Monday, July 31, 2006

Amazing tree stump


Magic Rabbit
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

While Brian Bastian was counting the rings on the stump, he and I discovered that there was this amazing apparition.

It moved. It danced.

It looked this way and that way, turned into a rabbit, and then disappeared when the clouds came.

When was the last time you had fun with a shadow?

Remember all you need is the sunlight, yourself and a little imagination.

Keep on the look out for some fun!

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Lowell 2006 - Summary

Here is the collection of my postings on the Lowell Folk Festival 2006.
 
 
 
 
 
 
The wrap up
 
 
 
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Lowell 2006 - Quebecois line dance


Quebecquois line dance
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.

Did I say that the concert was reaching a crescendo? After Benoit did his solo, he got the audience involved on the next piece with a line dance.

Simply wonderful!!!

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Lowell 2006 - Benoit Stepdancing


Benoit Stepdancing
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.

You'll need to use your imagination here. This photo captures a mere fragment of time.

Note that Benoit is airborne. I was lucky enough to get that kind of shot. His feet are really moving. Benoit's taps are keeping time with fiddler Olivier who has his own feet moving on his board.

Three instruments; two sets of feet and one fiddle.

I can run pretty well but even at my best, my feet do not move that fast!

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Lowell 2006 - La Vent du Nord


La Vent du Nord
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.



From the Lowell Folk Festival web site:

Quebecois - Le Vent du Nord performs the traditional French songs, dances, stories and tunes of Quebec, and are widely recognized as one of the very best traditional Quebecois ensembles. The group consists of step dancer and accordionist Benoit Borque, pianist and vocalist Nicolas Boulerice, fiddler Olivier Demers, and guitarist Simon Beaudry.

The afternoon concert reached itscrescendoo when this group took the stage. The music beat was infectious.

Simple "kitchen music", one can image a similar group sitting around a fireplace in the cold, dark of winter (good thoughts for such a warm Saturday summer afternoon) and getting into a jam session. The fiddle, bones, guitar, accompanying a story... and the evening passing pleasantly.


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Lowell 2006 - Hayden Thompson & The Rhythm Rockers


Hayden Thompson & The Rhythm Rockers
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.


From the Lowell Folk Festival web site:

Rockabilly – Hayden Thompson is one of the last great rockabilly musicians, the original artists who recorded for the legendary Sun Records label in the mid-1950s. A blend of country, blues, R&B and gospel that arose in the mid-1950s, rockabilly had a fast and aggressive sound characterized by simple, crisp drumming, vibrant guitar licks and wild boogie piano. Its heyday was ephemeral, but its legacy profound as the precursor to rock and roll.

The Festival schedule makers get credit for turning up the heat as the groups changed again. I don't know how Hayden kept his black suit coat on. He did a rendition of Johnnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" that if you closed your eyes, would swear that it was indeed Johnny himself on stage.

He did take his suit coat off when he came back for the encore! Well worth the return, this group could rock!


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Lowell 2006 - The Quebe Sisters Band


Quebe Sisters
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.


From the Lowell Folk Festival web site:

Texas Fiddling - Three lovely, talented young fiddling sisters from Burleson, Texas are creating quite a stir. The Quebe sisters, Grace, Sophia, and Hulda, play and sing western swing, vintage country and traditional Texas fiddle tunes, often in three-part harmony. Before any of them reached their teens, the sisters went to a fiddle contest near their hometown and fell in love with music. "I don't know why we do it," Grace says. "No one ever made us play together. And we all started at the same time so we're all at the same level."

From Liz's single fiddle to three-times the fiddle with these young ladies. They CAN play. And sing. Sweet Texas swing! Got some of the audience to dancing in the aisles.


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Lowell 2006 - Liz Carroll & John Doyle


Liz Carroll & John Doyle
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.

From the Lowell Folk Festival web site:

Irish Fiddle and Guitar Duo – Noted for their virtuosity and creativity, fiddle player Liz Carroll and guitarist John Doyle are among the most influential and celebrated of traditional Irish musicians in America.

