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Travels &
Milestones
I once read that "You should go everywhere
when you are young just to see what's there.
Then go to the same places in middle age when you can understand
what you are seeing.
And go again in your old age when you can appreciate those
places."
1940s - Vacationed at Geneva on the Lake and later Conneaut Lake.
Trips around PA
1949 - Flew model airplanes in the Homewood Presbyterian Church Sunday School room to entertain
Vacation Bible School.
1950 - Moved from Washington Blvd. in Pittsburgh to Walnut St. in
Blairsville where I grew up as free range kid.
During the
36" snow on Old 22. It took the moving van 11 hours to make the
trip.
1951 - 1959 Camp Pine Springs: Novice camper to councilor.
1952 - Christmas present was a 1 tube breadboard radio from the
hardware store window that I had coveted.
Made a
telephone with carbon microphone and old headphone mounted in a wooden
cheese box.
Illegally
tapped phone line. Since Blairsville only had 4 digit phone numbers,
I used a telegraph key to dial.
One of
first kids to have their own phone!
1953 - Bought my first Raytheon CK-722
Transistor for $7.50! Later 2N107 & 2N170 See
also.
Had a
TV before my parents! It was
a GE fringe area set with 3 IF stages that could get
Miami, New Orleans,
St Louise and
Carson City, NV. My father liked the Gillette Friday Night
Boxing!
1954 - 1960 BSA Camp Seph Mack as camper with Blairsville Troop 4 .
1961 - Seph Mack staff
was my first paid job - $75 for 6 weeks!:
Taught Pioneering, Map
reading, Rowing, Canoeing.
1955 - 1961 Family vacationed in Canada - Belvedere Lodge north of Rosedale and
Fenelon Falls.
 Spent many
hours fishing with dad on Balsam Lake with second hand Evenrude.
1957 - Received a Knight
Ocean Hopper 3 tube all band radio and a workbench vice for Christmas
- still have them.
Took my time but had the
kit assembled and working by 9pm. First station was HCJB
in Quito, Ecuador
1957 - National Boy Scout Jamboree in at Valley Forge via bus -
Took Punxsutawney Phil - see below.
One
week in Washington DC organized by Scout Master Dick Boon -
We saw
everything including from the basement crypt to the dome of the capital.
Eagle -
God & Country 
Order of the Arrow
1958 - Learned to drive our 1950 Chevrolet with Power Glide
1959-60-61 Camp
Michaux Westminster Fellowship Leadership Training Conferences.
1960 - National Boy Scout 50th Anniversary Jamboree in Colorado Springs.
My
first train trip
across America on old wicker seated rail cars and dinned on picnic tables in an
old mail car
Great
way to see the size and scope of this great land.
1961 - Graduated from Blairsville High School (Old Building)
Band
- Orchestra - Dance DJ - AV Crew - National Honor Society
Bausch
& Lomb Honorary
Science Award
National
Forensics League Extemporaneous, Debate & Judge
1961-1965 Monmouth College - Majored in The Physics
Jobs:
Graham Hall Desk, Floor Councilor, Fulton Hall Desk, Photographer, Physics lab assistant.
Helped
build WFS Radio Station. My
history and pictures of the station.
First
airplane rides in Ford Tri-motor which
is still flying!
Flew
home for Christmas on DC-3 and 707 after that expensive trip I traveled by train and bus.
Senior year I had a
decrepit Ford Victoria with a 386 engine for student teaching.
1962 - Worked summer at Blairsville
Machine Products
Running
a 10 ton hydraulic broach and center-less
grinder. I made more than my parents
combined!
1963 - Summer
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Traveled to Tel Ashdod Israel to
work on a Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Archeological dig because I was short a religion credit at
Monmouth College.
On the way
home I drove a VW bug from Rome to Paris via Switzerland and Heidelberg Germany.
Learned how to shift gears going around the Coliseum during
morning rush hour!
You only do
this when you are young and foolish and don't understand what you are
seeing! That why you have to go back in old age when you
can appreciate the sites.
