Strathwood All-Weather Hard wood Bench

Strathwood All-Weather Hard wood Bench
Beautifully designed with ample depth and comfortable back, the Strathwood Three Seater Bench is as pleasing to the eye as it is comfortable. Elegantly simple yet sturdily constructed.

 Strathwood All-Weather Hard wood Bench Review


I love it!
Was a little wary of ordering it without a photo - but I'm very glad I went ahead and made the leap! A similar structure with other wooden benches at Amazon Strathmore - runs horizontally across the back and head, arms and wooden legs. The installation was easy and delivery was fast. We intend to give the bank a waterproof layer, before sitting the color (it is a very nice protective brown / red). The bank is comfortable without mattress, but it certainly could be added if desired. This is a "true" to three places - even if the three "places" are great, but I would put three really great because it is supported by the support center the bottom (I is the lightest person in the center). In general, what appears to be a major bank and the price is fantastic, especially since shipping is free (or was when I took). Not with the store and fight for them to enter and exit the car has been wonderful.

Very nice Bench!
This is a very nice bank - especially for the money! It is not long in coming, it was easy to assemble, even alone, and seems very solid. I'll sit on the porch and put as many times as possible in the spring and summer. I would definitely recommend an order!

Very Nice
The packaging was pretty simple, if you have UPS, but the product was in perfect condition.
And "even better than I expected. Very rich in research, a type of mahogany. Robust and attractive. Fairly easy to assemble. Only four songs of the working class and all materials.
With the right pillow is beautiful.
A real bargain for quality.

Not-So-Basic wooden benches

wooden benches often follow simple designs. Look around and you will see, this statement is true. But although simple, are not all equal. In fact, you can find lots of news on basic models. If your favorite infomercial is a outdoor garden wood, concrete patio, deck or open court, you will find wooden benches that fit a variety of styles and needs. And if you are benches in high quality wood, like red or white cedar,Furniture can last for years.

Tree A bank offers a seat with a circular hole in the center of a tree trunk. The bank is close to the trunk, and support the people outside. You can rest your back against the trunk. Or a couple of benches include backrests. In general, support the Bank of stages. Some models offer optional back is possible with or without back, in order, according to your wishes.

wooden benches provide a more rounded shapewith the exception of man sitting on the inside of the circle. A section of the fourth round Bank could form a circle. If you only need a bank, the curved seat offers a less conventional look. If you buy more than one piece, however, you can set. Two sections form a semicircle, and the four sections form a closed circle.

Storage benches usually look chest. Save items in the bottom of the boxy, and a cover (hinged or other) fits on top. For moreComfort, producers put a little 'cushion covers of storage benches.

A variant of this design also converted to a refrigerator. It looks and works like a bank deposit. But if you want to convert a refrigerator for the parties to take a vinyl liner in his chest and fill with ice and cold drinks or what ever items you want to keep. If guests do not look for drinks, you can put the lid in place for additional seating. If youEnds with the party, you can remove the liner and then insert all objects stored in the Bank.

Yet another model offers a low weight. Normally, hardwood benches weighs quite heavy. However, wooden benches, some specially built for light weight, sometimes no more than 10 pounds. For those who must sit out smoothly, the banks have a light option very useful.

Finally, wooden benches convertible have two functions. In position seem regular benches with backs. But in a different position, serve as tables. With this interesting benches, you get the most out of your room. As a result, the convertible seats that are particularly useful for small outdoor spaces.

You have many choices when you begin shopping for wooden benches. Each offers different advantages. For some of these looks are the key. They offer a variety of ways to create and customize. MoreBenches> appeal to you based on multiple functions. These pieces particularly good for those who want a little more space or furniture for less money.

Outdoor Furniture: Diversity And Creativity Combined

International trade shows now present classic outdoor furniture that interacts with the modern designs. These elegant pieces of furnishings meant for outdoor use renews a rich heritage of culture adorned with excellent details and unquestionable craftsmanship. These new type of outdoor furniture are built stronger and more resilient with the use of resin plastic, wrought iron, synthetic rattan and from different types of wood which makes them much better suited for outdoor use and last for a long time.

Some people like to decorate their homes and gardens as though it belongs in another era. For an elegant outdoor setting, you may choose to combine and arrange your outdoor furniture to create the atmosphere that you wanted. Going back to classic style furnishings with a modern twist allows you to express your creativity like combining Baroque or Renaissance style of furniture with modern colors to give it a fresh and trendy appeal. This is what others call transitional furniture. They present a perfect blend of old and new plus comfort and functionality. Glass and metals are combined with solid hardwoods or resin materials and luxurious fabrics from the past are upholstered in modern shapes and colors. Classic style outdoor furniture has never been and will never go out of style.

Transitional furniture is about balance which will make you feel comfortable and easy going. Diverse style outdoor furniture has colors and textures unified hence you get to decorate your patio or garden in a casual style minus the formality.

There are a lot of outdoor furniture plans that you can choose from to achieve this look. You can choose the ones that suit your taste from sizes, shapes, materials and colors. If you happen to have large sprawling garden you can also decorate it with lawn chairs, recliner and wooden benches to make it more visually appealing not only to your visitors but in your neighborhood as well.

You also need to take into consideration the climate in your area. The most important thing to consider when choosing outdoor furniture is that it should be weather resistant and check if it has a special coat of paint for the furniture to withstand extreme weather conditions if it happens that you are using wooden type furniture.

An inexpensive and easy to maintain option is the wicker furniture made from resin and has UV protection. A wide selection is available. You can select painted wicker outdoor furnishings and decorate it with colorful cushions in bright or pastel shades. For large outdoor garden, you can place a round wicker table and small benches. You can also have a garden umbrella. It's perfect for creating a cozy coffee or tea time area even for enjoying light snacks with family or friends.

There are sturdy teak wood benches or wrought iron benches, too which you can place under a tree should you want to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon reading your favorite book or magazine or simply just enjoy the outdoors with your partner and kids.

Some Great Apartment Storage Ideas

We know the common scenario: The junk is piling up and space is running out. We have all been through this routine umpteen times and living in an apartment with all this junk can prove challenging when looking for places to store things.

You can only stuff so much in your closet before the door busts off its hinges. It's time to stop shoving things in boxes in the closet and use some of these creative storage and organizational ideas that will help you keep the junk under control.

Wall Shelves- Take small storage pieces like a two shelved shoe organizer and attach them to the wall to create wall shelves that can easily house books, collectibles, and other little conversational items.

Mobile Storage Unit- Find a cheap plastic multi-level storage shelf unit and attach some easy to attach casters or wheels to the bottom. Add a few small containers and/or bins to those shelves and suddenly you have a rolling organizational masterpiece ideal for storing shoes, socks and undies, tools, and other small items.

Storage Bench- This is my favorite storage idea! Basically, get a hold of an old upper kitchen cabinet or even buy a new one from Home Depot. Add some feet to the bottom and attach seat cushions to the top. Suddenly, you have an awesome sittable piece of furniture with storage space underneath the seat.

Stacked Bench Bookshelf- How about this: Stack three colored simple wooden benches on top of one another against a wall. Throw a standing clock on the top and line each bench below with books like a bookshelf. Make sure and add some attached support from the wall and, viola, you have a standing bookshelf.

Organized Entryway- When you come into your apartment, think of all the junk you bring in with you. From coats and hats to phones, mail, and keychains, the amount of stuff that you bring in with you and empty from your pockets far out number the junk going out. So, keep it all close to the entry. Line you entryway walls with hooks to hang coats, keys, and hats. Set up a small shoe organizer to keep those muddy foot pieces on the linoleum floor. Install some hanging drawers and a wall shelf to store the mail, tax write off receipts and other small pieces that get lost anywhere else in the apartment. Add a piggy bank or a cool change jar to the mix to chunk all the spare change that dump out of your pockets. Lastly, put a small, tasteful waste basket near the door to rid of the candy wrappers, unneeded receipts, and other bits of trash before it enters your lair.

If you are having some organizational issues and your apartment is getting cluttered from random items of junkness entering your abode everyday, try a few of these ideas to get things organized. The organized entryway and the storage bench really upgraded my living and lifestyle. If you can only try a couple. Try those!

A Guide to Outdoor Benches

Considering a bench for your garden? Here are some tips that will help you get the right outdoor benches for your garden, park, yard or patio.

*Comfort is your first concern. Many outdoor benches are famous for the horrendous effect they can have on your tush! While we are not talking about cozy curling as on a plush cushion, there must be a minimum level of comfort so people can enjoy a cup of coffee or the morning newspaper or even sit for a relaxing chat on the bench without their rear going numb.

*Durability is equally important. You must choose benches that last long. Wood is a natural choice. However, wooden benches are expensive and tend to lose their luster after a while. They also need regular maintenance. This is why aluminum, steel and plastic are fast replacing wood. If your mind is set on buying outdoor benches made of wood, it is important to choose wood that weathers well. Cypress, teak and cedar are examples. Plastic and aluminum are generally weather resistant.

*Maintenance of outdoor benches can be a pain. Choose benches that have a minimum number of screws, nuts, bolts and angles. This keeps maintenance down.

*Beauty matters too. Outdoor benches are an added dimension to the decor of your home. So, you need to choose something that sits well with the rest of your decor. Benches in the garden, backyard or patio must look great. You are going to live with these for a long time and you do not want them to be an eyesore. So, it is wise to purchase a design, color and make that you are happy with. In most cases, people like to preserve the natural ambiance of the land using colors and styles that suit the place. Do not overlook the importance of the shape of your bench. In some cases, a simple, armless bench is the best while other settings can easily house a more elaborate design.

It is not hard to make your own outdoor benches. Many people who like to go the 'natural' way make use of rocks, granite, stones and bamboo to create beautiful outdoor benches. Stones and rocks last a long while and are a great way to preserve the earthy, unspoilt look of a green garden.

However, if you are not the type to build your own furniture, you can easily find shops that sell a plethora of outdoor benches. The Internet too is a great resource as it allows you to shop for the right bench without even stepping out of your house. There are no constraints in color, style and design when you shop online.

Regular maintenance is a must if you want to retain the beauty, life and looks of your outdoor furniture. Garden benches that are made of plastic, aluminum and steel may be washed with a mixture of warm water and soap. Brushing these benches regularly helps keep away soil or dirt deposits. Wooden benches require more stringent maintenance as they are prone to damage.

Porch Glider Bench - Perfect For Gliding Through the Memories

While there are plenty of times that you wished you had a simple chair and end table on your front porch or deck area, there are surely more times that you wish that you something a bit more exotic to enjoy. Certainly, if you do not have the space for a large set or even for that hanging porch swing that you have always wanted, you are going to be on the hunt for a piece of furniture that will bring you the same whimsical effect without all of the bulkiness. Having your own glider porch bench might be just what you need to do the trick!

