It's My Birthday...

... and I'll Blog if I want to.

White Deer & Little League Baseball

I want to make mention of a couple of new letterboxes and a hitch hiker.

White Deer is the first letterbox I know of in Union County and is in a location that RGBisMe and I have been discussing for quite a while.

Although Little League Baseball isn't the first letterbox in Lycoming County, it does mean that we are starting to give central Pennsylvania some more boxes to choose from. We now have boxes in ten central PA counties, nine of which currently have no other boxes than our own. We hope that will change as folks come to visit this great area of the state. How can they resist hiking and planting boxes here!?

I now have a new hitch hiker out there too. I know they get lost and many you never see again but why not try to spread a little LOVE?

I hope you all enjoy these.

Great Backyard Bird Count

Don't forget that this Friday, February 18 starts the next Great Backyard Bird Count. It's a lot of fun to participate in and helps track population trends for wild birds.

Angler's Heaven & Spring Creek Otter Letterboxes

RGBisMe was excited to go out and give Angler's Heaven and
Spring Creek Otter a shot since Maga11 & I planted them while he was at work. He didn't stamp in or claim the First to Find certificates since he always has a hand in making the boxes.

He was able to see the fangs of ice I mentioned in the clues since it's still snowy and icey out there.

Chilly Midwinter

After a day of light snowfall, it is cold and bright. A lot of the energies I put out right now have to be kept indoors for a while but there is a lot in the works.

The Crayola Posse

Someone thought that The Crayola Posse was a funny name for us since so many of us are artists and have colors represented in our names. I like it, tell me what you think.

Let me tell you something...

Welcome to my BLARG space. I am true indigo I will use this to journal my adventures and to document letterboxing clues and hunts. I also may include geocaching trips or just crazy times.

Our posse consists of a handful of people. RGBisMe is my strongest ally and most alive person I know. He is a graphic designer and artist. Maga11 is also an artist and is mainly focusing on pen and ink lately. She adds a different perspective when we are on a hunt. Toolman Luke is another creative fellow in the posse. It never fails that he can add a bit of historical background and color to any place we go. Ravenboy, youngest of the posse, lives in NYC as a ballet dancer. His dry sense of humor, never ending energy, and eagerness make each outing with him a fond memory for the whole posse. Others that might ride with the posse include; Tracdc, DaBraLady, AmishPunk, and maybe someday Satan will join us.

The true indigo Trust

About

The true indigo Trust, established in 1962 with the mission of preserving and protecting true indigo's creative works, is the center from which the business operations relating to the licensing of true indigo's creative output emanate. At its core, the Trust has the responsibility of disseminating and protecting the integrity and the copyrights of true indigo’s work in the present and for the future.

The office of the Trust manages the day to day operations of the mission as set forth by the Trustees, including other creative input from former dancers, artists and current masters. Whether it is the licensing of dances for live performances, a media project, or the use of direct quotes or true indigo’s name, the Trust seeks to continue and uphold the artistic standards and copyright protection that true indigo maintains.

The Trust also organizes the engagement of repetiteurs to teach classes at schools and companies.

All of true indigo’s works have been copyrighted and must be licensed for any use. A website is being created to provide information about all of the works that are currently available for performance or presentation.

We encourage you to explore the universe of true indigo and to contact us to discuss how the Trust can serve you.

Group Shots After Workshop

After Arron's performance in Les Gentilhommes at the School of American Ballet's 2002 Student Workshop.

photo by Missy Kinzer

In back, Jim & Evan. Front - Grace, me, Arron, Mom. Dad was not well enough to travel.

Peter Boal and Arron at the After Party.

David Sammis, Zlato Fagundes, Alex Hamoudi, Hyek Chen, Arron, Vinnie Paradisio

Central Park Lake

Almost a month after "9/11" this photo was taken on the southern point of The Lake in Central Park. We were waiting for Arron to finish his classes for the day at the School of American Ballet and spent it exploring this area of the park. I can remember getting goose poop on my pants after posing for some seated photos. I have always liked this photo of me.

