Fridays by Master Landscaping

Landscaping Project On Mission Street Has Begun

Caltrans officials announced Wednesday that crews have begun a landscaping project along Highway 1 on Mission Street in Santa Cruz, between Town Terrace and Swift Street.

Crews will be working Mondays through Fridays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. installing tree grates in the sidewalks and landscaping the medians. Alternate lanes will be closed with at least one lane open in each direction at all times. Expect delays of up to 15 minutes. The project is expected to be complete by the end of July.

Tags: 15 minutes, caltrans officials, fridays, highway 1, Landscaping, santa cruz, sidewalks, swift street, tree grates
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Friday, June 20th, 2008

Landscaping No Comments

I Love German Wine and Food a Mosel Qualitaetswein

If you are looking for fine German wine and food, consider the Mosel region of central western Germany on the border of Luxembourg. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour in which we review a local white Qualitaetswein (read inexpensive) Riesling.

The Mosel Valley is felt to be one of the most beautiful river valleys in the world. This region, previously called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer in honor of its three rivers, is famous for its Riesling wine. Some of the greatest Rieslings in Germany and in fact in the entire world come from the Mosel Valley. Experts can often identify Mosel Rieslings because of the slate in the local soil, which may impart a taste of flint. The slopes are among the steepest in the wine-producing world, and sometimes attain 70 degrees. The soil is so precious that every spring local workers lug pails of soil up these steep slopes, temporarily reversing the effect of the rains that wash the soil down every winter.

Mosel ranks number five among the thirteen German wine regions when it comes to both vineyard acreage and total wine production. Slightly over three quarters of the regional wine is classified as QbA and somewhat less than one quarter is higher quality QmP wine. Only one percent is table wine. More than half of Mosel wine is Riesling. The German hybrid white grape variety Mueller-Thurgau represents about 20% of the wine production. In third place is the historic Elbing that dates back to Roman times. Only about 2% of Mosel wine is red.

The Mosel Valley pretty well stretches from Koblenz which isn’t far from Germany’s former capital Bonn to the city of Trier sitting very close to the border with Luxemburg. These two fine cities are linked by the Mosel Weinstrasse (Mosel Wine Road) which is approximately 140 miles (224 kilometers) long on the eastern side of the river and somewhat less on the western side. Of course, you could take the autobahn to travel between Koblenz and Trier at breakneck speed. If you do, you’ll miss the interesting little towns and vineyards along the way.

Cochem lies about one third of the way from Koblenz to Trier. It’s a fine little Mosel River Valley town. This medieval town is long and narrow. You should take a boat trip as well as a walking tour. Outside the town gate is the Kaiser Wilhelm railway tunnel, which at 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) is the longest in all Germany. After about a fifteen minute walk you will reach the Reichsburg (Imperial Fortress), a thousand year old castle that overlooks Cochem. The castle hosts a medieval banquet which features period costumes and music on Fridays and Saturdays but you must reserve in advance. North of the city is a larger castle, the Burg Eltz a few miles inland from the Mosel.

Before reviewing the Mosel wine and imported cheeses that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region. Start with Aalsuppe (Eel Soup). For your second course enjoy Rolladen (Beef rolls with Bacon and Pickles). As a dessert indulge yourself with Moselweintorte (Chocolate and Wine Cake).

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed Moselland Bernkasteler Kurfurstlay 2005 9.5% alcohol about $8.50

Let’s start by quoting the marketing materials. Tasting Note: Pale straw yellow colour; citrus, mineral and dried apricot aromas and flavours; balanced with crisp acidity in the finish. Serving Suggestion: Serve chilled with pork, turkey or appetizers. Spicy asian dishes.

My first pairing was with a homemade pizza with lots of tomato sauce, vegetables, and cheese but no meat. This wine displayed refreshing acidity that worked well with the pizza sauce. It had good fruit and was surprisingly long.

The next meal included a barbecued chicken marinated in a commercial Mediterranean-style light sauce, red-skinned potatoes, and a somewhat spicy Turkish salad. The wine’s acidity cut the fat very well and yet complemented the tomato’s own acidity which largely defined the salad. This little and lightly alcoholic wine (9.5% when 13% plus seems to be the new norm) was quite assertive, especially with the potatoes. And yet it was somewhat flat with dessert, some orange fruit-juice candy.

The final meal was whole-wheat pasta in a sauce that started out with your basic commercial pasta sauce. I livened it up with a fried medley of garlic, red onions, red and green peppers, topped with anchovies and shredded (local) Asiago cheese. The wine was light and fruity and the combination was quite tasty. I was happy that this Riesling was low-alcohol (and inexpensive) so that I could drink quite a bit without any negative effects, including to my pocketbook.

The initial cheese pairing was with a mild Italian Pecorino Fruilano. The wine was sweet but didn’t impress me very much. Then I tried it with a nutty Dutch Edam cheese. Once again the wine was sweet but it was round and the combination went quite well.

