Linda's Photo Journal 2009

Jack Frost

2009-12-29T15:12:00.001-05:00

The snow has stopped, for now, but it is so cold. My outdoor thermometer reads a chilly 14 degrees (Fahrenheit). Jack Frost visited us during the night. I took this picture looking through one of the window panes on my front door.

Jack Frost
By C.E. Pike

Look out! Look out!
Jack Frost is about!|
He's after our fingers and toes;
And all through the night,
The gay little sprite
Is working where nobody knows.

He'll climb each tree,
So nimble is he,
His silvery powder he'll shake.
To windows he'll creep
And while we're asleep
Such wonderful pictures he'll make.

Across the grass
He'll merrily pass,
And change all its greenness to white.
Then home he will go
And laugh ho, ho ho!
What fun I have had in the night.

It's Snowing

2009-12-28T21:05:00.001-05:00

It snowed last night and throughout the day today. More snow is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow.

Looking at the Snow
Through our Living Room Window

When Bob came home from work, he cleared the driveway of snow. Bob is very thankful that we invested in a Toro snow blower a couple of years ago.

Christmas Day and the Day After

2009-12-27T07:45:00.001-05:00

Bob and I celebrated Christmas with my brother, Jim, and his family at their house on Christmas Day. It's a little more than a 2-hour drive to Jim's house. The weather forecast for Christmas Day was not good. Here, in Warren PA, there was a winter weather advisory for freezing rain until 5:00 PM. Jim lives near Kittanning PA, where there was also a winter weather advisory in effect. The winter weather advisory in Kittanning, though, expired at noon. We left our house late morning, hoping to avoid the wintry weather. We were fortunate not to run into any freezing rain either en route Jim's house or on our way back home in the evening.

My family's Christmas tree bursting with gifts

Judy (my sister-in-law), carving the turkey
My nephew, Jared, is overseeing the task at hand.

After dinner, Christmas gifts were opened.

My nephew, Mike, and his daughter Anna

My great nephew, Kaleb
Oh boy, a Triceratops!

Jared handed out gifts
(or should I say, Jared tossed gifts)

I snapped a few family portraits.

My niece, Emily, and her boyfriend Zach

My nephew, Mike, and his family
(Mike, Kailey, Kaleb and Anna)

My brother, Jim, and his wife Judy

We celebrated Christmas with Stacey and her boyfriend, Mike, at our house the day after Christmas.

Stacey and Mike

We enjoyed good food and the wonderful company of family and friends both days. Time spent with family and friends during the holidays is definitely time well spent. Bob and I hope all of our family members and friends, near and far, enjoyed Christmas as much as we did.

Christmas Eve with Friends

2009-12-26T11:45:00.001-05:00

Bob and I spent Christmas Eve with friends at their house. We arrived at Bob and Kris's house around 5:00 PM. Shortly after our arrival we sat down to a delicious dinner that included spiral ham, scalloped potatoes, Italian meatballs and Rigatoni, shrimp cocktail and various desserts.

Christmas Eve dinner was plentiful and delicious.

Throughout the evening we enjoyed good conversation and lots of laughs. I particularly enjoyed sharing stories of grade school and high school capers.

Our friends
Bob and Kris and their sons, Zach and Blaine

Our friends have two dogs, Megan and Rocco. Rocco is a recent addition to the family. He is a rumbustious dog. Megan is more docile but can be mischievous. Rocco goes nuts if he cannot find his favorite toy (a bone). Megan hid the bone one day. Our friends looked high and low for that bone but came up empty. About 24 hours later Kris heard a plop behind her. When she turned around there was Megan with Rocco's bone lying in front of her.

Megan
Zach and Rocco in the background

Rocco saying to me "What?"

Megan and Rocco

Blaine telling Rocco what a good boy he is.

Rocco and his bone

Rocco tossed the bone over his back.

Thank you, Kris and Bob, for inviting us to your house. We enjoyed spending Christmas Eve with you and your family.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2009-12-23T13:00:00.001-05:00

It's the day before Christmas Eve. I'm going to take a short break from blogging while I celebrate Christmas with friends and family. Bob and I plan to spend Christmas Eve with friends, Christmas Day with my brother and his family, and the day after Christmas with Stacey and her boyfriend, Mike. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish our family and friends a very Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox greeting

First Full Day of Winter

2009-12-22T14:07:00.001-05:00

It is the first full day of winter for the 2009-2010 season. This is what our back yard looked like from our bathroom window at 1:00 PM today.

The blue sky, the puffy clouds and the snow draped across the evergreen bushes is very pretty, don't you think so?

In a Pickle

2009-12-21T11:00:00.001-05:00

Bob cooked beef heart yesterday afternoon. Bob sliced and pickled the heart after it was cooked. I wasn't particularly fond of the cooking smells that permeated the house. A lit candle helped to neutralize the cooking odors that filled my house!

Blizzard of 1996

2009-12-20T09:15:00.001-05:00

A fellow blogger lives in Virginia. This morning, as I read of Denise and Gregg's adventure returning home in the snow from Norfolk, Virginia, it reminded me of another blizzard -- the blizzard of 1996.

I was living in Silver Spring, Maryland, in January 1996. I had recently separated from my husband of umpteen years and moved into my own apartment. I think I had been in that apartment for only a day before the blizzard hit.

Here's an account of the storm as provided by Wikipedia:

"Snow began falling in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore during the late evening of January 6 and continued at a consistent rate until mid-afternoon the next day. At that time, the metro area received 13 to 17 inches, and after a few hours of sleet and then a complete stop for several hours, it seemed the worst was over. But overnight, as the storm slowly crawled northward, extremely heavy bands of snow came in from the east. These bands created whiteout conditions as winds gusted past 40 miles per hour, along with thunder and lightning. By the morning of January 8, the bands tapered off, and the metro area was left with a blanket of 15 to 25 inches of snow. Baltimore received 22.5 inches and Washington Dulles International Airport received 24.6 inches. Many areas north and west in Maryland and West Virginia received well over 2 feet with a few locations in the mountains of West Virginia and Virginia receiving up to 4 feet."

I remember people scooping up snow with buckets and garbage pails. I don't remember anyone using a shovel to remove the snow. I, on the other hand, had a snow shovel. One of the last things I did after moving my belongings into the apartment was go to the store and purchase a snow shovel. I had heard on the radio that heavy snow was expected, and I wanted to be prepared. After the snow stopped falling, I dug out my car and then offered my shovel to neighbors. I think I could have made a lot of money those few days renting out my snow shovel!

In 1996 I worked for the federal government as a civil service employee. President Bill Clinton was forced to shut down the federal government for nearly a week because of the storm. It was good that I did not have to go to work. Travel was nearly impossible. It was nearly a week before it was possible to get out of my apartment complex.

Here's a few photographs taken at my apartment complex, in January 1996, after the snow stopped falling.

That's my car (directly ahead) buried under the snow.

My car, buried in the snow

My car, after I dug it out of the snow

To my blogging friend, Denise, and others affected by this weekend's snow storm: Stay warm and safe and enjoy a white Christmas!

Our Christmas Tree

2009-12-19T05:30:00.001-05:00

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure doth thou bring me!
For every year the Christmas tree,
Brings to us all both joy and glee.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree,
Much pleasure doth thou bring me!

Lofty View of Allegheny Reservoir (Near Onoville, NY)

2009-12-18T06:25:00.001-05:00

I live near the New York border and find myself traveling back roads to and from New York destinations. This is one of my favorite views on one of the back roads that I travel. Off in the distance is Allegheny Reservoir. This view is beautiful anytime of the year.

Go and check out more SkyWatch Friday images at the Skywatch Friday Site!

My Little Brother

2009-12-17T05:30:00.001-05:00

In an earlier post I wrote that I had spent several days sorting, organizing and scanning old photographs. Mom had the photographs, hundreds and hundreds of them, stored in cardboard boxes. Many of the photographs do not have dates, names or any identifying information.

I am not an only child. I have one sibling, a brother, who is younger than me. Although Jim's photograph is undated, I believe it was taken on October 5, 1957, because I found a photograph of me that WAS DATED that date. I assume Mom would have portraits of both of us taken at the same time.

I am 19 months old in this photograph. Jim is 3 months old.

Mom's boxes of photographs contain several photographs of Jim and me together. I will share the first portrait of Jim and me in this post. From time to time I will share other photographs of Jim and me.

Our first portrait

This photograph is undated; I estimate that it was taken in December 1957 or January 1958. If Jim is 6 months old, I would be 22 months old in this photograph.

Although he now towers over me, Jim will always be my little brother.

"To the outside world we all grow old.
But not to brothers and sisters.
We know each other as we always were.
We know each other's hearts.
We share private family jokes.
We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys.
We live outside the touch of time."
-by Clara Ortega

Santa and I

2009-12-16T05:30:00.001-05:00

I believe that this photograph of Santa Claus and me was taken in December 1956. If so, I was 10 months old at the time. Rather than just post a picture of Santa Claus and me, I decided to research the origin of the ritual of sitting on Santa Claus's knee.

According to Wikipedia, "Santa Claus appears in the weeks before Christmas in department stores or shopping malls, or at parties. The practice of this has been credited to James Edgar, as he started doing this in 1890 in his Brockton, Massachusetts department store. He is played by an actor, usually helped by other actors (often mall employees) dressed as elves or other creatures of forklore associated with Santa. Santa's function is either to promote the store's image by distributing small gifts to children, or to provide a seasonal experience to children by listening to their wishlist while having them sit on his knee. Sometimes a photograph of the child and Santa are taken. Having a Santa set up to take pictures with children is a ritual that dates back at least to 1918.

The area set up for this purpose is festively decorated, usually with a large throne, and is called variously "Santa's Grotto", "Santa's Workshop" or a similar term. In the United States, the most notable of these is the Santa at the flagship Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the last float, and his court takes over a large portion of one floor in the store. The Macy's Santa Claus is often said to be the real Santa. Essayist David Sedaris is known for the satirical diary he kept while working as an elf in the Macy's display, which he later published.

Quite often the Santa, if and when he is detected to be fake, says that he is not the real Santa and is helping him at this time of year. Most young children seem to understand this, as the real Santa would be extremely busy around Christmas. At family parties, Santa is sometimes impersonated by the male head of the household or other adult male family member."

A Smoker's Creed

2009-12-15T05:30:00.001-05:00

Last week I posted a blog about a winter storm that produced thunder, lightning, high winds, sleet, snow, hail and rain. During that storm a woman sat on a rock, across the street from my house, smoking a cigarette while the wind was blowing and it was hailing. The umbrella that she held over her head hardly provided shelter from the hard-hitting hail and fierce winds.

I took a picture of this woman a day later, once again sitting on her rock smoking a cigarette. The postman's creed crossed my mind as I took her picture. Slightly modified that creed is an appropriate caption for the photograph displayed below.

Neither rain nor snow, nor sleet nor dark of night
shall stay this woman from having a smoke.

Because of Pennsylvania's no smoking law the residents of the facility in which this woman lives cannot smoke inside or near the building. I do not smoke; I have never smoked. If I did, though, I believe the conditions under which this woman must smoke would provide incentive for me to quit smoking!

Hunting for Car

2009-12-14T05:30:00.001-05:00

Company Christmas Party

2009-12-13T14:29:00.001-05:00

I look forward each year to Bob's company Christmas party. Betts Industries' company Christmas Party was held last night. As we entered the recreation hall, we dropped off a bag of non-perishable food items in one of the collection boxes located inside the building. Bob's company is having a food drive to help those less fortunate. The food collected will be given to the Salvation Army for distribution locally in time for Christmas.

We arrived at the Christmas Party around 5:30 PM, a bit early as the party didn't officially begin until 6:00 PM. We arrived early to secure good seating and to save seats at our table for friends. Our friends arrived about 5 minutes after us. There were seven seated at our table -- Doyle and Sheila, Cherita, Robby and Rachel, and Bob and I. We enjoyed a variety of conversation with those seated at our table. We socialized with friends at other tables as well.

Sheila and Doyle

Robby and Rachel

Cherita

Bob and I

Hors d'oeurves were served at 6:00 PM. You could easily fill up on the hors d'oeurves and not be hungry for dinner. I limited myself to a few selections, saving my appetite for dinner. Shortly before dinner was served, Dick Betts lit the huge Christmas tree (you will see pictures of the tree later in this blog) and Rod Betts offered up a word of prayer. Dinner was served shortly after 6:30 PM. Dinner was delicious, as it is each year.

As is customary each year, a group sing was held after dinner. We sang "Jingle Bells", "Oh Holy Night", "Silent Night Holy Night" and one other song that I can't recall the name. The evening was capped by outstanding entertainment, a comedy magic show followed by the music of Sammy Slicker and the Blackjacks. We watched the comedy magic show but left soon after the band started. Neither Bob nor I dance. We find it difficult to talk over the music, so we always leave the party soon after the music starts. We do stay long enough, though, to watch Rod Betts and his wife dance. I love watching them dance; they dance so gracefully across the floor.

I will close this blog post with a couple photographs that I took of the Kohl & Company Comedy Magic Show.

Kohl & Co.
Farky (on the left) and the Great Kohl

The magic show includes audience participation.

Farkameana brings two "volunteers" to the stage.

I am hoping that these two photographs will spur interest to encourage you to take a look at rest of the pictures that I took of Kohl & Company. You may see rest of the pictures from the magic show by clicking here.

Breakfast at Sprague's Maple Farms and a Ride Through Allegany State Park

2009-12-13T10:54:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, we enjoyed a full day of activity. At 8:00 AM Bob and I set out for breakfast at Sprague's Maple Farms Restaurant and Pancake House in Portville, NY. Stacey (Bob's daughter) and her boyfriend, Mike, accompanied us. As you can see from the map displayed below, Sprague's Maple Farms is quite a distance from our home. The excellent food, great service and total ambiance found at Sprague's is definitely worth the ride.

