Ithaca Fest Concert

   There was a fantastic concert during the Ithaca Festival.  This wasn't it, but they were playing a fine version of a Lucinda Williams song when I walked to the State Theater.  Nice to hear a banjo part in a Lucinda song.

  A State Theater show this late in the season is rare, no AC.  It could be unbearable in there, but when the local boys-made-big want to play during the festival, it's worth taking a chance.  It wasn't too hot inside, but I avoided the balcony once the crowd filled it up.

    Pre-show usher meeting.  Ask me about the drama and why it may or may not be my last.

  The band did a meet and greet before the concert and answered all the mundane questions.  Nobody asked if Sam remembered the new teaching assistant in the high school during his senior year.

    Almost 30 years of ushering in the State, and 20 working at IHS.  I wore the name tag of a good friend who also ushered but died recently.

  We're going to miss Jack.  He spent more time in Lost and Found than many people have lived.  We always shared jokes about what we'd lost.  Tom's still with us, we haven't lost him yet.

                         Just some local boys playing for the hometown crowd on a Saturday night.

  They opened with the song that propelled them to stardom thanks to a jeep commercial.  I like that a video featuring the high school has been viewed over 300 million times on the youtube.  It's the only video I've ever commented on.

 

Oh, Those Kids

 

  I, for one, am looking forward to the governor getting legislation passed to ban smartphones in high schools.  A darling young one was on not her phone, but the phone of the student next to her.  I tossed her mine and said she should entertain herself with it, thinking it was safe because she couldn't activate it.  That was the day I learned how to access the camera on any phone.  Nice pics.

  The same day, I learned that these are not chocolates, but little brown balls that look just like chocolate.  You soak them in hot water and then soak your aching feet.  They taste like foot-soaking water after the feet are removed.

International Trails Day

   An annual event, International Trails Day, is an opportunity to improve the conditions of a local trail with the Cayuga Trails Club.  This year we added puncheon on a stretch of the Cayuga Trail on Cornell property that had boot-sucking mud in a good year, and the local version of the La Brea Tar Pits on a wet one.

 

  Gail pointed out to me that it's International and not National.  She was in Nova Scotia exploring trails (streets) in Halifax and actual trails in Lunenburg. 

Picnic Time

                      Our annual ENL picnic in Stewart Park happened on a perfect summery day.

                         Sports!  Swinging, climbing, volleyball, badminton, busting broncos.

                                    The most amazing thing to me is, I get paid for doing this.

 

    Two of the Top 10 tennis players in NY State this year came from Ithaca.  I got to share a court with them for some fun volleying.  Not only was I able to return some of Luba's shots, but I got a couple past her.  She was as surprised as I was. 

                                It was pretty easy to correct the group photo this time. (see last year).

Round Town

 

  The spring Friends of the Library Booksale was a smash this year.  The selection was more extensive than usual, and it's always incredible.  Funny coincidence: two weekends in a row, I arrived just as a local character was at the front of the line.  The people waiting with him looked relieved for their impending separation.

 

 

  Giant buildings in Collegetown are nearing completion.  I passed by one morning as various appliances were being taken in.  It blows my mind how many must come and go in this small city every year.

  

  Kari is getting around with Bird (dog).  I'm not sure if he has a harness or is content to chill in the basket.

  Gail and I left the county to catch a wonderful Sarah Jarosz show in Homer.  See her if you can.

                                     Fallen petals almost as beautiful as snow coating the ground.

Seasonal Greetings

 

  Comstock Knoll displayed some fine flowers this year.  Conditions were good for an extended bloom.

College Graduate

 

  

                    Three cheers for Will Mu. What will she do next to impress her family and friends?

                                    Maybe she'll get Roe May to join her in a family photo.

  As happens with graduation ceremonies, it went on a bit too long.  After she walked the stage to get her diploma, I went and hung with Mark Twain in his writing studio in the shade.  Funny guy.