A glider porch bench is a phenomenal piece of furniture that you will be proud to display on your front porch, deck, patio or even your sunroom area. Between the look and feel of one and its incredible design, this is one facet of your outdoor decor that you will never want to live without once you are spoiled with the comfort that it provides. Whether you are looking for a nice addition to your current furniture set or you are just starting a collection of furnishings, this is a wonderful piece that you can enjoy for years and years into the future.

One way to make the porch glider bench that you purchase more comfortable than it already is, is by purchasing a patio cushion for it. A cushion would really take its comfort level over the top because nothing is better than sitting down and having one nicely contour to your body. When buying one, make sure to go with a cushion that is crafted out of materials that can handle the outdoor weather. The best options around are those made from Sunbrella fabric, which is weather resistant, water repellent, and has colorfast that will keep them from fading in the different weather conditions.

You also need to get a porch glider bench itself that is crafted out of better quality materials as well. This is really important if you want the one you purchase to be able to last for any length of time in your outdoor space. One great option is one that is made from mature redwood that is a durable, handsome find for anyone who wants to add something nice to their outdoor living area. A few addition great choices include southern yellow pine, western red cedar, teak, and thicker, denser recycled plastics and polymers.

For a fantastic way to look into the different porch glider bench options that are available, simply go online for some comparison shopping through the different online stores. It is a synch to sift through all the selections since you do not even have to step one foot outside of your home to do it. When you do buy something, it will also be sent right to you, thus, no having to worry about hauling something somewhere.

So, if you want a great place to take it easy in your outdoor space, turn to a porch glider bench. It would be a great investment.

Grandma's Yard - My Own Little Piece of Paradise

One of the treasures of my childhood memories is my Grandma and her special home. I can never forget my Grandma's yard and all of her outdoor lawn and garden furniture as long as I live. I have so many special memories of her and her love for outdoor living. One in particular is going to stay with her in the summer and sitting with her on the outdoor furniture and her patio furniture. One special place was sitting in the wooden porch swing with her on the patio under the garden arbor covered with grape vine. I can still remember how particular she was about her outdoor lawn and garden furniture and her patio furniture being in just the right place in the yard and around the gardens. She had every kind of lawn and garden furniture and patio furniture that you can imagine in her front and back yards; wooden garden benches, tables, porch swings, garden arbors, adirondack chairs, just to name a few.

Grandma's back yard was BIG and she loved flowers and plants of every kind. The wooden bench had to be just right under the apple tree. The adirondack chairs were under the pear tree with a wooden table between them. She even had a porch swing on top of her cellar.

She loved garden arbors. Her garden arbors were covered in some kind of vine or greenery growing. Grandma's yard was like something that you would see in an outdoor living magazine and to a kid it was like a fairy tale place. It was my special fairy tale place. I wasn't aware of how special all of her outdoor lawn and garden furniture was until I was grown and Grandma was in Heaven.

Now with a home of my own I too love the outdoor living. I love all the wooden benches, the garden arbors, porch swings, adirondack chairs and have them in my home and garden just like Grandma. They all are special to me because they remind me of my her. Anytime that I am able to sit outside under the garden arbor in the wooden porch swing, in the lawn furniture out around the bird bath or the adirondack chairs up on the deck I cherish that time. It's a reminder that now I am building memories of my own with my own family just like my Grandma did with me.

What to Do When Building Garage Work Benches

Creating garage work benches for your garage will offer you copious amounts of working space while not taking up too much room. Whether you boast a work bench that is used for your maintenance on your vehicle, or if it is a woodworking garage work bench, the choices you will have when you go over your designs are endless. Building your garage work benches will acquire an afternoon or so to finish, and the conclusion is always pleasing.

It is moderately uncomplicated to make your own wooden garage work benches, but in order to finish it you will have to follow these straightforward directions and have good plans. To begin with, you will have to decide how high you would like your work bench to be. Once you have done this, make a spot on the wall at the stature you have selected with a snap line, then go on to verify the line you have made with a level and make the needed adjustments if need be. You have got to re-adjust the height of your work bench should you want to put in cabinets on your wooden work bench.

After that, you must drill holes where you have made your markings for the brackets. An electric drill and heavy duty bolts work the greatest. Subsequently, you must set up the metallic brackets onto the wall studs, inserting the top brackets just below the snap line. Cut up six pieces of timber according to the size of your work bench, and position a member on top of each bracket. Using wood screws will guarantee they reside in position. You will also be required to cut longer pieces of lumber to lie on your support brackets and secure them with nails. Position the rest of the timber at the end of the crossing supports and lock them. The final piece of the frame is to be connected to the face of the work bench by means of nails to hold up and secure it. Finally, you have to use a saw on your particle board and cut it to go with the size of your frame. The finest way to do this is to cut the board in half length ways. Lay the two halves on each other and then on top of your frame and secure them nails. This will give you a sturdy table top surface.

If you want a portable work bench, then the most excellent alternative for you would be to get hold of a rolling work bench. They are prepared with steel and are outfitted with a quantity of sliding doors, shelves and cabinets. These work benches are also fixed with wheels which come with a locking system to ensure the steel rolling work bench doesn't move when working on it. These are perfect if you favor to move around your work space or garage.

Garage work benches are idyllic to have when you are working in your garage. Whether you have steel work benches for restoring items, using it as a woodworking garage work bench to construct something or polishing tools, it is fitting to boot.

The History of Connie Mack Stadium

Connie Mack Stadium, Shibe Park: one of the most historical and influential baseball parks in the illustrious history of United States sports. The first entirely steel and concrete park constructed, it set architectural and aesthetic precedents that would not be broken for decades to come, and ensured its place in the hearts of the Philadelphian people, and well as in the infamy of American baseball history. From its construction to its demolition, it provided a well organized and unparalleled experience for casual fans and baseball aficionados alike, and a fitting home for the Philadelphia Athletics, and later, the Philadelphia Phillies, as well as several historic Negro League contests as well. The history of the park is a long and complex one when viewed in the broad context of the times. The very essence of the park lies in its location and the effects it had on the surrounding neighborhoods, and the destruction of the park had much to do with the destruction of the communities surrounding it as well as the aftermath of the Second World War and the phenomenon of White Flight. The construction of Connie Mack stadium holds its own unique and equally fascinating set of mysterious circumstances, including the building materials of the park as well as the reasons for its construction.

The stadium was built as a new and more viewer friendly alternative to the old and decrepit Columbia Park in 1909. Connie Mack's history in operation paints a vivid picture of the times, and the park endured several ownership changes throughout its heyday, as well as serving as a crux for several sports controversies, such as the admittance of blacks into the rosters of traditionally all-white baseball teams. The effect it had on the surrounding neighborhoods is also undeniable and intricate, forming a relationship with the surrounding communities that disintegrated with the fall of the outskirts of Philadelphia to poverty. The moves and decisions the owners of the park made had a profound effect on the surrounding areas, including the erection of the "Spite Fence" in 1933 that broke the strong ties between North Philadelphia and it's baseballs teams. Serving as the home to several World Series as well as serving as an endless source of entertainment for an entire city, it is easy to see how Connie Mack stadium has secured itself in the hearts and minds of classic baseball and sports fans. From name changes to game changes, Connie Mack stadium stood resilient, defiant to a changing world and a changing city, never surrendering to the whims of men, nor to the variable opinions of the times. The game may have changed, but the historic places in which the games took place have remained the same, a valiant testament to the endurance of the official sport of America.

Connie Mack stadium was a stadium constructed to house several Philadelphia sports teams in the first half on the twentieth century. However, a cursory glance into the rich history of the complex reveals that such a curt description does not begin to describe such a place. The stadium served as home to several successful and prestigious sports teams throughout history, including the Philadelphia Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies, both of which played baseball in the historic stadium. The stadium was constructed with financial backing by Connie Mack and Benjamin Shibe, two owners of an upstart, unheralded baseball club called the Philadelphia Athletics.

The Philadelphia Athletics were founded in 1901 with the help of Benjamin Shibe and Connie Mack, which coincided with the year that the American League was formed. Connie Mack was delegated to be the manager of the baseball affairs while Shibe, a prominent sporting goods manufacturer, dealt with the business component of owning a sports club. The original stadium of choice for the Athletics was Philadelphia's Columbia Park, also located in North Philadelphia, although they moved to Shibe Park following its construction in 1909. After several successful trades organized by Connie Mack, the Philadelphia Athletics became routine contenders in the American League, and won nine pennants throughout the franchise's history, earning the Athletics the prestigious title of the "Most Successful Philadelphian Sports Team of all Time". Several World Series were also conducted at Shibe Park, resulting in five World Series victories for the Philadelphia Athletics, in 1910, 1911, 1913, 1929, and 1930. In addition to housing the Philadelphia Athletics, Connie Mack stadium also served as a home to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Athletics national league counterparts, in the latter part of the first half of the twentieth century.

The history of the Athletics hardly tells the entire story, however. The interactions between Connie Mack and fellow athletics owner Benjamin Shibe became an important component in understanding the history of Connie Mack stadium as the two owners aged. Benjamin Shibe originally owned the majority of shares relating to the stadium, and thus named the stadium with his namesake, Shibe. Connie Mack possessed a marginal amount of shares and was considered to have been primarily the sports face of the franchise. However, following Shibe's death in 1922 his shares were divided amongst his several offspring. Connie Mack then began to command a larger amount of shares relating to the park's ownership and finally, following the death of Shibe's last son in 1936, Connie Mack maintained full ownership of the park and of the team. Mack, notoriously tight fisted as an owner, secured his place in history as one of the most conservative, though successful, managers and owners in Major League Baseball history. Once quoted as preferring a team to get off to a hot start yet finish fourth to boost ticket sales, Mack became infamous for attempting to squeeze every last dollar out of his successful franchise.

One prime example of this was a conflict Mack had with the surrounding neighborhoods in North Philadelphia in 1933 regarding the sale of seats on top of people's houses surrounding the stadium. Mack contended that the neighbors had no right to profit from his personally owned stadium and sued the surrounding communities attempting to generate money from this practice. After promptly losing the law suit, Mack ordered the fences around the stadium to be extended in height, preventing the majority of the surrounding communities to view his contests without paying. Although this practice did initially generate revenue for the club and its stadium, the long terms effects of the fence were disastrous, cutting the team off from the communities that supported it. In doing so, Mack very well may have contributed to the downfall and sale of the club in 1954. Shibe Park remained a staple of Philadelphia sports until it's demolition in 1976 in favor of the new Veteran's Stadium, built in South Philadelphia.

