Canal Days Dinner

 The Miamisburg Historical Society held their annual Canal Days Dinner on October 24 and I attended, along with Mom and my aunt and uncle, Mae and Charles Boyer. The tickets - $8 each - were sent to us courtesy of my cousin, Jim Huesman, who lives in Friday Harbor, Washington. Thanks, Jim!

Mae and Charles Boyer

 The dinner consisted of a choice of either ham and bean soup or vegetable soup. Amazingly, the veggie soup actually appeared to be truly vegetarian. So Mom and I were each able to enjoy a bowl. Also included was corn bread, coleslaw, drinks (lemonade, tea or coffee) and a wide selection of desserts. Everything was prepared by volunteers.

Mary Schmidt

 Mom attends few events of this sort so it was very nice to have her along. Earlier in the day we attended a craft show and dinner at Trinity Church in Miamisburg so this was an unusually busy day for us.

The food crew

 Even with the large attendance, there was plenty of good food prepared for the event. A kitchen crew handed out food on trays as attendees passed by.

Another view of the food crew

Bill Schmidt

 How is it possible that Mom managed to take a picture of me and actually have me in the frame? She didn't even cut my head off this time.

A wider view of the early attendees

... Miamisburg's Parkview United Methodist Church on Benner Road served as a new location for the event this year.

And a little later ...

Besides a short business meeting (which we did not attend), Ken Sowards, a well known archaeologist, presented "The Bob Boerger Collection: One Man, One Farm, One Lifetime".

The Bob Boerger Collection

 The collection consist of over 400 arrowheads found on his family farm in Fort Loramie, Ohio. "His collection included pieces from every recognized prehistoric culture to reside in Ohio," said The Tavern Log (October 2013), a Miamisburg Historical Society publication.
 The presentation provided "an overview of Ohio's prehistoric Indians based on the artifacts they left behind on the Boerger farm."

The dessert tables

 Yes, there were two tables needed to hold all the homemade desserts. I managed a nice slice of cheesecake topped with a dark cherry sauce. Excellent!
 We left a little after 6 pm so we could get home before dark.

The Visit

 Pinehaven is not known for visitors. We have few throughout the year and seldom one that stays overnight. So it was unusual when Frank Manthey called last Wednesday, asked if we would be home over the weekend and would we be interested in a visitor?

 We would and we would.

Frank last visited about 1995. I remember how much Dad enjoyed him. They talked of cars, mostly, especially the car Frank was driving with the defective seat belt alarm that beeped continuously. "Can't it be disconnected?" Dad asked. "Yes, but I'd lose the radio, too."

 And so Frank drove 500 miles with the constant drone of the seal belt warning. This time he drove a newer Ford Taurus, sans any seat belt (or other) problems.

October 19, 2013

Me (l-r), Frank and Mom

 I met Frank in 1992 when he was in "weather school" with the United States Air Force. I was a member of a small weather community and a friend of mine in Los Angeles, Adrian Ramillano, suggested Frank as someone I would enjoy corresponding with. Adrian was right. We've been sharing monthly weather statistics and personal letters for over 20 years.
 Over the years I've met with Frank many times: once at his home in Whitewater, Wisconsin; for a week's vacation in Bear Lake, Michigan; at Springfield, Illinois to visit the Lincoln sites; a camping trip to Whitewater State Park in Liberty, Indian; and others.
 Frank arrived this time at about 5 pm on Saturday (October 19) and left to return home about 8:30 am on Monday (October 21).

October 20, 2013

Me (l-r), Mom and Frank

Since we lost Dad since Frank's last visit, I gave him my parents second floor bedroom. While he was here we went for several walks (one at the Farmersville pond, two in Sam's lane), played Michigan Rummy and Skip-Bo, and enjoyed the all-you-can-eat buffet at Rob's in Brookville. Other times we did weather research on the Internet, enjoyed TV and snacked. How much can one do in just a single day?
 It's a bit of a let-down when a guest leaves, a little too suddenly quiet. But we have our next visit to look forward to. I just hope it's not another decade away.

