I Admit it ~ We’re Tourists.

We had to stop at Bennington and see that tall, tall structure that beckoned us from afar! It sits on top of a hill and you can see it for miles as you approach Bennington from any direction.  We were glad we stopped.As we approached the area, the monument seemed to grow before our eyes and we decided to take the elevator ride to the top for a view of Bennington. Jim decided quickly since he was sure he’d get his $3.00 worth. (Of course he had to ask if it included the trip back down!)

Since the colors were perfect and tourists were busy looking at them and not historic sites, we only met two other couples at our visit here. We didn’t even have to fight for a window with a view ~ or wait in line for the elevator!
. . . this may have been a battlefield 200+ years ago, but it’s a gift shop for the battlefield today ~ and yes, we spent money here. Three dollars each, to be precise.Now for a couple other facts that are not included on this sign ~ Those 417 steps only had 4″ risers, so the walk up was not a strenuous one. There were 4 stopping points on the way up, by each of those 4 long slits (windows) that you see on the front of the monument ~ and according to our “tour guide” (elevator operator) nobody complained! After all, before the 1970′s that was the only way to get to the top and experience the awesome view!On each side of the monument are 5 slits up at the top. This picture was taken from the ones on the right of the monument ~ looking down, of course! If you look carefully, you will see a white steeple at the end of the street. Well, in reality, it is not the end of the street, but on a continuation of the street. The steeple sits on top of The First Congregational Church in Bennington. This Church dates back to 1806 and Robert Frost rests for eternity in the cemetery behind it.This picture was taken through one of the five slits on the back of the monument. The colors were awesome and the house in the foreground even more so!
As we got off the elevator after our descent, we noticed a sign we had not seen before our ascent ~ or rather it was pointed out to us! and then we were told to look up! Sure enough, there it was, hanging!A large kettle, over 200 years old, missing one leg! Can you imagine how many men were served out of this? A nice hot meal out of it in August! Yummm. . . . and of course, no good tourist leaves anywhere without having their picture taken somewhere on site, just to prove they were there. (Jim in his shorts, Linda in her flipflops, the typical American tourist!)

We chose this guy to have our picture taken with  ~  the guy who had his right foot shot off!

The Morning After . . . Irene’s brief visit

We could hear rain and wind all night. Boy could we hear it! We’d look out windows on all four sides of the house and all we could see was shadows of tree tops whipping in the wind, wildly whipping in the wind!

Dawn finally came. While Jim slept, Linda tiptoed around the house looking out each window to see what damage we’d sustained. West side, nothing! East side, nothing but a lot of twigs and leaves, and the south side we were afraid of, nothing! No trees on the south side so I wasn’t afraid to look there! Well wouldn’t you know it, this was the side I saw the damage!However! It was not our damage! From my bathroom window it appeared that two branches had fallen off of the large, majestic tree in our neighbor’s backyard.  The yard had recently been groomed since our neighbor’s have relocated and their home is for sale. I didn’t think anything of just two branches falling until Jim told me there was a branch blocking the alley on the other side of that swing set and sandbox.Since the branch appeared (to me) to be on the fence side, I really didn’t think he knew what he was talking about!Until! I walked around to the alley and saw this! Holy Cow! It even took out a telephone drop that you can see hanging on the right hand side of the picture! . . . and this! That’s some branch! Nobody could accuse it of being a twig! That’s for sure!The branch is so long it goes from their swing set into and out of our hedge! It was a long time ago that this branch even began to grow and now it’s life is over. sad.Irene took out this branch and along with it a telephone drop and a fence, too. It doesn’t appear that the swing set was damaged, though.If you look hard at the middle of the picture you can see where that branch split off of the tree. That’s a large split! We were aware that this was not our problem, but this branch was blocking the alley and there are people who use this alley. We have on ocassion since we have a parking place beside our shed. Jim said it would be so easy just to cut the branches that were blocking it, but I told him, we shouldn’t unless we had permission. My theory was somebody may already be contracted to do so, and if they came out to do it they homeowners would still have to pay for it! Jim agreed.As I was downloading the pictures the phone rang and it was the homeowner! She explained her sister had called her and she didn’t know when somebody would be out to clear everything, but it would be done. I then told her what Jim had relayed to me and she was appreciative and said to go ahead. Cutters in hand, Jim went to work!Good deed done for the day! Absentee homeowner happy. Well, as happy as you can be about storm damage to a home you are no longer living in, anyway!

