An Evening to Remember

Photo
This was taken on the Ashuwillticook rail trail in northwestern Massachusetts. Click on the photo to enlarge and look at the clouds on the right. Doesn't it look like a person running very fast toward a football? Come on! It does too!

Peaberry’s Café
For the last few months I have wanted to get over to Peaberry’s Café in Simsbury, CT for their Artspeak event that is soft jazz and poetry. I finally got there last night!

Quoting directly from their promo piece, Peaberry's, a great alternative to the local bar scene, is a cosy (sic) little cafe that seeks to give local artists support, a voice, and a venue!

Poets, and lovers of poetry, this is a great place to spend a couple of hours on a Saturday night. Artspeak is offered the 4th Saturday of every month from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. This is a family place so the poetry you hear is not the off the wall, raunchy stuff (that I find offensive). It’s good clean fun.

Music accompanies the poets courtesy of a 3-piece band of two guitars and a sound-board (I don’t know what else to call it!) like nothing I’ve ever seen before. That alone, is worth a trip to Peaberry’s. These guys are good—able to match the content and mood of the poem.

They do a mean bump and grind accompaniment!
I had a mildly sassy poem, “Why Condo Associations Won’t Allow Clotheslines” and just for fun asked for some bump and grind. Did they ever. Words cannot convey how much fun that was with this 72 yr old being taken over by my alter ego (some might say my evil twin), doing justice to the poem and the music. I wish there had been a video running. I would love to see that one! My children would have most definitely been embarrassed. ☺☺

If you are so inclined, put the dates of July 26th and August 23rd on your calendar and get out to Peaberry’s, 7:30 to 9:30. Google “Peaberry’s, Simsbury, CT” to get directions. See you there in August.

PS: I think they have other open mike nights for strictly music every Wednesday night. Go to their open mike website for more information. Give them a call and tell them you saw it on my blog! And they will say, “Who?” ☺ and you will say, “the bump and grind poetry lady.” They will probably say, “Oh, yes! Now I know who you mean!” ☺☺☺

Transfer to Rehab Hospital

Good news!
Just got a call from the Hospital to say my mother is ready to be transfered to a local Rehab Hospital. She's been there before so it will fell like home to her. I will have to transport her myself because her condition does not warrant transport by ambulance. I've done this before, too.

A Treasured Bike Ride

Photos
Sunflowers – farm implement sculpture made into lamps to illuminate the end of the driveway. This is the best such sculpture I’ve seen in the town of Windsor.

Yesterday's bike ride
Yesterday Jessica and I rode my Four Windsors bike route. For any newcomers, this bike route is all on-road and covers all four towns that have Windsor as part of their name—Windsor, Windsor Locks, East Windsor and South Windsor. The ride takes one up one side of the Connecticut River and down the other side in a loop. Along the way there are many historical sites to take in if one is so inclined. If not, it’s just a nice ride.

I’ve done this ride a dozen times (at least), but for some reason, my back muscles from neck to tailbone hurt. I was very stiff after the ride. I have ridden this route at least once before since I had my bike-fit, so I don’t think that was it.

I will keep riding, however, until I can no longer get on a bike.

Jessica is my lucky charm
The universe handed me four Treasures along our 22-mile ride. One was a “farm implement sculpture” I had never seen before on a street I had never observed before. Windsor has several scrap metal sculptures, but this is the best one I’ve seen.

THEN at the Loomis-Chaffee school campus we ran into Fritz, a part-time groundskeeper who thinks he can put me in touch with the school historian AND get me a private tour of the Deacon Loomis house.

THEN while on the banks of the Farmington River (just resting in the shade) we got a chance to fill out a survey of how we use the Farmington River waterway. The survey will help with keeping the watershed pristine and scenic.

Of course the biggest treasure of the whole day was having Jess riding with me. I hope she enjoyed all the history lessons I kept throwing her way. I love riding through this segment of historic CT and, always the teacher, I love to share what I know.

Update on Mom

It's all good news!
My mother has had all tubes removed—no more suction, no more IV drips. She is on a liquid diet as of Monday night. To say she is in a better frame of mind doesn't even come close to her attitude now.

Rehab is next
It is expected she will go to a rehab hospital to regain her strength through physical therapy and to get all her systems stabilized. She can stay at the rehab for maximum of 21 days, but I think it will be less than that.

Price of Bird Seed!

Photo:
This is a stand-off. Click on the photo to enlarge and you will barely see the chipmunk in the grass. I put a white arrow pointing to the chippy so you could find it. It was not going to let that squirrel get anywhere near the pile of seed.

