PATTON MIDDLE SCHOOL: Wheeling and dealing in the lunch room

At our dinner at the Senior Tally-hos' house on Saturday, the Young Relative reported that his father has developed serious lunch-packing skills. His school lunch this past Thursday consisted of (he remembered every detail) a sandwich, on sourdough bread, of Muenster cheese and tomatoes; chocolate pudding with strawberries; pretzels; and his favorite peanut butter crackers.
"That lunch," declared the YR, "is legend."
The YR's awesome lunches have not gone unnoticed among his Patton cafeteria peers. Always one step ahead, he sees the potential to use Dad lunches as a bargaining chip in trades -- and not just for Butterscotch Krimpets like in my day, but for desirable Fantasy Football players.
At the end of our dinner, the Senior Tally-hos brought out some Asher's pretzels covered with dark chocolate, and the YR eagerly bit into one. He loved them and immediately convinced his father to include them in this week's lunch: "With these I should be able to get Aaron Rogers!"
By the way, the YR says the start of his school year, aside from the intrusive school-construction project, has been the best he can remember. Good news.

HOBBIES: Does not follow instructions well

I don't need to tell my fellow knitters what a humbling hobby it can be. I'm working on a sweet little cardigan sweater for a year-old girl. It is tiny but mighty challenging. I lost track of how many times I had to rip out the front band, where the buttons are sewn: either I was picking up stitches irregularly, or I overshot the mark and trespassed into the collar part. Imagine my pride when I finally got the darn thing just right, with the bottom of the band exactly matching the bottom of the sweater TO THE VERY ROW!
Then it was time to knit the other band, the one with the buttonholes. Piece of cake. I placed a marker at the top of where the band should go and hit it precisely. I kept track of the ribbing rows, comparing the width to the opposite band to make sure they matched. I started composing this Tilda item in my head as I knitted, trying to figure out how to make knitting terminology intelligible to a lay audience.
As it says in the Book of Proverbs, "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall": I completely forgot to bind off for the buttonholes.
At least I'm getting really competent at ripping out.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Upcoming events at the Stroud Center

The Stroud Water Research Center is hosting a "moonlit stream stroll" for adults from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. Director Bern Sweeney will lead a nature walk along the White Clay Creek, with "nibbles and a nightcap around the bonfire" to follow. No flashlights will be allowed!
And from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, the Young Friends of the Stroud Center will host "Stroud Uncorked," with a presentation by assistant director Dave Arscott, cocktails, music and hors d'oeuvres.
Tickets and more information are available at the Stroud Center's website.

WILLOWDALE: The Yellow House is no longer available

An observant reader pointed out that the sign for the Yellow House on Route 926 just east of the Willowdale crossroads is no longer there. I checked into this and found that apparently the place is no longer operating as a venue for wedding receptions, parties and other functions; it has reverted to being a private residence.

NEW BOLTON: Yes, your horse can see in the dark

New Bolton's "First Tuesday" lecture series started off its season with a fascinating talk on equine vision by Dr. Catherine Nunnery, who is a large-animal ophthalmologist at the veterinary school. She discussed the physiology of the horse's eye and how it affects how the horse sees: for instance, the tapetum lucidum layer of the eye acts as a sort of mirror, allowing the horse to see better at night than humans do, and the oval pupil broadens the horse's field of view, allowing it to see prey from almost every angle. However, at the very edges of the field of view, the horse's vision is fuzzy and it recognizes only light and motion -- which is why a horse may spook at any movement, no matter how innocuous (e.g., a flapping plastic trash bag).
Dr. Nunnery used a panoramic photo of the entrance off Route 926 to New Bolton to illustrate the wide field of view. But horses have a narrow blind spot right in front of their heads, like a unicorn horn. She showed an amusing photo of a young rider trying to bond with her horse by getting up close -- but unfortunately, her  face was precisely in the horse's blind spot.
Dr. Nunnery said most horses have perfect to near-perfect vision, so the answer to everyone's question -- "Does my horse need glasses?" -- is almost always no. She showed a slide of a standard human eye chart and said she wished testing equine vision were that easy. She said they often use what is called the "Menace test," in which the vet moves a hand toward the horse's head and assesses the animal's reaction.
The talk was followed by numerous questions from the audience about UV fly masks, cataracts, what difference eye colors make, treating corneal ulcers, and much more. I love how articulate and enthusiastic the presenters are, and they make wonderful use of graphics.

AVONDALE: An outstanding dinner at Sake Hana

What a great meal we had at Sake Hana in Avondale on Monday night! Appetizers: shrimp tempura and seaweed salad. Entrees: seared salmon on a bed of delicious gingery greens, and tuna/avocado sushi rolls. Dessert: a chocolate ice cream ball with hazelnuts and whipped cream.
You absolutely don't need to be a sushi lover to enjoy this place; check out their menu on line if you doubt me. I've been urged to try the chicken satay appetizer on our next visit; and there will be a next visit, soon.
A special thank you to our waiter, Nick, who was cheerful, accommodating and professional.
I was happy to see that the place was doing a good business even on Labor Day evening.