Thanksgiving

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.

Thansgiving Visitors

The 2013 Pennsylvania bear season ended yesterday at sundown. I didn't go out although I had been asked by Don if I wanted to. There were a couple of considerations in my decision not to participate. Two of them are called "knees."

In PA you can not bait nor use dogs to chase bears as you can in other states. It's a rough hunt with groups of hunters--often 20 or so--doing drives to rouse the bears. Half the hunters take up posts along one straight line while the other half goes a mile or so further down the road and enters the woods to push any bear to the standing hunters. When the two groups meet they either celebrate a bear kill or find a new place to repeat the process with the teams (standers and drivers) changing sides. It's very imprecise and very rugged. Especially rugged in the hilly country of the Northern Tier.

With the knees just 18 weeks old and my footing on rough terrain still a work in progress, I figured I'd play it safe and leave the game to others. And there were plenty of others in the woods. Monday, when Terry and I were going to the dump via Mountain Ridge and Fallbrook Roads which cut through parts of Tioga State Forest we came across two groups of hunters clad in solid orange. (You want to be as visible as possible to 1) scare the bear and 2) alert the other hunters that you are NOT a bear as you crash through the brush.)

Still we heard very few shots during the four day hunt. The exception was one cluster of shots from one to two miles to the west on Tuesday evening. Two quick shots were followed by five very well spaced shots. I assume the first wounded the bear and the latter finished him off. At least I hope that's what happened.

So, as I said, the season ended yesterday at sundown.

Brian safely navigated from New Jersey to the Aerie and arrived around 4 PM. We had a nice venison roast for dinner and enjoyed a drink or two pre and post meal. Then we sat and talked for a bit.

At approximately 8 PM there was a sound on the deck and the cats ears went up. A second noise sent them running to the windows and we followed.

 Mama Bear

 with baby Cinnamon

and Blackie.

These three hadn't been seen since early summer/late spring when I stopped putting the bird feeders out. I've seen scat on the logging trail but actual sighting of any bear hasn't happened. To the point where I got careless/lazy and left the bird feeders out over night. Still, they've been out there for two weeks and this is the first time they've been robbed by anything other than a squirrel.

I was very pleased to see that Mom had succeeded in making it through the season with out getting separated from her cubs and possibly shot (sow bears with cubs are protected). Seeing how big the two cubs had grown...well, that was a shock! When we first saw them they weren't much bigger than Chester, our 22 pound cat. Now they look to tip the scales at 70-80 pounds! That's a lot of berries, grass and grubs. Not to mention Mother's milk. Both cubs looked healthy as could be.

They came up on the deck not five minutes after I had come in from being out there and stayed on the deck for the better part of half an hour. We banged on the window ans they left...for two minutes before returning to slurp up black oil sunflower seeds. The Cinnamon followed the lead of Mom but Blackie was a little more reticent. The Cinnamon also seemed to dominate Blackie in chasing it away from the stairs and into the woods briefly.

After their second round on the deck, I banged on the glass really hard and Mom took the hint (she had also finished all the sunflower seeds) and led the cubs off the deck and out on to the lawn. I took the opportunity to step out onto the deck clap my hands a few times to spook them and they dashed off into the woods while I retrieved the undamaged but now empty bird feeders.

So. Who  are you having over for Thanksgiving?

Post Thanksgiving Report, November 26, 2010

Got up (very) early on Thursday morning to feed the cats and head for New Jersey for Thanksgiving. I was traveling extra early because the weather forecast for the Rout 15 corridor was for snow, sleet and freezing rain starting around 8 AM. I was on the road by 4:45 AM and in Linden, NJ just in time to catch the 9 AM start of the Macy's Parade show.

In attendance at Grandma's house were my daughter, Jessica, who lives there; Terry, who had gone in on Tuesday to assist with preparations; and nephew Brian and his fiancee Vicky, who had flown in from Milwaukee.

We gathered in the TV room and watched the parade. It may have started as a commercial promotion for Macy's but it's become even worse since way back when. The number of Broadway shows, and NBC television that were pushed and the number of B-list entertainers highlighted was obnoxiously high. The TV coverage didn't pay enough attention to the balloons for which the parade is famous.

After Santa Claus made his appearance at the conclusion of the parade, we settled around the table for a feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus, kernel corn, stuffing, and gravy. We followed with apple, pumpkin, and pecan pie. Our meal began with a toast while we sipped some asti. When the asti was gone, we opened a bottle of Riesling. And all was good with the world.

When the meal was finished, the turkey was not the only thing that was stuffed. A condition which makes this After Thanksgiving Meal Poem.... found at Theo Sparks' place very appropriate.

Then it was time to sit back and watch some football (rooting against the Cowboys and the Patriots but for the Jets) while we fielded phone calls from the west coast. First Rick (my son) called from Portland to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Then Laura (my niece and god daughter, Brian's sister) called. And finally Terry's sister (Brian's Mom and Grandma's younger daughter) called. All three calls came in on cell phones and were passed from person to person around the room. All had to end when the batteries started to reach near zero capacity.

We all sat around watching the games and looking at some of the photos I took on our Alaskan Adventure this summer.

