Terry and I enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving weekend with our nephew Brian and his wife, Vicky. They flew in from Milwaukee on Thursday morning as I was clearing the driveway of the 6-8 inches of snow we got Wednesday night. (They also brought their dog, Sadie--part chihuahua and part rat terrier, all energy--much to the consternation of our four cats!)
In the past, they would either go into NJ and pick up Grandma or Terry would go get her and we'd all meet here at the Aerie for Thanksgiving dinner. Not long after the pies were served, Grandma would have her coat on and be heading out the door dragging Brian and Vicky off to Atlantic City so they could hit the casinos on Friday. This year, with Mom gone, we had them to ourselves for three days.
Thursday was, of course, dominated by The Feast. Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed butternut squash topped with cranberries and walnuts, some asparagus and kernel corn rounded out the main meal. That was followed by pecan pie, pumpkin pie and apple pie. Oh, and there was wine.
Later we had hours of conversation and more wine as we relaxed in the living room. Dinner was left over turkey sandwiches, pie and, yeah, more wine.
Friday we piled into the Jeep Compass and went off to Corning to visit the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Brian and Vicky had never been to either and really enjoyed it. The Glass museum had a wonderful demonstration of glass blowing and several new displays s well as the history portion. And, in the spirit of Black Friday, the gift shop was having a huge sale. The kids picked up some gifts for Christmas and Terry and I ordered a Frank Loyd Wright/Craftsman style floor lamp...at 75% off ($300 instead of $1200).
The Rockwell has undergone quite a few updates since the last time we were there. They redid the Lodge and renamed it the Remington and Russell Lodge. There were works by both artists. One side room was converted to a display of Mr. Rockwell's antique firearms, some of which predated the Revolutionary War. The special show at this time was of works by Charles M. Russell. Unlike the works on display in the Lodge,the works in the special display were of wildlife and wilderness.
Between museums we had lunch at Anna's just down the block. Great pastrami sandwiches!
After the museums we headed home to let Sadie (the dog) out and relax with a glass of...wine. Our evening meal was left over turkey, stuffing, and what ever else we had remaining...and pie.
More conversation after dinner with wine and bourbon and cheese.
Today the cats woke Terry and I at 4 AM and the six of us (four cats, remember) enjoyed some dog free hours before Brian, Vicky and Sadie got up and joined us. When they did, two cats disappeared into the basement to avoid that vile creature--Dog. We had some conversation over coffee and then had an early lunch before Brian and Vicky (and Sadie) headed out to catch their flight back home.
Showing posts with label Company. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Company. Show all posts
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Saturday, September 14, 2013
A Few Things to Do With Company
at the Aerie
We had company starting Wednesday afternoon when a couple we met on our Alaska trip came west from near the Cape Cod Canal to spend a few days here at the Aerie and the environs. Terry and I took them up to Corning to visit a couple of museums and then west into Potter County to visit some of the Lumbermen's Museum and some of the natural sights of western Tioga County. Terry enjoyed having company because she got a chance to cook for someone other than me.
Thursday afternoon, after I finished my morning physical therapy, we went up to Corning, NY where we were able to stay indoors while it was raining--often quite hard.
The Corning Museum of Glass is, perhaps the premier museum for the history of glass in the world. The exhibits are fantastic and educational. One thing that's always enjoyable to see is one of the "gaffers" (glass blowers) demonstrate his or her skills.There's a lot of new construction going on and the museum will be expanding in the next year or so.
We also visited the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Their special exhibit at this time was of classic National Geographic photos. It was nice but I still like the art from Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. (I did not take any photos at the Rockwell. I've done so in the past but just enjoyed walking around and looking at the paintings and bronzes this time out.)
Both museums required a lot of walking and I put my new knees through the wringer. But there was more to come....
******
Friday the weather forecast was a bit better and we went west where the museums and state parks would have us outdoors much of the time. It was still overcast and cloudy with a few sprinkles but it was better than it had been on Thursday. The ride along Route 6 was enjoyable by itself, but our westernmost destination, the Lumbermen's Museum was under construction for a huge expansion. The main exhibit building was closed. It hosed a great exhibit about the CCCs and was the major reason for our visit. *Sigh*
The out buildings were (mostly--the mess hall was locked) open and we still got a chance to walk around to see some of the equipment used during the heyday of lumber activity in Pennsylvania.