Sun Time

October 8. 7:51 a.m. I could use this tree as both calendar and clock.

 I have just topped a small rise and the sun, now above the horizon, serves as perfectly-placed spotlight to project my image onto the trunk of this tree.

 Others, too. The lane has a number of trees on the north side as I near Sam's house. My image projects on all of them in turn, flickering through a filmstrip of my morning walk. And yet given just the length of a lap (about 11 minutes) my shadow has swung farther right and merely clips the edges of the trees next time around.

 So clock and calendar both. And yet, as they say for a real clock, "it's right twice a day even if it's not running", this solar time is correct twice a year. Another date, just after  the spring equinox, my shadow would exactly line up again (though perhaps not at 7:51 a.m.). Could I tell that date in April from this one in October? I surely could if by doing no more than looking at the state of the tree's leaves.

For another look at this phenomenon, check out an earlier blog entry by clicking here.

Kevin Patton Benefit

 The Kevin Patton Benefit was held at the Farmersville Fire Station on Sunday, October 6, 2013. The event, sponsored by the Farmersville Area Business Association, sought to raise funds for Patton's cancer fight.
 Germantown's band, The Greasers, provided entertainment.

The Greasers perform "At the Hop"

The benefit offered a selection of food for sale, a raffle and a 50/50 drawing.Contributions were sought to help pay Patton's medical expenses.

 Sherry Wallace, FABA president, kicks the evening off. The event started at 4:30 pm to a packed house even though it was raining heavily.

 Food was available at the back of the fire station and the long line snaked its way through numerous loops.

 At 4:30 pm there were a few empty seats but that's because so many were still in line for food.

 The Greasers have been playing since 1976. For information on the band, click here.

 Audio mixing was done at the back of the room.

Delbert Sharrett (l), a WWII veteran, enjoyed the 50's music by nodding along with the beat of the music.

 Kevin (m) and Molly (l) Patton are interviewed by Benjamin Mersch with the Germantown Press. I talked briefly to both of them. Said Kevin, "I"m really a little overwhelmed."

 This picture of Molly and Kevin Patton celebrate their successful Farmersville business, Miss Molly's Bakery and Cafe.

 Here's an overview of the crowd at about 5:30 pm.

 Tables with raffle items are displayed at the back of the room.

 "Miss Molly" (l) picks a raffle ticket from a basket. The winners then walked to the front of the room and collected their winnings.

 The next day, Sherry Wallace wrote on her Facebook page, ""My dear friends and wonderful community .... it is with the warmest of hearts I thank you for supporting the Kevin Patton Benefit this evening."

"You gave up your cozy homes and football games to come to the Farmersville Fire Station and help FABA with a wonderful show of love and support for our 'Miss Molly' family."

 "You opened your hearts and wallets. To those who donated items ... just God bless you so much."

"Your loving contributions brought a much needed boost to Kevin and you all made me feel  so incredibly blessed to live in a community where, when one of us hurts, we all feel the pain."

 Later (October 12, 2013) this painted sign appears in the front window of Miss Molly's Bakery & Cafe ...

Camouflage

 I saw it so maybe the camouflage isn't as perfect as I thought. But would a bird? Would someone who's not watching nature through a mental magnifying glass?

 I was walking the track at the pond when I turned the corner placing me directly in line with this spot. A moth - probably a Spotted Tiger Moth - had landed perfectly in line with a pine cone on a spruce. A quick glance did not show where the one stopped and the other started. I stopped merely because I knew the shape of the pine cone was wrong, its edge too smooth.

 When I peered in closely, I saw that this moth had perfectly aligned himself with the top half of the cone. Pretty good camouflage job, I'd say.

 How many other shades of nature are hidden from our view? How many objects in full sight do we fail to see?