The ruins of two forts sit at Crown Point, and the restrooms are decidedly locked (Don't ask how I know.) after hours.  I parked and walked to the larger of the ruins - those of the British Fort (existing from 1759 to 1773, when it suffered a chimney fire).

It was a great day for a little exploration - weather and temperatures optimal for walking around outdoors, mazing through the doors of the remaining barracks walls and meandering around the earthworks outside the rock.

In the center of the parade grounds was a large stone, embedded as part of the natural ground.  When one looks carefully in such areas, one will find little treasures, and I was intrigued to find carvings - graffiti - from times long past.  Presumably, it would be an unwelcome addition to add a new signature to the stone today, but these engravings added to the history of this place in my mind.  A couple of these boast dates in the 19th century, and at least one announced the year 1767.

These ruins jutted into the blue sky with only a few sounds of children and families in the ears.  One must think not only of the occupants of such a structure, but also the building protocols and processes. One of the placards even call the British fort "a superior example of 18th-century engineering" and calls for its preservation as "authentic ruins".

Off to the side, just a short stroll away lie the ruins of another, older fort.  This fort - the Fort of St. Frederick - was in operation by the French starting in the 1730s. Before allowing the structure to fall into British hands during the French and Indian War, French troops blew up the fort.  What's left are short remnants of walls closer to the point of the land on this beautiful lake.

​I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and upload my photos and look them over.  These teacher institutes see me traveling miles from home, alone, but usually there are other teachers accompanying me.  During this side trip, I spent some alone time.  It was quiet, so I stood at the shoreline, enjoying the surf as I took in the evening sun and watched a young man drag his boat to the lake, a young lady walking her dog, and colorful sailboats, and some soft clouds suspended over the distant mountains.

Have you ever wanted to talk to a person from our historical past?  That's exactly what Hoggatteers had the opportunity to do, yesterday, as we shared a Skype call with Lady Martha Washington, directly from Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Martha was able to tell students about her life on the plantation with her husband, George.  She explained many things in the hour, ranging from the enslaved population at Mount Vernon, her husband's leadership during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution, and even such subjects as food, children, and neighbors.

Wrapping up the session, Lady Washington had students practice their gentlemanly bows and ladylike curtsies as was exercised in the 18th century.

Why do so many teachers work to be mediocre and do things the same way all the time?
​
It reminds me of an episode of The Cosby Show, in which one of the daughters presents her boyfriend to the family.  Cliff, her father, tells the young man that the problem with the family's response to him was that the girl did not present him on a silver platter, but on a trash can lid.  Similarly, presentation is important to the lessons we teach.

Matthew Keagle, the curator overseeing Fort Ticonderoga's extensive collection of artifacts, displayed four items for the members of the teacher institute class of 2019 to peruse.  Sitting before us on a long table were an old gun, a powder horn, a piece of paper of some sort, and a thick book.  Keagle did a great job of not telling us anything about the objects, allowing us to bring our own observations into play and attempt to determine information for ourselves before he would reveal their real stories.