Leaving the Lumbermen's Museum, we continued west to Coudersport to have lunch and then turned back east to visit Leonard Harrison State Park and the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Even with the leaves still green, the view is magnificent. In about three weeks when the fall colors arrive, it will be even better.
Afterward we stopped at the Mansfield farmer's market and went back to the Aerie for dinner. As we were eating, the skies opened up and it poured--despite the earlier forecast that it wasn't supposed to rain again this weekend. It rained all Friday night and into the wee hours of Saturday. In all we got 0.25 inches of rain--that wasn't forecast or even recorded by weather.com. That was on top of the 1.15 inches we got Wednesday night and Thursday. We seem to have timed our touring pretty well.
Sue and Bruce left early Saturday to wend their way back east. The sky eventually cleared and the sun came out after noon.
Thursday afternoon, after I finished my morning physical therapy, we went up to Corning, NY where we were able to stay indoors while it was raining--often quite hard.
The Corning Museum of Glass is, perhaps the premier museum for the history of glass in the world. The exhibits are fantastic and educational. One thing that's always enjoyable to see is one of the "gaffers" (glass blowers) demonstrate his or her skills.There's a lot of new construction going on and the museum will be expanding in the next year or so.
New glassblower's demonstration stage.
Cameras and large screen TVs (upper right) give you
an excellent view of the details of the gaffer's work.
an excellent view of the details of the gaffer's work.
Today they made a flower vase.
We also visited the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. Their special exhibit at this time was of classic National Geographic photos. It was nice but I still like the art from Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. (I did not take any photos at the Rockwell. I've done so in the past but just enjoyed walking around and looking at the paintings and bronzes this time out.)
Both museums required a lot of walking and I put my new knees through the wringer. But there was more to come....
******
Friday the weather forecast was a bit better and we went west where the museums and state parks would have us outdoors much of the time. It was still overcast and cloudy with a few sprinkles but it was better than it had been on Thursday. The ride along Route 6 was enjoyable by itself, but our westernmost destination, the Lumbermen's Museum was under construction for a huge expansion. The main exhibit building was closed. It hosed a great exhibit about the CCCs and was the major reason for our visit. *Sigh*
New addition on the museum should be finished next spring.
The out buildings were (mostly--the mess hall was locked) open and we still got a chance to walk around to see some of the equipment used during the heyday of lumber activity in Pennsylvania.
Sue & Bruce at the Lumbermen's Museum.
Small shuttle engine at the Lumbermen's Museum.
Shay engine used to haul logs out of the woods at the Lumbermen's Museum.
Sue & Terry on the Shay engine.
CCC Cabin & statue at the Lumbermen's Museum.
Leaving the Lumbermen's Museum, we continued west to Coudersport to have lunch and then turned back east to visit Leonard Harrison State Park and the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Even with the leaves still green, the view is magnificent. In about three weeks when the fall colors arrive, it will be even better.
View North from the view point.
View South from the view point.
View West from the view point.
Afterward we stopped at the Mansfield farmer's market and went back to the Aerie for dinner. As we were eating, the skies opened up and it poured--despite the earlier forecast that it wasn't supposed to rain again this weekend. It rained all Friday night and into the wee hours of Saturday. In all we got 0.25 inches of rain--that wasn't forecast or even recorded by weather.com. That was on top of the 1.15 inches we got Wednesday night and Thursday. We seem to have timed our touring pretty well.
Sue and Bruce left early Saturday to wend their way back east. The sky eventually cleared and the sun came out after noon.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
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.
******
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.
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.
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?
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.
******
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 OverlookWe 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' CenterWe 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 MuseumThen 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.
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.
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?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Aerie Report, July 12, 2011
Still hot and dry here at the Aerie. A mid 80 degree sunny day which had only the steady breeze and 50% relative humidity as saving graces.
A pretty quiet day at the Aerie today. I mean besides the watering of the garden, putting the new AC in the master bedroom; cutting the grass; picking wild raspberries; weeding the onion bed; picking string beans, cukes and zukes; watering the garden--again.
In between, Terry and I did some cleaning up in preparation of company coming on Thursday. Terry's cousin (Jim) and his wife (Pat) from Columbia, South Carolina will stop by for a couple of days. Jim has several allergies and is very allergic to cats. The guest bedroom is (relatively) cat free but the remainder of the house.... So it was a couple of hours of vacuuming, cleaning the cats' beds, clipping the cats' claws, dusting, etc. Even so, Terry's got an itinerary planned that will keep folks out of the house and touring the sights in and around Tioga County. The Grand Canyon, Hills Creek SP, Wellsboro, Corning, Watkins Glen, Finger Lakes wine country...there's a lot to see and do. We're looking forward to their arrival.
