Sinnemahoning WITO - Day 3

The night after star gazing was cloudy but cooler than the evening before. Somewhere between 11 and 2, I heard raccoons making their stupid fighting noise and zipped my fly so if they walked by I wouldn't have to look them in the eye. I have no idea why that made things better for me. I found out later that DaBraLady overheard one mother/ daughter couple heard them so close to their tent that, they could, "... hear them panting." They chose to go and sleep in their car for part of the night. Her comment about hearing them panting cracked me up.

Our morning started with tearing down the campsite. It was quite chilly and moving around really helped. I knew I had to eventually pack my bike but my first class in the morning was on biking rail trails and we would be on a stretch of the Low Lands Trail. There weren't too many parts of any of the park trails I hadn't already been on. I had even come back via the rugged and poorly blazed Red Spruce Trail the day before.

That morning I just took to the road. When I had woken, my arms were really stiff and sore from paddling the kayak and half of me thought that I might decide not to go to my canoeing class later in the morning. It was cold and I was sore. Over breakfast at the pavilion in the Forty Maples area my attitude changed. The sun came out, I had some food, the Prothonotary Warble was singing and it was our last day. I really didn't want to miss anything.

Jackie started our class with some rail trail history and gave many resources for finding trails in our own areas. She had a book on Pennsylvania Rail Trails which I was less familiar with and intend to check out when I have the chance. By this point, it was pretty clear to everyone that I like biking so when Jackie asked if we wanted to bike straight through her planned route or stop along the way for points of interest I know that some people re reticent to speak up and choose as to not disappoint the avid bikers. After what I felt was an appropriate amount of silence to let other people chime in I said, "Points of interest please." Many others agreed and I don't think anyone was sorry for it.

Jackie Flynn has an obvious love for Sinnemahoning State Park. Everything she says reflects that. Each stop we made on our bikes allowed her to share personal experiences mixed with history of the area. We learned of the town of First Fork that used to be in the area and she showed us the trees and Foxglove that the townsfolk had planted there. She showed us the way the CCC had planted trees and now they were slowly clearing them out because they allowed no sun to the ground. She pointed out the common May Apples and made them interesting all over with the history of the American Mandrake Root.

Jackie shared her favorite birding spot, noted out some bird song and passed on some sage advice from her expert birding friends. When she was frustrated with her level of proficiency her Audubon certified friend encouraged her, "Jackie, you are at the fun point in birding. You know enough to identify enough to keep your interest but have so many to yet learn and explore that you are still discovering. After you are an expert it becomes boring." Her friend went on to tell her that many birding experts go on to watch dragonflies and follow some of their migrations. It was a great perspective to share with so many of us who are feeling frustrated by not knowing as much as we might hope to.

We returned in time to meet up with the folks who had chosen to go bird banding, DaBraLady was among them. She was on a real high having correctly IDed some of the birds that had been caught in the mist nets. When she shared how she was allowed to set free a Common Yellow Throat after it had been weighed and banded I could tell another life long memory had been made. This program was full of them.

I had donned my water shoes that were still damp from kayaking. The sun was out but the shoes were chilly. I had already decided that I was not into water travel so it was a push for me to get excited about the canoe class. Park Manager Lisa Bainey's enthusiasm made it worthwhile. With the help of Environmental Education Specialist Aaron, she gave us so many pointers on proper paddling technique that I was afraid to tip my head for it running out of my ears. We buddied up and safely set out on to the lake. One thing that was different in this water sport class was that Aaron and Lisa made sure we were wearing properly sized and adjusted PFDs.

Liz and I paddled out onto the lake toward the middle and we all got some on water instruction. I was in the front and I tried to utilize my core strength rather than being an "arm paddler." We really just enjoyed the lake and chatted with one another from that point on. Every woman on the lake was so down to earth and interesting. We were all different in where we came from but similar in that we could all share the exhilaration of a bald eagle as it glided over our heads in the noon day sun. I obviously left my camera behind for this class too.

