All's well that ends well

Thanks to an almost unbelievable chain of mishaps that started on Monday, we didn't have running water for the better part of the week. Nothing coming out of the faucet. No toilet. No shower. No laundry. No ice cubes. No coffee. No dishwashing.
But with the help of lots of bottled water and kind friends, it really wasn't that bad. Living without electric power is infinitely worse. I've done both, and as long as I have my smartphone, my computer and plenty of work to do, I'm pretty much a happy camper, even if it does involve some "roughing it" skills I learned way back in the Girl Scouts.
Plus, if you've made up your mind to be a hardy country person with a well instead of public water, you really can't whine about such a minor hardship (minor for me, that is, but not for people who have horses or livestock they need to keep watered, of course). Nonetheless ... my deepest gratitude goes out to everyone who worked so hard to get the water back running!

Fields of gold

You probably remember the spectacular display of sunflowers that Longwood Gardens planted two summers ago at Schoolhouse and Longwood Roads. It seems the trend they started hasn't gone away. Don't miss the gorgeous field of sunflowers to the east of the Unionville roundabout on Route 82. 

Windfall

I had a splendid time this hot Friday afternoon in Kennett Square. First, at the Friday Farmer's Market, I bought some of Carol Krawczyk's amazing home-grown fresh Celeste figs. What a treat! Then I met a pal at the Half-Moon for a beer (alas, only hours before movie director Tim Burton showed up with his entourage), and afterward we walked over to La Pena Mexicana on Cypress Street to dine on their delicious tacos. En route my friend spotted some bills on the sidewalk and snatched them up with great alacrity. $31! Naturally, with a windfall like that, he sprung for our dinner.

In a fog

For once the Weather Channel got it right: this morning it displayed a little orange icon on my smartphone, which indicates that something's up, in this case what it called "patchy fog."
They weren't kidding. I was out in my car at about 7:30 a.m. (heading to a friend's house to shower) and it was spooky. I had noticed a cloud of fog hovering over the cornfields on my walk the previous evening, but this morning I was completely hemmed in by the white stuff and couldn't see beyond the fence lines on either side of my road. At one point three riders just materialized out of the fog.
By mid-morning it was gone completely, replaced by bright sunshine, but what a Gothic start to the day!

Hadley Fund

The schedule for this season's Hadley Memorial Fund programs is out; visit www.hadleyfund.org to see it. The 50th anniversary season will begin with a Sixties Celebration party and dance starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 29, at the Kennett Area Senior Center (a light supper is available to purchase). The first lecture of the season is "Disney and the Art of Transcending Science" by Jim Van Ostenbridge at Unionville High School at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12. As always, the lectures are free and open to all.

It's back!

I'm sure you'll recall how, earlier this year, the beloved rabbit figure along Street Road at Schoolhouse Road was stolen by pranksters, then replaced, and then smashed by a vehicle.
Well, I drove by this morning on my way to Starbucks (the water at home is heavily chlorinated -- long story -- and it doesn't make for good coffee) and was delighted to see that the Bunny is back in place along the roadside.
Thank you to the family who tends to the rabbit; it means a lot to people. As one of my readers said, " Love the little things around the community that make me just feel a sense of belonging!" Said another: "All is right with the world again! Love that bunny!"

Testimony

Mid-morning, a steady procession of cars was exiting the Route 1 bypass onto Route 82 south and then turning into Union Hill Cemetery. A group of VFW guys, in uniform, were already lined up at the gravesite, waiting for their part in the burial service. Everyone had gathered to pay their respects to yet another World War II veteran who had died, and I have to say that my eyes pricked a little at the thought that so many members of the Greatest Generation, along with all of the Holocaust survivors, are leaving us. Just this week I read an amazing piece about a 90-year-old woman and how she survived the Holocaust and was so glad that she had a chance to share her story.

On the shelf

R&P Nurseries is fixing the crumbling stone wall along the east side of Route 82 on the south side of Willowdale, across from the Willowdale Chapel. The nice new wall borders the level "shelf" where the trolley tracks used to run on the way to Kennett Square. You can see more remains of the "shelf" near the Kennett Country Club. (I know this only because I went to Ray McKay's fascinating lecture back in April about trolleys in our area, sponsored by the Southeastern Chester County Historical Society.)
And speaking of things historic, there's going to be a walking tour of Unionville on Thursday, Sept. 6, starting at 5:30 p.m., sponsored by the Chester County Parks & Recreation Department. "In the gently rolling Southeastern corner of Chester County lies the small village of Unionville, a community that dates back to the middle of the 18th century. Though locally manufactured brick is the predominant mode of construction, fine examples of stone and frame buildings also exist. Unionville Village has long played a vital role providing goods and services to area residents; this is still the case today." I plan to be there! (Please call to reserve a spot: 1-877-442-2476, ext. 111.)

A good arm

Yesterday afternoon I was at a committee meeting: five ladies and a table full of fundraising letters to personalize. Fortunately we were outside on the porch of one of the most beautiful homes I know, overlooking a pond full of swans and geese.
One of the women started tossing tennis balls to the dog who was keeping us company, and we noted with some surprise how far and how hard she was throwing the balls. She has a good explanation: It turns out she used to be married to a Major League pitcher and would often "play catch" with him. Obviously, she hasn't lost her touch.

Thyme to change your password

A local garden center's Facebook page was hijacked by hackers who sent out a message to all the center's "friends" alerting them to a video that showed "somebody who looks like you" dancing. "Looks embarrassing!" said the message.
I knew instantly they'd been hacked because I for one haven't danced in any embarrassing videos in many years. But if anyone has a certain freshman orientation video I appeared in back in spring 1979 (I was cast as "the girlfriend"), I will pay well to get it back.

A tonic tonic

"Unionville in the News" reader Caroline sent the following note in reference to my item last week about an odd cure for nighttime leg cramps (putting a bar of Ivory soap at the foot of the bed):

"This problem cleared up completely for me with the following solution: One-third cup of tonic water, with quinine each day. I take it after dinner in the evening. You can add a little something to make it taste better."

Excellent advice, Caroline! Why, I have some tonic water and lime in the fridge right now. What a coincidence.

Construction

I'm not sure if this can be generalized to the outside world as a positive economic indicator, but I'm certainly seeing a lot of big construction projects going on here in West Marlborough, and there are new, tidy fences being installed all over the place. One nearby family is adding a whole wing to their stone house. A dressage arena is being built up the road, and this is a giant undertaking, with bulldozers moving all kinds of earth. And one of the township's major landowners has put in a lane stretching from Thouron Road all the way through to Route 841.

Just a blur

At the intersection by the Red Rose Inn at Jennersville are several signs stuck in the ground. I'm assuming they're campaign signs, but the letters are too small and skinny to read. There's a photo of a woman, but even though I've driven by the signs several times now, and made a point of really looking at them, I couldn't tell you if she's running for township supervisor or if she's hosting a marriage-enrichment seminar.
Those signs aren't cheap, and it's a shame that the client and the designer didn't think to ask the basic question, "Will a motorist driving by be able to read this?"