Château Hough

“...Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.”—William Jennings Bryan 1896

Now, Bryan may have been this country's best orator. He was the Democratic candidate for the presidency three times. Many people loved Bryan. His popularity was a phenomenon in US history. There were many boys named after him. William Jennings Bryan Herman was an all star second baseman for the Cubs, and played later with other National League teams. He was also a team manager, and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bryan still may be the most liberal candidate nominated by a major party. Unfortunately, he did not win a term. Especially, his first run in 1896 was thought to have been fixed against him. Some writers have ridiculed him through malice. Militarists, economic royalists, and social darwinists despised him. Some of Bryan's programme came to be under Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Rural America was being crushed by bankers, railroads, and other financial interests that continued to gain power. Bryan was a populist, and a fervent Christian. He believed in social justice. The quote above affirmed the value of an agrarian society (not until 1920 census was the US an urban society), and its people, over an industrial society run by plutocrats. Well, Hough famously burned in riots in 1966. It has declined in population, and economically. The remaining population became poorer. Economic interests will not save them. Urban farming, horticulture, and raising and creating foodstuffs will make the urban land of value again. Small landholders may make a passable standard of living. So an hundred years on, Bryan's comment may be, “Your burned down cities, will be made into farms”.

Urban farming is starting to have a foundation in America. Mansfield Frazier had an idea, on Hough Avenue, Cleveland Ohio, there is a vineyard. Perhaps, it will be a pioneer in the city.

  Frontenac grapes were favored by birds. Netting was necessary.

  Traminette grapes

 The Frontenac berries were picked Saturday.

I first saw these vines in January 2011. The foot tracks, in the foreground, are on the sidewalk. There is no fencing. The house is gone, replaced by a bio-cellar building.

talkin' pirate

One of the silliest inventions of a celebration, to-day is Talk like a Pirate Day. What would a pirate's parrot palaver sound like? If one goes to Cornwall, many people are said to sound like movie pirates.

Dragon boat race

Before you race, the boats need to be loaded with people.

It was rainy, and the boats acted as pots. Bailing was necessary.

 Drummer waits in dock.

  Next teams wait in queue.

There were fourteen teams, this year. Past winners have been from Pittsburgh and Canada. Other than rain delays, there was a delay for a cruise ship to be boarded. This is the beginning of one of the delayed heats. There would three rounds, and three teams in the final.  Of course this is competitive, but it is fun first. Some of the team monikers point to that: Team Panda, Blazing Paddles, Raiders of the Lost Paddle, and several Dragons. I have said, Rocco's grease pole climb was a great sporting event; so is this.

Some of the teams play for cancer survivors. Dragon boat racing has been prescribed for post breast surgery patients to regain strength.

Dragon boats on the Cuyahoga

This was the tenth year of dragon boat races on Cleveland's Cuyahoga River. This has been on my 'Cleveland bucket list' for a few years. The last three years i did not make it, the weather didn't agree, and one year freighter traffic near scuttled it. For more than a week it has been forecast to rain, and it did so. My determination was a little stronger, this time, and it was not raining when i left house.

A little further, and earlier, more upriver there was a rowing regatta for 1, 2, 4,and 8 man sculls. This was a separate sport. Dragon boats have twenty paddlers, a drummer, and a tillerman.

By 8.15 heavy rain came, and i was so pleased there was a tent by the opening ceremonial spot. There was to be at 8.30 a Buddhist blessing, and the painting of the dragon head's eyes. With the rain the paint was further diluted, and some of the eyes looked like cataracts. The rain delayed proceedings. The sandalwood incense was quenched.  A little thunder and lightning before hand.

Three heads, i mistakenly thought they were to be attached to the boats; but they remained on the platform.

Shih Ying-Fa gave the invocations. He sprinkled the crowd, and with good humour saying it would be redundant. Gus Chan of the local daily is in the foreground with camera.

The painting of the eyes.

greasy job

Very rarely (in over 1200 posts here) do i get a question. I have some fotos to indicate an answer, "since 1998, parishioner Joe Trizio greases".

