Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Climate control via ignition key

Back in Troy after hectic trip to SoCal and visit with sister and infirm mother. Doubt that I accomplished much other than be a calming presence for a moment or two. Before I began to try to fix an unfixable situation. Doesn't look like mother is candidate for coratid artery surgery due to health and stroke danger at this time. She can't continue to live independently either, so it's time to pack up and move on to a more supportive environment. And that's where we're at; Searching for that special and "perfect" place...I from PA and sister from there. Looks like this will continue for a few weeks or longer. SO...
We're now looking at the last days of scramble to visit and be visited by friends and family. We're constantly amazed about the warmth and quality of friendships that we still have in the area after an absence of more than 17 years. It's gratifying to be where we have a history with friends over 30 years. Enjoyed meeting up with many at recent Heritage Festival here at Alparon Park. Ran into people from my much younger days growing up nearby Canton and classmates from the class of 1967. Interesting to see how so many of them had gotten so much older, and that I had somehow not changed much at all:)
But, it's soon time to follow the geese we've begun to hear overhead. Nightime temps in the cold and damp 40's and days without sun seem too numerous. Looking to warm up a bit by rousing our sleeping CAT and pointing it south towards a warmer place...Florida is on the distant horizon. But more later...

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Change in scenery expected

We found mold growing in our sun oven due to a preponderance of Pennsylvania precipitation this summer. This just after our article on getting started with solar cooking appeared in the Escapees RV Club magazine! The weather has finally turned blue sky beautiful here...at last but it appears that fall is not far off.

The energy economy of PA's northern tier saw the completion and erection of the first wind turbines on nearby Armenia mountain this month. One of the work crews here at our summer home in Alparon Park is the crane operators responsible for setting these 275' turbine towers and blades in place. Quite a technical skill and quite a new sight clearly visible on the mountain top just west of downtown Troy.

We enjoyed a great night of music with the Texas swing band, Asleep at the Wheel, last night in downtown Towanda at the Keystone Theater, formerly known as the Hale Opera House built in 1886. The arts have received a real boost from the efforts of the Bradford County Regional Arts Council which took on the project of restoring and refurbishing landmark theaters in Towanda, Sayre and Canton, PA. They also bring music, art, theater to the area schools in addition to public performances and first run movies. A great asset for this very rural area of the northeast.

Tomorrow I'm flying west to SoCal again to visit and assist my mother who's been having some serious health difficulties lately. My sister needs a hand while we begin to look for alternative living arrangements in addition to preparing for surgery in the shortrun. It's difficult to project the outcome, but it's what's necessary now. Happy trails and more later...