Maria

Arron was one of Maria's first baby sitters. I helped him learn to change her diaper and he never tired of playing with her and reading her books. It was a month after this photo that Arron moved to New York as a student at the School of American Ballet.

Maria took it hard. She wouldn't let anyone bring up Arron's name nor the name of the city to which he had moved. It was really difficult when she was at the ballet studio where her mom, Vicky, and I both worked. People were constantly asking me for updates on how Arron was doing. This was around the same time the first Harry Potter movie debuted and Vicky and I took to referring to Arron as "he-who-shall-not-be-named" or "Lord Voldemort".

Florida with the Top Down

Joey Sweeney and Arron in Florida

Tracy took Arron to Walt Disney World in October, 1998. He and Joey spent a week enjoying their time in Florida and posed on the rental car.

Christmas 1981

More good times!

Pepper wagging his tail at my ever animated self.

Wearing the blue version of the hooded monk robe, Tracy shows off a goody from her stocking.

Twinkie sisters opening tubes of lip balm. This was the era of lip gloss, stick pins and big hair.

A full length mirror and a moment for a creative photo.

Just what every 19 year old needs!

Bean bag chairs!

Mom got a Kitchen Aid mixer!!

Red straps on a green shirt, Dad is dressed for the day.

Tiny Nrml White Sox Kitten Cat curled on Missy's coat.

Snacks but nowhere NEAR the spread Mom provides now!

Sitting in my bean bag and trying out my flavored lip shtuff.

Due to the flash not being in sync, half of Missy celebrating faux lamb's wool car seat covers.

Tracy, Sophomore in High School

Stretching out for cheer leading or choreography. I couldn't tell which.

Choreographer for the High School Play, "Oklahoma!" Tracy was also a cheer leader.

Jim Dulis at the piano. He played Jud Fry in "Oklahoma!"

Senior that year, Mark Vaux lived close to us on Grand Street.

Tracy, winding down after a hard day with headphones, Orange Crush and Playgirl Magazine. Dad even made her a headphone jack for in the back of the car.

Missy & Pepper

In the living room on South Wayne St. Missy is 16 and Pepper is going on 11.

Austrian Wrestlers

In my junior year in high school, a touring wrestling team from Austria was to come and have a match with our high school team. As good will, local families were asked if they could provide housing for the young men for the couple of days they were in town. As a student in one of the more advanced German classes, I was asked if my family might be willing.

Alfred and Siegfred were two young men that my parents hosted in our home. The hope was that by asking students in the advanced German classes that they would be able to help translate for their families. What they didn't really think of was that we had no practical knowledge of conversation in the German language, just drills and grammar.

Another stumbling block was that I was too shy to talk to them in English let alone try out my crude German. They were much older than high school students and seemed very worldly.

Dad took photos of the wrestling match and the next day they accompanied us to Penn State where Dad allowed them to help develop the film and prints. I can remember their confusion at we were going across the Seven Mountains. They laughed and told us in their broken English that our mountain were known as hills in Germany.

The taller of the two fellows, Alfred, was injured and did not compete in the match. Because of this he was probably carefully watching his weight while he healed. Thank goodness because I was no help in noticing that when Mom offered him food and he replied, "Bitte," she would give him a little "bit". Poor Alfred!

Missy, Me, Siggie, Dad, Alfred, Tracy. Our group shot before the fellows boarded their bus. The Juniata River is behind us as we waited in the lot at Tony's Restaurant along the 322 narrows.

Tracy just 14

The delicate age between childhood and adulthood. Tracy had just turned 14 the month I took this photo of her as she sat in the bleachers watching a high school basketball game.

I love how in this photo I can see the child she was and the woman she was yet to become.

Tracy @ 14

Christmas 1978

Christmas Eve we would get to open a gift. It was frequently matching pajamas which made for a photogenic Christmas morning and probably contributed to why I had a hard time sleeping that night. I'm sporting my Phillies baseball shirt.

