York Revolution opens defense of league title

The York Revolution is ready to defend its Atlantic League championship, opening a new baseball season Friday night with a strong offense, powerful pitching and diving defense, clubbing Camden 8-2.

But the pregame events--and these fireworks afterwards--  seemed nearly as impressive as the team getting its home opener win. Three York mayors threw out ceremonial first balls, the team presented championship rings, a big board video celebrated last year successes and fireworks welcomed the team to the field.

This photo was done from the Yorktowne Hotel, thanks to Rick Cunningham, looking from its roof up Duke Street to the stadium.

A royal celebration of the royal wedding

This morning's royal wedding (a 5:30 a.m. local start) of Prince William and  Catherine Middleton attracted a few fans to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Spring Garden Township, and most dressed 'royally' for the occasion.

Diane Folkenroth laughed and cried through most of the ceremony, while Bill Smith watched with somewhat less enthusiasm while sipping tea.

Norm Simons sported a bright bow tie and derby and Luther Wise offered a few toasts to celebrate the event.

Park it, Buster

"Signs, signs, everywhere a sign", says the old song, and sometimes signs add a bit of humor to a situation. This was seen in Dawson, Yukon Territory, Canada, and if you've not visited it yet, you're missing a magical place.

This dog was tied up sufficiently outside a downtown store-- parking on the boardwalk.

It seems everyone in the Yukon has a pickup truck and a dog in its bed. It's kind of comical to see trucks passing in opposite directions and dogs barking their greetings to each other.

Dawson was the capital of the Yukon and the center of the Klondike Gold Rush which began in 1896. It was called 'the strangest mass movements in history' by "The Klondike Quest" author Pierre Berton. Today, much of Dawson is unchanged, including the dirt roads or wooden boardwalks.

Imagine that it's August, and you leave your home and everything else you own and board a boat.  You travel to frigid Yukon, where in a couple months the temperatures could dive to -50. It's a mysterious place to which you've never been; you're hoping to find  the Mother Lode.  But there are immense obstacles.

First, you have to haul supplies for an entire year over the treacherous Chilkoot Pass. Then build a boat or raft at the tent  city of Bennett where 30,000 of your friends are doing the same thing.  When completed, float 600 miles down the Yukon River to Dawson. By the time most hopefuls arrived, the most profitable mine sites were already claimed. Few hit the big money. Of the 100,000 brave folks who made the trip to the jumping off point of Skagway, Alaska, only 40,000 made it to Dawson.

The capital moved to more accessible Whitehorse in 1953, but a few hearty souls remain. Today, Dawson is a little bigger than Goldsboro in York County. In summer, about 60,000 tourists crowd into the little town.

York County park volunteer wildflower walk

Eight York County Parks volunteers were treated Monday to a walk at Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve in Lancaster County.  Led by Nixon Park naturalist Francis Velazquez, the eight volunteers managed to locate and name 54 species of wildflowers.

These foot-tall may apples at left appear to be small trees, but it's only because of the perspective from a wide angle lens. At right, a trillium stands alone among thousands of Virginia bluebells.

Signs for everyone to read and heed

Keep the camera handy, because you never know when photos like this will fall right into your hands.  As baseball Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez often said, "I'd rather be lucky than good."

 The turkey picture seemed so perfect, it was even suggested that it was set up using a stuffed turkey.

Visiting Pymatuning State Park in northwest Pennsylvania, I saw a wild turkey sauntering down the street. Cars were passing within feet of it, but it continued on, and I continued taking pictures. Then, it stopped right in front of this no hunting sign--perfect. This isn't the same picture that ran in the Daily Record (the turkey was looking at the camera).

Two weeks, later, in Benezette, Pa.-- the Elk View Diner's big picture window opens to an area where the owners put down some corn for the deer. They even posted "Deer food only". And to have fun with the many tourists there, the owners added a stuffed coyote--it might still be there.  When one of the regular elk showed up to eat the deer food, it made for an interesting combination of critters.  The picture in the Daily Record showed the elk looking at the camera.

Both pictures were taken years ago. In you're interested, the Elk View Diner is on Winslow Hill Road. Nice people there. Good food too.

The Game Commission stops by occasionally and mentions that it's illegal to feed the many elk that are there. But as the owners insist, is it their fault that the elk are illiterate?

Summer vacations might be cheaper by plane

Check out the Downhome Magazine submission of the week, sent in by Aiden Mahoney. This lucky pooch is taking in the view from the summit of Hare Hill near Newfoundland's Grand Lake. Now that's a spectacular top o' the mountain view!

For those driving through Canada this summer, it's going to be an expensive vacation. The average price for gas in Newfoundland is $5.28 a gallon (converted) and Nova Scotia is $5.13. 

Someone told me last week that gas in Alaska is $10 a gallon. Don't believe it. According to Gas Buddy, the highest in the state is in Bethel at $5.45 a gallon. And in Ketchikan, it's cheaper than here in York, at $3.65.

Round trip air fare to St. John's is $765. A few quick calculations show that, including gas and ferry costs, it would cost about $700 to drive roundtrip-- and 64 hours of driving.  By plane, you'd arrive in St. John's six hours after departing Baltimore-Washington Airport.

And don't think you'll get much of a break because of the Canadian dollar. It's nearly even right now.

A Revs' high five

During a low-key scrimmage against the Road Warriors Thursday, York Revolution newcomer Jason Botts brought along a visitor to the dugout.


Twenty month old Lincoln Botts joined Dad (right), meeting most of the team, including Corey Thurman.

Jason (6-6, 245 pounds) played for the Texas Rangers (he has a home in Fort Worth) from  2005 to 2008. According to Wikipedia, "on March 26, 2011, Botts signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies, and was released from his minor league contract on April 7, 2011."

Jason's wife and Lincoln travel with him during the season. "We're in this together," he says.

BTW, during the season's first scrimmage of the year, the first Road Ranger batter blasted the very first pitch over the left center field wall.