December | 2013 | Psalmboxkey's Blog

Humble Contributions to the Peoples' History

Archive for December, 2013

Video

Manayunk’s First Annual Winter Solstice

Celtic Connection

Years ago I happened to be in Ireland during the celebration of the Summer Solstice, which was truly a magical experience as folks lit bonfires on beaches and hillsides in every town in the countryside. This year, just a day after my birthday on Saturday, December 21, the first day of winter, was time to reconnect to my Celtic roots. This event in Manayunk would be my first celebration of the Winter Solstice and held in a nearby neighborhood in Philadelphia. Fire plays an important role in the Winter Solstice, too. The Druids believed that at this time of year the sun stood still for twelve days, starting the tradition of burning the Yule log to banish evil spirits and preserve light during the darkest days of the year.

Manayunk (pronouced man-ee-yunk)

The Lenape Indians, the first settlers in the Philadelphia region, named the area, translated means “place to drink.” Located in the northwestern section of Philadelphia, the town lies on the banks of the Schuylkill River. Canal View Park on Main Street stands in recognition of the first canal started in the United States and was the scene for the solstice celebration. A tow path follows the canal. Victorian storefronts and mill buildings line Main Street where eclectic shops and a variety of restaurants offer many opportunities to enjoy holiday shopping and eating. Santa made several appearances, extending greetings to all who strolled along the Main Street. The Mummers added to the merry mood playing holiday favorites.

Birds of Prey

Before the winter solstice events, Damien Ruffner from the Schuylkill Center gave an informative lecture and presentation on local birds of prey, including a Red-Tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Great Horned Owl, Eastern Screech Owl, and Barn Owl. Having the chance to view and photograph each raptor up close was amazing.

Why does it seem as if the birds are actually listening to the lecturer?

Drums, Torches and Fires Celebrate the Return of Light

As the torches along the canal were lit and the wood pilings on the oil drum set ablaze, the ceremonious drum circle, a Native American tradition, began the rhythmic pounding. The audience was encouraged to make affirmations on wishing sticks, which were added to the bonfires. For 6,000 years our ancestors have celebrated the return of lighter days with friends and family to honor earth’s seasonal rhythm. Feeling connected to family and community, including all the creatures that share our planet, I thoroughly enjoyed the Winter Solstice celebration of harmony with nature and the ancients.

Written

on 12/17/2013

Video

Winterfest Snowstorm at Penn’s Landing

Undaunted by a forecast of fog, snow and icy rain, hopped a train into Philadelphia for a visit to Waterfront Winterfest held at Penn’s Landing during the holiday season. The blowing snow whipped around the bus as I caught a glimpse of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from the last stop on the route. Despite the snowy weather, the Blue Cross RiverRink was filled with skaters, including Santa. A forest of trees and shrubs, lit with twinkly white lights, surrounded the ice rink. A warming tent held a village of restaurants and small shops. Skaters huddled around fire pits with the aroma of burning wood scenting the air. Blue lights outlined the trees along the Delaware River. As difficult as holding the camera was while trying to get videos, the snow enhanced the site making the seaport truly a winter festival.

A short walk, while holding an umbrella that billowed up and down in the driving wind, brought us to the Independence Seaport Museum, which was hosting its 4th annual Seaport Parade of Lights. The Jupiter, a vintage tub from 1902 and maintained by the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild, led the parade of decorated boats, including both working vessels and pleasure craft. The crowd, having a great time watching the boats glide out of the blizzard, applauded the floating light displays as each passed by.

Written

on 12/15/2013

Video

Zip-Lining at Lums Pond State Park

Way Up in the Trees

An Activity for Twenty to over Sixty+?

The thought occurred to me that an activity following Thanksgiving Day might be an opportunity for some more family bonding. After scanning the Internet and casting away ideas that probably would not appeal to our 20+ something kids, I found a zip-line and obstacle course adventure at Lums Pond State Park, in north-central Delaware. According to the GoApe website,

The course is made up of numerous rope ladders, 42 exciting crossings to include the Double Stirrups, Zigzag Trapeze, Flying Carpet and Canyon Crossing, 2 Tarzan swings and 5 zip lines. Overall, there are 5 individual sections within the course, each section taking you higher into the forest canopy and finishing with a zip line longer and with more expansive views of the pond than the previous one! Zip Line #4 and #5 are both well over 650 feet and the entire course consists of over 2,191 feet worth of zip lines, providing some of the longest zip-lining experiences in the state and region!

I know that our young-uns would be excited for the experience, but what about us “mature folks” . . . would we survive over 2,000 feet of zip lines? These zip lines, an aerial runway consisting of a pulley on a cable, work on gravity pulling the passenger down to the end of an incline, with zip very much the appropriate word.

The Adventure Begins

After an hour’s drive from Philadelphia, we arrived at the park, which is centered around the largest pond in the state of Delaware. The pond was man-made in the early 1800’s when the C & D canal was built, the water used to fill the locks. I didn’t have much time to admire the picturesque scenery, however, as we soon started our training for the course. At first, it seemed a bit complicated as our trainer instructed us to hook and unhook two or three lines every time we changed position, but the color-coding helped, and we eventually mastered moving the hooks quickly as we went through the course. After the training, the guide left us to continue on our own. We were provided with an emergency whistle, where five blasts would bring immediate assistance. Our guide’s parting words, “Don’t wind up upside down.”

The Course

Our physically fit youngsters had no trouble with any of the challenges and even selected the more difficult options, such as walking on rings hanging from ropes. For me, the hardest part was climbing up the rope ladder, which required strong arms and upper body strength. The rest of the course, high in the trees, presented a variety of moveable walkways. Sometimes I decided not to look down. After getting over the initial fear of stepping off the platform for the ride on the zip-line, the trip down over the pond was thrilling! On the last zip line, I held my cell phone, video taping while gripping the cable with two hands. So if you want to see if the zip line experience is for you, that video is at the end of the movie.

Everyone had a great time and even making plans for when to return. Maybe we’ll make this a family tradition!