Day 1186: Cape Hatteras

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Day 1185: Pounding surf

There's something peaceful about pounding surf.  Despite the cold, walking briskly along the shore, with sun glinting on the waves, brown pelicans and gulls gliding about, gives me such joy.  It was warmer today, 51, but the air was heavy with moisture and soon rain slashed our faces.  We tucked away for a few hours to read while the rain washed away grime from the windows and signs of winter on the island.

For lunch, we got fabulous take-out sandwiches from a local deli, then we met friends from Fredonia for dinner at the Blue Moon Beach Grill for dinner and drinks.  Fun, relaxing and peaceful!

Tomorrow, is supposed to be in the 60s so we'll spend the whole day outside again.  We'll to hiking at the state park and scramble up the dunes, and then travel south along the barrier islands to hike and take pictures on the beaches and nature trails.

Day 1184: Roanoke Island

Such a beautiful day!  Crisp, sunny, brilliant blue sky, brisk wind.  No matter, we spent most of the day outside exploring and delighting in the sea, marshes, and beaches.

Day 1183: Snow in Outer Banks!

We couldn't escape the snow.  It followed us all the way south.  In the Blue Ridge Mountains, a blizzard obscured the views.  Steady, but light, it persisted across Virginia and even into NC.  The Gulf Stream has dipped deeply into Florida causing record high temps in the west and record lows in the east.  Crazy.

He's feeling much better today.  Perhaps a tiny stone passed over night or maybe it settled somewhere waiting to surprise us over the next few days.  He was up half the night, but now he's resting.  Thank goodness.

Our first priority, walk on the beach! 

The view is spectacular!  Now, if it would just warm up.  There's a freeze warning for tonight which is rough because all the the flowering trees are in blossom.  

Day 1182: Off to a great start!

Yesterday, we were frantic because Steve lost his keys.  He had them when we got to the MS for backpacking class and of course did a million things while we were there.  We practically skipped out of the building after class, free at last.  We got to the car and NO KEYS!

Must be on the table where I threw my jacket.   Maybe in the cafeteria.  How about the print shop?  In the parking lot? Maybe you dropped them when we were unloading the car.  How about by the mailboxes?  In the equipment room?  In the backpack?  What about the boxes you carried in from the car?  In the paint room?  Maybe someone turned them in to the HS office.  No one's there.  Dave, did you see some keys?  No.  Maybe I never had them here. Maybe they're still in the door at home.  Drive home. NO KEYS!  Back to school, do it all over again.

Finally, after two hours.  We gave up. Someone will find them and turn them in.  We'll get them back in the morning.  That's the only way we could go to sleep.  First thing this morning, call all the offices. No one found keys.  OK.  Let's stop at school before we leave and check one more time.  You were struggling with those boxes of gear, remember?   Maybe the keys are in the boots.  Check the storeroom, rattle every boot, shake out the rain pants, lift the top box, do it again.  Then, turn the box.  KEYS!  Embedded in the box.  Must be when you gripped the box with the keys in your hand, they stuck.  Such immense relief!  We left a little late, but much happier.

Till noon.  Waves of nausea.  Flank pain.  Urgency.  Frequent bathroom stops.  Familiar tugging.  Swearing.  Oh, we know this old friend.  KIDNEY STONE NUMBER 7!  Or maybe eight.  We've lost track.  It couldn't be while we were home. It had to be on the road, on a long awaited vacation.  No matter.  It's under control and he'll wash it out with fluids, I hope.  If the pain is too bad, the route to the hospital is loaded on my phone.

Lunch time pizza in a little shop in Tyrone, PA.

Courtesy of TripAdviser.com

Day 1181: Plane crash

It's been a day full of worry and consternation. Yesterday, a German airplane crashed into a mountain in the French Alps and was obliterated.  The co-pilot locked the pilot out and deliberately reset the autopilot to take the plane from 38,000 to 96 feet.  One hundred fifty people were killed.  Today, Evan flew from Paris to Venice over the Alps.  I know the event would not be repeated, but still I worried till we knew he was safe.

