Summer Solstice

Yesterday was the longest day of 2013.....  appreciated for extra sunshine (no special rites were performed, unless cleaning up kitty litter upon return from vacation has significance).  What have you boys been up to?  Here's a recap: 

Birthday - In mid April, one of Sasha's friends turned 16.  As a surprise, you Sasha and another friend got a lovely gift.  The items below were well-received and probably enjoyed best by young sister Katie.

Visits to Wyncote - A weekend visit to Wyncote in early April provided Sasha an opportunity to kick off spring fishing with Mark.  Steve, Brock and I had time with Lucy touring the Eastern State Penitentiary, followed by playground fun.  On Sunday morning, we made it to church at St. Dunstan's with Grammie and Grandad.  In a return trip over Memorial Day weekend, we helped Grandad celebrate his 76th birthday.

Airsoft and Fishing!  Sasha, you are an active member of the Exeter Airsoft group.  Hours in the outdoors and fun with friends!  As to fishing.....  well, this is absolutely one of your favorite times of year.  Steve has also taken an interest in fishing, and now has 2 poles and multiple implements in his tackle box.  Frances Slocum park has been a good location for trying out new equipment, and catching fish plus the occasional turtle.  Brock, you and I have enjoyed playground time, walks, and "sparky" scooter rides including a fast, frightening ride down the steep hill toward turtle pond (brakes were not so great in steepest stretch, but worked OK toward the bottom).

Tiger - A few weeks ago, Tiger had his annual bath & "slenderizing" treatment i.e., extra fluff is shaved away for the summer.  His flabby paunch is quite noticeable and of no concern to Tiger - petting anywhere including his belly is wonderful.  Sasha has provided this list of his alternate names for Tiger:  Tigrero, Tigroog, Toiger, Fatty, Fat Cat, Chunks of Love, and Love Chunks.  Here is Tiger (pre-treatment) enjoying a moment with Steve's sneakers:

Additions to the Family - Over the winter, our latest batch of tropical fish suffered a premature demise due to hypothermia (secondary cause:  lack of attention to temperature in the fish tank).  Sasha immediately announced that we would introduce lake critters to the tank when spring came along.  So after a recent fishing trip to Frances Slocum, he brought home Flappy the Crappy, and 2 large snails - Dung and Pooh (as in "who flung....").  Next, Dung and Pooh had babies known as the Poohlets.  A couple weeks later after a fantastic job cleaning algae off the fish tank, Dung and Pooh went home to the turtle pond.  Here's a picture taken shortly after arrival:

Crappy seemed to be doing fine, until today that is.....  His favorite food - wax worms.  We has also gorged himself on guppies, but unfortunately didn't keep it all in his tummy (fish parts make a return trip into the tank, only to be cannibalized by other guppies).  This afternoon he passed on to the fish heaven, and will be missed.


Vacation in Washington DC - We got home yesterday from a few days in the Washington DC area.  My favorite was visiting with my cousin Annie, who lives near Bethesda.  Steve's was probably the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport.  I'm not certain that you boys had a favorite, though Sasha you seemed to enjoy talking about fishing with Andrew from "Augie's Adventures" who was trying to photograph Capital Hill at sunset from a park near Reagan National Airport.  And Brock you seemed to especially like climbing on rocks at Great Falls National Park overlooking the Potomac River.


Steve's Mom - Sadly, Steve's mother died on June 7th after being hospitalized in Philadelphia.  It has been a difficult time for Steve and his brothers, as you can imagine.  It is quite an accomplishment for a Mom to raise four boys mostly on her own, and certainly it was not easy for her.  I am genuinely interested in older people, and would have liked to know her better.  Be sure to appreciate your family members - every one of them is important.