We returned for lunch and the final class of the day, geocaching. DaBraLady had taken the geocaching class while I was on the lake for my canoe class. Over sandwiches and fruit cups I asked her how it went. She thought I might not like it because the guy gave too many hints. She also told me that it wasn't Olf D'Cores as I had thought it was supposed to be. This brought me down a bit but I was all ready to debut the tracking coin I had activated just for the day. I had called it Sinnemahoning Smiley.

By now I think you may have caught on that I don't like to mention the names of anyone I have anything negative to say about. This geocacher may have been a late substitute so perhaps some of the things that fell through the cracks were out of his control. I personally think I cut him a lot of slack. He was pleasant, shared a lot of good information and none of it was incorrect. My problem was with the actual hands on geocaching. As with DaBraLady's group in the morning, after a quick demo of finding a nearby waypoint (it lead to a post) we were sent off to find a nearby cache. He had given a few hints and pointed us down the trail. It was not the approach I would have chosen because the tree he made reference too was on the main road and Diane was not
able to do any bushwhacking because of a severe poison ivy allergy. She was already on steroids for a bee sting. We walked an .6 mile by having to back track to a main trail and ran out of time before finding the cache. The morning group actually bushwhacked .3 mile and also did not find it. I was really disappointed to find that the instructor hadn't even checked on the cache before sending us out. Why he didn't do that, accompany us or set up a "day of" cache that was stocked and easier to find just perplexes me. Let me at it next year, I will lead this class.

I will be honest in saying that is where our weekend ended. We were both quite tired and wanted to be awake for our drive home. We decided at the last second (literally) to pass on the pontoon tour. We hugged everyone goodbye and swapped information with those we could. We really want to sign up for next year and take along as many friends and family who are interested. There is something for every woman, young and old. Attending the Sinnemahoning Women in the Outdoors program is probably one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.

Sinnemahoning WITO - Day 2 - PM

The afternoon started off with the Wildlife Conservation Officer Wayne Hunt driving up with the trapped bear. This was also as lunch was being delivered and our photography session wrapping up with a group shot. As we returned to the pavilion Jackie asked the photographer if she could move his matted prints out of the way so that she could set up the lunch for everyone. His reply was, "No, you better let me do that." Jackie had to set up lunch bunched up on another table, his prints were there until well after lunch.

Before and after we ate our lunch, Wayne gave us information about bear trapping and documenting them after their release. This was not a nuisance bear but a random sample he trapped not too far up the mountain. He shot it with a tranquilizer and we ate our lunch. After about 15 minutes, he told us that sometimes one shot is not enough and when he goes to check on the bear they are not totally out and will get up and get out. He told us to stay back as he opened the trap and if the bear came out not to worry it was drugged and just let it walk away. He asked for another larger fellow to come in case he needed help (lifting it I assumed) and opened the trap. It was Mark who had gone to assist and he stood nearby as Wayne tugged the bear's ear. I saw him quickly step back and close the trap as fast as he could. The bear needed another shot. We all went back to eating and I went to ask Mark what he saw that made him decide to close the trap. Mark said, "The bear raised it's head, looked up and and was getting ready to come out."

The second shot was all it took and Wayne went about tagging both ears and extracting one of the bear's teeth. The tooth would be sent off and cut to determine how old the bear is. It then took three people, Wayne, Mark and Janet, to lift what turned out to be a 350 lb mature black bear. He was a good size but not a huge fellow. They rolled him onto his brisket and monitored his respiration. By this point about 60 people total had gathered to hear what Wayne had to share and he graciously answered ever question. He then said people could come up and have their photos taken one at a time. I took DaBraLady's and balked at going myself. The tooth extraction had gotten to me and when Jackie prompted me to go up I told her so. She assured me it was a minor tooth and she really wanted to take a photo of each of her women with the bear. I went up and touched a live warm black bear. As Wayne and Jackie said to everyone, it was a usually once in a lifetime opportunity. This was only the first of many unique and special moments WITO at Sinnemahoning provided.

The activity that followed lunch was the first one where DaBraLady and I parted ways. She went fly fishing I went on a 6 mile mountain bike ride led by Liz Fronheiser. The ride was pure joy for me. We rode along at a pace that was a bit slow because of the tow other riders but we still had a lot of fun. It was just right in length and the slower pace allowed for chatting and getting to know one another. We were on a gravel trail, did some paved road to get to a grass track. It was a figure 8 that was well paced. Liz coached us on how to navigate short "water bars" as well as best body placement of long and rough descents.