View Larger Map

Looking across the restaurant from where we were seated

Mike and Stacey
Mike tasted a variety of maple syrups before our breakfast was served.

Mike, on a maple syrup high

My breakfast - an omelet and two buttermilk pancakes

Stacey's breakfast - eggs, steak, and home fries

Not shown are two blueberry pancakes that accompanied Stacey's breakfast.

Mike's breakfast - eggs, bacon, home fries and three buttermilk pancakes

Bob's breakfast was similar to Mike's; however, Bob chose buckwheat pancakes instead of the buttermilk pancakes.

You definitely do not leave Sprague's Maple Farms hungry!

After breakfast we drove through Allegany State Park near Salamanca, NY, before heading home. We made a few picture stops while in the park.

Stacey and Mike
at Red House Administration Building

Stacey and Mike
on top of Science Lake Dam

Stacey and Mike at Quaker Lake

Stacey at Quaker Lake
I really like this picture of Stacey in black and white!

We saw a small deer, too, at the Thomas L. Kelly covered bridge. The deer was UNDERNEATH the bridge when we spotted him. I got out of the car, walked across the bridge and snapped a few pictures of the deer as he exited from under the bridge. There was a dog and two people ahead of me on the pathway leading to the bridge. The deer looked at me and looked at the dog, contemplating the best escape route. The deer finally took off in the woods behind him.

Deer at Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge

We returned home around 2:30 PM. Three hours later Bob and I were at his company's Christmas party. I will post details of and photographs from the Christmas party in my next blog post, so stay tuned!

Sunset at Rose Haven, MD

2009-12-11T07:45:00.001-05:00

I joined the meme, Skywatch Friday, today. It is my first entry into this meme.

In October my husband and I attended my cousin's wedding at Herrington on the Bay in Rose Haven, Maryland. The wedding was beautiful and was nicely capped with a stunning sunset over the bay.

Go and check out more Skywatch Friday images at the Skywatch Friday Site!

A Winter Thunderstorm

2009-12-09T15:22:00.001-05:00

A strong storm blew through this afternoon. The storm produced thunder, lightning, high winds, hail and rain. The storm produced chatter, too, on Facebook.

Bob we have severe lighting, wind & thunder right now. What gives? This is December right? hang on kiddies, this is going to be a rough one according to the National Weather Service.
Linda Our yard Christmas card is still standing; that will make Bob happy :-)

Yard card withstood high winds

Bob Now we got rain & hail
Linda The hail set off our bird that chirps Christmas music!
Kathy CRAZY STUFF, right??? :-)
Bob Real crazy, now it is sunny out.

Hail on our driveway

Tara The North wind doth blow and we shall have snow...

Tina WinterStorm with Thunder and Tornado warnings...
Kimberly im scared! save me tina haha
Sherry well the funny thing is the color outside is consistent with tornados , so i wouldnt joke to much
Sherry it should be okay tho we didnt have the heat before a cold front
Tina Oh, but they spotted on in the Oil City Area...
Linda I was struck by the outside color, too, Sherry. The worse seems to be over for Warren; no tornado!
Tina, if we have a storm like that again, can I come over? I was scared! ;-)
Linda
Oh, and Tina, if we get stronger wind and you happen to find our yard greeting card in your yard, will you bring it home?
Tina You bet, Big basement with a huge wine selection.. We'd be fine...
Linda Did you notice the old lady across the street? She was out sitting on her rock, smoking a cigarette while the wind was blowing and it was hailing.
Sheila Tornadoes too!? ...is California sliding into the ocean yet??
Tina I didn't notice, you'd think those aids over there would watch over them better then they do. That hail was hard, it should've hurt.If my polar bear shows up at your house be sure to send him home as well...
Tina I haven't heard yet Sheila, wouldn't be surprised tho.. What did you think of that storm?
Linda I'll do that, Tina. However, I might see how he looks lit up on our lawn first hehehe
I was out the other night attempting to photograph your polar bear. One of our friends stopped by our house. He saw "someone" standing in the road. He thought it was one of the people from across the street. *GRIN* I didn't get a good picture, so I'll be trying again some time, probably at twilight as this is best time to get a picture of night lights.
Sheila craaaazzy crazy weather! now the sun is shining...pretty blue sky & puffy white clouds....LOL...Love it!

Merridith bbbrrrr!!! Rainy, slushy, thunder... odd. Tonight's driving is not going to be too grand.
Aaron Deff not, be safe.
Brittany be careful omg
Linda Lot of comments on Facebook about the thunder, lightning , wind AND hail :-)

Zach Just woke up to a ... thunderstorm!! Its ... December!! Come on!

Linda thinks she just heard thunder. Oh yeah, I did; just saw lightning too! More thunder rumbling through., shaking house. Geez!
Kailey Atleast you guys got snow. We got some freezing rain then just rain. It feels like spring outside today
Merridith boo.
Linda It just hailed. We have a bird in the living room that is activated by clapping hands or whistling loudly. When activated the bird chirps Christmas music. Well, the hail set off the bird!
Kailey Lol. Mother nature wanted to hear some christmas music :-)

And after the storm was over ...

After the storm, blue skies and sunshine

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-07T19:02:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we put up our Christmas decorations. On Saturday afternoon we decorated our front yard and porch. If you haven't already seen our outside decorations, you may do so by clicking here. On Saturday evening Bob carried up the Christmas tree from the basement and put it up in our living room.

This is what our living room looked like before Bob put up our Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree was inside a box and had to be put together.

On Sunday we put out rest of the Christmas decorations that we decided to use this year.

Our living room
after Christmas decorations were put out
Look out the windows; see the snow!

Here's a Smilebox slideshow of some more pictures of our Christmas decorations. Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Children Go Where I Send Thee

2009-12-07T11:57:00.001-05:00

A friend (thank you Dee!) emailed this video to me. I really enjoyed watching and listening to this video. It brought a smile to my face when I watched it. I hope it does the same for you.

It's a Start

2009-12-05T12:49:00.001-05:00

We started decorating for Christmas. We placed three decorations outside.

Our front lawn

a Season's Greetings yard card

a fiber optic snowman

a snowman family welcome sign

A Little Girl and a Little Dog

2009-12-04T20:27:00.001-05:00

I expected to showcase parade pictures in my next blog post. Each year on the first Friday of December there is a Christmas parade held in my hometown. Bob and I attended this year's parade; however, none of my parade pictures were worth showing. There was a good turnout for the parade, which is good. However, there were so many people standing in front of me, walking in front of me, and waving their arms in front of me that my pictures of the parade did not turn out well. I do have one picture to share with you, though. I saw a little girl with a little dog shortly before the parade started. I couldn't resist snapping a picture.

New Camera!

2009-12-02T16:35:00.001-05:00

I currently own an Olympus E-500 digital SLR camera. I've had this camera since December 2005. There are new camera models available now that are light-years ahead of my camera in technological improvements. I take good pictures with the E-500; however, I feel the new camera models have features that would help me to improve my photo-taking capabilities. Besides I have come across situations where a second camera body would be helpful. For a while now two digital SLR cameras have held my interest -- the Olympus E-620 and the Olympus E-30.

A couple weeks ago I posted a message for MyOlympus Yahoo group members asking for input as to what decision process people went through when deciding whether to purchase the E-620 or the E-30. What I took away from the many replies to my message was that I couldn't go wrong with whichever camera I chose.

On the evening of Black Friday I placed an order at amazon.com for the Olympus E-620 camera. The price was $70 lower than it had been earlier in the week. In choosing the Olympus E-620 I decided not to put all my eggs in one basket (namely a camera body). The Olympus E-30 was almost $400 more than the E-620. If I decide at a future date that i would like to buy an additional camera lens, for example, I can use the difference in price between the two cameras towards that lens. A 50mm prime lens crosses my mind, as I type this.

I want to share a short story with you in regards to delivery of my first digital SLR camera. What follows is a journal entry from my diary, dated December 5, 2005.

"My new camera arrived this afternoon. I expected delivery on Friday; however. delivery was delayed due to the weather. Delivery was rescheduled for Saturday. On Saturday in the mid-afternoon I telephoned FedEx to verify the status of my delivery. FedEx assured me that my package would be delivered on Saturday. As I was hanging up the telephone, Bob started to chuckle. I heard Bob's chuckle and saw out of the corner of my eye the FedEx truck as it was pulling away! Bob said the FedEx truck just paused on our street. No one got out of the truck. Saturday came and gone ... no camera. I called FedEx late in the evening. This is what I learned during that conversation with FedEx. Apparently the camera was not scanned for delivery for Saturday. The customer service representative placed a tracer on my package. He said that FedEx Home Delivery delivers on Tuesdays through Saturdays only. So he said that my package would not arrive until Tuesday. Well FedEx DID run today. The driver said he was catching up on his deliveries. And get this .. he WAS on our street on Saturday. He said the camera was not in the truck on that day."

Fast forward to today.

I expected delivery of my new Olympus E-620 camera on Monday, December 7. My new camera was delivered TODAY, 5 days early! What a nice surprise! Kudos to the United States Postal Service!

The E-620 is a little bit shorter than the E-500; the hand grip of the E-620 is a little shorter too. I like the feel of both cameras in my hand; however, the E-620 feels just a little bit more comfortable to me than the E-500.

I'm sure that I will like the E-620's articulated live view screen!

The timing on receiving my new camera is excellent because Santa is coming to town on Friday evening. Each year my home town has a Christmas parade on the first Friday in December. I'll be able to use my new camera when I take pictures of the parade!

Returning Home from New Hampshire

2009-11-29T11:40:00.001-05:00

We returned home from New Hampshire late Saturday afternoon. We departed our hotel at 6:30AM. Other than strong winds, our ride home was uneventful. We did see up to 6 inches of snow while at the higher elevations of Route 9 in Vermont. None of the snow was in the roadway. Here are a few photographs of scenery on our way back home.

We had been driving for just a little over an hour when we caught our first glimpse of snow.

Dublin, NH
Dublin Lake and Mt. Monadnock

There is a scenic overlook located on Rt. 9 in Vermont between West Brattleboro and Wilmington that offers a 100-mile view of the surrounding countryside.

Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook

We were at snow level while at the Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook.

Wilmington, VT
snow-capped mountain in background

We were about an hour's drive from home when we were blessed with this beautiful sunset.

The Day After Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T09:35:00.001-05:00

Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was a full, pleasant day. As planned we went to Cynthia and Larry's house for breakfast. We arrived at their home around 8:30AM. Breakfast, which included broccoli and cheese omelets, sausage links, orange juice, and toast, was delicious. The rest of the morning we hung around the house and visited with Cynthia, Larry and Marian. We played with Weezie too.

Around 12:30PM we went out to lunch. Cynthia and Larry treated us to lunch at the Mikato Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar. It was Bob and my first experience eating in a Japanese restaurant. Besides the five of us there was only one other couple in the restaurant. All other potential diners must have been taking advantage of Black Friday specials. Larry asked that we be seated at the hibachi table. A waiter took our drink orders. When the waiter returned to our table with our drinks, he took our orders for lunch. Cynthia ordered prime rib; Larry ordered shrimp; and Bob, Marian and I ordered chicken. Our hibachi chef was really fun and personable. He put on an entertaining show as he prepared our meals of meat, rice and vegetables. It was a great lunch all around.

After lunch we took the scenic route back to Cynthia and Larry's house. We ate dessert (a choice of peanut butter or chocolate fudge, pumpkin roll, pecan pie and cherry pie) and visited some more.

Family Portrait
Marian, Larry, Cynthia, Weezie, Bob and I

Weezie, jumping through the hoop!

We left for the hotel at 4:30PM. We had a great visit, albeit a short one, with Cynthia, Larry and Marian. We are happy that we were able to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with them.

Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-28T22:20:00.002-05:00

On November 25th I wrote that we were on our way to New Hampshire to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with Bob's sister and our brother-in-law.

We left our home in Warren, Pennsylvania, shortly after noon on November 25th. We drove as far as Cobleskill, NY, which was approximately 330 miles and a 5 1/2-hour drive from our house. We spent the night at the Best Western Cobleskill hotel.

We continued our drive to New Hampshire on Thanksgiving Day. We checked out of our hotel, filled up with gas and were on the road by 6:30AM. Except for the first couple hours when we drove through fog, we had good driving conditions. We made a couple photo stops along the way. Our first stop was in Bennington, Vermont, where we saw the Bennington Battle Monument. This 306-foot stone monument is dedicated to the Battle of Bennington that took place during the Revolutionary War in 1777. Visitors may ride an elevator to the top of the Bennington Monument for panoramic views of the valleys and rolling hills of Vermont, Massachusetts and New York. Unfortunately, we were not able to do this as the monument was closed for the season.

Our first view of Bennington Battle Monument

Bennington Battle Monument with
Colonel Seth Warner statue

We stopped briefly in Wilmington, Vermont, where I took a picture of one of the village's most prominent landmarks -- the Molly Stark statue. Molly Stark was the wife of American Revolutionary general John Stark, who was involved in the Battle of Bennington.

Molly Stark statue

We arrived at Comfort Inn in Merrimack, New Hampshire around 11:30AM. After checking into our hotel, we relaxed for a little over an hour before driving over to Cynthia and Larry's house. Soon after arriving at Cynthia and Larry's house we sat down to Thanksgiving Day dinner. In addition to the four of us, we shared dinner with Larry's mother (Marian). Dinner was delicious. Cynthia and Larry prepared a bountiful feast of turkey, peas and onions, mashed squash, green beans, stuffing, gravy, corn pudding and cranberry salad. For dessert we had a choice of two kinds of pie -- pecan or cherry -- and pumpkin roll. We visited for a while after dinner and played with Weezie, Cynthia and Larry's two-year-old dog. We happened to be at Cynthia and Larry's house for Thanksgiving two years ago when Weezie first joined the family. Weezie has grown a LOT since 2007!

