Earth Day 2019

Today, April 22, 2019 is he 49th Earth Day. The first Earth Day in 1970 came about after Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, saw the aftermaths of the 1069 oil spill in Santa Barbara, California. His idea was to “national teach-in on the environment”. The date April 22nd was selected since it was a date between College Spring Break and Exams.

Now nearly 50 years later we are still seeing how we have hurt the earth. While I am a believer that the climate has changed, all one has to do is look at weather patterns that are so much different than it was when I was you. Fifty years ago I was 10 and I remember many cold winters in the 60’s and early 70’s with plenty of large snowstorms on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where I live. Many weird weather patterns in all seasons. And sights that I regularly that were seldom seen as recent as 20 years ago.

This past Saturday Chestertown, my hometown, held their annual Earth Day Celebration. While it was happening I decided to stroll down to the Chester River, just a couple of blocks away. It was a few hours after High Tide and this is what I saw at the dock at the foot of High Street.
Photo by SG Atkinson: High Water at the foot of High Street

This has become a common sight. And as I mentioned well past high tide and you can just imagine how high the water may have been by debris on the road.

Even with seeing this and admitting that there is a change in the climate, I am not convinced that what we are doing to the Earth today is all to blame. I’m sure others will greatly disagree. It is my feeling that what we are seeing today that we are still seeing the aftereffects of the Industrial Revolution and into the first half of the 20th Century. It takes time for the Earth to react and what we are doing today is making strides, strides that began in the 1960’s, to protect our home for our children and their children.

Let’s continue what we are doing and encourage more to do the same.

Note:
More Photos from Chestertown’s Earth Day, from my trip to the River and other activities in Chestertown on April 20, 2019 can me seen on my ShoreToBeFun Photographs page on Facebook

Who am I?

Sometimes I will sit back and wonder just that. Who am I?

I am a man who is about to turn 61. A man with 6 decades of experiences. But also one that wonders at times that simple question of Who am I?

I’m a son. Although both of my parents have died. So I suppose being that me being a son is now past.

I am a brother. A brother and a sister.

I am a husband. A father.

But who am I?

There are folks that have an interest in one thing and that is their life’s passion. I am not one of those type of people. I have many vary interests. Although I suppose one could say that most of them deal with Art and Entertainment. I am a fairly good photographer. But it’s not something I do everyday. I know many will go out and just take photos. It’s not me. I usually have a plan when I go out. Either to photograph a certain event or part of a project.

I would really like to photograph people, but I’m not one to ask someone to pose for me. I’m somewhat creative, but often can’t think of anything creative to shoot.

I like to find out what’s happening in the area and telling others about it. That’s how my Website (blogs) were started. I suppose in a way it’s also the reason for this one. Although generally it’s for my thoughts as much as anything.

I like to read, watch TV and movies. Although there are plenty of times that I just can’t seem to want to do much of that. But there are times I’ll start watching a series on TV and hours later I’ll find that I spent most of the day doing that.

I guess when looking at the question Who am I? I really have no real answer other than I am me.

A Strange Feeling During the Night

Photo by SG Atkinson: Forward to DST

Last night was the annual Spring Forward to Daylight Savings Time.

As I often do on Saturday Night I fell asleep with the TV on, but set to turn off automatically. As usual I fell asleep with it playing.

Around 1:45 I was waken by my phone buzzing. I had received a text message from a friend. I didn’t answer the text, but I did get up to use the bathroom. Which at my age isn’t unusual.

A few minutes later I heard my wife’s alarm go off. I knew she had needed to get up early to go to work, but I didn’t think it was this early. As she said goodbye I noticed it was almost 3:30.

I was pretty certain that I hadn’t gone to sleep and it felt like I had only been awake for a short period of time. That’s when it hit me. Her alarm did go off at 3.

It may have been the first time I was awake when we skipped from 1:59 and 59 seconds to 3am. It became the fastest hour I even experience. I didn’t even have a chance to blink.

I know I have lived through this blink of time change for Daylight Saving Time, but usually I am asleep and don’t notice the hour that expires in less than a second.