IT'S FUN TO BE ONE!

We wouldn't normally drive to Pennsylvania just for a birthday party, but we're closer than we usually would be! It was about a two-hour drive to Macungie, PA, where Brandon James Powell is just two days short of being ONE YEAR OLD!! He'll turn the big 0-1 on Monday, December 15...

I didn't get as many pictures as I hoped, but I'll post a few here for your enjoyment. Today was an exciting day overall: good news, family, sunshine, what more could we ask for?

Is this guy cute or what?

Mommy is getting a kick out of something, while Ethan (Menkes) looks on!

Now she has calmed down!

Okay, so I'm not crazy about the hat, mom!!

The happy family, with guests, taken from the side, and a little back...

All he really wanted to do with the cake was feed it to mommy!

Grandpa Peter is enjoying the celebration.

A special centerpiece...

By the end of the party, Brandon had gotten a bit tuckered out. That's probably the only reason Aunt Wendy got to hold him!

WHILE WE'RE HERE...

In an effort to pass this time more easily, we've been doing a bit of sight-seeing. Last Thursday and Friday we took a 48-hour on/off bus tour, getting a chance to see several places of interest. Enjoy the pictures!

First, the classic Empire State Building (deliberately taken behind some branches for effect)...


Then, a building mural that looked pretty neat!


The Flatiron Building (so named because of its shape).


A sculpture to honor garment workers...


A typical picture of traffic during the day!


Next, the Wall Street Bull! (I'm surprised he could be found right now!)


The first public bathrooms in the downtown area...


I want some ornaments like this, but I'll need a bigger tree!!


A view of Central Park, or one small piece of it...


Some of Times Square, from the upper deck of our bus.


Inside the church near ground zero, the one that got a lot of attention right after the event because it remained standing, there are a lot of memorial tributes. It's quite touching, even over seven years later! This flag has the names of all who perished in the attacks.


This is self-explanatory, I think...


And here's the site itself. I had to go into a two-story Burger King and go upstairs to get this picture out of their window. There is a 15-foot-high covered fence all around the area, since they're doing construction to get ready for the Freedom Tower. What amazes me is the perspective of size - look at the backhoes in the pit for a true sense of how large a space this is!


We also did a night "holiday lights" tour, and it was tough to get good pictures because of my older camera. Here are a few, though. This one was a pretty lighted design that was in one section of town.


I took this picture to verify how stupid we were, riding on the top level of an open-air double decker bus with inadequate winter clothing!


This was the Macy's building, if I recall correctly. One side was just solid lights, but I liked the effect of the stripes.


There was a beautiful (and huge) crystal star that we drove right under, so I got a decent shot with detail!


Wrapping up a building with a lighted ribbon seemed like a neat idea! I wonder how much it costs??


And here it is, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree! It's gorgeous!!

WE CAN ONLY DO OUR PART...

So it's finally here - election day. I signed the book. I pulled the levers. I wore my button in support of my chosen candidate. And, so did millions of others across our great land.

The beauty of our system is that everyone has a say. My vote was counted. The tide didn't turn in our area from my vote, but it was there.

Tonight's party was a celebration of the process, not the apparent outcome. It seems Americans, en masse, have more liberal intentions for the next two years of our future than my conscience can condone. We've all spoken, and there were more of them.

Wait, did I say there were more of them? Let me change the perspective...

"There's more with us than be with them, we're on the winning side! With banners unfurled, we'll tell the whole world that Jesus is Captain and Guide! There's naught to fear when He is near, though fierce the conflict may be; we'll never give in the fight against sin, with Christ there's victory!"

We're in a battle, and the stakes just got higher. As I typed this, the election has been called. When I wake up in the morning, it's unlikely that the news will be different, but as I was reminded in an email today, regardless of the outcome of this election:

1. The Bible will still have all of the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praise of His people.
5. God will still pour out His blessings upon His people.
6. There will still be God-anointed teaching and preaching.
7. There will still be singing of praise to God.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love His own.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

We cannot blame God for our short-sightedness as a nation. We must look in the mirror. And, after a close examination, we must return to our knees.

Thanks to all who joined us this evening for a great time of fellowship. Being with many friends made discouraging news a little bit easier to hear.