A pretty quiet day at the Aerie today. I mean besides the watering of the garden, putting the new AC in the master bedroom; cutting the grass; picking wild raspberries; weeding the onion bed; picking string beans, cukes and zukes; watering the garden--again.
In between, Terry and I did some cleaning up in preparation of company coming on Thursday. Terry's cousin (Jim) and his wife (Pat) from Columbia, South Carolina will stop by for a couple of days. Jim has several allergies and is very allergic to cats. The guest bedroom is (relatively) cat free but the remainder of the house.... So it was a couple of hours of vacuuming, cleaning the cats' beds, clipping the cats' claws, dusting, etc. Even so, Terry's got an itinerary planned that will keep folks out of the house and touring the sights in and around Tioga County. The Grand Canyon, Hills Creek SP, Wellsboro, Corning, Watkins Glen, Finger Lakes wine country...there's a lot to see and do. We're looking forward to their arrival.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Aerie Report, April 25, 2010
It's a very raw, rainy day here at the Aerie. The overnight temperatures never got below 41 as the "dropped" from 42 degrees just after midnight. It hasn't gotten above 48 degrees during the day, either. That's sorta understandable since we've been getting a nice gentle rain all day. The cloud ceiling is hovering at just over 2100 feet at the Aerie, but just a short distance across the cove we can see only the very base of the lowest windmill as the clouds have engulfed everything else above 2000 feet. A quick peek at the forecast shows more of the same for tonight and tomorrow morning.
Could be worse, the National Weather Service issued a sever thunderstorm warning last evening saying there was a possibility of 1" diameter hail stones. It looked like we might really get hit hard as the radar showed huge patches of bright yellow and red off to our southeast. As often happens around here, however, those cells got broken up as soon as they began to hit the mountains north of I-80 and east of the Allegheny National Forest. By the time they got here, they were whipped. We didn't even get any of the high winds that thunderstorms usually produce.
******
We had company for dinner yesterday. Cousin Joe and his wife, Pat, came out from New Jersey to pick up some packing boxes. They've purchased a home about an hour south of here and will be having the closing on April 30th. Their home in New Jersey hasn't been placed on the market yet, but they'll be packing and hauling the small stuff out ASAP. Joe refuses to deal with the larger pieces of furniture and will hire a moving company to do the heavy lugging.
Joe and Pat were here for a couple of hours and left with a pick-up truck full of folded up boxes during a break in the rain. From looking at the radar, they may have been able to make it all the way home along I-80 without running into any rain.
******
Joe was down in Virginia last week hunting with our buddy Doug in the western part of the state for turkey. Said he was lucky enough to get off a seven year skid and bag a nice Tom. I'm not much of one for turkey hunting--never tried it--but I keep hearing some gobbling every morning as they come off the roost. Considering my neighbor and his cousin bagged a bird opening day last year, I'm tempted. But then I think of how Terry and I are trying to empty the freezer before we hit the road to Alaska....
******
Soft, gentle rains like this and the cool temperatures have been a boon to the grass. I can stand on the deck (under the covered porch roof) and literally watch the dang stuff grow. Keeps it up, I'll be pushing a mower before the weekend.
Could be worse, the National Weather Service issued a sever thunderstorm warning last evening saying there was a possibility of 1" diameter hail stones. It looked like we might really get hit hard as the radar showed huge patches of bright yellow and red off to our southeast. As often happens around here, however, those cells got broken up as soon as they began to hit the mountains north of I-80 and east of the Allegheny National Forest. By the time they got here, they were whipped. We didn't even get any of the high winds that thunderstorms usually produce.
******
We had company for dinner yesterday. Cousin Joe and his wife, Pat, came out from New Jersey to pick up some packing boxes. They've purchased a home about an hour south of here and will be having the closing on April 30th. Their home in New Jersey hasn't been placed on the market yet, but they'll be packing and hauling the small stuff out ASAP. Joe refuses to deal with the larger pieces of furniture and will hire a moving company to do the heavy lugging.