Benjamin Shibe, co-owner of the Philadelphia Athletics with Connie Mack, constructed Shibe Park. It was the first stadium made of concrete reinforced steel. Connie Mack wanted the stadium to be a lasting monument capable of supporting the weight of hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The facade was designed in French Renaissance style by Benjamin Shibe designed. The walls were brick with terra cotta ornamentation. The copper roof was made of green slate. The words "Shibe Park" were engraved over the main entrance and the words "Entrance to Grandstand" were engraved over the adjacent entrances.

Shibe Park, which had been constructed at a cost of three hundred and fifteen thousand dollars on a six-acre site that had been vacant lots, woods, and the Philadelphia Hospital for Contagious Diseases, had been home to the Athletics since it opened in 1909. Located at 21st Street and Lehigh Avenue, it had originally seated twenty three thousand, ten thousand in the grandstand and thirteen thousand in the bleachers, plus an additional area in centerfield that was often used for standing-room patrons and could accommodate up to ten thousand standees. Shibe Park in Philadelphia and Forbes Field in Pittsburgh both opened in 1909 and were the first two ballparks to be constructed entirely of steel and concrete.

Connie Mack was a baseball titan and probably the most important figure in Philadelphia baseball history. He had a very impressive career in baseball himself then continued on to manage pro teams. In 1891, he became involved in Ban Johnson's Western League. The Milwaukee club is where he accepted a job as manger and running the business affairs for the club for four years. These four years were very important to his career. During the four years, he learned more about the game than he had ever learned. He took in and absorbed everything he could while he worked behind the scenes for the club. It truly was a learning experience. Meeting new contacts and connections was one of the greatest benefits. His connections with Ban Johnson lead to a promising new business offer. Johnson was friends with Benjamin F. Shibe. Shibe was a partner in the A. J. Reach and Company. He was fascinated and a fan of the old Athletics of which his partner was a member. In 1880, he became a stockholder in the Athletic Club of the American Association.

The club went bankrupt in 1890 but he still was very interested in it. He took charge of Athletics at that time. This action was taken due to his loyalty for baseball as the greatest American sport and pastime. Shibe was not only a fan of baseball; he manufactured baseball equipment as well. He was responsible for the evolution of baseball itself through his manufacturing of gloves, bats, masks, and other equipment. His love for the game resulted in his decision to have the Athletics join the American league. He finically backed Mack and the two created the Philadelphia Athletics in 1901. Shibe and Mack became the President of the crib. With the new team, the club has had an immediate need for the park to play ball at home. The new crib, Mack found a suitable gap site, which was lined with 29th Street, Columbia Avenue, 30th Street and Oxford Street in North Philadelphia. Shibe and Mack has a 10-year lease on the property and built a small stage for a meager $ 35,000. Columbia Park The park was named because the boundaries of Columbia wasAvenue.

It was a small stadium and had the seating capacity of only 9,500 people. The seating was wood grandstands from home plate to first and third bases that extended on either side. Open bleachers also bordered the foul lines. The park was so small that that the Athletics dressed in a small club house under the bleachers. The away team even had to change in their hotels before the game. The stadium didn't even have dugouts, players sat on wooden benches. The Athletics did well in their first few seasons and became very popular. The small wooden ball park often had to shut its gates on thousands of fans when tickets sold out. The 1902 and 1905 seasons made it clear that the park could not hold all its fans when the Athletics won the American League Championships. Mack and Shibe were not satisfied with the seating capacity. They envisioned a larger park that would hold larger crowds which would result in higher profits. The result was decision to build a new ball park. The Final game was on October 8th 1908. After the 1908 season, the athletics abandoned Columbia Park for good. They moved to their new stadium, Shibe Park, which was much larger. Columbia Park stood for three more years then was knocked down to build homes. This was the place where Philadelphia baseball history began and where many famous players started their career.

The A's and the Philadelphia Phillies originally played in the same ballpark called the Baker Bowl. Because of the A's popularity, their owner Ben Shibe, decided to purchase new land and build a new ballpark. The A's played their last game on October 3, 1908, separating the two teams. They played their first game at Shibe Park on April 12, 1909, 30 years before the Phillies moved there. During these 30 years there were many changes made to the stadium that made it more appealing to the fans. By 1940, Shibe Park had a new tenant, NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. Because of the two baseball teams, a Philadelphia fan was always able to see a baseball game between the months of April and September. In 1953, Shibe Park was renamed after the manager of the A's for 50 years, calling it the Connie Mack Stadium. After the 1954 season, the A's moved to Kansas City, leaving the Phillies to buy the stadium for $2 million.

During the 1960s, the Phillies sought out a new ballpark, due to bad location, lack of parking, and deterioration. The voters throughout Philadelphia voted to build a new multi-purpose stadium for both the Phillies and Eagles in 1964. The Phillies played the last game at Connie Mack Stadium on October 1, 1970. That following year they moved to the new stadium, the Veterans Stadium. In 1971 and several years to follow, Connie Mack Stadium was vandalized and used as a junk yard. The stadium was finally demolished in July 1976, during the All-Star Game held at the Veterans Stadium, and is now the site of a church.

Connie Mack stadium and the surrounding area in which it was built, North Philadelphia were just as, if not more inseparable, as the teams that played within the walls of the complex. The connections between the neighborhood and it's beloved Shibe Park were held until the park was demolished in the nineteen seventies. However, several of the economic changes that the neighborhood underwent affected Shibe Park in positive and negative ways as the years progressed, and ultimately it was economic changes that drove the ancient stadium from North Philadelphia and caused a new complex, Veteran's Stadium, to be built in a newer and more attractive area, South Philadelphia. These economic changes were not always direct results of actions by the stadium and teams, but rather to a larger socio-economic context that included the rise and fall of industrialism, the Great Depression, World War II, and white flight. All these factors contributed to economic rises and declines in the area, and eventually ran the neighborhoods into a downward spiral of decay from which it has since struggled to recover from.

From the time Shibe Park was constructed until the nineteen thirties and the Great Depression, North Philadelphia had been a hub of industrial wealth and might in Philadelphia. Factories were erected in many places, and the area began producing its own income. It became so popular and wealthy an area, that many of the rich industrialist owners of the factories began to construct new and elaborate townhouses in the North Philadelphia. All these achievements have contributed to the environmental choice of Benjamin Shibe and Connie Mack a baseball park to build new and modern than ever before in the area. This new park has brought more wealth in an industry that is booming and strengthen the economy record highs.

This period of success would not be the epitome of the economy of the North Philadelphia in the twentieth century. With the arrival of the Great Depression and the thirties, the majority offactory production control, which enriches the beginning of the century ended, and the companies that folded much needed work planned for the area. Shibe Park, is now completely Connie Mack and his colleagues bore the brunt of economic decline, which manifests itself in an uncomfortable amount of empty seats in stadiums. Discouraged Mack lashed to the fans, has denounced many of them to try to profit from his team, viewed by spectators from the gamestheir homes at reasonable prices. Although Mack lost the case, ordered a large fence to be erected around the stadium to prevent such practices. This was known as the "Spite Fence" and it was a masterpiece by several other teams that face similar challenges duplicates. The fence creates a negative side, and accidentally smothered already in a downward spiral field removed from one of the main sources of entertainment. Connie Mack had left its mark in the district.

L 'fifties brought a new advent of social and economic change. As the cities in America grew larger and more crowded, wealthier, usually white Americans chose to leave the crime and cacophonous noise of the city behind and settle in the rural outskirts of the urban area. This area eventually became known as suburbia, and the new white America was born. No longer would cities represent an accurate cross section of the population, but rather a cross section of the people who could not afford to to leave. Many black families could not afford to move these new areas, people have chosen to stay in town, and saw how their neighbors succumbed to crime, lack of funds, and poverty.

This phenomenon has been known to serve as "white flight" and perhaps the final nail in the coffin of aging Connie Mack Stadium. While the poorest families moved to black and the area became racially integrated, and the economy of the neighborhood last, devastating fall back down the fieldinto outright poverty. Connie Mack was no longer a sports complex in an affluent and supportive area of Philadelphia. North Philadelphia became a burden on the stadium, preventing it from drawing customers due to the downtrodden nature of the neighborhoods that surrounded it. Connie Mack stadium's destruction in 1976 marked the end of a long legacy of sports in Philadelphia, and strangled one last vast source of income from the North Philadelphia area. Although much of the area has been the focus of gentrification projects throughout the nineties and into the twenty-first century, it still remains a poverty stricken and statistically dangerous area with little to no signs of improvement.

The final days of Connie Mack stadium were spent in silent reflection. The new and far away Veterans Stadium had taken the place of the once glorious complex, leaving it to crumble in the declining neighborhoods of North Philadelphia. However, although destroyed by fire and fan looting, the stadium could never lose its sense of pride. Connie Mack stadium had been one of the longest stadiums in use in the Philadelphia area. It had served as a host for numerous pennant wins, World Series games, and winning seasons by not only its chief proprietors, the Philadelphia Athletics, but also by several other baseball clubs in the area, such as the Philadelphia Phillies. The complex began its life as Shibe Park, the brainchild of two aspiring baseball entrepreneurs, Benjamin Shibe and Connie Mack.

Throughout the years it gained the reputation of a winning stadium, and served as the home for the Philadelphia Athletics until their departure in the nineteen fifties. Not only did the stadium break tradition by its reputation for winning ball clubs, but it broke architectural traditions as well, being the first stadium to be constructed using concrete and steel, a distinct sign of the times. The park was constructed for many reasons, including the dreams and objectives of Benjamin Shibe and Connie Mack. It was constructed in 1909 in North Philadelphia because at the time North Philadelphia remained the industrial and wealthy capital of the Philadelphia area. Though its construction reflected the simple reasons of profit and location, the construction process itself became a massive feat of engineering, commanding a large amount of money relative to the times and employing thousands of workers.

The construction site of the complex made its home atop a plot Country once used by many other sites, including the notorious Philadelphia never Hospital for Infectious Diseases. Just as important as the design was the destruction of the park, which took place in 1976. The area began a steady decline in poverty, a phenomenon right to the stadium itself, the charred wreckage by fire and looters were repeated unpleasant reduced. The complex remained dormant for several months before being finally demolished in July. While the world has changednineteen seventies, it is important to note that the construction of Veterans Stadium was astronomical in cost compared to the cost of construction for Shibe Park. Ironically enough, Veterans Stadium did not outlive the venerable Connie Mack Stadium, and was promptly demolished before it could reach forty years in operation. The destruction of Connie Mack stadium was as much linked to the destruction of the Philadelphia Athletics and the unsuccessfulness of the Philadelphia Phillies. Combined with several bad decisions by the administration of the complex, as Connie Mack infamous barrier in spite of himself, "let these reasons, Connie Mack Stadium to an end after almost 70 years working for baseball fans to meet.

