inside of the Old Faithful Inn is iconic for many reasons. Once visitors look beyond the massive rhyolite fireplace, they notice the forest of trident-shaped logs that hold the support beams that carry the inn into the sky above.

“The ridge of the ceiling inside the lobby is about 76 feet, 10 inches,” Henry said. “I measured it once for the sake of my book. A lot of the materials lifted to that level were massive, and more massive boulders were used to construct the fireplace and its chimney. Considering the technology of 1903 and 1904, and the remoteness of the area, I think it’s a remarkable achievement.”

Henry and Keller aren’t the only ones with an emotional attachment to the Old Faithful Inn. Keller said many of the dining, maintenance, lodging, and retail staff have been there longer than he has out of sheer love for their “office” at Old Faithful.  

“They come to Yellowstone for their first summer, and stay for 10 or 12 years, but they always want to go back to Old Faithful,” he said.

That passion extends to visitors who book rooms up to a year in advance in anticipation of staying at the Old Faithful Inn. Keller has encountered countless families who revel in their family history of visiting Yellowstone and staying at the inn.

“I’ve had fourth and fifth generation people who come back to the end every year with their kids and their grandkids,” he said. “They bring photo albums and talk about how their great-grandfather stayed in this room in 1913, and they have photographs to show it. The inn connects with people who have a historical legacy tied to Yellowstone.”

Year-Round Upkeep

Unlike other hotels in Yellowstone, the Old Faithful Inn is a seasonal experience. Since its opening, the inn has been open to guests only during the summer season.

“It’s never been open during the winter,” Henry said. “It’s always been a seasonal operation, but it does need year-round attention, and work on and in the building is done during summer, spring, fall, and winter.”

Henry used to provide some of that maintenance as one of Yellowstone’s winter caretakers. From 1977 to 1984, he was employed by the Yellowstone Park Company to clear snow from the slanted roof, ensuring the weight of the winter snow didn’t cause any collapses.

Xanterra took over the seasonal maintenance of the Old Faithful Inn in 1984 and continues to do so to this day. Keller said it’s a constant endeavor, regardless of the season, to ensure the structure stays strong and standing.

 “The National Park Service is ultimately responsible for that facility, and it takes great pride in making sure that it is being maintained and preserved for current and future generations,” he said. “Xanterra has the opportunity to manage that facility, and we take it very seriously.”

Keller said the inn’s fire suppression and other safety systems are inspected by a third-party auditor every year to ensure they’re ready in the event of an emergency. Any major improvements or upgrades required are done as needed, rather than on the multi-year timetable that’s typical for many hotels.

 “We did a significant structural improvement to the building, with a lot of seismic stabilization, in the early 2000s,” he said. “Within the last five to seven years, we’ve pretty much completed every major component that’s been needed within the building with every reason available, to ensure we’re open and operating with the most sophisticated, up-to-date systems.”

To that end, Keller understands why the Old Faithful Inn isn’t a year-round lodging option. He’s been inside the inn during the winter and, in his opinion, you might be warmer sleeping outside.

“The lobby’s nice and cool in the summertime, but in the winter it’s colder inside the building than outside the building,” he said. “If it’s 20 degrees below outside, it can be 30 degrees below inside. It’s like a reverse-engineered cave in winter.”

Offense Is The Best Defense

There have been some close calls for the Old Faithful Inn over the last century. Henry was amazed that the structure was still standing after everything that threatened to destroy it.

“It survived many, many winters with no fire protection,” he said. “It survived that harsh climate. It survived the 1959 earthquake. It survived the 1988 fires. Not to take anything away from the crew that constructed the building, or Reimer’s work, but, amazingly, the inn has been able to survive this long. It’s a special story, just for that reason.”

The Hebgen Lake earthquake in 1959 caused significant damage to the Old Faithful Inn, including a shattered foundation, partial roof collapse, and the loss of the dining room’s fireplace. Thankfully, there were no deaths or injuries, and everything was promptly repaired.

