Friday, October 8, 2010
The Dark (Chocolate) Side
Have you ever noticed the large Easter bunny, made of twigs and vines, that sits year-round along Street Road (Route 926), just opposite Schoolhouse Road? It's now dressed up for Halloween as a Darth Vader bunny.
Silly
Sign on Concord Pike, in front of a restaurant or market: "Hunger issues? Consult our steakologist."
Philosophy
Maybe stink bugs are nature's way of making you realize that earwigs are actually kind of cute, with those graceful little pincers...
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The simple life
The mansion built by bogus financial advisor Tony Young will be razed if the new owner, Richard Hayne, has his way.
Mr. Hayne's rep, David Ziel, told a West Marlborough township meeting that the house will be replaced by an indoor athletic complex, a timber-framed structure housing an indoor pool, a track, a yoga room and a boccie ball court.
Mr. Ziel said his boss, the billionaire founder of Urban Outfitters, plans to retire to the compound he has amassed near the village of Springdell and make cheese (a barn with cheese caves has been built off Hicks Road) and grow tomatoes and orchids (greenhouses and "potting sheds" are being installed on the former Young property). The artisanal cheese is already being sold at Mr. Hayne's Terrain store in Concordville.
Acres of lavender and sunflowers will be planted, and extensive renovations are being done to the former Thouron home, including the creation of a glass "orangerie" doubling as a dining room.
A small building on the property was renovated as a test project for the renovation crews, said Mr. Ziel; it will be a guest house.
At one point during his presentation Mr. Ziel, who is chief development officer for Urban Outfitters, mentioned the possibility of taking over Thouron Road, which runs through the estate, from the township and making it a private road.
"Forget it," said one audience member, firmly. Mr. Ziel quickly realized this was the prevailing sentiment in the room.
Mr. Hayne's rep, David Ziel, told a West Marlborough township meeting that the house will be replaced by an indoor athletic complex, a timber-framed structure housing an indoor pool, a track, a yoga room and a boccie ball court.
Mr. Ziel said his boss, the billionaire founder of Urban Outfitters, plans to retire to the compound he has amassed near the village of Springdell and make cheese (a barn with cheese caves has been built off Hicks Road) and grow tomatoes and orchids (greenhouses and "potting sheds" are being installed on the former Young property). The artisanal cheese is already being sold at Mr. Hayne's Terrain store in Concordville.
Acres of lavender and sunflowers will be planted, and extensive renovations are being done to the former Thouron home, including the creation of a glass "orangerie" doubling as a dining room.
A small building on the property was renovated as a test project for the renovation crews, said Mr. Ziel; it will be a guest house.
At one point during his presentation Mr. Ziel, who is chief development officer for Urban Outfitters, mentioned the possibility of taking over Thouron Road, which runs through the estate, from the township and making it a private road.
"Forget it," said one audience member, firmly. Mr. Ziel quickly realized this was the prevailing sentiment in the room.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Orange and brown and red all over
Was it just last week that it was in the mid-80s and I was napping in the hammock? This morning my car thermometer read 49 and I've already unearthed my fleece pullovers and my slippers.
Thanks to Facebook, I've been getting autumnal updates from near and far. My friend Doug, a recent transplant from Camden, Maine, to Hawaii, says he finds the lack of seasonal change to be disturbing. Paul is taking his boat out of the water and heading home to Seattle after spending the summer photographing bears in Alaska. And George, on the south coast of England, wants to know just what these "stink bugs" are that all we Yankees seem to be complaining about.
Thanks to Facebook, I've been getting autumnal updates from near and far. My friend Doug, a recent transplant from Camden, Maine, to Hawaii, says he finds the lack of seasonal change to be disturbing. Paul is taking his boat out of the water and heading home to Seattle after spending the summer photographing bears in Alaska. And George, on the south coast of England, wants to know just what these "stink bugs" are that all we Yankees seem to be complaining about.
As an aside
Sarah Bean, 15, won the International Junior Rider Championship in the British National Sidesaddle Show in Buckinghamshire, England, this summer.