Except for the Patriots winning and the rain that fell from noon on, it was a beautiful day.

******

Today, we all went our ways. Jessica was first out as she had to report to work at the Apple Store at The Mall at Short Hills for Black Friday. Then I started out for the Aerie (with a stop in Parsippany for gasoline and a couple of dozen bagels from the Baldwin bagel Shop), Terry followed as soon as she had picked up some left over turkey (the carcass for soup) and cheese cake. That left Grandma, Brian and Vicky and they were heading to Atlantic City to hit the casinos. (Their own Black Friday tradition.)

The sky cleared as I drove westward on I-80 and it was a gorgeous day by the time I got home at noon. Terry was just a half hour behind. The three cats, who had been fed at 4:30 AM Thursday, were extremely happy to see me. At least until they had been fed, then it was cold shoulders all around. As usual.

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There are indications that we had some snow at the Aerie after I left yesterday. However, since the temperature rose into the 40s later, virtually all of it has melted and disappeared. Despite the bright sunshine, we've seen our high temperature for the day (42 early this morning). The radio forecast is calling for a low of around 20 degrees tonight and increasing winds. Tomorrow we may have some snow flurries with highs only reaching the mid 30s. Sunday will be sunny and around 40 as will Pennsylvania's Unofficial State Holiday (Opening Day of gun deer season) on Monday. It's finally starting to feel like fall and even incipient winter.

Woof!

Turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, nibblet corn, string beans, cranberry sauce and pumpkin and pecan pies for dessert. Asti for toasts and white zin for dinner/dessert.

Man I am stuffed!

I hope you've had as good a meal as we did.

Aerie Report, November 25, 2009

Company from Chicago and New Jersey are here at the Aerie for Thanksgiving. Brian and Vicki flew into Newark, NJ, picked up the Mother-in-Law and drove out to PA yesterday. Brian's coming back from a six week stint in Calcutta, India where he was training some folks to do the night shift duties of his company. He actually came in from Germany to celebrate Thanksgiving here. Vicky, Brian's girlfriend and roommate, flew in from Chicago (their home).

While Brian and Vicky have come east, Rick and Sandy (son and daughter-in-law), who live in Portland, OR, drove down to the San Francisco area to have Thanksgiving with Brian's parents and family. From sea to shining sea--and beyond!

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Today we drove up to Corning to visit the Glass Museum and the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.

Posting will be, therefore, somewhat on the light side.

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Coming back from our trip to Corning we took a swing up the mountain to look at the windmill/gas well/gas pipeline construction. The road up was slick as ice with the wet clay. (It's been raining off and on for two days.) We were in the Jeep Compass and there were spots where things got a bit dicey. Then we reached the top of the hill to see a vehicle (another Jeep) off the side of the road, nosedived ass end over grill in the ditch. The vehicle lay on its roof with one rear tire sitting against a tree 10 yards away. The engine block was slightly warm but the muffler was cold to the touch. I don't recall seeing any footprints in the mud. But there didn't appear to be anyone inside.

Brian called 911 to report our findings to the State Troopers and we looked again and again to assure ourselves that no one was inside. Having so assured ourselves, and having informed the authorities, we went on our way trying to figure out how a jeep (with Ontario plates, BTW) could flip over like that, have not a piece of glass broken, have the air bags still intact, and the doors either locked or jammed closed.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the driver/passengers of this mystery vehicle. And we are thankful that it was not us.

******

The Hunter In Chief at the Northview Dairy has performed his duties having bagged both a doe and a buck during the last two days. Congratulations to Alan. Looks like the crew on the farm will be enjoying lots of venison. Threecollie has also posted some great photos of the Adirondacks on the same post and a previous one about Hoss' at Long Lake. Happy Thanksgiving to the folks at Northview. (And, yeah, I'm a bit jealous about those deer.)

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The "climatologists" pushing AGW from the UK have run into a bit of trouble lately, in case you haven't heard. Bullying publishers of scientific papers, fudging data to fit their theories, and, well, promoting lie, after lie. All in the name of hiding the actual decline of world temperatures. "Climategate" or "climaquiddick" are the names attached to the unfolding debacle.

All this broke late last week when a packet of information (mostly emails) was leaked (or hacked) to the internet.

On the lighter side of this scientific debacle, we have had the NY Times saying it would not publish materials evidently not meant to be seen by the general public. Heelllloooo? Pentagon Papers anyone? That alone is comedy gold. Is it any wonder that the circulation is nose diving.

Then there is this piece which takes advantage of the "hide the decline" line.



With luck, this should put an end to the hoax AGW has become. It's definitely time to investigate the goings on of the charlatans pushing CO2 restrictions, carbon credits, and the like. Those in the center of the scams should be sharing jail space with Bernie Maddoff.

The Turkey wasn't the only thing stuffed

The brined turkey was excellent. Nice and moist, this plump 20 pound bird easily served five. (Six if you count the package put together for daughter Jessica.) There will be plenty of leftovers.




The table also contained venison, mashed white and candied sweet potatoes, asparagus, corn, cranberry sauce and, of course, gravy.




Once again, we have Brian and Vicky, Terry and Mom K.

