Back in early March, I took the family to the Science Museum in Boston. They have the original Van De Graff Generator that generates a million volts as you can see here. By staying in the Faraday Cage, the man in the photo is not harmed even as he puts his hand on the inside of the cage. I stress INSIDE. If he slipped to the outside, well he would be mighty fried.

I'm proud of this pix since I hear this is not an easy one to get!

One of my favorite historic sites (and historical societies) made a major announcement today. The following is a paraphrasing from the paper. I attended the press conference today and several speakers discussed the project in detail. Some $300,000 has been raised so far and if you make a donation, they have an anonymous donor who will match it.

--------

The oldest Dutch farmhouse in the Mohawk Valley will soon have a million-dollar neighbor.

The Schenectady Historical Society announced today plans to build a $1 million, three-story educational center at the 300-year-old Mabee Farm on Route 5S. It will be called the George E. Franchere Education Center. The farm is located off I-890, exit 1A. and is 2.5 miles ahead on your right.

Kim Mabee, president of the historical society, said the center will be used to give residents an up-close look of what it was like to live on a Colonial-era farm.

The structure will also feature space for student groups, theater space for historic films and other programs,labs for archaeologists who continue to unearth artifacts at the farm, a kitchen that will be used to teach visitors how to cook Colonial-era meals.

The Mabee family bought the land from Daniel Van Antwerpen in 1705 and the deed that recorded the purchase still is in their possession.

The development is the latest victory for the thriving historic site, which has drawn thousands of visitors in recent years -- many of them hoping for a glimpse of what farming was like in Colonial times.

Mabee said a fund-raising campaign is currently under way to raise additional money for the project.