Human Touch Screen

My husband and I take our morning walk at the same time, but separately, because he walks so much faster than I do.  One morning rain had already started when we set out.  He ended up walking around a town parking lot with me so that we would be close to the car if it began to pour.  We were joined by a friend who often walks at the same time.  I had no idea it was going to turn into a history lecture.

John is a person born before his time.  Before touch screens were invented, he was one.  Poke him anywhere, and an interesting history lesson will come out.  He said something about sailing ships near where we were walking in Stony Brook NY, which our friend Nancy questioned.  John said, “I’ve seen a picture taken about 150 years ago from across the street, showing a masted vessel tied up there.  This area was almost denuded of trees because firewood was shipped from here to New York City.”

Nancy said something about coal, and John talked about different types of coal, some more polluting than others.  Nancy thought it must have stunk.  John said, “Coal wasn’t the problem.  There is a quote of someone saying they could smell New York 15 miles to the west – horse manure.  One of two major companies had 15,000 horses in the lower half of the island, and that’s not counting horses belonging to individuals.”

You can see why I threw away our encyclopedia.  You don’t need one with John around.  The history discussion ended when lightning began to penetrate the heavy fog.