Kayaking was next and DaBraLady and I both were going. Neither of us took cameras so I will not have photos to add until someone else shares some with me. We got into a shuttle that drove us the the boat launch at the lake. The instructor, Rich Henrich, was kind and made sure we were all outfitted with PFDs and then taught us the proper way to get in and out of a kayak. We dabbled with just a little technique and then we enjoyed ourselves on the lake. We looked for the eagle's nest and eventually Rich showed us where one of the eagles was perched in the distance. I have little upper body strength so this was a bit of work for me. I also came to a clear conclusion that, although I was enjoying myself, I really preferred land activities. I was getting quite tired and a little hungry by the time we returned.

The next class was taught to everyone together instead of us breaking into groups. It was focused on cordage and primitive fire making. The instructor was just a little quirky and someone I would call a fire making geek. He was just too enthusiastic about the hundreds of different fire making techniques he had tried. I don't think he was a pyromaniac really just way too crazy about everything you could use to make cords to make bows to make a fire.

With the warm sun on my back combined with fatigue and hunger I just could not focus and the guy's enthusiasm struck me as hilarious. The knife he had around his neck in the black duct tape sheath was odd but his demeanor of giving a nervous little laugh of victory after he proved a point started to distract me into finding humor in everything he did. I was exhausted and wrongly snorted in laughter at some random thing he said but I held my composure when no one else laughed or even looked at me. Missy though I had started to snore. Liz was falling asleep in the sun because her group had just had a huge snack at the outdoor cooking class. The class was running long and the pizza guys showed up just as the instructor's pile of tinder burst into flames. We all applauded with enthusiasm. Personally, I was applauding the arrival of the pizza.

After the meal I biked back to camp for a break but found myself wanting to try to find a letterbox. It had been one that RGBisMe and I had not been able to determine it's starting location for sure. On the bird walk, someone mentioned that the one structure was a huge bat enclosure so I knew that was the starting point. I biked the 1 1/2 miles to it and started to try to make the clue come together. I had just as much luck as the first time we tried and came up empty. The trip wasn't a total waste because I checked on another local letterbox that was still in great shape. Crayola Posse are still the only finders and it has been out for almost 3 years.

As I biked back, I realized I probably had biked a total of 15 miles that day over many areas and terrains in the park. I made it back in time to shower before the final astronomy program that evening. The sky was patchy with clouds and we were not sure if we would be able to see anything but Pat Garrigan's talk was enthusiastic. He had many nice handouts and interesting information. As we waited for skies to clear, DaBraLady pointed out the amazing display the fire flies were giving over the edge of the dam. Soon the telescope was trained on a star and finally on Saturn. We all stood single file to quickly get a glimpse of this unique planet. DaBraLady was in front of me and I was last in line I think. I heard her say, "Oh my god! That is amazing!" As she stepped back to give me a turn I remembered what it was like the first time I saw Saturn through a scope, about 15 years before. It was something that really stayed with me. I said to her, "Look again, this is a moment you won't forget." It was a peak moment for everyone there a a stellar way to end the day.

Sinnemahoning WITO - Day 2 - AM

I was up really early the next morning so I wouldn't have to wait for the one shower. I think I was the first to use it because it took a long time to warm up. DaBraLady had brought a coffee maker but forgot filters so she offered some powdered cappuccino mix and made hot water. I knew there would be fresh coffee offered before our first class so I only had about a half a cup. I mounted up and headed off for the Forty Maples area where we would all have breakfast.

