Shuffling through the snow

Rarely do I see pileated woodpeckers, those large red-headed birds that 'inspired' the cartoon Woody Woodpecker. While trying to find some snow and visit family, I drove to suburban Cleveland first and the Fairport Harbor lighthouse, then shuffled off to Buffalo to find more snow, visit more friends.

Now, both locations are known for their abundance of snow, and that was expected. While parking the car, the bass drum sound of a tree being beaten up by the large woodpecker echoed over the nearby creek. It cruised from tree to tree, stopping only occasionally to see who was watching.

Ghostly whistle concert ends at NY Wire

   With a nod of his head, Scott Ryan signaled that the air be shut off, and "Silent Night" came to a quiet end. A small group, mostly regular visitors who watch and listen to the steam whistle concert from inside New York Wire Company, applauded and yelled 'thank you' to Scott and his father, Donald.

New York Wire Company is closing next year, sending much of its work to China, and the whistle and the concert will die-- as will about 170 jobs at the plant. Don says plenty of new companies are willing to host the whistle concert, but it's not a signed deal. Tuesday morning's carols could be the end of a 120-year old tradition.

The Ryans have been playing the concert for two dozen years, and Don's been playing for 55 years. The whistle has been singing its eerie Christmas songs since 1889, but for the past four years or so--Don can't remember exactly-- it's been an air whistle concert. New York Wire's steam boiler died that year, and concert officials imported an air whistle concert. The factory has seen its better days, and a few bricks are crumbling just around the corner from the whistle. The door frame is rotted, and it's a chore opening the thick fire door.

It's the same kind of spooky sound that came from the roof-mounted whistle before but with a different source. The sound has been described as 'whiney', 'off-key', and 'ghostly'.  The Ryans move a lever back and forth to limit the amount of air to the whistle, and it creates the notes. A guide on the mechanism shows the Ryans where the general area should be for a particular note, and whoever is not playing that song 'directs' with a baton on the printed sheet music.

The music plays for about 20 minutes. It's piercing sound is heard throughout York city and beyond. That this little whistle could create so much sound and now so much energy in finding another home is remarkable.

The concert is not the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, but then, it's not supposed to be. It's a solid tradition that has been around for more than a century, and while it won't gently lull anyone to sleep, Yorkers love it. Like many traditions, we go along with it (some would say suffer through it), just because it's ours. 

It's like eating pork and sauerkraut for New Year's, or clams during a traditional family Labor Day clambake. You might not like either, but it's a tradition, so you eat. Once a year, and you learn to like it. 

 Because the whistle level isn't exact, sharps and flats are sometimes beaten to death and notes are almost always slurred because of the mechanics. The highest notes in 'Silent Night' stab right through the ear plugs that everyone inside is wearing.

Don played the first seven songs, and Scott played the finale, 'Silent Night'. People hung around for a bit afterward, trying to soak up the ambiance. One by one, they all wandered out the door for the last time.

Yes, the whistle might play again next year. But it won't be quiet the same as this skinny corridor at New York Wire.

Post graduation blues

Photographing any school graduation is not high on the favorites list for most photographers. In fact, it's doubtful that even most families enjoy suffering through endless hours of speeches (where's the restroom?) that few will remember past lunch time (did I lock the door to the house?), much less recall who said what next year (when is Rover's rabies shot due?).

I wonder how many graduates would prefer not going through all the pomp and circumstance and would rather just have the diploma mailed to them?

As I waited for something to happen at the York College graduation Wednesday (by the way, this isn't anything against YCP--all graduations would bore the daylights out of even a caffeine-crazed father), I was talking with the studio photographer from South Jersey who was prepping to shoot all the grads shaking hands with whoever they shake hands with. She was explaining her job, how digital is making life so much easier, that there will always be graduations and she'll always have a job.

Thank you for doing your job well, I said, and I meant it because I don't think I could handle her work. Now, Melissa Dernetz might not appreciate the photograph with her tongue sticking out today. But think about it-- years after your wedding, do you remember the hazy cliche photos of two hands and rings, or the one where you smooshed his/her face with wedding cake? 

My bet is that Melissa won't remember who she shook hands with in the studio photo, but she'll remember who she was giving a 'thumbs up' to.

Santacon rolls in to New York City

Santacon in New York City is over for this year, and many of the Santa, Rudolphs, Mrs. Claus, elves and angels are probably still nursing a hangover. Those of us who just watch the fun thank them for the entertainment. I can't imagine spending a day in NYC that's more fun.

