Sharon tells me Pittsburgh is doing something to reclaim the land that once was stripped of its beauty for the coal that was beneath. Congratulations, Pittsburgh! And, they're doing it in my backyard-so to speak.
When I was a young girl, Dad made his living by operating a steam shovel, tearing open the side of hills to get at the coal. Why those shovels were used at night is a mystery, but coming home from church after dark we would sometimes see a bright light coming from a sparsely populated area. Before long, we could see the shovel. I remember Dad once telling me about working at night when his big scoop did more than rip open the side of the hill. He also opened a den of copperheads. I doubt he was in any danger, but it did startle him, I'm sure.
This morning, I browsed the web site for the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden and was amazed at the ingenuity of some people. Instead of carrying signs and making loud noises or talking through their hat just because they're rich and famous, there are people in Pittsburgh who are doing something worthwhile. Building a botanic garden on reclaimed land.
What's so unusual about that? It's the only one of it's kind in the world, for starters, but the amazing thing is they've managed to clean up the waters that for decades have been polluted by mine run off. Chartiers Creek runs through my home town. All the years I was growing up, it was orange from mining pollution. I could never really ice skate on it because all the chemicals kept the creek from completely freezing over. About the only place it would freeze was under bridges where the sun couldn't melt it. Now, there is a procedure that returns the water to a natural ph balance that will sustain natural vegetation. Beautiful.
Dad also told me when he was a boy he and his friends would take baking potatoes when they went out to play. Step one was to wrap the potato in clay pulled from the creek bank. Then, they'd build a fire and when it died down, they'd bury the clay covered potato in ashes and go off to play for an hour. Lunch or snack would be those baked potatoes. Anyone who tried that in my day would suffer dire consequences from the chemicals that turned the creek bottom orange.
Our fifth grade class did a large mural of downtown. Before we finished, the creek that we'd painted blue had to be changed. We'd never seen clear water in that creek. Now, the water is in the process of being returned to it's natural, healthy state. Anyone who lives in or who visits Pittsburgh can enjoy nature in a way that brings back memories-wonderful memories of riding my bike through that area, or walking under the canopy of trees. So peaceful, refreshing, calming.
Shout it from the rooftops, Pittsburgh. You've done a wonderful thing and perhaps others will have the good sense to follow.
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