Fine Food & Lodging

While cleaning out some stuff, a friend of mine found an old pamphlet about the Red Rose Inn, which now stands boarded up and deteriorating at Route 796 and Baltimore Pike in Jennersville. The area code is still listed as "215" (the 610 area code was established in 1994), the mailing address is given as just "West Grove, PA," and it lists as a nearby tourist attraction the "Hillendale Museum," which has been Hillendale Elementary School since 1989. The manager is listed as "the Covatta family."
"For 89 years, the original part of the present Inn was the sole servant of its clientele. Then, in 1829, a large addition was added. The present Inn remains much the same as it was then. The cellar in the historic 1740 section of the building has been restored, and in 1968 the William Penn Room was added as the original carriage house was renovated into the Carriage Lounge. The hand hewn beams overhead give silent testimony to the more ancient architecture of the Chester County barn from which they were salvaged. The stone built fireplace still warms the heart."
Hours were 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, but it stayed open an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday brunch was from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday dinner was 4 to 8 p.m.
The pamphlet lists as famous guests "Helen Keller, Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxemberg [sic], various Senators and Congressman and numerous originators of the new roses from England, France, Spain, German and other countries." (The author notes the close connection between the inn and Conard-Pyle, "prestigious growers of Star Roses.")

Price of admission

Heads up to users of the beautiful Anson Nixon Park in Kennett: because of the Brandywine Folk Festival this coming weekend (Aug. 23-25), which requires paid tickets, entry into the park will be limited for us walkers, joggers, picnickers, anglers, tennis players and disc golfers. There's a sign up near the park entrance stating "Public Access to Park Limited," but no details are given about how entry will be regulated for the weekend (nor are there details on the park's website or the Folk Fest's).

Question War

On Friday I parked in the parking garage in Kennett (I bought a small cantaloupe and a box of blackberries from the farmers' market) and couldn't help noticing that half-a-dozen cars on the ground parking level had Quaker bumper stickers. I found out why when I left: I'd forgotten about the hardy "Honk for Peace" anti-war folks who hold a vigil at State and Union Streets every Friday afternoon.
A few other things I observed during my stroll along State Street: the former barbershop at 111 West State Street is undergoing extensive renovations and the owners hope to open in October as a new cafe called Philter Coffee, offering "local artisan coffee, breakfast, lunch and baked goods." Also, Byrsa Bistro, 102 East State Street, is going to be closed from Monday, Aug. 26, through Monday, Sept. 2. They'll reopen for dinner Sept. 3.

His lordship

I love it when I discover that my friends have completely unexpected skills and  interests.
You may know that when I am not pestering friends and family for Tilda items, I edit academic books. Well, the other day I received a surprising request from a publisher:
"I am looking for copyeditors who have experience copyediting romance novels. Most of these books are set in the past in England or Scotland. An understanding of English nobility titles, their hierarchy, and the inheritance of those titles and associated property is important. The editorial style is the Chicago Manual of Style."
Amused -- and totally unqualified except for what I know from "Downton Abbey" and Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries -- I posted the email on my Facebook page.
What a response from my friends!
Two lawyer pals enthusiastically offered their services, adding, "Maybe those courses in law school about livery of seisin and degrees of consanguinity will finally come in handy!" and  "I love romance novels. Might have a slight problem as I've never heard of the Chicago Manual of Style, but I've got the inheritance and property rights covered."
A friend with a newly minted B.A. in history and English said he'd be sending in his resume.
Another pal, whose work attire runs more to steel-toed boots than to tight bodices, added, "I have to admit [romance novels] were my guilty pleasure after always slogging through engineering text books!"
You just never know...