2013

2014

2015

2016

 

for the victory

Team Dempsey won the Saint Rocco greasy pole climb for the 10th time. This was the first successful climb of the pole in three years. As they were celebrating, four navy fighter planes flew over the parish in a diamond formation. The first four fotos below shows the final ascent. After the top guy touched and held the cross brace, the team stood straight on the pole celebrating. After they touched down, four navy fighter planes flew over the church campus.

Rocco's event

a voice from the rustbelt believes the most interesting, and impressive sporting event in Cleveland is Saint Rocco's greasy pole climb. It is held on Labor Day beginning at 2 o'clock during the last day of their parish festival. This year, the prise money was $3 thousand (the last two years had no winner), and team Dempsey would win for the 10th time. As they were celebrating, four navy fighter planes flew over the parish in a diamond formation.

This event is now a rarity. Before the first world war these events were common. Saint Rocco's began their parish with a festival, and the tradition lives on.

This year nine five man teams competed in the three rounds. In the first round only four are allowed to climb, it is not possible to win in the first round. What the first round does is to remove as much grease as possible, so as to make a climb and reach to the top possible. The pole would be six men high.

It was another hot day for the climb, officially reaching 89°F. The black asphalt in the open sun making it hotter. The guys wear grease absorbing clothes, cinched with duck tape. This year, the grease was a thinner coat; this did not aid as much as some thought. There was much less grease to throw down, fewer spectators caught the globs. Some years, the grease is so thick, and the air so hot, that the grease tumbles by itself.

The usual action has four men standing straight, with each man below bearing all the weight of his fellows above. A successful first round accomplishes this, some teams can not get the fourth guy up. The base man is largely invisible, there are so many people around him, the crowd can not see him. The next procedure has the guys at the top 'lock in', this is a more compact hugging of the pole, where their knees rise up. This causes their feet to be removed from the shoulders of the guy below. At that point, usually, the two guys on the bottom are free. Then the remaining group attempt to climb his brothers. Sometimes more than one tries to go higher, often the third guy (of the five) goes over the other two,and if successful makes the winning touch.

 After the climbing attempt, contenders recover their breath while carrying some grease on their bodies.

Climbing, very quickly, up and over a teammate, the point man for Team Ross makes his second attempt to reach the crossbar of victory.

   

...and two seconds later he is falling to the black top parking lot. Behind him is a cameraman filming a documentary. He lay on the ground for some minutes, but quickly telling people he would be all right. A wheeled stretcher came to transport him. He did give people the thumbs up gesture when he was taken away.

2016 Miscellany #5

 

 Dragon in the Chinese Garden

not a sign you expect to see daily

during an Independence Day parade

 Ich bin ein Idiot

happy girl in a koala onesie

Saint Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa of Calcutta was canonised in Rome to-day. She was also celebrated in Cleveland at the Albanian Cultural Garden. Dona Brady, an Albanian, and long time west side councilman was the lead speaker and organiser. Proud Albanians, respectful Catholics, and friends of charity came. Overhead flew military jets from the air show, and other street traffic added to the occasional din. Speakers of the Cultural Garden, and members of religious orders added their reflections of thought. Bishop Gries remembered St. Teresa's concern for the unborn. Local television sent cameramen. Part of the ceremony was an echo of the unveiling of the bronze statue of Mother Teresa.

A white dove, symbolising peace, was released from a basket (a foto i could not capture). Dona Brady rang a bell for St. Teresa. People then laid flowers on the statue.

Maria's Field

Labor Day weekend is busy in events about Cleveland. Sunflowers are in flower, nearing seed at this time. In this field, next to the highway that rides from Boston to Seattle in Avon Ohio, planted to honor a little girl [click] who before dying of brain cancer prayed for others, there are sunflowers by the millions. This morning, i and many people came to photograph. Some came to foto the flowers, others came to foto people and pets in the flowers, some brought props. I took so many good shots, that i find it difficult to present a few representatives, twenty would be too few. Walking through the blooms, one sees beauty, and finds peace.