Party Lines

This post has nothing to do with the Democratic position on anything.

It's not about snorting drugs at a teenage bash.

It's about the old-time party line. Today one might call it a conference call but when I was a kid, it was just the way the telephone system worked.

I swear I can still remember the old-fashioned box-like wooden phone hanging on the wall at my grandparents' house. Is that possible? Were they still around in the late '50s? When that old phone went to telecommunications heaven, a newer version hung in its place. One with a real dial - not just the receiver you rattled to wake the operator.

Our phone line was not our own. We shared it with the neighbors - three or four if I recall correctly - in a system that was known as the "party line." Party lines were the way to go; they made it cheaper to own a phone. I doubt that anyone in our farming community could afford a private line. We each had our own number and our own distinctive ring. Ours was two consecutive rings. I remember waiting for the second ring before dashing to pick up the phone.

One sharer of our party line was Esther. Esther was the quintessential party line snoop. We were warned at an early age to be careful what we said while on the phone since Esther would surely spread any and all news. When we answered the phone we carefully listened to hear the click of someone - likely Esther - picking up their handset to listen in on our conversation.

Not that the "snooping" never worked in reverse. Sometimes you would pick up the phone to make a call and discover that the line was already in use. A polite person would hang up the receiver as quietly as possible so as not to disturb the conversants. But ohhhhh, it was soooooo tempting to simply listen. Of course we didn't consider it snooping - we were just listening in case there was something important to know.

And then there was the fire ring. As a member of the volunteer fire department we were privy to a "special ring." An emergency call was made not to 911 or the county emergency line. It was placed to a local number which belonged to a phone in the home of a designated volunteer. When the call came in, the special ring went out to all volunteers. It was one long ring which continued until you picked up the phone. At that point the designated volunteer would relay the information regarding the nature and location of the call and off we'd go. Since we lived on a four-corners about 2 miles from the firehouse it was often my dad's (or grandfather's) job to "flag traffic," making sure the trucks and volunteers could safely navigate the crossroads. If there were an accident or house fire we might share our home with the "victims" - giving them a meal, shelter until relatives came, or a place to sleep for the night.

When I was a kid, so many households didn't have phones at all. They were expensive to own, even if you were on a party line. Long distance calls were pricey, made through the operator - and long distance might be as close as across the road. What we see now as a necessity was, back then, somewhat of a luxury - right up there with owning a television.

It's interesting to consider all the things that are considered necessary now that were mere pipe dreams then. We should make a list...but that's a post for another day.

Playdate

Last Saturday Kelsey and I had a playdate - actually a chance for mom and dad to have some quality time without the little one. Although I'd planned a trip to the zoo, Miss Kelsey had other ideas. She loves the playground at the local elementary school which just happens to be around the corner from my house. As we drove by she squealed, "plaaay-ground!!" and pointed excitedly at the colorful slides and swings. As my grandchild, of course it is my duty to spoil her by giving her whatever she wants, then send her home to torment her parents. So plans were altered and off we went to the playground. It is also my grandmotherly duty to tell you what a bright and enchanting child she is - surely a wonder among wonders. Past the shy baby stage and well into entertaining, she regaled us with her gymnastic ability and chattered endlessly. We had planned an overnight but Kelsey was tired (and so was Oma) so, at the end of the day, we called mom to come to the rescue. Maybe next time. I don't know about Kelsey, but I can't wait.

Erie Canal - Poolsbridge to Bolivar

Today's segment: From Poolsbridge to Bolivar, about 2 miles one way - a shorter hike so we'd be done in time for the Chief's game. This painted turtle was one of only a few basking in the sun. The green heron is a photo I've been wanting to get...he flew up in front of us and landed across the canal, then waited patiently while I walked back a hundred yards or so to take his picture. I love that I can get so close, and this was without my 100x telephoto lens. The photo of the goose is really noise - it's an experiment in using what I call "super zoom." He, too, was across the canal so I'm impressed that I could get such a close (albeit sub-par) shot of him.

I still have to find the right settings to cut down on the noise, but I'm learning. In the meantime I confess to still using "intelligent auto" mode at times. Who among us couldn't use a little automatic intelligence now and then?

Erie Canal - Manlius Center to Poolsbridge

May 24th, the second leg of our Erie Canal Trail trek. What started out as a quiet day for wildlife changed into a veritable smorgasbord of fauna! We saw a Baltimore oriole, catbird (across the canal, hence the blurriness), an Eastern towhee -- colorful!, great blue heron, and what I think is a Great Crested flycatcher. The canal itself was teeming - perch, sunfish, turtles, carp, and I think some trout although one wonders how they liked the stagnant, green, weedy water. This was a long leg of the trail - almost 8 miles round trip and that last mile was a killer! I haven't been so happy to see civilization in a long time. Next hike: Poolsbridge to Chittenango.

Montezuma with Max

It had been awhile since Max and I have visited Montezuma together. May 17th was a day for Ospreys. When I was last there in March I saw only one nesting pair - today there were at least 5. I'm glad they're back.