Pretzel Park…

There really is a pretzel.

…is where the gig was today. Keoni, Aidan and a friend of theirs, Julie, played for 35-40 minutes in windy, cold conditions. All three were pros and stuck to their playing despite challenging conditions, and Julie winged through, sight-reading the pieces just as if she'd been able to practice with Keoni and Aidan. They did well enough to draw substantial applause though the three were not satisfied with their renditions.

Wendy and Aidan waiting for the rest of the trio to arrive at the park.

It was Aidan's first paying gig.

In the bigger picture, it was fun when you think about all the music that takes place getting ready for performance moments, no matter the outcome. No losses, just a fascinating journey.

Sometimes, when the music really comes together it grabs your heart.

Some finishing touches this past week. Pictures that have been on floors--leaned against walls-- throughout the house are almost all up on the walls now. Aidan's assessment, "They look better here than in Tucson". We are agreeing he is probably right.

Valley Forge is just  40-45 minutes away, so yesterday that beckoned me. What a beautiful drive through there. It was raining most of the time so I just made a few of the stops along the 10 mile roadway through that area. Next time, I'll bring a lunch along; there are picnic stops. And, should a bicycle be in my future sometime, there are miles of bicycle paths.

(Reconstructed) huts the Continental Army built to weather their winter 1777-8.

Fall at Valley Forge

We are around and on piles of history; even this place. The plumber dug up some old brick and broken crockery where he updated one of the outdoor faucets behind the house. Likely, it was a rubbish pile now covered with grass.

Yes, there is much more settling work to do, and a lot of routine maintenance that will always be part of lives here. Yet, it has now reached a stage of satisfaction and visible order.

I missed posting a photo op of Wendy and John last Saturday on their way out the door to their Anniversary dinner...

It's a new day for the three dogs; Fresno, Fancy and Sebastian, or Large, Medium and Small.

The new split rail fence has "dog wire" attached to it. It's hard to see the wire part, and the camera doesn't show it very well either. The dogs know it is there and now have about three acres to run around on instead of waiting for the walks Wendy has been giving them to take care of business. Frez' had to be leashed for walks since when they first moved in he disappeared chasing a deer and didn't come back for awhile. His Anatolian side shows when he is called from something that interests him.

The chickens and Toby may learn to jump over the fence, but for now all is cool.

Saturday, Aidan and I made and iced a cake for Wendy and John who were having dinner somewhere for their 17th Anniversary. Also, Aidan asked my help the last couple Thursday evenings while he did his English homework. Grandmas can do more than just be proud of their grands and make cakes and cookies.

Keoni continues his arranging and refining music for their gig coming up next weekend. It's great hearing them practice together.

I was in discount stores over the past few days. They are awash in orange merchandise fading into red deeper in the maw of consumer chaos.

Many frisbee tosses have gone by in a short time space. I didn't know I'd get the hang of it; at least, it's enough to satisfy Aidan's love affair with all throwable objects, especially of a round nature. Rocks, sticks, mud clods and black walnuts are OK, too, but the latter stains our hands.

When supper, practices and homework are done, the two brothers sit opposite each other in the music room to play the music Keoni is adapting to cello and two violin parts for their gig in the park; the third violin, a friend of Keoni's, will join them there. I absolutely love watching and listening to them work this out.

Who says you have to have science and math to be innovative? Well, don't bother to answer that. Just saying....

My cat Toby and Sebastian the Rat Terrier are approximately the same size. Sebastian has been a little leery of Toby's intentions when he does his romp thing trying to get a play session going. This evening, they overcame their species' specifics and had about 45 seconds of romping, then tore off to opposite corners of the yard.

Yard! Yes, it's a yard now; huge, but the new fencing gives a great definition to the area.

Weather report: Ladybugs are all over the outside walls of the house...

We haven't looked them up yet so we don't know much about why they would gather this way. There are a couple hundred on the back and side walls. Nice they are an insect we can all love.

Besides the outdoor plumbing work in progress, there came today six guys (Aidan counted, one bald, two tall, one without a shirt, one real young and one with six-pack abs) in trucks and trailers loaded with split-rail fencing materials, and a fork-lift. Within hours posts were in the ground and rails going into place. A badly dehydrated Keoni was driven home from school to bed rest only to be serenaded with the "BRAAAPPP" of chain saws honing rails to fit the fence posts. 

Keoni's recovery was commeasurate with the speed of the fence building. As soon as he was rehydrated and slept a little while he was back to his violin, then chores. He has the chickens and Harvey the turtle. Aidan has the dogs. Wendy the horse, house cats, goats, family desk work. I have my cat Toby, and Wendy and I the house and everything that is in it or goes on in it, including the fleas for which she vacuums and I mop daily. We both keep the laundry going on a daily basis, too. John has backup, and his paying job. There's lots more, but you get the picture.

The fence-building was amazing and probably the fastest thing that was ever done on this property.

There is wire fencing attaching to the split rails so the dogs will stay in the area. Or, that is the theory. 

Toby not too bothered by the racket. He likes people and dogs.

The boys are collaborating for a gig in the park in a couple of weeks...

The best room in the house.

Keoni, Aidan and I tossed a frisbee around this evening until we saw this and stopped to take a picture of it.