As her mother, Mary-Anne Ost, MD, tells the story:
"I was thinking of the phrase, `it takes a village' because so many Unionville people have helped her on her quest. Sarah started riding sidesaddle five years ago when Anne Moss brought sidesaddles to a Cheshire Pony Club meeting and gave lessons to the members. Sarah was intrigued and wanted to have more lessons with Anne. Betsy DeMarino, VMD, had an old sidesaddle in her tackroom. She had found it in a dumpster while moving into a new barn. With some repairs, the Whippy fit Sarah's pony, Dixie Chick, perfectly. Joy Carrier was also very supportive with sidesaddles and equipment. In England, Sarah won a first prize for turnout, with an elegant brown habit borrowed from Patti Miller and boots and a black velvet helmet from Betty Lester."
In England Sarah and her mother stayed at Pittern Hill Stables in Kineton, Warwickshire, about 12 miles from Stratford-on-Avon, and Sarah took lessons from Roger Philpot, trainer of over 12 National sidesaddle champions in England. (He has also given many clinics in the United States, including at Vince Dugan's.)
During the three-day show, Sarah competed on Archie and placed in Equitation over fences, team jumping,and dressage, all ridden "aside."
"She met many wonderful people in England and made many new friends," said Dr. Ost, who is an avid sidesaddle and dressage competitor herself.
Well done, Sarah!
As her mother, Mary-Anne Ost, MD, tells the story:
"I was thinking of the phrase, `it takes a village' because so many Unionville people have helped her on her quest. Sarah started riding sidesaddle five years ago when Anne Moss brought sidesaddles to a Cheshire Pony Club meeting and gave lessons to the members. Sarah was intrigued and wanted to have more lessons with Anne. Betsy DeMarino, VMD, had an old sidesaddle in her tackroom. She had found it in a dumpster while moving into a new barn. With some repairs, the Whippy fit Sarah's pony, Dixie Chick, perfectly. Joy Carrier was also very supportive with sidesaddles and equipment. In England, Sarah won a first prize for turnout, with an elegant brown habit borrowed from Patti Miller and boots and a black velvet helmet from Betty Lester."
In England Sarah and her mother stayed at Pittern Hill Stables in Kineton, Warwickshire, about 12 miles from Stratford-on-Avon, and Sarah took lessons from Roger Philpot, trainer of over 12 National sidesaddle champions in England. (He has also given many clinics in the United States, including at Vince Dugan's.)
During the three-day show, Sarah competed on Archie and placed in Equitation over fences, team jumping,and dressage, all ridden "aside."
"She met many wonderful people in England and made many new friends," said Dr. Ost, who is an avid sidesaddle and dressage competitor herself.
Well done, Sarah!
Oh, deer
An irritated hunter friend vented the other day about the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which is in charge of setting rules, bag limits and hunting seasons As he sees it, the ability to decipher the commission's complex regulations is a testament to the intelligence of hunters.
This year's schedule here in Wildlife Management Unit 5C came in for particular criticism: "They closed the deer hunting season for the two weeks before Christmas. Usually that is a big harvest period in our area, the rut is still on and the nasty weather has not yet begun. Fools!"
This year's schedule here in Wildlife Management Unit 5C came in for particular criticism: "They closed the deer hunting season for the two weeks before Christmas. Usually that is a big harvest period in our area, the rut is still on and the nasty weather has not yet begun. Fools!"
Super super
I love running into Sharon Parker, the superintendent of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. Not only is she smart, but she's also enthusiastic and cheerful, as if the event she is attending -- whether an elementary school open house or a cocktail party -- is absolutely the most fascinating event going on anywhere in the universe at that moment. What a good public "face" she is for the district!
Five-card stud
A friend from the gym was telling us about a fundraising poker tournament he attended recently at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum in New York. One of the celebrities to be present was Australian singer, dancer and actor Hugh Jackman ("Wolverine" in the X-Men series). So when my friend got a call saying that "Hugh" was looking forward to meeting him at the tournament, he was more than a little flattered. Imagine his disappointment when it turned out that one of the fellows organizing the event was also named "Hugh."
My friend did get to meet talk-show host Montel Williams, though.
The tournament raised money for the Wall Street Warfighters Foundation, whose mission is "to identify, develop, and place disabled veterans in long-term professions in the financial services industry following their military service."
My friend did get to meet talk-show host Montel Williams, though.
The tournament raised money for the Wall Street Warfighters Foundation, whose mission is "to identify, develop, and place disabled veterans in long-term professions in the financial services industry following their military service."
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