Lancaster’s Keys for the City

Bet you thought a different kind of key, didn’t you! and I bet you thought it should have been Key TO the City and I made a mistake!Well no, I really meant keys, piano keys, and I did mean it in the plural sense. You see, this is the second year in a row that Lancaster has had beautifully decorated pianos scattered throughout our beautiful city for anyone to sit down and play, for groups to sing along to, and for the general public to enjoy! Which we did on Thursday evening . . . as we also enjoyed an ice cream cone from Carmen and David’s across the street! (I had the Tiramisu flavor to die for!)

These pianos are an interactive art project . . . of sorts. Each of the 10 pianos have been donated and each one has a different theme since each was designed by a different person and/or group. The “Music for Everyone” website can shed more light on this subject. One of the better blogs about the project can be found via a link on that page. It’s great! . . . and be sure to click on the tab for Keys for the City for locations of the pianos! but back to our personal concert on Thursday evening!This particular piano is protected by the front of Millersville University’s site on Prince Street, next door to the Fulton Theater. This multi-million dollar building was built by and for the now defunct Pennsylvania Academy of Music and is a gorgeous facility. It seems only fitting that a piano should be placed in front of this facility. The bright pink of the piano contrasts beautifully with the teal of the glass above it ~ and the music from the keys beacon to stop and enjoy as you walk down the street. Such was the case for us Thursday.Mr. Pianoman played continously from the time we first saw him until we left and walked to our car. We had, in the meantime, walked into Carmen and David’s, ordered our treat, sat at a table on the sidewalk and enjoyed the treat and our concert! He had a jazzy honky tonk style and I have no idea what the name of his particular piece was, but

Play on Mr. Pianoman . . . you have at least two fans!

Barnstormers Won and it Only Took Sixteen Innings

We had a wonderful surprise last week, when Certified Carpet called ~ or rather, Paul, our salesman from Certified Carpet called and asked us if we’d like tickets to the Barnstormers game for Saturday evening. Catch? Well, we couldn’t sit in the Field Box Seats, we had to view it from their Sky Box and we couldn’t eat the expensive fare downstairs, but had to eat (and drink) what they had to offer.  Let me think a minute . . .   YES! We’d love to view the game in the lap of luxury!  Arriving at the Stadium we were directed to Handicapped Parking for Jim and strolled though the special entrance for “Sky Boxes.” No lines for us this time. We went right to the elevator and up to the correct level, to be greeted by a hostess that Jim knew! Is there any place that Jim doesn’t know somebody?? and what do you know? but her husband, whom Jim worked with was there, as well, since the Auto Auction also had an event going on! (more about that later!)We found the correct suite and Voila! there was a party going on! We were at the right place! There was popcorn, peanuts, drinks in the refrigerator, but alas, no Cracker Jack! We noticed as we walked down the hall,that each box had something in common. Each had a picture like this, with their Box number on it inside the door.   Whether the other wall decorations were owned by the Box holders or Clipper Stadium, I don’t know.  I would imagine each owner personalizes their own. I was particularly drawn to this since I am currently working on the photograph collection at the Historical Society, adding search terms and have run across pictures of this team, stadium and players. This particular collage had items from 1958, which was just a short three years before it’s final game at Stumpf Field.    The bats added to the baseball theme of the room, and if you notice the chair next to the leather sofa, it’s a ball and glove!The stands were starting to fill and it was a good time for pictures. What you see in this picture are Sky Boxes and Field Box Seats. That side of the stadium backs up to a main throughfare thru town, Prince Street. Our side backs up to the parking lot. Between the Sky Boxes and the Field Box Seats are the concessions that you see in the background. The food is very good, but a little pricey, as it is in any ballpark. If you look at (very hard) the woman standing in the green shirt at the door to a Sky Box, that is where our box was on the opposite side of the stadium. We were on the third base side, and out of the sun! Whoopie!Openning Ceremony always includes the community, and this was no exception. The Honor Guard was a local Scout Troup, with various other youth organizations represented. This is always a great tribute to various organizations and the youth of our community put on by the Barnstormers.If you look closely you can see people shading their eyes from the sun. Another reason the box we were in was ideal.  Sun didn’t shine in our eyes, no sir!

