Bikes Away
Well, the eighth annual Road Apple Roubaix was a smash ! Anyone coming into town on Saturday could testify to the popularity of the event, just by observing the parking situation. The nearest comparison might be a really big night at SummerFest or the last big drawing of the long-running Queen of Hearts raffle. Cars, trucks, vans, SUV’s–any vehicle...
SmartAssemblage?
he Mighty G-Men came away with the top standing in the very small school division and one of the top ten individual scorers in the entire meet. Varsity team members at the competition included Jack Rado, Cameron Edwards, Rene Fenshaw, Cass Swenson, Lillian Kercher; team members unable to attend included Katey Cisney, Emma Huter and Ellie Shay; they deserve credit too, a team doesn’t get to be good unless practices and competitions are an over-all effort, you know, a TEAM.
Baaahhhh
Actually, it’s been a sort of wet-wool period so far. No little lambies gamboling in the green grass to usher in the Vernal Equinox, a sort of prediction for a snowflake or two, 50% rain for the Road Apple Roubaix (Those people will ride in anything…and boast about it afterward.), sunshine for a few days, rain for a few...
Hear No… See No… Speak No…
Can we quit talking about nothing but the weather? Granted, the weather has been pretty, shall we call it, remarkable–and we have remarked upon it at length. The sledding hill in back of the Y got a work-out, as did the various fleets of snow-removal and salt-spreader trucks. Some of the remarks were NOT something that one is likely...
Way TMI!!!
A recent feature in the AB-J has indicated to me that I am on the “way to hell in a handbasket”, or, as the “Car Guys” and “Sports Illustrated” have said upon occasion, “a sign of the Apocalypse”. The title of the section is LIFE, the particular feature was : Your Decor, What does your bookshelf say about you?...
It’s About Time
Perhaps you have a loved one in an area nursing home. Perhaps you love live music and frequent the many venues in the area, including some of the Open Mics. Perhaps you attend flea and farmers’ markets around Portage County. If any of the above fits you, then you have likely heard ‘It’s About Time-Duo.’ Comprised of Pat McIntyre...
Messages From Mother Nature ~ White?
During the winter months in northeast Ohio, snow isn’t the only thing that is white. When the snow flies…. some animals turn white too! Say what? As we all know birds, insects, and animals have different strategies when dealing with winter in northeast Ohio. Most birds migrate south, some insects bury themselves in the ground, some reptiles and amphibians...
Fa-la-la-la-la and All That
Guess what holiday is coming up. Go ahead, guess. There have been candy canes hanging around since somewhere around July Fourth, Santa Claus began flying in earnest somewhere around Labor Day and the lay-away departments must be stuffed to overflowing by now. Speaking of something similar, what’s this latest scam, “Buy now, Pay later? Like they always say, “If it...
Messages From Mother Nature: The Golden End of Summer
As the hot muggy days of summer wane and you begin to can see the familiar V formation of geese flying south, Monarch’s flit among the flowers, making their way to Mexico, and the woods becoming quiet as many songbird species leave for winter. The autumnal equinox announces fall is officially here on September 22. But to many, Goldenrod,...
And We’re Off!
Most recent R-C bulletin claims that the Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a very cold winter for much of the country. I have not got my 2022 copy yet, but it’s on my list to check out. As usual, there will, no doubt, be variations by specific locales, but I’m getting my woolies in order, just in case. Could...
Festive Enough For Ya?
My favorite part was walking home from the crush of downtown merrymakers--through the rain, which was showing no sign of letting up for awhile--only to decide that the fireworks were not likely to be a feature of the evening, since the operators of the system would be likely to have difficulty getting their matches going to set things off....
Musical Musings
Hello Everyone, I am Ethel Wupperman, you may have read some of my recent articles. I am a woman on a mission, I hope to help give a boost to some of the area organizations that got hit hard from COVID 19 and the mitigation that occurred. Although the list seems endless, I am concentrating on 3 areas that are...
Messages From Mother Nature: The Ladybug
“Excuse me sir, but would you please call me by my correct name…. I am a LADY BEETLE, not a common bug!” Some explanation is in order for our snooty ladybeetle. Lady bugs are really beetles, not bugs. All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs. Within the insect world, there are several distinct groups, Butterflies and Moths...
Sic transit gloria mundi
“Thus passes the glory of the world” Have I used that line before? How about “Time flies when you’re having fun.”? Well, both apply just now, as regards the latest project which I am involved in. That is to say, cleaning out Mother’s house. Bless her heart, now that she’s gone, I can write about her...things that she never would have...
Up, Up and Away!
Wasn’t that a song some time back? “Up, up and away in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon”...or something like that? Goes on to say, “Would you like to ride in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon?” Catchy tune. Google says that The 5th Dimension and Dionne Warwick got the most play with it. Anyway… Saturday last I was engaged in my...