Liz and John shifted us from bluegrass to Irish, but the similarities were still evident. What did come first, the cart or the horse?

I have seen John before. I believe he came to the Fesitval as part of the Eileen Ivers group as I recall. He has a good voice. They both played well in the heat and joked about it being early for them to play. They were scheduled to return to open the evening session on this stage. More inline with when they are used to playing at least!

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Lowell 2006 - Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass


Don Paisley & The Southern Grass
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.

From the Lowell Folk Festival web site:

Bluegrass – Dan Paisley & the Southern Grass is a hard-driving, hot-as-a-firecracker bluegrass band with a sound rooted deep in the mountains of southwest Virginia and two famous musical families originally from the Galax, Virginia area. In the late 1960s, Dan’s father, Bob Paisley, teamed up with banjo player Ted Lundy to form the Southern Mountain Boys. For over thirty-five years, members of the Paisley and Lundy families have together created a distinctive brand of bluegrass that combines impeccable instrumental work with powerful vocal harmonies.

This group followed Los Pleneros. They played great bluegrass! The fiddling and picking was superb!

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Lowell 2006 - Los Pleneros de La 21


Los Pleneros de La 21
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.

From the Lowell Folk Festival web site:

Puerto Rican Music and Dance – Los Pleneros de la 21, based in New York City, is the foremost practitioner of the Puerto Rican musical genres of bomba y plena in the continental United States. Under the direction of National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellow Juan Gutiérrez, Los Pleneros brings its exhilarating performances to audiences in their New York community and around the world.

They opened the Saturday session playing good music and dancing well in the hot sun.

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Saturday, July 29, 2006

Quick Update - Lowell Folk Festival

Just back from Lowell, what a wonderful afternoon.

I am drained (1) from sitting in the sun for 6 hours and (2) from the emotional crescendo that built from each group that played. The crowd grew larger and more active as the afternoon grew in the sun. Each group's music progressively got the crowd more involved, so when the final encore died away, I was ready to leave and face the drive home.

I'll have pictures and more on each group that played; probably tomorrow.

I need to drink it all in as the music continues to play in my head.


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Taking a dip

With the forecast for a hot day today (temp rising into the 90's) the thought of taking a dip into a pool is rather tempting. I don't have a pool of water handy but I do have a pool of archives. What was happening a year ago?
 
The Sherlock Family reunion. I captured each of the clan in photos beginning here.
 
On July 29th, I wrote about finishing Harry Potter #6.
 
Wow, that was a year ago!
 
Well the dip was refreshing mentally.
Now I need some water to refresh myself physically.
 
Are you going to take a dip today?
 
 
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Thursday, July 27, 2006

The happy couples


The happy couples
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

We used the occasion at Sagano's to celebrate Bob and Lisa's 25th wedding anniversary amongst the many other blessings we all have.

Dolores and I get to our 24th anniversary next month.

Sagano's delightful meal


Sagano's delightful meal
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

I mentioned earlier that we had a delightful meaal at Sagano's Restaurant. Here is the picture of my box plate with tempura, shashimi, teriyaki and white rice. It was delicious.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

sand dune mountain - Mt Baldy

Bob (my brother), Dolores, and Lisa (my sister-in-law) are making their way up the trail.


Yes, that is Chicago on the horizon across the blue waters of Lake Michigan.


What goes up, must come down!


Mt Baldy is a about 170 ft dune with Lake Michigan running along the shore and trees on the back side. There is a nuclear power plant just down the shore but that picture will get posted later.

Enjoy!

Dolores and I


Yes, we were there.

Rainbow cloud



Driving to the Indiana Dunes National Park last Saturday, we saw this cloud for a good ways. As the viewing angle changed, the colors on the top edge of the cloud became more prominent.

Eventually, it appeared as though there was a rainbow though the cloud.