When the 1988 North Fork Fire threatened the Old Faithful area, proactive measures were taken to ensure the inn’s timber didn’t become tinder. Fire crews hosed down the entire structure to reduce its risk of catching fire, which very well might have ensured its survival.

Meanwhile, many of the recent renovations and upgrades, including the major centennial renovation in 2004, have focused on getting the historic inn closer to its original state. Original materials are used or restored whenever possible, and some design elements obscured during earlier renovations have since been restored.

“We’ve done this enough times that we know what we’re doing,” Keller said. “If you don’t do it right, there are consequences. We take our work seriously because the Old Faithful Inn is a treasure.”

Parkitectural Legacy

Reimer went on to design many other structures in Yellowstone, including the Lake and Canyon Hotels, as well as additions to these hotels, the Mammoth Hotel, and the 1913 addition of the west wing to the Old Faithful Inn.

The massive 10-by-17-foot wooden map of the United States in the Mammoth Hotel Map Room was handcrafted by Reimer and his associate W.H. Fey. He went on to design lodges, train stations, and theaters throughout the U.S. until he died in 1937 at age 65.

Meanwhile, the Old Faithful Lodge was designed and built in the same style as the Old Faithful Inn by Gilbert Stanley Underwood in 1927. Underwood went on to design lodges throughout the National Park system, including the recently lost Grand Canyon Lodge on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Henry said the Old Faithful Inn was so influential on Underwood and other architects and designers that the aesthetic of the National Park Service was modeled after its revolutionary design. That style has come to be known as “parkitecture.”

“The Old Faithful Inn was definitely a trendsetter,” he said. “It set an example for future construction in many other national parks. It became a phenomenon.”

The Old Faithful Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987 along with the rest of the structures in the Old Faithful Historic District. In 2007, architects were asked to rank the 150 favorite buildings in the United States – the Old Faithful Inn came in at number 36.

Keller intrinsically understands why the Old Faithful Inn has withstood the test of time. Reimer, in his words, “knew what he was doing” when he designed the most iconic structure in Yellowstone, and one of the most iconic in the nation.

“Keep in mind, when you came to Yellowstone in 1904, you were on the train for two to three days to get there,” he said. “Then, you’re on a seven-day stagecoach trip around the park. They wanted to create a signature experience on that tour, and that’s why the Old Faithful Inn was designed to be great.”

Today is Joan Jett’s birthday (born in 1958) and this great song is one of my favorites!

I saw him dancing there by the record machine
I knew he must have been about seventeen
The beat was going strong
Playing my favorite song
And I could tell it wouldn’t be long till he was with me, yeah me
And I could tell it wouldn’t be long till he was with me, yeah me

Singing, I love rock and roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock and roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Ow!

He smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
But that don’t matter, he said, ’cause it’s all the same
He said, “Can I take you home
Where we can be alone?”
And next we were moving on, he was with me, yeah me
Next we were moving on, he was with me, yeah me

Singing, I love rock and roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock and roll
So come and take your time and dance with me
Ow!

He said, “Can I take you home
Where we can be alone?”
Next we’re moving on, he was with me, yeah me
And we’ll be moving on and singing that same old song, yeah with me

Singing, I love rock and roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock and roll
So come and take your time and dance with me

I love rock and roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock and roll
So come and take your time and dance with

I love rock and roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock and roll
So come and take your time and dance with

I love rock and roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock and roll
So come and take your time and dance with

I love rock and roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock and roll
So come and take your time and dance with me

Fun Fact

The Pasque flower is used in treating eye diseases like cataracts.

The Pasque flower was approved as the official floral emblem of South Dakota in 1903. The first flower to show its blossoms to settling Europeans in spring, it became the subject of Indian songs and legends.

A member of the Buttercup family, the tundra-loving Pasque is a small solitary bell-shaped flower with gorgeous blue to reddish purple colors, bearing plumed seed heads and golden stamens. It has handsome seed clusters that look like feathery, smoky gray pompoms. The blooming period of Pasque is from April to May, lasting for two weeks. As soon as it blooms, it signals the start of spring to South Dakotans and lights up the landscape from Mount Vernon to Sioux City.