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1964 - Summer School at IUP in Chemistry even though Monmouth
was famous for its Chemistry Department
I was
also told that I did not have a "science elective" so I had to
take Freshman Geology.
1965 - I was hired sight unseen to teach Physics at Churchill High School
two
days before school started.
Ford
Victoria died so I bought 57 Chevy from my father - it died - bought very
used VW Camper.
Learned
not to buy a car from your father or Ted McWilliams
1966 - Did cinematography for summer film program at Churchill
while taking Slide & Filmstrip Production
course
at CMU. Decided that everything I liked about Physics was
related to communications...
Built
first Vidicon TV camera. Stage
Manager and Forensics Coach and started AV work...
1967 - ...started Masters degree at Syracuse and lived in
VW Camper and rode my 10 speed bicycle to classes.
Put
almost 1000 miles touring the country side for 8 weeks.
Best SU
Classes: Film, Photography, Statistics, Television Production & Programmed
Instruction.
Built
CAHS sage lighting system with experimental Silicon Controlled Rectifiers from
Westinghouse Research.
1968 - Married Judy Maxwell : Honeymooned at
Lake
Wallenpaupack
Live
Camera - My
Pictures on early Casio digital camera
We then
went up to Syracuse and toured the Finger Lakes region on weekends.
That
fall, I began shooting football games on film with Kodak Cine-100 & zoom
lens from art 1966 art project.
Began developing the film myself with high speed reversal chemicals so
coaches had the films before they went home.
Obtained second hand non-EIAJ Video Tape Recorder for school and began
taping sports events.
1969 - First Road Trip with Judy
VW Camper (color it red but no hippy flower stickers) that we took to Yellowstone in 1969.
Broke down in
Iowa so we had to stop and watch the Moon Landing at a state park.
If we had not
been delayed, we would have been out of range of a TV station!
The engine exploded the day after we got home!
Places we have visited "Out West"
on several trips.
Jackson
Hole live Web camera. - All
area cameras
1970 -
My
first Solar eclipse - March 7, 1970 at Virginia Beach took
several students and camped on beach
School district had leftover
money they needed to spend. I was able to purchase 3 Sony 3200 cameras,
Sony-SEG1 switcher, EIAJ recorders and monitors. Started building
first TV system.
With help from student, Mark Rozner, designed computerized film ordering
system using "mark sense cards"
That
was later adopted by the county film library.
1971 - Obtained storeroom to make a TV studio - Bruce Graham &
Mike Karaman built mobile console.
Rolled
it to stadium, auditorium and gym and eventually ran cables to the studio.
When we
did a studio show, the console was rolled into the hall. Film chain
with two Carousel projectors.
Obtained Sony B&W PortaPack camera and recorder.
Linda
Linchner - ?? - Bruce Graham - Mike Karaman
Built a
"TV Typewriter" from Don
Lancasters book for TV graphics.
Kept adding features till
I had a small computer. Later used Ohio Scientific C1P programmed
in BASIC
1972 - My
second Solar eclipse on July 10, 1972 - Prince Edwards Island -
Visited Ann
of Green Gables house.
Obtained Dumont Image Orthicon TV camera from WQED and later an RCA
TK-60
1973 - Son Lee III born.
Built full feature switcher/special effects generator -
First cable TV return
access tests with Adelphia Cable.
1978 - Bought Ohio
Scientific Super Board II computer for $300. Learned a lot of
BASIC tricks.
Wrote
my own word processor and interfaced it with an old IBM Selectric
Typewriter.
1981 - Churchill Area School District ordered to merge to form
Woodland Hills.
Certified as GOLF and TENNIS instructor with CCAC - Used Reel-to-Reel VCR
for slow-mo analysis.
1983 - Won state grant for Radio Shack
Color Computer system for
teaching Physics.
I had
to cross the teacher's picket line to get superintendent to sign the
application.