Horticulture Hotspot!
Well, if it ever rains again….. What’s up with this weather? Every day, just about, the weather guru’s keep saying that there “may be scattered showers, with a chance of thunderstorms”...” isolated rain showers and T-storms”...”possible T-storms with hail or heavy rainfall”. And what have we been getting? Zip. Zero. Nada. Which is about what I am getting on the...
March… Lion or Lamb?
It is my pronouncement that March came in like a lion then left like a lamb…being chased by a Polar bear. We get everything around here.The very mention of lambs brings up all sorts of images; I love lambs. They always manage to arrive on the coldest/wettest/most inclement night of the Spring/Winter--in the middle of the night, when sensible...
Messages From Mother Nature: Aliens or Owls?
Let us set the stage…it is late January; you are lying in bed tossing and turning. It is 2am, wind howling, snow blowing, and it is hovering around zero outside. It is so miserable outside; you think of the old saying “it’s not fit for man nor beast”. Suddenly you hear a whooo whooooooooo whoo-whooo. Then a minute later...
“Paw-toe-graphs”, Anyone?
The Porch Kitty Fan Club is still alive and well. The Fabulous Felines’ more-or-less annual Christmas gift arrived just the other day(Since it came on the 5th, I gather that the group belongs to an Orthodox faith and were celebrating the arrival of the Three Kings. They skipped Kwanzaa altogether.) Anyway the package contained a pouch of Crunchy Treats...
Messages From Mother Nature: What is that white stuff?
For the first time in a long while, we had a white Christmas. It was the second major snowstorm of the winter. In fact, December was one of the snowiest on record with just over 29 inches. One of the biggest factors for all the snow once again, was the Lake Erie snow machine. So, how does this machine...
It’s That Time Of The Year
You think I know about nothing but cats? Ha! I can literary with the best of ‘em. Watch this: No sun - No moon No morn - No noon - No dawn - no dusk - no proper time of day. No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease, No comfortable feel in any member - No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,...
Air Mail Part II
Same windsock. Same beautiful weather. Bright little plane coming in from the east with a mailbag, to pick up a mailbag filled with postcards--over five hundred of them--addressed the last time we all gathered here on this sunny county airport in Middlefield, Ohio to commemorate the centennial of the transcontinental postal air mail service in 1920. Air mail service...
Odder Still…
The computer has forced me to type this piece over again after it deleted everything except the date, August 31. I don’t know if I insulted it or what. Maybe it’s been keeping track of the things which I have been saying about it--all true! There was a Dilbert cartoon the other day that might fit : Office worker...
Another Centennial
August 30, 2020--Geauga County Airport, Middlefield, Ohio--Where else can one go to watch airplanes take off and land, while listening to the clip-clop, clip-clop of passing horses and buggies…and spot an Amish family off at a distant picnic table watching it all?The windsock was blowing, the sun was out and so were air enthusiasts of all ages who had...
Curiosity and Caffeine: Flight 93 National Memorial
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists in an organized attack against the United States hijacked four commercial airliners. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City -- one at 8:46 am and the second at 9:03 am. A third plane was purposely flown into the Pentagon in Arlington,...
Viral Verities
This is a compendium (a summary or abstract containing the essential information in a brief form; a concise but comprehensive treatise) of goofiness inspired by what is going on--or not-- all around us. The random items appearing either in the papers or online seem to be getting weirder every day. And speaking of that, here’s an item that I found...
Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates Lately…
Uhhhgggggggg………..I know it feels like it’s the seven plagues of Egypt every time we turn on the news or look at Facebook. If it’s not politics then it’s the economy, if it’s not the economy then it’s the health department telling us to wear masks or an article telling us there’s a vaccination coming or maybe we shouldn’t get...
National Holiday Alert!
We’ve missed half of the month but the BIG DAY is coming right up, so get ready for a celebratory observance of…National Ice Cream Day ! Would I lie about a thing like that? It seems that, actually, the entire month of July is National Ice Cream Month…and…the third Sunday in July is designated as National Ice Cream Day!...
O, Say Can You See….
Well, it may have been July 4th, but it definitely was a first in a lot of ways…just like what’s going on all over the place lately. How bizarre to have virtually no public displays of fireworks for Independence Day. The locals did try to take up the slack, I notice, as there were booms, bangs and flashes going...
Time Limps On
Well, there was a weekend. The annual garage sale in the village and environs seemed to be going well. Maybe not as many commercial opportunities as usual but plenty of tents and canopies were out sheltering the displays of treasures--not much rain, thank goodness--available to the public. I even bought a small bench at the big Brookover house (the one...