PLAY BALL!! and the game began!  It was going to be a good game, First place team being challenged by the third place team, with the Barnstormers being in the top position. First two innings no score, top of the third the Somerset Patriots scored three, bottom of the fourth, Lancaster scored one. Fifth inning each team scored one, with the Patriots on top 4 – 2.  In the middle of the game Jim told me he was going to the restroom. Twenty minutes later, when he had not returned, I spied a man who looked an awful lot like him down the hall on the balcony of the Suite that Manheim Auto Auction had for the evening! Yup! He went a visiting! and I caught him red-handed! Not only did he visit, but he brought back a plate of wings and some tiny (compared to the ones WE HAD) cookies! Just as he was finishing up the wings, one of the Clerks from Giant came over from the Box next door, because she wanted to say HI! to Jim! (What did I tell you? He knows everybody!!) Jim offered her wings and she politely declined, until he insisted and she accepted. And that is her boyfriend enjoying a plate of wings, thanks to Jim who got still another plate! . . and on this side of the divider is our Salesman, Paul, who offered us the tickets for the game.
But back to the game, since that is what we really came for! The score remained 4 – 2 until the bottom of the ninth. With two on base, Fernando Seguignol hit a grounder past the third baseman allowing Gilberto Mejia to score. Barnstormers were closing the gap!  Aaron Herr hit a single allowing the next run and the game was tied! Barnstormers were back in the game! Extra innings will determine the final score!  Whoo Hoo!!Pitches were pitched . . Strategy discussed . .and fireworks from another event predicted the outcome of the game for THE HOME TEAM. The game took another four and a half more innings for just one more point added to the Barnstormers column thanks to Ozzie Chavez’ single at the bottom of the SIXTEENTH INNING! With two outs, just a few minutes past the witching hour,Chavez’ hit brought Alvin Colina home, breaking the tie and finally finishing the five hour game!

Since the city of Lancaster has regulations as to what the final hour fireworks can be set off, the show that had been scheduled was cancelled. (unhappy face!) But! on the way out we were each given a free ticket to a game of our choice! and two free compact flourescent bulbs apiece, courtesy of PPL, the Power Company! (happy face!)

Three Cheers for Certified Carpet, and our wonderful salesman, Paul, for inviting us to this event. (That’s one cheer each for the rooms they’ve floored for us in the past year and a half ~ kitchen, foyer and bathroom!)

We’ve got more to do, and Certified is certainly our choice for flooring needs!!

I Met a Real Ass

We went to The Tomato Barn in Washington Boro, yesterday, but since I’ve blogged on that before, I thought I’d blog on my newest friend, a real Ass, that I met there.
Across the parking lot from The Barn is a collection of various animals for children, young and old, to feed, talk to and enjoy. I saw a young donkey, pushing a ball around and around the pen and had to take a picture of him doing it. By the time I got there, of course!, he had stopped. He’s the small donkey in the background, next to his ball. When he saw my camera, he literally ran over to me! Since he wanted to meet me, I asked him to smile, and SMILEl he did! I took his picture and asked him if I could have one more, and he said “Sure!” and this one was my favorite!Since I didn’t want to play favorites, I went around to see if the other penned creatures were as friendly as my newest BFF. Let’s see were my feathered, flocked friends? Not even close! How about the goat? Nope! Not him, he enjoyed his role as “King of the Roost!” and wasn’t ready to acknowledge me. What caught my eye was the fence behind his the throne. What was stuck in that fence?? Do you have any guesses? I won’t tell you mine!