Squirrels! Yesterday there were at least eight squirrels and two chipmunks pigging out at the pile of dumped seed. Now that I want a picture of the gang dining, there’s not a squirrel to be found. I dumped another pile of seed hoping to get at least a couple of them. Gives new meaning to “squirrley!” I’m not sure if I’m referring to them or me. ☺

Bumper crop
I don’t know about you, but in my neighborhood there is an explosion in the population of squirrels. That is not good news. These rodents can’t seem to get enough to eat and can’t remember where they stashed the excess storage.

If you remember, about 3 or so years ago, we had no acorns to speak of. The scientific explanation I heard was that the squirrel population was out of control, so in order to bring things back into balance, Mother Nature ordered the oak trees to stop production of acorns. The following spring the birth rate was way down. Then the oaks resumed production.

It will be interesting to see what the acorn production is like this fall.

Lousy bird food
I went to Agway to get more bird seed. We get so much pleasure out of watching the birds that I gave in (I don’t usually feed the birds past May). The cost of the seed I normally buy (sunflower hearts) was up to $35 for a 20 lb. bag! Holy Moly! Last year it was $23 and the year before $16. No way was I going to pay $35. So I bought a different brand for $16.

You get what you pay for
I loaded the feeder with the new seed and within five minutes I had no birds. The goldfinch, titmouse, nuthatch, chickadee, wren and cardinal had all deserted my yard. I was left with grackles, blue jays and purple finch. Even the woodpeckers were not coming as frequently. I have nothing against these birds. I just like to see a little color and hear the beautiful songs of the deserters. Without hesitation I hustled my butt back to Agway and bought the outrageously expensive seed. The pleasure we get from the birds is worth it.

Now, what to do with all the seed my birds turned their beaks up at? I will be contributing to the increase in the squirrel population. The chipmunks are pretty happy, too. Both groups will be oinking by this time tomorrow.

News

Photo:
First Corn. It’s almost that time of year. I can’t wait!

Mom in hospital
My mom went to the hospital by ambulance on Friday. She has a history of intestinal blockage and this is another one. She is 95 now and I guess everything is just wearing out. If you feel so inclined, prayers would be nice.

Erie Canal, Rocky Hill Ferry and Celtics

Photos:
Left: “Horse” to commemorate the time in Lincoln’s life when he was a judge and rode the court circuit. Hence we still call some our courts, “Circuit Court.”
Right: “Lincoln meets Stowe” commemorates a time when Abe Lincoln and Harriet Beecher Stowe met. They certainly had a lot in common, I would say.

I am going to go back to the exhibit and photograph the plaques that accompany each sculpture and post them together. That way you will be able to see the piece and read what it’s all about.

Canal, Ferry and Basketball?
What in the world could these possibly have to do with one another? They all played an important part in yesterday’s most enjoyable day.

The Canal
I spent the morning working on our bike ride on the Erie Canal bikeway this coming September. I have developed a unique itinerary document that outlines, as much as possible, what each day will entail. I have listed (on each day) where we will be starting from, what we might want to take note of along the way and information on where we will be staying the night. I will be able to make trail notes on these same pages as we travel. How often do we say, “Oh, I’ll never forget…?” and at the end of the day it’s gone. Tape recorded notes will also be made.

From there, I went to a spreadsheet I developed with all the information we’ll need regarding lodging. AND I made the last reservation. So now we know where we will sleep every night and where our bikes will spend the night. At B&Bs our bikes will either be in a garage, shed, or chained to a tree. Thank goodness the motels will let us bring them into our room. We will be fully loaded and having to unload, carry everything UP to a bedroom then reverse the procedure the next morning isn’t going to be fun!

Now. All we have to do is the ride.

The Ferry
I met my friend, Leslie, for lunch in Rocky Hill. Our restaurant of choice, Mitchell’s, has an extensive menu, good food, and not expensive. It is also not far from the Rocky Hill Ferry. We went from lunch at Mitchell’s on the Silas Deane Highway to dessert (ice cream) at Mitchell’s at the Rocky Hill Ferry dock and park. It was a comfortable, spectacular day to be sitting near the water. We chose a picnic table under the trees and talked and talked. We saw several bike riders taking the ferry across to Glastonbury just as Leslie and I had done last fall. That was a fun ride in spite of all the hills.

Meet the new NBA Champs: The Boston Celtics
I have to mention the Boston Celtics smeared the L. A. Lakers all over the parquet floor last night in Boston.