Weezie, in November 2007

Weezie in November 2009
Looking out the front door

Weezie in November 2009
with favorite toy, Bear

Weezie in November 2009
Isn't she super cute!

Bob and I left Cynthia and Larry's house around 6:00PM with plans to return at 8:30 the next morning.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T08:21:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Indians and a Rainbow

2009-11-25T20:10:00.001-05:00

We're on our way to New Hampshire, where we will be spending the Thanksgiving holiday with Bob's sister, Cynthia, and her family. We made one fuel stop during today's travels. The fuel stop was at a gas station on an Indian Reservation near Limestone, New York. I took pictures of a couple Indians that we saw at the fuel stop.

Rainy conditions were with us throughout much of today's journey. However, much to our amazement, a rainbow followed us for about an hour along Routes 86 and 88 in New York.

We will arrive in New Hampshire tomorrow. We're looking forward to seeing Cynthia and Larry and spending the holiday weekend with them.

The Approaching Holiday Season

2009-11-24T08:33:00.001-05:00

As the holiday season gets closer I can feel a veil of sadness descending on me. Sometimes I wish that I could close my eyes and when I open them again it is the first of January.

My mom passed away the Monday after Thanksgiving two years ago. When a life-changing event, such as the death of a loved one or a break up of a marriage or romance, happens around a holiday, future celebrations of that holiday can be depressing. I have a hard time with both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I celebrate both holidays with family and friends. I am thankful for the time that we spend together. I always have a good time; however, the joy that I used to feel during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays is diminished. I don't know if I'll ever feel the same about either holiday.

Neighborhood Beautification Project, Post #2

2009-11-22T12:49:00.003-05:00

A week ago I blogged about a neighborhood beautification project that is underway in Jamestown, NY. Today's blog continues my coverage of Jamestown's neighborhood beautification project.

Two local artists (Kristen Briggs and Tara Eastman), as well as several volunteers, are painting a large scale mural (12 feet high by 20 feet wide). The mural is being painted at the Eastside YMCA. The mural, when completed, will be placed on the side of a blighted building located in Jamestown.

When I arrived at Eastside YMCA at approximately 10:00 AM yesterday morning, I was amazed to discover how much progress had been made on the mural during the past week. When I left the YMCA last week, Tara and volunteer painters were painting the well that Tara had drawn earlier that day. In addition, Kristen and Jess had begun projecting photographs onto the mural and tracing the outlines of the images in the photographs.

Mural progress as of 2:00 PM on Saturday, Nov. 14

The first thing I noticed as I walked into the YMCA was that the mural was no longer lying on the floor. Each panel (10 in all) had been propped up against the wall. Then I noticed the progress on the mural itself. The photo projection portion of the project was now complete. The sun had been added and was shining in the middle of the mural. Many parts of the mural had been painted to include the well, the sun, the sky, some of the grass and the brick walkway.

During the next four hours waterways and grassy areas were painted, and detailed work was begun on the sky, facial features and brick walkways.

Volunteers painting waterway

Kristen begins detailed work on faces.

Mural progress as of 12:00 PM on Saturday, Nov. 21

Volunteer painting grassy area

Volunteer working on details of sky

Tara and volunteers working on details of brick walkway

Volunteer painting grassy area

A lot of progress has been made on the mural over the past week; however, many more hours of work remain. Additional work is planned for the coming week.

Another aspect of the neighborhood beautification project is the cleaning of city streets and sidewalks and removing graffiti from the sides of buildings and other places. Yesterday's volunteer participation for the Clean Street Project was much greater than that of the previous week.

The Clean Street Project volunteers started gathering at the Eastside YMCA around 2:00 PM.

This graffiti-covered building was the first destination of yesterday's volunteers.

I wonder what the people who live on this street thought when they saw this crowd of people descend on their neighborhood.

Billy Torres, Eastside YMCA Branch Manager, provides instruction to volunteers on work to be done at site. The volunteers went right to work after hearing Billy's instructions.

Volunteers paint over graffiti

Volunteers rake leaves

Volunteers cut down small trees growing alongside foundation. This particular tree was very difficult to remove, but it finally was cut free.

Large group of volunteers!

Some of the same volunteers who cleaned up the graffiti-covered building and its grounds moved on to another project -- cutting down small trees and raking leaves along a city sidewalk.

As one of my blog readers commented last week, Jamestown's neighborhood beautification project should be an inspiration to all of us to take part in our respective communities. It is such a joy to see young people and adults working side by side as they work towards a common goal of making their city a better place to live. Kudos to everyone involved in this project!

If you are interested in viewing additional photographs from yesterday's photo shoot, you may do so by clicking here. Stay tuned, too, as I expect there to be more posts on Jamestown's neighborhood beautification project in the weeks to come.

Dallas Cowboys Fans

2009-11-16T08:20:00.001-05:00

Our neighbors, Tina and Scott, are Dallas Cowboys fans. Their dogs, Thor and Perci, are also fans of the Dallas Cowboys.

Neighborhood Beautification Project

2009-11-15T16:35:00.001-05:00

Two local artists, one of whom is my friend Tara Eastman, and several volunteers gathered at the Eastside YMCA in Jamestown, NY, yesterday morning to start work on a large mural. The mural, when completed, will be placed on a blighted building located in Jamestown.

I cannot draw or paint, but I can take photographs. I spent the day snapping pictures to record the progress of the mural.

Applying primer
(Ten boards had to be primed.)

Young and Old Worked Side by Side

My friend, Tara
One of the local artists

A volunteer

Another volunteer

Tara, sketching mural design

This is Kristen, who is a local artist.

Kristen asked the volunteers to find an image that stirred in them a memory or an emotion; those images are the ones that will be used on the mural.

Kristen and Tara are excited because the primer coat is now dry.

Laying out the boards on which mural will be painted

Tara and Kristen begin drawing and painting the mural.

Two volunteers who are helping to paint the mural

Painting and drawing happening simultaneously

The work on the mural will continue through this week and next Saturday. I plan to take more pictures of the mural next Saturday and will, of course, post pictures from that photo shoot as soon as I get them organized, edited and uploaded. In the meantime, click here to read a newspaper article about this neighborhood beautification project.

In addition to the mural project another group of volunteers met at the railroad tracks on Foote Avenue and participated in the Clean Streets Project.

Railroad track underpass on Foote Avenue

Streets swept and new coat of paint applied

The volunteers picked up a LOT of debris!

If you are interested in viewing additional photographs of this neighborhood beautification project, you may do so by clicking here.

Allegany State Park - Quaker Lake

2009-11-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Bob and I visited Allegany State Park near Salamanca, New York, this past Sunday. We visit the park frequently, as it is within an hour's drive from our house. As I mentioned in Sunday's blog post, my blog posts this week will showcase photographs from all of our visits to Allegany State Park. The subject of today's blog post is Quaker Lake.

Quaker Lake is a man-made lake. Its 3.8-mile shoreline is virtually undeveloped and consists primarily of mowed fields with some wooded areas. Roads parallel most of the lake. Quaker Lake serves many recreational purposes such as fishing (including ice fishing in the winter), boating and swimming.

My first visit to Allegany State Park was in September 2000. We spent two nights in a rustic one-room cabin. The amenities of this cabin were few. The cabin had a cooking range, a table with benches, a wood stove and four beds. There was no electricity and no indoor plumbing. Although amenities were sparse, it had a lot going for it. Trees surrounded the cabin, creating a tranquil and peaceful setting. The porch invited one to sit and relax. From the porch we could see and hear a babbling brook, take in the scent of a wood fire, listen to the birds sing and hear the rustle of squirrels and chipmunks among the fallen leaves.

Gypsy Trail Cabin #30
Our two-night accommodation
(Sept 2000)

Our cabin was located in the Quaker Run area of Allegany State Park. The only attraction in the park that we saw that weekend was Quaker Lake.

Quaker Lake (Sept 2000)

We have seen Quaker Lake numerous times since our first visit to the park.

Quaker Lake has a sandy beach for swimming. (Jul 2005)

Quaker Lake (Oct 2008)

Quaker Lake in the Wintertime (Jan 2009)

Quaker Lake (Nov 2009)

Isn't the reflection on the lake awesome? The lake was very still, not a water ripple anywhere on the lake. The stillness of the water created this mirror effect.

I am posting this next photograph for my friend, Trace. Trace is a fellow blogger and a loyal follower of my blog. She frequently leaves comments on my blog posts. One of Trace's comments during this past week indicated that she wants to live at Allegany State Park. I am sorry, Trace, but you can't live at the park; however, you can come for extended visits. There was a particular cabin that caught my eye, while we were at the park on Sunday. It has a screened porch and four rooms, of which three are bedrooms. There is cold running water in the sink only. Shower facilities are located nearby. The cabin is gas heated and available for rental only through Labor Day weekend. What do you think, Trace? Would you want to stay in this cabin?

Taft Cabin (Nov 2009)

The stream crosses the road (ASP 3), and that's where we found this stone structure sitting on a rock.

Stone Structure Along Stream (Nov 2009)

For further information on Allegany State Park, please visit the following websites:

Allegany State Park from Wikipedia, the free encyclope dia

NYS Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation

This blog post completes my week-long sharing with you of our visits to Allegany State Park. I hope that you enjoyed your visit!

Allegany State Park - Science Lake

2009-11-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Science Lake (Nov 2009)

The lake is a small impoundment of Quaker Run. The Science Lake Dam is located in front of and to the right of this deck.

Science Lake (Jan 2009)

This view of Science Lake is similar to the one shown above, albeit farther away and a bit to the right. The Science Lake Dam is just visible at the far right corner of the photograph.

Science Lake (Nov 2009)
View from Science Lake Dam

The reflection on the lake was awesome. A perfect mirror effect was created as there wasn't one water ripple on the lake.

Science Lake Dam (Nov 2009)

The dam wasn't too picturesque; however, it did provide a good backdrop for a portrait photograph of Bob.

In addition to providing recreational fishing, several beavers make their home at Science Lake. I didn't realize this fact until we returned home. While searching the Internet for information on Science Lake, I found several photographs of beavers that were taken on the lake. Note to self: Look for beavers the next time we visit Allegany State Park!

Stacey's Cats

2009-11-13T04:05:00.001-05:00

The cats belong to my stepdaughter, Stacey. It was pure luck that I was able to photograph the three cats together. The cats' names are, from left to right, Lilly, Wickett and Jasper.

This is Billy; he is the newest addition to the family.

You may view more photographs of all four cats by clicking here.

Allegany State Park - Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge

2009-11-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge (Nov 2009)

This covered bridge was built in 1989. It is a pedestrian bridge. In addition to foot traffic, the bridge is used by bicyclists and, in the winter, by snowmobile riders.

Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge (Nov 2009)
Its 110-foot length spans Red House Creek.

In order to capture this photograph of the bridge I walked through snow up to the top of my boots.

Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge (Jan 2009)

Snowmobile riders cross the bridge in the wintertime.

(Jan 2009)

Allegany State Park - the Stone Tower

2009-11-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

Stone Tower (Nov 2009)

Stone steps lead to top of tower (Jul 2007)

In October 2008 we encountered a dog at Stone Tower. There was no owner in sight. Bob checked the dog's tags and found that he lived near Stone Tower.

The dog's bandanna read "Bad Dog". The dog wasn't bad, though; he was a good dog. When we left Stone Tower, the dog accompanied us. He ran in front of our car until he reached a cabin at the end of the road. The dog stopped there (his home?), while we continued on our way.

Bob and "Bad Dog" (Oct 2008)

The arrow points North (Nov 2009)

The panoramic view from Stone Tower is lovely regardless the time of year.

Stone Tower View (Jul 2007)

Stone Tower View (Oct 2008)

Stone Tower View (Nov 2009)

Allegany State Park - Red House Area's Administration Building

2009-11-10T09:00:00.002-05:00

Construction of the Administration Building
(Photograph obtained at Mon@rch Nature Blog)

Administration Building in 1928
(Photograph obtained at Mon@arch Nature Blog)

The Administration Building houses the Red House Rental Offices, the New York State Park Police Station, the park museum, the Red House Gift Shop, the Red House Restaurant and the Allegany Regional Offices for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (NYSOPRHP). The rental office, gift shop, museum and police station are located on the main level of the building. The restaurant, Allegany Regional Offices of NYSOPRHP, and park offices are located on the upper level of the building.

What follows are photographs of the Red House Area Administration Building that I have taken.

Wintertime View of Administration Building (Jan 2009)

Administration Building sits atop a hill (Nov 2009)

Red House Lake
View from rear of Administration Building (Nov 2009)

Administration Building (Nov 2009)
Rear View

Entrance to Red House Gift Shop (Nov 2009)

Red House Restaurant (Oct 2008)

We have enjoyed several lunches at this restaurant. We've ordered a variety of sandwiches from the menu. We have never been disappointed with our selections, and the service has always been excellent.

Until Sunday, I had not set foot on the hill behind the Administration Building. I found two items of interest on that hill.

Weather Station (Nov 2009)

This weather station is located on hillside behind Administration Building (The equipment show, from left to right, is a rain gauge, max/min thermometers, and a barometer.)

Heart-shaped Wood Carving (Nov 2009)
Located on hillside behind Administration Building

The weather station and heart-shaped wood carving were located at the beginning of a trail that leads up, away from the Administration Building. Perhaps on a future visit to Allegany State Park, we can hike the trail and find other items of interest.

Allegany State Park - Red House Lake

2009-11-09T07:40:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Bob and I visited Allegany State Park near Salamanca, New York. We visit the park frequently, as it is within an hour's drive from our house. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, my blog posts this week will showcase photographs from all of our visits to Allegany State Park. The subject of today's blog post is Red House Lake.