I had not seen that before and it looked really cool. Fortunately I was not driving (my brother was) so I was able to take a bunch of pictures and this one shows the colors the best.

Enjoy!

Lowell Folk Festival 7/28-29-30

The 20th Annual Lowell Folk Festival is coming this weekend. If you are in the New England area, this is a FREE event not to be missed by any lovers of music. All kinds of folk music. Blue grass, Irish, French-Canadian, etc... If you can not find something here that you like, well... I don't know.
 
I plan on being at Boarding House Park Saturday from noon to 6:00 PM for the following:
I can hardly wait.
 
If by chance, you get to go and will be there on Saturday, let me know. We can hook up somewhere along the way.
 
 
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Hey, I made the News!

This was published in the Milford Daily News. Maybe they will fix their web site some day and I can update this with the link. For more on the story with the web site, check over on Passion for the Good Customer Experience.
 
Bloggers take their thoughts to the Web
By Claudia Torrens/ Daily News Staff
Sunday, July 23, 2006 - Updated: 01:53 AM EST

You've likely heard about them or even read their observations, diatribes and confessions.

They write about Bush being impeached, about the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, about the latest veto to stem-cell research.

Bloggers have built up a reputation of being somewhat controversial and critical, commenting the news of the day, sometimes questioning them, sometimes being the journalists themselves.

But for some local bloggers, creating a Web journal is more about connecting with people, expressing views and, of course, having an audience.

"I love attention. Good or bad, I will take it," says Erica Ferencik, a Framingham resident and creator of
WakeUpAndSmellTheBlog.com.

Ferencik, who writes about her random thoughts, says she is careful about what she posts, trying not to get into political debate, or name the company where she works. Her private online space allows her to get creative and write about things like the dream she had yesterday, using the skills from when she used to do stand-up comedy.

"I am not a political commentator, but I know I hate ferrets," she says with conviction.

That's what she talks about in her latest post: ferrets and their owners, who, according to her, need to be different by owning a ferret, instead of a regular dog or a cat.

Bloggers like Ferencik seem to actually be the norm in the United States.

According to a national study published this month by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, the majority of bloggers in the country write about their life and personal experiences.

Only 11 percent of the people who answered the survey - called "Bloggers: A portrait of the Internet's new storytellers" - said they blogged about politics and government. Their blogs, however, are well-publicized, the report said.

About 52 percent of the bloggers surveyed said the main reason they keep a blog is to share their experiences or as a form of creative expression.

Stephen Sherlock, for example, is a 53-year-old Franklin resident who writes about running.

"The temperature and humidity were both still in the upper 80's when we got to the track for this week's workout at 7:00 p.m. Decided to do less repetitions. To go at a slower pace," Sherlock writes in one of his six blogs,
http://passionaterunner.blogspot.com.

He also has a work-related blog and another one to explain more personal experiences, called Steve's 2 cents. But whatever he writes, he says, he tries to be meaningful.

"If I can't put value to something, I don't say it," he said.

Blogging has become a rewarding hobby for him because he has been able to connect with other runners, and people with whom he shares the same interests. To describe bloggers as controversial and critical is a generalization, he says.

"Not everyone is out there to replace the mass media."

Mark Mischke agrees.

The Natick resident has been blogging for about two years in two blogs: one more personal and a more professional one that can actually help him get more clients.

"Bloggers get an undeserved reputation of being radical. But I think you need to feel a connection with your topics," Mischke said. "I don't want to wear a bumper sticker."

Mischke, a 41-year-old computer specialist, says he actually blogs to share knowledge about computer-related issues or about things and ideas that could be helpful to other people. For him, to make new friends is not the goal of his blogs, accessible at
www.mischke.org.

"If they are done well, it can be to your advantage," he says. "Nobody is interested in my private life. I tend not to write about myself, I write about topics of interest."

Getting too personal can actually get you in trouble.

