Travel Diary: Pittsburgh PA
Heard about Houston? Heard about Detroit? Heard about Pittsburgh PA?
We are off on a traveling adventure! As your humble correspondent, I will keep you apprised of our adventures and intrigues. Here on day one of the trip we have yet to be accosted by brigands or invited by a band of strangers to accompany them on a quest for a magical sword. Perhaps we are visiting the wrong taverns.
Our first stop in the drive east is Pittsburgh PA.
Apparently, Andrew Carnegie read about some folks who found a fossilized vertebrae out in Wyoming. Like any rich bastard his reaction was, "I want that thing!" And so, of course he sent a lackey, accompanied by a flunky, out to Wyoming and the result was that Carnegie got that thing. It is amazing the thing you can get when you vertically integrate the steel industry. At least Andy gave us a whole bunch of libraries rather than sending pop stars to "space."
Returning to my theme, that sauropod vertebrae became the foundation of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History which is right next to the Carnegie Museum of Art. Michele went to the art museum, I went to look at the dinosaur bones as my 10-year-old self would have desired.
Like almost every child, I went through a dinosaur phase. I knew there were great museums in which dinosaur skeletons were on display but such institutions were in short supply in North Central Iowa. While Carnegie did give us a library, I would have rather he put his natural history museum in Fort Dodge, IA.
I was in my twenties before I got to see actual dinosaur skeletons at the Field Museum in Chicago. From then on, I never miss an opportunity to visit dinosaur skeletons or dinosaur dioramas. This time I took some pictures.
Mother Nature asked, "*I dunno, how about horns on the cheeks? Is that a thing that would work?" 
Mother Nature to Creative Team: "Alligator. First Draft. Any notes, folks?" 
Mother Nature starts working with ribs for the first time and gets a little carried away. 
Mother Nature writes the first koan: "Why were mastodons mammoth, but mammoths weren't mastodon?" 
Mother Nature starts writing poetry: "One Fish. Two Fish. Red Fish. Absolutely Terrifying Fish That Is Mostly Teeth and Nightmares." 
Despite the implicit promise made in Danny and the Dinosaur none of the exhibits came to life and became my best friend. I plan to write a pointed letter to the Carnegie people about this oversight on their part.
But the museum wasn't all cool dinosaurs. They also had an extensive geology exhibit. In other words, a whole bunch of rocks, beautifully displayed. I have to admit rocks, no matter how artfully arranged do not stir my blood unduly. I did take one picture to prove that I am still ten years old at heart and can get a juvenile giggle out of something like this: 
Readers are advised not to google the phrase, "Penetration Twins."
More classy content about our Great Adventure in the coming days!
jpj stories by John Jackson is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
