Lunch at the patio at Loch Nairn

One of the minor casualties of the pandemic has been the casual, spur-of-the-moment lunch invitation. Now you have to take into account which restaurants are open, what their hours are and whether you need reservations. 

A dear friend and I overcame these hurdles and met for lunch on the patio at Loch Nairn Golf Club on McCue Road. We hadn't seen each other for weeks, so there was a lot of catching up to do. It doesn't help that our conversational style is amorphous rather than linear -- just the mention of a person's name in an anecdote can spin us off on a completely different tangent, from health to politics to pets to the washing away of driveways.

So we ate our lunch, split a dessert (delicious apple pie a la mode!), and lingered over our coffee until we realized that the golfers we'd seen unloading their gear in the parking lot had finished their round and were returning, hot and sweaty and ready for a drink. Time to head home!

The show must go on ... line!

Dearest Partner keenly missed the Philadelphia Folk Festival in Schwenksville last weekend. It's a highlight of his summer. He has developed a whole ritual for packing his gear and he knows just when he needs to arrive to snag his preferred spot in the campground. He loves seeing his "Fest friends," and all year round, he becomes endearingly sentimental talking about the feeling of "coming home" he gets upon entering the Old Poole Farm. 

But with a live show impossible this year, the Philadelphia Folksong Society went digital, airing recorded performances by the musicians who were supposed to appear. We logged in and watched quite a bit over the weekend. The one singer I was especially looking forward to seeing was Billy Bragg, who I've enjoyed since his "She's Got a New Spell" days. He was supposed to perform on Sunday afternoon, but instead they aired a tribute to the late John Prine. But that's the nature of live music, and they did warn us that the schedule was "subject to change without notice." 

During a break in the music, Society Executive Director Justin Nordell went down on one knee and proposed to his boyfriend, Dr. David Koren, on camera (he said yes!). 

The Society also made available footage from prior Fests dating back to the 1980s (the 2020 show was the 59th annual Fest). We had fun watching David Myles, Tommy Emmanuel and Tom Rush, and D.P. got nostalgic rewatching shows he had seen live. It's amazing how the quality of video production has improved in the past few decades.

D.P. made some noises about pitching his tent in the backyard and sleeping outside, but somehow that never happened. The heavy rainstorms and muddy aftermath would've almost completed the full Fest experience.

The Unionville Community Fair, COVID-style

The Unionville Community Fair organizers are thinking outside the box. Of course this year's Fair had to be cancelled, but the Fair board is trying to recreate the experience anyway by holding three "Taste of the Fair" events, all at Foxy Loxy in "downtown" Unionville. 

We attended the first one on Aug. 15 and it was a fun event. Lou Mandich of the Last Chance Garage had several of his vintage autos on display. Charlie Brosius, a lifelong mushroom farmer and former Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, played his old-time calliope, which added a cheerful air to the event. Baily's Dairy brought Priscilla, the Jersey cow. Folks were playing horseshoes and corn hole in the field next to Kinloch Woodworking, and families were enjoying Foxy Loxy's delicious ice cream creations.

Two more Saturday events are planned, both from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Foxy Loxy. At the Sept. 12 event, there will be a chocolate cake competition and on Oct. 10 there will be an apple-pie contest. Make your own cake or pie and bring it to be judged, just like at the Fair. When we were chatting at the August "Taste," Fair president Bonnie Musser gave me the choice of which one I wanted to judge; I chose the apple pie contest.

A Greek bakery is coming to Kennett Square

Folks seem to be really excited about "Greek From Greece," the new Greek cafe/bakery coming to downtown Kennett Square. I happened to be walking along State Street on Tuesday and spotted its new canopy over the old Portabello's location. Curious as ever, I did some research when I got home, posted a little blurb on Facebook and -- wham! -- dozens of comments and "likes" from people eager to enjoy some baklava and Greek coffee.

Greek From Greece, a franchise founded in 2016, has as its motto "Daily Trips to Greece." According to the website (https://www.gfg-bakery.com/#products), "GFG is the only bakery in which all products are made in Greece. Wheat, olives, corn, tomatoes growing under the Greek sun and the beneficial sea breeze. And, GFG perfectly aligns with the universal shift towards organic, natural ingredients and specific move towards the Mediterranean Diet, as a premier paradigm of healthy, natural eating."

There are four GFGs in New York City, one in Hoboken, N.J., one in Wayne, N.J., and one in Paramus, N.J. I'm not sure when this one will open -- the windows are covered with brown paper and there's a building permit signed by Rusty Drumheller on display.