Final verdict. Great bargain. The wine really goes well with simple food. I didn’t get a chance to try it with gourmet specialties but wouldn’t be surprised if it did as well as many wines including Rieslings at twice the price. If I weren’t saddled with so many wines to taste (talk about problems) I’d buy half a case and drink one every two months or so. Then I’d try one from the next vintage and hope to repeat the process.

Tags: chocola, fridays, soil, suggestion, vegetables
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Thursday, March 27th, 2008

Landscaping Idea No Comments

Get Out Events Hunting amp; Fishing Calendar

HIKING

Wednesdays The Audubon Society of Pennsylvania holds walks every Wednesday, 9 a.m. 412-963-6100.

March 29 Afternoon Hike in the Woods. Brady’s Run Park. 6-8 miles. Must be over 18. 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. $5 members, $10 non-members. Venture Outdoors. 412-255-0564.

March 29 Sushi and Sake Hike. Frick Park. Minimum age 21. 4-7 p.m. $35 members, $55 non-members. Venture Outdoors. 412-255-0564.

March 30 Beaver Creek State Park. Sections of the national North Country Trail and well-preserved canal locks. $6 carpool. Sierra Club, 412-362-5567.

April 5 Easy 7-mile loop, Sarver (Buffalo Creek). Meet at Bob Evans Restaurant on old Route 28 in Harmarville, 10 a.m. $2.50 carpool. Sierra Club, 412-828-5154.

May 4 A Walk on a Trail. Schenley Park, Steve Faloon Trail, Circuit Drive at Westinghouse Pond, Oakland. Dogs on leashes welcome. Less than 2 miles. 10 a.m. $15, kids $10. Benefits Steve Faloon Bone Marrow Fund. 412-561-7161.

HUNTING

March 29 Western Pennsylvania Woodlands and Wildlife Conference. Discuss forest management, plant diversity, pests, forest economics, etc. 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Four Points by Sheraton Hotel, Greensburg. $35 includes buffet lunch. Register at 412-837-1402, http://westmoreland.extension.psu.edu.

April 21-22 Pennsylvania Game Commissioners Meeting. 8:30 a.m. both days. 2001 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg.

May 4, May 11 Qualifying shoot for program that culls deer from Allegheny County parks. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Northside Sportsmen’s Association, Marshall. 412-931-9438, 412-735-0497. Hunts occur during regular archery season.

July 19 Youth Day. Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportsmen’s Club, Rt. 48, North Versailles, 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Boys and girls 9-15. Rifle, trap, archery, safety education, muzzleloader, trapping. Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League. Register by June 15. 412-824-6467, acslyouthday2008@yahoo.com.

SHOOTS

ALIQUIPPA BUCKTAILS Skeet and trap, Wednesdays 6 p.m. and Fridays 5 p.m. 724-378-1450 or www.bucktails.us.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY RIFLE CLUB Saturdays and Sundays: ATA registered trap, 10 a.m. 412-821-9828.

ALL SEASONS TRAP AND SKEET Wednesdays: Open shoots, 5 p.m. 814-590-3777.

CALIFORNIA HILL Sundays: Sporting clays and five-stand, 9 a.m. 724-938-3480, 724-938-3477.

CARRICK SPORTSMEN Sundays: Traps, 1 p.m. Junior rifle and traps programs, personal protection/firearms safety, hunter safety courses. 724-348-5354 or http://www.carricksportsmen.com.

CHARLEROI ARCHERY CLUB March 1-2, NFAA Mid-Atlantic archery shoot. 724-366-3596.

CLAIRTON Tuesdays: Skeet, trap leagues and practice, 5 p.m. Fridays: Trap practice 6 p.m. Sundays: Trap practice, leagues, 1 p.m. Last weekend of each month: Cast bullet and .22 rim-fire matches, www.clairtonsc.org.

CLAYBUSTERS Sundays: Sporting clays, five stand, skeet and trap, 9 a.m. and Thursdays 1 p.m. 814-437-3252, 814-437-3428.

COLLIER SPORTSMEN Tuesdays beginning April 15: Trap 6:30 p.m. Public welcome. 412-276-9628.

CONNELLSVILLE SPORTSMEN Tuesdays: Trap practice and skeet shooting, 5 p.m.

CORAOPOLIS Sundays: Junior Olympic archery development, 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays: Indoor archery, 7 p.m. Wednesdays: Informal combat, 7 p.m. 412-264-9920, 412-793-7692.

CROWFOOT ROD %26amp; GUN Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays: Public trap practice, 7 p.m. 724-327-9315, 724-327-0592.

DORMONT-MT. LEBANON SPORTSMEN Mondays: Outdoor pistol, NMC and MPRL, 7 p.m., Wednesdays: Indoor Open shoot, noon. 412-531-5043, www.mdi.net/dml.

EAST MONONGAHELA SPORTSMEN Mondays and Thursdays: Bowling pin shoot, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays: Trap, 6:30 p.m. Third Sundays: Air pistol silhouette match, 1 p.m. 412-384-4747, http://www.dp.net/~emsc.

ELRAMA SPORTSMEN Mondays: Trap practice, 6 p.m. 412-384-8896.

FIVE POINTS HUNT Mondays: Trap practice, 5:30 p.m. 724-375-7381, 724-457-0315, www.fivepointshuntingclub.com.