A British secretary working in Paris and writing a popular blog called "La Petite Anglaise" allegedly was fired this month because of the contents of her Web journal.

She is filing a lawsuit against her employer, according to CNN, but some of the followers of her Web site have e-mailed her saying that being online also carries some sense of responsibility.

Derik DeLong, a 24-year-old Northborough native and avid blogger, says it is hard to sometimes draw the line between being controversial and having readers.

"A very vocal part of the bloggers out there say things to get attention. Many can't get fired so it is easy for them to say things that are wrong," said DeLong, who is a software engineer.

But readers won't read you if you are boring, he said, so it is hard to be fair, honest and interesting at the same time. Besides having a personal blog, DeLong is a blogger for Macworld magazine and is subscribed to 333 Web sites.

Personal life experiences are also what Michelle Swartz writes about.

The 32-year-old moved to Framingham only a year ago and decided to write about the places she visits in town, the things she likes and the things she dislikes. Her site,
www.thisisframingham.com, has photos of the restaurants she goes to, the food she eats, and the street corner where she had a car accident.

"People think that Framingham is Rte. 9, but I always wondered about what other little places were out there," said Swartz.

Hers is a light-hearted blog to give out information about where to go in town, she said.

"I try not to get too political. I am usually pretty careful," she said. "I think it is important to keep it light."

(Claudia Torrens can be reached at 508-626-3976 or ctorrens@cnc.com)
 
 
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Monday, July 24, 2006

Quick Update

Just to provide a quick update, we'll be traveling back to MA today from Chicagoland where Dolores and I spent sometime with my brother and his family. I'll have some pictures as well to share of what we did this weekend.
  • Visited the Indiana Dunes National Park, climbed Mt Baldy, walked along Lake Michigan's shore 
  • Saw an American Legion baseball playoff game (my nephew was pitching).
  • Biked some trails in the Morain Hill State Park and visited the McHenry Dam (on the Fox River). Had a great meal at the Sagano's (a Japanese restaurant in Barrington, IL).
  • Walked in the Cuba Meadows Preserve.
A good long weekend, full of family and fun times. I return to work tomorrow. Dolores continues her summer vacation although since she has been away for the week (she went out before I did), she has some house chores to catch up on.
 
 
 
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Saturday, July 22, 2006

Celtic FC vs. Revs Update


Revs vs. Celtic FC Update
Originally uploaded by
shersteve.

The New England Revolution and the Celtic FC players accompanied by young kids in the by now familiar international friendly format lined up with the referees before the game.

The game was good. It ended in a 1-1 tie.

So as forseen, the Bhoys did manage to score before leaving the States. The Revs also managed to score in the 90th minute to tie the game after having had several chances turned away by the Celtic goalkeeper, David Marshall, who was the Man of the Match for me. He did make some great saves.

More on the game can be found here.

CoComment does more

As readers of my blogs will note, I have and use CoComment. Why? The comments I leave on other blogs used to get lost like pieces of bread left on the trail in the woods. With CoComment I could more easily track where I did say something and could always go back to see if the conversation continued.  As others used CoComment, their comments would appear in the column as well. With a bunch of improvements just released, the conversation can be tracked whether others use CoComment or not.
 
Halleluiah!
 
No, that is three cheers worth: Halleluiah! Halleluiah! Halleluiah!
 
Check out the recent improvements in the column on the left.
 
Check out the full listing on the CoComment blog.
 
And please do check out CoComment, I can not see how it would not help your blogging.
 
 
 
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Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Celtic FC vs. NE Revolution

A good friendly soccer (football) game this evening as Celtic FC comes to the home of the NE Revolution. Celtic is preparing for their season and the Revs are in the middle of theirs. The fitness and conditioning of the two teams is therefore considerably different and will make for an interesting game.

Celtic has already lost and tied on their three game trip to the USA. They have not scored a goal. Both of these factors should provide some good motivation for the Celtic players tonight.