1984 - Computer Science course at Pitt to teach College in High
School class.
Started
first version of my GRADEBOOK program using Color Computer basic and later
migrated to PC
and
Borland Turbo Structured Basic. It went through many revisions
with input for many teachers.
It
could do anything that any teacher ever wanted! See MANUAL
as WORD Document for it's extensive features.
1985 - Family tent camping trip to New England. Cold and
4" of rain on Cape Cod so we went to see Ghost Busters.
1986 - CTV went color with VHS PortaPack recorder and
camera.
Westinghouse
donated a CIA color camera and Cross Point Latch switcher
1987 - Woodland Hills High School's first year.
Became first school in WPIAL to use VHS tape rather than film.
Coach
Novac, "I like the color".
Incorporated
color PortaPack as replay in our black and white TV productions for
"Color Instant Replay"
1988 - Took Lee III on a camping trip out west following
basically same route we did in 1969. By accident we saw
Frank
Lloyd Wright's Taliesin
studio. Judy flew to California and we met up in
Denver.
Our
Oldsmobile station wagon broke down in Des Moines and it took a week to
get new computer.
1989 - Computer Science Pascal course at Pitt to teach
College in High School class
1990 - England - Scotland - Wales - Ireland
Our Trip To England
 Great
Trip!
1991- Installed a 10' satellite dish and first watched the
"topping out" of the National
Cathedral in D.C.
We also
watched unedited network feeds from the Gulf War with novice reporter Wolf Blitzer.
Designated an
official NASA downlink site for NASA for airing Space Shuttle missions on
cable. 1992 - Fellow of the
Christa
McAuliffe Institute National Foundation for the
Improvement of Education at Stanford University
Used the Internet for the first time . NEA could not get an Internet connection
on campus! Had to use phone MODEM to Chicago.
We went out a week early and stayed with friends at Livermore and toured
San Francisco and the area.
1992 - Purchased an Amega 600 for TV graphics
1993 - Follow up meeting for CMI with a week in Washington D.C. on
"expense account."
My High-8mm
documentary CMI video was shown as part of the program.
Got my first
e-mail address through Duquesne University:
Added a hard
drive for the Amiga 600
1994 - Started using WordPress Web editor
1996 - Successful back surgery for a herniated disk.
Was up and walking the same day!
My First WHSD Web Site 1996 using ALOPress
Web Editor Web master for many years.
1998 - Retired from teaching but continued working on
AV, computer and videography for school district.
Built their current TV studio which
was seldom used. Removed the studio in 2020 - End of WHHS TV
1999 - November
Road Trip to the Carolinas - Biltmore
Estate
Garmin
- GPS III
My first GPS was a great Christmas gift from my son.
2000 - First
Major Retirement Road Trip in October to NE Pennsylvania to See the
Fall leaves
August
Road Trip to Illinois for college reunion.
Williamsburg
- Our first "retirement" adventure - nice to be there with no
kids to chaperone!
2000/1 WHHS Band Trip to Peach Bowl in Atlanta - Clocks on
video monitors displayed 1900 at midnight!
2001 - Our Hot Air Balloon
Ride with Keiko! August 14 
2002 - 
Visit to The
Log House on Pine Ridge
Our friends moved to Pigeon
Forge,TN. We Stayed at Eagles
Ridge Resort but visited
The
Calico Inn the #1 Bed & Breakfast in the country and the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park,
Dollywood®
- The Entertainment Capital of the Smokey Mountains
Kentucky
Mountain Bible College where Judy's relative teaches.
2002-2003 -Chemotherapy at Hillman
Cancer Center.
18 weekly chemotherapy treatments as a follow up to my "colon
tuck" at UPMC.
Not as much fun as my successful back surgery for a herniated disk in
1996.
In good
hands! Graphic
Description!
Colonoscopy
exam! If your over 50, have it done! Last one in October 2018
Watching Lord of the Rings DVD on my old Dell laptop.
