The usual CBS Sunday Morning on TV. Today is going to be mostly overcast due to the extra humidity and high temps.
Charlotte finished "My Quilt" It Looks Great!
Today was an "Ultimate Restorations" marathon on Create TV. Really interesting projects in which rare and unique historic items are restored. This was our TV for the day.
All the episodes were interesting; however, two items were of particular interest (small personal connections). "Cangarda: The Last American Steam Yacht" is the last surviving US-built steam yacht and one of only three left in the world. The vessel was built in 1901 at the Pusey and Jones Shipyard in Wilmington, DE. She is 136 feet long, and weighs 125 tons, and is the size of a small airliner. The original machinery was restored, including seven steam engines. After years of service in roles from opulence to indignity. The yacht sank in the Boston Harbour in 1999. It took over 100,000 man hours to bring this classic yacht her back to life.
Our connection to this episode is that it is a frequent visitor to the Maritime Museum in Mystic, CT which we have visited. It was certainly a unique experience; hearing the hissing and whistling noises accompanied by a cacophony of mechanical clicks and clunks made by the marine steam engine as we travelled across the water at the museum. It was whimsically musical.
In 1904, George Taylor Fulford, who made millions of dollars from "Pink Pills for Pale People" – a patent medicine he manufactured in Brockville and sold around the world bought the boat which was docked at Fulford Place (his 20,000-square-foot mansion) nestled on the banks of the St Lawrence River in Brockville, Ontario, Canada.
He renamed her "Magedoma" which was a combination of syllables from the names of his wife and children (MAry, GEorge, DOrothy, MArtha.)
Fulford was also a prominent member of the Canadian Parliament, In 1927 his wife hosted the Prince of Wales, Prince George (future Duke of Kent), and the Prime Ministers of both England (Stanley Baldwin) and Canada (William Lyon Mackenzie King). Cangarda ( remained in the Fulford family until after the WWII.
In 1987, George T. Fulford, the son of Senator Fulford, donated Fulford Place to the Ontario Heritage Trust. The contents of the mansion were later donated by his widow Jutta Fulford and his son George Fulford III. The Trust undertook an extensive restoration of the site with funds from the provincial government and opened it to the public as a house museum in June 1993. Seasonal exhibits in the gallery feature exotic works collected by the Fulfords on their world travels.
Fulford Place is owned and operated year-round by the Ontario Heritage Trust. Friends of Fulford Place Association, an incorporated volunteer body, lead tours of the house and grounds, conduct research, create interpretive displays and raise funds for restoration and interpretive projects. Tours
They are open for seasonal events (Christmas, etc.) Admission is quite reasonable. We enjoyed the tour. Summer Tea is fun (check for days and times). China from the Magedoma (Cangarda) may also be on display.
The second program in this series that was of particular interest was The Lysander: Canada's Unsung Hero". At Vintage Wings Air Museum in Ottawa, Canada, they are dedicated to finding and preserving the last of the airplanes from WWII. This organization is powered by volunteers and supported by donations. Their facility is located at the Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport, Gatineau, QC, Canada. The "Wings Over Gatineau-Ottawa" air show in September is a must see event as is the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Of all the War Birds, one of the most effective, yet mysterious, was the Lysander. British Army Air Co-operation Aircraft were named after mythical or historical military leaders; in this case the Spartan General Lysander was chosen for what is essentially the forerunner of STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft. Although it could fly at over 300 mph (almost fighter aircraft speed) due to it's high power-to-weight ratio (870 hp/6,330 lb); it's unique design made it possible to fly (stall Speed of 65 mph) and land almost anywhere. The Lysander became the first plane in the war to shoot down a bomber.
Affectionately known as Lizzie, she was built by Victory Aircraft (Malton, Ontario) in 1942. This is the same Canadian aircraft factory that was to later build 430 Lancaster Bombers (Mk X's) for the war effort.
The British formed a "Special Duties" Squadron (#138). They flew Lysanders from secret airfields to maintain clandestine contact with the French Resistance in occupied France. Operations almost always took place within a week of a full moon, as moonlight was essential for navigation. For this reason Lysanders were painted matte black. Pilots flew without any navigation equipment other than a map and compass landing on short strips of land, such as fields, marked out by four or five torches.
The Lysander could insert and remove agents from the continent or retrieve Allied aircrew who had been shot down over occupied territory and had evaded capture. Special versions were fitted with a fixed ladder over the port side to hasten access to the rear cockpit which was modified to hold two (uncomfortably) in a jam (literally). A Drop Tank was added to increase the aircraft's range. This was a good task for this aircraft as it was quite vulnerable to high speed enemy fighters.
Revered by the French Resistance for its daring nighttime rescues behind enemy lines, the Lysander became the symbol of victory. The French bestowed every possible award on this aircraft in recognition of it's (and it's pilots) service and heroism during the war effort.
The Germans knew little about the British aircraft and wished to study one. Soldiers captured an intact Lysander in March 1942 when its pilot was unable to destroy it after a crash, but a train hit the truck carrying the Lysander, destroying the cargo.
This was one of the most important airplane restorations in the last 50 years. Without the high profile and public interest for preservation like that received by the WWII Supermarine Spitfire (Battle of Britain), coupled with it's lack of exposure due to the "Secrecy" of it's missions, the Lysanders often ended up disintegrating in farmer's fields after the war.
Lizzie, supported by private donations, was brought back to her original glory by the efforts of skilled volunteers who dedicated thousands of hours to the project. Lizzie is one of only four Lysanders that remain, still flying, anywhere in the world.
We interrupted our view in the afternoon for a few hours.
At 2 p.m. we departed for the Main Clubhouse for the Ice Cream Social. There was quite a good turnout.
They were serving was an "Old Fashioned Banana Split" with vanilla, strawberry and chocolate Ice cream, a split banana, chocolate and pineapple sauce, chopped peanuts and whipped cream with a cherry on top. It was a great
After the social we headed out of the park to Publix. I was on my last can of soda, we were low on bottled water and we only had one of Marie Callender's Turkey Pot Pies left in the freezer. It was also time to buy the latest installment of Charlotte's magazines. Soon the Del Sol was loaded with the our needed items.
We decided the high heat and humidity made it too uncomfortable for a convertible drive so returned to the RV to relax, watch TV and work on various projects.
That sums it up for today.
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