Holiday Shindy

Yep, it happened again. Just after our long trip from NYC Ravenboy wanted to put the holiday music on so that Asrai could see my annual jigue. Can you believe that they forgot the tape number AGAIN!!

I was ready this year. I had prepared a scavenger hunt starting with the spot in the music where my song was to start. I made a bogus tape and dubbed in a cd of my favorite ballet music, Delibes, "Sylvia" prelude. Everyone just looked at me because, quite by happenstance, I had been complaining that I downloaded a "Sylvia" ring tone only to hear that it was the one song from the ballet that I dislike, the Pizzicato.

Ideas of what it meant flew back and forth and I just grinned. Ravenboy hunted down the cd of "Sylvia" and found that I had pasted a photo of an sun ornament onto the cover. They made a bee line to the ornament on our tree and found a website address taped to it's back. The "url" was missing just a bit before the final ".jpg". The name of the file was something they needed to guess out. After about 5 minutes of trying things, RGBisMe decided to go to the directory of the address (ok, it was HIS personal web space I used) and suggested they look through all of the links that ended in "jpg."

I knew they might do this and watched as they scanned down all of the files. Their faces all lit up when they saw this link. They tried it and it worked. From there they went to the collection of photos that have been taken annually at the Knoebel's photo booth. When nothing jumped out at them from looking at the ninth one, I stopped them from taking the frame apart.

Ravenboy remembered that there is an application called Photobooth and they looked at a video clip that was the 9th image. It was of me taunting them and showing them the tapes as I put them into the middle of a hollow book. They all walked to the living room to look at the bookshelves where Asrai tentatively asked, "Is this it?" RGBisMe said, "How long has that been there!?" It was the hollowed book I had put on the shelf over a week ago and inside were the tapes.

On went my costume and out came the camera. I lived, barely, and if I can swallow my pride perhaps I will share it. The season of fun has begun!

Door for the Fae

A faerie door I made. It stands 4 1/2" high

Gnome models, wreath, door mat, cloak wrack & shoes

DDR Competition

I came so close to beating her!

Three Bad Cats

Happy Holidays

Our tree.

Our wish to you.

Chilly Visitors

I was putting together some gift packets for the holidays this morning. My sweet cat Mooch was on the work table keeping me company when I noticed her looking over my shoulder behind me. Her pupils were dilated and she was stretching her neck to see but holding very still. I turned in the direction of her stare to the window that views our back yard. he last time she looked outside like that it was at a bear. This time it was a group of 3 deer feeding on the edge of the field and one came down to drink from our bird bath.

Freedom from Want

Now

Then

Movin on Up

There is little Ravenboy and Asrai have in common with The Jeffersons other than the fact that they got found a great apartment on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. RGBisMe took advantage of what was to be a gray and rainy day to move some of their belongings to the city for them.

The cute studio apartment they have leased it so charming. It has very little overhead or natural lighting so even in the day it was a little dark but the warmth and charm they are going to add will brighten it up. They have some great plans for curtains and Ikea furniture. They have the idea of a lovely curtain fixture over their sleeping loft to add privacy and style.

My biggest thrill was watching them unpack their dishes and put them into the cabinets, making it their home. It was so heart warming. RGBisMe looked out into the courtyard from their balcony and called to a couple of cats that were enjoying the quite area. As we looked from balcony to balcony, we could tell it was a nice residential neighborhood.

We look forward to seeing what they do with the blank walls, open floor space and high ceilings. They have a marvelous space to work with and we wish them joy.

Flash Mob!

We were part of a geocaching event yesterday that was participating in an even larger event, a World Wide Flash Mob! Here is the link to the video. Some of the photos used look familiar.

Remember all happened within 15 minutes. This is my kind of gethering!

Four Coffees to Go

Maybe I should have said, "eight coffees" since it was both Maga11 and myself that toured downtown Lewisburg Coffee Shop Series. It was a very mellow Thurday and many of the trees that lined the streets still had some dazzling color to them. We decided to park in a central location and branch out and back to walk to the cute cafés in this letterbox series.