About 20,000 people descend on NYC once a year in December for this annual event, bringing toys for Toys for Tots and bringing truckloads of canned food to the event.

Once they 'pay' their admission, Santas are free to roam.  Some walk as couples, some in small groups, but many wander the city streets in herds singing Christmas carols. Some even shepherd their own generator-powered boom box down the bumpy sidewalks, Christmas music blaring. That is, until the police stop that fun. Can't have a generator in the open city without a permit. Darn.

On Friday, December 21, Santacon comes to Harrisburg, when the celebration starts at 7 p.m. on the Capitol steps.

Most people would call the event a bar crawl, that is, wandering from bar to bar all day. But the official Santacon website insists that it is not, and every time someone says it is, a sugarplum fairy dies.  The website also conveniently shows different regions of Manhattan, a schedule of what time the Santas should be there, and the locations of the bars.  Convenient.

Still, I haven't seen any cases of violence or bad tempered Santas. The website is very clear about Santacon etiquette . Every single Santa I met has been friendly, happy, mannerly and excited to be there. That's not to say there aren't problems. Maybe that's toward the end of the day when Santa has one too many eggnogs. At least one website has suggested Santacon won't be allowed back next year. And that's too bad.

From the Santacon website-- Please remember that this is all about having fun. Most santas like to take their fun with a little alcohol which is fine. What is not fine, however, is getting completely -----faced to the point that santas end up being abusive or violent. Remember that there is no "bail fund" for incarcerated santas and if you cross the line you'll be on your own.

The York County Park system has changed over to LED-only lights at Christmas Magic, which translates into immense cost savings. But don't worry about a loss of color and imagination with the change.  

Christmas Magic is a marvelous combination of flashing lights, strings wrapped around trees, and lights that bring shapes of animals and people to a colorful 'life' at Rocky Ridge County Park in Springettsbury Township.

Cost for adults is $8, and children 4-12 is $6. The 1/2 mile walk is open 6-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 5-9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday until December 31, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, when everything here is closed. 

 Weekends are very crowded, so it's best to visit during the week. 

This year's inside displays include a York County SPCA Holiday scene. Two handlers had their rescued dogs there, and a few wild animal trophies were shown as well. 

Also inside is the Susquehanna Valley Garden Railroad Society's larger G-gauge train display which mesmerized many of the kids who wandered through. 

The inside displays are all warmed by roaring fireplaces, so there's no need to be intimidated by the cold. 

Victorian Home Due for Rehabbing

This 1880's Victorian home is due for some big-time rehabilitation. Fortunately, before the house became vacant seven years ago, the owners put on a new roof, keeping the home dry inside.  Now, Bowen and Brown, the new owners, just have to rip, repair, paint and polish the place. It's going to take a lot of all that. The kitchen, for example, is a hideous electric yellow and bright blue. Brown suggested that they not keep the color scheme. Below is the story by Erin James.

New owners plan massive renovations to Linden Avenue mansion ERIN JAMES / The York Dispatch 505-5439 / @ydcityyorkdispatch.com Chris Bowen pushed open an old door to reveal walls bathed in sea green paint. "The Weird Room, we call it," Bowen said, his eyes moving to the alien-looking hut stuffed inside. For some reason, many years ago, someone got the brilliant idea to build four walls around the home's cellar doors and a roof above the staircase that descends below ground. It's just one of the many strange things Bowen and his partner, Virgil Brown, have found tucked into the mansion at 515 Linden Ave. in York City.     Eventually, the Weird Room will be transformed into the couple's pantry. But, first, Bowen and Brown need to strip nearly 80 years' worth of shoddy craftsmanship from the 3,600-square-foot property. Built in 1887, the house was once a grand Victorian home built for the vice president of a farm-equipment manufacturing company known as Hench and Drumgold. But, for most of its 125-year history, it has been home to tenants. For the past seven years, it's been vacant. Brown and Bowen believe the house was divided into three apartments some time in the 1920s or 1930s. Walls were erected to separate living quarters, staircases were blocked to provide privacy and porches were closed in to create closet space. The couple plans to restore 515 Linden Ave. to its former glory. They figure the work will take five or six years. And, then, they'll live there with their two labradoodles. "We have no intention of ever selling it," Bowen, 47, said. "This has been my dream house since I was a kid." Bowen and Brown will do most of the renovation work themselves. But they'll call on electricians, plumbers and other experts to step in when their do-it-yourself knowledge isn't enough. Already, they've begun knocking down walls and scraping layers of paper and paint from the walls. The house is nearly an exact replica of its neighbor next door at 505 Linden Ave. There, Jean and Jim Leaman spent years restoring the similarly deteriorated property to new life. The Leamans opened a bed and breakfast there in January 2009. Clearly the two homes were built by the same person or company, but the builder's identity remains a mystery. Bowen and Brown, who currently live in Lancaster, signed papers to become the owners of 515 Linden Ave. last week. They purchased the property for $83,500 from the city's Redevelopment Authority with a two-year lease option. In two years, after the property has been significantly renovated, they will secure their own financing through a bank. With the condition the house is in now, "No bank would touch it with a 10-foot pole," Bowen said. City officials had been trying since about 2005 to get 515 Linden Ave. and its neighbor at 505 Linden Ave. into the right hands, said Kevin Schreiber, the city's economic and community development director. Both properties had fallen into awful shape and were eventually condemned by the city. But it still took years to pluck them from back-and-forth bank ownerships, Schreiber said. While York has no shortage of blighted properties, not all have the potential of 515 Linden Ave., Schreiber said. There's a handful of others like that in the city. For example, he said, there's a brownstone building at 132 S. Beaver St. that's "screaming for the right owner." "We got after them to try to get them before they go past the point of no return," Schreiber said.

