Company at the Aerie

And so our company has come and gone. Jim and Pat arrived around noon on Thursday on their way to the Green Bay area of Wisconsin. Terry had prepared a nice stuffed cabbage and kielbasa dinner for them which we all enjoyed before heading out to the western parts of Tioga County.

I think they were equally impressed with all the gas drilling and pipeline laying activity as they were by the nearness of Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon and the beauty of Hills Creek State Park.

The view from Leonard Harrison State Park on the east rim of the Pine Creek Gorge was a spectacular as ever and there were several Turkey Vultures soaring on the late afternoon thermals right off the viewing area.

Jim and Pat at the Leonard Harrison SP overlook on Pine Creek Gorge
(aka The Grand Canyon of PA)

The view south down the Canyon

Tioga County CCC Worker.
(Jim says he used to look like that
when he was flying helicopters in Nam.
I told him he's two, maybe three, times the man now.)

We stopped in Wellsboro to enjoy a pizza at Tony's, too.

Arriving home, I had just enough light to pick some more string beans and a few zukes before watering the garden. We're still getting between a pint and a quart of string beans a day from the little 6'x6' area I planted. The cucumbers, however have taken a beating from the lack of rain and the ground hog's grazing and don't look like they will be producing enough for Terry to make many pickles this year. The dryness has caused the zukes to slow down--something Terry is thankful for since it means less baking in the warm temperatures we've been getting.

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Friday morning we headed up to Tioga-Hammond Lakes and Ive's Run Recreation Area before heading on up to Corning and its Glass and Rockwell Museums.

I was hoping to see some Bald Eagles over at the Tioga-Hammond overlook but all we spotted were a pair of Ospreys. There were a couple of new additions to the overlook area, however. They've put up a new interpretive sign explaining the connecting weir between the two lakes. Hammond Lake is the cleaner of the two lakes--Tioga suffers from the mine drainage all the way upstream from Blossburg--and is five feet higher. The connector mixes the clean water of Crooked Creek/Hammond Lake with the contaminated waters of the Tioga River. Along with the flow from Mill Creek, this makes the Tioga Lake a suitable habitat for Crappie and Bass. They've also added a flag pole to the lookout area and the Army Corps now flies the American Flag from this high point.

View south of Tioga Lake from the Tioga-Hammond Lakes Overlook

We drove around the day use areas of Ive's Run Campground and then stopped in to talk to the volunteer at the Visitors' Center. The gardens there were mostly in bloom and Pat and Terry enjoyed them if not the two rattlesnakes in the terrarium inside. It was explained that they are allowed to keep only two and these, one light phase and one dark, were "collected" at the volunteers' campground. Gave Terry second thoughts about camping there again!

A few of the Cone Flowers at the Ive's Run Visitors' Center

We went up to Corning to the Museum of Glass where we viewed the displays and watched a live demonstration of glass blowing. That little show is different every time I see it and is still impressive as all get out. I also watched a littler demonstration of sculpting with glass as an artist made a small dog sculpture--four legs, tail, head, ears and open mouth--from a couple of glass rods and a special gas/oxygen torch all in about 15 minutes.

Jim plays with fire at the Glass Museum

Then it was lunch time and we went to Sorge's for some fine Italian food.

After lunch, it was time for the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. This is a small museum but the quality of its permanent displays and the temporary displays is well worth the time. (Especially since you can get a discounted price on a combo ticket with the Museum of Glass.) I enjoy the few pieces from Remington and Russell that they have but the special exhibitions they currently have--Andy Warhol: Cowboys and Indians--Andy Warhol, of all people!, and the Wild West: Beauty of the Beast of wildlife paintings by various artists dead and alive were very, very nice. Unfortunately, you can't take pictures in those last two galleries.

The Buffalo Hunt by William Robinson Leigh (1866-1955)

A Mix Up by Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926)

End of the Trail by James Earle Fraser (1876-1953)
(I always thought this was a Fredric Remington piece!)
This is about how I was feeling as the day wore on.

High Country Pond by Clyde Aspevig (1951- )
If I could wish myself into a painting....

After a long day, we made it back to the Aerie where I picked more string beans and did some more watering. Then we sat around a talked about this that and the other thing before heading off to bed.

******

This morning Chester sounded the alarm at 5 freakin' 30 AM. I stumbled out of bed and let them in to the bedroom (a rare treat) but they insisted upon going downstairs for breakfast. So we did. I made coffee while they (the cats) ate. Terry came down when Shadow noticed she was missing and went up to get her. Pat and Jim got up shortly there after for omelets and bacon. They were packed, out the door, and headed on their way to Niagara Falls (then Canada, Michigan, and finally Wisconsin) by their scheduled 8 AM. They've got to be in Green Bay by Sunday night and should be able to make that no sweat.

So we've had our company and the guest bedroom is empty--for now. What are you doing?