How does it happen that Celtic FC comes to the USA to play the Revs? The coaches were former teammates (and roommates). It still comes down to personal connections.

What is the lesson in this? Other than how to play good soccer in the world today, the real worldly lesson is to take care of your personal network.


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Monday, July 17, 2006

Quick Change Artists

For a good time call... oops, wrong line.
 
How do they do that? Check out this video on You Tube with a clip from America's Got Talent... the Quick Change Artists
 
Thanks also to wservernews for the link
 
Have some fun today!
 
 
 
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Sunday, July 16, 2006

Readability Results - what they say to me

I posted the summary of the Readability results for each of my personal blogs. I do write on blog Synergy and 100Bloggers but both of these are group blogs. The results of these 5 tests would be more instructive for my own writing.
 
Here is what I think they say:
Gunning-Fog index, which is a rough measure of how many years of schooling it would take someone to understand the content. The lower the number, the more understandable the content will be to your visitors. Results over seventeen are reported as seventeen, where seventeen is considered post-graduate level.
I have a high score of 8.67 (P4GCE) with TE close at 8.61 and a low score of 7.42 (PR). I average 8.25. My work and education related writing tends to be more formal. My running writing tends to be the least formal. Overall I write for an 8th grade level.
Flesch Reading Ease is an index number that rates the text on a 100-point scale. The higher the score, the easier it is to understand the document. Authors are encouraged to aim for a score of approximately 60 to 70.
With the target at 60-70, and only two of mine below 70, I would say most of my writing is just a bit high on the scale but not far off.
Like the Gunning-Fog index, Flesch-Kincaid Grade is a rough measure of how many years of schooling it would take someone to understand the content.
I have a low score of 4.81 for PR and the others are all within 0.05 of each other. A real tight range. This says I write for a 5th grade level.
 
So what does this say for the bottom line? I think it says to keep on what I am doing.
 
You, of course as my readers, have the final say.
 
Do I need to change anything in how I write?
 
I look to you to be bold and provide your suggestions and comments either directly on the blog, or via email. You can reach me at shersteve at gmail dot com.
 
We are in this together. As much as I write for myself, I write for it to be read.
 
I welcome your advice.
 
 
 
 
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Saturday, July 15, 2006

Penns Creek - July 2005


Penns Creek
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Got around to looking for the photos from last year's visit to Weikert to show the comparison on how high the creek is running this year.

Two different views, two different perspectives but the same creek. This one (2005) with rocks very visible, one (2006) with the rocks submerged.


Readability Results


Readability Results
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Thanks to the lead from Phil Gerbyshak, I used the Juicy Studio Readbility Test to check out the readability of my writing on the 5 blogs I write.

The column headings refer to
S2C (Steve's 2 Cents),
PR (Passionate Runner),
P4GCE (Passion for the Good Customer Experience),
HHGTB (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Blogosphere),
and my newest blogventure TE (Tertiary Education).

I'll post my thoughts on what the numbers tell me separately.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Raw Marshmallows


Raw Marshmallows
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

As a follow up to the posting about the marshmallow farm the other day, here is a shot of raw marshmallows being prepared for harvest. When they ripen they turn white and sugary.

One marshmallow was naughty and is trying to hide amongst the corn rows.

I don't think it will get away. It's future will surely be on the end of someone's camp fire stick.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Quick Bits

Some quick bits to help catch up on recent events:
 
World Cup - Zidane, I can only think that he must have said something really good for you to do what you did to Matterazzi. With Henry subbed, and you red carded, there went the French chances. I was hoping that France would have scored in the run of play (you were making progress). Or that the Italians would have scored from a set piece (as they did but got called back on). I did not like the game ending in penalty kicks.
 
Amanda, I hope all is well with you and your decision to split from Rocketboom. I was enjoying the five minute kick start to my day (viewing your previous day show). I trust you will find a worthy outlet soon.
 
