The West Marlborough Township road crew made quick work of those yellow "I Buy Houses" signs that sprouted up on roadsides throughout the township, much like invasive garlic mustard, this past week.
Hugh Lofting Jr. told me that he caught a guy in the act of installing one and suggested that he cease and desist. Hugh also counseled the guy that he was pretty much wasting his time soliciting in the township: "Dude, look around. Nobody's selling anything for less than, like $10 million!"
Thursday, April 18, 2019
KENNETT: Downtown plant sale
JoAnn Donlick, Chair of the Kennett Square Beautification Committee, asked me to remind readers that her group's annual plant sale will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April
27, in the Genesis Walkway in downtown Kennett. Parking will be free in the municipal parking lot on East Linden Street.
On sale will be annuals, perennials, container plants, hanging baskets, herbs, vegetables, dahlias, house plants and succulents.
Proceeds from the sale will help to pay for those lush container gardens that you see adorning downtown Kennett in the spring, summer and fall.
On sale will be annuals, perennials, container plants, hanging baskets, herbs, vegetables, dahlias, house plants and succulents.
Proceeds from the sale will help to pay for those lush container gardens that you see adorning downtown Kennett in the spring, summer and fall.
UNIONVILLE: Thank you, Bonnie!
I was delighted to learn that Bonnie Musser of Unionville is the new president of the Unionville Community Fair, a wonderful community tradition that's now in its 95th year. Bonnie has deep roots in the Farm Show: she has attended since she was an infant, her mother and aunt were Harvest Queens, and she served as president for several terms in the 1980s. As a Fair volunteer myself, I can tell you that she spends pretty much the whole weekend at the Fair. Whenever someone has a problem or question, the first response is "Let's find Bonnie."
This year’s event will be held October 4 through 6, and a press release assures us that "in addition to the return of many of the traditional activities, the fair will see the popular wine and beer garden and 5K run return this year. Also in the works is a haunted tent attraction and new animal displays.”
I was surprised to see on social media that some folks claimed they had lived in the area for decades and never knew about the Fair. I'm not quite sure how. I guess they don't read this column, or any local newspaper, and they don't notice the prominent Fair signs and posters all over the area in late September or early October.
I was surprised to see on social media that some folks claimed they had lived in the area for decades and never knew about the Fair. I'm not quite sure how. I guess they don't read this column, or any local newspaper, and they don't notice the prominent Fair signs and posters all over the area in late September or early October.
PENN: Men and women at work
While waiting at the traffic light, motorists at the Jennersville crossroads are getting a close-up view of the road-widening work at that busy intersection.
This morning, on the Red Rose Inn corner, a man was marking the path for a pipe, or a wire, or something, with a can of red spray paint. He'd take three careful steps, heel to toe, out from the newly installed wall that marked the edge of the turn lane, and he'd spray an indicator line. (The toes of his work boots were bright red.) Then he'd move a yard further along the wall and repeat the process. I guess the exact distance wasn't important as long as it was consistent; either that or his feet were exactly a foot long.
Other workers were piling dirt on top of what looked like a long, traffic-lane-wide roll of black material. They had trouble getting it to lie perfectly flat and unwrinkled, much like I do with the nonskid pad under my hall rug.
Across the street, workers are rebuilding, at a different angle, the stone wall they had to remove during the widening process. Several times I've seen a man with a long beard sorting through the pile of stones and shaping them with a pick.
This morning, on the Red Rose Inn corner, a man was marking the path for a pipe, or a wire, or something, with a can of red spray paint. He'd take three careful steps, heel to toe, out from the newly installed wall that marked the edge of the turn lane, and he'd spray an indicator line. (The toes of his work boots were bright red.) Then he'd move a yard further along the wall and repeat the process. I guess the exact distance wasn't important as long as it was consistent; either that or his feet were exactly a foot long.
Other workers were piling dirt on top of what looked like a long, traffic-lane-wide roll of black material. They had trouble getting it to lie perfectly flat and unwrinkled, much like I do with the nonskid pad under my hall rug.
Across the street, workers are rebuilding, at a different angle, the stone wall they had to remove during the widening process. Several times I've seen a man with a long beard sorting through the pile of stones and shaping them with a pick.