First was our walk the Cherry Alley Café. On the way we passed near our second destination and an art store, Brushstrokes, that I had to pop into in search of true indigo. A close Prussian Blue was all that I was able to find. Maga11 talked to the clerk about oil paints that clean up with water. There was a nice supply of Mastercarve carving material and carving tools but I am set for stuff like that.

We found the first cafe and walked right in. I placed our order and Maga11 found the letterbox. With a cup of coffee and chai, we sat down and sipped and stamped. This first box had been out for a while longer than the other three so reading through the log book was even more fun. We loved the way it was hidden and the drinks were some of the best we had. We only got smalls because we had to pace ourselves. Cherry Alley Café got my vote for best shop on the tour. The menu items and atmosphere were matched by the friendly staff and free wifi. We regretted not being the first to have logged our finds on location.

Back we went to Mya's Cafe. Maga11 and I had set up for the art's festival in this town a few times. It was always a chilly show because it was in April. I can remember standing on the street and freezing in the rain one year. Today was nothing like that as a mild breeze blew off of the Susquehanna. Town was not totally dead at this lunch hour but we were lucky enough to never have to wait in line at any of the coffee shops.

When we got to Mya's, I was excited to see the lunch menu and we thought we would check out the specialty item. Maga11 & I switched roles (not rolls) as she ordered a snack and I searched for the cleverly stashed letterbox. We met at a table in the center just before the shop started to get crowded. Maga11 had pruchased a couple of little slices of cheese cake and I opened the box. The log wasn't as full but about half of the finders had written nice messages. The stamp was nice but I wasn't sure what it was since I couldn't find the design for sure on anything around the store. This was a much busier café being on the main drag. The wait staff was friendly but needs to be educated on how to pronounce "gyros" from whence the name "heros" came for what some call a hoagie or sub(marine) sandwich. The cheese cacke, which granted was not labeled so maybe wasn't technically cheesecake, had a thin layer of creamcheese on the top and the bottom was more like ricotta cheese. It was so-so.

We were getting full but decided from the clue description that we would try for some soup at our next location, Zelda's. The store front says "Zelda's on the Park" and it is just off of the park. We were glad to walk through the area to digest our topsy-turvy piece meal dessert. We arrived, again no line, and the soup menu had plenty of choices including a vegan chili. Maga11 ordered a tomato bisque and I broke form and ran and got the letterbox. I think I forgot it was her turn or maybe she wanted to sit down. Sorry, Maga!

The café was very groovy and put together in a very self service way. Wifi was available here too. We chose a bad table to sit at because it was by a door the wait staff went in and out of and the back of my seat was whacked with the door many times. Our soups were a little acidic but not all together disappointing. I make my chili acidic too as a rule. This letterbox was my favorite in the way it was hidden and the stamp. The people who had found the series directly before us, Acme Amblers, are to be commended for gently cleaning the stamp in a thorough way.

Last stop, onto campus for 7th St. Cafe. Campus was quiet and although the sky was getting grey we enjoyed the walk. It was still mellow and the leaves on the ground were bold splashes of color. The 7th St. Cafe was a little more stark but the outdoor patio over the stream was a nice way to finish the day. We were able to enjoy stamping and reading the logbook without feeling rushed to leave and took our time before walking back to our car.

Thank you Kelly & Ben for this enjoyable series. We ate our way through town in hope that when we stopped at Wenger's Grocery Outlet on the way home that we wouldn't as hungry as we usually are.

Susquehanna Valleys

After a brief 3 hours of sleep, RGBisMe and I woke up to go hiking with Janila and Sepia Slipper. We were tired but had good memories of the evening before. They say that Hallowe'en is the time that the veil between the spirit world and our own is the thinnest. The new solar lights had were dotted through the cemeteries we drove past that night and the next early morning had me convinced of that. They were spooky like they never had been before.

This was the last day before Daylight Savings Time took effect and we hoped to find a good handful of letterboxes while visiting on the trail. The drive to our destination near Halifax had us discussing geocaches and letterboxes. We wondered how the owners of either felt when the clues or write up mentions the other is nearby. I have always found that as a geocacher, if I mention in my online log that a letterbox is nearby (without naming it) it will give a heads up to other geocachers who might either want to be aware, avoid or check out the box. Awareness is a good thing so that the stamp isn't swapped out of the letterbox as a trade item by accident. When a letterbox mentions the location of a nearby geocache in it's clues it can encourage the same kind of interest or awareness but can be a spoiler if the geocache is a multi-stage cache.