Joe and Pat were here for a couple of hours and left with a pick-up truck full of folded up boxes during a break in the rain. From looking at the radar, they may have been able to make it all the way home along I-80 without running into any rain.
******
Joe was down in Virginia last week hunting with our buddy Doug in the western part of the state for turkey. Said he was lucky enough to get off a seven year skid and bag a nice Tom. I'm not much of one for turkey hunting--never tried it--but I keep hearing some gobbling every morning as they come off the roost. Considering my neighbor and his cousin bagged a bird opening day last year, I'm tempted. But then I think of how Terry and I are trying to empty the freezer before we hit the road to Alaska....
******
Soft, gentle rains like this and the cool temperatures have been a boon to the grass. I can stand on the deck (under the covered porch roof) and literally watch the dang stuff grow. Keeps it up, I'll be pushing a mower before the weekend.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Aerie PM Report, March 3, 2010
With just over three inches of wet, heavy snow accumulated on the ground when it finally stopped at 12:30 PM, Terry and I manned the shovels instead of the snow thrower to clear the deck, the driveway and the short trails to the propane tank (delivery is overdue) and the bird feeders. Terry worked for an hour and a half--until she could no longer toss shovels full of snow high enough to clear the mounds ringing the parking area. I was out there for my usual two and a half hours.
Although it fell as a light powder, the snow rapidly compacted as the temperature rose above the freezing mark. As I mentioned earlier, the weather is supposed to approach near spring like conditions during the next two weeks including four days of mostly sun forecast for Saturday through Tuesday.
******
Terry prepared a nice broiled lemon-peppered fillet of cod, some mashed potatoes and peas for dinner. A good hardy meal that I could enjoy even with the pulled molar. Dessert was the ever popular Jello in cranberry flavor.
******
Tomorrow, Terry takes her Jeep Compass down to Williamsport to have the oil changed and get the 7500 mile service done. I'll be staying home doing some cleaning and straightening up.
Terry's cousin (and my buddy) Joe will be coming out tomorrow evening. He has an appointment with a building inspector set for Friday morning. Joe and his wife, Pat, have had their offer for a home over near Wellsboro accepted and if the inspection doesn't show any major problems, they'll be closing on it some time in April. It will be good to have company even for just the night.
Although it fell as a light powder, the snow rapidly compacted as the temperature rose above the freezing mark. As I mentioned earlier, the weather is supposed to approach near spring like conditions during the next two weeks including four days of mostly sun forecast for Saturday through Tuesday.
******
Terry prepared a nice broiled lemon-peppered fillet of cod, some mashed potatoes and peas for dinner. A good hardy meal that I could enjoy even with the pulled molar. Dessert was the ever popular Jello in cranberry flavor.
******
Tomorrow, Terry takes her Jeep Compass down to Williamsport to have the oil changed and get the 7500 mile service done. I'll be staying home doing some cleaning and straightening up.
Terry's cousin (and my buddy) Joe will be coming out tomorrow evening. He has an appointment with a building inspector set for Friday morning. Joe and his wife, Pat, have had their offer for a home over near Wellsboro accepted and if the inspection doesn't show any major problems, they'll be closing on it some time in April. It will be good to have company even for just the night.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Rainy Sunday at the Aerie
After a week of glorious weather, some rain finally arrived on the scene last night and continues through this morning. The early morning temperature, after being near 50 degrees since last Tuesday, ramped up to a damp 65 degrees this morning. The forecasters also say it will get up to the mid-80s this afternoon in contrast to the highs in the low to mid 70s we have been enjoying. Hey, it is early August, right. Dog Days of summer and all that.
The gals thoroughly enjoyed their time in Corning Friday. They spent a lot of time at the Glass Museum and took in all the exhibits before going downtown for a bit. They ended up at the Wegmans grocery store and had lunch at the cafeteria there. (What is it about some women that they have to take a tour of grocery stores of all things?) I'm not complaining, they brought home a couple of unusual brews from the huge selection of beers Wegmans carries. Lorraine recognized some of the brands as English microbrews having spent two years in England. Pretty tasty.
The Carolinians went out on their own on Saturday and roamed about the local area just a bit while Terry took one of her needlework pieces over to enter it in the Tioga County Fair. The Fair runs next Monday through Saturday.