Rain kept some folks inside for Friday's Christmas Tree lighting festivities, but Santa Claus rolled in anyway, and York's Christmas season was officially opened.

The Nutcracker at the Strand

Nutcracker nuances: See the classic ballet in a new way

By MICHELLE DENISE NORTON / For The York Dispatch
854-1575, x458 / @yorkweekend

This weekend, Greater York Dance will present its 14th annual “Nutcracker.” And this year, artistic director Lori Pergament has changed and updated every scene, with new choreography in nearly every dance.

“I like to keep the performance fresh, not static,” Pergament says. “This is a big year of change.”

Even after so many years staging the ubiquitous Christmas ballet, Pergament has no trouble finding inspiration. She starts with watching each rehearsal and performance closely.

 The performances are at the Strand Theater in York December 8 at 7 p.m.  and Sunday, December 9 at 2 p.m.

“This year and every year, I sit in the back of the theater with the sound people, taking notes on what could be changed, what could be different, what I want to improve,” she says.

Pergament has the freedom to change the choreography because although the studio uses Tchaikovsky's traditional “Nutcracker,” they don't use the commonplace George Balanchine choreography. They use Pergament's, which evolves as she's inspired each year.

“I try to get to see other ‘Nutcrackers.'” She laughs. “And I try to ignore it completely for a few months so when we pull it out, it's fresh.”

Charlie's Army at the Salvation Army

York volunteers help give away Christmas Cheer By CHELSEA SHANK The York Dispatch 505-5432 / @ydhealth Updated:   12/06/2012 11:08:23 AM EST Sometimes it takes an army, and sometimes it takes two. Among the volunteers at the Salvation Army's assembly line for Christmas food boxes on Wednesday were the men who call themselves Charlie's Army. The self-proclaimed army of retired teachers, principals and superintendents have been volunteering at the Salvation Army for more than 15 years since Charlie Lehman recruited them. "Charlie was the superintendent at York Suburban, and I was the superintendent at Central York and he said you oughta get involved with this," said William Snyder. "Charlie got a lot of people involved with this." Paul Wolfgang, 82, a former principal at York Suburban, said that Lehman was known as Mr. Salvation Army. "He asked a bunch of us if we'd come in and volunteer in December and we said sure, so now we are known as Charlie's Army," said Wolfgang. "Charlie died three years ago, but we're still coming," Wolfgang said. "We were always taught, in all of our various denominations, to always give back to our community. Many of us were old Yorkers, and we believe in giving back to the community." Christmas Cheer: The men from Charlie's Army, along with volunteers from the Christian School of York, Target in West York and Penn Air Hydraulics, packed 2,000 Christmas food boxes at the Salvation Army on East King Street. This was the first year that groups from local businesses volunteered for the project, said George Lenkner, business manager for the Salvation Army.

Deer hunting haulers

At Mantz's Meat Market, most of Monday morning's prizes were laying in the back of a 'beater' pick up truck,  or even huge, shiny trucks jacked up so high I'd need a ladder or a boost to get in.