Corgi Capers

Those of you who like those little weasels known as Corgis might enjoy reading "Corgi Capers: The Sorceress of Stoney Brook," Val Muller's second book about Zeph and Sapphie and their Humans, Adam and Courtney Hollinger. Val, who lives in Loudoun County, Virginia, has two Corgis of her own, Leia and Yoda, so she knows their habits, both cute and mischievous.
Though it's technically a children's chapter book, I looked forward to reading it every night. The characters (human and canine) are memorable, the plot moves along and I especially liked the author's portrayal of family life and sibling disagreements. The characters are distinctive enough that I didn't have to keep paging back to figure out which one was which, as I do in many books for grown-ups (for a former English major, I'm not real bright).
You can order the book through Val's website, Amazon or DWB Publishing.

Plantation Field picnic

Last night's picnic supper at Plantation Field off Route 82 was terrific: the beautiful hilltop setting, the delicious food (especially liked the pulled pork), the Victory Brewing beer, the amazing assortment of desserts (this is why I work out so hard at the gym) and most of all the friends and neighbors I got to catch up with -- including one extremely patient baby girl with her always-laid-back Mommy.
The annual picnic was for supporters, sponsors, friends and volunteers for the prestigious Plantation Field International Horse Trials, coming up on Sept. 20 to 22. So many people from the local community were there that I didn't get a chance to chat with even half of those I wanted to.
In the only formal part of the evening, Denis Glaccum gave a brief speech about what it takes to pull off a huge event like the upcoming three-day event.
As I drove home the sun was setting, a dramatic deep blue and orange over the spectacular Unionville countryside.

Bulbous

A reminder that not only Back-to-School but also Bulb-Planting Season is almost upon us! Yesterday I used up two of my Christmas gift cards ordering dozens of tulip bulbs from White Flower Farm in Connecticut: Stretch Tulip Mix and Black Parrot Tulips. To make sure I get what I want, I like to order early, even though you really don't have to plant bulbs until well into autumn.
Several friends have bewailed the fact that in their gardens tulip bulbs become nothing more than "deer salad." I'm very fortunate not to have that problem, even though I've seen deer bed down just feet away from the tulip garden.
I've been meaning to say this for a while about these little garden/animal/nature/weather items that I write: Nobody could write a nature column like the late Teddy Browning of Pocopson Township, whose "Notes from Turtle Creek" ran in this newspaper in the late 1980s. His enthusiasm, knowledge and deep understanding of the natural world were inspiring.

Another deluge

Yes, I know, I've complain all winter about meteorologists who oversell storms, but this time they underplayed it. Instead of the "scattered thunderstorms" that weather.com predicted, on Tuesday morning (Aug. 13) we got yet another in a series of heavy summer rainstorms that caused raging streams, flooded roads and snarled traffic. (And school would've been cancelled if the school year were in session.)
On Tuesday morning Route 82 was closed between Doe Run Village and Blow Horn when the Doe Run overflowed its banks, and Route 841 was flooded out in Springdell. That afternoon the Brandywine Creek was over its banks at Pocopson and at Route 1. Traffic was so backed up that it took a friend more than three hours to get to her Unionville home from Painter's Crossroads! She eventually made it home by backtracking to West Chester and taking Route 162 west.
You were probably as startled as I was by those loud Flash Flood alert tones that sounded on your phone (a friend was telling me her phone lights up, too). I realized for the first time that the alert is sent to all the phones in the area based on your GPS location, not your phone number. My sister was in town visiting from the Midwest, and even her phone sounded.

Hard cider

In addition to their wines, the Paradocx Vineyards shop in Kennett's new Market at Liberty Place is serving one of my all-time favorite beverages: hard cider! The Cranky Friend and I stopped in on Sunday afternoon just to see what was going on at the Market, and the Paradocx guy offered us samples of the "dry" and "sweet" varieties of Jack's Hard Cider. I ordered a glass of the sweet and the C.F. had the dry. Just delicious!
(Jack's is a craft cider made at the Hauser Estate Winery west of Gettysburg using Adams County, Pa., apples.) 
While we were there a few other customers sat down and had a drink, and other people were strolling around the Market just to see what all the buzz was about.
And -- hooray! -- management fixed those confusing signs in the parking lot; it's much easier to know where you can and cannot park now.