Family Time in Webster

In mid September, we spent a weekend with Edie and Jon.  Since Sasha was about 3 years old, we've been making trips to Webster to enjoy time together at Edie's house.  This property originally belonged to your great, great, great grandparents Mary Ellen (Tester) and Andrew Walker, who built the house.  Check out their 1880 marriage certificate, which is framed and hanging in the upstairs hallway here on Sharpe Street.  Some years of their marriage may have been difficult....  family lore holds that Grandfather Andrew lived in the attic for a time.  We've seen a section of the attic with nails along the rafters suggesting a curtain was hung there.  (GrandNana also mentioned that he often had pie for breakfast, so life wasn't all bad !!)  The duplex was built in the late 1800's and has been a home to Walker and John McCausland families.

Some highlights of our weekend:

• Went to a book sale at the Dudley, MA library.  Sasha got The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide and Steve got (Daniel Goleman's?) book on Emotional Intelligence.  
• Found a Webster MA t-shirt for Sasha, featuring the full name of Lake Webster "Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg".  You can read more about the lake here  -->  Lake Webster
• Went to the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA.  It was very interesting and included a Real Vikings program where we learned about Viking life, times and fighting techniques.  We also got to try on armor and helmets, play "Castle Attack", and walk through a huge display of armor from many different cultures and times.  Brock had a great time and got a fancy (although plastic) shield at the Museum Store, after we decided against various swords, spears, and $200+ helmets.  Here's a picture from the spectacular Great Hall, taken by our photographer Steve:

• Were hosted to a picnic in the beautiful yard at Hill Street.  Enjoyed hot dogs, hamburgers, beer and Brock's favorite - playing Frisbee.
• Spent a day at The Big E in Springfield, MA.  Its full name is the "Eastern States Exhibition", a New England states fair that I never heard of before.  You both especially liked the New Hampshire building, which featured chocolate milk and NH instant lottery tickets.  Steve found some aromatic soap.  Brock and I also spent some time on the Midway.  We went on a Ferris Wheel, which I thought was great and Brock thought went up too high.  AND of course, we munched on lots of tasty stuff for example corn dog on a stick (with ketchup..... hmm, who do you suppose ate this?), gyro, steak sandwich, cider doughnuts, cream puffs, and lemonade.  Steve's picture below shows a typical scene as we walked through the fairgrounds on a gorgeous day:

• Last, but certainly not least.....  Jon took you, Sasha, on a quick fishing expedition to a pond at a Connecticut golf course he frequents.  It was an early-morning jaunt, and you had very good luck catching sunfish, small-mouth bass, and calico.

We've always enjoyed treks to Webster, including time to relax in the comfortable Hill Street abode and visit with Edie and Jon.  Hope there will be many more trips!

Vacation in Delaware

In July we went on a beach vacation to Delaware vacation, where we stayed in Lewes.

To begin with.....  two really good things about our trip were the car, a large (red) mini van whose model I have already forgotten (Dodge Caravan?), and the house.  The car was perfect because there was plenty of room; Brock sat in the middle row & Sasha in the back.  There was minimal squabbling!!  The house was lovely, comfortable and spacious.  Its location was interesting, as the development is situated right behind a Home Depot store.

So, favorite things we did:

• Fishing!  I took you Sasha to a fishing pier one evening; it was beautiful and breezy, but not many fish around.  Much better, you and Steve spent a morning fishing out on Delaware Bay.  The fishing was great!  Here's a great post from 'NCFE'  -->  Gone Fission   The pictures below are wonderful - what a lot of disgusting fish bait (those squid are looking right at us!!).

• Brock, I think your favorite was probably swimming in the pool at our condo complex.  I enjoyed soaking up the sun, and we had a good time playing with boogie boards.  
• Walked around downtown Lewes one evening.  It's a quaint, historic town & I loved the harbor area.  Look up and you'll see a picture of the Lewes Canal at the top of 'Carroll Boys'.  

