I saw it. A few weeks ago at Adzentoivich Woods. It came swooping down on me in the night. Out of the tall pines. As I stood next to Big Blue I heard the rustling of his enormous wings as he prepared for take off from the tree tops.
Swoosh...Swoosh...
The trees shook. It looked like the whole forest was coming to greet me. I screamed, "What is it!? What is it!?" Branches creaked and cracked.
Swoosh...Swoosh...
"Aghhhhhhhh!", I screeched. I crouched low and covered my face with my arm.
All at once he burst from the dark stand of pine. Wings as wide as I am tall. The creature was black as the night itself. Quickly he flew past with two flaps of his wings.
He disappeared into the night. The trees swayed gently.
The next morning we found tracks in the snow by the creek. Big tracks. Bird tracks. HUGE tracks.
It was the Mighty Teradactyl. We are not safe...
Or maybe it was a turkey.
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Pug on the Farm
Tybalt is a Pug. He is not an Elizabethan swordsman.
Tybalt is a dog. He is not a "Dog".
Tybalt likes to be held and coddled. He does not like to run through fields. He doesn't really even like to be outdoors at all.
Tybalt was a guest on the farm this weekend. He spent some time on the couch, some time on his mommy's lap, and a very little bit of time walking through the woods and in the mud. All of the humans on the farm were very impressed with his tenacity. He was a good little trooper - walking through the last remnants of snow, and navigating over thorn bushes.
You may recognize Tybalt from the famous Rowe Greeting Cards. There was "Lady-Pug", "Czar Pug", and everyone's favorite "Angel Pug", to name a few.
Tybalt is a dog. He is not a "Dog".
Tybalt likes to be held and coddled. He does not like to run through fields. He doesn't really even like to be outdoors at all.
Tybalt was a guest on the farm this weekend. He spent some time on the couch, some time on his mommy's lap, and a very little bit of time walking through the woods and in the mud. All of the humans on the farm were very impressed with his tenacity. He was a good little trooper - walking through the last remnants of snow, and navigating over thorn bushes.
You may recognize Tybalt from the famous Rowe Greeting Cards. There was "Lady-Pug", "Czar Pug", and everyone's favorite "Angel Pug", to name a few.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Easter Weekend
Well, we are beginning our new Easter tradition this year with:
1st Annual Adzentoivich Woods Welcome Easter, Welcome Spring Jubilee!
So far we will be joined by the Rowe's of Brooklyn, NY and perhaps briefly by the Riotto's of Hometown, PA (forgive me if I have the town name wrong).
I understand that invitations went out last minute, and we have neither sleeping quarters nor bathing facilities to offer, so all of you who cannot attend are truly forgiven.
You may, however, wish to mark 4th of July weekend on your calendars now. We will hold the 1st Annual Adzentoivich Woods 4th of July Hoedown that weekend. We plan to have more rennovations completed by that time to accomodate the more refined folks out there who would like to - oh I don't know - bathe maybe.
1st Annual Adzentoivich Woods Welcome Easter, Welcome Spring Jubilee!
So far we will be joined by the Rowe's of Brooklyn, NY and perhaps briefly by the Riotto's of Hometown, PA (forgive me if I have the town name wrong).
I understand that invitations went out last minute, and we have neither sleeping quarters nor bathing facilities to offer, so all of you who cannot attend are truly forgiven.
You may, however, wish to mark 4th of July weekend on your calendars now. We will hold the 1st Annual Adzentoivich Woods 4th of July Hoedown that weekend. We plan to have more rennovations completed by that time to accomodate the more refined folks out there who would like to - oh I don't know - bathe maybe.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Brandonville, PA
Population (year 2000): 217 (our addition makes that number 219, but we know of at least one death in the two months since we moved in...so it may still be 217...about the same number that lives in our building in Brooklyn...well, not really...)
Males: 116 (53.5%), Females: 101 (46.5%) (Hey all my single girl friends...come on out...the odds are in your favor if you like the flannel-wearing, deer-hunting, beer-drinking, ATV-driving type)
Males: 116 (53.5%), Females: 101 (46.5%) (Hey all my single girl friends...come on out...the odds are in your favor if you like the flannel-wearing, deer-hunting, beer-drinking, ATV-driving type)
Elevation: 1190 feet (no wonder it is so easy to become winded when working outside...and here I thought it was because we were out of shape!)