FORD CITY SPORTSMEN May 18: Relay for Life Cancer Trap Shoot, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. 100 16-yard targets, prizes awarded. Public welcome, benefits American Cancer Society. Wednesdays: Skeet practice, 6 p.m. Fridays: Trap practice, 6 p.m. 724-763-3136, fordcitysportsmen@yahoo.com.

FOREST GROVE SPORTSMEN Mondays: Trap, 6 p.m. Thursdays: Combat pistol shoots, 4 p.m., Third Wednesdays: Membership meetings, 7 p.m. Third Sundays: Muzzle-loaders shoots, noon. 412-269-0942.

LAWRENCE COUNTY Wednesdays: Trap/skeet shoot, 5 p.m. 5-stand, 5 p.m. Thursdays: 5 p.m.; Sundays: Sporting clays, 9:30 a.m. 5-stand, 9:30 a.m. 724-652-1075.

LIBRARY SPORTSMEN ASSOCIATION Thursdays: Trap, skeet, 6 p.m. 412-835-9812, www.librarysa.com.

LONG BRANCH SPORTSMEN Tuesdays: Indoor NRA 50-foot small bore pistol league, 7 p.m. 724-925-2919, 724-333-4408, www.bloomautomatic.com/lbsc

McDONALD SPORTSMEN Thursdays: Trap and skeet, 7 p.m. 724-796-2271, www.mcdonaldsportsmen.com.

McKEESPORT SPORTSMEN Skeet practice, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. Cast bullet matches third Saturdays, 9 a.m., three classes, public welcome. 412-271-2144, 412- 824-7566.

MILLVALE SPORTSMEN Tuesdays: Skeet, 5 p.m. Wednesdays: Evening leagues, practice, 6 p.m. Saturdays: Registered targets, 9 a.m. 724-935-9963, www.millvalesportsmens.org.

NORTH BUFFALO SPORTSMAN’S Second Sundays: Action pistol, rifle. Third Sundays: Hunters trail shoot. Last Saturdays and Sundays: 3-D archery. 724-353-2444, 724-664-0513.

NORTH SIDE SPORTSMEN Wednesdays: Skeet, 6 p.m. Trap, 6 p.m. Sundays: Trap, skeet, 11 a.m. 724-935-9884, www.nssa.ws.

PITCAIRN-MONROEVILLE SPORTSMEN Thursdays: Trap, practical pistol practice, 6 p.m. Saturdays: Trap practice, 10 a.m. Sundays: trap practice, 1 p.m. 412-824-3790, www.pmsconline.com.

POSSUM HOLLOW SPORTSMEN Thursdays: 3-D archery, 6 p.m. 724-513-5338, 724-601-4796, 724-843-3489, www.possumhollowsportsmansclub.com.

RICHLAND SPORTSMEN Thursdays: Archery. Alternate Mondays: Junior rifle. 412-486-2873.

ROSTRAVER SPORTSMEN Practice trap, pistol and 3-D archery. 724-872-4399.

RUFFSDALE GUN Sundays: Trap practice, noon. Saturdays, 10 a.m.

SALTSBURG SPORTSMEN Paintball shoot second and fourth Sundays, 9:30 a.m. 724-845-6936.

SHANER SPORTSMEN Fridays: Trap. 724-494-6834, 412-417-3744.

SINNAMAHONING SPORTSMEN Paint ball shoot second and fourth Sundays, 9:30 a.m. 724-845-6936.

SPORTSMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF GREENSBURG 724-834-3671.

SUTERSVILLE SPORTSMEN Trap practice: Mondays, 6 p.m., Tuesdays 10 a.m. 412-872-0989.

TARENTUM SPORTSMEN Thursdays: Skeet practice, 5:30 p.m. 724- 353-1216.

TRAFFORD SPORTSMEN Indoor pistol: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 1 p.m. Trap: Wednesdays 10 a.m.; Fridays 6 p.m. Tuesdays: Archery practice, evenings; Bowling pin shoot: First and third Sundays, 10:30 a.m. 412-372-3820.

VICTORY HILL GUN Tuesdays: Trap practice, 6 p.m. 724-258-9871.

WASHINGTON SPORTSMEN Thursdays: Trap, wobble trap, skeet, 6 p.m. 724-222-0651.

WEST PENN SPORTSMEN Five-stand: Sundays, 10 a.m., Thursdays 4 p.m. Trap: Thursdays 4:30 p.m.

YOUNGWOOD Trap: Sunday 10 a.m., Tuesdays, 6 p.m.

HUNTER-TRAPPER SAFETY

Allegheny County

March 29-30 Monroeville Municipal Building. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. and Sun. Lunch provided, registration 412-856-3369.

March 28-29 Bullcreek Rod and Gun Club. 6-9 p.m. Fri.; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Lunch provided, registration 724-226-3369.

April 4-6 Carrick Sportsmen’s Club. 6-10 p.m. Fri.; 8:30-4:30 p.m. Sat. Registration 412-398-9599.

April 19-20 Springdale District Sportsmen’s Association. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Lunch provided, registration 724-335-7171.

