Look What I Found!

    I switched my walking habits yesterday and
made some interesting discoveries!
    I switched from the streets of downtown
Pittston and the neighborhood sidewalks of
West Pittston to the Lackawanna County
National Recreation Trail which runs along the
banks of the Susquehanna River and an active
rail line heading south out of the city.
   I had walked a short portion of the path some
time ago with two of my grand kids. But they,
or maybe it was me, gave up before we hiked
too far. Part of the problem may stem from the
fact we started off in the wrong direction and
ran out of trail!
   This time I knew the way and headed out to
see what there was to see. Turned out there
was more than I expected!
   There is, for instance, a small stone that marks
the site of the Eagle Air Shaft which provided
an escape route for some of the miners trapped
when the river broke into the Knox mine in
January of 1959. A path a little further on and
just off the trail leads to another stone marking
the site where the river broke through killing a
dozen men!
    It was was kind of erie to stand on the sites
where underground mining came to an end in
our area!
   But they weren't the only "eerie" sights!
   A sign at the beginning of the trails asks
people to clean up after their dogs. Some
previous walker had apparently made some
effort to do that. But, for some reason, they
decided to let the bag behind hanging on a
chain link fence separating the trail from the
railroad tracks! Somehow I don't believe that's
what the folks trying to keep the trail clean
had in mind.
    I also discovered a shopping cart from
Quinn's Market in Pittston. I don't know who
expected to find groceries along the trail!
Maybe they were waiting till the 2 mile
stretch is extended to 16 miles so they can shop
in Wilkes-Barre?
   Try the trail if you get a chance. I think you'll
like it!
   Hope you get your shopping done first and that
all your NEWS is good!