Then drove up a sparkling Mercedes-Benz SLK230. Surely, he's just checking on the status of his baloney or a few steaks, we thought. The last time a Benz pulled into this meat market was when Joe the Butcher was in diapers.

When the driver opened his trunk, this big doe was stuffed inside. It was kind of funny, in a strange sort of way. A Benz isn't meant to haul a bloody carcass across town, after all, that's why God invented pickup trucks. A Benz is meant to impress, and it certainly did Monday.

Of course, life is about perspective, and maybe all of us onlookers had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Maybe his pickup was being used by a friend for his deer. Maybe his pickup was getting fixed.

Or maybe, those of us who lack the funds to purchase such a fine vehicle just don't understand. After all, a Benz is a car, much like any other car.  Right...

It just seemed to wrong, for so many reasons. The driver said he heard a lot of that kind of comment. But he didn't mind. On the next trip back,  steaks will be waiting.

Watching deer hunters, killing time

 As I waited for deer hunters Monday morning to wander out of the woods (sooner or later they'll grow bored of sitting in their tree stand or standing alone in the cold) I at least had a warm van for refuge.

Over there on a ridge is a hunter, apparently waiting for deer to stroll past.

They never did.

There's another hunter leaning against a tree for the past hour, hoping deer will race past, escaping other hunters.

They didn't, either.

So, with the hunters' activities slowed to the speed of ice thawing, you look for something to do until The Moment happens-- assuming it will.

Look down, and in the chilly morning air is a gallery of frosty ice tossed over a field of greenery. Throw on a macro lens that's older than most Dispatch reporters and add a circle flash that in human years could graduate from college. And then, look close.

Making a picture out of a frosty morning is a challenge. Old lenses are tight and finicky, old flashes don't work with digital anything. Fingers get cold, batteries die quickly, and my old stomach grumbles for a Lee's Diner breakfast.

Try different angles, different lights, different magnifications. It's fun. Really.
 

Friendship fruit salad at Locust Grove

Zane Cronkrite, 6.

Addison Evans, 6.

Isabel Walker, 6.

Travon Orr, 6.

 Travon Orr, 6, bottom right, and his kindergarten classmates at Locust Grove Elementary School replayed Thanksgiving  between Native Americans and the pilgrims, Wednesday, November 21, 2012, with 'friendship fruit salad'.

Izaiah Stansbury, 6.

Football team descends on donut pile

The West York football team went through a light practice Thanksgiving morning in preparation for its Friday night showdown with Susquehanna Township, but the hundreds of family and friends who showed up weren't interested much in practice.

Thirty four dozen Maple Donuts were delivered shortly before practice began, and when coach Ron Miller dismissed the players they descended on the concession stand like a swarm of bees, where boosters gave out the goodies.

Well, that's not quite correct.  They just opened boxes full of donuts and seconds later it was empty.  Imagine a football team attacking a donut pile.

Check the video at about the 1:20 mark, where a half dozen hands wanted the same donut, one got it, but had it taken away by a bigger teammate.  I think it's funny, but the player who lost his prize probably wasn't so amused.

Lining up for turkeys

Hundreds of people lined up Tuesday at the York Benevolent Association for their free Thanksgiving do-it-yourself  dinner, including turkeys. 

Officials there said lines have never been this long, and traffic control was necessary to keep the peace. People waiting in their cars in the handicapped line were even seen squeezing into line, and the line sometimes reached around the corner a block away. 

It's a shame that there's even a need for places like the Benevolent Association, but there are a few hundred people in York who are glad it's here.

Gingko trees, goldfinches and the sun

I've always liked yellow; its bright, clean look, and how you can almost hear the color trying to mellow even your toughest day. And it's the eye's seasonal alarm clock, reminding us that things are about to change.    Yellow daffodils and bright forsythias signal that it's time to put away the skis and rock salt-- spring is here. That was six months ago, and today the almost electric yellow maple and gingko trees are gently prodding us once again to take down the porch swing and button up for winter's hibernation.

. Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future. Yellow will advance from surrounding colors and instill optimism and energy as well as spark creative thoughts.  From http://www.squidoo.co/allaboutyellow

 Yellow is light, joyful. The sun is yellow. Goldfinches are yellow.  Sunflowers.  The yellow brick road.  A Yellow Submarine.  Glowing Peace rose, black eyed susans, marigolds, coreopsis. It's a color, an outlook and a mood.

Learning about Thanksgiving

Visited York Adventist Christian School Thursday afternoon for the school's recycling program and found a small tribe of Native Americans/kindergartners learning about Thanksgiving and its traditions.