Armstrong County

April 4-5 Armstrong County Hunting and Fishing Club. 6-9 p.m. Fri.; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat. Registration 724-543-4920, 724-763-8288.

Beaver County

March 28-29 Beaver Valley Sportsmen’s Club. 5:30-9:30 p.m. Fri.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Registration 724-544-8904.

April 18-19 Pine Run Sportsmen’s Club. 5-9 p.m. Fri.; 8 a.m-4 p.m. Sat. Registration. 724-774-4642.

April 21-23 Ambridge Sportsmen’s Club. 5:30-9:30 p.m. Registration 724-869-9749.

Greene County

March 21-22 New Freeport Fire Hall. 6:30-9:30 p.m. Fri.; 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sat. Lunch provided, registration 724-447-2040.

Indiana County

April 4-5 Montgomery Township Rod and Gun Club. 5:30-9 p.m. Fri.; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Lunch provided, registration 724-254-9264.

April 18-19 Indiana County Bow and Gun Club. 6-9 p.m. Fri.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat. Lunch provided, registration 724-422-6326, 724-463-0822.

Somerset County

April 1, April 3, April 5 Rockwood American Legion. 6:30-9 p.m. April 1, April 3; 9 a.m.-3 p.m. April 5. Lunch provided, registration 814-926-2465.

Westmoreland County

March 29-30 Bridgeport National Guard. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.; 1-5 p.m. Sun. Lunch provided, registration 724-925-8054.

March 29-30 Rostraver Sportsmen’s Club. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.; 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sun. Lunch provided, registration 724-684-4219.

FISHING

March 29 Early opening day trout season (18 southeastern counties only). Details at www.fish.state.pa.us.

March 30 Ice Out Party. S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie. 1-5:30 p.m., Cauley Memorial Auditorium, 215 East 4th St., Erie. $8 adults, under 12 $5, toddlers free. 814-453-2270.

April 12 Opening day trout season. Details at www.fish.state.pa.us.

April 12 Ohio River Catfish Tournament continues April 26, May 10, May 24, June 14, June 26. Pittsburgh to Wheeling. $10, 304-387-3982.

April 26 Magical Macros and Art of Fly Tying. McKeever Environmental Learning Center, Sandy Lake. 724-376-1000, info@mckeever.org. www.mckeever.org.

May 17 Dan Wagner Memorial Kids Fishing Day, Allison Park Sportsmen’s Club, North Park Lake. Free and open to all children.

May 17-18 George Daniel Fly Fishing Clinic. McKeever Environmental Learning Center, Sandy Lake. 724-376-1000, info@mckeever.org, www.mckeever.org.

June 7 Fisherman’s Paradise Bus Trip. Penn’s Woods West Trout Unlimited trip to Spring Creek, Bellefont/State College. $50, $45 before May 1. Non-members welcome. 412-521-0714, pwwtubustrip@gmail.com.

BOATING

Pittsburgh Area Power Squadon boating safety seminars are free, additional fee for course materials.

March 30 Learn To Sail Seminar. Northland Public Library, hosted by Moraine Sailing Club. 1:30-5 p.m., 412-366-8100, joeshields@yahoo.com.

April 3 How to Use a Chart. Oakmont Yacht Club, Oakmont. 7 p.m. Mark Steele, 412-760-1465, m.d.steele@verizon.net.

April 5 Canoe and Kayak Classic, Emporium Country Club, Emporium. 11-mile course, Driftwood branch Susquehanna River. All racing and family classes. Adults $15, juniors up to age 17 $10. 814-546-2011, beetlecamp@yahoo.com, www.eteamz.com/canoeclassic.

April 12 Personal Watercraft Safety Course. Mon Valley YMCA, 9 a.m. $20, includes snacks, beverages. Register 724-684-5320.

April 19 Personal Watercraft Safety Course. Mon Valley YMCA, 9 a.m. $20, includes snacks, beverages. Register 724-684-5320.

April 26 Personal Watercraft Safety Course. Mon Valley YMCA, 9 a.m. $20, includes snacks, beverages. Register 724-684-5320.

May 1 Using VHF and VHF/DSC Marine Radio, Oakmont Yacht Club, Oakmont. 7 p.m. Mark Steele, 412-760-1465, m.d.steele@verizon.net.

June 14 Boating Course. A%26amp;M Marine, New Castle. Holt Conner, 724-752-4410.

EDUCATIONAL

April 6 Case of the Vanishing Pond. Jennings Environmental Education Center, Slippery Rock. Indoor and outdoor discovery. 2 p.m. Register by March 31, 724-794-1090.

April 13, April 27 Sunday Strolls (Signs of spring and dam hike). McKeever Environmental Learning Center, Sandy Lake. 724-376-1000, info@mckeever.org. www.mckeever.org.

April 20 Reliving Pennsylvania’s Native Culture. Jennings Environmental Education Center, Slippery Rock. Historical reinactors, 2 p.m. 724-794-6011.

April 24 Fayette County Children’s Water Festival. Divito Park, Dunbar. 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 724-438-4497.