Just a block from Matt's apartment in the East Village, an explosion from a gas leak caused two buildings to collapse and and the fire spread to neighboring buildings.   Twenty people were injured.

Last night, my sister and her daughter's family hid under the stairs during the tornado warning in Tulsa. Fortunately, the twister did not hit their neighborhood, but it did a lot of damage in the nearby community of Moore which was devastated two years ago.  There are no basements or shelters for homes.  They just hide in closets and bathrooms.  Crazy.

We live in a protected, secure bubble here in Fredonia, until we don't.

Day 1180: First aid class

The Silver Creek kids were the best prepared for the first aid class of any class we've taught.  They're very bright and they had previous instruction in their health class.  Each offered stories to illustrate the points Steve was making, but the best was Lily's story.  It was the first day of cross country camp and the team was out running in the forest when one of the girls fell and cut open her knee.  The flap wound was bleeding profusely and they were far from camp.  An older girl whipped off her shirt and used it to put pressure on the wound.

While Steve was at yet another meeting, I finished arranging all the new table groups and made new attendance placards for class tomorrow. That's the last obligation between us and vacation.

Although it's supposed to snow over the next few days, it won't stick for long, but mountains remain all over town.  The last bits in our yard are piled over my hydrangeas in the back deck garden and in the new redbud garden.  This is the redbud's first spring and I can't wait to see the lovely pink blossoms.

The redbud garden

Day 1179: Ready for vacation

I was sound asleep when he woke me at 9:15.  Groceries, at Tops, remember?  NO! I blocked it out.

Three hours later, tons of food was purchased, packed, loaded in our cars and delivered to the MS.  We pulled four loads through hallways and stacked boxes in our small storages space  It felt like a ton.  $1970 worth of pasta, hot chocolate, julienne potatoes, potato flakes, pancake mix, oat bran, dried bananas chips and pineapple, M&Ms and dozens of other items.  Enough for a hundred people for seven days.  (Minus the perishables) Tops personnel had done an outstanding job tracking down all the items in our order.  We were so very impressed and grateful.  

Next stop, the stage.  In two hours, all remaining jobs were completed.  Twenty kids sorted screws, hauled and sorted lumber, swept, and vacuumed.  Then eight of us dropped the cyc and folded it.

A huge weight has been lifted.  Now we can have a true vacation.

Only a tiny bit of snow is left in our yard, but it's melting far too slowly.

The screw sorting crew hard at work.

Day 1178: The Swarm

Cast, crew, pit swarmed.  Twenty or so kids flashed in, grabbed drills and flew around the stage.   Buzz, jail devoured.  Buzz, cabin one gone.  Buzz, cabin two vanished.  Buzz, stern zipped.  At 5:00, the stage was clear.  Stacks of lumber, boxes of screws remain to be sorted and stacked.  By tomorrow at 5:00, our job will be done.  Hooray!

The swarm tackles the gangplank! 

Day 1177: Exhausted

It took three and a half months to create the illusion of the SS America in 1934.  In a matter of a few hours, it was gone.  In just an hour last night, railings and curtain were down, pit drapes were packed, costumes collected.  Because of the security system, we had to be out of the building by 11:45.  We would have had to go back today anyway, so it wasn't all bad to have our work cut short.  By then we were ready to drop.

Sandy, Kevin, James, Jake, Steve and I were able to remove the second story and the stairs in an hour this morning.  Then Ben, Ben, and Kathy arrived.  Next, the lighting guys, Josh and Daniel.  A little later, Doreen and Ellen.  All the old reliables.  One surprise was Rick, who worked with us for ten years on break downs.  He thought we'd need a little help.  We joked about how we used to run out of the building with just seconds to spare before we tripped the alarm.  It was so sweet of him to come.  Ellen had sent an email to all musical families, over 110 of them, asking for ten adults to help.  Not a single person responded.

There's plenty of work left for the kids to do after school this week, but just 21 signed up.  The jail, stern sections and cabins still need to be dismantled.  And they can always sort screws.  Thousands of them!  I swept up a box full, mixed with sawdust, wood chips, gum, tape, bobbie pins.  It's for all those folks who don't want to operate a drill or get dirty.

So, now at 8:00, we're ready for bed.