I slept so soundly last night! ☺☺

Lincoln on the Riverwalk

Photos
Top: That's me having a meaningful conversation with Abe.
Bottom: I cannot identify either of these plants. The white flowers are so very sweet smelling. The red berries are not in my field guide. Both these plants grow in profusion around the Founders' Bridge on the East Hartford side. Click on photo to enlarge. Anybody know?

Tribute to Lincoln
Along the (CT River) Riverwalks in East Hartford and Hartford several sculptures have been installed having to do with the life of Abraham Lincoln. Not all the sculptures are in place yet, but there are enough to make it an interesting stroll.

My hiking buddy, Jon, and I did the walk yesterday. My pedometer registered 4.5 miles and probably almost one mile of that was non-productive—there were no sculptures to be seen.

If anyone is interested I would suggest parking at Great River Park in East Hartford. We walked south to the base of the Charter Oak Bridge and found no evidence of any sculptures. Unless you know for sure there is something down there, skip it. Instead, head north along the path, go under the Founders’ Bridge and stay on the “low road”. This will bring you close to the Bulkeley Bridge where you can swing sharp right and go back on the “high road” where you will find a sculpture of Lincoln seated with his hand extended. Have your picture taken sitting in conversation on the stone seat, or in his lap.

Continue walking toward the bridge and take the path down to street level. Go under the bridge and take the stairs (or ramp) up to the bridge itself. Stroll over the river, headed toward Hartford and enjoy the view as well as the sculptures.

Once on the Hartford side, first walk straight toward downtown and enjoy the sculptures there. We did not find any beyond the elevator area at the west end. Walk back toward the river and descend the 87 stairs to the Riverwalk area. If you are unsure about coming back up these stairs, check the elevator. It has not been working for some time and you might want to re-think the rest of this walk. You may have to use the top ramp to the stairs; then the stairs to the lower elevator area; and the ramp from there to the Riverwalk level. Just remember, what you go down, you must...

At the Riverwalk level turn left (north) and walk to the Boathouse. This is about 1 mile. The newly paved path and all the landscaping, as well as the Lincoln sculptures, make this well worth the effort.

I will be going back on my bike so I can write down the names of the sculptures and perhaps take pictures of the plaques. Going on my bike presents it’s own set of problems, since the elevators don’t work.There’s never anyone around to ask about the elevators. The problem may be linked to the construction of the new Science Center and it’s flying magic carpet roof.

I will be posting pictures from day to day. I took too many to post all at once.

The Last Two Days

Photos
Left: I believe this is Mountain Laurel. Jess has this all over the place.
Right: The island is the green blob in the top right-of-center. To the left of the island you can see the swing bridge. Click on the photos to enlarge.

More poetry?
You would think, after eight days of the CT Beat Poetry Festival, the last thing I’d want is another poetry event. Well, not so. Tuesday night found me in East Granby at the Cossett Library to hear featured reader Rennie McQuilken. He and his poetry are delightful. And, yes, there was open mic. There are a lot of very good poets in the area surrounding East Granby. What a treat.

As for the library itself, the space is not large, but it’s well suited for this type of event. All around, near the ceiling, are beautiful windows, which let in natural light from all directions. And the fragrance! I grew up with the Sadd Memorial Library (in the Wapping section of South Windsor) as my second home. There is a fragrance given off by books, magazines, and old newspapers that permeates the walls and lasts forever. The Sadd Library now has offices—my accountant is in one of them. When I go there at tax time, I inhale fragrant memories. Cossett Library has that same fragrance and transported me back to my childhood.

I hope they keep having programs like that. It was a great experience. That library, even though it is small, is a treasure. I hope it never goes away.

Over the river and through the woods to Granddaughter’s house……
Then, yesterday, I drove down to Chester, CT to visit my granddaughter, Jessica. She and James live high above the CT River and the energy is so peaceful. From their front porch you can see a small slice of the river through the trees and flowering bushes (which I do believe is Mountain Laurel). A short walk to the left brought us to a wooden stairway leading down to a dock in the water.

Looking north there is an island and beyond that is the swing bridge going from Haddam to East Haddam in the vicinity of the Goodspeed Opera House. Across the river is nothing but rolling hills covered with trees and an occasional rooftop peeking out.

And Jess cooked up the best tasting salmon filet accompanied by raw snow peas and fresh fruit. She can cook for me any day!

After lunch we went, by bicycle, to visit James’ mother in Deep River. The ride was short (3.43 one way), but it was rolling hills. One of them rolled on for quite a distance and another just went up. All in all not bad. I rode every one of them in the saddle! I had never met Cathie before and she’s so much a lady after my own heart in many ways. It felt like we are old friends. I’m sure we are.