Sunflowers, cont'd.

Charles Shattuck, the owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Hockessin, responded to my item about the apparent dearth of sunflower fields this summer:

"Jamie Hicks only planted this year's crop of Sunflowers in mid July. Last year he split the season by planting some in early spring and then a second batch in July. The fields move around each year to allow for crop rotation in the fields. Plus it's a great guessing game for local people....

"The one place that I get him to plant sunflowers each year is the Myrick Conservation Center on 842. This is open to the public and a great place to walk. The positioning of fields at Myrick is a way to create awareness and perhaps members for the nature organizations that call it home, the Brandywine Valley and Red Clay Valley Associations. I checked the fields last Saturday and the first seed leaves had just emerged from the ground. Flowering is a long way off, late September."

Charles keeps a close eye on the sunflowers because much of the seed grown locally is sold as bird food at his store. "The Farm to Feeder locally grown sunflower seed for your birds has been a big hit with my customers since its inception three years ago. I'm actually doing a talk on the partnership and program on September 3 at the College of Lifelong Learning in Wilmington. I glad to be a part of this regional attraction."

Albert Finney

Hallowed British actor Albert Finney -- most recently seen as the caretaker of the Bond family home in "Skyfall" -- lives in Emsworth, on the south coast of England. My pal George lives on nearby Hayling Island but often goes into Emsworth to have a coffee and a pastry at the Greenhouse Café. Yesterday I got a text from George saying that he noticed Mr. Finney, age 77, was having a spot of bother getting around with his walking stick, so he offered assistance. "Graciously refused!"

Many years together

The senior Tally-hos recently marked a truly momentous anniversary, and six of us gathered to celebrate at a glorious family dinner at The Greathouse at Loch Nairn. My brother and I had excellent salads; everyone else ordered the filet of beef. We split desserts, and all had ample Champagne (except the Young Relative, who had ginger ale in a Champagne flute). The service was fabulous, as always: our waitress even took photographs, and no-one seemed to mind that we stayed for nearly three hours, reminiscing and catching up with each other.
Of course, my father tried to pick up the tab, but my sister and I nipped that absurd idea in the bud.
My parents were trying to recall what they had eaten for dinner on their wedding day, but couldn't. What they did remember was that a hurricane had knocked out power to the Jersey Shore, where they were honeymooning, so not much was open.
"We didn't really care," recalled my mother.
If you should see the Tally-hos out and about, do wish them a happy anniversary!

Epic

Quite an entourage of locals traveled north to Saratoga Springs, N.Y., to see superstar steeplechaser McDynamo inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame in an emotional ceremony on Aug. 9.
"There were LOTS of tears!" reports one witness, who phoned to make sure I mentioned the occasion. "It was just awesome."
Owner Michael Moran and his wife Anne, of Unionville's Applestone Farm, where McDynamo is spending his retirement; trainer Sanna Hendriks; jockey Jody Petty; and numerous friends and family of the Morans were at "the Spa" for the celebration.
The "Philadelphia Inquirer" summarized the legendary horse's career thusly: "McDynamo won 17 of 34 starts and retired as the leading career earner among steeplechase horses with $1,310,104. He earned the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Steeplechase Horse in 2003, 2005, and 2006."

Don't text and drive

Do me a favor: take a half-hour and watch Werner Herzog's stunning documentary about the perils of texting while driving. And make sure any young people in your life watch it, too. (It's online and free.)
Believe me, I know how tempting it is to check your phone when that text chime sounds, whether it's a simple "10 min late" from your lunch partner or an update from a pal who's stuck at a hotel above the Arctic Circle with boat trouble. But that split second of distraction can be lethal, as this chilling video hammers home.
Thanks for my brother-in-law for sharing "From One Second to the Next" with me. He posted it on Facebook yesterday evening; I started watching and didn't move until the closing credits.