2003 - Rhine
River Cruise - Europe! Great
Time! First all Digital Video and Photography on this Trip.
Switzerland -
Germany - Holland - Belgium - France
2004 - Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Mid-winter vacation 2004 at Center
House B&B
Who else goes to Canada in January!
My panoramic picture of the falls.
2004 - Tour of the Canadian Rockies
Train
from Vancouver to Jasper, bus to Lake Louise, Bamff and Calgory.
2005 - Granddaughter Renee Born
Surgery to remove Benign Facial Tumor at UPMC Montefiore
Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial - St. Louis Gateway Arch (Built in
Pittsburgh.)
Saint Louis Zoo
- Home page St. Louis Science Center
On our way to Monmouth College
for WFS / Alumni Reunion Weekend
June 9-12
My
History of WFS - Monmouth College Radio Station.
Bus trip to Machinac Island
- Grand
Hotel - stayed at The Island House Hotel
- Island Camera
First
Video Editing Computer from - Computer
Connections 2005 - Died 2015!
2005/6 Grand Canyon
and the Fiesta Bowl as videographer for the WHHS
Band - New Years
2006 - "Appreciation
Tour" of the Western Parks
4000
miles by bus from Las Vegas to Little Big Horn and back via Denver.
2007 - Granddaughter Emily Born
2008 - Seattle via Amtrak!
- Our first rail trip around the country.
Chicago - Denver - Sacramento - Seattle - Chicago.
B&B at Cicely -
Roslyn, WA, the home of Northern Exposure
Rain delay and flooding in Wisconsin got us a free hotel and an extra
day in Chicago
2008 - Dallas, TX via Band Bus - 2460 miles to
do video of WHHS playing North West H.S.
at Texas Stadium!
2009 - Branson,
MO - Sat through a time-share sales pitch to get a three day free motel stay and
show tickets.
- We saw
Peter Pan, Titanic Museum and
historic The
Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama.
2010 - Tucson -
via
Amtrak Cold and raining when we arrived!
Three weeks in the sun (some
of the time.)
Visited Kit Peak Observatory and Titan
Missile Museum - Pima Air & Space Museum
2012 - Colorado
by Train with AAA - Bus trip around state to
ride on historic trains.
Including the famous Durango
& Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
2014 - 7 Day Royal Caribbean Cruise on "Grandeur
of the Seas" from Baltimore to Nassau
Baltimore-based
cruise departs despite viral outbreak - Judy caught it!
2015 - Drove to "The Villages" in Florida & over-night at Canaveral's
Jetty Park
Camp Ground.
Missed
a SpaceX rocket launch to get home in
time for WHHS spring musical!
Visited Outer Banks, Kitty
Hawk, Wright Brothers
National Memorial & Cape
Hatteras Lighthouse
Oinc's
Barbeque - Ocracoke, NC
2015 - We drove to Monmouth, IL for 50th class reunion and then followed the
Mississippi
River north to Itasca
State Park where we stayed overnight in the historic
lodge.
Minnesota's oldest state park at the Headwaters
of the Mississippi.
Headwaters
of the Mississippi
Headwaters
Webcam
Saw Babe
the Blue Ox at Bemigji and the locks at Soo
St Marie
2016 - Glacier National Park
via
Amtrak roomette with two day stay in Chicago
We stayed at
the historic Park
Lodge. The train was delayed by high winds so Amtrak gave us
our second free night's stay
at a hotel in Chicago.
Going
to the Sun Road at Glacier.
2017 - Third
Solar Eclipse Aug. 21 to see The
Great American Eclipse
Viewing my third total Eclipse at Maryville,
TN
Previously:
Virginia
Beach - 1970
Prince
Edward Island 1972
2018
ALASKA
27 Day Trip to Celebrate 50th Anniversary
We picked the destinations and
our friend Travel
by Joyce made all the reservations.
Car
- Lee took use to the airport hotel so we would not have to panic in the
morning.
Plane - UAL Pittsburgh to Chicago. Our next
plane was delayed 2 hours while they changed a tire.
