ALL OVER TOWN: A little adventure

There is no such thing as a routine Saturday morning in Tilda's life.
We set out around 8:30 for the pancake breakfast at Masonic Lodge #475 in downtown Kennett Square. En route we saw two dear friends, already with their helmets on, driving their van to the Opening Day meet of their foxhunting club. We saw them only long enough to recognize them and wave, but we could tell how excited they were (they'd only been grooming horses and polishing tack for two full days).
At the breakfast, there was a good crowd, and I spotted my friends Lynn Sinclair, Blair Fleischmann, and East Marlborough supervisor Bob Weer and his family. The pancakes were great, as always, and the coffee -- with jugs of real milk! -- was top-notch. I was amused by the blue shirts that the breakfast staffers were wearing: forks and knives replaced the traditional square and compasses of the Masonic emblem.

After breakfast we checked out the re-routed Strasburg Road near Stargazer Road, where PennDOT is building a roundabout connecting Stargazer, Shadyside, and Romansville Roads at the site of the soon-to-be Stargazer Village development. The roadwork is pretty impressive. Even though it was Saturday, crews were removing the macadam from the now-abandoned part of Strasburg Road.
Then we headed down the newly reopened Frog Hollow Road to check out the renovated Speakman #1 Covered Bridge. A group of vintage car enthusiasts from the "Active A's" Region of the Model A Restorers Club had the same idea, forming a mini-parade of Model A's across the bridge as a group of bicyclists waved and took photos. 
After that my Saturday involved upgrading my computer memory and trying to avoid thinking about my soaring health insurance premium, neither of which, I am certain, you want to read about.

CLARENCE: The new moggie

Several readers asked for an update on Clarence, the nine-year-old cat I had the good fortune to adopt from the SPCA in West Chester a few weeks ago.
He is settling in very nicely, thank you, and has already gained a pound and a half. He is fascinated by water, has distinct preferences in both dry and canned food, has located the sunniest spots in the house for napping, and has a low tolerance for an even slightly soiled litter box (he has a very effective way of communicating his distaste of same).
As a new and doting cat mom, I have purchased numerous treats and cat paraphernalia for him, but he completely ignores them. When I told her this, my friend Susan nodded knowledgeably and said it's further proof of her long-held rule about cats: the more money you spend on something for them, the less interest they'll show.

AT SEA: They're out of touch

I was at Foxy Loxy the other morning at the same time that a few local men were gathering there to embark on a sailing trip. I asked two of them how they felt about being cut off for several days from cell phone calls, emails, the Internet and election news while they were at sea.  
Their beaming faces gave me an eloquent answer.

THE INTERNET: Another victim of hackers

In last week's column I mentioned a friend whose computer had been hacked by someone based in Lithuania after she clicked on what appeared to be a message from Federal Express. She wasn't the only one, it seems.
A reader writes: "A FedEx Secretary at our Coatesville church also clicked on a FedEx link and had all files encrypted. Fortunately financial files were backed up on church software company's server."

UNIONVILLE: We need to see some ID, please

Everyone already knows where Station 36 is, but now I guess it will be official: a sign is expected to be installed this week in front of the Po-Mar-Lin firehouse in downtown Unionville. Finally, joked one firefighter friend, the pizza delivery guy will be able to find us!

WEST MARLBOROUGH: Not much new on the agenda

The Nov. 1 meetings of the West Marlborough Township planning commission and supervisors did not yield a lot of news. In the public comments section of the meeting, once again citizens reported illegal parking at the Whip Tavern in Springdell and motorists running the stop signs at the London Grove crossroads. 
Supervisor Bill Wylie said he expects to present at the December meeting the streamlined schedule for township fees that the supervisors have been working on. And supervisor Hugh Lofting said the township road crew is "getting ready for winter."
The supervisors also announced they will be holding a budget meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 at the township hall.

MUSHROOMS: A new role for the fungus?

