The Archaeologist on the River Kwai

Cyler Conrad writes about Dutch archaeologist Hendrik Robert van Heekeren, who after being captured by the Japanese during World War II, managed to collect prehistoric artifacts while a prisoner-of-war forced to work on the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai in Thailand: An Archaeologist on the Railroad of Death.

van Heekeren was born in Java in 1902 and became interested in archaeology while working on a tobacco plantation.

Through financing his own research and fieldwork, van Heekeren significantly contributed to the study of ancient Indonesia prior to the outbreak of the war. But, like many of his Dutch compatriots, he was captured after the Japanese invaded Java in 1942. By February 1943, he was forced to work on the Railroad of Death.

Cyler Conrad, Sapiens, May 5, 2021

The New York Times also wrote about the bridge and the archaeologist in 1972: The Kwai Bridge: The Reel and the Real

Dr. van Heekeren was working among stones dredged up from the Kwai for use in the construction of the bridge’s foundation when his experienced eye picked out an object that he immediately recognized as a Stone Age artifact. From that day until the day he was freed, he continued to find, and hide from his captors, numerous other artifacts. When he returned to the Netherlands after the war, he wrote a book about his discoveries in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi Province

Alvin Smith, The New York Times, December 17, 1972

van Heekeren’ books include The Stone Age of Indonesia (1957) and The Bronze-Iron Age of Indonesia (1958). He died in 1974.

Attractive Ruins at Franny Reese

Pictures from a visit last autumn to Franny Reese State Park in New York. The sun-dappled ruins are the former estate of wealthy dentist Charles H. Roberts. A graduate of Albany Medical College, Roberts’ dental innovations made him rich and allowed him to branch out into other lucrative business ventures. In the 1860s, he began building his home, Cedar Glen, on the west bank of the Hudson River overlooking Poughkeepsie. After Roberts died in 1909, protracted squabbling over his will by his children resulted in the decline of Cedar Glen. Read more of the story at About Town.

Franny Reese Park. Source: TCM
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Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon

The Pinto Cruising Wagon exists somewhere between – or beyond – the Safari station wagon and the Dodge Street van. A compact two-door wagon with colorful stripes and a bubble window, the cruising package was introduced in 1977 and abandoned after 1978. If you wanted the silhouette of a wagon and the shagtastic style of a van without the cargo capacity of either, the Pinto wagon was made for you.

It is a small wagon. Source: oldcarsweekly.com
Not quite the same vibe with only one pinstripe. Source: bringatrailer.com
Sweet orange interior. Source: hemmings.com

Street Van: One of Dodge’s 1970s Adult Toys

During the heyday for customized and airbrushed vans, Dodge capitalized on the trend by offering hip options straight from the factory. While the custom van craze faded by the early eighties, the Dodge B-Series cargo van soldiered on until 2003, when it was replaced with the Sprinter van sourced from Mercedes.

Source: Dodge/caranddriver.com

The Street Van, offered from 1976 through 1980, was advertised as an “Adult Toy,” alongside other full-size Dodge offerings like the Ramcharger SUV and Lil’ Red Express pickup. It featured factory options such as chrome, chrome and more chrome, wide five-slot mag wheels, custom interiors and wild graphics packages, plus the psychedelic “Street Van” logo on the passenger and driver side doors. Even better, Street Van buyers got a “Customizing Idea Kit,” which included suggestions for paint schemes and interior choices, as well as a listing of aftermarket suppliers that could outfit your boss rig with spoilers, fender flares, sunroofs, vents and, of course, portholes of nearly every shape under the sun. By 1977, membership in the “Dodge Van Clan Club” was also included.

Tara Hurlin, https://www.hagerty.com/media/archived/shag-wagons/
Enjoy that basement rec room vibe no matter where you park it. 1977 Dodge B200 Tradesman. Source: barnfinds.com

The seller notes that all of the carpeting was recently professionally cleaned, which is likely one of the biggest concerns/fears of anyone looking to get into a van of this style and vintage.

Jeff Lavary, barnfinds.com
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Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, Princeton

Source: TCM

With an elevation of about 200 feet, it’s not much of a mountain, but the lakes were created over a century ago to produce ice. In 1914, you could buy 100 pounds of ice for 30 cents from the Princeton Ice Company.

Most of the trails are for hikers only, but there are paved multi-use paths around the edge of the park, a road leading up to Palmer Lake, and a single unpaved trail for bikes that crosses over the outflow for the lake.

Blue Trail to the J. Seward Johnson Jr. Boardwalk. Source: TCM

NYT: You Should Get A Wildlife Cam

The New York Time’s absolute beginner’s guide to wildlife cameras (trail cams), with tips on how to set them up: Why You Need a Wildlife Camera.

Cameras can cost $500 or more, but for the beginning backyard camera-trapper, it’s not necessary to spend that much.

Likewise, skip the low end. “It’s probably better to spend a little more,” Ms. Naser said, “like $125 to $175 per camera, rather than the $50 models whose results won’t be as satisfying, and that aren’t as durable.”

Margaret Roach, New York Times
A bobcat in Massachusetts. Source: Sally Naser/CR Wildlife Cams – New York Times

Back in the G-Shock World

After flirting with vintage G-Shock watches and learning about resin rot, I cashed out, making about a $30 profit on a $1 watch + battery, and forgot about them for a while.

When Casio added a step tracker to some of their watches, I decided to dip a toe (or rather, a wrist) back in the G-Shock waters.

I’ve had an Apple Watch, a Fitbit watch, and even a Pebble watch (some people still remember them), and the most useful thing to me was the pedometer.

There are only a few G-Shocks with a step tracker. I chose the budget-minded GBD800 ($100) – part of the G-SQUAD exercise-oriented line. It has the usual suite of timer and alarm settings, but no ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) functions. To get those with a pedometer, you have to step up to the GGB100 Mudmaster, which costs almost four times more.

Casio G-Shock GBD800-UC3. Source: TCM.
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