Almost as instrumental as the destruction of the park itself was the story of the districts, the Connie Mack Stadium, the North Philadelphia surrounded. Once a wealthy and prominent field in Philadelphia, North Philadelphia has been shredded by the economic crisisrepercussions of such events as the Great Depression and World War II, turning into an unappealing habitat for the destitute. This caused a never before observed phenomenon known as "white flight" in which the white residents of the area left the city in search of new and more secure area, suburbia was born. North Philadelphia was not the only victim of this precipitous decline; however, it was shaken at the very foundations by the events of the thirties, forties, and fifties. North Philadelphia has become a haven for gentrification projects and community improvement initiatives but still remains extremely volatile and unstable in nature. Connie Mack stadium was not only one of the most historically significant and locally popular ballparks in American history, but also one of the most influential, in design, and in the communities surrounding the park. Although it is now demolished, it remains a symbol of Philadelphian engineering and management, a stark testimony to the The ingenuity of people like Benjamin Shibe and Connie Mack, the two men who have dared to dream.

Get a Garden Bench - It's a 'Must Have' Garden Item!

If you're looking for a way to add to the beauty of your outdoor environment, you may want to consider shopping for outdoor benches. Outdoor benches are a wonderful way to dress up the drabbest of patios or enhance the ambiance of the most beautiful garden.

Modern or traditional?

To give you a bit of help, here are some materials that garden benches are made from including Teak, Cedar, metal, wrought iron, wicker, cane, rattan to name just a few.

Garden furniture is now a fashion item as the patio and garden increasingly become an additional functional space to the home, so do bear in mind whether you want to follow fashion or go for a more traditional look.

Therefore, why stand back and admire your garden from afar when you can use a garden bench to be closer. Park benches are an open invitation to slow down, to linger, and to enjoy the beauty that has been created in spaces such as gardens, ponds and Orchards.

Inexpensive

Decorate with benches is also very convenient .. The wooden garden benches are made of wood in different types such as sheesam, bamboo, oak, teak, pine and other woods. (Kiefer not much time outdoors). The best choice for the garden benches are cedar, redwood or cypress, teak, the best and most expensive of the lot
.
Cedar is elegant

A cedar garden bench might just be perfect for"Sitting next" and resting in the shade, you see. Their cedar garden bench or benches in every case where a large part of what gives your yard or garden that you see picturesque.

Well done cedar benches will be time in good shape for a long time and do not require major maintenance, such as rework, etc.

Cedar furniture is often in groups, with additional wooden chairs and tables as well. Garden benchesperfect for a get together, a card game, for a cup of tea, or just for a relaxing time at home.

Stone is an option

Depending on the stone used for the garden bench, the cost of the bench will vary. A marble stone bench costs more than a granite stone bench but the life of both types of stone benches is about the same. You will however probably need cushions to get the comfort factor.

Consider a traditional Teak Bench

Teak patio benches are considered a top choice since this particular wood is the best for facing outdoor elements. It is a dense wood, and has a high oil content, which helps it withstand the elements in the outdoor environment.

This wood is naturally resistant to insects, warping, splintering and the elements, which makes it an ideal wood for creating furniture.

The main quality or asset of this wood is that it offers time less beauty, durability and style to make the teak patio furniture the envy of one's neighbors.

Keep it looking good for longer !

If your garden furniture is made of wood, make it a habit to regularly check for splintered wood or cracks. With dozens and dozens teak wood bench styles to choose from, create an outdoor focal point for your yard or garden

.Teak is a beautiful wood, but it will only looks its best if you take good care of it. Make sure you get proper teak oil, too, not just a finish. Sometimes it's better to buy it from boat and marine suppliers, as teak is a very popular material on boats. This luxuriant hardwood has abilities to withstand the rigors of adverse climates. Teak is resistant to water, weather and warping, allowing it to withstand season after season of use.

Top Tip

Make sure your teak garden furniture is kiln dried to optimise moisture content and ensure shape is maintained and cracks are eliminated.

Rustic is popular right now

Some rustic log patio furniture items including benches should also be on your list if you wish to have a great looking and, at the same time, extremely functional outdoor area. Log style benches are priceless when it comes to seating a lot of guests. Redwood is used mostly because of its durability. Patio benches are especially important and you can luxuriate in comfort when you place some good quality patio furniture cushions on them.

Wrought Iron looks sophisticated

Another classical piece of metal garden furniture is the single ornate iron bench, which can really set off a Victorian style garden. . The result is elegance and a classic look that is perfect for any patio. Finally, wrought iron is often used for patio benches that have scrolling, and a rich style. Browns and blacks are no longer to be seen as abundantly as turquoises, tangerines, crimsons and chartreuses. Wrought iron furniture has a lot of shapes and curves to it, making it look elaborate and elegant for the English traditional style of décor.

Wrought iron can also go well with other decorating styles since its slender, simple lines make it look plain enough to blend in with almost any outdoor setting.

Finally

You're really spoilt for choice - . Benches can be found in so many styles and designs that are priced to suit any budget, just check out the options that suit your lifestyle and budget.

The Evolution of the Wooden Bench

"New" doesn't always imply something totally original and novel; it could just be the evolution of an old idea! If everyone kept this thought in mind while furnishing (or re-decorating) their homes, then they could avoid falling into the "new is good" trap and exercise their creativity in turning a regular piece of furniture into something that is a statement of their personality.

Wooden benches happen to be a great example of this concept. Not only are they great for kicking back and relaxing, they can also totally change the appearance of the surrounding area they are placed in.

Wooden Benches - An Expression of your Individuality

You might wonder how it is possible to take something as basic as a piece of furniture and turn it into an expression of your individuality. What more can an ordinary wooden bench be, but just a place to sit, or a cozy little nook or even a charming conversation piece? The answer is placement; where you decide to place your wooden benches is what will make all the difference and turn it from a plain piece of furniture into to a true delight.

The whole idea of DIY (Do It Yourself) is in itself very rewarding and offers much more satisfaction as compared to simply shelling out some money for a product. There are many things that we can make with our own hands. This, apart from being good for our bodies and minds is quite economical as well. You may have to pay for the materials, but unlike when you buy a product, you do not pay anything whatsoever for other people's labors.

Building Your Own Wooden Bench
In order to build a wooden bench, you will require the following things:

• Materials: These include different lengths and types of wood and tools. You can find most of these things at the local hardware store, which will have both the building materials and tools you need to get the job done.

• Instructions: You need instructions on what to do with these materials. There are scores of DIY books you can lay your hands on either at a book store or the library which have detailed instructions on how to build almost anything. You can also surf the Internet, as there are many websites, which have step by step instructions on what to do. They even provide information regarding the various materials and tools you will need, so you that you are spared of doing any guesswork on your part.

Setting Up Your Wooden Bench
Once you have completed your wooden bench, you can place it wherever you please and enjoy it for years to come. Wooden Benches work well in both indoor and outdoor settings:

• Indoors: If you would like to create a relaxing outdoor atmosphere, one or more wooden benches will be the perfect way to do it. For example, you can turn an unused part of your yard into a nice setting where you can enjoy your morning coffee, or you can enhance the beauty of your garden by adding a wooden bench for sweet solitude.

• Outdoors: While you may not have thought of adding wooden benches to your indoor décor, they can be a nice little surprise for your guests. They can add a unique touch to your hallway or entrance area; or, instead of using insubstantial plastic furniture in the playrooms where the young ones and teens gather with their friends, use wooden benches, which are not only much more sturdy and resistant to damage, but definitely look great too.

How to Build an Outdoor Bench

As benches are relatively affordable outdoor furniture most people just go to the store and buy or purchase their benches online. But they are missing the great opportunities that building yourself gives: to have a bench of any design, to have fun, to acquire some new skills, and to be proud of the result of your work!

In this article we will learn how to build a simple wooden outdoor bench. Let's start:

Plan the location. Planning/choosing the location of your bench itself is pretty simple task but it's important because it can influence some of the characteristics of your bench. The most important thing is to see how much space the bench can occupy and plan its size accordingly to that. Don't forget that there must be space behind it so people don't hit their heads in a wall or three when stretching themselves, and that there should be enough space for the legs.

Good locations for outdoor benches are next to walkways, fences, house walls, or in patio areas.

Draw or obtain plans. Don't start without any plans, the risk to waste materials and time is very real. There are a lot of bench plans available online and plenty of them are even free. You can design a bench yourself too, just make sure that you have some drawings with sizes on it.

The bench we are suggesting in this article is a simple wooden bench with 4 or 6 legs and a back. You can however design it or modify it easily.

Create the seat. Building the seat is a good start. It's quite simple: you need 2 or 3 plans or 10 - 20 slats. I prefer seats from large planks because they are more comfortable. Connect these with 4 or 5 beams at the bottom, equally distributed - if the bench is longer than 1m, the beams better be 5 and the 5th one should be in the middle.
Two of the beams should be near the ends, there will be attached the legs.

Make and attach the legs. The legs can be simply done good sturdy bar or even large branches. Bring your legs under the bar and end at a certain distance from the ends. Use nails or screws and glue to hold it securely. Make sure all legs equal.

If the jet home fifth place means, 2 legs for more stability.

Locations and mount the back. The back should be after the other parts are assembled together in the Annex. Sometimes it's good, in fact, they attach to the seat installed.Just like the seat, the back slats of 1-2 or more posts are made. The bar, the stabilization of the spine may be longer and will be used to connect to the Bank (through the legs). Of course, there are many other ways, the back, but this one is easy and stable.

Install the bank. Most banks do not need a real installation, you can simply drop it anywhere. But if you have a soft to the selected location, you may need to pay a bit 'of concrete, or at leastgravel in holes right under each bench leg.

Building an outdoor garden bench is a simple project which makes it perfect for starter do-it-yourself fans. Don't hesitate to try it!

Entryway Benches - Simple Yet Practical

With their combined elegance and functionality it is no surprise that entryway benches are gaining such increased popularity and are finding their way into more and more homes.

Entryway benches are made in various styles to cater for a wide gamma of needs, existing decors and personal tastes and preferences.

For a contemporary look in your entryway hall you might like something along the simple lines of the Luxury Espresso Wooden Bench. With its straight and clean look and wide seat it provides comfortable seating without overpowering the space of your entryway.

If your prefer an antique look to adorn your hallway then try the wonderfully elegant Ashland Wooden Entryway Bench that will make a lasting impression with its intricate carvings and heirloom look.

For those homes where extra storage space is necessary then why not consider the Ryder Wooden Storage Bench. Not only does it provide an immediate seating place upon entering your home to remove your shoes but it also features three storage drawers to help keeping your entryway neat and tidy.

