The thunderstorm that hit our area the afternoon of July 26, and ended the heat wave, was certainly a localized "weather event." At my house we had some strong wind and rain, but near Embreeville the storm was ferocious: it knocked down big branches, crushed fences, and closed roads. Some PECO customers lost power for two days.
On Friday afternoon I ran into a Kennett friend while I was getting a berry yogurt smoothie at the Produce Place, and she said that half of their power had been restored -- which she thought was a very odd thing indeed. At least, she corrected herself, only half of the power was back earlier that morning, when she very sensibly cleared out and escaped to the Kennett Y.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
AUDIENCE: Common courtesy is not so common
At a performance on Friday evening, we were presented with two contrasting models of parenting.
In front of us was a mother with her little girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old.
Behind us were two parents, a toddler son and an elementary-school-age daughter, and a mother-in-law.
The little girl in front of us squirmed a little and stood up in the aisle a few times -- to be expected at a 3-hour-long nighttime show not really geared for young kids. She quietly asked intelligent questions about the action in the show, which her mom answered in a low voice. When the girl stood up in her chair, her mother immediately and firmly told her to sit.
Behind us was another story. The girl, probably bored, slouched down and actually started kicking the back of my chair. Her parents either didn't notice or didn't care -- or were just plain worn out. The boy, tired and up way past his bedtime, jabbered loudly and wandered down the aisle.
I think it's great when parents expose their kids to the arts, but they really shouldn't allow them to disturb other members of the audience.
In front of us was a mother with her little girl, maybe 5 or 6 years old.
Behind us were two parents, a toddler son and an elementary-school-age daughter, and a mother-in-law.
The little girl in front of us squirmed a little and stood up in the aisle a few times -- to be expected at a 3-hour-long nighttime show not really geared for young kids. She quietly asked intelligent questions about the action in the show, which her mom answered in a low voice. When the girl stood up in her chair, her mother immediately and firmly told her to sit.
Behind us was another story. The girl, probably bored, slouched down and actually started kicking the back of my chair. Her parents either didn't notice or didn't care -- or were just plain worn out. The boy, tired and up way past his bedtime, jabbered loudly and wandered down the aisle.
I think it's great when parents expose their kids to the arts, but they really shouldn't allow them to disturb other members of the audience.
POKEMON: Like sitting on flagpoles
The Pokémon GO craze continues even as we approach the school-supply-buying season.
On Friday afternoon I spotted the Young Relative with two pals at Broad and State Streets, all peering at their phones as they hunted the elusive creatures (thank goodness the young men looked up as they crossed State Street).
And a gym friend told me she went out with her family to celebrate her 26th birthday -- and after dinner her brother insisted that they all drive around Wilmington so he could play.
The business pages have been full of speculation on how the hugely popular game will affect the earnings and future plans of the Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, which has a 32 percent share in the Pokémon Company.
On Friday afternoon I spotted the Young Relative with two pals at Broad and State Streets, all peering at their phones as they hunted the elusive creatures (thank goodness the young men looked up as they crossed State Street).
And a gym friend told me she went out with her family to celebrate her 26th birthday -- and after dinner her brother insisted that they all drive around Wilmington so he could play.
The business pages have been full of speculation on how the hugely popular game will affect the earnings and future plans of the Japanese gaming giant Nintendo, which has a 32 percent share in the Pokémon Company.
UNIONVILLE: It only it could talk...
I had a nostalgic moment on Friday when I followed a classic 1970s Chevy van into Unionville. It was white, with gold, tan and red stripes (a popular color palette back then), and a metal ladder going up the back to the roof (technically for luggage, but also a great vantage point at music fests or Bicentennial fireworks!). Add a smiley face sticker and it would have been perfectly at home in the parking lot of my high school.
I'm told the vehicle belongs to a downtown Unionville resident.
I'm told the vehicle belongs to a downtown Unionville resident.
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| A vintage Chevy van in Unionville. |
KENNETT: The park concerts continue
Singer-songwriter Angelee Gerovasiliou was the performer at the July 27 concert at Anson B. Nixon Park. A Kennett resident, he said his commute to the venue was a short one: 1.2 miles, to be exact. His day job is a veterinarian in Prospect Park, so he said he was especially glad to see all the canines in the audience.
There are only two more concerts in this summer's series: Aug. 3 (West Philadelphia Orchestra) and Aug. 10 (Shytown). The music starts at 7 p.m.
There are only two more concerts in this summer's series: Aug. 3 (West Philadelphia Orchestra) and Aug. 10 (Shytown). The music starts at 7 p.m.