The costumes, all organized, deodorized, hung, and boxed.  More are sloshing in our washing machines, tumbling in our dryers and folded on dining room tables.

The last panel came down at 1:33 pm.  Just three and a half hours after we started today.

$2500 worth of lumber lies stacked off camera.  The last few pieces will disassembled by Tuesday afternoon.  

Day 1176: That's a wrap!

So much to write about, but it's 1 am and we have to be up early to go back to strike the sets and clean up.   What a fabulous show!  The kids were amazing!  Green room was touching and elicited tears from many of us.  Everything went perfectly and the audience reception was heartwarming.  They stood and cheered!  Many people stopped by offer congratulations and thanks which is a whole story in itself.

I am again reminded why we do this and how much the musical impacts the lives of each child.  How fortunate we are to be part of this dedicated, talented, loving team.

Adult staff singing "Friendship!"

Senior Sarah in her first musical!

Sweet Mary

Served on stage crew for three years and now in the cast, was moved to tears with her golden paintbrush award.

We'd be sunk without you!

Gift from stage crew! 

Day 1175: Spring arrives!

We'll be out very late tonight for the third performance of Anything Goes.  Tonight I'm taking photos of the pit orchestra and the adults.  Sean's cast photo was spectacular and I'd like him to get a great one of the the other groups, too.  Next year at this time, I plan to have a few better lenses and maybe a new camera.  The lighting makes all the difference.  Of course, he also knows the best settings for the camera to capture the desired image.  Over the summer, I plan to better educate myself on both the camera and photography in general.

While Molly was outside, we decided to walk a few times around our little block.  She followed us down the sidewalk to the property line crying pitifully and then sat bellowing that deep, desperate cry for us to come back.  Good news!  She survived the twenty minutes we were gone.

Day 1174: Reno in Red

The last dress rehearsal of Anything Goes!  Their timing was a bit off and the performances were a little mechanical.  Having an audience tomorrow night will make the difference.  It's an amazing cast, crew and pit orchestra.  How fortunate Fredonia is to have an assemblage of adults willing to lead them to incredible achievements.  I'm certain that for some of the students, this experience will change their lives.

Backpacking class was outstanding today.  The student leaders did an excellent job of directing the activities with the nature cards and the fossils.  All the tent group issues are now resolved!  Each group I approached was eager and willing to take in the singletons.   We've been very impressed with their cooperation and generosity.  We also settled on a design for the t-shirt.  One arrived in the mail without a name and was claimed by the artist today.

Steve moved all the gear over from the store room to the MS.  The PE department had piled junk all over our equipment as usual.  Steve had to dig it out.  They are incredibly sloppy and inconsiderate.  We have no other storage option for thousands of dollars of equipment and of course the administration couldn't care less.

Kate in the cradle

Reno in red!

Day 1173: Enough already!

Freezing winds chilled me to the core.  We were teased by the 40 degree temps and are longing for them to return.  Very soon, we'll be in North Carolina.  I do hope we are greeted with warmth, flowers and green!  Just being away from jobs, phones, fire radios and responsibilities will be enough.  

When I updated the nature keynote, I added information on the giant hogweed that is invading western New York.  I hope we never encounter it.  The Silver Creek kids enjoyed the presentation and had a lot of information to offer.  One boy knew interesting tidbits about turkey vultures and the girls pitched in details on the wildflowers.  They are truly a joy to work with.  

Day 1172: St. Paddy's Day

I tried new ways to prepare both the traditional corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick's Day's dinner.  Since I had class in Brocton in mid afternoon, I couldn't stay by the corned beef boiling away in a pot all afternoon. So, I boiled it for two hours and then when we returned home, I coated it with grainy mustard and honey.  Then I wrapped it in foil and baked it for a few hours.  So delicious!  Tender, juicy, and so flavorful!

The cabbage experiment was less successful.  I sautéed chopped cabbage with onion and garlic till it was tender crisp.  It needed more seasoning and a bit more cooking.  Good effort, but at this point, I won't be abandoning the boiled dinner.