And for making a grander impression while providing a warm welcome that all your visitors and guests will delight in perhaps you would like to incorporate a Hall Tree Entryway Bench. For instance the Province Hills Hall Tree is fantastic for providing a combination of seating, hooks for hanging your coats and bags upon entering as well as a spacious storage bench for bulkier items that usually crowd your entryway.

With such a large variety of styles, designs and materials to choose from and with prices ranging from approximately $100-$600 it is certain you will find the right entryway bench to not only highlight your hall but offer you additional seating and valuable storage you and your family will truly enjoy for years.

Build A Home Sauna For Better Health

Most saunas are constructed of wood and provide an enclosure with a bench in which to sit and enjoy the warmth from the heating unit. Some saunas have infrared heat which is much safer with little risks of burns or fire. Time spent in a sauna is very relaxing and greatly improve the comforts of home. They are a wonderful way to relax in private after a long days work or to enjoy with friends.

Anybody can build a home sauna. First, take a moment to decide on the best location. Most people who build a home sauna do so outside, on a deck or a patio. That way it will be convenient and easy to use. But wherever it goes, you need to make sure it is not located somewhere that is unwieldy or dangerous. Also, when you place your home built sauna, make sure a draining facility and water supply are close at hand, since you will have to hook the sauna up to your home plumbing.

Once you have committed to building a home sauna you have to think about the design that you want. The size and shape of your sauna are incredibly important decisions. You can also build a home sauna from scratch or prefabricated. Prefabricated saunas minimize the amount of work that you have to put into building it.

If you would like to do some of the work yourself, a sauna kit might be the perfect solution. It contains all the materials and tools that you need to build a home sauna. The kit includes wood and stones, together with instructions on how to put the sauna together, in order to streamline the construction process.

Saunas work by helping you to sweat more and more. This heat not only relaxes your muscles but some really harmful substances are also removed from your skin through sweating. This will make your skin healthy and bring back your lost glow. But this is just a secondary benefit. The main advantage of using sauna is that it makes you healthier over time and decreases your chances of falling ill.

Far infrared saunas can even help you lose weight! How? Just one session can be be quite a cardio workout and burn up to 600 calories. In addition, you can reduce stress and anxiety, improving both your physical and mental health. With all these benefits, it's no wonder that so many people are building home saunas.

Cushions - A Low Cost Home Interior Beauty Solution

You get home everyday to the same home. Is your home interior starting to look boring to you? An interior decorating overhaul can be a costly proposition. However, there is a cost effective way to make your home interior look more comfortable & beautiful.

A low cost beautifying solution is to decorate your home with cushions. Cushions are useful to provide comfortable seating, complement your resting spot, & also bring attention to the space it resides. Even old cushions can be refurbished to give your home a "facelift" or a fresh new look. Change their covers or wrap them in ribbons. Then apply safety pins to their backs. The safety pins should secure the ribbons in place during normal usage.

Various shapes & sizes

Various shapes & sizes of brand new cushions are available for purchase at home appliances stores near you. Start with your home furniture. Plain wooden benches tend to look bland. Use cushions to make them look inviting and appealing. Large cushions will provide good back support for you to lie down in comfortable positions on a hard wooden bench. Small cushions will give the impression that the wooden bench is not for lying down but only for seating. Cushions can also be placed on wooden chairs as to make them more comfortable during seating.

Another tip is to place a pile of cushions of various sizes on a carpet at your favorite home resting spot. Add a mattress & comforters to the combination then you will have a make shift bed at your disposal.

Colors & motives

Colors & motives of cushions will also help you realize an interior decorating theme for any single room.

Your plain old sofa will look more appealing with a few well chosen cushions. Choose a color & motive of cushions that best suits your sofa. Try not to have too much of a contrast in the combination nor make it too visually similar to the original design. The cushions are meant to compliment the sofa rather than to overwhelm its appearance.

A patterned sofa should be combined with plain colored cushions to change its overall appearance. Similar pattern cushions will make the sofa look congested while frustratingly retaining its same old looks.

A variety in texture

Cushions made with different types of material offers many a relaxing experience to your touching senses. It may be used to reflect the ground of an earthy theme when placed on the floor or even braided to give extra panache to an ornately textured Moroccan style room. Alternatively, you can provide new satin cushion covers & give a classy look to your once humble abode.

A numbers game

Placing cushions on a bed will enhance it as a focal point in a bedroom. A few well chosen cushions placed around the bed pillows will be sufficient but you may want to group more of them together to satisfy your comfort level. You may also want to place the cushions in cluttered or stacked arrangements of your preference.

Cushions give you a variety of options to improve your home interiors without you having to spend much money on the occasion. Also, they will come especially useful when you have guests staying over at your home. Have cushions ready as a quick & efficient solution for your guests resting needs. Provide you, your family & welcomed guests with a good cushioning start to a pampering experience in your own home.

Aviation Sights of Long Island

1. Long Island's Aviation Seed

The aviation seed planted on Long Island's Hempstead Plains in 1909, when Glenn Curtiss had first flown above it in his Golden Flyer biplane, had sprouted and grown over a six-decade period until it had ultimately connected its own soil with that of its moon.

Its many aerospace sights, depicting its general aviation, commercial, military, and space branches, and geographically spread between Garden City and Calverton, recount this journey.

2. Cradle of Aviation Museum

The Cradle of Aviation Museum, located on Museum Row in Garden City near the Coliseum, Nassau Community College, and Hofstra University, tells most of Long Island's aerospace story.

Tracing its origin to 1979, when then-County Executive Francis T. Purcell designated funds to restore two aircraft hangars at former Mitchel Field, it displayed several dozen aircraft until it closed for renovation in 1995. The 130,000-square-foot, $40 million facility, opening on the 75th anniversary of Lindbergh's transatlantic flight in 2002, showcases more than 70 air- and spacecraft, 11 of which are one-of-a-kind designs, associated with or constructed on Long Island and uncovered during a 20-year search which had stretched from the bottom of Lake Michigan to Guadalcanal. They had then been restored and preserved by retired airline and defense aircraft manufacturer volunteers who collectively contributed some 650,000 man-hours to the project. The result had been Long Island's largest, year-round, educational, recreational, and cultural institution.

According to New York State Governor George E. Pataki, museum visitors "can see the brief span of years that brought Long Island from hosting the fragile biplanes of 1911 to building the Lunar Module that took mankind to the moon in the sixties. Through these displays, the Cradle becomes a powerful mirror that reflects our own skills, intellect, and ability to conquer time and space and pays tribute to American innovation and pioneering spirit."

The Cradle of Aviation Museum, dominated by its impressive, four-story, glass atrium Reckson Center, greets visitors with a ceiling-suspended Grumman F-11A Tiger supersonic fighter in Blue Angels livery and a 1929 Fleet 2 biplane trainer, symbolically representing the soaring ascent of Long Island's aviation heritage.

The main exhibits, located in eight galleries in the two restored Army Air Corps Hangars 3 and 4 which still bear the words "Mitchel Field. Elev 90 Feet" on their facades, and now designated the Donald Everett Axinn Air and Space Hall, are accessed by a second floor skywalk at whose entrance a third ceiling-suspended replica of a 1922 Sperry Messenger biplane designed by the Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Company of Farmingdale hangs.

According to the skywalk's plaque, "Long Island has been at the forefront of American's aviation and space adventure for the past one hundred years...It all started here on Long Island's Hempstead Plains."

A one-flight descent leads to the first of the museum's galleries, "Dream of Wings." Depicting the triumph of flight with lighter-than-air craft, it demonstrates how balloon, kite, glider, and airship experimentations turned the dream of flight into reality and led to its heavier-than-air successors, displaying aerostatic lift generation, Alexander Graham Bell's tetrahedral kite, an Otto Lilienthal glider, and a 1906 Timmons kite built in Queens, the museum's oldest flying exhibit. A 20-hp Glenn Curtiss airship engine, designed two years later, and a Mineola Bike Shop, demonstrating, in the Wright Brothers' vein, the technology transfer from the bicycle to the aircraft with propellers and wings, round out the exhibits.

The "Hempstead Plains" gallery, the next encountered, represents a 1910 air meet. Amid recordings of turning propellers and accelerating aircraft, a collection of early designs graces the grass-carpeted field and includes an original Bleriot XI of 1909, the world's fourth-oldest, still-operational airframe; a spruce-and-bamboo replica of Glenn Curtiss's Golden Flyer, the first heavier-than-air airplane to fly over Long Island; a replica of a Wright Brothers' Vin Fiz; a Hanriot monoplane; a Farman biplane, a 1911 Anzani engine; and a 1913 Studebaker "motor car."

During World War I, as evidenced by the succeeding gallery, the triumph of flight was transferred into the destruction of man, as the airplane assumed the reciprocal role of a weapon, and Long Island had become the center of military aircraft design, testing, and production during this time. On display is the first airplane acquired by Charles Lindbergh, a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny purchased in 1923 for $500; along with a 1918 Breese Penguin trainer, the only one of the 250 originally produced remaining; an airworthy Thomas-Morse S4C Scout biplane with its original Marlin machine gun; and the F. Trubee Davison World War One wooden hangar, which sports the ribbed, uncovered airframe of a Curtiss Jenny with its engine, propeller, and fuel tank; and a 160-hp Gnome Monosoupope, 1916 engine from France.

During the Golden Age of Aviation, which spanned the 20-year period from 1919 to 1938, aviation matured, evolving from a dangerous sport to a viable commercial industry. The motley collection of aircraft in this gallery includes the sister ship to the original Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis and used during the filming of the epic tale; an Aircraft Engineering Corporation "Ace," which became America's first sport plane; a replica of a Curtiss/Sperry Aerial Torpedo; a 1932 Grumman F3F-2 Navy Scout fighter; a Brunner Winkle Model A Byrd biplane built in Glendale, Queens; an American Aeronautical Corporation/Savoia Marchetti S-56 amphibian made in Port Washington; and a Grumman G-21 Goose in blue, Pan American Airways System livery.

During World War II, as reflected by its respective gallery, the aircraft produced by Repubic and Grumman had been crucial to US victory, and within the six-year period from 1939 to 1945 depicted, some 45,000 airframes had rolled off the production line. On display are a powerless Waco CG-4 Troop Glider, which had been used to deliver soldiers behind enemy lines; a Republic P-47N Thunderbolt; a Grumman F6F Hellcat, a Grumman TBM Avenger, a Grumman F6F Hellcat, a Douglas C-47 cockpit and nose section, and the Sperry Type A-2 lower gun turret which had protected the undersides of B-17 and B-24 long-range bombers.

