Fran
Stories from Fran
Adirondacks backpacking
Well, the five-night backpacking trip circumnavigating the trio of Adirondack lakes, Murphy, Middle and Bennett, was not to be. We lost a couple of days trying to wait out the worst of the rain, and we knew our pace would be slower even in a light rain, so we opted to go to Murphy Lake for just a two-night hike.
Dunning Pond, in the rain
Dunning Pond is a beaver pond a few miles up Dunning Brook trail off Route 30 north of Wells, NY. As the weather continued to be rainy, we decided to day hike to Dunning Pond, delaying our backpacking trip another day. The hillside trail follows the brook generally, but at a distance, and from time to time there are some nice views of the brook below.
On to the Adirondacks
The rain stayed with us all the way from Binghamton to Northville, NY, on the northern shore of Great Sacandaga Lake. Our original plan had been to camp for two nights at the state campsites on Route 30, just north of Pumpkin Hollow, but vacation should be about fun, not drenched misery, so we decided to try and find a B&B.
Camping in Chenango Valley, NY
Our first overnight of the summer vacation was near Binghamton, NY, at Chenango Valley State Park, where Fran had camped once before when the boys were very young. We arrived in good time, had a meal that included squash we had brought from the Rose Tree garden, and had time for a drive around the countryside.
Penn's Landing
PhilaBurma Picnic
Philadelphia's refugees from Burma celebrated their growing community with the second annual PhilaBurma picnic. The community has doubled in size from the previous year, so we rented a larger space at FDR park. Everyone brought food and the children enjoyed playing and riding their bikes while the adults chatted.
Our first mushroom foray
We attended our first mushroom foray this weekend, the Annual Victor Gambino Foray held this year
Memorial Day picnic, delayed
The miracle of powerwashing
A new back stoop
The steps at the back door have caused no end of worry over the years, wobbling and bowing under the weight of the slenderest of friends, and Paul was determined that we would have something secure in place before our annual Memorial Day picnic.
Mid-May visit to Delaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is such a busy destination in the summer months, it's good
End of spring break
Saturday night in Manayunk often means pub crawl, so William wisely suggested heading up Ridge Avenue to find a dinner spot more suitable for us old fogies. Good call. We settled on Maria's Ristorante on Summit in Roxborough. The food was outstanding and the price reasonable. It was a very nice place to mark the end of spring break and to spend some much-needed quality time with William.
New electrical service; updating bathroom wiring
Our bathroom repairs have been pretty much on hold, because the next step involves electrical work. For the bathroom, we need/want:
- replace light over basin
- add GFI outlet near basin
- add outlet in bathroom closet (so rechargeables can be out of sight)
- add ceiling exhaust fan
While we're at it, we will:
Solar dryer in action
Winter hike at Smedley Park
Hiking at Rolling Hill Park
Cultural Orientation Professional Development Workshop
I attended a two-day workshop on February 24 and 25, 2009, on cultural and community orientation for refugees resettling in the U.S. The workshop was facilitated by the Cultural Orientation Resource Center of the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC, and was held at HIAS and Council offices here in Philadelphia.
Amy and Amanda's Birthday
Cheddar and potato soup
Simple and delicious....
- 2 cups vegetarian broth OR 2 cups water and 2 vegetarian bouillon cubes.
- 2 cups (approximately) cubed potatoes
- 2 to 6 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 to 3 cups milk (low-fat or skim is fine)
Boil the potatoes in the broth until soft.
Mash to desired consistency. (I like it roughly mashed for a little texture, but it would be good smooth, too.)
Taking care to keep warm, but not boiling, add milk to desired thickness grated cheese to taste.