Me? Friday I was in the woods for four hours with the chainsaw, Saturday I cut the grass knowing rain was on the way and then spent another three hours in the woods cutting up the downed tree tops. I would have worked longer but after stopping the chainsaw to move some of the cut debris, I couldn't get it started again. *sigh*
The ladies all went off to church this morning as per Terry's usual routine. When they return, we'll probably read the papers before going out to dinner.
The bad thing about having company is that Terry feels obliged to cook even more: planked salmon, London broil, spinacoffeta (the Greek spinach and cheese dish for which spelling optional).... Not to mention the Moon Pies and beer the ladies have plied me with. Good thing I've been working off the calories in the woods.
Oh, and the blackberries are ripening on the hill so there's a steady supply in the fridge for ice cream and cereal toppings.
Lorraine and Nancy will be leaving on Monday morning but will take the long way home to South Carolina. Nancy grew up in and Lorraine was born in Ashley, PA so they will swing east of here to go see their old stomping grounds before heading back towards Harrisburg and I-81.
I've a date tomorrow with Terry's cousin Joe, my fishing and hunting buddy as well as zucchini pusher, down at the Cabela's in Hamburg set for Monday at 11 AM. Not sure what I'm shopping for but I'll know it when I see it. I KNOW I'll be coming home with some zucchini I just hope the Tundra is big enough for the amount Joe will be bringing. ;-)
The gals thoroughly enjoyed their time in Corning Friday. They spent a lot of time at the Glass Museum and took in all the exhibits before going downtown for a bit. They ended up at the Wegmans grocery store and had lunch at the cafeteria there. (What is it about some women that they have to take a tour of grocery stores of all things?) I'm not complaining, they brought home a couple of unusual brews from the huge selection of beers Wegmans carries. Lorraine recognized some of the brands as English microbrews having spent two years in England. Pretty tasty.
The Carolinians went out on their own on Saturday and roamed about the local area just a bit while Terry took one of her needlework pieces over to enter it in the Tioga County Fair. The Fair runs next Monday through Saturday.
Me? Friday I was in the woods for four hours with the chainsaw, Saturday I cut the grass knowing rain was on the way and then spent another three hours in the woods cutting up the downed tree tops. I would have worked longer but after stopping the chainsaw to move some of the cut debris, I couldn't get it started again. *sigh*
The ladies all went off to church this morning as per Terry's usual routine. When they return, we'll probably read the papers before going out to dinner.
The bad thing about having company is that Terry feels obliged to cook even more: planked salmon, London broil, spinacoffeta (the Greek spinach and cheese dish for which spelling optional).... Not to mention the Moon Pies and beer the ladies have plied me with. Good thing I've been working off the calories in the woods.
Oh, and the blackberries are ripening on the hill so there's a steady supply in the fridge for ice cream and cereal toppings.
Lorraine and Nancy will be leaving on Monday morning but will take the long way home to South Carolina. Nancy grew up in and Lorraine was born in Ashley, PA so they will swing east of here to go see their old stomping grounds before heading back towards Harrisburg and I-81.
I've a date tomorrow with Terry's cousin Joe, my fishing and hunting buddy as well as zucchini pusher, down at the Cabela's in Hamburg set for Monday at 11 AM. Not sure what I'm shopping for but I'll know it when I see it. I KNOW I'll be coming home with some zucchini I just hope the Tundra is big enough for the amount Joe will be bringing. ;-)
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Aerie Report, August 6, 2009
With company (Terry's Aunt Nancy and Cousin Lorraine) from South Carolina due on Wednesday, Terry and I did a little house cleaning during the day. We also went through the garden and picked more string beans (another frozen quart), zucchini (some from the neighbor's "free" pile; another four loaves), and cucumbers. Lots of cucumbers. We ended up with 20 cucumbers on the counter. That stash prompted Terry to make seven pints of garlic-dill pickles. We saved some out for salads the next few days. We have plenty of Romaine lettuce from the garden.
The ladies arrived last evening around 6 PM and after a dinner of salad, lasagna, garlic bread, and wine, we had a nice visit. They were quite happy to find the "high" temperature for the day had been 76 degrees and that the overnight low was to be 52. Beats the heck out of the temperatures in SC.
Today, Terry took the ladies over to the Grand Canyon of PA (the Pine Creek Gorge) and then to Wellsboro for lunch at the diner to do a little sightseeing.