The pure-jet engine, as evidenced by the Jet Age Gallery, revolutionized military aviation by endowing aircraft with unprecedented speed, range, maneuverability, and attack capability, and Grumman Aircraft Corporation had been instrumental in this development, having designed more than 40 civilian and military types which totaled some 33,000 airframes and provided employment for 200,000 Long Island residents. Its military aircraft, particularly, had played crucial roles in numerous conflicts, including those in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. On display are several Grumman designs, inclusive of an E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning/command-and-control aircraft, an F9F-7 Cougar, the forward fuselage of an F-14 Tomcat, and an A-6 Intruder cockpit simulator, while Republic Aviation is represented by an F-84B Thunderjet, an F-105B supersonic fighter, and an A-10A Thunderbolt cockpit section. A Boeing 727 nose and cockpit section and a Westinghouse J-34 turbine engine round out the exhibits.

The "Contemporary Aviation" gallery features air traffic control radar screens which emphasize the congested JFK, La Guardia, and Newark airport triplex, along with their secondary airports of Long Island MacArthur and Westchester County's White Plains, and Farmingdale's Republic Airport, the states' busiest general aviation/reliever field.

The "Exploring Space" gallery, the last of the eight, depicts the dramatic transition from atmospheric flight to vacuumless space and emphasizes Long Island's rich contribution to this aerospace sector. Its exhibits include a Goddard A-series rocket; a Grumman orbiting astronomical observatory; a Grumman echo adapter; a life-size model of the Sputnik satellite which had been presented by the Soviet Union and whose original hardware had launched the Space Race; a Grumman Rigel ramjet missile from 1953; a Grumman Lunar Module simulator; and a Rockwell Command Module which had been used during a 25,000-mph earth reentry test in 1966 prior to the manned Apollo flights.

A "Clean Room," representing the environment in which all Lunar Modules had been hand-made, leads to the gallery's-and the museum's-most precious exhibit, an actual, 22.9-foot-high, gold foil-covered LM-13, the thirteenth and last Lunar Module built, dramatically lit with its legs nestled on a simulated moonscape. Designated an historic mechanical landmark, the Lunar Module had been the first-and thus far, only-spacecraft to have ever transported human beings from earth to another planet or its moons.

The Museum Annex Jet Gallery, which shares facilities with the Long Island Firefighter's Museum, features a Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, the forward fuselage of a Grumman F-14A, a full F-14A Tomcat airframe, a Grumman A-6F Intruder, and the forward nose section and cockpit of an El Al Boeing 707.

Other museum facilities include the seven-story-high, 300-seat, 76-foot-wide Leroy R. and Rose W. Grumman IMAX Theater, New York state's largest domed venue and Long Island's only IMAX screen; the Martian-themed Red Planet Café, which displays a 1961 Grumman "Molab" Mobile Lunar Laboratory designed for lunar surface travel, habitation, and testing; a balcony-located Aerospace Honor Roll; and the Mitchel Field Outpost gift and bookstore.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum is a world-class facility which preserves, showcases, and interprets Long Island's rich aerospace heritage.

3. American Airpower Museum

The American Airpower Museum, located at Farmingdale's Republic Airport, oozes with history. It is housed in an historic hangar, where historic World War II aircraft had been built, and these had then been tested at this historic airfield.

Republic Airport itself, founded in 1928 as Fairchild Flying Field when Sherman Fairchild's existing facility had become too small to support continued FC-2 and Model 71 production, had passed the torch to Grumman for a five-year period, from 1932 to 1937, when the Fairchild Engine and Aircraft Manufacturing Company itself had relocated to Maryland.

Seversky, establishing its presence on the field in 1935, continued its tradition of aircraft building and testing, redesignating itself "Republic Aviation" and considerably expanding its facilities with three new hangars, a control tower, and a longer runway. A major supplier of military designs, it churned out more than 9,000 P-47 Thunderbolts during the Second World War and 800 F-105 Thunderchiefs during the Vietnam conflict.

After acquiring the airport in 1965, Fairchild-Hiller sold it to Farmingdale Corporation, which turned it into a public facility the following year, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), purchasing it for $25 million in 1969, renamed it Republic Airport, lengthening existing Runway 14-32, constructing a 100-foot FAA control tower, and building a small passenger terminal.

The 526-acre general aviation/reliever airport, whose ownership once again changed to the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) in April of 1983, exerts some $139 million of economic impact on Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Its 546 based and transient aircraft record 190,723 annual movements, of which 93 percent encompass general aviation, six percent air taxi, and one percent military, in a full spectrum of aircraft types, including single-engine, multi-engine, piston, turboprop, pure-jet, and rotary wing, and these utilize its two runways: 5,516-foot Runway 1-19 and 6,827-foot Runway 14-32. As New York's third largest airport in terms of take offs and landings after JFK and La Guardia, and its largest general aviation field, it handled 1,634 enplanements, mostly due to charter flight activity, in 2005.

Amidst this atmosphere, off of New Highway, is the American Airpower Museum. Hangar 3, its location, had been completed in 1927, along with other structures at a $500,000 cost and had served as the incubation point of some 9,000 Republic P-47 Thunderbolts during the Second World War. As a result, it had once been considered part of the "arsenal of democracy." The museum, launched after a $250,000 grant from Governor George E. Pataki and dedicated during the airport's annual Pearl Harbor Day Commemorative Service in 2000, had been built to serve as a living tribute to Long Island's veteran population by honoring the past with the present, and to create a regional tourist destination, along with the Cradle of Aviation Museum.

Colonel Francis Gabreski, who scored most of his World War II victories in Republic P-47s, had been the highest ranking ace on Long Island and had initially served as the museum's honorary commander.

Complementing the static displays at the Cradle of Aviation Museum itself, the American Airpower Museum features the sights, sounds, and experiences of operational World War II fighters and bombers, the first time in 54 years that the New York metropolitan area can boast of such an accomplishment. As the Williamsburg of military aviation, the facility accurately proclaims its mission as "where history flies."

Its varied collection of pristinely restored aircraft encompass trainers, fighters, carrier-based Navy, ocean reconnaissance, bombers, and post-World War II jet types.

The North American T-6 Texan, for instance, first flew in 1935 and was one of the most widely used advanced fighter pilot trainers during the war.

Of the fighters, the Curtiss-Wright P-40 Warhawk, which also first flew that year, attains 363-mph speeds and currently wears Flying Tiger livery. No aircraft could be more at home in the American Airpower Museum's Hangar 3, however, than the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, the very design which was assembled here in the thousands. First taking to the skies from the runway only yards away in 1940, it was the largest, heaviest, single-engine, single-pilot piston fighter ever produced, attaining 467-mph speeds. The P-51 Mustang, whose maximum speed had been 30 mph lower than the Thunderbolt's, flew high-altitude escort missions of B-17 and B-24 long-range bombers, shooting down more enemy aircraft than any other World War II European theater fighter.

Of the Navy aircraft, the Grumman TBM Avenger, a carrier-based torpedo bomber, had hunted German U-boats off the coast of Long Island, while the Vought FG-1D Corsair had been used by both the Navy and the Marines and had achieved 446-mph airspeeds.

The Consolidated PBY Catalina, a high-wing, amphibious ocean reconnaissance aircraft flown by a crew of eight, searched for enemy submarines. It had a 2,545-mile range, a 15,748-foot service ceiling, and a 178-mph speed.

The museum's twin-engined, medium-range North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, designated "Miss Hap," had been General Hap Arnold's personal aircraft, while the type in general had been made famous by the Doolittle Raid.

The collection also includes several jet fighters. The L-39 Albatross, for example, is a 570-mph Soviet trainer which first flew in 1968 and is still in service with 16 countries. The Republic F-84 Thunderjet, one of the first pure-jet fighters, attained 620-mph speeds and served from 1948 to the Korean War. The RF-84 Thunderflash, also designed by Republic, is a 720-mph photoreconnaissance aircraft with horizon-to-horizon photograph capability, and served between 1953 and 1971. The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, a supersonic fighter and attack bomber, had been most extensively deployed in Vietnam in its F-105D guise, carrying more than 12,000 pounds of ordnance and achieving 1,390-mph speeds. It served for a quarter of a century, from 1955 to 1980. The General Dynamics F-111, a supersonic, March 1.2, variable-geometry strike aircraft, first flew in 1967, and had seen service in Vietnam, Libya, and Iraq.

Aside from the aircraft themselves, there are nose and cockpit sections, including those of a Fairchild-Republic A-10, a Mig-21, a Beech 18/C-45, and a Douglas C-47, as well as engines, such as a General Electric J-47 and an Allison V-1710.

World War II's aviation story is also told by means of films, period scenes and dioramas, an extensive model and memorabilia collection, vintage vehicles, a "Ready Room," a "Briefing Room," a "Canteen," a gift shop, and era-related music.

Tours are periodically provided to the historic, five-story, 1943 control tower located in Hangar 4. The view from the cab, amid vintage radio and radar equipment overlooking Republic airport's two runways, provides insight into the controllers' functions, which often included coordinating vectors from P-47s, A-10s, F-84s, and F-105s enroute to the region's dense air base network comprised of Zahns Airport, then virtually across the road, Grumman in Bethpage, Mitchel Field in Garden City, the Floyd Bennett Field Naval Air Station in Brooklyn, and the Vought factory across Long Island Sound in Connecticut, a network emphasizing Long Island's early nucleic role in aviation.

Because the American Airpower Museum's collection is predominantly operational, several flight experiences are offered.

Its own, and signature, opportunity, aboard a Douglas C-47 Skytrain which had last been used by the Israeli Air Force, simulates the famed, D-Day allied invasion of Normandy during the early-morning hours of June 6, 1944.

After donning paratrooper uniforms, helmets, and modified parachutes in the Ready Room, would-be jumpers move to the Briefing Room, where, amid wooden benches and period maps, the pending mission is detailed, along with the necessary regrouping maneuver behind French hedgerows after parachuting to the ground. French francs are distributed.

The cohesive, identically clad team now climbs aboard the twin-engined, olive-green C-47, which is configured with wooden side benches and actually partook of Normandy operations.

During a recent summer flight, the aircraft taxied out to Republic Airport's Runway 1 and initiated its piston engine-propelled acceleration roll, raising its tailwheel and surrendering to the flawlessly blue sky while retracting its undercarriage.

Climbing to 1,200 feet and maintaining a 125-mph airspeed, the Douglas twin straddled Long Island's south shore off of Jones Beach, which simulated the similar sands of Normandy.
Upon reaching the designated "drop zone," the jumpmaster yelled, "Stand up! Check equipment! Hook up!" and the paratroopers connected their lines to the aircraft in preparation for imminent bailout.

Parachute jumping procedures were drilled and the actual, 1944 event was recounted. Regrettably, the realism necessarily had to end there.