 Kindergartners Caleb Romero, 6, left,  Leila Murray, 6, Kiara Morrobel, 5, and Lili Seda, 6, pose in their Native American costumes.

Can't help but be impressed by the school's small class sizes and obvious care, ability and friendliness of its teachers.

The kindergartners explained to me about the sharing of food between the Native
Americans and the pilgrims, about Plymouth Rock, how they survived the cold and how they fertilized the farm fields.

Of course, I couldn't resist taking pictures of this small tribe, first with a cute smiley pose, and then with a silly pose.
 

Electric redness

 On the way to play pickleball in Lititz Tuesday morning, saw this line of electric-red maple trees on Fourth Street. Agreed, Photoshop is our friend, but these trees didn't need much help. The folks at Moravian Manor see this treat whenever they look out their windows.

It's mid-November, and most of the leaves are still on my trees in York. Hope they fall before the snow does.

Bald eagle release video

This is the bald eagle release video that goes with an earlier post of still photos.  In the video, you'll hear raptor rehabilitator Mitzi Eaton explain the stress that goes with releasing a bird, especially eagles, who have a tendency to steer clear of people.

There was a crowd assembled at the release site, and Mitzi said it was the largest crowd she's ever had to talk with prior to the release. However, all the folks cooperated and were quiet during the event, and the bird soared to a nearby tree for a while. He then headed across the lake, looking as graceful as any other eagle-- even one who hasn't been in a cage for three months.

Bald eagle release

Just prior to Mitzi Eaton releasing a rehabilitated bald eagle Saturday, York Daily Record photographer Jason Plotkin and I were joking about asking Mitzi to have the bird fly straight out of the cage and right up, and onto a bare evergreen branch a 30 yards away.  We'd get the entire event, catching, releasing and flying away, we said.

Yep, getting that is like training a cat to sit up and beg or a cow to spit milk out her nose. It wasn't going to happen.  Except that it did.  Couldn't have asked for a better position.

A slideshow/video with Wildlife Conservation Officer Greg Graham and Mitzi explaining the rehab process is in the works and will be posted, as soon as my computer is returned from the Intensive Care Unit.

Wind, rain, snow and roses

God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December.

   So, some of the front yard roses survived Hurricane Sandy's wind and rain with minimal damage. But it's doubtful Mr. Lincoln (top), John F. Kennedy (bottom left) and Chicago Peace will handle tonight's freeze and possible wet snow with such grace.

    The roses were cut today and saved in a vase where their fragrances will fill the house for a few days before they too, will succumb.

    I'll trim back the bushes a bit so they don't snap during winter snowstorms,and mound around the bases with mulch and fallen leaves.That will protect them from the late winter warm snap that always has them-- and us-- thinking that spring is here.

   For almost exactly six months the roses brightened our garden. The first rose (Climbing Peace) bloomed May 5.

Miss York County pageant shows talent

CHELSEA SHANK / The York Dispatch
505-5432 / @ydhealth

The five winners chosen at the 64th annual York County Pageant on Saturday will go on to compete in Miss America competitions at the state level.
Laura Traub, 21, of York Township, was crowned Miss York County.
Traub sang "If I Had My Way," by Frank Wildhorne for the talent portion of the event. Her platform as Miss York County 2013 is autism awareness, which was also her platform for that past year that she has been serving as Miss Susquehanna Valley 2012.

To see more photos, check here.

"I baby-sat a little boy who had autism, and my senior year in high school I did a project at a school specifically for children with autism and I really connected with them," said Traub.
She is a neuroscience major at the College of William and Mary.

Laura Traub of Camp Hill was crowned Miss York County.

"I had a great experience last year with the directors, so I knew I wanted to compete with them again," Traub said. "I felt comfortable on the stage, since I had already competed there before." "I knew a lot of the girls, so it was just really fun to spend the day with them and get to know everyone and then just go out there and do your best," said Traub.

She received a $5,000 scholarship for winning Miss York County and will hold the title for one year. During that time she will have the opportunity to promote her platform of autism awareness throughout the state.
Lindsey Reichard was selected as Miss Susquehanna Valley.
Traub and Reichard will go on to compete at the Miss Pennsylvania pageant in Pittsburgh in June, and the winner at that pageant will represent the state in the Miss America competition.
The Miss Pennsylvania Outstanding Teen winners are Becky Zaneski, Brielle Morgan and Alli McClune.

