Friday, October 18, 2019

PESTS: Stink bugs and lanterflies

So the spotted lanternfly is getting all the press as the destructive pest du jour, but I've still been busy battling stink bugs. They're getting a tad apathetic as the temperature drops, which makes them easier to suck up with my handy Bugzooka vacuum device. And, thankfully, their numbers are much reduced from their peak seven or eight years ago.
A West Marlborough neighbor reports seeing spotted lanternflies so thickly clustered on one of her trees that she couldn't even see the trunk. I've seen only a few here, including one in my living room. Fat cat Tina immediately swatted it with her front paw and then crushed it on the floor. Extra tuna treats for Tina!

Thursday, October 17, 2019

KACS: Restocking the shelves

What a way to start a term in office! Two weeks after Lynn Majarian became board president of Kennett Area Community Services, the organization's food cupboard suffered a Sunday morning electrical fire. They had to throw out half their inventory of food and shut down temporarily for a thorough cleaning.
The group put out a call for help to replenish their stocks, and it was widely shared on social media.
When I stopped by the group's headquarters at 136 West Cedar Street, Kennett Square, to drop off my donation, Lynn and other volunteers were standing on the curb accepting donations and loading them into a rented storage pod, which she said was quickly filling up. As a stopgap measure they were handing out Thanksgiving-meals-in-a-box and $25 Giant gift cards to clients until operations returned to normal.

REGRETS: Getting rid of that ink

A shrewd friend of mine is taking a course in laser tattoo removal, which I think will be a true growth industry. Apparently it takes between five and ten laser treatments to completely remove a tattoo, depending on the density and type of the ink that was used.
Is it painful? The site I checked assured worried consumers that if they were tough enough to get inked in the first place, they'll certainly be able to manage the removal process. They compared the discomfort of a laser to a rubber band snapping on your skin.

SCOUTS: Pasta for a good cause

As always, we enjoyed Boy Scout Troop 24's spaghetti dinner in the basement social room of Kennett Friends Meeting. The sauce and meatballs are so tasty, and there's a whole table of yummy desserts to choose from. Plus, the money goes to a great cause. This autumn's dinner, held Oct. 12, even featured some entertainment: a one-man band, a fellow playing both an accordion and a kick drum. 

SCARVES: Photos you can wear around your neck

Unionville photographer Beth Harpham is launching a new venture: she's printing her exquisite images of nature, horses, birds and local scenes on silk scarves, priced at $85. Beth's philosophy: "I try to capture ephemeral, fleeting moments, the light and the dark, flights of fancy and landscapes, both external and internal. Inspiration comes from nature and the creatures that inhabit my world, my backyard and the places I travel."
You can see her work at rubythroatedsparrow.com. She also takes commissions.

DATED: An old church and a new one

At the Red Rose Inn intersection I was behind a car with a bumper sticker for the Christian Life Center, "Est. 1726." This date confused me, as I knew that the CLC is in fact one of those new, large, nondenominational churches that seem to be thriving mightily while some more traditional churches are struggling for their very existence.
I learned that the CLC is in fact the lineal descendant of the New London Presbyterian Church, which was founded in 1726. New London's brick building on Route 896 is still used for weddings and funerals, but the congregation meets at the CLC, just over a mile away.

DINING OUT: Keeping signmakers busy

The restaurant shuffle continues. A Mexican restaurant, Los Chavelos, is moving into the former site of the Brown Derby in Toughkenamon. The Longwood Family Restaurant (formerly Hugo's) has closed its doors. And the Byrsa Bistro is returning to downtown Kennett, just across State Street from where it was formerly located. It's moving into the space where the Sunrise CafĂ© (and before that Harrington's Coffee Company) used to be.