Sadly, there was a little glitch in the coffee making that morning and it wasn't quite ready by the time we had to leave to start our morning bird watching walk at the northern end of the park. Mark Johnson lead the walk as he shared his knowledge of bird watching. He gave great tips about how to listen for the birds first then look for them. I have always felt like the odd one out when birding by ear and he assured me that he counts birds that he has clearly identified by ear without ever seeing them. I do so much of my birding by ear because I have a rough time finding them in the field. He took time to give advice on binoculars and field guides and encouraged everyone to take time to really read about a bird immediately after you have made a positive ID on it in the wild. He was giving us the tools and enthusiasm to bird on our own. I do not know one person in our group who would have had an objection to birding with Mark all morning but the time limited us and we had to return to the Forty Maples area for our next class. Birds we saw and heard that morning included Field Sparrow, Bluebird, Northern Oriole, Pine Siskins (late for the area), Alder Flycatcher (positive ID because of it's song - looks exactly like Willow Flycatcher), Cedar Waxwings, Yellow Warbler, Yellow Billed Cuckoo, Chipping Sparrow, Cardinal, Blue Jay, and American Crow.

The next class was photography. I knew that the instructor would probably focus on digital photography but the theme was Outdoor Photography. I can always use some tips and get inspired for more creative shots and better composition. The talk started in the pavilion and I was pretty bored, I wanted to be out in the field and enjoying the beautiful park. I understood that things would need to be covered before heading out but a few things got to me. The photographer had a lot of matted prints on the table not as examples but for sale. I thought that was tacky. Mark Johnson was standing out in the clearing and while I was trying to listen to the photographer and looked at him while he gave his talk, my eyes kept noticing Mark the background and wishing I was still birding. So, I left.


I am sure this was rude but I was going to take charge of my weekend so I walked off as discretely as I could and joined Mark. He was looking for a Prothonotary Warbler that he could hear in the trees. He pointed out it's song for me as we stood and chatted while we watched the little bird skip from tree to tree in the distance. Jackie joined us and they started a great conversation about Woodcocks. I just loved the stories and experiences they were sharing.

As we stood there, Jackie got a call from a forestry official that he had caught a bear and was willing to bring it to demonstrate it being sedated and tagged for ID. She set up a time right around our lunch break so that we would all be gathered to watch. She was pretty excited to be able to offer such an unplanned and unique presentation to our program. It was soon after this the photography class got up to shoot in the field so I decided to rejoin them.

I know I hadn't ingratiated myself with the instructor by walking out on a portion of his class but the guy continued to get under my skin. As we walked on he was instructing everyone how not to just delete shots from your memory card but to reformat it every time or it would become quickly corrupt and he proceeded to tell a story of how when he was flying over a beautiful volcano with snow on it's crown and his memory card went corrupt. His warning to us all sounded less like a lesson than bragging and I thought it was stupid and blurted out, "Didn't you have a back up card?" I mean come ON! Equipment fails and if you are going for a shot like that you should be prepared. He snapped back, "No! I didn't! Yes, I did." I thought he was a jerk for sure.


We took a walk along the First Fork Sinnemahoning Creek and it was just lovely. He was pointing out some lighting options and occasionally would take time to go one on one to help some of the women understand their camera menus. It was during one of those times he was navigating someone through their camera that I was sharing some composition tips with Kate, a woman who had also been on the birding walk. I told her how in some open field areas how it's nice to frame a shot by adding a little over-hanging interest in the foreground. I gave the tip my father liked to share that if there isn't anything overhanging, you can break off a small branch or some thing and just dangle it out in front of you to frame the upper corner. I know the photographer overheard me but what was that hurting?

We walked on and he set up his camera on a tripod to share what I had been describing composition wise. I was excited he was covering that topic. He was using a tree on the right to frame the creek to the left and encouraged everyone to look through the view finder so that we could see for ourselves. Unfortunately, the way he had it composed (maybe someone bumped the camera?) was that the tree was too far in and the negative space to the right of the tree drew my eyes away from the creek too often. It was poor composition and I totally lost respect for him at that point.

As the women took turns looking through the camera, he continued to say how "some people" will force framing by breaking off a plant and adding it to the shot. He very pointedly added, "Not that I would ever do that." He had obviously directed that at me. I guess I should have made sure to add to Kate that it would be prudent not to do any harm to the plant life and frequently there are branches and plants already down. My omitting that may have made me a target because over the next half hour during our walk he made reference to it twice. I don't know exactly why he wouldn't do it, he never said but I was ready to ask if he did it a third time.

