People in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones

((apologies for the photo organization.  I'm yet to fully figure out the blogging program that I am using))

Today was a day when I thought I'd make sure that I did something that wasn't military related.  As I mentioned the US is very proud of its military history and current military and so evidence of military memorials and displays is much easier to stumble across that in other countries in which I have travelled but one must remember that there is much more to America than just the military !

So today I set my GPS to Corning, NY and the Corning Glass Museum. which was founded by the Corning Glass Company in 1951 and houses some 45,000 glass objects some of which are over 3,500 years old.

It's a fascinating place with wonderful static displays and a regular schedule of demonstrations.  I managed to catch a glass-blowing demonstration and one on hot glass-work.  The Museum sends its artists around the world on cruise ships to demonstrate their skill, each person spending about 3 months away on board ship and they make what is a difficult skill look remarkably easy.

I have to confess that I have never really given any great thought to how a milk bottle (when such things existed) was made, especially in such great quantities as must be required.  The displays were very well thought out, flowed nicely through the museum and were well explained.  The staff were friendly and helpful and it made for a very pleasant couple of hours.

The Museum also holds a number of workshops where visitors can try their hand at making a stained glass window, a pendant, a sandblasted tumbler and other such objects.  Rather than a simple 30 minute class with a bunch of kids I was more interested in their weekend Introduction to Glassblowing courses but they were all booked up right up until the time I would be in Ecuador.

It really was a very well put together museum with lots of factual information regarding glass for the adults and lots of activities for the kids as well.

Then it was time to hit the road again and continue with my meandering in a generally southern direction.  It wasn't long before I came across another military sign although this one was rather mournful I thought.

It was simple and to the point but bears no reference to what must have happened on that day in 1779 when General Sullivan led an expedition to punish those Iroquois tribes who had supported the British during the ongoing War of Independence.  This 'scorched earth' campaign destroyed settlements, burnt crops and effectively destroyed the strength of the Iroquois Confederacy.  The British also turned their back on their Iroquois allies by refusing to send reinforcements to oppose Sullivan until far too late.  Ironically, Sullivan's actions caused other tribes to join the British for fear of attack by the Americans.

It seemed to me rather sad that, in a land where military memorials are so prevalent, that an action such as this should garner only a roadside sign with no real reference to a people that were effectively driven out of the area.  Such is the way for the defeated, perhaps.