Nevertheless, after relanding, the sensation of the D-Day disconnection during the real jump was recreated as the temporary troopers climbed out the aft, left hatch, their Velcro-attached lines separating with gentle tares, a symbolic disconnection from machine before being gravity-induced into an exponentially accelerating tumble to French soil until the unraveling surfaces of their parachutes blossomed into arresting airfoils.

Before removing uniforms, passengers are instructed to reach into their pockets to retrieve a card which reveals the identity of their historical double-or that paratrooper they had represented during the simulated mission. The paratrooper, however, had made the actual jump. And the card indicates whether he had lived or died as a result of it.

Other than the American Airpower Museum's own C-47 flight experience, vintage aircraft static displays and aerial opportunities are scheduled during holidays and special occasions, such as during Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, historical anniversaries, and the annual Labor Day Flight of Aces weekend, the latter created to encourage young people to write about the virtues, victories, and achievements of a World War II-age friend or relative. The winning composition is awarded a bomber flight experience. Aircraft have included the MATS C-121 Constellation; the Berlin Airlift "Spirit of Freedom" C-54; the B-17 Flying Fortress; the B-24 Liberator; the B-25 Mitchell; and the PT-17 Stearman, the last four of which were operated by the Collings Foundation.

A post-museum visit dinner at the 56th Fighter Group Restaurant located on the Route 110 side of Republic Airport, although not affiliated with the museum itself, both complements and completes a World War II living history day. Resembling a 1940 wartime English farmhouse, it further transports the diner to this era with its "Officer's Mess" entry; rustic, timbered ceilings; fireplace-adorned dining rooms; World War II-related photographs, memorabilia, and propellers; simulated, bombed-out patio; Big Band music; and views of replica P-40, P-47, and Corsair aircraft. The steak and seafood menu is noted for its signature beer-cheese soup.

The American Airpower Museum is a living aviation time portal to World War II and Long Island's invaluable contribution to its victory of it. A post-museum dinner at the 56th Fighter Group Restaurant provides the culinary cap to it.

4. Bayport Aerodrome Living Aviation Museum

The Bayport Aerodrome Living Aviation Museum, created by the Bayport Aerodrome Society to preserve and present early-20th century aviation at a representative turf airport, is a 24-hangar complex of privately owned antique and experimental aircraft located at Bayport Aerodrome.

The aerodrome, three miles southeast of Long Island MacArthur Airport, is a nontowered field with a single, 150-foot-wide by 2,740-foot-long grass/turf runway (18-36) and 45 based single-engine aircraft. Of its average 28 daily movements, 98 percent are local, with the remainder transient. Designated Davis Field from 1910 to 1952, it had then been renamed Edwards Airport until 1977, whereafter it had been acquired by the Town of Islip. On January 22, 2008, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a feat proudly proclaimed by its plaque, which reads: "Bayport Aerodrome. Only L.I. public airport w/ grass runways. National Historic status 2008."

Formed in 1972 for the very purpose of preserving such an era, the Bayport Aerodrome Society conducts complementary tours on weekends between June and September of its operational aircraft collection, which includes Piper Cubs, Waco biplanes, N2S Stearmans, Fleet Model 16Bs, Byrds, and PT-22s. There is also a small museum.

5. Grand Old Airshow

The Grand Old Airshow, first held in 2006 at Brookhaven's Calabro Airport, was created to transport spectators to earlier, biplane and World War II eras and showcase Long Island aviation.

Calabro Airport itself is a 600-acre, nontowered, municipal field which was constructed during the Second World War to provide logistical support for the Army Air Corps, but was acquired by the Town of Brookhaven in 1961, whose Division of General Aviation now operates it. The field, sporting two runways-4,200-foot Runway 6-24 and 4,224-foot Runway 15-33-is home to three fixed-base operators which offer tie-down pads, T-hangars, conventional hangars, flight instruction, and refueling, as well as Eastern Suffolk Boces, the Dowling College School of Aviation, the Long Island Soaring Association, and Island Aerial Air. There is a small terminal with a luncheonette. Of its 217 based aircraft, some 92 percent encompass single-engine types, and it averages 370 daily, or 135,100 yearly, movements.

The airshow entices the visitor by urging him to "join us this year as we go back in time to celebrate Long Island's Golden Age of Aviation," a time when "biplanes graced the skies decades ago." It continues by offering the experience of "bygone days of aviation, as World War I dogfights, open-cockpit biplanes, World War II fighters, and, of course, the famous Geico Skytypers, soar through Long Island's blue skies."

Previous shows have featured antique vehicles and static aircraft displays, the latter encompassing TBM Avengers, Fokker Dr-1s, Nieuports, and Messerschmidt Me-109s, while aerial stunts have included comedy maneuvers performed in Piper J-3 Cubs by "randomly chosen" audience member Carl Spackle; Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome-borrowed Delsey Dives and balloon bursts targeted by Great Lakes Speedsters, Fleet 16Bs, and PT-17 Stearmans; speed races between runway-bound motorcycles and airborne, low-passing PT-17s; aerobatics by SF-260s; and skywriting by Sukhoi 29s.

A Sikorsky UH-34D Sea Horse Marine helicopter, used for combat rescue in Vietnam, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and by NASA during the Project Mercury astronaut recovery program, demonstrated search-and-rescue procedures.
Both Long Island aviation and formation flying are well represented. Past shows have featured Byrd, N3N, Fleet Model 16B, and N2S Stearman aircraft from the Bayport Aerodrome Society; P-40 Warhawks and P-51 Mustangs from Warbirds over Long Island; F4U Corsairs from the American Airpower Museum; and North American SNJ-2s from the Republic Airport-based Geico Skytypers.

Vintage vehicle and aircraft rides are available. Spectators bring their own lawn chairs and line them up next to the active runway. There is period dress and speeches are given by Tuskegee Airmen. Concession trucks sell everything from hot dogs to ice cream and souvenirs and numerous aviation-related schools and associations man booths.

The Grand Old Airshow, held in the fall, is a single-day, single-visit, outdoor glimpse toward the sky where Long Island's multi-faceted aviation history was written and where it is now recreated.

6. Grumman Memorial Park

Grumman Memorial Park, located on a one-acre site of the former Grumman Aerospace Flight Test Facility in Calverton only one thousand feet from one of its runways, is, according to its self-description, "a volunteer effort paying tribute to the incredible advances in aviation and space flight that took place on Long Island thanks to the teamwork of the employees of the Grumman Corporation. This dedicated band of people took aviation from the fight deck of a US Navy aircraft carrier to man's first steps on the moon."

Leroy Randle Grumman, the man behind this company's name, had been born on January 4, 1895 and established the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation 35 years later, according to the park's plaque "in a small garage in Baldwin, Long Island, New York. There and later in Valley Stream, Farmingdale, Bethpage, Calverton, and locations throughout the country, the company designed and produced innovative aircraft and spacecraft for both the military forces of the United States and the civilian market." Incorporated in all these designs had been the company's straightforward philosophy of "keep it simple...build it strong....make it work."

Phase One of the park, completed on October 28, 2000, had been dedicated to "preserving the legacy of the Grumman Corporation (and) to the men and women who designed, built, and flew the aircraft and spacecraft that soared into the heavens and beyond."

Centerpiece, mounted on a pedestal in a climbing profile, is an F-14A Tomcat. Powered by two 20,900 thrust-pound, afterburner-equipped Pratt and Whitney TF30-P-414A turbofans, the swing-wing, variable-geometry fighter, whose sweepback varies from 20 degrees in the forward to 68 degrees in the aft position, was the 331st such Tomcat airframe to roll off the nearby Calverton assembly line and first flew from the almost arm's reach runway on July 6, 1979. Delivered two months later to the US Navy's VF-101 Fighter Squadron in Oceana, Virginia, it carried 2,385 gallons of fuel, including that accommodated in two, 267-gallon external tanks, and had a 1,191-mile nonstop range. The Mach 2 aircraft had provided 25 years of service before being decommissioned, and had been one of 712 F-14s to have been produced between 1970 and 1992.

Surrounded by inscribed bricks, which comprise the "Walk of Honor," the display has several interactive features, including a visitor-controlled audible recording of its story, sounds of an afterburner take off, and wing and tail light activation.

The second aircraft on display, part of the park's Phase Two expansion, is the Grumman A-6E Intruder located on the other side of the small parking lot. Tracing its origins to its initial version, the A2F-1 which had first flown in 1960, it was one of 693 all-weather attack aircraft which were powered by two Pratt and Whitney J-52 P-8B turbojets and had maximum take off weights of 58,600 pounds. Operating at 42,400-foot ceilings, the 648-mph aircraft could deliver eight 500-pound bombs with pinpoint accuracy, and it could carry an entire arsenal of weapons, striking targets more than 500 miles from the aircraft carrier on which it had been based without the need for refueling. Production ceased in 1997.

Aside from the two aircraft themselves, displays include the original Calverton Plant 7 flagpole, a Bethpage Plant 14 guard booth, and a Bethpage runway section, along with its side light, from which every Grumman F6F Hellcat had taken off.

Also viewable is a Hughes AIM-54A Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile, an integral part of the F-14 Tomcat AWG-9 Weapon System. Featuring a 13-foot length and three-foot wingspan, the device had a 1,021-pound gross weight, of which its 132-pound warhead had been propelled by a solid rocket motor. Traveling at a speed of Mach 5, it had a 96-mile range. The F-14 could carry up to six such Phoenix missiles.

Grumman Memorial Park, a work-in-progress whose nine additional acres will eventually encompass a visitor center and other aircraft displays, offers an initial glimpse into Grumman's superior military designs only yards from the factory which had hatched them.

7. Conclusion

Long Island's six-decade aerial journey, which had begun on its Hempstead Plains in 1909 when Glenn Curtiss had first taken off in the Golden Flyer biplane and ended when the Lunar Module had first landed on the moon's Sea of Tranquility in 1969, is expertly recounted by its world-class aviation sights.

How to Grow Upside Down Tomatoes Cheap!

Does your tomato garden patch let you down? Your tomato plants are straggling, your stakes break away and weeds plague you? Do not despair... you can bring adventure back into your gardening. Just start growing tomatoes upside down.

The invention:

Mr. Bill Felknor, an inventor from Knoxville, Tennessee believes that God intended tomatoes to be grown upside down. Two million Americans think so too as they set about growing plants that will ideally produce 30 pounds of tomatoes per plant. The idea grows on you and suddenly isn't too far-fetched either. Growing tomatoes need not be a back-breaking chore and you don't have to cover yourself in garden soil rooting for weeds and aphids.

Growing upside down tomatoes does not need a lot of garden space. Even a small patio, terrace or balcony will suffice to set up your hanging garden. Plant your tomatoes; root them in a good potting soil and you can sit on the patio and be wonder struck as you can see your plants grow like Jack's beanstalk.