So, the guy had really gotten under my skin and I am pretty sure I had gotten under his by the time we made our way back to the pavilion. We stopped for one last composition lesson where a wonderful old apple tree well in the foreground arched over a picnic table that was just close enough to allow for a really nice group shot. He instructed us to take turns standing just where he was and check out how nice the shot would look. I took my turn and saw the lovely old branch in the foreground, the table situated beautifully under it but in the background was a big sign for the Low Lands Trail. It was in a place where no one sitting at the picnic table would be blocking it and if you moved for anything to hide it the tree wouldn't be framing the table anymore. As I stood there you bet I said, "It's really nice except for the sign in the background." He ignored my jab by commenting and instructing on something totally different. What a waste of time except for the nice shots I got along the creek.

Sinnemahoning WITO - Day 1

DaBraLady and I went for a Women in the Outdoors weekend in Sinnemahoning State Park. I cannot say enough good about the staff of that park. They share what they know, make you aware of things you may want know to or need to know in the park and really care about the park and it's visitors.

Even before setting up camp, DaBraLday and I stopped off for the view from the breast of the dam. The day was beautiful and we got the the park in great time. This allowed us to stop and enjoy every aspect of the beginning to the weekend. The mountains were so green and the sky was very beautiful. As we drove on, I noticed just where the trail crossed over the road and looked forward to exploring them on foot or bike later in the weekend. I intended to bike whenever possible.

The park office allowed us to check into our camp site early and this allowed us plenty of time to set everything in in daylight before the first WITO event that evening. We were close to the showers, firewood and playground so it was an area of activity. It was also a huge space and seemed larger than any of the other tenting spots in the campground.

We found level places for our tents that wouldn't be in the way of water run off if there was an afternoon thunderstorm while we were there. I even had time to set up my LED purple lights to locate the campsite after dark and some banners that visually reminded me of what a special time and space I was visiting.

We sat a bit, met the local chipmunks, ate some supper and checked our schedule. We were supposed to get together at 7PM for the history of the area and getting to know each other. This was about a mile from the campground at the Forty Maples day use area. The main park road led to it and I noticed some trails on the map that cut through that area too. I chose to plan to bike to and from the get together. Not knowing how late it would end, I packed my headlamp and put the front and rear lights on my bike.

Other than a small group of woman who had participated the year before, everyone of the 21 women were pleasant and down to earth. There were 4 mother/daughter couples and the rest were groups or couples of friends. There was only one woman who seemed to have come by herself and she was teaching one of the workshops. She had come the year before and seemed very comfortable being on her own.

We went around and introduced ourselves. We came with a broad range of interests and from very different locations. I think the farthest traveled from Philly area and there were a few local women too. About four or so were of retirement age or older. I think I pretty much fell right in the middle of them all when it came to interests, expertise, age and location. I felt pretty comfortable.

What really made me sure of the fact that I knew it was going to be a great weekend was the way each of the staff members handled themselves and how they presented the information. The one ranger, Brian, was very straightforward in sharing information of the threat of so many of the local state parks potentially closing. He let us know that that the issue had been tabled just two days before but still encouraged us to write to our legislators.

The coordinator of the WITO program at Sinnemahoning, Jackie Flynn, had been a pleasure to work with even in the weeks prior to my attending the program. She made sure that my veggie diet needs were met. I was not let down the whole weekend, there was plenty for me to eat and I gained two pounds to prove it! She gave us a wonderful history of the park and her role there.

Toward the end of the question and answer portion a young male deer emerged from the woods and started to tentatively approach our group. He was licking his lips and looking for a handout. We hadn't even started to make our s'mores so he was just a general mooch. The snacks were great and we chatting with each other a while longer before I biked back via the magical Low Lands Trail to our camp site. It was after 9PM when I got back but it was still light enough that DaBraLady was reading her novel in her camp chair.

I think we both slept pretty well. The stars were out and we hoped that they might be as brilliant the next night because that is when they were setting up telescopes on the breast of the dam for an astronomy program. I fell asleep listening to campground noises and watching the stars through the hemlock canopy.

My Best Friend

A Sunday Walk

Strolling by a sunny lake.

We saw a Brown Thrasher.

Two Northern Water Snakes.

A geocache from 2002.

We added our mark to the inside.

Robin's Eggs!

On the western side of our apartment building.