Around the corner from the goat was another goat, being fed by a little girl, who had to head butt the fence before he’d eat! He’d put religion in me, but not so the little girl who fed him anyway!
Consensus? My friend, who I thought was a real  Ass, wasn’t after all! He was the friendliest one of the whole bunch!

or maybe figured the way to somebody’s heart was merely a big smile!

Best Job at a Baseball Stadium would be. . .

We went to a Baseball game last night to see our local “Lancaster Barnstormers” get whupped by their rival the “York Revolution.” Since we got there early, we had a chance to observe the pre-game activities in the stadium and it got us to thinking ~ What would be the best job to have at the Barnstormers Stadium?

Hmm-m-m-m, is it the guy who stripes the infield?He took an awful lot of time to do each line, never lifting his head, and making sure each foot was on either side of the just striped line as he walked. I bet he had a sore neck when he went home last night.Would the best job be this guy who drug this gadget around smoothing out the dust on the baselines? He could walk forwards and backwards, and probably got dizzy when he got to each base when he went in circles. I don’t know about this job, I have too many allergies to be stirring up dust intentionally!It could be this guy ~ he wiped down every seat in the section before the game began. He had counterparts in each section doing the same thing. Only problem would be he used the same cloth on each seat, so I’d think he was just transferring the dust and dirt from one seat to the other . . . Or would the best job be the guy who is wearing this Mascot costume in almost 90 degree heat? . . . and wearing it throughout the entire game! I don’t know about this job. They’d have to pay me big bucks in July and August to romp around the field in this!This is one job that just doesn’t appeal to me. In the heat? I don’t mind children on a one to one basis, but packs of children can be overwhelming sometimes, With ages from toddlers to pre-teens? No way! Not my job!

The way I saw it, the best job in the Stadium was behind the scenes somewhere, in an a/c office, just counting the money that flowed freely through the snack bar, concessions, gift shop and ticket booth.

Yup, that was it! The best job and out of sight so I couldn’t take a picture!

Books, Books and More Books! I Think I Died and Must be in Heaven!!

Once a year, the Friends of the Lancaster Public Library hold a book sale. Over 250,000 books that are donated by the community throughout the year, are sorted, priced and boxed just for this sale. That sale was held this week with crowds waiting anxiously on Monday morning for the doors to open. I did not go on Monday, however I did go not once, but twice on Tuesday and once on Wednesday, the half-price day.
From my house, it is almost a straight shot to F&M, right down Atkins Avenue, turn right on Columbia and almost immediately turn left on Race Avenue. Race Avenue deadends in the parking lot at F&M and all I have to do is park the car and walk a couple of yards into Mecca. The sign points the way.Imagine a very large gymnasium filled with tables like these everywhere you look. At first glance it is almost overwhelming; almost, but not quite! The room is divided down the middle with the tables with yellow signs unpriced, and the tables with blue signs individually priced books. The “blue books” are a little higher priced, probably newer and/or rarer.Each category is labeled, Biography, Fiction, Non-Fiction, History, Cookbooks, Children’s Books, Travel, Science, etc., etc., etc. There are even record albums, DVDs, CD’s VCR tapes and the like. The next picture just gives you an idea of how many books they pack onto a table, and why it takes so long to go through everything!
I decided to go Tuesday morning and was gone for about 2 hours. When Linda F. called about 5 and asked me if I wanted to go, I could not refuse a ride in that beautiful red Corvette, so I accompanied her, just for the ride. Right!Today was the last day of the sale and everything was 1/2 price. Since I was on my way to the grocery store, I thought I’d swing by. Three hours later, this bag was so heavy I had to drag it around the room. Notice how I have the handles set up. !A few other people were ready to check out when I was, but the line moved fast when you all had something in common. The line is for a table where they itemize your purchases and hand you a slip to take to the cashiers. This was the line for the itemization. At this station I was complimented on my selections and the “itemizer” wanted to follow me home ~ that’s a compliment, right?The look on the face of the girl in black is the feeling I had, too, as I anticipated my total. This picture helps you see the depth of the room.  . . . and this is what two days worth of book shopping looks like! I can’t put the total on this blog, because I haven’t told Jim yet. ooops!
Anybody have an extra bookcase? I think I need one!