The Wall Street Journal's recent special section about "the next hot trends in food" highlighted a potential new role for mushrooms. A company called MycoTechnology is experimenting with using the root systems of Kennett's favorite crop to block the bitterness in cacao beans so that chocolate products will need to have less sugar added.

WEST MARLBOROUGH: The Fall Drive

Saturday morning I was sitting at my computer working on my latest editing project (it's a 70-chapter book about how to start your own psychotherapy practice) when I heard the distinctive sound of wagon wheels and hooves on the road. I quickly looked outside and saw a procession of gorgeous horse-drawn carriages. The occupant of one was tootling his shiny horn as he passed by.
I found out later it was the fall drive of the Four-in-Hand Club of Philadelphia. What a spectacle!

FIELD HOCKEY: Hail Unionville!

On Sunday I had the pleasure of chatting with a member of the Unionville High School field hockey team, which this week is embarking on its post-season schedule. I asked her why the team is so successful. She thought for a moment and said that although there are some really talented individual players on the team, the real key is that everyone plays so well together on the field.
Best of luck, girls!

SCOUTS: Spaghetti with the stars

Some notable names from American history -- among them "Benjamin Franklin" and "The Alamo" -- served us an excellent spaghetti (actually linguini) dinner at Kennett Friends Meeting on Saturday. "Ronald Reagan," wearing a white apron, was working in the kitchen and told us we had just missed a visit from "Aaron Burr" ("you know, the guy who shot Hamilton!").
That is, if their name tags are to be believed, which I somehow doubt. I think it far more likely they were members of Boy Scout Troop 24, which organized the twice-yearly fundraising dinner. We look forward to chowing down on the Scouts' delicious meatballs, sauce and sauteed mushrooms every time.

SPORTS: Hard-core fans

Among our party at dinner on Sunday night were some hard-core professional sports fans. One guy's cellphone kept making noises, and he explained that he had it programmed to alert him to goals, touchdowns or other significant plays made by the teams or athletes he was following (each on was assigned a different tone, which he had trained himself to recognize). I was fascinated by his level of devotion, which I don't think was financially motivated.
Another man at the table said you can actually buy (or rig up on your own) a wireless strobe light and siren combo that signals every time your favorite ice hockey team scores. His wife sensibly pointed out that such a gadget would cause some major household friction if the team is playing a West Coast game.

SPCA: Animal lovers

I have nothing but kind words to say about the good people at the Brandywine Valley SPCA in West Chester. Last weekend we stopped in to meet Clarence, a stray cat they were featuring on their website, and in short measure decided to give him a forever home.
As soon as word got out, the workers were thrilled, as he was a favorite with the staff. One woman who had become especially attached to him started to cry with happiness. We gave the SPCA a modest donation and you'd think we had single-handedly saved the place from bankruptcy, everyone was so grateful.
The adoption paperwork went smoothly and the staff were good enough to pack up Clarence's toys and favorite food for us to take home. He has spent the week sleeping, eating and exploring his new home, which we're trying to make as calm and loving as we can. Now he just needs to gain some weight!

Clarence takes a Sunday afternoon snooze on the sofa.

ROUTE 100: Closed at the Delaware line

As the message boards along Route 1 near Route 52 have doubtless informed you, Route 100 is going to be closed at the Delaware line starting at 7 a.m. Monday, Nov. 7.
According to the Delaware Department of Transportation's website, workers from Eastern Highway Specialists will be removing and replacing the concrete deck on a bridge along Route 100 (Montchanin Road) just north of Twaddell Mill Road.
The closure is expected to last until Friday, Dec. 9, depending on the weather. DelDOT suggests motorists use Route 52 (Kennett Pike) instead of Route 100 for the duration. 
(In case you're interested, the state line crosses Route 100 between Twaddell Mill and Cossart Roads.)