With a delay getting our breakfast, we were almost late meeting Janila and Sepia Slipper. We all got to the same location as the sun was high enough to light the way but not enough to warm the mountain chill. We hiked and were successful in finding the first two letterboxes in the golden morning light.

A bit of a drive to the next location allowed me to enjoy the scenic valley. With planning for Scotia's Scary Secrets, I hadn't been too far south for a while and forgot that the trees there might still hold some color.

We drove into the parking area to seek a letterbox series called JEI Conservation Area by teachers' pet. We could hear gunshots in the distance and it reminded us all to keep on our blaze orange for our gentle hike along the many trails of the area. A few ticks started making appearances as odd moving freckles here and there. By the end of the day we knew a full body tick check would be needed.

The well paced loop took us searching for six letterboxes. We had success for all boxes we sought in this park and all were in fine shape. The trails were friendly enough that we could walk at a good pace and still freely catch up with what had been going on in each other's lives. Finally, the last box brought us near our cars and we drove on to find a snack and some gas before heading on to another park and then into Harrisburg.

We were royal slack boxers in town. We had only planned on having time to hike the trails but the speedy and efficient Janila and Sepia Slipper shared their clues with us so that we could prolong our visit and check out some boxes of the Booshmen we had been wanting to see. Speaking of the Booshmen, who did we meet right after stamping into a couple of their new boxes? The mighty Booshmen themselves! They were up for a nice visit right there on the lawn and made time to exchange with Janila & Sepia Slipper. We had been talking about them earlier on the trail as to how we felt they were such conscientious letterboxers. This showed in the way they cared for each stamp they took impressions of and didn't get discouraged if letterbox or personal traveler clues weren't quite coming together. They were careful and patient and we were glad to see them again on their own turf.

As the sun finally started to fade, we tried to find a location we were a little vague on it's starting place. My feet were tired and we had 10 more boxes than I had ever thought we would have that day, but Janila's positive, "What do we have to lose?" made us game to try. A wrong turn was fortuitous in that it dumped us right into the parking lot we were looking for but the final box was not to be found.

We parted ways with Sepia Slipper and Janila. I look forward to the next time we can get together because they are not driven by number of miles or boxes but by the good times we are having during the time spent.

We ran into the Booshmen in three parks that afternoon and we waved farewell to Janila as we stood and talk to them for a good spell. The younger Booshman was interested in taking advantage of one of my PTs and I was glad to comply. It gave us a chance to get to know each other better and share letterboxing styles. I was getting hungry and asked how to get back to a nice Mexican restaurant I had seen by an earlier park. The elder Booshmen was glad to tell us that the same folks owned another restaurant just blocks away. Our initial take on them has been reinforced, they are thoughtful Booshmen indeed.

Our evening ended with a very good meal. Not even the tick I spied on RGBisMe's arm could spoil the good memories of the day. He took it outside, put it on the curb and returned to finish his warm meal as we looked through the stamp images we collected. Each one holds a different memory of a day spent in the valleys near the Susquehanna River.

Samhain 2008

If you could have been in downtown State College on Friday night, you would have seen hundreds of crazy folks. They were all dressed in costume for Halloween and and walking outside in the mild weather.

Although we walked around one block to check it out, RGBisMe, Mososo Kruppe and I spent most of our evening at the Elk Creek Cafe. We had a nice supper and stayed for the costume judging. Nick won second place with his awesome Green Man costume and I got an honorable mention with my Alec from A Clockwork Orange.

Scotia's Scary Secrets

This past June, letterboxers from all over Pennsylvania were solicited by the Crayola Posse for stamps representing their secret fears. As of yesterday the fears are no longer a secret!

In August, an invitation went out through the Central PA Letterboxing yahoo group to attend Scotia's Scary Secrets to debut 24 letterboxes planted in Scotia Barrens. Scotia is one of Andrew Carnegie's legacies, this area's very own mining ghost town.