Disasters abound all around us: Russia airliners crash, Boston tunnel ceilings collapse, commuter rail riders in India and Chicago... Maybe I should start thinking about asking "Can I stay home and work from home?"
 
Gas prices continue to fluctuate. Just as the Globe was publishing that the average had risen to over $3 here in MA, coming home today, I see some local stations dropping from $3.01 to 2.99.
 
Traveling back home to MA from central PA last Friday, we drove about 6 hours on Interstates 80, 81, 84 and then 90. In that drive, I was able to tally at least one car with a license plate from each of the east coast states (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine). The only New England state I did not see was Vermont. I also saw cars from Illinois, Ohio, Colorado, and Texas. Was anyone staying home?
 
 
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Book Alert - 10 Ways to Make it Great!

10 Ways to Make It Great has just been published by Phil Gerbyshak.
 
Check out the line up of endorsements for the book on Phil's website! Quite impressive.
 
I have ordered my copy of the book. Consider ordering one for yourself.
 
 
 
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Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Marshmallow Farm


Marshmallow Farm
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Disclaimer: This picture did not come out the way I would have preferred. I need to be patient and wait until we return to central PA to get another opportunity to get a better shot of a marshmallow farm.

Yes, a marshmallow farm. See the white line. It really is a stack of large (and I mean really large, like each one is over 6 foot tall) marshmallows. They grow on the farm usually along the edge of a corn field like this. It helps provide the farmer a cash crop and helps to really utilize each square acre of farmland.

Sometimes you can see the marchmallows when they are green but they ripen quickly so green one are hard to find. This is a ripe batch ready to be loaded onto a truck to be taken to the factory where they are cut into little pieces and put into the plastic bags for the supermarkets. And utlimately to be used around the campfire, of course.


PS - and if you believe that one, I do have a bridge for sale!

Monday, July 10, 2006

What did they say?


What did they say?
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Yes, a caption contest... you provide some suggestions and we'll see what the best one is.

4 of the 5 Baslocks


4 of the 5 Baslocks
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

When our Sherlock and Bastian families get together, it is more like one family than two. We toyed with how we would combine the names to reflect this and the Baslock's won.

Jennifer was missing from this photo. If there was space on the couch, we could splice her in.

West Point Visit


Nate
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

We drove to West Point last Sunday (July 2) to visit. Nate is beginning his third year at the Point. He had garrison duty for one more week and then was heading out to North Dakota to helicopter school for three weeks. He was off duty for a couple of days and with the July 4th concert and fireworks scheduled to commence at 1930 (military time), it was going to be a good time to visit.

Doug (Nate’s dad) had checked the web site and called Nate to confirm all was still good considering the 40% chance of rain. At that time it was a go but by the time we arrived, almost a three hour drive, the concert has been postponed to Monday due to the weather. Oh well, Plan B will work nicely.

Our daughters were going to drive down from MA to join us. Dolores and I were on vacation this week, but the girls still had to work the remainder of the week. We booked a room for them to stay overnight near the Point and drive back on Monday while we drove back to central PA later that night.

Anyway, we rendezvoused with Nate, were joined by our daughters who with good timing arrived a few minutes later. We took a walking tour around some of the Point. We spent some time in the Arvin Gymnaisum is quite a facility; multiple pools, multiple basketball courts, a sixty-foot climbing wall, racketball courts, weight rooms, etc.

Ready to eat after all that exercise, we found a picnic spot down in the South Dock area near the ferry. Using the portable propane grill, we cooked our burgers (both beef and turkey) while snacking on some fruit, chips, and the conversation kept pace with the Hudson River flowing just a stone toss away. As we were finishing our meal, working through our desert choices, the sprinkles started. They did hold off enough to allow us to quickly pack up the remnants, button up the grill, load the chairs and everything else into the van. I guess the decision to postpone the concert was a good one.

We drove up to Eisenhower Hall. Eisenhower is a rather large building that contains the post theater, art gallery, banquet room, and the grand hall area where each class emblem is displayed. The most recent 25 class years are displayed. (Not sure if the 25th rolls off as the new class year is displayed, we’ll have to check that out.)

