Nice!

I got to spend some time this past week with a high-school and college pal who now lives in Camden, Maine, but was visiting family down here. He said he'd forgotten how beautiful Chester County was. And that's quite a compliment when you think of how lovely the seaside town of Camden is!

The Farm Show

This coming weekend is one of my favorite events of the year: the Unionville Community Fair, aka the Farm Show! All over our area people are getting their entries ready: baking, printing photos, putting the finishing touches on their craft projects, selecting a dozen uniform eggs from their hens, choosing unblemished gourds and harvesting what's left of their gardens. But of course you don't need to enter anything to enjoy the Fair: come out for the parade, the exhibits, the animals and the camaraderie. You can find the fair schedule and all the information you need at ucfairinc.org.

Another Saturday night

Pomegranate molasses, salad with local blue goat cheese and North Star Orchard pears, perfectly grilled hogfish, gin and tonics with two superlative gins (Hayman's Old Tom and Martin Miller's), great conversation on everything from the infamous "Butcher" album cover to the perils of getting sick in Phnom Penh adds up to one absolutely magical and memorable evening in Embreeville with old -- or, rather, longstanding -- friends. Thank you, Bob and Carol, for your hospitality!
Sources: the pomegranate molasses is available at Wegman's (of course), many of the fresh goodies were purchased at the West Chester Growers' Market, North Star Orchard is in Cochranville, the Beatles' "Yesterday and Today" album with the original gory cover is available online for a pretty penny, and the hogfish was from Gadaleto's in West Chester.

Picnics

There was a group of serious picnickers at Wolf's Hollow County Park in Cochranville this beautiful fall afternoon. There were two men, four women and a tiny leashed dog. The men went ahead to see if the desired picnic tables were free. They set off, each carrying portable chairs and rolling a large wheeled cooler, and a few minutes later hollered back that the tables were unoccupied, and the ladies should join them. The women followed, each carrying two chairs, slung over their shoulders, and bags full of food. I got the sense they'd done this once or twice before.
I spotted something at the park I hadn't noticed before, the "Boathouse Ruins." It's basically just three low stone walls, but what an evocative name: doesn't it conjure up a Victorian-era picnic with ladies in white dresses with parasols and mustachioed gentlemen in boater hats?

Honey of a beer

Congratulations to West Marlborough beekeeper Walt Broughton! Iron Hill Brewery is using his Swarmbustin' Honey in its "Swarmbustin' Saison" ale ($5.75 for 16 oz.). Here's their description: "Belgian-style farmhouse ale brewed with 80 lbs of local Chester County honey. This pale, unfiltered beer stings the pallet [sic] with flavors of mandarin oranges, tangerines, peaches, bananas and light wisps of honey." (Thanks to the Sharp-Eyed Friend for spotting this on Iron Hill's menu.)

Stink bugs are back

You don't need me to tell you that the stink bugs are back, looking for a warm place to spend the winter. They started on my screen door, and now they've moved inside, flying around and landing on walls, curtains, appliance cords and lampshades. (The one in the photo obviously likes Sandra Bullock's back.)
I already have my zip-lock bags ready for action in each room: I drop the bugs in, zip up the bag and then toss it when it gets full.
Then, of course I repeat the process, because a few minutes after I've cleared a room, it's full of them again!
Let's just hope the smelly invasion is not as bad as it was two years ago. I well remember pulling a scarf from a bureau drawer and finding dozens of them nestled in its folds.

Asking for trouble

This evening I went to stash my stuff in the Kennett Y's locker room before Pilates class. I opened one locker -- and just sitting there was somebody's purse, wide open, with cash and an iPhone clearly in view. Sure, yes, it's nice to trust people, but that seems a bit foolhardy. Lock your locker!