While they were out, I took the chainsaw up the hill and spent four hours on a couple of tree tops that I had lopped the smaller branches off the other day. I've got a long way to go toward clearing up the tree tops from the logging that we had done, but every four to six hours I spend up the hill makes things...well, neater. Plus I've several small stacks of firewood logs awaiting hauling to the house. Of course, there are also several sizable piles of branches and limbs too small for use as firewood. I'm limiting myself to saving anything over four or five inches in diameter and cutting it to 16-18 inch lengths. And even then I'm throwing some really twisted branches that would meet the diameter requirements onto the "debris" piles. Lord knows there's still more firewood than I'll ever burn in the next five years.
Tonight promises to be another very cool night (perhaps even down into the upper 40s according to accuhunch) to be followed by a day where the temperature may not reach 75 despite being mostly sunny.
The ladies will be going up to Corning on Friday. I'll be playing lumberjack again.
The ladies arrived last evening around 6 PM and after a dinner of salad, lasagna, garlic bread, and wine, we had a nice visit. They were quite happy to find the "high" temperature for the day had been 76 degrees and that the overnight low was to be 52. Beats the heck out of the temperatures in SC.
Today, Terry took the ladies over to the Grand Canyon of PA (the Pine Creek Gorge) and then to Wellsboro for lunch at the diner to do a little sightseeing.
While they were out, I took the chainsaw up the hill and spent four hours on a couple of tree tops that I had lopped the smaller branches off the other day. I've got a long way to go toward clearing up the tree tops from the logging that we had done, but every four to six hours I spend up the hill makes things...well, neater. Plus I've several small stacks of firewood logs awaiting hauling to the house. Of course, there are also several sizable piles of branches and limbs too small for use as firewood. I'm limiting myself to saving anything over four or five inches in diameter and cutting it to 16-18 inch lengths. And even then I'm throwing some really twisted branches that would meet the diameter requirements onto the "debris" piles. Lord knows there's still more firewood than I'll ever burn in the next five years.
Tonight promises to be another very cool night (perhaps even down into the upper 40s according to accuhunch) to be followed by a day where the temperature may not reach 75 despite being mostly sunny.
The ladies will be going up to Corning on Friday. I'll be playing lumberjack again.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Company at the Aerie
Yesterday, Terry and I celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary and were lucky enough to have company to help us do so. My fishing/hunting buddy and Terry's cousin, Joe, and his wife, Pat, stopped by for the night as they made the circuit from NJ-Catskills-Niagara Falls-and back to NJ.
The two of them are great people and it's always a pleasure to just kick back and relax with them around. This being their first visit to the Aerie, however, we didn't relax much! After a tour of our home, we gave them an auto tour of the county as we went over to Wellsboro, Leonard Harris State Park (The Grand Canyon of PA), and up Route 287 to Hammond-Tioga Lakes and the Corps of Engineers facility before returning to the Aerie via Route 15 and Mansfield.
Joe was born on Terry's 5th birthday so they've always had a "connection" as she figured he was a present. He was into hunting long before I begged him to show me the ropes and help me get started. He and I have been going to Quebec to fish out of Ceasar's Lodge for over 15 years. They have three kids and our two are about the same age as their two oldest. They have become grandparents as their eldest has been married for two years and has a little girl. Joe will be retiring next June/July and they will then be looking to move out of NJ to southwest Virginia. Pat is an RN and will continue to work part time wherever they end up.
We ate and drank and talked for the balance of the night, generally enjoying the comfort that comes with being around good friends.
They just left and I miss them already.
The two of them are great people and it's always a pleasure to just kick back and relax with them around. This being their first visit to the Aerie, however, we didn't relax much! After a tour of our home, we gave them an auto tour of the county as we went over to Wellsboro, Leonard Harris State Park (The Grand Canyon of PA), and up Route 287 to Hammond-Tioga Lakes and the Corps of Engineers facility before returning to the Aerie via Route 15 and Mansfield.
Joe was born on Terry's 5th birthday so they've always had a "connection" as she figured he was a present. He was into hunting long before I begged him to show me the ropes and help me get started. He and I have been going to Quebec to fish out of Ceasar's Lodge for over 15 years. They have three kids and our two are about the same age as their two oldest. They have become grandparents as their eldest has been married for two years and has a little girl. Joe will be retiring next June/July and they will then be looking to move out of NJ to southwest Virginia. Pat is an RN and will continue to work part time wherever they end up.
We ate and drank and talked for the balance of the night, generally enjoying the comfort that comes with being around good friends.
They just left and I miss them already.
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