Drive. Pray. Scream?: Day 101: Connections

Stan was in his element at today's national park site...it was all about wood stoves, turning wood into charcoal, and the mother of all wood piles! I've often joked that his chainsaw is the other woman in our marriage because he dreams about cutting wood--literally. (And when we traveled in Europe 10 years ago, his eye was drawn away from the Alps by the wood piled up beside the chalets!) Hopewell Furnace National Historical Park, an ironworks furnace dating to the 1770s, sits in a lush valley about 50 miles west of Philadelphia. It produced upwards of 30 different styles of cast iron stoves and, in its highest year of production, delivered more than 5,000 of them. It also supplied General George Washington with numerous cannon, 3-pound balls to be fired from them, and other iron tools used by the army. The furnace's owner during the war was a patriot and served as a commander in the Pennsylvania militia. And when the troops of the Continental Army were near to starving at Valley Forge, he supplied them with 1,000 pounds of flour. Due in part to his generosity, he bankrupted his business. The charcoal-fueled furnace and supporting outbuildings passed through many hands over the next century before the furnace was fired for the last time in 1883, having been pushed out of business by the rise of its descendant, the coal-fired iron factory.

We enjoyed seeing this place that played a behind-the-scenes role in General Washington's campaigns, especially after our visit to Valley Forge yesterday. The two days dove-tailed so well, something we hadn't anticipated. Hopewell Furnace also was a nice transition from the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia...a serene, pastoral setting, complete with sheep and chickens to accentuate the farm scene. We're now settled back into Teensie in a quiet campground in the Pocono Mountains. The trees on the rolling hills are beginning to take on shades of yellow and orange; fall is definitely on its way. Stan really misses the largest piece of fall--the start of school with a new group of students. A brief skype session this morning with his new class back in Colorado gave him a big boost and made him excited to return to the classroom in January. It'll be here before we know it!