Lesson 667: Parks and Rec

How is your 2020 going, Readers?

Did you pick up the shiny 2020 penny for good luck,

or did you drill a hole through Lincoln's head?

Don't send Grandpa to jail for defacing currency.

His intention was good--

he made pup Penny a new collar tag.

Adopting a second puppy to love was one of the bright spots

that makes me smile.

The other was getting our cabin in the Allegheny National Forest.

We've really enjoy hiking and have been looking forward to this time of year.

We've been getting out into the parks for our main form of recreation,

discovering new paths to follow,

big rocks,

and beautiful, fish laden streams.

Our favorite hike, by far was here:

Minister Creek Campground,

about 90 minutes south of Erie,

is the smallest campground in Pennsylvania.

Only 6 spots!

The small campground marks the beginning of several trails

winding up and down the Minister Creek valley.

We opted for the big one last weekend,

7.7 miles when all was said and done.

If you decide to try it,

call us!

Our cabin is just 30 minutes from there!

We even took the pups.

We used Ellen's cool new water bottle she got for her birthday

from her friend Emily.

The bottom slides off and it is a dog dish!

Penny did great.

We only had to carry her a few times.

Hazel was on sniff patrol and in 7th heaven!

The overlook is the most stunning view!

It rivals the skywalk at Kinzua--

and I actually think it is better.

You don't have to walk the full loop to get there.

Less than a half a mile trek,

but uphill,

will get you to it.

The surroundings were as pretty at home this week

as they were in the mountains last weekend.

I got my grape picker photos

and my fall horse photos on the same day!

I don't own horses, 

live on a farm,

or make wine,

but I'm sure glad my neighbors do!

Weekend homework that fits this week's theme:

Assignment #1

Look up one of my favorite Presidents!

I wish we'd return to this for our foreign policy.

But, of course,

this is good, too:

And this quote made someone's

compilation of the top 20 Bad Ass quotes.

This one made it, too,

and it really made me long for a Republican 

who was congenial and held a good sense of humor.

Here is a video I'd really love for you to watch.
Bonus points if you do.

It's a TED ED video,

and if you don't want to aimlessly search around youtube,

stop there!

You will find an endless supply of short,

educational videos made for kids,

way appropriate for adults, too!

I came across this one, too,

while looking for the National Parks video.

I think you will find this one highly interesting,

relevant,

and educational.

The second video is an assignment,

not a bonus.

Sorry,

it's the end of the quarter

and all teachers pile on the work!

Watch:  When is a Pandemic Over

Eloise

Lesson 666: Cuckoo

Hello, Readers.

We are starting out what looks to be a beautiful weather weekend

here in the Great Lakes Region.

However, it begins with blog post 666

rounding out the end of a week which can only be

 summarized as cuckoo.

When I googled the term cuckoo to check the spelling,

I learned that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

was inspired by a Children's folk rhyme.

The 1962 novel

 which was adapted to a play in 1963 

starring Kirk Douglas,

and a film adaptation 

starring Jack Nicholson in 1975.

is a book Eloise has never read.

 I know the plot from pop culture references 

over the years, however.

I may add it to my reading list,

but have to get to these first

which are waiting on my bedside table:

and  

Got you guessing, huh?

If I pass you the book to read,

well, I guess you'll know.

I've had zero time to read this week.

I haven't had time for much besides football

(he didn't spike the ball, Ref!)

and a huge kitchen project.

No, this isn't my pantry.

My pantry would look like the baby offspring of this one,

but it's the same idea.

If you haven't found The Home Edit on Neflix yet,

check it out!

Since falling in love with Clea and Joanna's energy into all things home,

I bought both books and gutted the kitchen.

It's a neat twist on home organization 

that makes the final projects look really pretty!

They use lots of clear containers with pretty labels.

They also order most things by color

and arrange stored items by color of the rainbow.

You would not believe how pretty it looks

and how easy it makes to find things!

While I organized, 

I often had the tv on in the background

during the evening hours.

With such strange happenings

it felt like the world was going cuckoo.

The President and First Lady get COVID 

and are home a few days later.

A busted up plot to kidnap the Michigan Governor.

A fly.

Oh, my!

The world is about as cuckoo as the bird.
Weekend homework bonus points--

look up the cuckoo bird.

It has behavior as bizarre as our citizens.

I always kind of wanted a cuckoo clock---

a broken one though,

because I think they could get very annoying.

Maybe I can find one that announces this on the hour:

This title of the six hundred sixty-sixth Lamp post blog post

was truly inspired by one of Mr. Eloise's second grade students.

He tries to lighten the serious mood in school

as often as he can.

He was telling his students some jokes

which apparently weren't going over very well.

One little girl whisper-shouted across 

the six foot span to the next desk,

(because the only way you can whisper with a mask on

is to shout),

Somebody better call the Cuckoo Doctor for this guy!

And then proceeded to make the crazy gesture,

twirling her pointer finger around her temple.

I really got to read that novel.....

right after I'm done with porcupine, that is.

If Porcupine shows up on your doorstep,

you may want to investigate inward.

Eloise

 

Lesson 665: (E)Eriely Familiar

It was a dark and stormy night.

Do you know what novel that comes from, Readers?

When times got tense, Snoopy turned to his typewriter,

to begin his great American novel.

Time,

and time,

and time again.

The source of this line was really the 1963

Newbery Prize winning work of children's fiction,

A Wrinkle in Time.

The skies are signaling the calendar pages

have turned to October.

This eerie moon glowed brightly 

over the fruitful Erie County vineyard this week.

 

The orange kissed trees accented the Huskie helmets nicely.

There is a sky I watch for in the October evenings,

and I caught it tonight!

Blackened  storm clouds

meet a breakthrough of setting sun.

The mix of fall fury and beauty is eerily familiar.

There is a comfort I feel every October.

A relief of some sort as the skies cloud

the branches gradually bare,

and the wildflowers stand out 

against the withering meadow grasses.

The grasses are an evening walk favorite

of Hazel and her new friend Penny.

Penny is enjoying Sam's evening kicking practice.

Hubby is tired of retrieving balls.

Maybe Penny will take over the task.

We believe she is part retriever.

We took the dogs to the lake shore.

It was Penny's first trip to cottage.

I found an article about the Great Lakes in a recent National Geographic.

It's my favorite magazine.

The article was in the September 2020 robot issue

about halfway through it.
I almost missed it,

and this eerie photograph of Erie's own...

Strangely,

about a month ago,

a neighbor at our camp 

brought over an old National Geographic for me to read.

Our neighbors saved the publication

because it contained an article about eastern rattlesnakes.

A den of rattlers was found about four miles from our cabin.

After I finished the very informative piece,

I leafed through the rest 

to remember what my hubby's graduation year was like,

and me, just sixteen.

The very next article was about halfway back.

I almost missed it.

A warning for the Great Lakes in 1987.

Eeriely familar.

Eloise