Red House Lake is a man-made lake. The 1.8-mile shoreline is mainly undeveloped and consists primarily of mowed fields with some wooded areas. Roads and a bike path encircle the entire lake. The lake serves many recreational purposes such as fishing (including ice fishing in the winter), boating and swimming.

Red House Lake (Jul 2007)

There is a small boat launch at the northwest corner of the lake. This photograph was taken at that boat launch.

Red House Lake (Jul 2007)

Paddle boats, bicycle boats, rowboats and canoes can be rented for use on the lake. I would like to one day rent a paddle boat and get out ON the lake.

Red House Lake (Oct 2008)

Red House Lake (Jan 2009)

Now for photographs of Red House Lake from yesterday's visit to Allegany State Park ...

Red House Lake (Nov 2009)

I LOVE the reflections on the lake in this photograph!

Allegany State Park - Thunder Rocks

2009-11-08T18:14:00.003-05:00

This weekend was gorgeous. There was lots of sunshine with blue skies and warm temperatures. Here in Northwestern Pennsylvania, I believe we might just be experiencing Indian Summer. The weatherman is forecasting similar weather the rest of this week. Get out and enjoy it, as you are able! That's exactly what Bob and I did today. We got out and enjoyed the warm, sunny day at a state park not far from our home.

Today's destination was Allegany State Park near Salamanca, New York. Allegany State Park is New York's largest state park and is known for its natural beauty. The park is divided into two sections: the Red House area and the Quaker Run area. The Red House Area is the northern half of Allegany State Park. Its attractions include Stone Tower, the Summit Fire Tower, Red House Lake, the Thomas L. Kelly Covered Bridge, and the Tudor-style Administration Building. The Quaker Run area is the southern half of the park. Its attractions include Quaker Lake, Science Lake, the Mount Tuscarora Fire Tower, the Quaker Amphitheater, Bear Caves and Thunder Rocks.

Allegany State Park is a frequent destination for Bob and me, as the park is only an hour's drive from our house. With the exception of one weekend camping trip several years ago, our visits to the park last only a few hours. We visit various attractions, which I photograph, and eat lunch at the Red House Restaurant located in the Administration Building. I would like very much to spend a weekend, once again, at Allegany State Park. Perhaps next summer or fall...

In each of my blog posts this week I will share with you photographs of Allegany State Park, both from today's visit as well as from past visits. Thunder Rocks is the subject of today's blog post.

We discovered Thunder Rocks in October 2008. We visited Thunder Rocks for the second time today.

Thunder Rocks is a massive rock outcropping (Oct 2008).

The flat rock at the top right-hand side of this photograph reminds me of a diving board (Nov 2009).

Bob at Thunder Rocks (Nov 2009)

The favorite pastime at Thunder Rocks is rock climbing, which Bob did last year. This year, though, Bob stayed off the rocks as he didn't wear footwear suitable for climbing.

Bob, rock climbing at Thunder Rocks (Oct 2008)

Photoshop Elements Playtime

2009-11-05T17:16:00.001-05:00

As I was browsing through photographs today, I came across two photographs that Bob and I had taken of each other during a motorcycle ride in May of this year. As I looked at the two photographs I thought how nice it would have been had we been photographed together. Photoshop Elements makes that possible.

I selected Bob, using Photoshop Elements' quick selection tool. I, then, used the move tool and dragged Bob out of his photograph and into my photograph. Viola! Bob and I, together, on Lake Erie!

Puffy White Clouds Set Against a Brilliant Blue Sky

2009-11-03T10:35:00.001-05:00

As I type this, I watch the clouds move left to right across my window. The movement is hypnotizing. The sky is such a brilliant blue color. It appears to be a warm day. Looks, though, can be deceiving. The temperature is a chilly 45 degrees. I found a poem on the Internet that fits my photograph aptly.

White Clouds
© Gene Tagle

High flying fleet of billowy boats,
Quietly cruising celestial seas.

Windblown wads in whimsical shapes,
Gracefully riding the heavenly breeze.

White-robed Bedouins bound to the sky,
Wandering aimlessly out of my view.

Would that my cares could be as the clouds,
Lifted, wafted, lost in the blue.

The Mundane

2009-11-02T23:24:00.002-05:00

Wow, the month of November already. This year seems like it has just flown by! Before you know it, that jolly fat man in the red suit will make his appearance.

I spent the day on the mundane aspects of my life. I paid bills, entered expenses into Quicken, and balanced the budget for the month of October.

I will begin working on next year's budget soon. I will have a budget in place by the 1st of January. By the end of the year very little, if any, of the expense categories will be as I budgeted. Past years' budgets are an indicator of that fact of life. That's OK, though. Our budget wouldn't work if it were a rigid one. A flexible budget is good. What I garner from keeping a budget is a quick financial snapshot of where we have been, how we are doing and where we might be headed.

Halloween Party

2009-11-01T08:10:00.001-05:00

Bob and I attended a Halloween party on Friday night (October 30) at the home of our friends, George and Theresa.

This is George and Theresa's house. The front yard was filled with Halloween decorations, as was the house.

We enjoyed a fun-filled night in the company of great friends. The night was filled with high-spirited fun and enjoyment. It couldn't have been a better night for a party either. It was a warm, summer-like night.

Bob and I

Thank you, George and Theresa, for hosting such a great party! I took many photographs, which are best viewed at my Flickr photo site that you may access by clicking here. Enjoy!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-29T19:02:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Beauty is Where You Find It

2009-10-28T11:17:00.001-04:00

How many times have I passed by our front door and took for granted the view from these three tiny windows? Framed photographs on a wall couldn't be more beautiful.

Update on Anna

2009-10-27T20:36:00.002-04:00

In an earlier post I requested prayers for my great niece, Anna, who was diagnosed with the H1N1 flu as well as RSV. According to my sister-in-law, Anna is improving. The medicines appear to be doing their jobs. Thank you for your prayers.

Group Portrait

2009-10-26T22:35:00.001-04:00

Harry and his Friends
(Harry is the big bear.)

Prayers Needed

2009-10-25T14:30:00.001-04:00

My great niece, Anna, is very sick. Anna was diagnosed with H1N1 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Please keep Anna in your prayers and pray that Anna's brother, Kaleb, doesn't get sick.

Winter Preparations Underway

2009-10-25T14:15:00.002-04:00

Bob is attaching tarp to all four sides of our picnic pavilion. The two sides are covered, only the ends remain. Our wicker furniture is covered, and the wooden swing is dismantled and stored for the winter.

It Won't Be Long

2009-10-24T12:13:00.001-04:00

Looking Out Our Front Door

The autumn colors are fading fast; the trees are loosing more and more leaves each day. It won't be long until the trees are bare, and the ground is covered in white.

The Proposal

2009-10-23T11:13:00.001-04:00

We watched the 2009 movie "The Proposal" earlier this week. We rented the movie for $1.00 from Redbox. Here's a summary of the movie, according to Redbox:

"On the verge of being deported and losing the high-powered job she lives for, the controlling Margaret announces she's engaged to her unsuspecting, put-upon assistant Andrew. After proposing a few demands of his own, the mismatched couple heads to Alaska where they have four short days to convince his quirky family and a very skeptical immigration agent that their charade is real."

I knew how this movie would end. How else does a romantic comedy end but "happily ever after"? Nevertheless, I found "The Proposal" to be most charming and very funny. I laughed out loud several times. The chemistry between Ryan Reynolds (Andrew) and Sandra Bullock (Margaret) was excellent. Would I watch the movie again? Yes! I'm even thinking about buying the movie; it was that good!

A Wednesday Drive

2009-10-21T20:00:00.001-04:00

Bob didn't go to work today. When he awakened this morning, Bob discovered a problem with the bathroom plumbing. As it was taking longer than expected to fix the plumbing, Bob called in to request the day off work.

Bob fixed the plumbing by late morning, and we decided to go for a ride. Our destination was the Village of Cattaraugus, which is located in Cattaraugus County in the northeast part of the Town of New Albion, NY.

En route Cattaraugus we passed by a lazy cow lying near a stream in Kennedy, NY.

Why did we decide to go to Cattaraugus? A few weeks ago, while on a motorcycle ride, Bob passed through the Village of Cattaraugus for the first time. When he came home from his ride, Bob remarked that he would take me to Cattaraugus one day. He thought that I would like the quaint-looking village. Bob was correct; I did like the village.

Brick roadway runs through downtown Cattaraugus

Abandoned factory

Downtown Cattaraugus

It was cool that this car happened to be parked on the street in this quaint village!

Here's the same photograph, in color. I prefer the black and white conversion and how it is cropped. What is your preference?

If you would like to read a short history of the village of Cattaraugus, you may do so by clicking here.

Kaw OUT of the Barn

2009-10-19T21:25:00.001-04:00

Last week Bob put the Kaw in the shed for the winter. I didn't think the Kaw would stay in the shed for long. It was a nice day today, sunny with the temperature in the upper 50s. First thing Bob did when he got home from work was take the Kaw out of the shed.

Bob went for a short ride. When he came home, the Kaw went back into the shed. Bob doesn't think there are many more riding days left this year.

If You Want Me, Sweetheart, Just Whistle

2009-10-18T18:58:00.001-04:00

We had just arrived at Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, when I heard it -- a ship's whistle. I took a couple pictures at Bestor Plaza, ignoring the whistle.

Sundial at Bestor Plaza

Bestor Plaza fountain

The whistle was persistent, though, and LOUD. The whistle sounded several times, calling me. I stopped resisting the urge to see the boat with the loud whistle. We hopped in the car and drove the short distance to Chautauqua Lake.

Chautauqua Belle on Chautauqua Lake

The Chautauqua Belle is a replica of a steam-powered stern wheeler that provides tours of Chautauqua Lake. I have never ridden this boat. I would love to go on a ride some day! If you would like to read more about the Chautauqua Belle, you may do so by clicking here.

Autumn Scenery on Way Home from Weekend in Annapolis

2009-10-17T11:51:00.001-04:00

We returned home from Annapolis, MD, on October 12th. We enjoyed the autumn scenery along the way. The photograph displayed above was taken from atop Skytop Mountain, along Interstate 99 a short distance west of State College, PA.

Weekend in Annapolis - Day 3 (Last Day)

2009-10-16T21:44:00.001-04:00

We spent the morning and part of the afternoon of Sunday, October 11th, in downtown Annapolis and at the United States Naval Academy. We took the 8:50AM shuttle bus from our hotel to downtown Annapolis. We walked once again to the Maryland State House, where I took another photograph from a different vantage point than that taken on Friday afternoon.

After photographing the Maryland State House, we entered the U.S. Naval Academy via Gate 1 (Prince George & King George Street entrances). Only a photo ID was required for admission to the naval academy. Our first destination was the bay front. We enjoyed the view of the sailboats on Chesapeake Bay and those at the sailboat show. We were happy that we could see the boats and the bay without having to pay $17 each!

After taking in the view of the sailboats we visited Bancroft Hall and walked about the grounds of the naval academy. We saw everything we wanted to see, except the chapel interior and John Paul Jones' crypt. Neither the chapel nor the crypt would open until 1:30PM. We were at the crypt, finished with our self-guided tour of the naval academy, at 11:30AM. We opted not to stick around for 2 more hours, thus deciding not to see the chapel and John Paul Jones' crypt.

We ate lunch at Buddy's Crabs and Ribs. We had eaten at this restaurant 11 years ago, when we first visited Annapolis. That visit to Annapolis was one of our first dates. The food at Buddy's was as good now as it was then.

Would you like to see a photograph of Bob and me in Annapolis taken in May 1998? Yes? I thought you would. The picture displayed below was taken at the Annapolis Harbor. It gives you an idea what the harbor looks like when the sailboat show isn't in town!

This blog post contains only a few photographs of this year's visit to the United States Naval Academy. You may find more photographs by clicking here, which will take you to my Flickr photo site.

After lunch we caught the 1:30 PM shuttle bus back to our hotel. We spent rest of the day napping and relaxing in our hotel room. We even ordered dinner delivered to our room -- pizza and a side salad.

Weekend in Annapolis - Day 2

2009-10-15T19:53:00.001-04:00

My cousin, Vernon, and Wendy were married on Saturday, October 10. The wedding took place on the grounds of Herrington on the Bay, which is a marina resort located in Rose Haven, MD, along the Chesapeake Bay. Rose Haven was approximately a 30-minute drive from our hotel in Annapolis. The wedding didn't take place until 4:00 PM; however, Bob and I made a point to arrive early so that we could take in the sights of the resort, as well as spend a little bit of time before the wedding ceremony with Vernon and his brother, Randy.

We found Vernon on the grounds of the resort around 2:30 PM. We were able to chat (and take pictures) for about 30 minutes before the professional photographer arrived with Wendy.

Vernon and his brother, Randy
at Herring Bay Bridal Garden

The formal wedding photographs were taken before the wedding ceremony and took no more than 15-20 minutes.

Wendy and Vernon

Vernon and Wendy with their Families
at Herring Bay Bridal Garden - East Beach

Soon after the formal wedding photographs were taken the bridal party went inside the Historic Yacht Club. I stayed at the bridal garden, watching the final preparations. Flowers were brought in and hung on shepherd hooks at each row of seats; a basket full of wedding programs was placed on a table; and the Chuppah was decorated.

[NOTE: "The Chuppah (hoop-pa) represents the home that Vernon and Wendy will establish together. The Chuppah is open on all sides so that family and friends will always feel welcome in their home."]

The Chuppah

The guests started to arrive at 3:45 PM. The wedding ceremony began promptly at 4:00 PM.

This was the first Jewish wedding that Bob and I attended. Escorted by her parents, Wendy entered the Herring Bay Bridal Garden; soft music was playing in the background.