Exploring Gotham

I finally took the non-stop bus into Gotham City. RGBisMe had a few things to do this week but was driving into the city to meet me on May Day - yay! Before he joined me I had a few interesting experiences and did quite a bit of exploring. I have had little time nor reason to be in the city on my own before and this was my chance to check out personal points of interest and be a tourist. Not everything I was most interested in is in any tour book but in the future I do plan on taking a walking tour to check out Gargoyles sometime. I might not buy into a package deal but probably seek them out on my own.

I wanted to start to explore the moment the bus let out in Chinatown so I decided to pack light, micro-light. I paired down my luggage to stuffing my purse full. Granted I planned on staying with with Asrai and Ravenboy so I could count on them for a few things but I could have stayed in The Pod and been just as fine with what I had packed. This included a change of clothing for 2 days, toiletries, money and letterboxing supplies. It was supposed to rain on and off for the whole time I was going to be in the city so I also wore a rain coat.

I did a little exploring around Chinatown right off. I didn't have time to go to the arcade to play any DDR but did find a letterbox and also hid one in that general area of the city. I don't think the one I hid will stay for very long but stranger things have happened.

I started navigating the city in the MTA. I got pretty good at knowing where to get on, transferring and navigating the underground pilgrimages from stop to stop. My first of many trips last week was to get myself to Union Square by 2pm to meet Asrai at nearby 890 Broadway. I made it by 1:30 and had time to take in the Farmer's Market. Just as I was grabbing an organic vegan carrot raisin cookie, Asrai appeared. We took advantage of the extra half hour to shop in a couple of nearby stores. She bought a back brace for teaching in her circus arts classes and I looked at the cool catware at Fishs Eddy. We soon met Ravenboy and had some lunch at Whole Foods.

Every moment I spent with Ravenboy and Asrai reminded me of how lucky I was to know them. Generous in every with kind spirits, they loved sharing stories, ideas and opened their home and lives to me completely. Being with them makes the time without them around feel very superficial and without depth. I actually have to forget just how special they are until I am with them again or I would be very lonely most of the year. I know I can speak for RGBisMe as well, we love them very much.

We spent Ravenboy's break exploring from Union Square to Washington Square and back. They showed me where they went to go hear Dieselboy spin at club Love. Like many clubs in Gotham, there is no indicator or sign of the nightclub inside, you have to know the address and boldly venture into the unmarked door. They were given the wrong address and went to the wrong location. By the time they realized and corrected their error, they were too tired to go to the performance.

There are so many cool nooks and crannies around Greenwich Village. Washington Mews, MacDougal Alley, Patchin Place, Cherry Alley, Fat Cat jazz club, and many other locations make this area a must to explore. Ravenboy once cut through the local pizza/pita place about 1AM on his way to Fat Cat and saw the late Heath Ledger grabbing a slice there. Greenwich Village, a very cool area.

After spending a completely chill evening with my family and resting well, I started out the next morning experiencing Ravenboy's typical morning commute. I promised not to slow him down and road the express subway down to Union Square with him. I bid him a good day of rehearsals and about 9:45 AM set off on my own to board the N train to Coney Island. The ride ended up taking close to 40 minutes and I was glad to have taken a book to read. The last 20 minutes were in Brooklyn. The train came above ground as it left Manhattan and I was able to enjoy looking out and around. I could see the Brooklyn Bridge in the distance as we crossed the East River and about 10 minutes later I was able to smell the sea in the air each time the train cars opened.

Not many people will understand my wanting to visit a place like Coney Island when it is not open. I think there is an amazingly spooky charm to amusement parks when there is no one around. I am am also quite intimidated by large crowds of people so this allowed me to enjoy a few attractions without the added stress of so many people being around. The boardwalk had very few people on it except for around the entrance to the New York Aquarium where bus loads of children lined the path the entire way to the board walk. Their excited chatter filled the area as I walked the boardwalk and enjoyed the view of the Atlantic Ocean before finding my way back to the Metro stop.

I transferred to the 2 train in the middle of Brooklyn so that I could get to a station where I could catch a train to Battery Park. It was a number of times this week which I traveled through the area where the World Trade Center stops used to be open on the red line. I am sure it is not my imagination that everyone on the cars seem a bit more subdued as we travel under that area where the two towers used to stand. Almost a decade has passed but few who live in Gotham, or care about the city, have forgotten that day.

