Week 36: Labor Day with a Campfire and Creamery Ice Cream

September 3-6, 2010

I went home this weekend to visit the family. I drove up on Friday night with a storm brewing. As I was driving up I-81 is was very windy. All of the sudden I saw a tornado. I kid you not! I just kept on driving toward it. I'm not sure what I was thinking; amazement surely! I watched it for about 15 seconds before an overpass and some trees got in my way. By the time I emerged, it was not in sight. There were people stopped in the road ahead; they must have saw it too. It was crazy! I felt like storm chaser. I can see the draw to being one. Maybe I'll look into that for a future career. However, I did see an angel in the clouds ahead, blowing the storm away. Can you see her in the photo?

On Saturday, I helped my parents can chilli, homemade chilli. I was helping my mom brown the hamburger and decided to turn on the light under the counter. As I hit the switch, a jolt of electricity shot through my finger and up my arm. I jumped, yelling "son of a _itch." My mom almost fell ont he floor laughing. Through the laughter I heard, "By the way, you can't touch the stove and the light at the same time." Something isn't grounded in that system. My dad says he needs to look into it. Is the an EE in the house? Browning the hamburger, chopping the onions, shelling the beans, cutting the tomatoes to make chilli. Then the canning process. Later, Ma went and built a fire, then the rest of the family came. We cooked hot dogs, mountain pies, and corn. Then I went and played hide-and-go-seek with my nephews. Later we roasted marshmallows and heard the tall tale of the mountain lion that ran through Utahville killing a dog, getting hit by a car, several people shooting it and still the mountain lion got away. Wonder what's in their water?

On Sunday, Ma, Pa, the nephews, and I went riding rails to trails. We parked a car at each end and the trail was slightly downhill. I soon learned that it is difficult to ride behind Cor and Two. They stop abruptly, without warning and you have to swerve out of the way to avoiding smashing into them. It is also difficult to ride in front of them. Their focus isn't the greatest and they will run into you from behind. It wasn't long before Two popped his chain. We fixed it and road on - stopping for lunch along the way, stopping to throw rocks in the water. Cor peddles fast and then coasts; Two swerves all over the place.

I headed home, showered and drove to State College to visit My Favorite Dental Hygienist. We had dinner at Otto's (yum), then we stopped in Wal-Mart and Giant so I could import some pizza sauce. This gave us enough time to digest a little food before heading off to a great treat - Ice Cream at the new Creamery. This is the first trip to the new Creamery on the Penn State Campus. But do not be mistaken, My Favorite Dental Hygienist and I will now go everytime I come home. I love ice cream. We waited in line and I got chocolate and My Favorite Dental Hygienist got chocolate with extras in it. (I can't remember what was in her ice cream). We then drove across the street to the new botanical gardens. I was to the old ones many many years ago, but the new ones are beautiful. We relaxed and walked around looking at all of the beautiful flowers and the lily pond and chatting about this and that. What a wonderful peaceful evening.

Monday I headed back to the south for the yucky hot weather. The weather had been grand in PA.