And rounding out our week, we also:

• Spent time at Cape Henlopen State Park, where the fishing pier was located.  It has an ocean beach, which we enjoyed while Brock swam (waves were a bit strong & breaking very close to shore).  We also went to Fort Miles, which was a significant military site during World War II.  There are some massive artillery guns on display.  Read more here-->  Fort Miles   And see pictures below.
• Went to Rehoboth Beach, where we had time at the beach and walked around to stores & boardwalk.  Stopped into Candy Kitchen, Fisher's Popcorn and T-shirt stores.
• Spent a bit too much time on Rt 1, which is an 8-lane highway along a massive commercial strip.

Sincere thanks to our photographer Steve!!  Vacations are very special, and I'm already looking forward to next year !

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

As you can tell, I've taken most of the summer off from blogging.  So now there is much to cover!!

In the Recently Overheard Department:

• "I have a complaint!" said Steve a few weeks ago.  About what?  Errr.. about my lack of recent postings on Carroll Boys.  Yes, it's a bit embarrassing especially given his prolific writing on 'NCFE'.  I've felt mildly guilty about it, but not guilty enough to actually write anything.....  until tonight....

• "Would you please pass me the soap?  The Force is not working." said Brock during 'shower' (absolutely not bath) time last week.  Star Wars will always be a special part of our lives.

• "I found 2 eggs in the water bowl this morning!" per our neighbor Sherry.  Our gecko Hermie moved one house away to a lovely 50-gallon tank, was renamed Mr. Leopard, and has a partner Mrs. Leopard.  Compared to life under the hockey table in your room, Hermie has hit the jackpot!  The Leopard's are now 'expecting', with the eggs being incubated for 58 days at Pet Zone.  More babies are likely to come along soon.

• Many episodes of the The Big Bang Theory.  Here's the full version of the TV show's theme song performed by the "Barenaked Ladies".  You might like to read more about this interesting band -->  BNL, Canadian alternative rock

Of course, the best part of summer is spending extra time together.  I will write about our beach vacation later.  In other highlights:

• Sasha..... You did quite a bit of walking at the Secondary Center to make up 9th grade gym classes.  Gage spent lots of time here on Sharpe Street, including overnights (sleeping on the living room couch - his preference).  There were many PS3 battles, including Battlefield 3, Call of Duty Black Ops and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.  The two of you liked to stay up extremely late, then snooze most of the morning.  You also got to enjoy fishing with Jason along the Susquehanna, especially while construction on the new Eighth Street Bridge was wrapping up.
• Brock....  You had a wonderful time at Camp Acahela with your cub scout den, in particular your friend Matthew whose tent you shared.  We heard about swimming, archery, tucking your shirt in for meals, and a 3-hour nature hike.  And we got to have dinner with you at the dining hall Friday night.  Your legs had a few cuts & bruises, but otherwise you looked just wonderful at week's end (and ready to come home for a rest).  You spent time at the Good Shepherd day camp in Kingston, where playing DSI (in particular Pokemon games) seemed to be the favorite activity.  We had a fun afternoon with Ben at the Nay Aug pool.  Plus you got to spend time with school friends at Adam's birthday party.
• All of us..... Enjoyed a weekend with Kyra and Lucy, including an afternoon at the Sno Cove water park and dinner at Pizza by Pappas in Scranton.  We then headed to Camelbeach last week.  With a couple interruptions due to rain, it was a good day including lots of time in the wave pool.  Lastly, you both went fishing a couple evenings at the Frances Slocum Park pond, where the competition to catch (very) small fish and good-sized turtles is fierce. (Left-over bait such as wax worms was provided to the growing gecko family next door.)

And to wrap this long-overdue post, here's "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" .... almost the same as Catching Up is Hard To Do!  In July, Steve and I sat on wet folding chairs at Misericordia University to hear Neil Sedaka in concert.  Neil Sedaka is a well-known (to older generations) composer and singer from New York City whose career has spanned over 50 years.  We were the young'uns in the audience!  This performance is very similar to the one we heard:

Funny Conversations Etc.

