Willis Carrier (1876-1950) was an American Engineer who was the inventor of, drum roll please, the air conditioner. Oh yes!! Carrier was from Buffalo, NY [that’s for you, Holly!]; in 1902 he invented the first electrical air conditioning unit.
It all traces back to Carrier’s place of work, a printing press at Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company of Brooklyn, New York. It was so humid in the summer – especially indoors – that paper grew and shrank, a mess for the color printing process that involved running the same piece of paper up to four times, each with a different color ink.
Carrier’s invention stabilized the ever-fluctuating humidity. Eventually, his invention was applied to modern day homes and work places. So, when you adjust the HVAC in your home, up or down, you can thank Willis Carrier.
If you want to learn more, check out Carrier’s igloo-shaped pavilion in the 1939 New York World’s Fair – it gave visitors a glimpse into the future of air conditioning.
Annapolis, MD
Yes, we are still in Annapolis, a rare occurrence for us to hold still so long. In the midst of a heat wave across the north east, we appreciate Carrier’s brilliance.
This week there have been a plethora of boat projects completed. And a few good naps taken.
Road Trip – Cambridge, MD
Thanks to David and Gail Bernstein we have been exploring by land. On Friday, the heat was quelled for one day – giving us a great reason for a road trip without the need for A/C in the toasty rental car! Today’s stops included Cambridge, MD plus a few other towns. We will provide more photos in the next post.
About 13,000 people live in Cambridge, MD. The historic feel of downtown is adorable – with a delightful number of local businesses (check it out – keep scrolling, the list is long).
Here are just a few introductory photos, beginning with an early tiny home.
Local flowers with pollinators, for Alisha. See you soon, Mija.
Dorchester County is the proud birthplace of Harriet Tubman.
Born Araminta Ross, Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) was a brave inspiration to many, and a beacon of hope. Tubman was her married name.
As shown on the map below from National Geographic, the Underground Railroad spanned from the Gulf of Mexico (an official map) to the Great Lakes of Canada, relying heavily upon good souls who hid, protected, and fed the passengers (enslaved persons).
People’s homes or businesses, where fugitive passengers and conductors could safely hide, were known as “stations” along the railroad.
Fun Fact: Enroute to Canada, there were stops in New York, including a special place in Albany, where one good samaritan couple was none other than William Henry Seward (1801-1872) and his wife Frances Adeline Miller Seward (1805-1865), who constantly pressed Seward to support the immediate emancipation of all slaves, even going so far as to instruct him to quit Lincoln’s cabinet if anything less was settled on.
Bravo Frances!!
In case your Civic History is a little fuzzy, Seward was the former Secretary of State under Lincoln – the brilliant guy who orchestrated the purchase of my home state, Alaska, from Russia in 1867!
To learn more about Seward, click here.
Fresh Tomatoes on Board
Thanks to Linda Palmer, one of our tomatoes ripened beautifully. Do these tomatoes remind you of running lights? One is now bright red while the other seems destined to be a fried green tomato. True colors, there are no filters on this photo.
Thanks to a major transplant to a larger container, plus a little gardening trick from Capt. Rick, we will soon have more tomatoes to share. Watch for updates :-)
Celebrating Milestones:
Anniversaries June 27, Jamie and David Hendry; July 3 Capt. Rick and Mary; July 4, Tanja and Jason;
Birthdays July 1, Becky Weaver Browne; July 2, grandson Leo Perez is 16! July 5, Gail Doyle
What’s Next: St. Michaels, MD for the long 4th of July holiday.
Exhale on the Water 