PNC Park
Peter and I drove to Meadville on Wednesday so that I could be with friends for a few days. Last night we went down the 79 to Pittsburgh to catch a Bucs game. As a family, we go to ballparks whenever we get the chance and we’ve been to PNC Park quite alot. In 2002, Peter and I went to see a game and had almost the exact same seats. I was shooting with my Widelux at that time and made an image that day that I have always loved. When I shifted to digital, I stopped using that camera, but have always missed the format. So now I shoot 2 digital images and stitch them together on the computer. Pretty much the identical result. Feels a bit like cheating, but I’m not too bothered. / This is a beautiful ball park. Situated on the north shore of the river with an amazing view of downtown Pittsburgh, it just can’t be beat (unlike the Pirates who lost 15 – 5). These seats were $27.oo each, which is an incredible bargain. My only complaint is that it is almost impossible to find an Iron City Beer in the place. I had to settle for a 16 oz can of Yuengling which is arguably a better beer, but doesn’t hold the same cachet for me.
Mavis
Mavis Ffarquhar of Sodor 1 April, 1995 -16 July, 2011
She was a great dog. May she rest in peace.
The Three Stooges
Lynne is a caretaker for several desert tortoises. Here are Larry, Moe, and Curly just before going outside for the day.
1546 Chestnut, Santa Ana, CA
John Kishel knows so much about the obscure history of Southern California. We were talking about guitars the other day and he mentioned that as a kid he would send in a coupon from Boy’s Life Magazine to the Fender Guitar Company to receive a free catalogue. The address on the coupon was 1546 Chestnut, Santa Ana, Calif. Fender guitars were made in Fullerton, but in 1958 the company opened up a sales and distribution center in Santa Ana. It is interesting to think about all the incredible guitars and amps that were shipped from this building. And it sits less than 3 miles from his house. We went out for a meal tonight and stopped by for a visit on our way home.
I like being in places where cool stuff happened. The building has something to do with Culligan water treatment now and the front entrance is obviously not in use. Love the light fixtures though. They look original to the building.
Toby
Toby is Lynne and John’s Sealyham terrier. He is a really lovely dog and has a quite a personality. You get the idea that he is ready to get into mischief at the drop of a hat.
Essex Salt Marsh
Peter and I both had doctors appointments in the Boston area today, so we decided to head up along the North Shore for some clams. We have been to the Clam Box in Ipswich and wanted to try something new. Dr. O suggested Essex and we checked out Farnham’s first and decided to give them a go. This is the view from the picnic tables just off the parking lot. Very cool and windy today; lovely light and the clams were perfect. So far, our favorite location.
We Won! (fourth place)
Last Saturday at the Amherst Farmer’s Market Cris bought a raffle ticket for the 4th Annual Fort River Celebration Day Rubber Ducky Derby. It was in support of the Hitchcock Center and the Rushing Rivers Institute. Hey, $5.00; goes to a good cause. On our way to the event today she couldn’t find the stub from the form, but she thought our number was 426. When we got to Goff park, we checked the list and we were actually #258 which is a favorite number of ours. I was kind of impatient for the off, and as usual making rude comments to Cris. The organizers were telling all the kids to make lots of noise during the race so once the ducks hit the water, I started yelling 258 258 258 258…….Cris got as far away from me as she could.
We hadn’t seen our entry before the race and from a distance they all looked the same anyway. Once the winners were collected and brought to the shore, the organizers (with great fanfare) announced the winners. #251 came in first, then second and third were announced. The prizes were things we didn’t care much about, but 4th prize was a free canoe or kayak rental from Adventure Outfitters. Then they read the number and it was……258! We yelled like we had just won the lottery and as we were the only winners present, got a huge round of cheers.
So here’s the winner. They gave it to us to bring home. Some of the paint has worn off, so I am guessing this isn’t its first race. I like the Islands motif. We went to the ABC after and each had a Guinness to celebrate.
Jardin Botanique de Montreal
Before it started raining heavily yesterday, Cris and I got the chance to go to the Botanical Gardens out near the Olympic site. Since it was so early in the season, there was no charge to enter. The daffodils and some of the tulips were out, and the Alpine garden was especially nice. / Back to the States in an hour or so. It’s been fun.
Peter
I have really wanted to see Peter lately, so yesterday I drove out to Albany. He had class until 3.00, so on the way to Schenectady, I stopped in to visit my friend Peggy Ross. Had a great lunch with her and then Peter and I drove into Albany to have a meal at the Pump Station. For a thin guy, he can really put away the eats.
Snow walk
It was a lovely day yesterday. We had a heavy wet snow overnight, then the sun came out. At about 3.00, Cris and I took the Pearl up into the woods for a walk. Really perfect conditions for the snow shoes. Cris has the more modern metal ones, and I have these older LL Bean jobs that my brother gave me for Christmas many years ago. I forgot to grab a camera on the way out the door (gaiters-check, poles-check, snow shoes-check, camera-duh). So I took this with my phone. Pearl thought I was getting a biscuit for her, which is why she was looking up.
Jon Crispin's Notebook 
leave a comment