I finished the landowner letters, the Board of Ed letters, updated the nature keynote presentation, prepared for class in Brocton and started arranging the cook groups.  Very productive day and I feel much less stressed.

My lily garden was under snow yesterday.  Now, tiny green sprouts are bursting through the mulch.  

Paddy's full name is Patrick Elliott.  He was born to my brother's momma kitty back in March 2003, just before Colin went into the army.  The day before Colin departed, we left for a school trip to Ireland so my sister-in-law had to deliver him to the recruiter.  I cried for days.  Finally, I began to think about what to name the little black, white and silver kitten who was waiting for his new home.  What better than an Irish name like Patrick?  

Paddy had a unique silver coat over the black that he shed in a few months.  Colin warned us before he left to never feed the kitten table scraps like we had with Molly.  She still begs for scraps and he never has.  Paddy was so frisky and curious that Molly hated him immediately.  She hissed, fussed and snarled at him constantly. She never did adjust to him, even twelve years later.    

Day 1171: Greek diner

We found a little Greek diner called Olympia, of course, at the corner of Military and Sheridan in Buffalo.   It reminded me of late night dinners with the boys in November.  Whenever we go to a show in NY, we finish off the evening in one the many 24 hour diners in the theater district.  Everyone orders something different, waffles, burgers, banana milkshakes, gyros.  Today, I tried a Greek pizza and salad.  The salad was standard, but the pizza was YUM.  Feta, mozzarella, peppers, onions.  Steve chose the open face chicken souvlaki sandwich, which is what I usually select.

The other day when one of our student leaders, Molly, interviewed me for a project, she asked about my travel.  How many countries I've visited, my favorite places and why, and my favorite foreign food.  Without hesitation, I answered Greek!  Years ago, when we were in Athens, we had free time for lunch.  We chose a little cafe that drew us in with a tantalizing aroma.  A huge stack of sizzling meat was roasting on a spit.  The vendor sliced thin slivers and stacked them in a pita, topped it with salad and handed the gyros to us.  We sat on the curb and savored every bite, then went back for more.  All around us, locals and tourists strolled by, enjoying a sunny afternoon.

On a three mile walk through town and the college, we discovered the first crocus peaking through a thin layer of snow, a few eager daffodils, and two tiny pansies!  It was 50, but will drop back into the thirties for the rest of the week.  Never mind,  spring is almost here!

Baklava

The first early pansy

Grass revealed!  Swamp ensues!

Day 1170: Switching Gears

No rehearsal till Thursday, but that doesn't mean we're off.  Backpacking returns to the front burner.  Six weeks till the first hike on April 25.  I do hope it warms up so we can walk outside in preparation!

This week, I must revise the nature on the trail keynote presentation, prepare the letter for the school board, and revise the letter to the landowners.  The t-shirt order is ready to deliver, although we still have no design.  Eighteen of the tent/cook groups are set, but we still have to find partners for a few singleton boys.  We also have to move all the packs, tents and gear from the store room over to the MS so we can begin renting out equipment.   The grocery order of the bulk foods will be ready to pick up on March 24.  So before we go on vacation, there is so much to do.  And that doesn't count breaking down our giant set!

The show was amazing this weekend and we are so very proud of our cast, crew and pit orchestra.  One of the most remarkable things was the audience applauded for the set when the curtain opened last night!  That's never happened and Steve was so happy.  He devotes so much time and effort to the project.  First designing the sets, then building models, assembling a team, buying lumber and supplies, solving technical problems, building sturdy, safe sets, supervising student workers and then finishing with paint and details.  He always makes certain that the stage is a safe learning environment so kids learn how to use the tools correctly.  I always tell the girls that every girl needs to know how to operate her own drill!        

I spent a couple hours editing and deleting musical photos, but have many more to go through.  I want to create a full picture of the musical experience beginning with early rehearsals in January through the performances this week.  Once that's done, Lloyd can burn the DVDs for the kids.  Several times this week, kids and parents have told me they never looked at the other DVDs I made.  Last year's had 700 photos on it and the previous year had 500.

We gave ourselves a day to veg.  So much is coming up in the next two weeks that we needed a quiet, restful day.

Today is Molly's 17th birthday!  