April 26 Battling Invasive Species. Jennings Environmental Education Center, Slippery Rock. Help wanted to manage invasive species. Lunch provided. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Age 12-plus, register by April 18 at 724-794-6011.

April 26 Pond Management Workshop. Representatives of Penn State, Crawford and Venango County Conservation Districts, Pennsylvania Lake Management Society. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Towne Square Conference Center 110 West Spring Street, 4th floor Titusville. $10, register by April 21, 814-676-2832.

April 27 Frick Park Bird Walk, Nine Mile Run Watershed Association. 7:30 a.m. Meets Frick Park. Bird watching, ecological restoration. Wissahickon Nature Club, 412-521-3365..

May 9-11 A Feather Quest. Two-day birdwatcher eco-tour, Ohiopyle State Park. $150-$185. 724-329-0986, eeohiopyle@qcol.net.

May 11 Spring Wildflowers. Jennings Environmental Education Center, Slippery Rock. Half-hour guided walk. 2 p.m. 724-794-6011.

May 11, May 25 Sunday Strolls (Mother’s Day Hike and Leave No Trace). McKeever Environmental Learning Center, Sandy Lake. 724-376-1000, info@mckeever.org. www.mckeever.org.

May 24 Spring Woodland Flowers. McKeever Environmental Learning Center, Sandy Lake. 724-376-1000, info@mckeever.org. www.mckeever.org.

VOLUNTEER

April 19 Volunteer Work Day. McKeever Environmental Learning Center, Sandy Lake. 724-376-1000, info@mckeever.org. www.mckeever.org.

April 19 Nine Mile Run Stream Sweep, Nine Mile Run Watershed Association. 9:30 a.m.-noon. Meets Frick Park. 412-371-8779 ext. 14.

MISC.

April 3 Physical Activity Lecture. Schenley Park Visitor Center, Oakland. Noon, pittsburghparks.org.

April 4-5 Banff Mountain Film Festival. Carnegie Library of Homestead Music Hall, 7 p.m. $12 one night, $20 both nights. Tickets@ventureoutdoors.org.

April 10 Injury Prevention Lecture. Schenley Park Visitor Center, Oakland. Noon, pittsburghparks.org.

April 19 Frick Environmental Center Earth Day Celebration. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 2005 Beechwood Blvd, Squirrel Hill. 412-422-6538.

April 27 Frick Park Bird Walk. 7:30 a.m.

Meet in parking lot off Lancaster Avenue, lower Frick Park. 412-521-3365.

May 23-23 Outdoor Extravaganza. Butler Outdoor Club. Sampler of outdoor activities. Base camp at Breakneck Campground near McConnell’s Mills and Moraine State Park). www.butleroutdoorclub.com,724-526-5407 and joyceappel@windstream.net.

Get listed in GETout. At least two Fridays prior to the event, send event name, activity, date, time, location, fee and phone number to outdoors@post-gazette.com or Post-Gazette, Outdoors, GETout Events, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

Tags: amp, fridays, greens, pool, target
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Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

Backyard Landscaping No Comments

Quick getaway to … University Park

%26#149; Where: Through May 30 at the Special Collections Library, first floor of the Joe Paterno Library at Penn State University’s main campus in University Park, Centre County.

%26#149; How much: Free and open to the public.

%26#149; Hours: Through May 2: 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Fridays. After May 2: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

%26#149; What to do: View an exhibit of letters from author Ernest Hemingway to his family, including a message on a 1918 postcard to his father that, according to The Associated Press, foreshadows the experiences that would become the foundation for “A Farewell to Arms.” More info: 1-814-865-1793 or www.libraries.psu.edu/speccolls/index.htm.

%26#149; Fun factor: Depends on what you call fun. If you’re making the trip to view literary history, you might add to your agenda the confections at The Creamery (www.creamery.psu.edu) and the sights at Penn’s Cave %26amp; Wildlife Park (www.pennscave.com). More options: www.downtownstatecollege.com/index.html.

– Sharon Eberson

Tags: amp, fridays
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Friday, March 21st, 2008

Backyard Landscaping No Comments

Giving travelers a true taste of Welsh homelife

CAERNARFON, Wales — The smiling couple striding toward our van didn’t know us. But that didn’t stop Dilys and Dafydd Jones. Their welcome was warm and genuine.

And before we had crossed the sidewalk and the Joneses’ meticulously tended front garden rioting with a mild September’s many-colored flowers, we were immersed in amiable conversation.

Strangers no longer.

One of the frustrations of travel is that you see a nation’s sights, but its people remain out of reach on the other side of a car, train or bus window. You meet locals in shops and markets, smile at them on the street and observe them across a restaurant, but seldom are you invited into their homes and given the opportunity to see how they live.

Programs offering home-hosted dinners in North and South Wales open those doors for travelers. For a fee about equal to the cost of a restaurant meal, visitors can arrange to dine in a home on traditional Welsh fare.

Hosts are carefully chosen for “their warm, friendly personalities and their passion for Wales,” says Donna Goodman, coordinator in Caernarfon.

Guests choose themselves.