The day never produced any rain and by the time I reached Battery Park it was quite nice. I was back to dodging camera wielding tourists again. Every one's focus was either the ferry, Lady Liberty or some of the memorial sculptures in the park. I pulled my camera out a few time but my focus at one point seemed to be of little interest to anyone else. It turns out that I was able to photograph Zelda the wild turkey!

I was able to find a letterbox in Battery Park before getting back onto the metro to go uptown again. I made a few stops, here and there and planted another letterbox before making my way upper east side. Partway along this commute I decided that I wanted to transfer to the local train and jumped off at the next stop. Unlike the express stop before, I realized the local platform was two flights upstairs! I ran up a flight and then ran up a flight that was also an escalator that brought me out near the platform. I heard to departure announcement being made on the local train that stood on the tracks just a few steps down. On fatigued ankles I sprinted down the steps and through the doors of the subway car just before they closed. I was able to understand and share that smug little smile of satisfaction I had seen on the faces of other breathless commuters. This was a genuine NYC moment for me.

The next morning, RGBisMe was able to join us. We wandered around Central Park for a while. We passed where the Red Tailed Hawk, Pale Male, regularly nests and walked by the boat pond. We played on the Alice in Wonderland sculpture and marveled at the many tulips that were at their peak around the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After successfully finding a letterbox in Central Park, we met Asrai after her art class and she showed us a spectacular piece of work she had modeled for. Also an avid knitter, Asrai showed us a colorful wall of yarns in a local shop.

We spent the afternoon exploring different areas of the city. We checked out Grand Central Station during rush hour and I finally had a chance to take RGBisMe into the Chrysler Building to show off it's amazing deco style and architecture. We looked at the ceiling painting and all of the chrome stairway fixtures and even wandered into an area where we shouldn't have been. It was all very beautiful.

Across the street from Grand Central Station was the old Bowery Savings Bank that had loads of imagery on it. The typical beehive image was repeated a few times but what surprised us was how many times squirrels were represented. They always had acorns and in one image a man was pulling a squirrel's tail as it was running away with an acorn. I took so many photos of that bank it's ridiculous. I have at least 5 different squirrel images. Now, with Tracdc in mind, I am wondering just how many images of squirrels are in the city! I want to do a NYC squirrel tour just for her!

The day I rushed from the express train to the local train was so that I could make reservations in person at the Candle Cafe. I think I got it mixed up with Candle 79 which is also nearby and both are vegetarian restaurants. No regrets because the four of us had a very nice meal that night.

On our last day in the city, RGBisMe and I rose early and prepared to depart to find some letterboxes and get out of the way. Although Ravenboy had to work it was Asrai's day off and we wanted her to be able to sleep in. She got up early and asked if she could tag along with us. We were thrilled!

That morning we wandered through a completely different part of Central Park and failed at finding the two letterboxes we sought upper west side. After washing off our grubby hands, Asrai treated us to lunch at the famous Pomodoro Rosso. Everything at this quaint little restaurant was delicious. We can't wait to return for some pasta some evening.

We all caught the subway to look for one of the best letterboxes in the city, A Lovely Light. I had failed to find it TWICE before in the same number of days because my research was faulty. Never mind I walked past the exact location probably 10 times, I groped all of the wrong final locations. I was glad to have Asrai and RGBisMe along for the final attempt. I refused to look for it because I thought I had jinxed every other location. Asrai was quite clever in pretending to get into her back pack and quickly made the successful grab! We walked down a block, well away from the location to stamp into the little letterbox. Awesome carving! As we were logging in, a tour formed right around us and the guide started spouting off information that RGBisMe had successfully researched just that morning. It was hard not to crack up as they walked by us and we followed them to listen a bit. They walked right past the hiding place, totally distracted with their tour, as Asrai slipped the letterbox back into place.

We met Ravenboy on his break one last time before we set out for home. The time together was all too brief but they assured us that they would be coming to visit in August. They are more than welcome and I can never thank them enough for such a great time in their city.