This photo is from 2013 when she was sleeping in one of her favorite spots outside under the shrubs. 

She's in remarkably good shape for a senior kitty.  

Day 1169: Saturday performance

The fantastic backstage crew for Anything Goes!  

Day 1168: Opening Night for Anything Goes

Spectacular show!  A few glitches, nerves, split seams, and tears.  Lots of stories to share.  Long day, long week!  I will write more when I wake up!

Day 1167: Anything Goes dress rehearsal

Day 1166: Snow melt

Forty-five degrees, snow melting, birds singing.  Fabulous day.  And we were inside for most of it.  When we arrived home tonight, enough snow melted to reveal the driveway and the mailbox.  And suddenly, the solar lights appeared!  We haven't seen them in months!

Another long day, full of musical work.  Just another ten days and it will be over.  The songs have really grown on me and the kids are so terrific.  This afternoon, Eddie was yawning and I asked him if he ever imagined that a musical would be so much work.  He said he auditioned as a joke and that he never imagined he'd get a lead.  But he loves it and he's honored to be part of the whole program.  

Day 1165: Behind the scenes at assemblies

It was hard to get up and get to school by 7:30 am.  I never have been a morning person so it's been a lifetime struggle.  Nevertheless, it was worth it because all three programs went so beautifully!  The kids were ready for an audience and they were not disappointed.  Receptive, respectful and appreciative, they laughed and clapped warmly.  It's always a joy to hear the gasps from the crowd when the curtain opens.  The HS audience especially enjoyed "Let's Misbehave."  Reno delivers a kiss at the end of the number and normally drops Sir Evelyn.  But, the curtain was closing so Reno dragged him off while still kissing him.  They got big laughs!  Ben chose not to perform "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" for the HS because he didn't think they could handle the lyrics in a mature way.  From my experience, I would agree with his call.

Just a few wardrobe malfunctions complicated the performances.  One girl's zipper blew out during "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and we could not find any safety pins.  A boy split the side seam on his uniform pants so we scrambled to locate another pair at the last moment.  Another boy's tap shoe fell apart. That was solved with duct tape.  I bought 400 more safety pins today to stuff in my apron pockets.  We have to be ready for any eventuality.

A member of the crew asked Steve who Gabriel was.  He was surprised, but related the story of the Angel Gabriel so the song finally made sense to her.  The musical was first performed in 1934 and there are a lot of cultural and historical references that we know, but the kids don't.  I guess that's an advantage of being really old.

Jill and Maitlyn from the pit orchestra

Shelby from the hair and makeup crew

Day 1164: Little titmouse

Sunshine, 45 degrees, birds singing!

Day 1163: Long walk outside!

We walked 2.7 miles outside around the college Ring Rd.  It's the first time in at least a month, but it only happened because we drove to the college to walk on their plowed sidewalks.  With temperatures in the high thirties and maybe even the 40s this coming week, maybe some of the snow mountains will melt.  A pattern change is on the way!

Penelope was so powerful this morning!  Each woman is developing unique and important projects.  Carol B. was invited by a university in China to deliver a paper on Pearl Buck in September.  I didn't know she was recognized as a scholar in the field.  She'll approach the topic from the angle of Buck as an early feminist.  Buck was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1938 and some male authors felt the prize was devalued by presenting it to a woman.   Carol is so thrilled with this amazing opportunity!

Carolyn has been developing a series of greeting cards with her own original art work paired with her own poetry.  They are exquisite.  Penny wrote a series of funny poems about a recent medical experience.  Her observations are always so wry and witty.  Then Sarah produced an amazing graphic on native wild flowers to accompany a presentation she did at JCC.  It is a sliding scale that indicates when each one blooms, the amount of sun required, each flower's special characteristics and color, the type of soil required and whether it is NYS protected or deer resistant.

A new woman brought the beginning of a short story about growing up in Dunkirk that was very engaging.  If she comes back, she would be a welcome addition.