WEST GROVE: A Quaker dance party

The benches had been pushed back, creating a large and welcoming space at West Grove Friends Meetinghouse.
But Alyce Denver, the meeting's clerk, was frankly a little nervous as the blues band Dukes of Destiny got ready to take the stage the evening of Saturday, Oct. 22.
"Do you think people are going to dance?" she asked me.
She needn't have worried. As soon as the Dukes started playing, people started dancing and they didn't stop until music did.
We saw lots of friends and had a great time at the concert, which was organized jointly by the West Grove and London Grove Quaker meetings. A few days after the show I spoke to Rebecca Mitchell, one of the organizers, and she told me that about 80 people showed up. I was glad to hear that they plan to ask the Dukes to return!

WEST MARLBOROUGH: An impatient driver

At last month's West Marlborough Township meeting, a few residents said they had witnessed motorists running the stop signs on Newark Road where it intersects Route 926 (Street Road) at the London Grove crossroads and also where it intersects Route 842 (Upland Road).
I can top that: the evening of Oct. 25 I got honked at for NOT running the latter stop sign. I couldn't believe it. I looked in my rear-view mirror and the guy was making an X-shape by crossing his index fingers. What was that supposed to mean -- that it was an intersection? Yes. Thank you.
The impatient driver stayed behind me on Newark Road (that actually surprised me) but then zoomed past me as soon as he could on Route 926.

SWIMMERS: Big meet at the Y

Just a heads up to Kennett YMCA members that there is going to be a huge youth swim meet, "Dragon Fest 2016," there on Saturday evening, Nov. 5, and all day Sunday, Nov. 6. The Y is going to be jammed and, I speak from experience, parking will be next to impossible not only in the Y lots but on surrounding streets. Some Y classes will be cancelled because much of the facility will be taken over by kids in swimsuits, their parents and their siblings.
I greatly appreciate the fact that the Y management has given us ample notice of the event so we can plan accordingly.

KENNETT: Artisan Fair at Advent

My loyal reader Gaila (and good PR person!) asked me to put something in the paper about Artisan Fair that the Episcopal Church of the Advent, 401 N. Union St., Kennett Square, is holding from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12. "Local artists will be selling their paintings, photography, jewelry, fused glass, woodworking, ceramics, textiles, sculpture & more," she writes. "Admission is free, and the artists will be on hand to answer questions about their work." 
This will be the third year for the fundraising event, and she notes that the organizers even splurged for a banner across State Street this year!

LONGWOOD: The end of Nightscape

We went to Nightscape, the summer light show at Longwood Gardens, on Oct. 26, just a few days before it ended. Like last year's version, the creators use the gardens as their palette for a very cool experience.
Although the lake part of the show was great (the lights make it look like the water is splashing up as the jumping fish land), the topiary garden was my favorite part of the display. The shrubs are transformed into wedding cakes, with something different going on at each tier, either rolling tribal graphics or pulsating periscopes. And the music for this part of the show is lively and rhythmic, unlike the trippy, meditative sounds in the rest of the displays.
Nightscape has been hugely popular. Because we waited until almost the last minute to visit, the gardens were jammed with visitors. The crowds were moving especially slowly because it seemed like everyone was stopping to take photos on their cellphones or tablets. There were so many people standing in front of what looks like a swirling porthole into another dimension (it's just a hedge in daylight) that I could barely see it. If Nightscape returns next summer, we will try to pick a less crowded night.

HACKERS: Attack from Eastern Europe

A Unionville friend reports that she set off a potentially catastrophic attack on her computer merely by opening a text that appeared to be from Federal Express. The hackers -- they turned out to be from Lithuania -- managed to encrypt all of her computer files, and then demanded a ransom for them, to be paid within three days in bitcoins (an online medium of exchange).
She did some research and found someone willing to do a bitcoins transaction, but he wanted to meet her at a Starbucks in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. She decided against this and called a local computer guy who managed to salvage her files by finding an email attachment that had not been encrypted. He also installed a storage system that will automatically back up her files from now on. 
As she was sharing this harrowing tale, I recalled an odd text from Amazon that I had received, and opened, a few days before on my phone. I drove straight home and made sure my computer was OK. So far, so good -- and I also installed a backup system.