Lesson 956: Poe Paddy

 Hello, Readers!

Eloise has returned from her summer adventure.

I've named our annual outing

The PA-Vacay.

We have a great state--our beautiful Pennsylvania.

We find somewhere new to explore each summer.

We got out early this year before we got swallowed up

 by the warm Erie months

and all of the festivities they bring forth.

Destination 2026:
The Poe Paddy Tunnel.

Don't let the name sink your intrigue.

It was a neat find.

The fisherman at this fly shop cannot be trusted though.

Stick to fishing, 

not hiking distances.

Or, perhaps,

I could ask some better questions

while purchasing some flies.

"Three-ish miles past the fisherman's cabin"

was ONE WAY.

God bless little Penny!

Her little legs carried her round body nearly 7 miles!

I got to see the mountain laurel in bloom.

We passed some really cool trees.

A turtle.

And we passed the Flybrary,

which happened to be empty,

but I thought it was a lovely idea.

The Poe Paddy Tunnel,

the abandoned railroad tunnel,

is in the Bald Eagle Forest.

So I found one of those, too!

Funny that we own a fishing cabin on a trout stream,

and rented a fishing cabin on a trout stream for a few days.

But like hikes,

and forests,

and gardens,

and lakes,

and people--

each one is different.

Penns Creek was wide and shallow,

perfect for fly fishing.

This was our cabin called The Oakwood.

It was perfect for 7 adults 

and these two.

When signing the guest book,

I realized that a friend had stayed in this exact spot

14 months prior!

The walkway went straight to the creek,

and it had kayaks,

tubes,

a canoe,

and a raft.

I spent some time out there 

anchored in that raft,

reading my book titled

The Covenant of Water--

how about that?

The farmland beyond the mountain was beautiful, too.

We ate here:

And explored the Woodward Cave.

All of these things are about a hour east of State College.

We stopped at Penn State on the way there.

We ate here:

And spent most of our money here:

We will end this blog 

with an inspirational message 

from my favorite college town.

I just realized my Saturday Morning Post

has now turned into the Red Eye Sunday Edition.

Hoping to take a few breaths next week,

and relaxing a bit more.

Sam is back in season,

and I just love a summer baseball game.

Eloise

Lesson 955: THIS June

 

Hello, Readers!

Welcome to the sweetest month of the year--

June.

THIS June has such a special sweetness to it.

I think it's the sunshine and the breeze today.

I love June so much that

someday, I'm going to name a pet,June.

It has to be the just right pet,

and I'm sure I'll find one in my lifetime.

Also a Fern--from Charlotte's Web.

Penny was close to a Fern.

But 

not

quite

right.

Speaking of pets--

We found Whitford one year ago.

We had a little party for him,

complete with a cake and a lighted candle,

but he was afraid of it and hid under the bed.

Mr. Lamp Post found him on the morning of June 4th, 2025

and they are inseparable.

When Mr. Lamp Post leaves to go outside,

Whitford sits by the door and meows.

It was the day before Sam graduated from high school,

I was finishing up my last day of the school year. 

While closing up shop,

 I spent that morning thinking about all the time

I would begin to get back

with him moving onto college in the fall.

Meanwhile a woman at Whitford Park called Mr. Lamp Post

from his perch in the concession booth:

Mister!  Mister!

There's a kitten 

and it needs help!

I received a phone call from Mr. Lamp Post

telling me to call my parents and have them go to 

Tractor Supply--

to get kitten newborn milk.

I rescued a kitten, he said,

but I don't think it has eyes...

THAT June

THIS June

Was it a Wizard who healed Whitford?

                                                       This summer read  and future Quest unit, 

was gifted to me by a retiring teacher friend.

There will be a little less Kleinness at Klein next year,

so I'll have do pull double duty.

Best wishes, Mrs. Graff.
See you at the 

Book Club That Is Not A Book Club!

To answer the question--

NO it was not a Wizard who healed Whitford.

It was a kind veterinarian who told us not to give up,

but he would need around the clock care for most of the month--

bottle fed every two hours,

eye drops every four,

and lots and lots of handling.

So THIS June, 

I will enjoy more of the sweetness.

Some things on the Schedule That Is Not A Schedule:

Strawberry picking

Fishing

Abandoned Train Tunnel Hunting

Reading

Current Erie's Book Club pick--

(A Book Club THAT ACTUALLY IS a Book Club)

The intro and the first two stories are GREAT!

Keep watch for 

Book Club That Is Not A Book Club meeting,

Summer 2026 edition--

stealing a page from Clark School's Playbook

BINGO and Books!

Golfing

We are trying Glow Golfing tonight!

And lots of lots of ball games!

And lots of celebrations!

Enjoy the beginning of sweet things to come.
Eloise