Twinkies in style but not exact color, my pajamas are more slate colored than Tracy's.

Mom finally growing out the grey this year. It looks good!

The seventies brought a lot of groovy patterned pants and hairstyles.

Pepper loved opening his gifts. He is 10 years old.

A fun pinball game scored and themed with baseball.

Christmas 1976

Tracy eating at the counter.

Pepper on his blanket.

Tracy with her Dorothy Hamil hair cut.

Mom and me. I am in my monk's hooded robe.

Pepper snoozing.

A full tree all decked out.

Mom's system of un-decorating.

Pepper looking into the basement.

My Brownie

At a yard sale somewhere along South Wayne Street, the summer of 1975, I found an old Brownie camera for sale. It was complete with flash attachment and I couldn't have spent more than a couple of dollars for it. Dad outfitted me with film and flashbulbs and away I went, documenting my life that summer.

It was the summer after starting Junior High School where I had met my best friend Missy. I smile to see the easy smile she shared as we hung out in my bedroom. Note all of the drawings I had cut out and posted on the wallpapered bulletin board behind my bed. There is also a photo of a picnic in Renovo from earlier that summer which I will scan and post another time.

This was the summer where it was hinted that we might be moving to Devonshire, England later in the year. Whatever job prospect my father had there must not have worked out because I lived my entire school life on South Wayne Street in Lewistown.

We did travel a bit that summer. We visited family in New York state in their cabin. Great Uncle Cliff and Great Aunt Rose opened their summer camp to us. The drive seemed to Renovo, PA had seemed take forever so it's no surprise I pulled out the old Brownie in the car on our way to NY.

I find myself wondering what I did with the hot used flashbulbs after a snapped the shots of Tracy and Mom in the car. I just love Tracy's plaid pants and peasant shirt as she sits smiling at me. She is reading what looks like a road atlas (it looks like a map) but all I can remember are the Esso folding maps from that era.


It looks like we are traveling in our white Impala and it was a rainy day. Mom looks like a kid peeping from the front seat an she indulges me in yet another photo. Were we waiting for Dad to get back from doing some genealogy research? I know this was the trip I had terrible cramps and I got sick in the car right around Scranton.


At camp I catch Mom getting ready to brush her teeth. She could pull off a stylish horizontal striped top, typical pattern for the seventies. Note the striped knee socks I am sporting and the puppy, Daisy, is sleeping on my belly.They look a lot like the wool running sock I wear for a little added compression and warmth in winter.

We had a lot of great times around camp but I forgot until looking at these photos that Dad must have been helping out with building and repairs. Many family summer homes are works in progress and he is lending a hand while he sits high on atop of a door. Again with the striped shirts of the time but Dad wore them decades later. They be came know as "Grand Father Lukens'" shirts when we would shop with Arron for something he might like on Father's Day.

Tracy and I didn't help with any of the construction of the camp. When the weather allowed, we would spend time down by the lake. There was a little dock from which one could view the passing motor boats, slide into the shallows launch the inflatable raft or, unless you were a new vegetarian, fish.

Mom and Tracy both enjoyed fishing from the dock and all of the rods were left down there. I can remember a couple of rainy days passed and I was first down to the dock the first morning it had clear. I was shocked and terrified to see that the baited hooks that had been dangling in the water had accidentally caught fish over the rainy day and night. Their bodies were lifeless but still damp and beautiful as they hung from the lines. I was confused as to whether they had jumped up to get the bait, if there was a tide that receded on the lake or if the water level had gone down.

I don't think I ever liked sitting still and much preferred swimming in the water rowing the raft around the dock. In some of the photos I can see a floating deck a little farther out in the lake and remember wishing I could swim out it it. I think we rowed out to it with Aunt Sandy once.

I love these couple of shots Mom must have taken as I row the raft close to the dock. In the first one, I man the ores and Tracy poses. The next shot shows me rowing right into the sliding board on the dock. I can't imagine doing it on purpose and attribute the fact that Tracy is shooting upward from the impact to my lack of rowing expertise.