The Largest Chicken BBQ in THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

“Item. — I give and devise unto ‘the City of Lancaster’ all that plantation known as the Bomberger Farm, situated in Manheim township, Lancaster county, on the Harrisburg turnpike, and containing about seventy acres, to have and to hold the same forever, for the purpose of a public park, to be called ‘Long’s Park.’ I direct that the Mayor of the city of Lancaster, the President of Select Council, the President of Common Council, and my hereinafter named executors and their successors, shall constitute a commission, to be called ‘The Long Park Commission,’ to whom I submit for their formulation, all the details for the improvement and management of said plantation, as well as the proper investment of such funds as they may receive out of my residuary estate (as hereinafter provided) to make this public park what I desire it shall be, a delightful place of resort for the people of this city, who so much need an opportunity to enjoy, with beautiful surroundings, the invigorating influence of country air.”

By this act in 1900, Catharine Long, the daughter of a Lancaster County Judge, gave the City of Lancaster the best gift it would ever receive. Long’s Park is “The Destination” of families on a summer day, a gathering place for family reunions and annual events like The Long’s Park Art & Craft Festival, The FREE Long’s Park Summer Music Series on Sunday evenings and the once a year Sertoma Chicken BBQ.Yes, this is Guiness World Record certified as the Largest one day Chicken BBQ in the World! We try to make this an annual event, first of all because it’s an event, secondly our money goes to a worthy cause, and last, but certainly not least, not only do you get your $$ worth, but the chicken is to die for!Car running and tickets in hand, Jim was waiting for me when I got off work on Saturday, and we joined the line of traffic heading to Long’s Park. The line started forming just before we turned onto Harrisburg Pike, on President Avenue. Traffic was moving (slowly) all the way to Long’s Park about 1.5 miles. Once in the Park, traffic was separated, with two lanes going on one side of the circle, and two lines on the other, all four lines merging at an intersection and tapering into two lanes of traffic.  The top portion of Killdeer was one lane, and then traffic once again became two lanes as you approached the “Pick-Up” Point. From the time we left LancasterHistory.Org until we pulled out of Long’s Park, only one hour had elapsed.  Most of the people in this picture are volunteers ~ the others are “consumers”.There are a number of tables down the center of Woodduck Road, stacked with the meals, and as tickets are handed to volunteers, they are exchanged for boxes that contain 1/2 a Chicken, ice cream, potato chips, a banana, drink, roll, and 2 little bags of M&M’s. This volunteer was motioning for the line to keep moving and come pick up their meals from her. This was the first table in the line. Most of the food in donated by businesses in Lancaster County, M&M Mars, Turkey Hill, Kegel’s Produce, Pepperidge Farms and Herr’s Potato Chips.A Turkey Hill Cow is no stranger to any event in Lancaster County, and this BBQ was no exception. Since Turkey Hill was a sponsor and donated 2 parts of the meal, it was no surprise to see a Cow here.

Some had their picnic on the grassWhile others found an open table to enjoy theirs “hot off the grill!”There was a bit of Frisbee playing and the men on stage were dancing to “The Chicken Dance!”Although we would have loved to join the merriment in the park, we had company coming, and after all, it was Linda F’s birthday week! The table was set on the front porch and we waited for Linda to show up. Not that we minded sitting, rocking and watching the world pass by. . . With the meal over and boxes full of the trash, it was time to sit back (once again) and enjoy the spring weather, with just three of those three thousand chicken dinners consumed on that front porch on Atkins Avenue!