Finally, Carol pulled me in to see her new MacBook Pro and I was totally enthralled.  Evan and I talked about getting a new computer and I'm convinced it's time.  Mine was made in 2011 and has 4 GB.  It simply doesn't have the capacity or speed to do all the complex movie projects.  Apple is upgrading iPhoto and then I'll be better able to edit my 60,000 photos.   I shopped online when I got home and studied the specs.  When we see Evan at the end of the month, we'll talk about it more.

Have a safe journey, Evan.  See you in a few weeks!

Indispensable seamstresses and beloved friends

Day 1162: Electric Slide

The best part of the tech rehearsal was a hold when someone started playing the Electric Slide.  Immediately, the kids cheered and started dancing.  When the rehearsal restated before the song ended, they begged to finish.  Then cast, crew and advisers joined into the action.  Sixty people all dancing on stage!  It was one of the best moments of months of rehearsal!

Four hours of editing has yielded a much leaner selection of photos and I was able to post fifty.  It's such a relief to have the computer operate smoothly.  Tomorrow, I'll add more from those I took today.

The electric slide

Blow, Gabriel, Blow

Waiting for the cue

Super Sandy

She builds, paints, sews, creates, designs, repairs, improvises. 

Brilliant, kind and loving! 

Day 1161: Balm in Gilead

It was a lovely day off, capped by a performance of Balm in Gilead and a long conversation with our son. Our former musical star,  Michaela, is now a student at the college and this was her first show there.  It's an extremely dark and disturbing play about the misfits of NYC.  Drug addicts and dealers, prostitutes and desperate, lonely souls.   It was sad and distressing, but the performances were so crisp and intense. It was vastly different from the musical comedy she usually does.

Evan helped clean up more junk on my laptop so that it will operate better.  Now, I'll be able to edit the musical photos and post them tomorrow.  He's off to Europe on Monday for ten days.  A few days in London and a few in Milan.  What a change from last year!

Day 1160: Doors installed

Success!  Both doors are installed and the guys were still smiling at the end!  We finished painted the cabin on stage right and Sandy hung a canvas roof over the gangplank.  We ran the whole show again with full costumes.  It looks great!  The two male leads have so many costumes that they are having a tough time keeping track of all their gear.  It looks like they'll need assistance for the quick changes.

The ladies' meeting went really well because of our awesome student leaders.  We shared the information and had a few laughs at the same time.

Day 1159: Nearly midnight

We got home at 10:30 after a very long work day and rehearsal.  Steve and Brian were going crazy trying to install a door that would swing both in and out.  The hardware was expensive and they spent three hours without finishing.  Finally, tonight Steve convinced the director that it was too much work for a minor scene.  Tomorrow, they can install traditional hinges on both doors and hang them.  Then we can finish the painting.

Most of the kids did not wear costumes tonight so we could work on them.  The black apron brigade worked like crazy on a million details.  Buttons, snaps, ties, seams, zippers, hems.  Still, the work load is far less than previous years.

In Silver Creek, I held the ladies' meeting with two of the three girls.  They enjoyed my stories and I got a few laughs out of them.  Afterward, Josh said that one of the boys will not be permitted to attend because of a disciplinary issue.  It's really unfortunate because it would be awfully good for him.

I tried to download my photos, but the camera battery died.  Even with a new battery, it would not work.  Tomorrow.  I'm too tired to do any more.  

Day 1158: Who paints a toilet?

Very tired tonight.  Backpacking class in Brocton and set finishing in the afternoon, costumes and photography in the evening.  Stage crew was so funny.  Two girls painted the jail cell toilet silver.  They didn't understand why till I explained that ships in the 1930s had stainless steel toilets rather than porcelain.

We're at the point of addressing hundreds of small details.  Fortunately, Ellen kept a master list and we ran through to check the status of every point.  Everything has to be right.  We shifted several gowns among the girls.  Ben decided that the girls in "Lovely" should be wearing a dark color since it provides more contrast.  It was a good call and it freed up a couple blue gowns for other girls.

Some of our backstage crew!

Solving problems of the swinging doors

Who paints a toilet?  We do!

So many broken water lines, leaking roofs, broken eves troughs, crumbling roads, dented cars.  The cost of this severe winer has been astronomical.  Finally, the temp rose over freezing today!  Now, Paddy has spring fever.  It's midnight and he's outside.