Wendy, escorted by her parents

Vernon, who was at the Chuppah with the rabbi, the best man, the groomsmen, the maid of honor and bridesmaid met Wendy at the first row of guests.

Vernon at the Chuppah

Vernon meets Wendy

Vernon escorted Wendy to the Chuppah, signaling the start of the ceremony.

Vernon escorts Wendy to the Chuppah

The wedding ceremony began as a few moments were taken to remember all of those loved ones who are no longer with us to share in this special day. After this moment of remembrance, the Rabbi said blessings over the wine. Vern and Wendy drank the wine from the same cup, "symbolizing that married life halves bitterness and doubles sweetness". Then came the exchange of vows and rings, followed by the signing of the Ketubah.

[NOTE: The Ketubah is the legal marriage contract. It is one of the oldest elements of the Jewish wedding ceremony and has played a significant role in the Jewish wedding for over 2,000 years. It describes the couples responsibilities and commitment to each other. The Ketubah is traditionally signed during a private ceremony just prior to the wedding services. However, Vernon and Wendy have chosen to sign it as part of their service so that their guests can hear the words and witness the signing of this very special document."]

The Ketubah was signed by Wendy, Vernon, two witnesses and the Rabbi.

Wendy, signing the Ketubah

After the Ketubah had been signed, the Rabbi recited the Seven Blessings.

[NOTE: "There are seven traditional blessings in a Jewish wedding ceremony. They are a biblical tradition that began in the days of Abraham and Sarah. They wish the bride and groom happiness, love, companionship, and peace."]

After the Rabbi had recited the Seven Blessings, Wendy and Vernon were pronounced husband and wife. Vernon was told that he could kiss the bride.

At the conclusion of the wedding ceremony, Vernon stomped on a glass, shattering it.

[NOTE: "There are many interpretations of this {breaking the glass} tradition, but two are most significant. The first is to remember the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. The second is a reminder that relationships are fragile and must be treated with great care, love, and mutual respect, lest they break apart."]

Once the glass was broken, guests shouted, "Mazel Tov!" ("Congratulations!")." After breaking the glass, Vernon and Wendy and their wedding party walked away from the Chuppah. The time had come for dancing, celebration and dinner.

The wedding reception was held in the Historic Yacht Club. We congregated first in the Island Room, where we congratulated the newly married couple and enjoyed a tasty selection of Hors d’oeuvres, drinks and conversation. The selection of Hors d'oeuvres included seasonal fruits, melons and berries; a variety of cheeses served with gourmet crackers and flat breads; crab dip served hot with French baquettes, filet mignon canapes and coconut fried shrimp. The Island Room is softly lit and has quiet nooks surrounding an open central square. The open central square has an overlook from above, which makes a great place to watch the bride and groom's first dance. We did this, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Soon it was announced that dinner was ready. We moved from the Island Room, upstairs to the elegantly decorated Chesapeake Room. We picked up our name tag from a table at the top of the stairs. Each couple had an assigned table, which was identified on the name tag. We sat at table 3 with three other couples. Dinner was served buffet style and included Caesar Salad, rolls and butter, Prime Rib of Beef, chicken breast topped with crabmeat, red potatoes, and green beans with almonds. Dinner was delicious.

Vernon and Wendy at our table

The Harbour Deck on the second floor offered an expansive view of the bay and harbor. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset while eating dinner.

After dinner we watched Vernon and Wendy's first dance from the overlook of the Island Room.

We made our way down to the Island Room in time to see Wendy dance with her father.

Everyone was then invited onto the dance floor. Those who danced looked like they were having a good time. I enjoyed watching, and photographing, those who were dancing.

Vernon and Wendy cut the cake around 7:30 PM. They did not smash the cake into each others' faces. Instead, they carefully fed each other a piece of cake.

After the cake cutting ceremony we witnessed a dance in which the bride and groom were lifted up on chairs by the guests and whirled around.

A short time later we witnessed another traditional Jewish dance in which the bride's parents sit on chairs and the guests dance around them. This dance was performed because Wendy was her parents last child to wed.

I've posted only a fraction of the photographs that I took on Vern and Wendy's wedding day. My Flickr photo site contains many more photographs. Please click here if you would like to see rest of the pictures.

Vernon and Wendy's wedding contained many beautiful customs and traditions. Bob and I were very glad to be a part of Wendy and Vernon's special day. Congratulations Vernon and Wendy!

*** Please note that those portions of this blog in blue typeface were obtained from Vernon and Wendy's wedding program. ***

Weekend in Annapolis - Day 1

2009-10-14T14:44:00.001-04:00

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, we spent the weekend of October 9th in Annapolis, MD. We stayed three nights at the Best Western Annapolis. When I made our hotel reservation I was not aware that the United States Sailboat Show was being held October 8-12, followed by the United States Powerboat Show on October 15-18. According to information on the Internet, the United States Sailboat Show is in its 40th year and the United States Powerboat Show is in its 38th year. Both shows are the oldest and largest, new in-water boat shows in the world. The Powerboat Show and the Sailboat Show attract more than 50,000 boating enthusiasts from around the world to the Annapolis waterfront. I guess we were lucky to get a room for the weekend. After we checked in, I overheard a man and woman inquiring as to the availability of a room. There were no rooms available at Best Western. In fact there were very few rooms available anywhere in or near Annapolis, unless you wanted to pay $400+ per night. Wow, we didn't even spend $400 for three nights!

We checked into the Best Western Annapolis around 2:30PM. At 3:50PM we caught a shuttle bus to downtown Annapolis. As a convenience for its guests, many of whom were in town for the sailboat show, our hotel provided complimentary shuttle bus service to downtown Annapolis all weekend long. It was nice not to have to fight traffic to get downtown. Also, riding the shuttle bus eliminated having to find parking in downtown Annapolis, which was running at a premium ($20 and up for all-day parking).

We soon learned that the entire waterfront was not visible, as it was blocked off for the sailboat show.

Annapolis Waterfront

Admission to the sailboat show was $17.00 each, a fee that we did not wish to pay. After all we were neither looking to buy or sell a sailboat nor was there a sailboat in our dreams!

Instead of walking along the waterfront, we visited the Maryland State House until it closed at 5:00PM. The Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use and is the only state house to have ever served as the nation's capitol.

Maryland State House
(as seen from Thurgood Marshall memorial)

the Maryland Federalist

You can read all about the Maryland Federalist by clicking here.

The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from November 26, 1783, to August 13, 1784. George Washington came before Congress during that time to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. In addition the Treaty of Paris was ratified, which marked the official end of the Revolutionary War.

Old Senate Chamber
(front view)

Old Senate Chamber
(back view)

the new House Chamber

the new Senate Chamber

We caught the 5:30PM shuttle back to our hotel.

There were several restaurants located across the street or within a mile of our hotel. We chose to eat dinner at Boston Market. I ordered a chicken pot pie with fresh fruit and corn bread. Bob ordered 1/2 chicken with two sides and corn bread. Both of our meals were good.

We returned to our hotel after dinner. We spent rest of the evening in our room relaxing.

A Blogging Rule

2009-10-09T18:10:00.001-04:00

I have a widget contained on my blog, along the left-hand margin that provides a quotation of the day. Today's Quotation of the Day is a great quote for everyone who blogs.

"Write what you like; there is no other rule."
-by O. Henry

From Autumn to Summer

2009-10-09T18:04:00.001-04:00

Bob and I are on vacation this weekend. We're attending the wedding of one of my cousins. He is being married south of Annapolis, MD, along the Chesapeake Bay. We left our home in NW Pennsylvania at 7:00 this morning. It was rainy; there was a chill in the air. The further East we drove the better the weather. We just checked the weather conditions at home -- cloudy and 54 degrees. Here in Annapolis, it is in the 80s and sunny at 6:00 in the evening!

I will post details of our weekend, along with photographs, once we get home.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Wind Blows Roof Off House

2009-10-08T08:13:00.002-04:00

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry

Bob and I drove by this house yesterday evening. I exclaimed "Look at that!". You couldn't miss seeing the roof lying on the ground in front of the house. We thought the owners had physically removed their metal roof. That was not the case. Today's Warren Times Observer newspaper reports that "the wind just blew the whole roof right off...It started on the backside of the house, rolled right up over the roof. Rolled it up like a sardine can." The roof was original, more than a century old. The owner expects to install another metal roof. If you would like to read the entire newspaper article, please click on the "Times Observer" link provided underneath the photograph.

Another Visit to the Audubon Center and Sanctuary

2009-10-06T16:07:00.001-04:00

The Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Jamestown, NY, has got to be my most favorite place to visit. I have visited the center on four separate occasions this year alone.

I visited the Audubon Center with my friend, Linda H., this morning. Linda has visited the Audubon Center with her grandchildren; however, she had never walked any of the trails. We followed the blue trail a short distance to a photo blind overlooking Big Pond. It was a lovely morning. The temperature had the feel of autumn about it, cool but not cold. The sky was a pretty blue color with streaks of white clouds tossed about. The sun shone brilliantly, basking the earth in its warm glow. The colors of the changing leaves were gorgeous.

Before leaving the Audubon Center we paid a visit to Liberty, the resident eagle. It was Liberty's lunch time.

Liberty looks like she is asking us what we are looking at!

It was time for OUR lunch when we left the Audubon Center. Linda and I ate lunch at Perkins Restaurant. Our lunches were inexpensive. Linda had a coupon for buy one entree get one free. To use the coupon we had to order a beverage, other than water. We each ordered from a special offer menu -- lunch entrees for $5.99 each. Linda ordered a chicken salad sandwich with french fries, a petite salad, and a large homemade chocolate chip cookie. I ordered a ham and Swiss cheese sandwich with a petite salad, fruit cup and a chocolate chip cookie. Both of our sandwiches were half sandwiches, and the salads were tiny. When the menu says "petite", it means petite. Our lunches were scrumptious and well worth the cost.

First Steps

2009-10-04T15:27:00.002-04:00

My great niece, Anna, turned one year old in mid-August. The picture displayed above was taken a couple days before Anna's first birthday. She wasn't walking on her own then; however, that event happened soon after this picture was taken.

As I have mentioned in earlier blog posts, I am scanning old photographs. I came across two photographs of me, undated, but I believe they were taken when I was 9 months old. I was learning to walk (and playing peek-a-boo, I think).

Since Thursday I have been taking steps towards improving my photo-taking abilities. This weekend activity of "taking steps" goes well with the photographs that are included in my blog! I am reading about such things as portrait photography, how to use an external flash, what makes a good composition, and proper focus and exposure to name a few. I have solicited (and received) photo critiques from members of two photography groups in which I am a member. I'm trying to make sense out of everything that I am reading. Poor Bob has been my model while I try out various techniques that I am learning about.

Bob doesn't look too happy about being my model, does he?

By the way the backdrop is a blanket thrown over our outdoor swing. I had to improvise as I do not have any backdrops. I did obtain some ideas for backdrops from members of one of my yahoo groups. Maybe one day I will invest in some backdrops and studio lighting and start a small photography business. As I mentioned earlier, photography is an expensive hobby. It would be nice to generate a little money from an activity that I enjoy so much. We'll see how it goes; one never knows what the future holds.

In other news ...
We stayed close to home this weekend. We went to dinner at a Chinese restaurant with my stepdaughter, Stacey, and her boyfriend, Mike, on Friday evening. Later that same evening I reformatted my laptop computer.

My computer probably didn't need to be reformatted. I was noticing a few quirks, however, and thought reformatting the computer would be a good thing to do. I spent several hours on Saturday bringing the operating system up to date. My computer is up and running. I do, though, still have a few configuration changes to make. I will work on those changes after I complete this blog post. I want to uninstall crapware, the numerous trial applications that come preinstalled on a new computer. I need to install other programs, ones that I use, that are not on my computer.

Saturday afternoon we drove to Erie (an approximate 1 1/4-hour drive from our house). We went shopping and ate dinner at Old Country Buffet. Our major purchases were an aluminum ramp and photography accessories. Bob will use the aluminum ramp when he rides the motorcycle into the shed for winter storage. I felt like I was in a candy store at Van Tuil Photo & Imaging. I want one of just about everything in that store! I behaved myself, though, and made only a few purchases. I purchased a carrying case for my new tripod, two UV filters to protect my lenses, lens cleaning fluid, and a lens cap keeper. I also purchased additional photo-taking accessories at Walmart. I purchased an 8GB compact flash card and rechargeable AA batteries for use in my flash unit. Photography is an expensive hobby! We enjoyed our dinner at Old Country Buffet. It had been a while since we ate there.

Saturday evening we watched TV shows on the Internet that we missed during the week. We watched "Fringe" and "Bones".

New Tripod and a Photo Shoot

2009-10-01T18:43:00.003-04:00

I recently purchased a new tripod, the Manfrotto 190XDB with Manfrotto 390RC2 Pan & Tilt Head. This is a very nice tripod and head outfit that feels rock solid. I am quite pleased with my purchase. Previously I had been using the Vivitar VPT-120 tripod, which is ideal for compact point-and-shoot cameras and camcorders. When shooting with a digital SLR, especially while using a telephoto lens, I believe that the Manfrotto tripod is a much better choice. I can relax now when using a tripod. I no longer worry that the weight of my camera will cause my tripod to fall over or that my camera will snap off the head!

I put my new tripod to good use today on a photo shoot. I telephoned my friend, Linda, and asked if she would model for me. Linda readily accepted my request. Linda and I visited two parks in our hometown of Warren, PA -- Betts Parks and Crescent Park. I will share with you a few of the photographs that I took.

Betts Park, with Allegheny River in background

I like Linda's butterfly necklace and earrings.

The Allegheny River and the multicolored buildings along Pennsylvania Avenue create a beautiful backdrop at Crescent Park.