Coming right up.....  here is a posting about funny conversations we've had recently!

• A few months back, you Brock wanted to know what I would ask for if I had 3 wishes.  My response was incredibly boring, on the order of wanting both of you to have happy, productive lives.  When I asked you what you would wish for, your response was "No Gravity!!"  (Wow!)

• Brock and I went to church about a month ago and listened to the children's sermon about Saint David's Day - celebrated on March 1st.  Saint David is the patron saint of Wales, who lived in the 5th century.  Pastor Laura explained that there are relics of St. David - including his forefinger - at St. David's Cathedral.  Later in the day, Brock's question to me was "If we still have (our gecko) Hermie when he dies, can we keep his tail?!"  So of course, I've since searched on-line for a picture of St David's remains.  I found an interesting article about the authenticity of the bones including a photo!  I imagine you'll want to check it out -->  BBC Article

• Not long after that, I had an odd dream....  The doorbell woke me early, and I came downstairs to discover that you both were up already (I was not happy, as it was something like 5:45 a.m. and I knew that getting up so early would result in very cranky children later).  You were in the living room together when I answered the door.  A young man walked in, and I said "Hi, are you Gage?" (Gage is an actual friend of Sasha, and lives a few blocks away).  The visitor was offended and said "NO!  My name is Battery!"  Sasha, when I texted you about this, your comment something like "Mom, his name is not spelled 'Gauge' (as spelled in my text), it's 'Gage' !!")  I am quite sure I was dreaming about vehicle repairs and somehow got my car instruments/parts confused. 

• A couple weeks ago, Brock asked what I'd want if I had LOTS of money (such as I had won the lottery, or was visited by the Money Fairy).  I told you my first priority would be finding a larger house, so each of you would have your own bedrooms.  Sasha, when we asked you this afternoon what you would do with a windfall your response was to buy a fishing cabin along a lovely trout creek in Montana to use for vacations a couple times a year.  And Brock, you said that you'd want a sample of every Lego Ninjago set ever made, a place to display them all, and workers (with excellent eye sight to keep track of all them little pieces) to build the models for you.  You have a very active imagination!!

For a final chuckle, around President's Day Brock and I watched this funny Geico commercial on YouTube.  The moral of this Abe and Mary Lincoln clip?  Per Sasha, if your wife asks you whether she looks fat always say NO.

Spring Fishing - The Best!

Spring is here, and opening day of trout season is 2 weeks away!!  In preparation, you Sasha are checking out your fishing equipment, tying flies, and practicing your technique for getting (very small) fish off the hook at the Frances Slocum Park turtle pond.  We are won't tell anyone that last weekend you also caught - and released - a rainbow trout in Frances Slocum lake.  Lucky you are 15 and still considered a "child" by PA Fish & Boat Commission standards!

Plus, yesterday we made our annual pilgrimage to Berks County.  First Steve took us a favorite spot - Renningers Antiques and Farmers Market in Kutztown.  Our conclusions; interesting to walk through, tasty baked goods, and the place smells of cured meat and old people.  Then after lunch at Red Robin, it was on to the main event - Cabela's!!  Sasha, you cheerfully picked out a myriad of fishing items, plus got a sweatshirt.  Steve found a nice red shirt, and provided dollar bills for tokens.  Brock was not so thrilled about Cabela's....  but used the tokens at the shooting gallery where he did a great job hitting targets, and got a sling shot anyway.

Today you've gone fishing with a friend, Griffin, whose family has a cabin at a local lake.  There never was a happier boy than our Sasha when getting ready for a fishing expedition.  I wish you many great experiences in the great outdoors with fishing rod in hand.

Last May I took you trout fishing to Harvey's Creek, near Hunlock Creek.  An absolutely beautiful spot, with good fishing "action".  These pictures bring back nice memories of a lovely afternoon with my very professional-looking fisherman: