Weather Report: Maple Helicopters, Baseball & Between

Forget syrup, the little helicopters are my favorites, but they defy capturing their flights with my smart phone.

Before take-off.

After landing.

So much has come and gone the past few days that the images in my mind have speed streaks. There are no layabouts present; all regularly scheduled events were managed somehow amongst the week's spotlighted happenings.

Besides the music performance earlier in the week, Aidan had his last of this season's PRYSM performances held at Haverford College auditorium Saturday afternoon after rehearsal on Friday night. (Yes, that Haverford College where Robert Bergeneau formerly Chancellor of UC-Berkeley will not be speaking having joined the crowd of notable commencement dis-invitees this graduation season.) Wendy, John, Keoni and I were in attendance for a very nice program. It is remarkable how well the youthful orchestras are doing. Very, very listenable. Aidan did a great job with his part.

PRYSM joined with the youngest group. Aidan on far right.

PRYSM orchestra.

Friday was John's birthday and late evening after family badminton he began his celebration with the pecan pie I had baked for him.

Lest I forget, that's John headed to the barn for some electrical installations and upgrades.

After Aidan's performance Saturday afternoon we celebrated John's day with a picnic at a hidden away river park along the Schuylkill not too far from Haverford. John had run across the place last fall looking for a way around a traffic stoppage on the turnpike.

Schuylkill River. (Locals call it the Skookle.)

For my bicycle family members, this little park is part of the Schuylkill River bike system that connects to the Perkiomen Trail via Valley Forge. It is 37 degrees this morning so I'll put off a little ride on the Perk Trail until afternoon.

Keoni went to attend his friends' orchestra performance on the Delaware side of our world. The remaining four went to Aidan's cello lesson; then, onward to the Philly's game.

Miles and miles of the Philly region look like this next to the cello lesson at Mrs. d's north Philly area.
Yes, there are ugly areas in Philly. That's for some other day.

Philly Phanatic and friends.

Aidan got this picture...

...and this one he went down to the dugout area to get. Watch out sportscasters. Go Aidan!

My first ever...Cincinnati's Soto fouled this one back where I could snatch it ahead of some Phanatics.

Aidan is taking it to school this morning.

Maybe it was Friday when we had the Scrabble game going. Karma joined us...

Keoni captured this.

When the day closed we were back home...

The grass is mowed, the badminton set is up, tadpoles have gone underground and music performances fill the calendars. 

Keoni won second place in the Tri-County competition. Yesterday Wendy and I picked up the boys early from school to go to Aidan's PRYSM orchestra playing with some of the Philly orchestra members. The Philly Conductor-in-Residence led; an outstanding ability both conducting and engaging the youngsters (some maybe early grade school age). 

Waiting for PRYSM'S turn.

All assembled.

Hard to capture picture without a bow or a scroll in front of Aidan.

Gloria dePasquale, Aidan's teacher and Phlly Orchestra member.

Afterward, Aidan and his new cello case; super light and easy on backs.

Let us not forget the Mother's Day that began with the boys in the kitchen making breakfast for their mom...

The calendar is a blur of activity in front of us. Wendy and John's is especially packed. I fill in here and there when events overlap. Keoni will get driving lessons next August after Meadowmount. 

Next weekend the neighbor's are staging sales...

I can't say what "Men's" garage sale means.

Grass, Cats and Fame

An activity pause on Friday before the predicted rain found Wendy with the opportunity to mow the grass before our over-active weekend.

Pulling into the driveway after a trip over to Allentown Road for milk yesterday, I was astounded to see Toby streaking across the barn lot in hot pursuit of Jasper the barn cat. Jasper reached the top of the woodpile behind the tractor shed and the skirmish ended. Toby the condo cat has turned a new page! He definitely had moved into the barn during my Utah trip, braving, at last, the jump in and out of the cat hole. It is amazing to see he is establishing order in his favor. He must have learned something from the dogs.

In a way, I'm happy for him to be making a home for himself, yet I hope no full-blown cat fights take place. Aside from Jasper, the other two barn kitties are female; Patches and Star, sweet, placid presences. I'll hope for the best. Barn life for Toby would make a much better winter in the coming year.

______

Aidan has been working on a school project nearly all year. The assignment was to interview someone to learn about them and their life. The many parts finalized this week and were presented along with his other classmates' projects. What an honor that my life and times were Aidan's subject for his...

It included some 'artifacts' from my life that rounded out his presentation. They remain under his desk at school for pickup on Monday.

A great good fortune for Keoni and Aidan is that they attend exceptionally good public schools. Included are outstanding music/arts programs; as well as, excellent academics. All thanks are given that this is true. They have made many friends extending their networks both in and out of school, and certainly in the music world; growing just like this spring is blossoming all around us.

Dogwood at Valley Forge.

George Washington's Valley Forge Headquarters.

A couple of nights ago Aidan played with his school orchestra's spring performances.

Later in the program, a first; he accompanied the school chorus.

This weekend we pick up Aidan's long awaited cello case for his full-sized cello. This white one is a loaner from the company making the new one.

There is still more music to go during this welcome spring.

The Earth is Growing Flowers...

...and leaves and grass and bugs...

A quiet day here at Rhapsody Ridge. Yes, music happened. Wendy schlepped Aidan into north Philly to his cello lesson. Keoni was practicing violin long before I left for church and still at it after I returned. I took him to his piano accompanist's home for another practice session before next Saturday's audition. Wendy and John worked on barn gutters and drainage adjustments and repairs. It rained, the sun shone, the wind blew, but sometimes you could hear forever.

Burbles. If I get far enough away from the road I can hear the earth absorb the water. My feet sink into the knobs of grass where I try to avoid the mud. 

These five hens keep us in eggs. The yolks now are vivid orange.

Wendy said go ahead and have these for lunch. Yum. They were growing where the former owner had a garden. 

Our own dogwood...

...and violets.

Black walnut blossoms.

I don't know the name...

...nor this name.

My buddies, Frezz and Toby.

Pink dogwood. This is a first for me.

Weather Report: Frogs

Last week Aidan reported tadpoles at the low end of the pasture where we'd been watching the winter runoff. The next day he said the pools dried up and they were dead. Then, rain started. On Monday night while getting out of the car I heard distinct frog croaks--three different ones to be exact. More rain came, and more croaks happened through the week, even on nights of the really retrogressed low temperatures. Now we've had five inches of rain and the croaking orchestrations have increased to rock concert proportions; especially last night when the temperature was sweater-less warm and one more 15 minute downpour drenched everything.

Wendy resumed pumping out the barn stalls. The old, out-of-use well next to the barn over-flowed once more. She siphons that away from the barn, but was hard put to find some direction to send it where it wouldn't cause more problems. She has identified things to do about the situation. There will be more fixing and earth-moving as the warm weather comes on.

John has mentioned driveway improvements.

Can't try my bike out yet on the Perk Trail. Perkiomen Creek is flooded. In the meantime, I'm assembling some bike accoutrements that will be needed. Tire pump, Allen wrenches, knickers, etc.

I think I am fully here in PA again.

My Utah families tug on my heart and I hope for all their responsibilities and undertakings to continue to move positively and successfully forward. I love each and every one of them.