One of Crescent Park's attributes is the fountain in the middle of the park.

Linda and I both liked this expansive hydrangea at Crescent Park.

After the photo shoot, Linda and I ate lunch at Applebee's Restaurant. During both the photo shoot and lunch, we caught up on each others' lives. We haven't gotten together much since early Spring. We had a good day together and agree that we should get together more often, as we enjoy each others' company very much.

The Yankee Peddler Festival

2009-09-27T21:20:00.001-04:00

As the weatherman predicted, today was a much better day than yesterday. Early morning clouds gave way to late morning and afternoon sunshine.

We began our day with breakfast at Cracker Barrel. After breakfast we drove approximately 30 miles from Akron, OH, to Canal Fulton, where we attended the 38th annual Yankee Peddler Festival. The Yankee Peddler Festival takes place on three consecutive weekends each year in September. More than 200 arts and crafts booths are set up in seven areas across the 75-acre grounds. As shown on the map displayed below the seven areas are: Liberty Village, Muskrat Cove, Quail Hollow, The Glen, Militia Meadow, Possum Run, and Hoot Owl Roost. All seven areas have a stage for live entertainment such as musicians, puppeteers and dancers.

Map of Festival Grounds

We walked around the festival grounds, stopping at everything that caught our interest.

Muskrat Cove
Early Settlers' Accommodations

Muskrat Cove
Wagon Train and Tepee

Get your Apple Fritters
at this Rustic Shop in Hoot Owl Roost

Hoot Owl Roost
Artisan at Work

Michael Searching Bear
Playing a Native American flute in Muskrat Cove

The Next Best Thing
Playing the Blues in Muskrat Cove

The Town Crier in Muskrat Cove

Raising the Flag in Muskrat Cove

Militia in Muskrat Cove

The Rounders
Playing Old-Time Music in The Glen

Carl Hlavaty of the Hammered Music Duo
Playing the Hammered Dulcimer in The Glen

Butterfly Gazebo in The Glen

The Sonshine Cloggers Perform in The Glen

The Heritage Minstrels
Playing "Yankee Doodle Dandy" in the Militia Meadow

The North Coast Pipe Band
Performing in Possum Run

The Yankee Peddler Festival is a great place to visit. Please take a few minutes to watch this video. The video describes quite well what I find so special about this festival.

Weekend in Ohio

2009-09-26T22:37:00.001-04:00

Today is our 11th wedding anniversary. We drove to Ohio, where we are spending the night at Best Western Inn & Suites in Akron.

Our initial plan was to attend the Yankee Peddler Festival in Canal Fulton and then go to the hotel. We changed our minds, though, when we saw the weather forecast (rain and more rain). The festival is held rain or shine; however, we didn't feel like walking through the mud and slipping and sliding up and down the wet, grassy slopes. The weather forecast looks much better on Sunday, so we made plans to attend the Yankee Peddler Festival tomorrow.

So, what to do today? We talked about visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland. Then I learned that today is Smithsonian Magazine's fifth annual Museum Day, which offers free admission at museums in the USA. Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is one of the more than 1,200 museums that participates in Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day. As we expect free admission to encourage a large turnout at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and neither of us particularly enjoy crowds, we decided not to go to the museum.

So what did we end up doing today? We went to the Lodi Station Outlet Mall located in Burbank, OH. The outlet mall was located approximately 20-30 minutes west of our hotel. This outlet mall features two vintage trains in addition to a lineup of nationally-known retail brands, including Aeropostale, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Gap Outlet, The Children’s Place, Bath & Body Outlet, Nautica Factory Store and Tommy Hilfiger, and many others. The trains, the Sophie and the Victoria, were built by hand and hail from England. The trains follow tracks that wind all around the outlet mall, with several stops for passengers getting off and getting on the train. This mall is quite unique. I don't believe there is another one like it in the United States. Please correct me if I am wrong!

Train stop outside Food Court

The Sophie

We ate lunch in the food court at Subway, did a fair amount of window shopping and made a couple purchases. We didn't ride the train. I don't know why we didn't ride the train; it would have been fun. Oh well, next time ....

We checked into our hotel around 2:00PM and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our room. This evening we enjoyed delicious steak dinners at the Longhorn Steakhouse, which was located near our hotel. All in all, we had an enjoyable day on this our 11th wedding anniversary.

Tomorrow: the Yankee Peddler Festival!

It Was Also a Saturday Then, 11 Years Ago

2009-09-26T07:09:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox photobook

All photographs in the Smilebox photobook were taken by Bruce Landis of Photos by Bruce and Associates.

It is our 11th wedding anniversary today. We're celebrating by eating dinner out. Tomorrow, providing the rain stops, we plan to attend a fall festival.

My First Portrait

2009-09-25T14:39:00.001-04:00

While going through Mom's photographs, I came across a book entitled "Log-O'-Life". The pages in this book are meant to record an individual's complete life history. Inside this book I found tiny pieces of note paper, on which were written dates and comments. It appears Mom was diligent in keeping a record during my first year of life. However, these notations never found their way into my "Log-O'-Life". I will share a couple of Mom's notations, which I found humorous. Mom wrote from my point of view. In other words when Mom wrote "I"she meant me, not herself.

"I was born on Thursday February 23, 1956 at 8:47 A.M. I weighed 6 lbs 6 1/2 oz. and was 20" long. Some people were disappointed. I wasn't very pretty. My hair was ugly too. Some said I had brown hair other people said it was red. I guess it is a sandy color. It's got that red cast alright."

A day later, Mom wrote: "Grandma and others didn't think I was the same baby."

My appearance must have gone from "not very pretty" to pretty during my first 24 hours on this earth. :-)

There was a notation, too, on May 17th, in which Mom wrote that I had my picture taken. Here is that picture, my very first portrait. I was almost 3 months old.

54 Years Ago (Almost)

2009-09-25T10:56:00.001-04:00

I have spent the past several days sorting, organizing and scanning (and, on occasion, rudimentary editing of) old photographs. Mom had the photographs, hundreds and hundreds of them, stored in cardboard boxes. Many of the photographs do not have dates, names or any identifying information. This activity is, and will continue to be for some time, a work in progress.

As I mentioned above, many of the photographs contain no identifying information. Imagine my exhilaration when I discovered photographs of my parents days before I was born, as well as photographs of my parents and me when I was one month old!

This photograph of my parents was taken on February 12, 1956 -- 11 days before I was born.

My grandfather, my mother's father, was killed in an automobile accident 20 days before this photograph was taken. According to the Kittanning, PA, newspaper my grandfather's "auto hit an icy spot on a ... curve, crossed the road, vaulted a guard rail fence, ... and plunged over an embankment into Garretts Run". My grandfather was on his way home at the time of the accident. It's a wonder that Mom didn't give birth to me the day of her father's death!

The next two photographs were taken on March 25, 1956.

Mother, Father and Baby Make Three

I think that I recognize the picture on the wall. If so, this photograph was taken at my maternal grandmother's house.

Let's all say a collective "awww" now :-)

A Brief Walk in Slippery Rock

2009-09-24T19:27:00.002-04:00

Several weeks ago we drove to Lutz's Leather in Beaver Falls, PA, to pick up a motorcycle tank bib, which Bob had ordered custom made. En route to Lutz's Leather we stopped in Slippery Rock to stretch our legs. There is a picturesque walkway leading from the lot in which we parked to South Main Street. The walkway that contains a water sculpture, a mural and painting-poems.

James Myford's "Partnerships" Water Sculpture

The mural is over twenty-eight feet long and eight feet high. It tells the story of how Slippery Rock got its name. Here's three close-up photographs of the mural.

The next photograph is a pro-democracy painting-poem that was created by Chinese artist and poet Huang Xiang. This painting-poem is entitled "Dry Bones". I've provided an English translation of the poem below the painting.

DRY BONES
translated by Andrew G. Emerson

After millions of years,
Millions of years in the layered earth
Maybe someone will
Dig up my
Bones

At that time
He may imagine
A far-distant geological age
A history remote and indistinct

Are these the decayed bones of his own first ancestor
Or the fossil of an ancient biologic skeleton

At that time,
Could he imagine that
This very pile of dry bones
In the world once made their sound
Loved
Hated
Mourned
Cried out
Agitated

He may imagine
That this pile of dry bones
Once had a face contorted with bitterness
Once had eyes that cursed in silence
Once silently endured with bloodless lips tight-closed
Once wrote poems as eternal as the moon and stars
These are the bones of a poet
These are the bones of one who while hoping, lost hope, gave up hope
These are bones that furiously fought
These are the bones of one who walked this world, struggled, was tempered
These are the bones of a skeleton shattered and all put together again
these scattered dry bones of a man
These are the dry bones of jaws that ground together from hatred
These are the dry bones that resisted, loudly clanking
These are the dry bones that have seen the heavenly lightning strike,
have listened, head-cocked, to the growing clamor of all the earth's creatures
These are the dry bones of a Man
After millions of years,
Millions of years in the layered earth
A future anthropologist
Geologist
Or archeologist
When digging up my dead bones
Will, please, under this same burning sun
Raise up these remains of water and air, and
Seek out the Man.

The walkway ends at South Main Street. Directly across the street from the walkway is the North Country Brewing Company.

Two years ago, almost to the day, we ate here and Bob sampled some of North Country's brew. The brewery has a rustic look to it -- lots and lots of wood on the front of the building and inside on the walls, on the ceiling, on the seats and tables. Accessories throughout the dining and bar area were made of wood. There was even a wood carving over the sink in the woman's room! Outside, there is a covered pavilion complete with picnic tables and a huge stone fireplace. I remember the food being good and the service excellent. Bob was pleased with his brew samples too.

Our leg stretching stop at an end, we got back into the car and drove to Lutz's Leather. Several weeks later I still have pleasant memories of our walk in Slippery Rock from the parking lot to South Main Street.

The Last Weekend of the Summer

2009-09-21T10:40:00.003-04:00

This past weekend was the last weekend of summer, and what a gorgeous weekend it was! It was a dry weekend, with warm day-time temperatures. The sky was blue, and there was plenty of sunshine. The evenings were cool; however, the cool evening provided a good excuse for a back yard fire.

We had talked about riding the motorcycle to Niagara Falls on Saturday. We decided not to make the ride, opting to stay home instead. We have been away from home so much since Memorial Day weekend. Chores at home have been neglected and kept multiplying. There was so much to do that we did nothing, with the exception of mowing the lawn. I believe that we felt so overwhelmed with things to do that very little got done. Well, this weekend we accomplished quite a bit around the house. Our next door neighbor's daughter, Becky, provided the impetus.

We have two garden beds alongside our driveway, one near the street and the other alongside our house. We hired Becky to trim and weed the garden bed nearest the street. Becky started weeding and trimming on Friday and completed the work on Saturday. The garden bed looked GREAT after Becky finished weeding and trimming.

This garden bed has not always existed. In fact, it was Becky who created this garden bed for us.

This is how our front yard looked in 2002.

This is how our front yard looked in 2003 shortly after Becky created the garden bed.

The garden bed has changed quite a bit since 2003! You might notice that the color of the house changed too. Vinyl siding was installed subsequent to the photograph taken in 2002.

Becky's work on the garden bed provided the motivation needed for Bob and me to continue other gardening tasks. After Becky finished weeding and trimming, Bob laid down an additional layer of mulch in the garden bed with the hope in doing so that the growth of weeds can be controlled. I weeded the second, smaller garden bed alongside the driveway. After I finished weeding that garden bed, Bob planted six dark red Mums that we had purchased on Saturday morning.

Bob finished another project on Saturday as well. He sanded our outdoor swing and applied a clear stain.

The swing looks good and will be protected during our cold, snowy winter.

As the last task of the weekend, Bob mowed the grass. It certainly is a good feeling having all that yard work accomplished!

Two Mushrooms in Our Yard

2009-09-20T14:06:00.001-04:00

The fungi in our yard cried out "photograph me!" I couldn't resist their cries.

MUSHROOM
a poem by Emily Dickinson

The mushroom is the elf of plants,
At evening it is not;
At morning in a truffled hut
It stops upon a spot

As if it tarried always;
And yet its whole career
Is shorter than a snake's delay,
And fleeter than a tare.

'Tis vegetation's juggler,
The germ of alibi;
Doth like a bubble antedate
And like a bubble hie.

I feel as if the grass were pleased
To have it intermit;
The surreptitious scion
Of summer's circumspect.

Had nature any outcast face,
Could she a son condemn,
Had nature an Iscariot,
That mushroom,--it is him.

A Good Evening

2009-09-19T21:57:00.002-04:00

A starlit night, a crackling fire, and the company of good friends ... what more could a person ask for. Kris and Bob, thank you, for accepting our invitation this evening to join us at our fire. It was an enjoyable evening!

Nature Walk with a Friend

2009-09-19T07:50:00.001-04:00

I spent 6 hours (10:00AM-4:00PM) this past Wednesday with my friend Lynn B. We went on a nature walk at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Jamestown, NY. This was not my first visit to the Audubon Center. If you search my blog posts, you will see that I have blogged about past visits to the Audubon Center.

The Audubon Center includes over 5 miles of well-maintained trails: the Blue Trail, the Orange Trail and the Yellow Trail. Our nature walk took us on all three trails. We walked well over 2 miles!

View Jamestown Audubon Detailed Map in a larger map
Map obtained from Jamestown Audubon Center and Sanctuary website.

We began our walk on the Orange trail. The Orange trail makes a big loop around Spatterdock Pond, which is the Audubon Center's second-largest pond. Within a couple minutes of starting our walk we saw a deer! It crossed right in front of us. Neither of us captured a photograph of the deer, though, as we hadn't yet removed the lens cap from our cameras! We stopped at a photo blind that looks across Spatterdock Pond. The blind had cut-out holes of varying heights, allowing small, regular and tall people a comfortable place from which to view.