Here is the process and how it works:

All you need to do is to start with some good tomato seedlings, potting soil, a 5 gallon, plastic paint can with handle or an old bucket, a watering can and a good bit of trellis wire. Place the can or bucket upside down and with a utility knife carve out a hole at least 3+ in diameter. Now set the bucket (or can) right side up between two wooden benches and fill them with the soil all around the hole you they just cut. Carefully hold the tomato plant through the stems and leaves, and the wire through the hole so that the buds and hang the root ball is kept in the bucket. Add more soil to keep the roots, some moss sorghum or coffee filter to drop out of the hole layout. You can now pack the soil in place and up to three inches below the rim of the bucket.

Water the plants thoroughly, have the commercial container is a sponge to retain water and helpsthis addresses the main problem with container gardens, allowing the water to seep in and fill up the loose spaces within the soil. When water begins to drip out from the shoots, lift the bucket by its handle taking care not to let the plants trail on the ground. Hang the tomato bucket on to a post or patio structure using the trellis wire. Now your tomatoes are ready to grow upside down.

The Topsy Turvy Planter

It's no wonder the Topsy Turvy Planter was featured in TIME magazine last year. There have been variants of course, as tradesmen joyfully pounced on the idea with their own modifications. The Upside Down Tomato Garden has room for more plants on top of the pot. The commercial ones feature a sponge that retains water around the roots. This solves the real problem of keeping the plant adequately watered. This Topsy Turvy sells from around $8 upward to $54 for the high end styles.

America initially was the upside down land of tomato growers, but these days people from every country seem to be growing tomatoes this way as this has really caught the imagination and fancy of millions of people around the world.

Cambodia and Back

We went overland from Bangkok, taking a bus to a border marked by tacky casinos. We paid our visa, were photographed by customs and walked from the second to the third world. Our taxi, a fifteen year old Toyota sedan, would take us to Battanbang, Cambodia's second largest city.

The journey took seven hours and it gave us an opportunity to ease into the country in a way that jet travel can not. The main road south, connecting the two countries, was potholed dirt, almost as bad as our driveway in Santa Fe, NM. It was dry season, yet even so, the land appeared fertile with rice fields spotted with fish ponds. We passed several colorfully illustrated signs showing people giving up rifles for shovels that read: "We don't need weapons anymore."

Battanbang is slightly off the tourist map. It has a happening market and a lively local street scene along the Sang Sanker river. Helen, my wife, had grown up in Southeast Asia. Her first impression, which held for everywhere but Angkor Watt, was that Cambodia was like Thailand in the seventies. Tourists are not seen as walking ATM machines yet. You can still have a real conversation with people.

After settling at our hotel, a young man who introduced himself as Chris offered to show us the local sites. The next day, we were off on his motorbikes, traveling on dirt roads through small family farms. I wasn't too concerned about where we were going. I just wanted him to show us what he thought was important.

The countryside was beautiful with kampongs surrounded by bananas, mangos, palms and avocado trees. Chickens, pigs, rats, dogs and cattle meandered about. After about forty-five minutes, occasionally eating "Cambodian snow" (road dust), we arrived at what looked like a mesa rising up from the plains of rice fields. This was one of the centers of operation for the Khmer Rouge.

After about a twenty minute climb up steps, we reached the top of a rounded hill with some flat areas. While we rested on the steps of a Buddhist stupa, Chris told in detail how uncles were killed while mother and father narrowly escaped, though they were separated for five years. The account was heart wrenching. Pol Pot was no longer just one of many distant, twentieth century figures who perpetrated genocide.

We were shown a big open hole leading down into a deep cave. People were tortured and then pushed into the blackness to die. But many didn't die. So those who lived fed on those who died until they died.

Now, the bones were stacked in a wire cage. Next to it, a reclining Buddha, candles, the smell of incense.

"What about all the army who supported Pol Pot?" I asked. "Where are they?"

"They were young. No one could recognize who they are now."

Even though there are plans for war criminal trails soon, and there have been elections, Chris was not very hopeful about the future. How could anyone be? Every Cambodian lost family members to Pol Pot and the perpetrators could be your neighbor. Some of the top people who helped to orchestrate the genocide still have political power in the current government

At the bottom of the site, we rested for lunch. A coconut with a straw. Noodles and mysterious flesh in broth. And we discuss the culinary merit of various meats.

Getting down to basics, I asked him, "But which do you like better? Dog, pig or rat?"

"Dog," he replied with the assured confidence. "It's rich, like beef."

(PS: for those of you with an entrepreneurial bent, the US has an excess of dog meat, wastefully incinerated at our shelters.)

Having a second helping of noodles, Chris explained that even eating insects without permission during revolutionary work on collectives was a capital offence. All food had to be given over. Rice was exported to China. Chris had starved when he was a young child.

No wonder the market has baskets of beetles, frogs and grass hoppers sautéed in soy sauce. It is all childhood comfort food. Appropriately, our last stop was a distillery, where we indulged in fresh pineapple and rice whiskey.

Leaving Battanbang the next morning, a little hung over, we traveled to Angkor Watt by public water taxi. We sat on crowded, uncomfortable wooden benches with grandma and her chickens, sacks of rice and the elderly Dutch couple with their suitcases, squatted on the ground next to the deafening smoke coughing diesel engine.

After a few minutes, we jumped on top of the boat's roof tin, using our luggage, two small day packs, as a back rest. From our perch (still keeping our ear plugs in) we saw river village life as it was and has been for hundreds of years: fisherman casting their nets, temples and houses built on stilts.

The next day, we visited Angkor Watt-- impressive, even to a jaded ruin visitor. It is not just one site, but several, and each is grand in its scale and detail. Here is Cambodia's glorious past, when their great kings dominated most of Southeast Asia and built monuments of Mount Meru, the mythical Hindu and Buddhist center of the universe.

Cambodians take such pride in Angkor as a symbol of Khmer destiny that when a Thai actor recently said that the ruins were really part of Thailand, it caused rioting. Never mind that Angkor is managed by a Japanese company which gives hardly anything back for the preservation of the monuments. The site attracts thousands every day. To see it with any peace you have to get up early and beat the tour busses.

In the town of Siem Reap, where Angkor is located, beggars missing hands or legs squat in front of bars popular with westerners. A few hawk knockoffs of tour books. Some of the most fertile farmland and gemstone areas are still heavily mined.

I am a cut throat bargainer but here I give them nearly what they want every time. The difference between comfort and strife costs less than a latté at Starbucks. I don't want postcards, but I buy a pair of sandals from a girl selling them who hounds me for half a mile.

Cambodia economically wasn't much different in the early sixties than now prosperous Thailand, but how do you make up for thirty years of civil war? That border road from Thailand-- paving it would cost less than a resurfacing a secondary highway connecting any American town to a suburb.

On our last day back from touring ruins, we stopped at the children's hospital funded by a Swiss philanthropist. A banner above the road read that you can save a child's life by giving blood, which Cambodians are reluctant to do for cultural reasons. We wanted to give some money.

After the donation, Helen told the guard that she was giving blood but her husband, she said, pointing to me, was too scared. Well, it didn't hurt much and it was harder than giving money; but I got a free tee shirt, butter cookies and some vitamins.

From Angkor, we traveled overland by bus to the capitol, Phnom Penn, suffering six hours of the hokiest romantic Cambodian karaoke videos. I watched a man pull large spiders out of a paper bag and eat them leg by leg, chewing the body just like a soft shell crab. He licked his lips with delight.

I chastised myself for not being more courageous and buying some at the bus station to sample, but Helen said I shouldn't be so hard on myself. It is one of those things you need someone to walk you through the first time.

Phnom Penn is situated beautifully on the vast Mekong river. Its streets are graced by French colonial architecture. The city has relatively few cars and busses, so pollution is minimal and unlike Bangkok, traffic moves faster then 5 km an hour.

Sitting in one of the riverside cafes, it is hard to imagine that this city was totally evacuated by the Khmer Rouge thirty years ago. But it was, and the resulting bones have become big business. The first thing any tuk tuk driver asks is, "U wanta see killing fields?"

I had seen enough bones, but I went to see the notorious torture prison, S21. The dilapidated three story concrete u-shaped building surrounded by razor wire was once a school. It was the last stop for over 17,000 prisoners. Records of the detainees were meticulously preserved under the supervision of a former math teacher.

On the first floor, we passed large photos of mutilated bodies above cots. These were the last people killed right, photographed by the North Vietnamese army when they drove out the Khmer. Iron and wire torture implement were still in situ. The third floor had rooms of black and white mug shots, slightly larger than passport size, in row after row behind large glass frames.

Babies, children, teenagers, young adults, middle age, elderly, were neatly arranged according to age. The dark eyes peered out, sometimes blank, sometimes in fear and unimaginable terror.

Who were these people who died, bleeding upside down on wooden posts, or through electrocution while writing seven hundred page autobiographies for their captors-- listing their bourgeois family members who would also be gathered up to confess and die?

They were not special. They were the same as the people I'd seen since I'd entered the country. They were me. They were you, too. And who killed them? Same as the above, minus the babies. But the most effective recruits though were young children who could be easily brainwashed. People in their thirties and forties now. Perhaps, today, Chris' neighbor.

The revolution gained momentum partly because of Kissinger's private war. Evacuate Phnom Penn. The Americans are going to bomb us! But once they got all the teachers, civil servants, merchants, intellectuals, and artists out into the country and found out they made lousy farmers who couldn't be reformed, they killed them. Not long after that, they killed the farmers who got disillusioned with killing and starving.

After two days in the capitol, we left a country where perhaps everyone has post traumatic stress. Yet at the airport, I noticed that there were no guards carrying Uzis. Every country I've been to has armed guards at airports. I then realized that during my stay in Cambodia, I didn't see anyone carrying weapons. This was extraordinary. I had never been in a country without an armed military or police presence.

These thoughts seemed just like a dream flying home on a 747, 400 series. Nothing like being handed a hot wash cloth to remind me of my privileged status in the world's economic pecking order.

What follows now is a bit of a postscript which crystallized the entire pilgrimage. We rested in LA, where we had prearranged to meet friends with two teenage daughters. Our penance to the girls for dragging them to the Getty Museum was a trip to Universal Studios.

In the internal chaos of jetlag, Cambodia was a lifetime away, until a walk through a fun house where piles of bones were stacked, looking exactly like the ones in the killing caves. Later, in a live "Fear Factor," a TV show I hadn't heard of before that day, two contestants vied with each other over who could endure a self generated electric shock and eat "gross" insects.

It was merely amusement. Yet given how fear has been used to manipulate people over the past few years, our American dream is not as far from the Cambodia's experience as we might think. It doesn't take any devils or demons to create killing fields. Ordinary people do just fine with the right political leadership.