PARIS: A sad sight
Seeing the footage of the dreadful fire at Notre Dame took me back 40 years to my student days in England. A bunch of us "hit the road" over Christmas break with our backpacks, sleeping bags and Eurail passes. Our first stop was London, then Paris, then Chamonix in the French Alps, then Barcelona. My pals went on to Madrid, but I returned to Paris on my own, even though it was the coldest winter there in years. I rang in 1979 by attending the Jan. 1 morning service at Notre Dame and spent many hours in the Cathedral, watching the flickering candles and gazing up in awe at the Rose Window.
I was glad to learn that so many of the treasures were saved by the firefighters and volunteers.
I was glad to learn that so many of the treasures were saved by the firefighters and volunteers.
SCAT: A potty break
There's nothing like a pile of poop to get a lively conversation going.
The other morning I went out to fill the bird feeder and found two human-sized, seed-filled piles of feces on my back deck. I posted a photo on social media, and the consensus, after much bathroom humor ("Looks like Dearest Partner has been eating too much fiber!"), was that a raccoon had used my deck as its toilet after eating supper at my feeder.
Some theorized that my visitor had been a skunk or even a coyote, but the scat experts (a hunter and a naturalist) explained, in clinical detail, that the poop was the wrong size and shape.
The other morning I went out to fill the bird feeder and found two human-sized, seed-filled piles of feces on my back deck. I posted a photo on social media, and the consensus, after much bathroom humor ("Looks like Dearest Partner has been eating too much fiber!"), was that a raccoon had used my deck as its toilet after eating supper at my feeder.
Some theorized that my visitor had been a skunk or even a coyote, but the scat experts (a hunter and a naturalist) explained, in clinical detail, that the poop was the wrong size and shape.
WILMINGTON: Graduation speaker
Congratulations to Catherine Quillman, who was chosen as the graduation speaker at the Delaware College of Art & Design in Wilmington on May 6. She said she was excited to be selected but a little abashed that the college's press release described her as "the" artist and writer, "as if I am nationally known!" Her speech will explore the difficulties artists have in carving out creative time for themselves. The May 6 commencement ceremonies will follow a bagpiper-led procession along Market Street from the college to the Grand Opera House.
Cathy, who lives in West Chester, has written several books about local history and artists, including "Walking the East End: A Historic African-American Community in West Chester" and "Artists of the Brandywine Valley."
Cathy, who lives in West Chester, has written several books about local history and artists, including "Walking the East End: A Historic African-American Community in West Chester" and "Artists of the Brandywine Valley."
Sunday, April 14, 2019
APRIL 15: A taxing discussion
As I imagine was the case in many households, at dinner over the weekend our conversation focused on the looming income tax deadline. My brother seized the opportunity to educate the Young Relative, who must file his first tax return this year, about how taxes work. Using a napkin to represent one's total face-value income, he folded it over with each tax he named: withholding, Social Security, worker's comp, gasoline taxes (that one hit home for the Y.R.), sales tax, earned income tax, state tax, local tax, earnings on investments and dividends, estate taxes, and so forth and so on.
The large napkin became very small, very quickly.
The large napkin became very small, very quickly.
FAIR HILL: Meet Rita Mae Brown
Rita Mae Brown will be in Fair Hill, Md., on Saturday, May 18, to give a talk on "Fashions and Foxhunting." Not only is she the master of foxhounds and huntsman of the Oak Ridge Fox Hounds in Charlottesville, but she's also a prolific mystery writer, the creator of the Sister Jane foxhunting series and the Mrs. Murphy's series. Those of us of a certain age know her as the author of "Rubyfruit Jungle," a feminist classic from the 1970s.
The event, a fundraiser for Fair Hill International and the Fair Hill Hounds, will be held at the Ed Walls Building at the Cecil County Fairgrounds. Tickets for the pasta dinner and lecture are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. RSVP by May 10. More information is available on Fair Hill's website.
The event, a fundraiser for Fair Hill International and the Fair Hill Hounds, will be held at the Ed Walls Building at the Cecil County Fairgrounds. Tickets for the pasta dinner and lecture are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. RSVP by May 10. More information is available on Fair Hill's website.
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