Popeclipse and Much Else

The Fonthill Castle began life near Doylestown about a century ago--about a week ago, I joined some friends to take a look at it, and the Moravian Pottery and Tile works on the same property. The "castle" was dark, cramped, airless, hot and hadn't enjoyed a dust cloth for at least a couple of generations, so I split from the group for awhile and sat outside in the shade and played with my iPhone since castle pictures were forbidden without paying inside. That peaceful wait sitting on a tree stump relieved the oncoming asthma attack. One group member who stayed through the castle tour had to forego the second phase through the tile and pottery works since she almost fainted.

The tour commenced for the rest of the group through the almost equally dismal factory interior. The over-priced gift shop had some visual appeal with the tiles displayed for sale, and a slight bit more light. Mercer the owner, deceased in 1930, kindly left it all to his housekeeper to keep it going as a museum. Still, kind as he had to have been, the poured concrete structure portrays more self-will run riot than any understanding of architecture.

Help! I want out.

One wing of the concrete-constructed tile factory.

Lots of smoke stacks.

The fanciest one.

Most welcome was a lunch scheduled afterward at a nearby eatery. A pleasant memory that tells me I was along because of the enjoyable human contact.

The neighbors were at it again with their spring and fall yard sales. Every once in awhile on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the sale weekend there is a BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! as rifles and pistols for sale are examined and tried out. Aidan and I, a long time ago, found where the prospective purchasers and entrepreneurs shoot into the property's septic mound in the woods. There are all sorts of shells lying around there, as well as an old water heater and such propped there--all full of bullet holes.

Aidan is #20 of the middle school team. Note the female players.

Wendy and I went to Aidan's first home game at his middle school last week. The double-teaming ended last Thursday when his summer Souderton team played their last two games. There will be a sort of tournament next Saturday that ends the summer league.

Quite a bit of time went into Pope listening and watching. John said there was a Popeclipse at work. Here, I watched with my ear buds and computer. When he spoke to the UN Assembly his words came through my left ear bud and the interpreter came through the right ear bud. Interesting. I want to pitch a little message about loving what this man says and stands for--he walks his talk, for sure, and embodies what it means to me to be a Christian in this world. Yes, I know he didn't satisfy everybody and lots more needs to be done. I am deeply happy the air is so much fresher for his spiritual leadership.

Aidan and I made it to the car show.

I'm sure the tire is way better than the first one ever put on this rim.

I did my Tai Chi class for beginners right after the advanced practitioners finished.

Aidan finds and tries out his own recipes now. This one was the most complicated he has done.

Swirly layers before baking.

The farm markets have changed to fall items.

I need an iPhone 6, I think--this was actually a thumbnail sliver of reddish light.

It was overcast Sunday night, but a little past ten I went outside in front of the house to see if clouds cleared a little to see the eclipse, but they hadn't so I came back upstairs and at the hall window I took one last look and there it was! I hurried back downstairs to the front porch, and for 10 minutes, got to watch the last reddish thumbnail disappear into the eclipse--then, the clouds covered it again.

Wendy has returned the porch furniture to their positions after the house-painting. Mornings often look like this...

Tens and Twelves

Sports Desk: Two times Messi...That means Aidan's newest team sport shirt for his middle school (Crest) team is #20...two times Messi's (top soccer player for Barcelona) whose is 10. Yes, the hoped for #10 went to another of his school teammates, and, yes, Aidan made the team! That doesn't mean he stopped playing with his Souderton team. He's just doing both! Yesterday's afternoon and evening scores were 4-0 Crest. and 1-1 tie against Souderton League's Green. How many people do I know who can run around on a soccer field for three or four hours at a stretch?

eBay was his source for the latest.

Almost unbelievably, these are size 12. I think Aidan is now taller than I am. His age is 12, so it is amazing that he'll be growing quite awhile yet.

A little setback on my knee stuff happened last weekend. All is well, however. No damage; just some twist or stress caused some pain and swelling which is much better after 15+ years of accumulated knee know-how and swimming applied to the situation. All will be well.

