Local resident was a 'Time Traveler'

To the editor:

In two days I traveled from the pre-1840s to the future beyond the 2000s.

On Saturday, May 31, the second annual Eastern Woodland Native American Gathering, held at the Steyer Nature Preserve near Fort Seneca, celebrated the traditions of the peoples who were in Ohio long before settlers arrived.

From the flag ceremony, veterans' ceremony, and prayer to the inter-tribal dancing, we heard the voices of Native Americans sharing reflections on the history and heritage of the various tribes and nations in attendance. These traditions have been preserved by gatherings, pow-wows, and festivals like this for hundreds of years.

Hearing the host drum, "Friendly Voices," beat out the rhythms for dancing and singing in various Native American languages transported me to another time and place. A pre-1840 encampment complete with booming cannon, added to the excitement of the day.

The next day, Sunday, June 1, I was on the surface of Mars, with the aid of 3-D glasses and up-to-the-minute satellite photos at NASA Glenn Plum Brook Station near Sandusky. What an awesome experience to tour this amazing facility.

Celebrating 50 years of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the open house at NASA Plum Brook took visitors on a two-hour tour through the Spacecraft Propulsion Research Facility, which houses the world's only test facility capable of full-scale rocket engine firings and launch-vehicle system-level tests at high-altitude conditions.

Next came the Hypersonic Tunnel Facility, and the amazing Space Power Facility, which houses the world's largest space environment simulation chamber.

I confess the scientific language I heard at NASA Plum Brook was just as foreign to my ears as were the ancient languages of the Native Americans.

This "Time Traveler" is thankful to live in a time and place where these experiences were available in a short drive from home.

Janet Dundore

Pine Crt., Bellevue