Spatterdock Pond Photo Blind

After leaving the photo blind, we crossed a boardwalk into a wooded area.

Lynn on the boardwalk

We saw this lily pad as we crossed over the boardwalk.

Somewhere along the way we got off the Orange trail and started following the Yellow trail. The Yellow trail leads all the way around Big Pond, which is the Audubon Center's largest pond. There are two photo blinds and a tower that overlook Big Pond. We passed by the first photo blind because the bugs were bothering us so much that we were hurrying back to the car.

Lynn wore the hat and jacket in an attempt to keep the bugs at bay. Note in this photograph that the hood of Lynn's jacket is up. Lynn's attire didn't help. The bugs were bad!

We did apply bug spray before beginning our walk. Apparently the effectiveness of the bug spray diminishes with time. Next time we will carry the bug spray with us.

We made our way to the parking lot. After reapplying bug spray we followed the Blue trail to the photo blind nearest the nature center. This photo blind is the second blind that overlooks Big Pond. We stayed at this blind quite a while, snapping pictures of geese and blue herons. The photographs didn't turn out, as the geese and blue herons were too far out on the pond.

Before leaving the Audubon Center we followed the Orange trail once again to the tower. The tower is two levels and looks out on Big Pond.

Some geese took off, while at the tower.

A visit to the Audubon Center would not be complete without a stop to see an eagle named Liberty.

Lynn and I enjoyed our day immensely. I hope we make a return trip. Lynn suggested bringing picnic lunches next time. I think that is a good idea!

Photograph Published!

2009-09-17T16:12:00.001-04:00

I took the photograph displayed above on July 1, 2007.

On April 2 of this year I received an email from the senior graphic designer with Local Insight Yellow Pages. The graphic designer wrote that he was investigating potential photography for a telephone directory cover. Based on the images in my Flickr account, he felt that I had an image that would be perfect for use on the cover. The photograph that the graphic designer was interested in is the one displayed above. If I felt that this was an opportunity I would like to get involved with, I was to contact the graphic designer at my earliest convenience to discuss details.

Today, I received a package from Federal Express. I opened the package and saw a telephone directory. It has been five months since I discussed details of possibly having my photograph used for the telephone directory cover. I wasn't thinking of that discussion when I opened the package. In my mind I questioned why a telephone directory had been shipped to me by Federal Express. Then I recognized the photograph. Oh my! I almost cried. In fact my eyes did tear up a little bit! My photograph had been used for the telephone directory cover!

Here's a copy of the telephone directory cover.

I grew up in the Kittanning, PA, area. According to the graphic designer, this Windstream telephone directory is distributed to 30,000+ homes. The inside front cover provides me proper photo credit. My Flickr website link is provided, as well as my maiden name. I asked that my maiden name be included, as many of my family members and friends still live in the Kittanning area and will receive this telephone directory.

FIVE New Audio Books

2009-09-15T09:24:00.001-04:00

I downloaded five audio books from audible.com. I have an audible.com membership and earn 2 credits each month. I used 4 credits plus a $10.00 gift certificate to make my purchase. I have now used up all my membership credits. The $10.00 gift certificate was from Audible to celebrate my 6-month membership anniversary. After downloading the audio books, I canceled my Audible membership. I am not dissatisfied with Audible; however, not having the membership will save me approximately $22.00/month. I enjoy listening to audio books. Each audio book that I have downloaded from audible.com have been thoroughly entertaining. I always have the option to renew my membership. The five audio books that I downloaded are:

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Steig Larsson
"The Girl Who Played with Fire" by Steig Larsson
"The Last Song" by Nicholas Sparks
"The Shack" by William P. Young
"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

These five audio books will provide me with approximately 75 hours of listening pleasure. I am familiar with only one writer, Nicholas Sparks. I believe I have read every book he has ever written. This will be the first time I listen to one of his books. The other three writers are new to me. The publisher's summaries and consumer reviews secured my interest in each of those books. The first book I will listen to is "The Shack". I have heard SO MUCH about this book. I want to see for myself if it is worth all the rave reviews.

It's Bloomin' Tuesday!

2009-09-15T06:45:00.001-04:00

I took several photographs of flowers (and other growing things) during our vacation in Virginia over Labor Day weekend. I will share those photographs with you today.

a Pomegranate, growing at Colonial Williamsburg

Purple and White Flowers at Colonial Williamsburg

Butterfly on flower at Jamestown Settlement

Sea Oats grass at Virginia Beach Oceanfront

Flower garden at Virginia Beach Oceanfront

This flower was growing on the dunes at Cape Henry in Virginia Beach.

Magnolia Seed Pod in Virginia Beach

Two Pink Flowers in Virginia Beach

If you'd like to see more Bloomin' Tuesday photographs, please visit the Ms Green "thumb" Jean blogging site.

Wind Chimes

2009-09-14T06:00:00.001-04:00

Our picnic pavilion is adorned with five different wind chimes. I enjoy listening to the pleasant tinkling sounds of wind chimes. The melodious song of the wind chimes are always soothing to the ears.

This Sun, Moon and Star wind chime was my very first chime. Leo's aunt and mother purchased the chime for me, while visiting our home. (Leo, who lives in Brazil, was one of our exchange students.)

a Walmart Wind Chime

I purchased the Majesty Bells wind chime at Tall Oaks, the "neatest little store in the woods".

This butterfly wind chime is made of ceramic. I purchased this chime in Niagara Falls, Canada.

I really like this bamboo wind chime. The frogs make me smile every time I see them. I purchased this wind chime in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.

During our vacation in Virginia over the Labor Day weekend, I purchased another bamboo wind chime. I particularly enjoy listening to the sound of bamboo wind chimes. Bamboo chimes have a rich, earthy and natural tone. The soothing sound creates in me a feeling of peace and tranquility. I decided to hang the new bamboo chime on our front porch.

New bamboo wind chime

Halloween Spider Web

2009-09-13T11:55:00.001-04:00

It appears there might be a market for spider webs in the near future, given that the Halloween season is fast approaching. Any takers for the spider webs lying so decoratively on the top of my hedges?

Extended Labor Day Weekend - Final Wrap Up

2009-09-12T10:40:00.002-04:00

We vacationed in Williamsburg, VA, over the Labor Day weekend. On Thursday afternoon (September 3) we drove from Warren, PA, to Stephens City, VA. We spent the night in Stephens City. On Friday we drove from Stephens City to Williamsburg, VA, where we spent 4 nights. While in Williamsburg we visited Colonial Williamsburg on Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning. On Sunday we visited friends in Virginia Beach. On Monday, September 7, we visited Jamestown Settlement.

Jamestown Settlement is a living-history museum that chronicles the history of Jamestown, America's first permanent English colony. It includes a recreated Powhatan Indian Village, a recreated English Fort (James Fort) and features replicas of the three ships Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery that transported 104 men and boys from England to Jamestown in 1607.

Powhatan Indian Village

the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery ships

Bob and I at the Susan Constant ship

Entrance to James Fort

James Fort

This blog contains some, not all, of the photographs that I took while at Jamestown Settlement. Please visit my Flickr photo site by clicking here to view all of the photographs from our day at Jamestown Settlement

At the suggestion of our friend, Denise, whom we visited in Virginia Beach, we visited one other place in Williamsburg -- the Yankee Candle store. Williamsburg Yankee Candle is one of the world's largest candle stores. It is an unusual place where the whole family can experience an enchanting mix of shopping and entertainment.

Young Boy Making a Wax Hand

Lollies AND Dollies :-)

Williamsburg Yankee Candle Marketplace

Hickory, Dickory and Dock was delightful!

What a Dream!

2009-09-12T07:12:00.001-04:00

I slept last night, but somehow I don't feel rested. Actually I feel very, very tired. My night was full of dreams about a stupid bird. Here's what I remember about my dream.

I looked out my window. I saw a big bird hovering, like a hummingbird, over a flowering bush. Much to my surprise that big bird was a PARROT! Of course, I had to run and get my camera. When I came back to the window, the parrot was still hovering over the flowering bush. I took a picture. Wow! I thought. I have a photograph of a parrot.

The next thing that happens is that parrot somehow is INSIDE my house, sitting on a perch. While sitting down I extend a finger. The parrot flies from the perch to rest on my finger. Wow! I thought. There is a parrot sitting on my finger!

The last thing I remember, what awakened me I guess, is that I was chasing two cats -- a black and white cat and an orange-colored cat. The two cats were chasing the parrot! I was chasing the two cats!

Whew! No wonder I am tired!

Extended Labor Day Weekend - Day 4

2009-09-06T23:29:00.001-04:00

We have been on vacation since Thursday, September 3. On Thursday afternoon we drove from Warren, PA, to Stephens City, VA. We spent the night in Stephens City. On Friday we drove from Stephens City to Williamsburg, VA. We are spending 4 nights in Williamsburg. We visited Colonial Williamsburg on Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning. Today, we visited friends in Virginia Beach, VA.

We left Williamsburg at 7:45AM and drove to Al and Denise's house, arriving there about an hour later. We ate breakfast together at Knuckleheads Roadhouse, which was located next to Southside Harley Davidson. Knuckleheads appears to be a great place for hanging out with friends, food, music and beer. The bar/restaurant was spacious. We sat in front of a large stage and dance area; there was a bar behind us. Breakfast, which is served only on Saturday and Sunday mornings, was good.

Al at Knuckleheads Roadhouse

After breakfast, Al and Denise showed us around Virginia Beach. We went to the Oceanfront, where we walked the Boardwalk from 25th Street to the King Neptune Statue at 31st Street. From 31st Street we walked to the pier between 15th and 14th Street. We returned to the car, which was parked on 25th Street, via "the Strip". We walked approximately 2.5 miles in 2 1/2 hours. Obviously we made several stops along the way.

Al, Denise, Bob and I at the King Neptune Statue

Denise and I on the Boardwalk

"The Strip"

The Old Coast Guard Station

Our next destination was Fort Story, at the northern tip of Virginia Beach. Besides being our first visit to Fort Story, it was Al and Denise's first visit as well. According to its website, Fort Story "is a sub-installation of Fort Eustis, home of the U.S. Army's Transportation Corps. Together, Fort Story and Fort Eustis provide the U.S. Army's unique training specializing in land and sea transportation. Fort Story ... is the Army's only training facility for logistics-over-the-shore operations to train troops on amphibious equipment and to practice the transfer of military cargo from ship to shore." Fort Story is also home to two lighthouses, the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse and the New Cape Henry Lighthouse. Fort Story is noted, too, as being the place where English colonists first landed in America. To visit the lighthouses, we had to pass through the security gates of Fort Story. The security personnel asked for Al's drivers license, which he provided them. The security personnel also examined our car before we were permitted to enter the military base. The security guards were courteous and efficient.

Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

New Cape Henry Lighthouse

Cape Henry Memorial Cross

The inscription reads: "Here at Cape Henry first landed in America, upon 26 April 1607, those English colonists who, upon 13 May 1607, established at Jamestown Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in America."

Bob and Al, with Cape Henry landmarks behind them

Al, Denise, Bob and me at Cape Henry

Cape Henry
Looking towards the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

After visiting Fort Story, we went to Mount Trashmore. Mount Trashmore is a city park, which was converted from an abandoned landfill into a park. The park spans 165 acres with hills over 60 feet high and over 800 feet long. Facilities include several picnic shelters, playground areas, a basketball court, four volleyball areas, parking, vending machines and restrooms. Mount Trashmore Park also has multiple walking trails and features two lakes where fishing is permitted.

Mount Trashmore, with Seal of the City

Denise and I climbed up Mount Trashmore.

We saw the two lakes from our vantage point.

Our final destination was Big Sam's Inlet Cafe, where we ate dinner with Al, Denise and their son Eric. Big Sam's is where the locals go. The food was good, and we enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere.

Big Sam's Inlet Cafe

Eric and Al at Big Sam's

Big Sam's is located on Rudee Inlet.
This was the view from our table.

After dinner we drove back to Al and Denise's house. We said our goodbyes and were on our way back to Williamsburg by 7:45PM, arriving at our hotel about an hour later.

We had a wonderful day in Virginia Beach with Al and Denise. It was an enjoyable, memorable visit for each of us. Thank you Al and Denise for showing us around Virginia Beach!

P.S. This blog contains some, not all, of the photographs that I took while in Virginia Beach. Please visit my Flickr photo site by clicking here to view all of the photographs from our day in Virginia Beach.

Extended Labor Day Weekend - Day 3 Colonial Williamsburg

2009-09-05T23:38:00.001-04:00

We entered Colonial Williamsburg once again via the Capitol entrance, arriving there at 8:45AM.

The Capitol

The first building that we toured this morning was the Capitol. Our tour included the General Courtroom, the House of Burgesses, the elegant Council Chamber, and Committee rooms for the burgesses.

The Capitol - General Courtroom

The Capitol - Council Chamber

The Capitol - House of Burgesses

Our tour guide informed us that this chair is authentic; it is not a replica. According to our tour guide, only Prince Philip and Prince Charles and others of their status have sat on this chair.

The Capitol - Burgesses Committee Room

Leaving the Capitol we walked down Duke of Gloucester Street, stopping at several places along the way.

We made a brief stop at the Pasteur & Galt Apothecary Shop.

We passed by the Raleigh Tavern.

Our next stop was at the Printing Office. We were fascinated as we watched a pressman add print to sheets of blank paper.

Each letter had to be set individually on the printing press.

From the Printing Office we walked across Duke of Gloucester Street to the Blacksmith Shop. Skilled smiths produce tools, nails, fireplace tools and household furnishings that can be seen throughout Colonial Williamsburg.

Continuing our walk down Duke of Gloucester Street our next stop was at the Magazine, in which a cache of arms and ammunition are on display.

