Sayonara, stink bugs!

Only someone who has suffered the stench and annoyance of these pests for the past several months will appreciate my ecstatic delight at discovering what I believe to be the perfect disposal method: a simple Zip-Loc bag. Drop them in, seal the top, and the bugs are trapped and their nauseating, lingering odor is contained. No squishing or flushing necessary, and no need to waste tissues, toilet paper or paper towels for collection purposes. I didn't get sprayed once while collecting this haul.

This photo represents half-a-day's worth of captured stink bugs -- and many of my friends around here have a much, much worse problem than I do. In them, I'm sure this photo will engender only a mirthless laugh.
I know some sensitive folks will bemoan this as emblematic of Americans' desire to dominate and destroy anything that inconveniences them. To them I say: I'd be glad to deliver the full bag to your house. YOU can coexist with them all you want.

West Marlborough business

It was a quick West Marlborough supervisors' meeting on Thursday, Feb. 3 (postponed from Feb. 1 because of icing).

• Elizabeth Hershey-Ross was appointed to fill Elinor Thomforde's term on the township planning commission.
• Supervisor Bill Wylie quipped that solar panels seem to be outnumbering run-in sheds in terms of building permit requests.
• Supervisor Hugh Lofting noted that the township road crew has gone through a huge amount of salt already this winter. He also congratulated the crew for their hard work.
• Richard Hayne applied for a permit to demolish a small house on his Springdell estate (the former Thouron and Tony Young properties); he plans to tear it down almost to the ground and will create a guest house on the same footprint, said Mr. Lofting. No word yet on when he plans to raze the Young mansion, which should be quite a spectacle.

Scoundrel

Tony Young's sentencing has been scheduled for 2 p.m. March 23 in Philadelphia before the Hon. Judge Juan Sanchez. Keep your fingers crossed; it's been postponed twice before. Will this be Tony's day of reckoning at long last?

Charged up

I wasn't looking forward to receiving my January electric bill: after all, it was the first month that the longstanding price caps had been lifted, and I had heard dreadful stories about friends with skyrocketing bills ($400 for a small twin house in Kennett?). Well, the bill arrived, and yes, it's a few dollars higher than normal -- but it was also really cold, I did a lot of baking, and I had my computer running constantly. So I doubt I'll be switching carriers.

In the field

I received the following account from a hunter friend about his experiences on the final day of deer-hunting season near Cochranville:
"The last day was difficult and unproductive. Four of our group hunted for about 4 hours and saw few deer, never close enough or safe to shoot at. The snow made it a real workout and the deer were apparently off into the small thick refuges they find in such conditions. Very few shots were heard during the day and it appeared that few other hunters were as crazy as our group. Walking a couple miles in the snow, often uphill, while carrying a good 20-25 lbs. was a real workout.
This year the Game Commission, in its wisdom, eliminated the last two weeks of December antlerless (doe) hunting. Our group still kept its numbers up and helped keep the population under control. Many of the deer are given to others, neighbors and acquaintances who appreciate the healthy benefits of grain-fed venison. It was my first chance to get out since late December."

Three signs that spring is approaching

1. Chiropractor Chad Laurence is putting together a softball team and is looking for "competitive co-ed players" age 18 through 60. Games will be played weekday evenings from late April through August. Visit http://www.kennettcoedsoftball.com/.
2. Local tennis czar Tony DeFelice is looking for male and female adult players for his tennis teams. Visit http://www.tonystenniscamp.com/league.htm. Scroll down to 2011 Delaware United States Tennis Association.

3. The 66th running of Mr. Stewart's Cheshire Foxhounds Point-to-Point is set for Sunday, March 27, at Plantation Field in Unionville.

Ouch Times Two

Poor Babette Jenny! In early January this kind and mellow countrywoman took a tumble off the ladder to her hay loft and landed, on her feet, on the concrete floor. She broke both ankles and her heels are shattered, so she's laid up in casts for a few months. She told me that she's looking for a helper to do barn work at her Unionville farm on Fridays and said she'd be happy "to either pay or do reduced horse board" in return.
Holding her in the light and sending our best "heeling" thoughts for a speedy recovery.

Parking grace

I spotted this new sign in the parking lot of the Jennersville Y and knew there had to be a story. Well, it seems that at the yearly fund-raising dinner a benefactor "purchased" the rights to a prime parking spot, but instead of reserving it for herself, she had this sign installed.

A New Mule!

West Fallowfield has a new resident: the Dillon family is welcoming their new mule, Gidget (right), to their Cochranville farm. She arrived by trailer all the way from Idaho and joins her barn-mates, Ruby (left) and Blaze (who couldn't be coaxed into the photo). The Dillons ride the mules and also take them along on their camping trips.

A Slant Play

After watching about the fifth replay of a Packers touchdown, my brother, a Steelers fan, had a brilliant idea: there should be two different broadcasts for each game, one geared to fans of each team. The announcers would be blatantly partisan in their commentary, praising one team's performance, tactics, hairstyles, tattoos and off-season conduct while criticizing those of the other. The referee's calls would be subject to scathing remarks -- if the penalty went against the favored team, that is. And the Steelers broadcast would show only Steelers highlights and Packers miscues and bad behavior.
So get to work, Fox Sports! With the current dispute between the NFL owners and players, you may have a very long time to get this off the ground before the next game is played.

Going, going...

APRIL 24 UPDATE: It's under contract, so no auction.
After it languished on the real-estate market for months, Charlotte du Pont Donaldson D'Arcy decided to sell Vezelay, her 52-acre Newlin Township estate, at auction on May 10. The property on Hilltop View Road was originally listed for almost $7 million, but the price has dropped to $4,480,000.
"Our clients are interested in pursuing other opportunities and simply want to move on," said Karen Nader, Ms. Donaldson D'Arcy's real estate agent.
Concierge Auctions out of New York will handle the sale. You can see photos of the property at http://www.vezelayauction.com/Home.html. I've never been there, but I can vouch for the very high quality of the neighbors.
(Thanks to my eagle-eyed buddy Susan for spotting this interesting item on, of all places, the Fox News website from Atlanta!)

Overheard

I wish I could have heard more of this conversation between two women at Starbucks on Sunday morning: "So I told her, `I wish you'd stop treating me like a race horse!'"
I texted a friend, who promptly replied: "Would she rather be treated like a nag?"

Good Samaritan

I don't know if there's more than one person whose vehicle has a front license plate saying "Deputy Chief, Westwood Fire Company," or if there's only one Deputy Chief and he is just an extra-nice and considerate person. On Thursday he was helping dig out a motorist struck in a drift on Route 82, catty-cornered from the Triple Fresh market. Then on Saturday the same vehicle pulled aside on my one-lane road to let me by, even though he had the right of way. Nice guy!