May God bless America, in spite of its choices today.

MORE DIGITAL WIZARDRY...

When I can find time, I like to try out new digital effects. Someday, I think I could make a living on this, but I'd have to quit my day job.

This is another picture from my niece Tandy's wedding, used in a recolor and layer effect that I think is pretty neat. I think with a bouquet of flowers that had some nice color, it would come out even better.

What do you think? Do you have any pictures you'd like me to Photoshop a bit??

OUR GUESTS HAVE ARRIVED!

We are planning an election day party, and we have invited several guests. A couple of them arrived today, and it's a bit creepy getting used to having them around the house all the time. Since we're accustomed to just having the two of us around, every now and then we're startled!

It is quite a privilege to have such important visitors, though. We trust that they enjoy our simple home, and won't tell any of our other guests how messy it was before we finally got ready for the party.

Wow - Wendy's short, isn't she?

SO MANY NAMES...

Last evening and today, we enjoyed a Youth Retreat at Vermontville Camp in the Adirondacks. Although it rained on Friday evening, today was a pleasant, though rather humid, day spent with friends; much was accomplished on the grounds, and our sore bodies over the next few days will remind us of those efforts!

On the way home, we drove through St. Regis Falls, since the Vietnam Memorial Wall replica was on display at the school. Although I had seen it previously (it was in Massena many years ago), it had no less impact this time. In fact, since I'm several years older now than I was when I saw it last, it was probably more meaningful.

I have no close family members who have served in the military, but I have great respect for those who give up the comforts of home to protect our freedom from those who would take it away. From those who sacrificed their lives in years past to those who are on front lines today, in various domestic and foreign locations, I thank you from the bottom of my heart! Here is a small, simple, and no doubt unnoticed tribute from me to you.

THE END OF SUMMER

My fall semester began last Monday, August 25, but summer didn't officially end until today, Tuesday, September 2. The way that we know summer has actually ended is somewhat sad.

Yes, school has started and we're both gone during the days now, but that's not the worst of it. (After all, this "education thing" is how we make a living.)

Yes, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting cooler, but we haven't seen snow (again) yet.

Yes, the school tax bill has arrived for 2008-09 (and it's bigger than ever).

Yes, I have to get to bed earlier so I can be rested for morning classes and trips to schools.

But, the way we really know that summer is over - the sad reality that tells us there's a potentially long winter ahead - the reason we cried ourselves to sleep last night - DONNELLY'S IS CLOSED!

For those who have never experienced a soft ice cream cone, for which you have no choice of the flavor from day to day (their motto is "you just pick the size, the flavor has been determined for you"), from the Donnelly's Ice Cream store at Crystal Springs Dairy near Saranac Lake, NY, you just can't understand. This is the smoothest, creamiest ice cream you can find, period (with very few days that may be exceptions)!

Last night, we were returning from Albany, NY, where we had been to visit Rev. Andrew J. Whitney on his 90th birthday, and we stopped about an hour before they were closing for the season. Our mouths were all pre-watered for the final experience this year. But alas, they were out of soft ice cream. They had four (hand-packed) containers of frozen ice cream left to sell, and we bought one. There was NO WAY we were going home without Donnelly's ice cream yesterday!

How much? A half gallon.
What flavor? Chocolate.
The cost? $13.00

Yes, that's right. On Monday, September 1, 2008, Wendy and I spent THIRTEEN DOLLARS for a half gallon of ice cream. To be fair, we haven't been complaining too much about gas prices that are hovering around 15% of that amount, so give us a break. And you know what? As we enjoy the servings of our purchase over the next few days, it will be worth every penny. We'd even give you a bite if you stopped by - just call first to make sure we're home.

OUR VACATION!

We snuck away a few days between Conference and Vermontville camp to celebrate our anniversary. On Sunday, July 13, we went to Bloomingdale for their night service, then stayed in Saranac Lake with my aunt, leaving Monday mid-day from her house. We had room reservations in Vermont for Monday and Tuesday, and a special room in New Hampshire on Wednesday, but we really didn't have much of an agenda, which is the way we like to vacation! However, we did have a pretty good time, just making it up as we went...