“We were interested in meeting Welsh people and being in the tiny Welsh homes,” recalls Don Payne of Garland, Texas, who with his wife, Elsie, ate with the Joneses in July. Among options available as part of their Grand Circle Travel tour, the couple selected a home dinner.

“The evening was delightful,” the retired Air Force major general recalls. “Not only was the food good, but it was an interesting venture into Welsh culture, which I would not have gotten otherwise. It was interesting and educational and enjoyable.”

We now followed in the Paynes’ footsteps: my husband, Travis; Idwal Jones, our guide; and I.

“We’re just ordinary people,” Dilys tells me as I pad after her into her roomy kitchen, past the dining table set with cloud-white linen, gleaming crystal and her treasured Royal Albert china.

Now retired, she previously worked as a secretary at a hospital. He’s a retired truck and bookmobile driver, a town historian and an avid reader about aviation, especially World War II-era planes and pilots. For fun, they answer casting calls for movie extras. Even Gelert, their aged dog, gets parts.

Their home is half of a duplex in what once was “council housing,” government-subsidized rentals for families who couldn’t afford to buy property. Thirty years ago, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher decreed that longtime tenants could buy their units at a reasonable cost, and the Joneses did.

Their pride in ownership is obvious in the splendid front and rear gardens, the small but pristine rooms cleaned to within an inch of their lives, and the well-chosen and sturdy furnishings.

In this space about the size of a modest condo, they raised a son and two daughters and now welcome three grandchildren. Dilys had babysat her 12- and 4-year-old granddaughters all day before our visit and still had energy for us. Amazing.

Or, maybe not.

The Joneses are veteran hosts. Offering hospitality on Wednesdays and Fridays between March and October, they’ve welcomed more than 300 Americans to their table since 2006.

“I’ve really enjoyed every single one,” Dilys says. “We’ve had rocket scientists here, Vietnam pilots, teachers, psychologists, psychiatrist, an architect …” She stops and apologizes.

“You must excuse my English. We only speak Welsh unless we are with English speakers.”

I find her accent charming, her vocabulary broad, her ideas well expressed. No apology is needed.

She stirs a pot of potato and leek soup and sets out bowls. In the background, I hear the men deep in conversation about wartime aircraft. They pass around a bent and weathered piece of a Mosquito fighter plane that crashed in adjacent Snowdonia National Park.

Dilys serves small glasses of Irish cream liqueur. (Idwal’s driving; he sips water.) Our appetites sharpened, we’re then called to the table. Dilys places before us mint-colored soup with an ivory swirl of cream, and we begin a feast.

I help her clear the bowls. (It isn’t required, but it’s a grand way to have a chance to talk.) As the wide-ranging conversation rolls on in the dining room, Dilys in the kitchen gradually fills the dinner plates with generous slices of tender Welsh rib of beef, “dirty” (organic) carrots, red cabbage she has poached in pineapple juice, roasted potatoes, a pouf of Yorkshire pudding and mushy peas, which she pronounces “MOOSH-ie.”

Americans love the big green version of peas with their creamy sauce, she says. For the Welsh, this was the heart of many Sunday dinners, mixed with bits of “a cheap piece of shank” (pork).

The plates fill. And fill. Until the bounty threatens to spill over the roses-and-gold rim of each dish.

“I’ve got a regular routine, you see. This is how I do for my own family,” Dilys says. When she entertains, she adds, she saves a meal for the 87-year-old man up the road who has “nobody in the world” and very little money.

She sets a heaping plate drizzled with brown gravy before Travis, and he exclaims, “Holy moly!” Everyone laughs, understanding.

She serves herself last, and as we eat and sip red wine, talk roams from history to family to work to their label-making enterprise and beyond. All of it is peppered with Dafydd’s gentle jokes.

To our “mmmmm-ing” and “ahhhh-ing,” he declares, “It was me who taught her everything she knows about cooking.” Then, gesturing toward his face, he adds, “and I’ve got a nose like Pinocchio.”

Googan, a smoke-colored half-Persian with big eyes like new doubloons, soundlessly approaches Dafydd’s chair and looks up. The man’s big hand descends, and the cat wallows its head into Dafydd’s palm. Sated by the affection, Googan slips from the room.

The phone rings. It’s their son thanking Dilys for baby-sitting.

Out comes the couple’s album containing photos of each group they’ve entertained. They speak fondly of the folks behind the faces as each page is turned.

“They’re lovely people, every one,” Dilys says of the Americans. “It’s as if they’ve been cloned. They’re all lovely … so natural, and so gracious and thankful.”

She seems filled with wonder: “They thank me very much for coming into my humble home … and I’m sure they have massive big houses and loads and loads of money.”

Dilys sets goblets of trifle before us. “This is what we used to get on a Sunday with tea.”

The dessert is layers of custard, sponge cake and juicy strawberries and peaches. “With a drop of sherry, of course,” Dafydd says.

Coffee and sconelike Welsh cakes are the epilogue to the epic meal. I feel as full as Santa Claus after all of those cookies.

