Could never understand why someone would wait in line for hours or days for anything, much less a Christmas gift, or the lure of the same. Four hours before the West Manchester Target store opened at midnight, the line had already wound to the back of the store. Shoppers brought lawn chairs, radios and even heaters to the event.
And it's truly an event. A group of sisters and cousins were first in line. "'First in line, or go home' is our motto," said one. They lay siege to different stores every year, and sometimes renew acquaintances with shoppers from the year before. It's more than shopping, it's a battle against other people, the clock and the number of items available -- wide screen TVs were the big ticket. They-- mostly women-- wait for hours and then rush the door at opening, load their carts with merchandise. They are finished in 20 minutes.They insist that if they had waited until -- heaven forbid-- 9 p.m., many of the items on their lists would have already been purchased and unavailable forever. Really?
Target kept the shoppers smiling, keeping late-comers away from the door. They had to put in their share of waiting. The store offered snack bars, coupons for merchandise and had security personnel everywhere-- everywhere. Very impressive.
In the overall scheme of things, the fire at Perrydell Farms in York Township wasn't that big. No cows, cats or people were injured. The barn where the cows lived was untouched.
According to the experts, an electrical problem started the fire in the milking parlor where there is very little burnable material. All the machinery is made of stainless steel for milk processing and storage. The parlor walls were concrete block. Only the roof beams and trusses were wood, and that's what caused most of the damage.
The milking parlor, what Michael Saylor called the 'heart of the farm' is dead-- for now. It'll be rebuilt in coming days or weeks. But in the meantime, what to do with over one hundred 1,500 pound Holstein cows that must be milked twice a day or risk injury or even death?
It's simple. Call a few of your friends. They jump into their Monster Trucks with even Bigger Trailers, race over to your place before the fire departments finish rolling up their hoses. Forget that the drivers have to wake up in two or three hours to milk their own herds. So they pack up the beefy critters and take them to, um, where? It's not like you have a dozen kittens or a few guinea pigs. Bossie and 99 of her friends can't squeeze into just anyplace.
Enter the York County wing of the Pennsylvania Animal Response Team-- what, you didn't know there was such a group?--with Linda Spahr and Cindy Johnson leading the charge and making telephone calls. Within minutes, they found a newly vacated dairy farm just six miles away. It was ready to go, and all it needed were some cows. Perrydell Farm was just the ticket.
So, while a fire is rarely a good thing, all the pieces to this puzzle worked out. All evening, the Perrydell folks were saying, "Amazing. Look at all these people. We're grateful for all the support."
They shouldn't have been surprised. What goes around, comes around. For years, the friendly Perrydell families have opened their farm to schools, churches and other various groups to show people that milk and ice cream isn't manufactured in the back of a grocery store. Everyone leaves with a smile on their face.
The Perrys have been offered donations to help in the rebuilding effort, but they have declined, suggesting instead that the money be given to the fire departments that worked the fire. How can you top that?
If you get a chance, stop by the farm's retail store--it's open for business as usual. Grab a bottle of chocolate milk. Yep, it's awesome.
At Aldersgate United Methodist Church in York, the children are learning the songs for "One Starry Night", presented December 9 and 10. From the web site-- Travel back in time to the village of Bethlehem the night Jesus was born. This inter-active, inter-generational event is free and open to the public. All your senses will be stimulated: hear the cry of the census taker and the pleas from the beggar at the well; smell the aromas from the bakery; see King Herod's throne room; taste some local produce; touch the animals at the stable.
The York Youth Symphony Orchestra opens its season Friday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the William Penn High School auditorium. More than 70 young musicians represent 10 high schools throughout York County. It is an amazing group of youngsters, reminding me of a trip more than 30 years ago to Scotland. I accompanied the orchestra during a tour of Scotland, and it remains one of my fondest memories. We saw the queen's motorcade, castles, ate haggis, listened to exquisite music and made new friends, some of which I still treasure today.
Wednesday was a great day to be outside, soaking up the outdoors. Bill Charron of Mechanisburg takes Mattie, his adorable rescued spitz mix puppy, a backpack full of discs (frisbees) and heads for one of Pinchot State Park's two disc golf courses.
Disc golf is very comparable to 'ball golf'. Players fling the disc from a tee and use as few strokes as possible to sink the disc. Instead of a hole, it's a short tower with hanging chains, which clank together to signal a successful 'putt'. Like ball golf, there is par for each hole.
Players can play the course with a sharp focus on the game. Or they can wander it, or trot it. Some don't finish, finding something along the way that's even more interesting.
And, like ball golf, even if players don't make par, it's not a wasted day if you spend it walking through colorful woods and under clear skies with friends. And a dog named Mattie trotting along beside you.
Charron, a lawyer on self imposed temporary retirement, has traveled the country from the east coast to the west coast challenging other players to outplay him. It doesn't happen often. Last year, Charron finished second in the national disc tournament, ball golf's U.S. Open.
Had a herd of robins on a pyracantha (firethorn) bush today. Now, usually, it's a flock of birds or a gaggle of geese or a murder of crows, but in this case, there were so many I'd say it was a herd.
Must have been a least two dozen robins on the bush, and they were stripping berries quicker than a politician taking dollars. Cedar waxwings also like the berries.
From http://www.plant-care.com-- Birds are fond of the berries and consume a great many of them, although not usually until they have been softened by freezing. When used near a feeding station it is interesting to watch the small birds eat the fruits for dessert after they have already gorged themselves at the feeding trays. With this in mind, it is desirable to have at least one planting of pyracantha so that it can easily be seen from indoors, as it is pleasurable to observe the birds feeding on the berries, especially after a heavy snowfall.
Ranging in ages from 12 to 60-something, a crowd of York YWCA members took advantage of a free scuba diving lesson from Scuba Central Pa. There's little doubt that this lesson won't be the last for some of the students.
Last weekend's trip to Vermont and Quebec featured a search for the state's covered bridges (there are 100 still standing after August flooding destroyed two) and waterfalls. Pennsylvania has 200 covered bridges, more than any state in the country. Vermont and New Hampshire, which combined are about half the size of Pennsylvania, boast having the most bridges per square mile. We stopped at a few, most of which were close to waterfalls, also on our list.
The Holmes Creek Bridge at left stands just a few feet away from the splashing waves of Lake Champlain, a few miles south of Burlington. From the web site--"Purported to be the shortest covered highway bridge in use in New England; at 112' above sea level, it is the lowest altitude covered bridge in Vermont. When the town's Select Board approved the bridge, it was specified to allow passage of "a load of hay, high and wide."
In the late 1800s, the Holmes family, for whom the creek and thus the bridge were named, operated what was supposedly to be the largest apple orchard in New England, shipping apples to distant places."
At left is the Red/Sterling Bridge, just north of Stowe, where skiers can find the best snow in the northeast. Built in 1896, the bridge is about 64 feet long. We had to detour around the main road to get there, since construction work was still going on to replace a washed out bridge nearby.
The Halpin Bridge, below, is supposed to be the highest bridge over water level in Vermont. Muddy Branch creek is 41 feet below the bridge, and trees and weeds make it tough to see. Private property is posted on one side, so you'll have to ford the creek from the other side to see the bridge at all.
More than 200 people are volunteering to help build a massive no-barrier playground for Leg Up Farm, an East Manchester Township treatment center for children with special needs. The weekend's surprise snow storm made the project a challenge, but when it melted and turned to mud, well, snow was probably preferred.
Volunteers included bankers, construction workers, real estate agents, physical therapists and high school cheerleaders.
Ribbon cutting for the playground is Sunday, November 6, at 6 p.m. It is open to the public.
