now that will be stuck in your head for awhile LOL

We love to go hiking as a family. We went on another hiking trip. This time to French Creek State Park. French Creek State Park is a 7,526-acre (3,046 ha) Pennsylvania state park in North Coventry and Warwick Townships in Chester County and Robeson and Union Townships in Berks County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It straddles northern Chester County and southern Berks County along French Creek. The park is the home of two lakes: Hopewell Lake, a 68-acre (28 ha) warm water lake, and Scotts Run Lake, a 22-acre (8.9 ha) cold water lake. The state record smallmouth bass was caught in Scotts Run Lake. There are extensive forests, and almost 40 miles (64 km) of hiking and equestrian trails. The park is also friendly to mountain bikers, having some renowned technical trails. Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, which features a cold blast furnace restored to its 1830s appearance, is surrounded by the park.

Boone Trail is a 6-mile (9.7 km) “moderate” hiking trail that is marked with blue blazes. This trail makes a loop through the park. It is closed to mountain biking in the vicinity of Hopewell Lake.

Buzzards Trail is a 3-mile (4.8 km) “moderate” hiking trail. This trail follows the banks of Baptism Creek.

Horse Shoe Trail is a 130-mile (210 km) hiking and horseback trail that passes through French Creek State Park. 8 miles (13 km) of the trail are in the park. Horseshoe Trail begins at Valley Forge National Historic Park and ends at the Appalachian Trail near Harrisburg.

Kalmia Trail is a 1-mile (1.6 km) “moderate” hiking trail. The trail passes through a mature forest that is scattered with mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia).

Lenape Trail, named for the Lenape tribe that once inhabited the area, is a 5.5-mile (8.9 km) “moderate” hiking trail. It is also a loop trail.

Mill Creek Trail is a 6-mile (9.7 km) “difficult” trail. The trailhead is at Pennsylvania Route 345 and Shed Road. It is a backcountry trail and does not cross any other paved roads.

Raccoon Trail is a 1.7-mile (2.7 km) “moderate” trail. It connects Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site with French Creek State Park.

Six Penny Trail is a 3-mile (4.8 km) “moderate” hiking trail. It is a loop trail, set off in the woods and is connected to the campground contact station by a short connector trail.

Turtle Trail is a 3.6-mile (5.8 km) trail that follows the western portions of French Creek.

A bee

An Ant Hill in a tree

So there are a few pictures from our hike!

Police officers and federal agents Friday seized counterfeit sunglasses and sports memorabilia from more than half a dozen outdoor vendors at the Green Dragon Farmer’s Market and Auction.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security agents, state police troopers and Ephrata Police officers all participated in the raid.

In a similar raid in 2009, state police seized counterfeit purses and clothing from nine stands at the market.

Police also arrested 10 men and one woman at that time, charging them with felony counts of trademark counterfeiting and conspiracy.

Talk about an interesting morning in Lancaster County

I love the Pierces. They have great songs and also great Music Videos!!!

The footage shows what appears to be a small tan Nissan veering into the 18-wheeler, striking it near the passenger’s side of the cab. The semi then veers into the median, flips over it and lands on its side in the southbound lanes.

The truck also tore down a metal utility pole as it hurdled over the concrete barrier.

Six vehicles were involved in the crash but no one was seriously injured.

The crash closed both lanes of the roadway for some time, backing up traffic for miles

I used to do this every once and awhile. So here we are….. Some new pictures of me.

 

Rocking the  Dexter “Ice Truck Killer” nails

Pennhurst State School and Hospital, originally known as the Eastern Pennsylvania State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic is positioned on the border between Chester County and Montgomery County in Pennsylvania. Pennhurst was an institution for the mentally and physically disabled individuals of Southeastern Pennsylvania.

In 1903, the Pennsylvania Legislature authorized the creation of the Eastern State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic and a commission was organized to take into consideration the number and status of the feeble-minded and epileptic persons in the state and determine a placement for construction to care for these residents.

This commission discovered 1,146 feeble-minded persons in insane hospitals and 2,627 in almshouses, county-care hospitals, reformatories, and prisons and were in immediate need of specialized institutional care.

The legislation stated that the buildings would be in two groups, one for the educational and industrial department, and one for the custodial or asylum department. The institution was required to accommodate no less than five hundred inmates or patients, with room for additions.

The first group of buildings were completed in 1908, and  the original campus layout was finished by 1921. The dire need for an institution for the developmentally disabled at the time had overcrowded the institution from the start, and the mixing of epileptics of normal mental capacity worsened the situation. It was soon realized that the epileptic patients should be treated in elsewhere, but the admission rates kept well above the number of discharges.

The patients at Pennhurst were mostly young and were often collectively called “children,” however the age of the residents ranged from infants to people over 70 years old. They were generally separated by their IQ level, which was categorized into three main groups: Morons (59-69), Imbeciles (20-49), and Idiots (below 20). These medical terms were antiquated before they became popular in common slang, and were replaced with the terms: Mild, Moderate, Severe, and Profound Mental Retardation. The lowest functioning patients were mostly bed-ridden in cribs, unable to move much or feed themselves.

The amount of care needed for the patients here to attempt any kind of rehabilitation was quite a formidable task. Daily physical tasks such as changing diapers, showers, and assistance with walking were needed, as well as educational programs – the overcrowded atmosphere and lack of trained staff made both types of activities take a back seat. As with most mental and developmental institutions run by the states in the U.S., the role of the hospital shifted quickly from treatment as a goal to custodial care. Low wages, long hours, and the overcrowded workplace kept many skilled doctors and nurses from applying for jobs, creating an even more difficult situation. In 1946, there were only seven physicians serving over 2,000 patients at Pennhurst with no room for the 1,000 still on the waiting list for admission; the patient census peaked at 3,500 in 1955. Therapeutic facilities were constructed, but sat disused due to lack of trained staff. The funding problem also put a stranglehold on the maintenance of the buildings, and the daily budget for each patient sunk so low that some basic needs could not be met.

The class-action case against Pennhurst State School was ruled by U.S. District Judge Raymond J. Broderick in 1977, where the institution was found guilty of violating patient’s constitutional rights. Pennhurst State School was forced to close by 1987 following several allegations of abuse, beginning a deinstitutionalization process that would last several years. Its 460 patients were discharged or transferred to other facilities; Pennhurst was responsible for discussing treatment plans with each patient’s family to decide what would be the best for the patient.

Halderman v. Pennhurst State School and Hospital

The allegations of abuse led to the first lawsuit of its kind in the United States called, Halderman v. Pennhurst State School & Hospital, 446 F.Supp. 1295 (E.D. Pa., 1977), which asserted that the mentally retarded have a constitutional right to living quarters and education. Terry Lee Halderman had been a resident of Pennhurst, and upon release she filed suit in the district court on behalf of herself and other residents of Pennhurst. The complaint alleged that conditions at Pennhurst were unsanitary, inhumane and dangerous, violating the fourteenth amendment, and that Pennhurst used cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the eighth and fourteenth amendments, as well as the Pennsylvania Mental Health and Retardation Act of 1966 (MH/MR)

“Equal rights, that went out the window if you were in an institution. They didn’t care, to them, if it was fair or wrong. They figured they had a right to do whatever they wanted to you.” – Gerald Wheaton