The Magazine (on right) and the Guardhouse

Cache of Arms in the Magazine

The last place that we visited in Colonial Williamsburg was the Governor's Palace.

Our tour of the Governor's Palace included the Entrance Hall with its imposing collection of bayonet-tipped muskets, a Bedroom, and the Ballroom. We toured the formal gardens and the kitchen too.

Governor's Palace - Entrance Hall

Governor's Palace - Bedroom

Governor's Palace - Ballroom

Governor's Palace Gardens

Governor's Palace Kitchen Gardens

Governor's Palace Kitchen

Bob and I at Governor's Palace

We left Colonial Williamsburg around 12:30PM. As we were walking to the Governor's Palace shuttle bus stop we passed through a building in which a colorful fellow sitting on a bench caught Bob's attention.

We rode the shuttle bus to Waller Street, at the Capitol entrance. From Waller Street we walked back to our hotel. As it was lunchtime we stopped at Colonial Pancake House for lunch. The restaurant was located next door to our hotel. We each ordered sandwiches and chips or fries. Our meals cost $10 each, which was half the cost of our lunch yesterday in Colonial Williamsburg.

If you would like to learn more about Colonial Williamsburg, there is a wealth of information contained on its website. I particularly found the "Tour the Town Online" page most interesting.

Later in the afternoon Bob went on a brewery tour at Williamsburg Ale Werks. The tour lasted 1 1/2 hours. I stayed in the car (my choice) while Bob was on the tour. Bob posted a blog about his brewery tour, which you may read by clicking here.

Extended Labor Day Weekend - Day 2 Colonial Williamsburg

2009-09-05T20:36:00.003-04:00

As I wrote in yesterday's blog post, we visited Colonial Williamsburg both yesterday and today. This was not our first visit to Colonial Williamsburg; we have visited twice before. Our other visits were in April 2003 and April 2004. As we didn't purchase admission passes during either of those visits, we were not able to tour any of the buildings. We could only walk through Colonial Williamsburg.

This year we purchased admission passes and toured several of the historic buildings. We spent approximately 4 hours each day at Colonial Williamsburg. This blog post will detail yesterday's visit. I will write about today's visit in a separate blog post.

We entered Colonial Williamsburg, yesterday, via the Capitol entrance. We walked down Duke of Gloucester Street, stopping for lunch at Chowning's Tavern.

Chowning's Tavern

Lunch was expensive. It cost $10 each for a sandwich, a spoonful of potato salad and a glass of water.

After lunch we continued our stroll down Duke of Gloucester Street. We visited a weaver shop, the colonial garden, a merchant's shop and a shoemaker.

Taliaferro-Cole Weaver Shop

A Pomegranate at Colonial Garden

Gourds Growing at Colonial Garden

Greenhow Store
one of several merchants in Colonial Williamsburg

Shoemaker

Throughout our afternoon at Colonial Williamsburg we saw much in the way of 18th-century transportation.

The Courthouse is in the background in these two pictures.

We spent an enlightening 20-30 minutes at the Courthouse, where we participated in mock trials. The mock trials were based on cases taken from historical records. Participants played the parts of plaintiffs, defendants, jurors and audience. Bob and I were part of the audience.

The last place that we visited yesterday was Bruton Parish Church. This Episcopal Church has been in use since 1715 and serves an active congregation today.

Bruton Parish Church

From Bruton Parish Church we walked to North Henry Street, where we caught a shuttle bus. The bus took us to Waller Street, at the Capitol entrance. Riding the shuttle bus saved us a mile-long walk up Duke of Gloucester Street. From Waller Street we walked 1/2 mile back to our hotel. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog post, we ate dinner at Cracker Barrel. As we were leaving Cracker Barrel I snapped this photograph of a woman and young man playing a game of checkers.

This looks like a relaxing pastime while on vacation!

Stay tuned! I will write about today's visit to Colonial Williamsburg in my next blog post!

Extended Labor Day Weekend - Day 2

2009-09-04T19:02:00.001-04:00

We completed our drive to Williamsburg, VA at approximately 11:45AM. The 4-hour drive from Stephens City, VA, where we had spent the previous night, was pleasant. The majority of our drive was along Route 17, which is primarily a divided two-lane flat highway that rolls through rural surroundings and small towns. It is a scenic and tranquil roadway, with very little traffic.
Bob blogged about Route 17. You may read his take on this roadway by clicking here.

I think we're going to look for a motorcycle trailer like one we saw during today's travels. The trailer would be PERFECT for our motorcycle!

While in Williamsburg, we are staying at Quality Inn Colony, which is within walking distance of Colonial Williamsburg. After checking into our hotel, we walked to Colonial Williamsburg. It is about a half mile walk to the historic area. We spent approximately 4 hours at Colonial Williamsburg today. We are going back tomorrow, so I will blog about Colonial Williamsburg after tomorrow's visit.

We ate dinner at Cracker Barrel. Our waitress was a young lady from Romania, who was living in the U.S. during the summer. Ella returns to her homeland in one week. She was excited to return home but sad to leave Williamsburg. Ella had a bubbly personality and was very personable. She took good care of us during our dinner. After dinner we returned to our hotel, where we stayed in for rest of the night.

Here's a map of yesterday and today's route.

View Larger Map

Extended Labor Day Weekend - Day 1

2009-09-03T21:32:00.001-04:00

Bob took 2 1/2 wellness hours today so that we could get an earlier start to our Labor Day weekend vacation. We opted to drive, rather than ride, this weekend. I didn't feel up to riding 900+ miles this weekend. Bob thought it best not to take the motorcycle on a long ride until after he checks out the clutch, which he thinks might be slipping.

We left Warren, PA at 1:30PM, en route Stephens City, VA. Stephens City is just a few miles south of Winchester. We arrived at our hotel (Comfort Inn) around 7:10PM. We would have arrived 40 minutes earlier had it not been for three instances of traffic congestion in Pennsylvania on our way here.

We followed an oversize vehicle with police escort for about 25-30 miles.

Once we were given the go-ahead to pass the oversize vehicle, we were held up by a train.

There was at least 20 miles of roadway where we encountered several road construction sites, at which places there was only one lane of traffic. Of course, our line of traffic always had to wait for the other lane of traffic.

After checking into Comfort Inn, we walked to the Butcher Block Buffet for dinner. The restaurant was located on the hotel premises and offered a 10% discount to hotel guests. This restaurant has an abundant salad bar and homemade everything, from Southern Fried Chicken to Hush Puppies to BBQ ribs to ham and steak. The food selections that we chose were excellent. Our waitress took good care of us. When it came time for dessert, I asked our waitress for suggestions. She suggested fudge, chocolate chess pie, zucchini bread and ice cream. The waitress said that the chocolate chess pie was her recipe. I chose fudge, a small sliver of chocolate chess pie, a no bake cookie and a small dish of ice cream. Everything was delicious. The fudge was so rich. The small piece of fudge that I had could have been quartered, and it would have been too much to eat. I ate only a teeny tiny bit of that fudge. But, oh boy, was it good!

Stephens City is not our final destination, only an intermediate stop. We will continue our drive tomorrow to our final destination--Williamsburg, VA. Williamsburg is approximately 200 miles from Stephens City. We drove approximately 250 miles today.

I will leave you with one final picture, the view from our hotel window as the sun was setting.

I wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Pink man at Broadstairs folk festival 2009

2009-09-02T22:14:00.001-04:00

Pink man at Broadstairs folk festival 2009, originally uploaded by peejaybee1.

One of my Flickr contacts, Peter Booker, just posted this photograph. I laughed out loud when I saw this picture. I just had to share it with you so you can join me in laughing! When I was a little girl, I think my dolly had a dress like this.

A Visit to the Doctor

2009-09-02T14:37:00.001-04:00

I had a follow-up doctor's appointment today. I last saw the doctor on June 1st. The June 1st appointment was held to discuss the results of two blood screenings, one done at the end of April and the second one done at the end of May. In April my glucose reading was 147. In May my glucose reading had jumped to 157. Whenever a patient has glucose readings above 140 two times in a row, the doctor can classify the patient as diabetic. I was given a choice in June, to lose weight or to take medicine (and lose weight) to reduce my sugar readings. I opted to not take any medicine. I chose to lose weight.

During today's visit the doctor discussed my most recent blood screening, which was obtained this past Friday. My glucose reading is now at a good range, in the 120s. My A1C blood test was within a normal range too. The doctor was happy, as was I, that I lost 11 pounds since June 1st. My medical report is not all rosy though. The doctor is concerned about my cholesterol readings. My good cholesterol level decreased since late April; my bad cholesterol level increased. This change was not expected, as I have cut back on food that would cause cholesterol levels to increase. According to the doctor it is possible that my high cholesterol could be caused by family heredity, rather than caused entirely by what I eat. My cholesterol readings are not at a point where medication is needed, YET. The doctor will monitor my cholesterol readings. She wrote up another blood work order for February next year. In the meantime I want to continue to watch what I eat and loose additional weight. Wish me luck!

A Late Summer Nature Walk

2009-09-02T08:53:00.002-04:00

Roger Tory Peterson Nature Interpretive Center

I went for a walk yesterday at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary in Jamestown, NY. The Center is approximately 12 miles from my house. As you would expect, having a nature center so close to home, this was not my first visit. It will not be my last visit.

There are three well-marked nature trails at the Center -- the blue trail, the orange trail and the yellow trail. The blue trail is approximately .5 miles in length; the orange trail is about a mile in length; and the yellow trail is approximately 2 miles in length. I walked the blue trail. The blue trail starts at the parking lot and follows a paved trail to an overlook. The trail offered pleasing views of field, forest and pond.

Bob's Garden is at the beginning of the blue trail. Bob's Garden was created to honor Bob Hallquist.

This plant is called Korean Licorice Mint.
It was growing in Bob's Garden.

I passed by a few small ponds. I kept my eyes open for frogs and turtles. I heard a few splashes, but I didn't see either a frog or a turtle.

The nature trails are marked well.

This was the third pond that I saw.
Isn't it picturesque?

When you get to the overlook, you will have a wonderful view of “Big Pond”, appropriately named as it is the largest pond at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary.

Big Pond

I watched waterfowl activity on the pond for several minutes. Even though I had my 50-200mm lens with me, the waterfowl were too far out on the pond to get a decent photograph.

From the overlook, I went for a walk through the woods. My walk through the woods was hurried. We have had a lot of rain this summer. The forest was quite damp. I saw lying water several places in the forest. The mosquitoes were terrible! I should have brought bug spray with me.

My last stop was at Liberty's enclosure. Liberty is a bald eagle. Liberty was found in the state of Washington, with an infected cut on her left wing. Liberty cannot be released because the muscle damage in her wing prevents her from flying well enough to hunt in the wild. Liberty can fly short distances inside her habitat. Liberty has lived at the Audubon Center and Sanctuary since June 2002. A group of volunteers take good care of Liberty.

I spent at least an hour watching and photographing Liberty. The time I spent there and my patience paid off. Until yesterday I had seen Liberty on only one perch. Yesterday, I saw her fly from one perch to another a couple times.

Liberty, preparing for flight

Liberty, on another perch

Close-up photograph of Liberty

Finally! I captured a photograph of Liberty about to fly. Liberty was on another perch across the enclosure in the blink of an eye.

Kinzua Bridge State Park

2009-09-01T06:20:00.006-04:00

A fellow blogger visited Kinzua Bridge State Park earlier this year. Yesterday, he posted a photograph of what remains of Kinzua Bridge after it was hit by a tornado. When I discovered that my blogging friend had not seen Kinzua Bridge prior to the tornado strike, I realized the subject of my next blog post. Greg and Dawn, I want to share the marvel of Kinzua Bridge with you as well as with my other readers.

Kinzua Bridge State Park is located in Pennsylvania four miles north of U.S. Route 6 at Mt. Jewett on State Route 3011. ("B" marks the spot on the map shown below.)

View Larger Map

The park contains 316 acres in McKean County and features the remnants of a railroad bridge (viaduct) that had been designated as a National Engineering Landmark. When Kinzua Bridge was built in 1881, it was the world's highest and longest railroad bridge at 301 feet tall and 2053 feet long.

I visited Kinzua Bridge State Park for the first time, with Bob, in May 1998. We visited the park once again in October 1998.

I am standing on Kinzua Bridge.
In May 1998 we walked across Kinzua Bridge.

Autumn colors, October 1998

In September 2001 Bob and I visited Kinzua Bridge State Park with our exchange student from Germany.

Bob and our German exchange student on Kinzua Bridge in September 2001

In August 2002 an engineering inspection of the viaduct revealed potential problems with the structural integrity of the supporting piers, so the viaduct was closed to all access. Therefore, when Bob and I visited the park in October 2002 with Leo, our exchange student from Brazil, we were not allowed to walk across the viaduct or hike below it. We could, though, still view the bridge from the observation deck adjacent to the bridge.

Bob and I in October 2002
Kinzua Bridge in background

On July 21, 2003 a tornado caused the center section of the Kinzua Bridge to collapse. Kinzua Bridge State Park was closed so that cleanup and damage assessment could take place. The park was reopened on August 1, 2003. Bob and I visited Kinzua Bridge State Park on June 20, 2004 -- the first time that I had been to the park since the collapse of the bridge almost 1 year ago. I was in awe of the damage done by the tornado and the amount of cleanup that still needed to be done.

No trees obstruct view of bridge from parking lot.

Tornado destruction

We returned to the park in July 2005 with Bob's sister and her husband. The damage caused by the tornado was still very much in evidence.

Cynthia and Larry at Kinzua Bridge State Park
(July 2005)

July 2003 tornado damage still evident in 2005

Kinzua Bridge State Park is still a prime spot for viewing fall foliage. I am thinking that the park may be one of our destinations this year for an autumn motorcycle ride.