County: Schuylkill
Land area: 1.4 square miles (I believe 26 acres equals one square mile - we own 20)
Zip code: 17967 (this is really the zip code for Ringtown, there is no Post Office in Brandonville)
Median resident age: 44.5 years (We are youngin's compared to everyone else!)
Median household income: $26,125 (year 2000) (Well......we won't go there...but we can say this average will have to go up a bit now)
Median house value: $63,800 (year 2000) (OK...so we paid more than that - but we also got the LAND)
Races in Brandonville:
- White Non-Hispanic (100.0%) (Wow, this is a little tiny bit scary)
Ancestries: Polish (28.6%), German (15.2%), Dutch (12.0%), United States (11.5%), Lithuanian (9.7%), Irish (7.4%). (Italian 1 person...me, plus one more Lithuanian)
And for even more delightful Brandonville, PA facts you can visit here.
Hope to see you soon!
Monday, March 21, 2005
Cousin Anne in St. Patty's Wear
We spent Saturday at a traditional Schuykll County event. Cousin Anne invited us to her friend Ken's where we had BBQ and Apple Dumplings before the parade.
St. Patrick or "The Pope of Ireland"
Every year the town of Girardville has a big celebration in honor of St. Patty's day and Spring. There is a long history of Irish people in the area going back to the Molly Maquires and the Coal Miners.
This was a true small town USA party! There were people from all of the neighboring towns. Fire Departments from all over PA had their trucks shined up and in line. There were Clydesdales, convertibles and clowns. It was truly a fun day for all.
This was a true small town USA party! There were people from all of the neighboring towns. Fire Departments from all over PA had their trucks shined up and in line. There were Clydesdales, convertibles and clowns. It was truly a fun day for all.
Northeast Variety Band - Girardville, PA
We were stationed at the turning point of the parade. These guys were really good! The people of Girardville really put their all into this parade. It was very impressive.
Bag Pipers in Girardville Parade
The parade lasted about 3 hours. There were many marching units from all over PA. The streets were lined with people eating, drinking and having a great time.
Friday, March 18, 2005
Friday
This is a lame title - I know. I feel like this blog has become pretty lame lately. Sorry about that. Things have just been so busy. I know, what else is new. It is not an acceptable excuse for neglecting all of the important things in life - being busy that is. And by important things I mean friends, family, health, sanity, cats...
I dreamt of my Grandfather last night. It was a very moving dream. I woke up feeling like the girl from that new show Medium. Like he was really trying to speak to me, to tell me something. It made me cry. Strange how things like this can knock you off of your focus.
He told me to "spend as much time together as you can. Go to sporting events and listen to music" I know that sounds stupid, but I think I got the message: less work, more quality time together enjoying the simpler things life has to offer. That's it. Just don't stop loving each other. Simple.
Or, it should be simple anyway...
I dreamt of my Grandfather last night. It was a very moving dream. I woke up feeling like the girl from that new show Medium. Like he was really trying to speak to me, to tell me something. It made me cry. Strange how things like this can knock you off of your focus.
He told me to "spend as much time together as you can. Go to sporting events and listen to music" I know that sounds stupid, but I think I got the message: less work, more quality time together enjoying the simpler things life has to offer. That's it. Just don't stop loving each other. Simple.
Or, it should be simple anyway...
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Cellar Stairs Before
BEFORE...
There were once stairs here leading to the basement. They were rotted and falling down.
Now they are gone.
There were once stairs here leading to the basement. They were rotted and falling down.
Now they are gone.
Big Ernie Measuring Twice and Cutting Once
DURING...
Somehow, after a few extra trips to Lowe's, this pile of wood became new cellar stairs.
Somehow, after a few extra trips to Lowe's, this pile of wood became new cellar stairs.
The New Cellar Stairs
AFTER.
New Cellar Stairs built by EA Senior and EA Junior.
Now that we have safe access to the basement we can really get to work!
New Cellar Stairs built by EA Senior and EA Junior.
Now that we have safe access to the basement we can really get to work!
Monday, March 14, 2005
Pirates Attack!
Who knew? The Malaysian still refer to "Terrorists" at sea as Pirates!
Now I don't know about you, but I think it would be much less unsettling if we referred to all Terrorists as Pirates. It somehow seems much less scary. I don't care if the pirates today have missle launchers, I still envision Johnny Depp in a head scarf - funny, not scary. Hot, even. Definitely not something to give me a panic attack on the subway or while driving through the Holland Tunnel.
Yes, from now on, in my world there are no more Terrorists, only Pirates.