Hot days persist, but nights are cooling down. Mornings bring a mix of temps and humidities to produce light, short-lived fog blankets.

Wendy has been mowing and weed-whacking. The low rainfall for the season has a browning effect on lawns.

A couple of emails back and forth and a phone call with Keoni were welcome. The household is different this fall as I feel the reality of his absence. Not just away for the summer this time. He is immersed in his endeavors, and happily so, it seems.

Fall is kicking in for activities at the church I attend. Aidan and I are looking forward to the Car and Truck Cruise-In with Pulled Pork and Apple Bake. He loves the antique and late model sports cars and trucks. There must be lots of people restoring vehicles in the area. Every once in awhile there will be a veritable convoy of interesting vehicles rolling by on Ridge Road, and elsewhere, likely going to or from a show similar to the one we stopped at in Harleysville recently.

One of the newer school buses went by a few minutes ago. They are narrower than the older ones making them look a little strange, but definitely a boon on these narrow roads and bridges.

This is the house this morning--all finished in its new coat of paint...

The white is now a more subdued ecru (eggshell?). Doesn't glare and seems to me to agree with the landscape more.

John reports seeing Toby in a nest in the hay he made for himself in the barn. I think my furry buddy is developing his winter strategies and definitely is growing another dense, orange coat. Animal lovers won't like this, but the warmest coat I ever wore was Mom's old fur coat she let me use winter mornings to milk the cow. Now I go to Walmart and buy wicking long underwear and wonder what I'm doing to humans in retail and in Asia. We are a strange species.

Rhapsody Ridge Gets New Paint

The painters got here on Wednesday and, like the Phillies, were rained out yesterday. Today, everything is looking up. The painters are back and it's beautiful--the weather and the painting. There is a reason the old bricks are painted on the original house--it avoided pointing the bricks which is a lucrative business throughout the region with so many very old masonry structures to maintain.

Southeast corner prepping.

West northwest, more or less, on the back of house painting progressing.

North side has the new paint. This is the "new" section of the house, circa 1982. The  original was built in 1885-6. The barn dates to that year, too.

Wendy has sold four of the goats. Two more are scheduled to go in another week or so to their New York purchasers. She is keeping Jasmine who remains an abundant producer. No breeding planned until the fall of '16. Political candidates will be in the last throes of their campaigns and Wendy will be thinking more about goat-breeding, which if the campaigning continues in the current vein, will make lots more sense.

I have a friend in Tucson who can't wait to see Donald Trump take off his shirt and ride a horse.

Weather Report: Up Down Up Down

We are see-sawing into Fall. Heat interrupted with a chilly night here and there, no rain, 90+ degrees in the day. The light tells the story and the leaves don't lie either. Glorious color just ahead.

The house painters are due this coming week. If they spray paint I shall have to move my pony Subaru so he doesn't become a pinto. John is paint/stain sealing the new top stair rails he installed for the back deck. There are still mutterings over the laundry room flooring choices. And the dry spell (PA drought) makes for a more quickly depleted water supply.

The soccer games are running out of daylight, but Aidan hasn't run out of enthusiasm...



Tai Chi at church has taken up again this end-of-summer time...

My furry friends on the back porch all patiently wait for me to finish my Tai Chi moves in the early mornings before enthusiasm overcomes the moment. Large, medium, and small as follows...

Frezz.

Fancy.

Sebastian.

...and, of course, his Nibs.

Their winter coats are growing in. I wonder about my wardrobe for this winter, but the heat is too daunting to spend the time among the attic storage boxes to make some purchase decisions.  Later is better.

In the meantime, there are series on Netflix to finish and fresh fruit and vegetables to think about and eat.

My dinner the other day gathered from Allentown Road farm markets.

This presentation is abysmal, but the fried apple dessert sure tasted good.

We may be in a "dry spell", but there have been a few mornings of fog.