Chips: The Ones without Ponch

Check out the Reduced Fat Potato Chip Taste Test.

Thanksgiving Letterboxing

What a wonderfully mild Thanksgiving! The temperatures were in the sixties, so what better to do then get out and walk off that turkey, and do some letterboxing.


We have been talking to Julia about getting out and doing some letterboxing. So we went up a little early to Lobster Dinner and showed her how its done. Julia had no difficulties of course, and she found the first box like a pro.


Though the second one was a bit trickier, we had a real funny surprise as the clues led us to this historical gem in the woods. We were kind of freaked out walking up to this derelict old shack, but once we saw the sign we got a good chuckle out of it.


We also did some letterboxing with Sandy and Dick. We walked a real nice trail, that was really flat at first, but then had some real big up's and down's. Everyone took it like champs, and we had another stunningly warm walk.


Dick knows how to rehide a box, even down to covering his tracks!

Strangest Bird of Ohio

This bird may be coming to a feeder near you!
Enhanced photo copyright of Dick Beery

Lobster Dinner

This is one of the most unique traditions we celebrate with the Yarnell side of the family. It's the annual Thanksgiving Lobster Dinner, typically done a day or two after Thanksgiving proper. Most recently it has been done at Sharon, John, and Julia's house. Scott does the lobster honors, and he does an amazing job each and every year. Large or small, Scott has gotten the lobster boil down to a science.

Sharon is famous for her soup, whether it's hot or cold. Everyone else fills in the holes with deserts and appetizers and sides. The laughs are frequent as members are sprayed with lobster juice, or friendly teasing about one another. This year everyone had a lot of fun with "Hot Sex" after the meal (that would be the vodka cordial that Sharon kindly shared). We ate coffee ice cream cake, pumpkin cake, and sugar cookies for dessert.

Julia kept us entertained with a cornstarch and water concoction that we were told demonstarted anti-Newtonian physics. If you slapped it hard, your finger wouldn't go in. If you slowly pushed your finger in, it would sink and get covered with goo. We were impressed. Sharon and John have been celbrating lobster tradition for 25 years, and I hope we continue it for another 25!

Birding Ohio

Sandy and Dick's birdfeeder always brings in a nice variety of birds in close. I decided to try to take a few pictures on high zoom to see what I got. Not too bad for my first try, I thought. Here we have some tufted titmouses (mice?), and a red-bellied woodpecker.

This morning though, I wasn't getting very many birds at the feeder and I couldn't figure out why. After about twenty minutes, I saw some movement in the closest tree. You can see why the birds were keeping their distance. Kitty was about 20 feet up this tree. I didn't call the fire department, the cat got down somehow later in the day.

I've Been Sick...Feel Bad For Me!

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Gabcast

Flown the Coop

What can I say about Bob (Coop) Cooper? I think you know a person is special when you have only talked to them a few times, and yet you feel you have known them forever. You feel somehow connected to them. You admire them. You wish you had more time to spend with them. Coop has that kind of impact on you. His smile, his wit, his knowledge, his charisma. You could sit by a fire and listen to him weave a yarn, or tell you everything you wanted to know about a mushroom. He captures an audience.

Coop has worked in one capacity or another with the Rochester Museum and Science Center for over thirty years. He has been the face on the Cummings Nature Center for over a decade. I jumped at a chance to go to his retirement party this November, because I knew I wanted to see him one more time. I don't think Cummings Nature Center or the RMSC will ever be the same for me. Coop's family and friends were all at the party. I felt I really didn't know anyone. But as I talked to people, many of them didn't know each other either. It seemed that Coop had touched each person in the room in some way, but one thing was clear...he had that impression on them. That impression that you would never forget.

Coop is going to become a migratory bird. Just like the ones he could identify from the window for you at the CNC on the drop of a hat. Gulf Coast Florida for Coop. Is he sitting still...hell no. He already has two nature centers who want him around. He has three lovely grandchildren to chase around when he comes back to NY. He has buck to chase too, Coop like a proud papa showed pictures of the two bucks he had got with the bow already this fall. Coop already had plane tickets in hand for the Galapogos Islands where he lead nature tours. He's trading in the ice fishing gear for salt water fishing gear. No stopping Coop.

I really hope I can keep in touch with Coop, he's that kind of guy you want to be around, and secretly want to be.