ARTWORK SAGA 9:

ART GLASS BY DOMINIC LABINO
Washington, D.C.
1968-9

Two pieces from "The American Hand." A 4" vase.

Dominic Labino was one of the international leaders in the revival of art glass. His glass created a sensation.

Another 4 inch vase -iridescent:

I was lucky to acquire such very nice objects.

Yet another 4" vase:

CAR CRAZY SAGA 17:

MAINTENANCE

My Cadillac XLR has a problem that I created. I was cleaning the Steering Wheel with leather cleaner and it sprayed on the clear plastic Shield coving the instrument panel. It instantly clouded the Shield!

I tried to clean with everything I could think of. No luck. 

I went to Lewes Auto Mall, a Chevy dealer in town. They even tried a very fine polish which didn't work either. I asked if the Shield could be replaced. They said 

NO! The entire Instrument Cluster would have to be replaced as the Shield is integral. It was a chemical reaction.

When I had the annual maintenance done at Courtesy Cadillac in Salisbury, Md., they came to the same conclusion. To replace the Instrument Cluster would be $1,000. for the part and $200. for the installation!! The service manager came to talk to me. He said maybe a salvage yard could come up with the shield only—an interesting idea. 

In the pursing weeks I decided that I'd have to live with it. I didn't like it but it was just too expensive.

ARTWORK SAGA 8:

THREE CERAMICS BY BACERRA
Washington, D.C.
1967-9

My friends, Ken and Bill, started a ceramics store called "The American Hand" in Georgetown, D.C. I , in fact, designed the store. What fun!

Ralph Bacerra was one of the stars of American ceramics! He hailed from Los Angeles. I was lucky to acquire three pieces by him.

A beautiful, 19" large bowl. This is remarkable due to its incised portions and beautiful coloring. This my most valuable piece. Exacerbated by the fact that he's no longer with us.

A 8" covered pot.

Another covered pot 12".

FAVORITE DELAWARE COAST PLACES SAGA 3:

LIGHTSHIP OVERFALLS
Lewes, Delaware

Overfalls is a "lightship", meaning it was a portable lighthouse. It's a National Historic Landmark—the only one in Sussex County, Delaware.

Built in 1938, it served the East Coast for 34 years. One hundred seventeen were built. Seventeen remain extant; Seven are open to the public.

What is a lightship?

A lighthouse that floats, it serves the same function such as:

• A light to aid navigation at night
• A horn to warn mariners in fog
• A radio beacon for longer range identification

Lighting the way
The Overfalls main aid to navigation was a 375 mm dual electric lantern located 57 feet above the water line. Rated at 15,000 candle power, (approximately 1,000 watts), it flashed every 3 seconds from dusk until dawn. On a clear night it could be seen for 12 miles.

The ship also had a dual diaphone fog horn with a range of 5 miles that sounded every 30 seconds in foggy weather.

A radio beacon with a range of 25 miles transmitted the call letters of the ship (NMJF) in Morse code. In foggy weather it was synchronized with the horn and broadcast every 30 seconds.

P.S. Back in the 1950-60s, Lewes was the biggest fishing port in the country by tonnage of fish caught.

FAVORITE DELAWARE COAST PLACES SAGA 2:

FUNLAND
Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Funland has been owned by the Fasnacht family for 50 years!

click to see: FUNLAND.

When the Portuguese sailor Lorenzo Dow was shipwrecked on the shores of what is now Rehoboth Beach, he must have liked what he saw. Dow built the first residence in the area, and was followed in 1872 by the Reverend Robert W. Todd of Wilmington, who claims he envisioned the exact spot as the ideal location for his Methodist retreat camp in a dream. Todd also was influenced by his journey to another oceanside camp in New Jersey, claiming in a sermon that "...the sea hath spoken"!

Despite Rehoboth's origins as a religious retreat, Reverend Todd and his pious followers soon found themselves at odds with local "land pirates" and saloon owners, and the longstanding dynamic of the beach resort was born.

Some came seeking serenity, some for absolute pandemonium, some commune with the heavens, others commute for the happy hour! It wasn't long before the rest of the Eastern Seaboard caught on, and families have made Rehoboth Beach a perennial playground ever since.

Its famous boardwalk was built in 1873, and has weathered a slew of tropical storms and hurricanes. Thousands still make the pilgrimage to Rehoboth every year to while away the summer months in style!

When the Fasnacht family bought the amusement park "Playland" on the Rehoboth boardwalk in 1962, its hurricane ravaged facade didn't look like a great investment. But now, over 40 years later, the thriving, family run park still boasts the best entertainment on the Delaware Beach, and still charges its original 25 cent ticket price!

Four generations of the Fasnacht family operate the park, and grandparents now watch with glee as their youngsters ride the same rides that thrilled them in their youth!

ARTWORK SAGA 7:

EGYPTIAN AMULET
Rehoboth Beach, DE.
1983

This amulet was given to me by Ed. His father was in Egypt on assignment with the CIA when a friend gave him several ORIGINAL, ANCIENT pieces. They have been authenticated by a museum as during the time of the Egyptian dynasties!

The "EYE OF HORUS" is a powerful symbol of protection. This symbol was often used in jewelry to ensure the safety and health of the bearer and provide wisdom and prosperity.

The "PEACOCK" is a symbol of immortality because the ancients believed the peacock ha flesh that did not decay after death.

"HORUS" is the falcon god. It served many functions, most notably being the god of the Sky, god of War and god of Protection.

ARTWORK SAGA 6:

FIREPLACE IMPLEMENTS SCULPTURE
Rehoboth Beach, DE.
2000

I saw this sculpture as a winning entry in the Rehoboth Art League Crafts Show. I flipped over it instantly.

It stands 3 feet high and contains a brush, poker and tongs.

It just so happened it was done by an artist friend: Lee Badger!, a blacksmith from West Virginia. Later, I commissioned him to do the fireplace screen. When I moved from Rehoboth Beach to Milton I brought the sculpture with me, but I left the fireplace screen as it was a perfect fit for that opening.