We fielded phone calls from:

Son Rick in Eugene, Oregon as he attended a brunch given by his employer before he went back to the apartment to prepare the rest of T-day dinner for his fiancee Sandy, her sister and his future parents-in-law. (Yeah, he's the cook.)

Daughter Jessica who was on her way to a T-day dinner on Long Beach Island, NJ. She was bringing the candied sweet potatoes, a sweet potato pie and chocolate fudge. (Yeah, she's a pretty darn good cook, too.)

And last night Brian's Mom--Terry's sister--called from California.

Brian, Vicky and MomK took off for NJ around 2 PM so they will be able to do most of their driving in the daylight. Jessica may beat them to the Linden home or get their shortly after. Tomorrow Brian, Vicky and Mom will be heading to Atlantic City to do a little bit of gambling. Jessica will be heading out early to go to work at the Apple store at The Mall At Short Hills. Then late Saturday, Brian and Vicky start heading back to Chicago.

Terry and I will just sit here and veg for a couple of days. And digest our dinner.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The turkey has been brined and is currently in the oven and should be ready for noon. The venison fillet is defrosting. The sweet potatoes are cooked and await further preparation. The Idaho spuds are ready to be cooked and mashed. The kernel corn and asparagus are ready to be cooked. The cranberry sauce is ready to be served. And all else is right with the world.

(At least it is now that I've made a 6 AM run to Wally World to get a new Mr. Coffee machine. Never fails that a critical piece of equipment should break down just as it is needed most!)

The snow has stopped and there may even be some sunshine this afternoon.

There's also some football to be watched: Detroit (hosts the Titans at noon), Dallas (hosts the Seahawks at 4 PM), and Philadelphia (hosts the Cardinals at 8 PM), and will be playing. And in the NCAA, #4 Texas will host Texas A&M this evening.

May you all enjoy a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Guests

That's Terry. Vicky, Brian and Mom in the photo above.

Nephew Brian and his girlfriend, Vicky, arrived this afternoon from Chicago for Thanksgiving. Grandma (Terry's Mom) has been here since Sunday afternoon. Brian and Vicky will be taking Grandma home to New Jersey on Friday and then will spend a day down at Atlantic City before heading back to Chicago.

Tonight we enjoyed a nice pot roast from a hunk of buffalo we had been keeping in the freezer for a few months. Along with salad, mashed potatoes, gravy and string beans (not to mention a nice bottle of wine) the buffalo roast made a very excellent meal.

We also dipped into the pies for desert. Terry had made a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie. Grandma made the apple pie.

Having eaten their fill, they plopped down in front of the TV for the news and then Jeopardy and Wheel Of Fortune.

Now that we are all stuffed, it's time to start brining the turkey for tomorrow.

Mark Steyn: World should give thanks for America

If you’ve got a few minutes, go over and read from Mark Steyn’s weekend column.

He starts off with some humor but soon gets down to the brass tacks of his piece which seems to be that the reason so many around the world (and even within our own borders) look askance upon our fine country is that we’ve been around so long.

But Americans aren't novelty junkies on the important things. The New World is one of the oldest settled constitutional democracies on Earth, to a degree the Old World can barely comprehend. Where it counts, Americans are traditionalists.
We know Eastern Europe was a totalitarian prison until the Nineties, but we forget that Mediterranean Europe (Greece, Spain, Portugal) has democratic roots going all the way back until, oh, the mid-Seventies; France and Germany's constitutions date back barely half a century, Italy's only to the 1940s, and Belgium's goes back about 20 minutes, and currently it's not clear whether even that latest rewrite remains operative. The U.S. Constitution is not only older than France's, Germany's, Italy's or Spain's constitution, it's older than all of them put together.

Americans think of Europe as Goethe and Mozart and 12th century castles and 6th century churches, but the Continent's governing mechanisms are no more ancient than the Partridge Family. Aside from the Anglophone democracies, most of the nation-states in the West have been conspicuous failures at sustaining peaceful political evolution from one generation to the next, which is why they're so susceptible to the siren song of Big Ideas – communism, fascism, European Union.

Add to the longevity factor some pride in who and what we are and the desire to be somebody—in a national sort of way and you really send some away scratching their heads.

So Americans should be thankful they have one of the last functioning nation-states. Europeans, because they've been so inept at exercising it, no longer believe in national sovereignty, whereas it would never occur to Americans not to. This profoundly different attitude to the nation-state underpins, in turn, Euro-American attitudes to transnational institutions such as the United Nations.

But on this Thanksgiving the rest of the world ought to give thanks to American national sovereignty, too. When something terrible and destructive happens – a tsunami hits Indonesia, an earthquake devastates Pakistan – the United States can project itself anywhere on the planet within hours and start saving lives, setting up hospitals and restoring the water supply.

Yeah. That’s got to hurt some European pride. Instead of swooping in to scoop up the booty, loot and pillage the natural resources of an inflicted and powerless country, the US armed forces are more likely to offer real aid like hospitals, medical care, water purification and the like. While the European nations have none of the manpower to do the same and so whip out the checkbook and write a check—usually for a tiny fraction of what the US is doing.