Friday, July 29, 2016
NEW GARDEN: Not quite right
A friend tells me that she was watching a TV news segment about the huge early-morning hay bale fire at Modern Mushroom Farms in New Garden back on July 20 and was amused to hear the Philadelphia reporter say the blaze was in "Two-Kenna-Ma." (The reporter also pronounced "Newark" like the city in New Jersey.)
KENNETT: A new boutique in town
A new boutique, Mamie, is moving in where the Tribe beauty salon used to be at 116 South Union Street in Kennett. The shop is owned by Megan Healy and Amy Trelenberg, who also own ShopMamie on Gilpin Avenue in Wilmington. It will sell women's clothing, shoes and gifts; the website is www.shopmamie.com. (Tribe moved to 882 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford.)
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
WEST GROVE: The retired lifestyle
I overheard two retired guys chatting the other day at the Jenners Pond retirement community and had to chuckle.
"Where've you been?" one man asked his friend. "I haven't seen you for months!"
"Well, I've been working," replied the other man.
The first guy furrowed his brows. "Work-ing?" he said, pronouncing it like it was a foreign term completely unfamiliar to him. And quite possibly an offensive one.
The reason I was at Jenners Pond was for a 4 p.m. lecture, and I noted that they were already serving wine and cheese. Nice!
"Where've you been?" one man asked his friend. "I haven't seen you for months!"
"Well, I've been working," replied the other man.
The first guy furrowed his brows. "Work-ing?" he said, pronouncing it like it was a foreign term completely unfamiliar to him. And quite possibly an offensive one.
The reason I was at Jenners Pond was for a 4 p.m. lecture, and I noted that they were already serving wine and cheese. Nice!
DELAWARE: No tuition bills yet
The Young Relative spent a week at a camp in Delaware, and we were curious what he would make of the tony prep-school environment. As we might have expected from someone who has grown up in the Unionville school district, he wasn't blown away in the least. The facilities were nice, sure, but nothing more than what he was used to. The cafeteria food was OK and all-you-could-eat, though the campers weren't given as many choices as he would have liked.
("Humph!" snorted his school-of-hard-knocks grandfather upon hearing this. "Don't join the military.")
The Y.R. took the sports camp opportunity to apply the scientific method and test out his hypothesis that everyone from Delaware seems to know everyone else. He said he found plenty of confirmation.
("Humph!" snorted his school-of-hard-knocks grandfather upon hearing this. "Don't join the military.")
The Y.R. took the sports camp opportunity to apply the scientific method and test out his hypothesis that everyone from Delaware seems to know everyone else. He said he found plenty of confirmation.
TEETH: Four out of five dentists...
A "Unionville in the News" reader with a great memory sent me a link to a July 26 "New York Times" story saying that even the American Dental Association has come out and said that most people don't need annual dental x-rays. I wrote some months ago about how outraged I felt when my long-time West Chester dentist insisted that either I agree to annual x-rays or find another dentist. I chose the latter course and easily found a practice that doesn't make such an expensive and over-the-top demand.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
KENNETT: The Mushroom Festival
Just a heads-up that the 31st Mushroom Festival is coming up on Saturday, Sept. 10, and Sunday, Sept. 11, with a parade in Kennett Square starting at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9. Highlights include the amateur mushroom cook-off (this year's theme is "breakfast"), the fried mushroom eating contest (the world record is 11.5 pounds of fried breaded mushrooms in eight minutes), and the mushroom run and "fun gus walk." The full schedule is on the website.
HAIL: An unexpected storm
What a surprise the hail storm was on Saturday afternoon!
I had checked the weather forecast earlier in the day because we had planned to attend an outdoor concert in the evening, and nothing whatsoever showed up on the radar.
But shortly after 4 p.m. I was awakened from a nap by rumbles of thunder, and then a sudden gust of wind, and then an onslaught of rain and hail pounding on the roof. The hailstones melted immediately in the heat, but it was fun to watch them bouncing off the windowsill.
The thermometer dropped 20 degrees in the space of a half-hour as the thunderstorm blew through in two waves -- what a welcome change from the heat. It left many downed trees and branches in its wake, and out in Lancaster County we saw a blown-over utility pole, with a lot of wires, on Route 41 near Christiana.
I had checked the weather forecast earlier in the day because we had planned to attend an outdoor concert in the evening, and nothing whatsoever showed up on the radar.
But shortly after 4 p.m. I was awakened from a nap by rumbles of thunder, and then a sudden gust of wind, and then an onslaught of rain and hail pounding on the roof. The hailstones melted immediately in the heat, but it was fun to watch them bouncing off the windowsill.
The thermometer dropped 20 degrees in the space of a half-hour as the thunderstorm blew through in two waves -- what a welcome change from the heat. It left many downed trees and branches in its wake, and out in Lancaster County we saw a blown-over utility pole, with a lot of wires, on Route 41 near Christiana.
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