Plane - Chicago to
Anchorage I upgraded us to 1st CLASS! Three night motel
stay.
Trolley- Anchorage
Trolley Tours "The
Bridge" Restaurant
- Met Chad Carpenter
Train - Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks for 4
nights
Bus - Local bus
through city to see the
University of Alaska Museum
of the North
Boat - River
Boat was first part of cruise package.
Bus - To Denali
for two nights The bus broke down on the way!
Bus - Denali
Park
where we were one of the few to see "The Big One" Bus
Driver/Tour guide.
Train - Stayed in the cruse hotel in Anchorage
and had an evening on the town.
Bus - From the hotel
to the historic Railway Station to catch the early morning train...
Train - Through the
mountains to
Seward to board the cruise ship
Ship - Holland America
Cruise Ship Westerdam from Seward to Glacier
Bay
Ferry - Fast
Ferry from Haines to Skagway
Train - Historic White
Pass Railroad at Skagway. Rain & fog gave it Alaskan ambiance.
Walked the streets of Juneau
and toured the capital.
The
stop in Katchikan
was unusually warm and Sunny.
Cruse ended in Vancouver where we stayed for two nights to do laundry.
Cab - From Canada
Place to motel on south side of town.
Bus - Toured the
city: Gas Town /
China Town / Science
Center
Rail - Driverless
Light Rail back from huge
Metrotown Mall
Train - Amtrak Cascades
at 5:30 AM from Vancouver to Portland for two nights.
Cab - Portland cab
driver from hell could not find our hotel with GPS and we had to walk 5 blocks up steep steps.
Visited Wells
Fargo Museum, Powell's
Books and walked a lot.
Judy's niece gave us a car tour of the city.
Train - Amtrak Empire Builder from
Portland to Spokane via the Columbia
River Gorge
at Sun set.
Then across the country to Chicago with only 10 minutes to catch...
Train - ...Amtrak Capital Limited from Chicago
to Pittsburgh
2600 Miles at average of 50 mph . Great way to see the country.
Car - Son picked us up at
the station early Sunday morning
2020
Our trip to New Orleans via Amtrak was derailed by the virus.
We would have arrived during the hurricane!
Retired from doing coaches video for away games but got recalled!
Day trip to Horseshoe
Curve to see the fall leaves.
Removed TV studio at WHHS after almost 50 years of service.
2020-2021 Pandemic!
2022 - Teaching myself Micro Python on Raspberry PICO computer.
Road
Trip to Monmouth College reunion -1200 miles in Judy's Honda Civic.
Flicker Pictures
Finally retired
as official WHHS Football Videographer after 54 years!
(Still got called back to do scrimage and first game.)
Film - Reel-to Reel EIAJ tape - VHS Tape - U-Matic tape - DVD - Digital with HUDL
Engineer and Camera Operator for Gateway Gators Productions
Built
three digital SDI/HDMI portable production consoles
and support equipment for them.
Based
around Black Magic ATEM
Mini Pro and Mini Extreme
4 input & 8 Input Switchers.
2023 - Still working for Gateway Gators Productions
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Long range trips in the works:
2024 - Fourth Solar
Eclipse - Monday April 8, West of Columbus, OH - Right in our own
back yard!
Odds & Ends
Flight 93
National Memorial
"Noah" Sight
& Sound® offers inspirational live stage productions in Lancaster
County
Steamtown - National
Historic Site - Scranton, PA
Camp Michaux
- My tribute to a forgotten place
One
of My Favorite Places - Jacksons Falls near Apollo, PA
New book
features the falls!
Lake Wallenpaupack - My Pictures
- Live Web Cam
Ford Museum & Greenfield
Village
Have you been to Kennywood
yet?
Bedford Village -
Covered
Bridges in Bedford County
2001 Christmas Letter - With
links to more information.
2012
Christmas Letter
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Renee
Nicole Schaeffer
Ohio
Scientific