When we arrived at Ike, we initially sat in some comfy lounge chairs in the grand hall, continued our conversation and took some pictures. The natives began to get restless so we meandered up to the banquet room, set up with a number of round tables seating 10. Along one side, the wall was mostly windows and provided a great panorama of the Hudson. I stepped out on the balcony where I found more photo opportunities (more photos to follow).

The baby grand piano in the room was well tuned and Nate sat to play. Brian jumped in for a duet, Cathy joined for a duet on another song, and the bench became almost a revolving spot as someone tool turns to play. Eventually Brian settled in and played from memory quite a number of tunes. Time passed slowly. A barge pulled by a tug boat made its way down river. It was about 1900 hours so I guess we did have our concert, albeit a private one.

Doug had wandered off, continuing to explore Ike Hall. As Brian began to run out of songs to play from memory, the native restlessness returned. We all got up to go find Doug. He was in a corner area of the second floor, not far from the banquet area, where he had found a large screen TV and he was cruising through the channels to see what was playing. The TV area contained a couple of nice big sofas and several single comfortable chairs. The group found a spot and settled in to see what was on. Trying to find an agreement with the limited selection brought up the option of hooking up Brian’s DVD player and viewing one of the movies that he had with him. Pairing the movie with some snacks was quickly voted upon.

Carolyn and Brian went to the van, returning shortly with the DVD player (which Brian proceeded to set up) and some snacks and drinks combined in one of the carry coolers that we had had the foresight to pack for the trip.

Concert and fireworks? Who needs those when you can set up the big screen TV in the corner of Eisenhower Hall and with refreshments at hand let Batman begin!

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Final Product


Final Product
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Yes, the final product. Usually crunchy peanut butter is the choice, although smooth peanut butter works as well. Spread the peanut butter on the muffin. Lay a slice of the cooked spam on top and enjoy!

No, your arteries won't harden instantly!

Note, that this breakfast is not an every day thing. Usually two or three times during the course of our one week vacation is sufficient to fulfill the craving for a while.

Yummy!

Toasting English Muffins


Toasting English Muffins
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Step two is toasting the fork split English muffins.

Either Thomas or a store brand English muffin will suffice. The local store brand advertized as being "double fork split". They were not any easier to separate.

Grilling Spam


Grilling Spam
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

Sometime ago, I mentioned one of our camping treats as grilled spam. While staying with good friends in Weikert, PA we did a lot of our breakfast cooking over an open fire.

Grilling the spam is the first step to our breakfast delicacy.



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Penns Creek


Penn's Creek
Originally uploaded by shersteve.

At Weikert. Penns Creek was flowing higher than normal with the run off from last week’s rain storm still coming through the ecosystem. Penns Creek feeds the West Branch of the Susquehanna and crested below flood level The North Branch crested above flood level. Bloomsbury has sections of town that were still without water and some roads were blocked. Further north into New York State, the river took out whole sections of Interstate Route 88 where the road and river crossed paths. Water is a powerful force.

Pictures we took when we were here last year, showed us no more than knee deep in the creek. We were able to walk out with our white resin chairs, position them in the creek, open a book in our lap, and with a drink in our hand, enjoy the cool water flowing through our legs as we read ourselves into another world.

Not this year; the creek is running a couple of feet higher and stronger. The chair would not stay in place in the creek even if we tried sitting two to a chair. The water level has already declined since we arrived. We can observe the depth against the supports for the bridge that crosses to camp at Wesley Forest. You won't see the supports in this photo as I was standing on the bridge looking south.

When we crossed the Connecticut, the Hudson, the Delaware and the Susquehanna on our drive out Interstate 84 and then 80, each river was running muddy; the water a thick, dark, reddish brown. Penns Creek is running clear, a sign that it is running within its banks now and beginning to return to normal.