The men go up the narrow staircase to Dafydd’s office to see online photos from the space shuttle, and Dilys and I chat. She tells me about losing her mother when she and her sister were young, and being adopted by an aunt, poor but loving.

In time, the good woman came to visit the Joneses at Christmas — and stayed 35 years. Not to worry. “Dafydd loved the bones of her,” Dilys says fondly.

She has put a Rod Stewart jazz CD on the player, and the melodies are irresistible.

We laugh and begin to dance in the living room. Idwal descends and cuts in, gently whirling Dilys through a song.

The Joneses stand at the curb waving as we drive away, our thank-yous echoing in the twilight.

Dilys has given me a key ring decorated with the figure of a Welsh woman in traditional garb. She says it’s to remember her by.

I finger the gift. Forget these good-humored, good people? Not in this lifetime.

IF YOU GO:

BOOKING A MEAL: Donna Goodman coordinates home-hosted dinners year-round in Caernarfon and the Bangor area in North Wales. She can arrange lunch, dinner or afternoon tea. A three-course evening meal with wine, beer and coffee is about $50. Reserve at least a week ahead. Contact: 011-44-1286-677059; infoturnstone-tours.co.uk .

In an unrelated program, Marianne Barrett arranges dinners in the Cardiff area in the south and in County Conwy and the Colwyn Bay area in the north. She began offering meals through Home Dinners in Wales in 1988. She advises booking on the program’s Web site (www.homedinnersinwales.com ). Dinners cost about $70 per person. Meals are available year-round. Contact: 011-44-2920-226680.

RESOURCES:

Wales tourism: 1-800-462-2748; www.visitwales.com .

U.K. tourism: 1-800-462-2748; www.visitbritain.us .

Train travel, passes in the United Kingdom: 1-866-274-8724; http://britrail.com .

Tags: fridays, locals, minis, money, ordinary people, rta
0

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

Backyard Landscaping No Comments

Get Out Events Hunting amp; Fishing Calendar

HIKING

Wednesdays The Audubon Society of Pennsylvania holds walks every Wednesday, 9 a.m. Call 412-963-6100.

March 9 Harrison Hills Regional Park, fast-paced 8 miles. 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. No cost, $1.50 carpool from Harmarville. 412-826-0519. Sierra Club, Allegheny Group.

March 16 Soup of the Month Hike. Schenley Park 10 a.m.-1 p.m. After the hike, Mary Brenholts’ surprise soups (for herbivores, carnivores). $10 Venture Outdoors members, $20 nonmembers. 412-255-0564 x21.

March 19 Urban Fitness Topsy-Turvy Hike. North Side’s Spring Hill and Fineview. Strenuous night hike. 5:45-8:30 p.m. $5 Venture Outdoors members, $10 nonmembers. 412-255-0564 x21.

March 21-23 Greg’s Relaxed Hiking Break, Susquehannock Lodge, Potter County. Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, lodging $60 (private bath), $55 (semi-private bath) per day, double occupancy. Reservations 814-435-2163.

March 30 Moderately strenuous, Beaver Creek State Park including sections of the national North Country Trail and well-preserved canal locks. $6 carpool. Sierra Club, 412-362-5567.

April 5 Easy 7-mile loop, Sarver (Buffalo Creek). Meet at Bob Evans Restaurant on old Route 28 in Harmarville, 10 a.m. $2.50 carpool. Sierra Club, 412-828-5154.

May 4 A Walk on a Trail. Schenley Park, Steve Faloon Trail, Circuit Drive at Westinghouse Pond, Oakland. Dogs on leashes welcome. Less than 2 miles. 10 a.m. $15, kids $10. Benefits Steve Faloon Bone Marrow Fund. 412-561-7161.

ICE SKATING

March 15 Shamrock Skate figure skating competition. Robert Morris University Island Sports Center, Neville Island. 8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. 412-397-4469.

WINTER ACTIVITIES

March 9 Easy 7-mile ski-touring or hiking, Indian Creek Trail, Champion. $6.50 carpool from Monroeville. Sierra Club, 412-856-4642.

March 15 Twelve-mile ski-touring Laurel Mountain or strenuous 12-mile hike at Moraine State Park or Goddard State Park. $7.50 carpool from Monroeville. Sierra Club, 724-327-7582.

HUNTING

March 15 Deer Management Open House. Pennsylvania Game Commission answers questions 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Game Commission Southwest Region Office, 4820 Route 711 North, Bolivar, Pa. Find information about the deer management plan at www.pgc.state.pa.us.

March 22 Turkey Calling Contest. Sportsman’s Warehouse. Multiple divisions, prizes, all ages. National Wild Turkey Federation members only. Registration 10 a.m., $20. 412-766-7687, 412-366-6100.

March 22 Ohio River Chapter, Ruffed Grouse Society Sportsmen’s Banquet. Lewis Wetzel Family Center, East Benjamin Dr., New Martinsville, WV. 7:30 p.m. $30 members, $30 spouses, $45 for new or renewing members includes one-year membership. 304-337-8877, Pineybrittanys@hotmail.com, www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

March 29 Western Pennsylvania Woodlands and Wildlife Conference. Discuss forest management, plant diversity, pests, forest economics, etc. 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Four Points by Sheraton Hotel , Greensburg. $35 includes buffet lunch. Register at 412-837-1402, http://westmoreland.extension.psu.edu.