Thirty letterboxers from all around Central PA came to Scotia on a day that was made for us. A huge deluge the day before made sure the wetland areas were not just dried pits.

Wood ducks, deer and beaver all made appearances that morning according to JFA, RRA, KEA and jbzfarm.

Early birds came to Scotia and started out onto the trails in the golden morning light. RGBisMe and I had arrived just at day break to put in place a dozen letterboxes just for the day. Scotia's Scary Pumpkins worked as sign posts for the many unmarked trails in this section of State Game Lands 176. They hung from trees so that kids and adults alike could have a quick check of where they were on the maps we made of the area.

At noon the event was in fill swing and those who were inclined to dress for the event had their costumes paraded and judged. Not everyone was in the group shot. The Bloomies, jbzfarm, Aquinna, Team GeeZee and JFA, RRA, KEA were on the trails at this time.Mososo Kruppe, true indigo & RGBisMe of the Crayola Posse kneeling with the Barghest, feralgyrl, Archaeobirder, D-Ant/D-Superfly, Gratefulmorte, HolyCowboys, Angrist, The Booshmen, Wanting Snow, XS Baggage, Maga11, Ms Beachys kneeling with Max, Puddleby, Stonefly standing above Fiona & The Cookie Monster

The head quarters at Hecate's Crossroad was never dull. There was always someone stopping by to either exchange wtih those who were around, check in before heading down another trail or to just sit down for a while. Maga11's cootie catcher made sure that no cootie was tossed unwanted into the abyss. Gratefulmorte of the HolyCowboys and XS Baggage shared some tasty snacks along side of the doughnuts Maga11 brought to go with the early morning coffee. The Crayola Posse spent most of our time there making sure everyone had the clues they needed and informed other hikers, geocachers and horse back riders of what we were doing. Occasionally we would take a spin on our bikes to check on letterboxers who had been on the trail for a while. I tried to remember to take water along to offer and to make sure the clues were clear enough. From what I could tell, no one had any problems with the map or clues.

As the day wound down everyone returned from hiking the trails, a few last exchanges and stamping of personal travelers wrapped up. Generous donations of time and resources were given and we want everyone to know how grateful the Crayola Posse is for your time and funds. An event like this could not have happened without everyone who came together yesterday. Thank you all for being a part of it.

Clues to the letterboxes planted for this event will be posted sometime after October 31. We know you will enjoy them as much as we have.

Company B

You MUST check out today's, October 23rd, Arts section of the NY Times!! Pick one up!! Page 10 - our son's spotlighted photo takes up 1/4 of the page! Online New York Times. review and photos are similar but not as impressive as holding the paper in your hands.

...But the whole troupe dances “Company B” with skill and understanding.

Nothing in “Company B” corrupts the innocence of that opening. Subsequent images, however, tell us that these men are going to war, are being injured by gunfire, are dying, are memories. At the end these people are no longer quite a community. Each is leaving the stage alone, sober. The togetherness of the earlier episodes was part of the giddy excitement of wartime. Now it’s goodbye to all that.

“Company B” shows no grief or even suffering. Arron Scott in “Tico-Tico” is all speed and impulsiveness... - Alastair MaCaulay for the New York Times.

then again a week later...

"I praised the very exciting young Daniil Simkin in “Company B,” his “Tico-Tico” role was played with yet more forceful detail by Arron Scott in the first cast."- Alastair MaCaulay for the New York Times.

Scott's "Tico-Tico" showcased him perfectly and his gentle bravado was both exilerating and moving. - Mary Cargill for Dance View Times.

"Tico-Tico", a solo for a male dancer, was performed this night by Arron Scott. An ingenious piece of choreography, the dancer isolates his upper body parts into small bits that jiggle and undulate, pop and quiver as if he were in the throes of St. Vitus Dance -- or, to be current, maybe post-traumatic stress syndrome. Scott was so good that I've got to name him as my second most memorable dancer of the evening. - Marga Anto-Raudsepp on Ballet Talk.

In "Company B," which is new to ABT, the dancers' lightness, stamina and gestural clarity were a revelation, highlighted by Arron Scott's intense and soulful rendition of "Tico-Tico." - Robert Johnson of the Star Ledger.

above photos by Sarah Sterner

in the wing