Pasque is a low perennial, rarely exceeding 6 inches in height, and its furry leaf clusters appear rapidly after winter snow disappears. Large, flashy lavender flowers open soon thereafter consisting of 5-8 petal-like sepals, elongated clusters of white to purple, and a ring of numerous yellow stamens. The petal color ranges from deep violet to white. The long silky hairs that cover the finely divided, lobed leaves give the plant a sparkly silver sheen. These leaves continuously expand after the flowers open. The flowering stalk or stem is densely covered with silky hairs, helping to insulate it.

Pasque, all parts of which are poisonous, grows wild throughout the state, plus is distributed from the northwestern U.S. to northern Alaska. The hardy plant is best adapted to cool, moist climates and rarely succeeds in warm dry areas.

North Carolina shares the squirrel as their state mammal with Kentucky, so we’ve already covered this interesting but annoying little creature.  And we also covered National Squirrel Appreciation Day in January (along with the saga of Peanut), so this month, we’re going in a completely different direction.  On the georgiawildlifeblog, I found this article listing 5 recipes using squirrels.  I am only presenting names and pictures of the dishes.  If you’d like the actually recipes, please click on the link listed.

From: georgiawildlifeblog:

Squirrels are everywhere! In fact, they’re the most common species in Georgia. They also happen to be pretty dang tasty. No seriously, don’t knock it til you try it. With the longest season of any species in Georgia (Aug. 15 thru Feb. 28) and a bag limit of 12 per day, you can quickly bring home enough tree rat meat to try all of these delicious recipes.

Need your hunting license before you hit your local Wildlife Management Area (WMA) grocery store? You can grab that here.

Buttermilk Fried Squirrel with Southern Gravy

Barbecued Squirrel

Slow Cooker Squirrel and Veggies

Squirrel Casserole

Squirrel Alfredo

5 Best Squirrel Recipes You’ll Ever Taste

Beavers are the official mammal of New York State, and occur almost anywhere there is moving water and trees on the shoreline. They are also the largest rodent on the continent of North America.

Adult beavers average a length of 3-3.5 feet and a weight of 30-60 pounds. They are most easily identified by their broad, flat tails that help them swim, fell trees, and signal danger, among other functions. The lifespan of most beavers is less than 10 years, but some individuals far surpass that, and can even reach age 20.

The preferred foods of beavers are plant materials, including aquatic vegetation, and twigs and bark from trees. Their favorite species of trees to consume are poplar, aspen, birch, willow, and maple, and beavers make sure they stock up on these in the fall, so they’ll be set through the winter. To make it through the colder months, a beaver family may require a one- to two-ton food cache.

Beaver Dams and Lodges

Aside from their flat, paddle-like tails, beavers are most well-known for the large dams they build in running bodies of water. While most of these dams average about 100-200 feet in length and 5-7 feet in height, some have measured as long as 2,000 feet and as high as 10 feet from the bottom of the stream.

To build these remarkable structures, beavers use their sharp front teeth to fell trees, which they drag into the water. They anchor the wood with mud and rocks, and pack mud, leaves, and other debris in between logs to hold back the water. Beavers build dams to stop the water from running, so a pocket of deep water is created. They choose to build their lodges in these areas of deep water, so they can dive down and be safe from predators.

Beaver lodges are typically 12-14 feet wide at the base, with 5 to 6 feet protruding above the water. Like dams, lodges are built from logs, sticks, rocks, and mud, and typically feature two underwater tunnel entrances. Beavers also build separate feeding and bedding areas. In the winter, lodges may hold the adult male and female, their young from the most recent breeding season and the one before that, and occasionally related non-breeding adults. As many as 12 individuals could lodge together.

Beavers in the Adirondacks

Beavers were abundant before European settlement, and could be found all over New York State, with the exception of Long Island. Unfortunately, the popular New World beaver pelt trade and deforestation resulted in only a few beavers being left in the Adirondacks by 1840.