This afternoon I plan a longer ride with fewer hills. I need to come up with a new schedule where I can get out in the morning before it gets too hot and still be back home in time to get lunch on the table for noon. I’m really getting concerned about being in shape for the Erie Canal ride in September.

CT Beat Poetry Festival!

Photos
I couldn't help using these photos of wild roses. Seemed to go with today's subject somehow.

The 8-day CT Beat Poetry Festival came to an end today. It was a great success with participation by local Connecticut poets and several poets (I didn’t count) from all over the country—CA, WI, NJ, NH, NY, PA, TX, OH, KS (some states had more than one). The idea of the festival was to celebrate the Beat Generation of poets and writers.

Before the festival I knew nothing about the beat poets, but because of the festival I heard their names, listened to their works, researched their biographies on the internet and was amazed. How could I not have heard of these people before now?

Not all the poetry was the works of Beat poets. The features and the open mic poets read their own works as well, trying, for the most part, to be as Beat as they could. And we had music—everything from some saxophone jazz to classical flute.

It was fun. Fun for the Connecticut poetry community and fun for the folks who came from all corners of the country. Chamys Crane from San Francisco, who writes under the name Blue, can’t wait to come back again next year and she wants to bring all her friends. That’s the energy that prevailed during the entire festival. I hope to get to all the venues next year.

The venues were varied including libraries, historic museums, cultural centers, taverns and brew houses. No matter where the events were held they were a resounding success. Each venue introduced us to a different poet, character, energy.

The three people who I know worked very hard to make it all happen are Colin Haskins, Stephanie Elliott and Yvon Cormier. Good job, guys. Let’s do it all over again next year!

My Gemini Is Showing

Photos
This is a Tulip tree on the Windsor Locks Canal bike path. In the photo on the left you can see a couple of buds in the foreground (click on picture to enlarge). What I really want you to appreciate is the many colors of green. It sort of fits with the theme of today's posting - multiplicity or duality.

It isn't easy being green
Any Gemini worth their salt is more than one person. Gemini may be the sign of the Twins, but it goes beyond even that. At times we are so many people, or have so many facets to our personality, that it’s hard to keep up with us.

A Gemini will give you two different opinions on the same subject at different times. A Gemini office worker has a problem finding things that have been filed because what seemed a reasonable place at the time a document was put away for safe keeping, no longer seems reasonable now that the document is needed again. I could go on and on. I will add that it’s even more difficult for someone like me who has Libra rising. Libra just cannot make up its mind because it can see both sides of every issue.

But, that’s not what I set out to tell you.

My reason for expressing my Gemini-ness today is to let you know that I have started another on-line journal that is guided by my Spiritual/Environmental/Wholistic side. Look What I’m Up To Now is my day-to-day communication. My other journal A Very Personal Journey is totally different. That is where I share true stories of my personal relationship with God and things that have happened in my life where I know, so completely, that I am Loved, protected, and cared for by those in the (for the most part) unseen realms of existence. It is also where I will explore environmental concerns and wholistic issues such as my kicking the habit.

So, if you are interested, check it out. And above all, hug a Gemini every chance you get! All our personalities need it! ☺☺☺

The "Beat" Goes On

Photo
I have used this photo before, but it comes closest to how I see the minds of the Beat Poets mentioned below.

What's Happening?
Not much has been happening! That being said, why don’t I have time to do things? I guess I no longer have good time management skills. Quite frankly, Scarlet, I don’t ………!

Yesterday I did go for a good bike ride. I did my “Ride the Four Windsors” ride with the intention of mapping out the route with mileage notations between features along the way. I hope to post this ride on the website, http://ctbikeroutes.org/. If you are a bike rider this is a good place to find well presented bike rides for all abilities.

Beat Generation of Poets
This week is the Connecticut Beat Poetry Festival. I am not a Beat Poet. Before this festival, I was not familiar with Beat Poetry. Now that I have had a chance to read some of this poetry, I don’t think I’ll ever be a big fan of Beat. I did, however, enjoy some of Gary Snyder’s poetry. On the other hand, Jack Kerouac seems to be in another dimension. Read his poem, The Scripture of the Golden Eternity and tell me which reality this man is in touch with. What is scary, there are parts of that poem where I actually think I understand what he’s trying to say. Burroughs, Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti—all beyond this poor brain’s capacity to comprehend. These poets were drugged out of their minds and what they wrote came from a hell-hole alternative reality, perhaps a non-reality. If you are interested in reading any of their works, you can go to the library or Google their names as I did.

All of the above being said, I will be attending several of the venues this week in support of poet friends of mine who will be hosting or reading. Perhaps I will come away with a greater appreciation of the Age Of Beat.