What a difference a day makes!

I was busy capturing the reds, yellows, and oranges of the changing of the leaves.  We have some beautiful oaks and maples right in our neighborhood. What began as a simple "Intro to Autumn" pictorial essay ..........

                                                                      



........evolved into an "Intro to WINTER" essay.  These photos were taken Friday morning, and the following were taken barely 24 hours later during the storm, (hence "What A Difference A Day Makes"  )         

 

                                                                                         

Eddie hauling away one of the MANY limbs we lost the to weight of the snow, from the Dogwood alone.

The weight of the heavy wet snow takes its toll on the old Scotch Pine trees.

After 10 hours of a constant wet heavy snow fall, the morning sun softens the effects, if only visually, of the pre-pre-winter Halloween Snow Storm!!!

recognize this tree?  Yes, the same one that started this blog!  It happens to be the most beautiful tree in the neighborhood, and it lives on Elaine's and Ed's front lawn.

 This brings to mind another winter-seasonal song....."I'm Dreaming Of A White H A L L O W E E N ?!?!?"
What would Bing Crosby say????  I say......:Can you say "BETTER IN THE BAHAMAS?????"

Thank you for visiting "This and That" and a little bit of "Winter 101.....a primer"
Please come again and in the meantime - stay warm!

Linda P.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Well....not EXACTLY four, more like 20; and not EXACTLY blackbirds, but Turkey Hawks, standing 2-3 feet tall and with a wing-span of 5-6 feet and the face of an angry turkey. These fiendish looking fowl took up residence in the trees along side our house.

 

I tired the scare (crow) tactic using my own straw-filled sentinels, but that didn't seem to faze the hawks.  I decided to seek professional help, and took a trip to Peddlar's Village in Lahaska, Pa. to see the annual "Scarecrow Display and Competition".

                                                                                 

                                                                                        

                                                                          

Having toured the grounds, and enjoying the many scarecrows on display, it was time to sit a spell. This detecting work can be tiring!  On the way home, I spotted the perfect larger than life scarecrows perched on two Edith Ann-and-that's-the-truth sized Adirondack style chairs (remember Laugh-In???).  Perfect foil for those nasty hawks, but sadly just TOO HUGE to be relocated. 

I would love to see the neighbors' faces if these DID appear on the front lawn!!!  Well, as problems do this one solved itself while I was away.......and then there was one (soon to be none) who left when he realized his friends had gone on in search of food elsewhere!


Thank you for visiting "This and That" and a little bit of boo-tiful, spook-tacular scarecrows and the crows (ahem...hawks) they scare.  Please visit again! .......Linda P. 

B O O ! ! !

Water, water everywhere!

Knowing that Hurricane Irene was headed straight for us, I decided to be pro-active and heed the Governor's warnings,  We took the necessary steps to hopefully escape the "indoor swimming pool" in the basement.  We had the generator all ready,

 Had the candles (all safely in the aptly named hurricane holders), the flashlights, and the battery powered  hurricane lantern.

Our supply of bottled drinking water,

and the bathtub filled with potable water and water to use for 'sanitary purposes'.   Even resurected the old Corning Ware coffee pot (remember the top of the stove models???) and the cannisters of coffee. YES, I did use it.  Wasn't great, but it was coffee!

We cleared the deck of all the furniture except the table that weighs a tun.  Figured that if the winds took that table away, we house would most likely be in Kansas right about now!

The rest of the furniture was stored in the foyer, dining room, and office. 

 With all our precautions, we still had 7 inches of water in the basement.  The power failed in the early morning hours, and that's all it took.  By the time we realized the power was out and got the generator running, the damage was done.   A couple of our neighbors who didn't have generators, needed to have the  Hillsborough Fire Department pump out their basements.  They had over 3 feet of water in their basements.

I won't go into details about our inconveniences, they are minor compared Manville, N.J., the next town over, which has been on national news. We only lost our HVAC unit, they lost EVERYTHING.   After visiting a friend of mine whose home was ravaged by the flood waters, and seeing first hand the damage, destruction, and loss she and her neighbors suffered, I felt is would be unconscionable to publish photos of their losses. Thankfully there was no loss of life in our immediate area.  Things can be replaced,  people cannot.

Thank you for visiting "This and That"........and a little bit of water, water everywhere!!  Please visit again,

Linda P

New Hope, PA

New Hope, Pennsylvania in located in Buck's County PA, it was formerly known as "Coryell's Ferry", and is situated on the banks of the Delaware River across from Lambertville, New Jersey.  This quaint and charming "artists' colony" offers something to interest and entertain everyone.

 The toll-free bridge connects Lambertville, NJ to New Hope, PA.

During the summer parking is at a premium, and rather than feed quarters to a meter several times during a visit, we take advantage of the small municipal parking lot.  This machine makes it very easy to pay for parking.  Just $8.00 for 12 hours, and all major credit cards are accepted.

For the traveler there is:  Water transportation,

Or a trip on the New Hope and Ivyland Rail Road.  Tickets are purchased at the station house.                                         
                                                              

     

 Passengers can choose between the "Coach" or "Parlor Car".   The Parlor Car is equipped with tables and chairs each with a lace curtained window.

This HUGE diesel engine provides the 'locomotion'.
 
 Or by automobile, or just good old "shoe leather", as this gentleman walking his dog.
 

 

Above are just a few of the MANY shop to interest the "casual shopper". 

For the Nature Lover we offer:

 

For Historians: 

 

For Architects: 

 
 For Epicureans:

Dining alfresco at "The Landing"

For the Artisans:  

The Buck's County Playhouse that unfortunately has been closed after lenders foreclosed the property.  As of 2011 the Buck's County Playhouse Conservancy, a public/ private partnership, is attempting to raise the funds to reopen it. 


Just a sampling of the crafts and art available:                                                      

 

To do justice to each of the 'vignettes' shown here I would need to do a 'blog' on each individually.  I hope you have enjoyed this 'thumbnail sketch' of the quaint, charming and historic town of New Hope, PA.

Thank you for visiting "This and That" and a little bit of the partnership of Art and Nature.  Please come visit again!