Between 1901 and 1907, 34 adult beavers were released into the region by private landowners and legislators who wanted to help the species’ numbers increase. By 1924, the population had grown so significantly that a regulated trapping season was instituted to control nuisance and damage.

The Department of Environmental Conservation estimates that the current beaver population in the Adirondacks is between 50,000-70,000. Over time, it has been found that the regulated trapping has been the most effective means of reducing the negative impact of beavers on other species. While they are an important part of the ecosystem, beavers can unfortunately flood property, cut down rare trees, and can lead to water temperature increases that make bodies of water uninhabitable for other species, like trout.

Beaver Fun Facts

Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to modify their environment

The gestation period of a beaver is 3.5 months

The average litter contains 2-4 kits

Kits can swim immediately after they’re born

Beavers are nocturnal

Beavers have transparent eyelids so they can see under water

The largest beaver dam in existence is in Wood Buffalo National Park and can be seen from space

Beavers’ large teeth never stop growing

SOURCE: ADIRONDACK.NET

I found a great article on thefactfile.org website detailing amazing facts about St. Patty’s Day. 

From: thefactfile.org:

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated each year on March 17^th. The day is the observation of the death of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. With these 30 St Patrick’s Day facts, let’s uncover more about this great festival which is celebrated all over the world.

1. St Patrick was born in 385 AD in a place believed to be Banna Venta Berniae, a town in Roman Britain (his exact place of birth is however uncertain). He died during the fifth century in the year 461 AD at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland.

2. St Patrick’s Day commemorates the arrival of the Christianity in Ireland. It happened in the year 432.

3. Patrick was born to Roman parents (Calpurnius and Conchessa). He was not Irish, instead, he was English. His given name was Maewyn Succat. Thus, technically we would be celebrating “Maewyn Day” instead of the “St Patrick’s Day” if his name was not changed. He wrote a book–Confessio–during his last years.

4. At the age of 16, St Patrick was kidnapped and was taken to Ireland. He was kidnapped by a group of Irish raiders who were attacking his family’s estate. He worked there for 6 years tending sheep and then escaped and became a priest.

5. St Patrick’s Day is also known as the ‘Feast of Saint Patrick’ and the ‘Day of the Festival of Patrick’. Patrick studied and received his training in the religion for more than 12 years after he escaped from the captivity of the Irish raiders.

6. Saint Patrickused Shamrock (a young sprig of clover) to teach the pagans about the Holy Trinity. The shamrock is now the official flower of Ireland. It is associated with St Patrick.

7. St Patrick’s Day has been observed by the Irish asa religious holiday for more than 1,000 years.

8. ‘Blue’ was the color associated with St Patrick before the adoption of green as the color for the festival. The color blue was featured both in the royal court and on ancient Irish flags. In 1798, the color green became officially associated with the day.

9. The first Patrick’s Day paradewas held in Waterford (the oldest and the fifth most populous city in the Republic of Ireland) in 1903.

10. More than 100 Saint Patrick parades are held across the United States. Almost 12% of Americans claim Irish ancestry. More people of Irish ancestry live in the United States than in Ireland.

11. One claim in history deeply associated with St Patrick is that he banished all the snake from Ireland. However, this claim is not true because it has been discovered that the chances of survival of snakes in Ireland are minimal because of the cold conditions of the region. However, some say that the snakes represent the pagans he converted to Christianity.

12. In 1762, the first New York City parade took place. With over 150,000 participants, the St Patricks Day parade in New York is the world’s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States. And more than 3 million spectators line the parade route which is 1.5 miles long. The parade takes more than 5 hours to come to an end.

13. On this day, Catholics attend church in the morning and then watch a St Patrick’s Day parade.

14. The Chicago River (the system of rivers and canals has a combined length of 156 miles) is dyed green on this day (since 1962). However, the first year when the river was dyed green, 100 pounds of vegetable dye was released into the river. This kept the river green for almost a week. However, today, they use only 40 lbs of the green dye to color the river for the day to keep the environmental damages in check. Now, the dye lasts for about 5 hours.

15. Guinness (an Irish dark beer that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness) sale almost doubles on St Patrick’s Day as compared to the regular days when 5.5 million pints of it is sold.

16. The200^th anniversary of St Patrick’s Day was marked in Sydney Opera House by making it green.

17. Thefirst St Patrick’s Day celebration in the United States was held in Boston in 1737.

18. On this day, people usually eat corned beef and cabbage, and they wear green. However, corned beef is an English dish and not Irish.

19. Wearing green attire or shamrock is also a St Patrick’s Day tradition. It is one of Irish tradition to pinch someone who is not wearing green on the day.

20. Between 1903 and 1970 most pubs in Ireland were closed because St Patrick’s Day was a religious holiday. However, the holiday was reclassified as a national holiday and the nation started drinking even on this day. Drinking on this day has become a strong St Patrick’s Day tradition.

21. St Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in both Ireland and North Ireland. It is a provincial holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland.

22. World’s shortest St Patrick’s Day parade is held in Arkansas, which runs for a total of 98 feet.

23. More than 450 churches are named for St Patrick in the United States. And 5.5 million tourists visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City every year.

24. St Patrick’s Day is one of the most celebrated festivals in the world. Others may includeLa Tomatina — Buñol, Spain; Holi — Celebrated by Hindus Around the World; Carnaval — Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Lantern Festival — Pingxi, Taiwan. 

25. St Patrick’s Day parades began in North America in the 17^th century but they did not spread to Ireland until the 20^th century.

26. St Patrick’s Day is not celebrated on March 17 when it falls within the Holy Week (the week just before Easter, Holy Week in 2018 will begin on Sunday, 25 March and ends on Saturday, 31 March). This once happened when the day coincided with Palm Sunday in 1940 and then again in 2008. The celebration of the Day is adjusted in such a scenario. In 1940 it was observed on 3 April and in 2008 it was observed on 15 March. Now, until 2160, St Patrick’s Day will not fall under the Holy Week.

27. St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries including Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Russia and other countries of the Irish Diaspora (refers to Irish people and their descendants who live outside Ireland).

28. More than 1 million people take part in the St Patrick’s Festival (between March 15^th and 17th) in Dublin every year.

29. John Fitzgerald Kennedy the 35th president of the United States of America worn a green tie for photographs when Ireland’s ambassador to the US, Thomas Kiernan, turned up at the White House with a bowl of shamrock on 17 March.

30. Finding a four leaf clover on St Patrick’s Day is considered lucky as you only have one chance in 10,000. Generally, you will find a three leaf clover.

SOURCE: THEFACTFILE.ORG

Why is St. Patrick’s Day celebrated on March 17?

Where and when was the first St. Patrick’s Day parade ever recorded?

What’s the oldest and largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the world?

What do the three leaves of a shamrock symbolize on St. Patrick’s Day?

What does the circle at the very center of a Celtic cross represent?

What is a boxty?

Which coastal Southern city has had a huge St. Patrick’s Day parade and celebration since 1813?

What does “Erin go bragh” mean?

How do leprechauns earn their gold?

What is the traditional main dish served at many St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in America?

So, how did you do?

It’s the day Saint Patrick died in 461 CE.

St. Augustine, Florida, in 1601. The area was then a Spanish colony, but it had an Irish vicar.

The New York City Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, first held in 1762.

The Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), according to the legend that Saint Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the concept to potential converts. It can also symbolize love, hope, and faith.

The sun.

An Irish potato cake.

Savannah, Georgia.

Ireland forever.

Making and mending shoes.

Corned beef and cabbage.

Until next month…stay sharp!

When I was a kid, if you wanted to carve a pumpkin, you got Mom’s sharpest knife (and then she took it from you cuz you might cut yourself) and then you got the knife Mom thought was safe and you cut out your pumpkin face. If you were lucky, you didn’t cut yourself and the jack-o-lantern was passable.

But these days?  There are stencils and cutters to make carving pumpkins easy!

Then there are the pumpkin works of art!

Happy carving!