A relaxing summer evening at Anson B. Nixon Park

On a Wednesday evening at Anson B. Nixon Park in a normal, pre-pandemic summer, picnickers would have been gathered in front of the amphitheater, socializing, enjoying their meals and listening to the concert. But even though the summer concerts, like everything else, have been cancelled, the park was still a busy spot this past Wednesday evening. 

We stopped in for an after-dinner stroll and saw skateboarders, a guy perfecting his tennis serve, youths playing basketball, many disc golfers, soccer players, folks walking their dogs, anglers, and two guys practicing a salsa dance routine on the amphitheater stage. A park employee was working hard even as sunset approached, shoveling wood chips into the back of a Gator and then zipping out to spread them on the walking trails.

Lots of big trees had been blown over by the recent storms, and several of the gravel paths had deep ruts in them from the fierce runoff. Debris from the creek was still stuck in bottom of the dog-park fence.

The community garden plots are flourishing. There were tons of tomatoes and hot and sweet peppers, as well as huge zinnias and sunflowers. Some gardeners are already starting their fall crops of carrots and broccoli. Some kind of a vining crop -- possibly loofah gourds? -- had summited the high wire fence that prevents deer from getting into the enclosure, and its fruit was dangling in midair.

The park is spread out enough that social distancing was no problem. If someone was approaching on a bridge, we'd just stop and let him or her pass before we stepped onto the bridge.

As we were walking we noticed that a lot of work had been done to the banks of the creek. I learned from the park's website that it's "a water quality project of the Brandywine Red Clay Alliance and the Kennett Area Park Authority to restore portions of the East Branch of the Red Clay Creek and a tributary. Stream restoration addresses sediment, nitrogen and phosphorous pollution in the creek by stabilizing eroding stream banks, connecting the stream to flood plains, reducing new erosion in the creek channel and improving fish and aquatic habitats."

The Brandywine Red Clay Alliance offers a lot more detail on the project at http://www.brandywineredclay.org/watershed-conservation/red-streams-blue/east-branch/ 

A hidden graveyard in North Wilmington

If you're looking for a historical mini-road trip, visit the Newark Union graveyard, where seven Revolutionary War soldiers are buried. It's tucked away in a suburban North Wilmington neighborhood off Baynard Boulevard; in fact, a friend who grew up in Shipley Heights had never heard of the place.

The stone walls around the graveyard abut people's backyards, and as we approached it felt like we were driving up someone's driveway. Nonetheless, it was completely peaceful and we spent an enjoyable hour wandering around.

The graveyard is beautifully kept and looked as if it had been mowed within the past few days. Even the 18th-century grave markers were standing upright, and some sunken stones had been raised and put onto new plinths. One stone had just been repaired and still had a brace holding it together. Discreet dots of white spray paint marked the grass at the corner of some of the plots. The marigolds growing on some of the graves were thriving and had very recently been watered.

In addition to the Revolutionary War patriots, there are also veterans from the Civil War and both World Wars. There are also lots of Weldin, Carr and Talley family members, readily recognizable New Castle County surnames. The most recent of the 950 residents was buried only earlier this year.

The graveyard and now-abandoned church are located at 8 Newark Union Road.

These photos of the historical marker on Baynard Boulevard and the plaque on the cemetery wall are from the "Dearly Departed in Delaware" website.

Longwood Gardens hours and rules

 I've visited Longwood Garden only once since they reopened post-lockdown and decided to check and see if the regulations have changed before I stopped by again. Here's the latest:

1. Hours are Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Until the end of August, the Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; starting in September, the Friday and Saturday hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

2. Timed tickets are required. You're asked to purchase your ticket (if you're not a member) or make your timed reservation (if you are a member) online before you arrive. Tickets are spaced out every half-hour, but you can stay as long as you like.

3. Longwood's mask policy: "Face masks are required (ages 2 and older) in both indoor and outdoor public spaces, unless individuals are outside and are able to consistently maintain a distance of six feet from individuals who are not members in their household. Please stay home if you are sick or symptomatic."

4. The fountain shows have started up again, both in the amphitheater and in the main fountain garden.

Also, I finally remembered to find out what those new buildings are at Longwood Gardens, on the south side of Route 1 toward southbound Route 52: a 63,790-square-foot greenhouse and a 14,580-square-foot headhouse.

What's a headhouse? I didn't know either. According to Merriam Webster, it's "a service area or building attached to a greenhouse usually for housing the central temperature-control equipment and providing working and storage room."

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