Discoveries in Lancaster

The city of Lancaster honors its Aerospace history with a Walk of Honor.  The walk starts beside a park, where numerous plaques celebrate the individuals whose contributions have proven important to nearby Edwards Air Force Base, as well as the industry.  It features a rebuilt F106, also known as the "Delta Dart," which set a world speed record in 1959.  The jet fighter rests on a stand reminiscent of those included in plastic model kits.  Somehow, this thin, slanted column supports a real plane.  

The walk extends through the downtown.  These emblems sit top stone plinths, and affixed to the stone are more plaques.  Signs also hang from lamp poles, and these offer pictures of those being honored.  It's nice to see a city get behind its unique history, and celebrate the contributions of its citizens.

The streets grew both more upscale and folksy as we walked.  Twice, we passed pianos that had been set up outside, and a young man played the one that had been painted rather colorfully.  We passed the Museum of Modern Art, as well as small stores and restaurants, the latter of which often provided fenced-off outdoor seating for their patrons.  We ducked into a comic book shop, where we sought out Marvel Comics "Battlestar Galactica" #21, the last issue I needed to complete my collection of Volume 1.  (Sadly, the only volume covering the original TV show).  We didn't find the comic, but we chatted with a man in the back room who was painting a Warhammer 40,000 figurine.  He was watching a movie featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger that I didn't remember.  He told us that it was "Commando," and the particular scenes we were watching had been filmed in a mall that has since been torn down.  I watched the movie a long time ago, but the scenes bore no resemblance to my memories, and made me want to watch it again.

Along the way back, we noticed signs outside the library advertising a weekend book sale.  I'm always interested in perusing used bookstores in other cities, as I sometimes find a book I can never find at home.  Such was the case in the library sale.  We met Glen Cook at a convention, where he was a featured Guest of Honor.  Since then, my wife started reading his "Garrett P.I." series, about a human private detective in a High Fantasy world involving such creatures as unicorns and elves.  Many of these paperbacks went out of print, and the publisher then reprinted them with attractive, lighter covers.  But Red Iron Nights is one of two that the publisher decided not to reprint as a standalone book, instead including it in a larger, more expensive Trade Paperback omnibus containing three Garrett novels, but sadly, no cover artwork.  Needless to say, I was thrilled to find this old copy for my wife.  

You never know what you'll discover when you visit a new city.

Dragon Dave