Wendy and John were unloading the goat fence panels from the horse trailer so they can be modified to fit the new gaits.

The turkeys in the adjoining woods will be safe from us because we are invited to Betsy's (John's mother in Tucson) very large tribute to this year's Thanksgiving. Besides us, she has a very numerous list of relatives coming from all directions for our country's best holiday. As of this evening's discussions it is Aidan, Keoni and I who are going with possibly John and/or Wendy for a more brief time. The boys have a whole week off school for T'giving. Wendy is reluctant her first Pennsylvania winter to leave her animals to the possible challenges the weather might bring.

I've been making pie dough for Wendy's quiches and a dessert or two. It's finally becoming what could be considered more successful and doesn't take near the time it took before. We ate almost two quiches tonight for dinner. Beautiful.

Shout out to the SWs...I'm on my fourth scarf and hat set.

The weather changer that has galloped across the USA made it here today. A good amount of rain ended the warm spell of the past week or more. Toby dislikes getting wet so was happy to stay on the porch until Jasper came up from the barn to see if we'd let him on the porch. These two cats are still hostile, but no horrible yowls now.

I got to wander around the "tractor store" while Wendy was getting some goat fence panels for gates that will be part of the new fencing in a few days. Hunting is big around here and the store has enough hunting paraphernalia to satisfy a Dick Cheney photo op. Besides the macho stuff there is plenty to browse including books to guide one through chicken or cow husbandry, and at least one that helps the novice survivalist. It has an ax on the front.


A little while ago our second meal in the dining room took place. Modest food--soup and tuna melts--yet there is something that happens when we sit down together for a meal in dedicated space. Some thoughtfulness surfaces, a sense of connection and, not least, laughter happens. Not that some of this hasn't happened when we ate at the little kitchen table, but somehow it comes in a concentrated form in the dining room. Just saying...

A home is happening here.

The buffet for the dining room arrived Friday. It swallowed up an amazing amount of glass and serving dishes yet couldn't quite hold it all. Wendy will get it a companion soon. In the meantime, some left over reside on the marble top.

Four of us hung this painting over the buffet.

Quite an honor to see two of my screenprints go up on the wall. Wendy says the light fixture is on the donation list.

I love the light in the dining room.

Wendy's excellent multi-vegetable lasagna for our first meal here at the dining table.

A particularly fulfilling day for me as well that started with biscuits I made for us; then, a drive to (yes, another one) church through splendid autumn roadway canopies most of the way. I liked the whole experience hugely and appreciated the choir, too. I will likely go back there.

I miss our Tucson choir a lot.

Buoyed by the morning and a short nap, I got a drill and level from John. Then, I began putting up the blinds in my room. Much less difficult than I expected though it took me far longer than the directions' statement of 15 minutes. I had to take a timeout, too, to contemplate some dust fuzzies after I lost balance shoving stuff out of the way and fell over sideways completely obliterating my floor lamp between me and the bed (all praises--the bed, not the chair or floor). But for the poor, very bent lamp, no harm done. Keoni wants some blinds now in his room and Aidan, too.

All the rooms of the house now have a sense of order; some more developed than others, but so very much more comfortable and inviting.

This is May 8, 2013 in Tucson...

Palo Verde trees blooming in Wendy and John's back yard.

 And yesterday the tree by Wendy and John's Pennsylvania barn...

Changing leaves in sunset light.

And, so our lives are changing, this year of our new geography.

New...places to shop for essentials, license plates, photo IDs, stairs, roadways, schools, teachers, names, veterinarians, transportation, doctors, plants, trees, vistas,  time zone...all is different.

Yet, it is that same sunshine electrifying all we see.

Weather Report: Not cold enough to get rid of fleas.

Yep, still working on the flea situation. Alas, they don't suffer from the Southwestern dry climate and just die. Wendy and I vacuum, mop, launder all; over, over, over...the hours go by rapidly.

After her trip to the vet this noon with old Bonnie kitty's aged cat matter, she reported no real news learned from the vet about flea eradication. Just keep doing what we are doing for THREE MONTHS!!! the life cycle of fleas. I am keeping my bedroom door shut since the cats haven't come in here much and maybe after all our cleaning my new Helen Mirren boots won't become flea vectors.

Outside, Toby and the dogs are now free of our little vermin visitors. Not true of the two indoor kitties. Almost but not quite true.

A set of chrome steel shelves/wardrobe now stand in my room holding most of my worldly goods. It slopes since the floor does and the possible adjustments to the unit that would overcome the noticeable drift are maxed out. I bought nice baskets for the shelves so it looks at least somewhat orderly. Smells good, too, though I can only tell you that since we haven't yet found an electronic way to share aroma.

A buffet for the dining room is due to arrive on Friday. It will be nice to have the dishware and related items covering the table in it soon. A free table will be welcome in that room.

The boys and I had supper here together while Wendy and John had supper out at Harleysville Hotel where it is all-you-can-eat wings night. After supper and chores we three at home drove to nearby Energy Station family restaurant, bar, and ice cream parlor for ice cream cones that we ate outside on their porch and watched the traffic go by.

My windows are open for tonight.

Someone told Wendy it is Indian Summer right now. Warm days, cool nights, fall colors, leaves falling, a few crickets still able to scritch and locusts to buzz their swan song.