. . . and we can hardly wait for the Summer Music Series again this year!

Long’sPark Rocks!

What Do Robins and That Pennsylvania Groundhog have in Common?

Every year there’s a BIG Party in Punxsutawney.  On February 2nd midway between the Winter Solstice and the Summer Solstice the party starts at 3AM when the gates open at Gobbler’s Knob.  The partiers come whether it’s snowing or not, just to see if Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog prognosticator, will see his shadow when they pull him out of his hole. The event is televised and a movie has been made about the event.  (One of my favorites, I might add!  Who could NOT like Bill Murray in “Groundhog Day”?)

Other regions have their version of Phil, too.  Lancaster County has Octoraro Orphie, Dover has Dover Doug, York has Poor Richard, Lebanon has Uni, and  Mount Wolf has Susquehanna Sherman.  Staten Island in New York even has Staten Island Chuck! This year the the majority of them said six more weeks of winter.  

Today my backyard was full of robins!  Yay!  A harbinger of spring!  Right?  Wrong! Another myth and fun thing to believe in! Robins don’t go anywhere.  They stick around all winter.  Canadian Snow Geese migrate, and are much more accurate in determining seasons, but robins, not so.

However! The way I see it is if Phil predicted six more weeks of winter on February 2nd, that means we only have two to go!

Come on Spring.  Winter has worn out it’s welcome!

Old Zion Church Christmas Carol Sing

Old Tradition is that the Christmas season starts on the 2nd Saturday of December.  This is the day (and evening)  that the Old Zion Church is open for their annual Christmas Carol Sing.  What makes this so special when any Church has carols during the Christmas season?

Picture your ancestors going to Church in the early 1800′s, walking, on horseback, in wagons or buggys, going in the evening to sing carols with fellow parishoners, in the snow or cold.  No electric lights or heated buildings, no organs, guitars or other musical instruments, simply the sounds of beautiful voices singing those traditional hymns and carols people have sung through the ages.  This is what we did last evening.Well, not exactly. We went to the Church in our “buggy” AKA Murano, but we experienced everything else, starting with candles lighting the path to the Church. We arrived in plenty of time to secure a spot in the balcony for two reasons; one heat rises and two the view is a little better, especially from the front row in the bacony!  The only form of lighting in the building (yes, it really is utility free!) was this awesome light hanging from the ceiling, providing both illumination and a bit of heat, and those little candles placed here and there, around the perimeter of the room. That lamp was huge, and the top tin lined to reflect light. I couldn’t even begin to count all the crystals hanging from it. It was awesome!

Since this picture shows better in black and white, I adjusted it so you could see how cold it was in the building.  (It would have been rude to use a flash, and I wanted a picture of these awesome musicians!) These are members  of the  “Old Heritage Chorale of Lancaster” who led the singing of traditional, and not so traditional Christmas hymns.  Before each little set of hymns, they awed us with renditions of traditional Moravian hymns, a Johann Sebastian Bach selection, an English Carol and a Spanish Dance Carol. The ending hymn we sang was “Stile Nacht” and yes, we sang Silent Night in German.  After all, our ancestors, if they had attended Old Zion German Reformed Church, would  have.This was taken just as the Chorale was taking their seats. The girls in the balcony opposite us are reading “graffitti” that has been on those walls for over 100 years! I didn’t get a chance to go photograph it, but perhaps, next year. The Church was decorated with greens, bows and candles, and that doesn’t put you in a Christmas mood, nothing will! Tucked behind the stairway was this decorated window. Somebody had to sit on the stairs to decorate it!The picture above shows something that is used in Churches on certain occasions. As we walked up the stairs to the balcony, it was on the landing between floors. I know what it is, do you?. . . and my final picture is give you an idea of exactly how cold it was. Check out that glass!

Enjoy your season ~ and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!