Autumn cruise to Canadian maritimes

Planning a quick trip to the Canadian maritimes, we wanted to visit Quebec City and Newfoundland again, but making that drive in ten days would leave little time to see the land again. So, we cruised-- in the rain. Only Quebec City could be this beautiful in gray.

To be sure, I'm not a cruise-type. I want to explore forests, look for wild creatures, and wear jeans. But, look at cruising like having dinner. If you want an appetizer or a little taste of everything on the menu, that's a cruise. Bus excursions don't stop when you see a wonderful photograph, and often have entirely different sites on their menu that don't interest you. But you get a look at new lands, which is infinitely better than staying at home watching TV, painting the house or cutting grass.

Leaving New York under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge.

If you want the entire buffet, three plates of steak or pieces of Boston creme pie, take the car.  You stop when and as often as you want. It's not a vacation chosen by someone else and you can fish for a week if you find the Perfect Spot, hike to the mountain peak on the horizon or jam to music on the car radio and drive your own tour.

Now, I'm almost a rookie at cruising but enjoy listening to other people who notch their suitcase handles with the number of cruises they've taken and the differences between the cruise lines. My bucket list can be stashed in a soup can now, and trips to Farawayville and Palm Tree City I can hear about and be satisfied. Kind of.

This year's cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line was just a quick hop to Canada and places we've been before. But gasoline there is $5.50 a gallon, so just the drive would quickly jack up the cost. The ferry trip to Newfoundland for two passengers and the van is about $360. Add food, occasional hotels (sleep in the van as much as possible), and the cost quickly becomes more than the cruise.

Corner Brook, Newfoundland, and our ship, the Norwegian Gem.

 Traveling by car, you can enjoy these small towns as they really are, and not how they are when the ships dump off thousands of tourists.  Corner Brook, Newfoundland, is a town about the size of Hanover, and its makeup changes dramatically when a ship, with its 2,400 passengers, anchors at the dock. Some shops and attractions are open only when ships come to town. That's not how the city is, but instead is performing for its tourists.

There is plenty to like about cruises, despite the skimpy scenic highlights. On the cruises I've taken, we hit the free onboard restaurants, where unlimited steak, lamb, frog legs, sweet potato rice cakes and lobster is available. If you don't like it, take it back and they'll bring something else. You can pay more for specialty restaurants, but why?

Another cruise ship backing into Halifax, Nova Scotia. Four ships in dock.

We enjoy meeting new friends, and share tables whenever possible. We get caught up in their energy and still feel their smiles today.  It's interesting that some other passengers disliked that arrangement so much they'll never do 'freestyle' cruising again. They want to dine at the same restaurant, table, waiter, time, and the same people every night. And am I dressing up? Not a chance.

Nightly entertainment (comedians, dancers, magicians, singers) is excellent and when at sea, there's always plenty to do, even if it's the constant trivia games, Sudoku, climbing walls or just sitting in the lounge and reading something you've picked up at the library. For a real challenge, try ping pong on a windy ship deck or shuffleboard on a wet deck. Hot tubs, pools and slides make you forget that it's raining.

On our trips, the vast majority of passengers are senior citizens, although different cruise lines cater to different age groups.  Our group was old.  Retired.  There were more walkers, canes and wheelchairs on board than in the local senior citizen high-rise. It's doubtful I could have handled another heading-stuffing whiff of old ladies' perfume.

Then I looked in mirror and saw an old guy staring back at me. It's one of those 'slap my face' realities.  I'm one of  'Them'.  Still, there's something comforting about 1,000 old people -- like me-- clapping in time and singing the lyrics to "Margaritaville", "Piano Man" and  "American Pie".

Spent an hour in Peggy's Cove. Could have spent a week.

 Better yet, the frail older ladies who leave their walkers behind to dance rather vigorously  to "YMCA"-- even as the boat rocks. Even us old guys  get up and try to dance, thoroughly embarrassing ourselves, since we'll probably never again see anyone on the ship again. Still, a guy is a guy, and 95 percent of us still look like a frog in a blender.  Awful. Or comical.

On future visits to the maritimes, we'll probably drive.  Many trips are graded by the photos brought home, and while these pictures will remind me of my love of Canada, they were nothing special. It rained nearly every day in port and most at sea. In a car, you can drive out of the rain or make alternate plans. During a cruise, if it rains, there's not much to do about it. Well...

Excuse me, waiter, please bring me another steak!