May 4, May 11 Qualifying shoot for program that culls deer from Allegheny County parks. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Northside Sportsmen’s Association, Marshall. 412-931-9438, 412-735-0497. Hunts occur during regular archery season.

July 19 Youth Day. Pitcairn-Monroeville Sportsmen’s Club, Rt. 48, North Versailles, 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Boys and girls 9-15. Rifle, trap, archery, safety education, muzzleloader, trapping. Allegheny County Sportsmen’s League. Register by June 15. 412-824-6467, acslyouthday2008@yahoo.com.

SHOOTS

For a more complete listing of shoots, visit www.post-gazette.com/sports.

ALIQUIPPA BUCKTAILS Skeet and trap, Wednesdays 6 p.m. and Fridays 5 p.m. Call 724-378-1450 or visit www.bucktails.us.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY RIFLE CLUB March 16, Ham Shoot, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays: ATA registered trap, 10 a.m. Call 412-821-9828.

ALL SEASONS TRAP AND SKEET Wednesdays: Open shoots, 5 p.m. Call 1-814-590-3777.

CALIFORNIA HILL Sundays: Sporting clays and five-stand, 9 a.m. Call 724-938-3480 or 724-938-3477.

CARRICK SPORTSMEN Sundays: Traps, 1 p.m. Junior rifle and traps programs, personal protection/firearms safety, hunter safety courses. Call 724-348-5354 or visit http://www.carricksportsmen.com.

CHARLEROI ARCHERY CLUB March 1-2, NFAA Mid-Atlantic archery shoot Call Patrick Sinal for details, 724-366-3596.

CLAIRTON Tuesdays: Skeet, trap leagues and practice, 5 p.m. Fridays: Trap practice 6 p.m. Sundays: Trap practice, leagues, 1 p.m. Last weekend of each month: Cast bullet and .22 rim-fire matches. Visit www.clairtonsc.org.

CLAYBUSTERS Sundays: Sporting clays, five stand, skeet and trap, 9 a.m. and Thursdays 1 p.m. Call 1-814-437-3252 or 1-814-437-3428.

COLLIER SPORTSMEN Tuesdays beginning April 15 : Trap 6:30 p.m. Public welcome. 412-276-9628.

CONNELLSVILLE SPORTSMEN Tuesdays: Trap practice and skeet shooting, 5 p.m.

CORAOPOLIS Sundays: Junior Olympic archery development, 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays: Indoor archery, 7 p.m. Wednesdays: Informal combat, 7 p.m. Call 412-264-9920 or 412-793-7692.

CROWFOOT ROD %26amp; GUN Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays: Public trap practice, 7 p.m. Call 724-327-9315 or 724-327-0592.

DORMONT-MT. LEBANON SPORTSMEN Mondays: Outdoor pistol, NMC and MPRL, 7 p.m., Wednesdays: Indoor Open shoot, noon. 412-531-5043, www.mdi.net/dml.

EAST MONONGAHELA SPORTSMEN Mondays and Thursdays: Bowling pin shoot, 6:30 p.m. Thursdays: Trap, 6:30 p.m. Third Sundays: Air pistol silhouette match, 1 p.m. 412-384-4747, http://www.dp.net/~emsc.

ELRAMA SPORTSMEN Mondays: Trap practice, 6 p.m. 412-384-8896.

FIVE POINTS HUNT Mondays: Trap practice, 5:30 p.m. 724-375-7381, 724-457-0315, www.fivepointshuntingclub.com.

FORD CITY SPORTSMEN Wednesdays: Skeet practice, 6 p.m. Fridays: Trap practice, 6 p.m. 724-763-3136, fordcitysportsmen@yahoo.com.

FOREST GROVE SPORTSMEN Mondays: Trap, 6 p.m. Thursdays: Combat pistol shoots, 4 p.m., Third Wednesdays: Membership meetings, 7 p.m. Third Sundays: Muzzle-loaders shoots, noon. 412-269-0942.

LAWRENCE COUNTY Wednesdays: Trap/skeet shoot, 5 p.m. 5-stand, 5 p.m. Thursdays: 5 p.m.; Sundays: Sporting clays, 9:30 a.m. 5-stand, 9:30 a.m. 724-652-1075.

LIBRARY SPORTSMEN ASSOCIATION Thursdays: Trap, skeet, 6 p.m. 412-835-9812, www.librarysa.com.

LONG BRANCH SPORTSMEN Tuesdays: Indoor NRA 50-foot small bore pistol league, 7 p.m. 724-925-2919, 724-333-4408, www.bloomautomatic.com/lbsc

McDONALD SPORTSMEN Thursdays: Trap and skeet, 7 p.m. 724-796-2271, http://www.mcdonaldsportsmen.com.

McKEESPORT SPORTSMEN Skeet practice, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. Cast bullet matches next to last Saturdays, 9 a.m., three classes, public welcome. 412-271-2144, 412- 824-7566.