Week Twenty-Seven - 25 To Go

In Silken Prey, John Sandford provides his readers with a cocktail mix of politics with a dash of murder. With help from his friends, Lucas Davenport does what he does best - solves the crime. But this time the end results might not please all of Sandford’s readers.

Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2013

Kauth/Rogers Reunion

A day without rain as the Kauth/Rogers clan gathered under a pavilion at Hinckley Lake State Park. Flooding had inundated the Mohawk Valley and the lower Adirondacks but those who could came out to share a dish to pass.

The Matriarch arrived just after noon.

Laughter was abundant.

Conversation was steady.

Family stories were retold.

 Team Photo.

Girls Plus One.

A great day was had by all.

Week Twenty-Six - 26 To Go

While the action is furious, the read is slow. While the backstory on Vance and Julie is omitted, the contrived plot is predictable. Baldacci readers deserve better.

Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2013

Cicadas

Let the invasion of the 17-Year-Olds begin.

Little did we know that upon entering the Super 8 parking lot we would be entering the realm of Rod Sterling. At first we thought that a downed electric cable was causing the constant hum. But stepping out of the car there they were. Too numerous to count.

Known as Brood II this phenomena seems to have come further North than predicted.

Thanks to Joan purchasing a bug catcher container for Elizabeth at the Dollar Store before we left Auburn I was able to capture one of these creatures.

Usually pronounced sih-KAY-duh

After the Brood II mothers lay their eggs the hatched larvae will squirmed into the dirt and spend the next 17 years sucking fluid from tree roots.

See you in 2030.

Week Twenty-Five - 27 To Go

The last word in the novel “Life”. Easy is back. But the 60’s do not change.

Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2013

The Great American Trailer Park Musical

This evening Joan and I attended The Great American Trailer Park Musical at the Auburn Public Theater. Met up with Rita, Jim, Ruth and Don in the lobby. Taking our usual seats we found ourselves seated behind George and Ann.

The house was not filled but the crowd appeared ready to be entertained.

The setting was compact but functional. Always marvel how the set designer can make the APT's limited stage area huge.

The actors were costumed for their respective roles and their dialogue and mannerisms put them over the top, especially the actors who played Lin (named Linoleum because she was born on the kitchen floor), Norbert (a toll booth operator), and Pippi (who did an athletic pole dance).

Each song had a surprise lyric. The music, played by an excellent off-stage band, covered the dial of American radio from country to blues to rock to disco to bump and grind and R&B.

David Wilcox’s review in The Citizen.

Could not agree more with Wilcox's observation that this is a good comedy.

Len Fonte’s review in The Post-Standard.

Fonte's analogy, as delicious as spray cheese on a Ritz cracker, captures the essence of this show.

Other shows of this season:
Singin' in the Rain
Legally Blonde: The Musical
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Cats
Hank Williams: Lost Highway

Week Twenty-Four - 28 To Go

ntroduced to Reginald Hill after our book club chose him for our author of the month. Ruling Passion was a good first read for the Dalziel and Pascoe series. Interaction between the two as well as Ellie Soper’s dueling with Dalziel made for an entertaining read.

Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2013

Singin' in the Rain

This evening Joan and I attended our first performance at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse for the 2013 season. Ed Sayles, producing director of Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, made sure our evening would be lively and entertaining when he selected “Singin’ in the Rain”.

The audience was attentive and appreciative of the efforts put forth by the leading actors, Cody Walker, Jody Madaras and Kimberly Doreen Burns, and the supporting actors, Geno Carr, Bruce Warren, and Nancy Snow Carr (Geno’s wife).

Perhaps the best part was upon leaving the theatre watching the audience skipping on the way to the parking lot as they were singing or humming the tune made famous by Gene Kelly.

David Wilcox’ review in The Citizen.

Wilcox is spot on. Just watching the energetic tap dancing segments might tire you out and the rain does not disappoint.

Neil Novelli’s review in The Post-Standard.

Other shows of this season:
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Legally Blonde: The Musical
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Cats
Hank Williams: Lost Highway

Eaton Birding Society Armitage Road Field Trip

Tschache Pool

The goal for the field trip was to locate and view the breeding Prothonary Warbler.

Checked my computer before I left home this morning and did not see a trip cancellation notice. Arrived at Montezuma Visitor Center around 7:30 AM. Three other birders, Mark Miller, Sheila Ferrari and Dave Snyder were in the parking lot.

After waiting for awhile to see if others might join us we decided to surveyed Seneca Trail. Met Don & Ruth, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge volunteers, near the observation tower.

Returned to cars and did the auto-drive. There was a Bald Eagle perched in a tree on the east bank of the Seneca River.

Another eagle was in a tree near the Spillway.

On to Tshache Pool. There several Black Terns were skimming the water. Stopped at Mays Point, Mark and Dave caught a glimpse of a red-headed woodpecker. Finally Armitage Road where we heard the Prothonotary Warbler but did not see the bird.

On the way home I made my customary stop at South Spring Pool.

There I photographed some wildlife. The lighting had improved somewhat.

Dragonfly

Eastern Kingbird

Eastern Phoebe

Blue Jay

Common Yellowthroat

Sheila was kind enough to be our recorder. We collected 54 species today in our travels.

The List:

red-winged blackbirds - 21
purple martins - 16
European starlings - 4
American crow - 2
song sparrow - 13
ruby-throated hummingbird - 2
Canada geese - 150, including 6 family sets holding a day
care center on Wildlife Dr. near Larue Lagoon
chipping sparrow - 1
brown-headed cowbird - 2
barn swallow - 3
tree swallow - 6
grey catbird - 3
blue jay - 1 (being chased by cerulean warblers)
cerulean warblers - 4
common yellowthroat - 3
house wren - 2
marsh wren - 1
great blue heron - 7
Eastern bluebird - 1
willow flycatcher - 3
yellow warbler - 5
great-crested flycatcher - 2
Baltimore oriole - 3 (nest on Seneca Trail)
cedar waxwing - 11 (nest on Seneca Trail)
American goldfinch - 10
northern cardinal - 1
American robin - 3
American redstart - 4
least flycatcher - 1 (unsure, Mark recorded)
northern flicker - 2
osprey - 5
mourning dove - 1
eastern kingbird - 2
downy woodpecker - 1
bald eagle - 5
blue winged teal - 1
common grackle - 5
killdeer - 5
northern harrier - 1
green heron - 3
mallard - 7
double-crested cormorant - 1
savannah sparrow - 1
black terns - 3 (Tshache Pool)
American coot - 15 "
gadwall - 2
pied-billed grebe - 3
turkey vulture - 1
red-headed woodpecker - 1 (Mays Pt. Road)
prothonotary warbler - 1 (heard, not seen)
veery - 1 "
blue-gray gnatcatcher - 2
sharp-shinned hawk - 1
rock pigeon - 1

Another great day for birding.

Week Twenty-Three - 29 To Go

A wandering plot or with three crimes perhaps a meandering plot may leave veteran Women’s Murder Club reader disappointed. Still a quick, entertaining read.

Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks in 2013