There is already an international contingency in place - The Piracy Reporting Centre of the International Maritime Bureau - or of course, IMB as they are also known.
Now I don't know about you, but I think it would be much less unsettling if we referred to all Terrorists as Pirates. It somehow seems much less scary. I don't care if the pirates today have missle launchers, I still envision Johnny Depp in a head scarf - funny, not scary. Hot, even. Definitely not something to give me a panic attack on the subway or while driving through the Holland Tunnel.
Yes, from now on, in my world there are no more Terrorists, only Pirates.
There is already an international contingency in place - The Piracy Reporting Centre of the International Maritime Bureau - or of course, IMB as they are also known.
Friday, March 11, 2005
New Look
Do you like this new format better than the old Adzentoivich News? I thought the old version was getting difficult to read. I didn't like the font or the colors.
Let me know what you think.
Let me know what you think.
New Yahoo! Travel Site
I am not sure how long this has been out there, but Yahoo! has a new travel site that is now in Beta. It supposedly allows you to find cheap air fare, hotels, etc., and compare your findings.
It is called Yahoo! FareChase and you can find it here.
It is called Yahoo! FareChase and you can find it here.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Hitching up the Barn
This is the story of the demolition of the Adzentoivich Woods barn, by order of Big Bad AllState Insurance Co. This was not an easy task, nor was it pleasant. It took three of us the better part of Saturday to get it to the ground. The old barn put up a good fight. There were many old memories holding it in place.
In the end it all came down and most of it has been burned by now. While you scroll through these few demolition photos, imagine the saddest music ever played.
Stay tuned for a future posting featuring a good old Barn Raising. And be prepared to come out to the farm this summer to help us fill it full of new memories.
In the end it all came down and most of it has been burned by now. While you scroll through these few demolition photos, imagine the saddest music ever played.
Stay tuned for a future posting featuring a good old Barn Raising. And be prepared to come out to the farm this summer to help us fill it full of new memories.
Burning Down the Barn
With the help of my dad, the FireMaster, we burnt 3/4 of the old barn wood. Although I would have loved to have salvaged the old timber, most of it was rotted.
Where Once There Was A Barn, There Now Stands Splintered Wood...
Taking down the barn was very difficult. It took three grown people four hours to get it to fall. If it weren't mandated by AllState we never would have taken it down. It was beautiful.
"The Man" Won Again...
"The Man" Won Again...
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Morning Coffee on the Front Porch
You can take the man out of the mountains, but you'll never take the mountain out of the man.
At Morning's First LIght
My Father-in-law on his first morning at Adzentoivich Woods. I believe he was looking for deer or other critters.
Monday, March 07, 2005
The Big Blue Truck
Big Blue to the Rescue...No more walking up the driveway! We are truly living the life. All we need is a gun rack for the cab.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Free Ice Cream From Yahoo!
Yahoo! Turns 10 today and they are giving out free Baskin Robbins ice cream to anyone with a Yahoo! e-mail account. All you have to do is log in and print the coupon.
Free Ice Cream!
I went to Yahoo!'s birthday party last night. It was at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. There was a DJ and about 10 bars. Of course it was open bar and they also had passed hor's d'ourves. Everyone in attendance got two Martini glasses as a parting gift. Very nice. I would guess there were at least 800 people there.
One of the few perks of working in SEM.
Free Ice Cream!
I went to Yahoo!'s birthday party last night. It was at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. There was a DJ and about 10 bars. Of course it was open bar and they also had passed hor's d'ourves. Everyone in attendance got two Martini glasses as a parting gift. Very nice. I would guess there were at least 800 people there.
One of the few perks of working in SEM.
Father In Law Arrives!
Today my Father in Law arrives. The next four days will be spent at Adzentoivich Wods accessing the damage and just what, exactly, Ernie and I have gotten ourselves into. On Saturday my father and I will join the two Ernies. I am very interested to see what we will find when we arrive. My guess is it could be one of two scenarios:
1. The barn has been torn down, there are jacks under the beams in the basement, and the two Ernie's are in the Zone.
2. The barn is still standing as is, the basement is flooded, the two Ernies are on the couch watching DVDs and eating cookies.
I don't know which is more likely.
1. The barn has been torn down, there are jacks under the beams in the basement, and the two Ernie's are in the Zone.
2. The barn is still standing as is, the basement is flooded, the two Ernies are on the couch watching DVDs and eating cookies.
I don't know which is more likely.
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