We hadn't gotten far from my aunt's house when we decided to stop at High Falls Gorge. Although so close to home, I don't ever recall going there. It's a beautiful sight, so enjoy the views!


We thought it was interesting how a tree can get nourishment from a rock!


This is a picture of the entire gorge, taken from the low end of the walk. (There were a lot of stairs, but it was worth it!)


This is a closer shot of the upper part of the gorge, which wasn't fully visible in the previous shot.


We hadn't driven much further (Wilmington, NY) when we decided to drive up Whiteface. It was in the low 70s in town, and the temperature at the summit was 51, with a strong breeze. It felt cold at times, but there was decent sun, so it was certainly bearable.

This is a wide angle view from the parking area at Whiteface, not quite at the summit.


We decided to take the elevator up to the summit. Once we walked in the tunnel to the elevator, I looked back and there was no one in the tunnel. I thought this (freehand, no flash) shot was pretty neat!


This is a nice view of Lake Placid from the summit.


This is Mirror Lake (slightly to the left of the above picture) and the village of Lake Placid, home of the Olympic Winter games in 1932 and 1980!


At the summit, there's a sign telling the elevation. Whiteface is the fifth highest peak in NYS - can you name the top four?


Here's a view back at the "walkway" we used to come back down to the parking area. It has hand rails, but it's mostly natural. There are a few places where they have poured some cement or built stairs, but it definitely works the leg muscles to stay upright.


Wow - what a traffic jam! (On the ferry to Vermont, of course, it's always bumper-to-bumper!)


On Tuesday, we went to the Lake Champlain Aquarium and Science Center in Burlington.


This, or some variant, will probably be a periodical cover at some point. What a beautiful view from the observation deck at the Aquarium!


When we left the Aquarium, we drove to Stowe. We parked and walked around the village, visiting several shops. We saw a sign to the Trapp home near Stowe, but we didn't stop there, since our main second stop (heading back south) was in Waterbury...


Ah yes - our heroes. We both have pins that say "Body by Ben and Jerry's", but we're working on that, actually! This plant produces 250,000 pints of ice cream per week, if I recall the tour correctly. They also give three pints of ice cream to every employee after a day of work - that's a pretty good perk!


Milk and Cream - what a delicious combination...


So Wednesday, we were off to New Hampshire! The drive was beautiful, not just all highway. We found a railroad that we want to go on when we visit again, but we didn't want to waste any time today.


Our home for the night - "The Cave." This is a theme motel, and this room was very neat, made to look like the inside of a cave. It had a separate second-level bedroom, a fireplace in the living room area, and a two-person hot tub. There were also a couple of tunnels, one with a PlayStation and the other called "The Den." We wanted to get every penny's worth, so once we checked in, we never left until checkout!

Some of these pictures are natural light, and others used the flash.


I wouldn't normally include a bathroom picture, but the entire bathroom was the shower as well. There were two showers, one on each side wall, and when they were turned on, it also sent water out a waterfall in the ceiling. In fact, you could divert all of the water flow through that waterfall. I wanted to take a picture with the water running, but I was afraid I'd get the camera wet trying to coordinate the shot.


This is a view up to the bedroom from the lower level.


We had some visitors with us...


Here's a view of the lower level from the bedroom.


Here's the bedroom upstairs - a nice king bed with LOTS of pillows, some even genuine feather pillows.


The entire front of the motel is a facade that looks like a city block. Our "Cave" was inside what is the Bank from the front of the building.


Here's the front sign - check out their website at www.adventuresuites.com!


So the fun was over Thursday, as we headed home from our stay in the Cave. This sign is a little blurry, but it's tricky taking pictures while driving down the highway at 65!


We drove through the capital of Vermont, Montpelier. This is a shot of a state building that looked nice through the trees.


They kept warning us, but we didn't see any. The only moose we've seen on the road were on route 458 near Santa Clara, several years ago. They were HUGE!!


This is the second set of "highway sculptures" that I've seen. Near Alexandria Bay, on route 81 south, there are giant crows beside the road. These whale tails were on route 89, just outside of Burlington.


Ah yes - another traffic jam between Vermont and New York!