Day 2.233: Official: moth!

Exile #2 and the girls spotted this beautiful caterpillar in the back yard today. It turns out that its destiny is to be a rather plain, brown and medium sized moth, but for now it is the amazing-looking Brown-hooded Owlet Moth caterpillar - make the most of your youth little fella!

Talking of little fellas - ours woke me at 5 am shouting that he wanted the 'blue one'. If he actually knew what he wanted, I never worked it out - but in the end he went back to sleep. I did not.

Yesterday was, according to the Capital News 9 meteorologist, "The last official Sunday of August". Well, people like things to be official I suppose, so this is the last official blog-post of August. Also, actually, you know - the last blog post of August.

Day 2.232: See - shells!

The girls love finding seashells on the beach - it was a significant feature of our beach days in Connecticut and Cape Cod this summer. This picture is not from either of those days though - it was taken on a tiny beach on our very bug-ridden walk on Friday - on the bank of the Mohawk River. Fortunately it was one place on the walk where we could stop for more than two seconds without being besieged by biting insects. It was also a great place for skimming stones - although I did get a wet foot trying to get the perfect angle of attack.

We had a good day today - swimming, playing games, mowing the lawn (long overdue) and a really good church gathering.

Day 2.231: Familiar thoughts

Family has been on my mind a lot today. This morning I exchanged messages with my niece who has just received her GCSE results, at lunchtime my parents set off for the airport (and hopefully a not-too-close encounter with what's left of Tropical Storm Danny) and this afternoon we were at a baptism ceremony for some young people in our community.

At the baptism there was a lot of talk of 'joining the family' - an interesting turn of phrase especially as three of the four being baptised were sisters - but that is how our community feels and a much more appropriate phrase for us than 'becoming members of the church'. It has been great to spend time with both Exile #2's and my parents over the summer - and it is also great to be with our friends here. We have family everywhere we look.

Day 2.230: Bugs, wiser

I took the last full day of my parents' visit off work and we set off for a walk at a nearby historic and nature preserve that we had never visited. The weather seemed likely to be kind until this afternoon at least - a bit cooler than it was a week ago and dry. The place was beautiful, but the visit was rendered very uncomfortable by the amazing numbers of mosquitoes and other biting insects. If you watch carefully you can see the bugs following us in this video clip. You can also hear the amazing - but harmless - insect sounds of summer after the family walks by.




So we retreated and ended up in the afternoon at the State Museum and then having a walk first under and then through the Empire State Plaza. It was windy - something we had been wishing for when the bugs were bothering us, but this was a bit more than we needed.

Day 2.229: Smallholding

Wikipedia: "A smallholding is a farm of small size. Often too small to be efficient..."

This is our entire tomato crop this year. Exile #2 tells me that we may also be able to eat the sunflower seeds in due course. However, I don't think that the combined harvest will make much of an impact on our household economy.

Day 2.228: 1 + 3 < SF

One picture from Sunday and two from yesterday of our first sunflower. Although early on several of the plants were destroyed by deer and/or insects. The ones that survived have done rather well!

Day 2.227: Henry and Clare

I know I don't often use full names here, but I will make an exception for Mr DeTamble and Ms Abshire - Exile #2 and I are just back from seeing their story portrayed on the big screen. Actually it was a fairly small screen at a refreshingly independent cinema and the showing was a fairly exclusive one - only six people in the audience.

It was The Time Traveler's Wife which is probably (for the moment) one of my favourite novels ever - if a little troubling at times - and as such a dangerous movie choice with so much room for disappointment. It has received fairly mediocre reviews, but we both thought it was wonderful. It captured the essence of the story beautifully, it was well acted, believable (no mean achievement when you think about it) and moving (tissues at the ready) - what more could you ask for?

Yes, of course the characters were less well developed than in the book, of course some of the gritty drama was lost, but the central story was lovingly retold. Maybe if you haven't read the book you'd find it a bit lightweight, if you didn't like the book (really - someone didn't like it?) you wouldn't like the film, but otherwise...well let's just say that we loved it.

Pictured is the similarly long-suffering blogger's wife in Times Square last week.

Day 2.226: A tree in the park

This was one of the surprises of the road-based section of our Aqua Ducks ride yesterday - apparently this apartment building for birds was carved from a single piece of wood.

I must have driven past it many times without seeing it - it has been there the whole time we've lived here. According to this site it was created by William Schade who died last year.

Day 2.225:Tired and propellered

Once again we decided to be tourists in our own city for the last day of our week of vacation. Having left the Ashes-decider test match looking basically good, but like it would go into a fifth day, we went to the Visitor Center and for a tour on the Aqua Ducks. E5N1 slept through part of the tour including the splashdown into the river, but woke up to take his turn along with the girls assisting with the boat-mode driving.

When we made it back home, we discovered that the cricket had been won with a day to spare. We toasted the team's success with a glass of wine.


Now I really must get to bed to be ready for work tomorrow.

Day 2.224: Sufjan, newt and the underground lakes

Most journeys get under way to a chorus of "Songs, songs!" from E5N1 and often the girls too. In general he wants They Might Be Giants (123s and ABCs both currently in the car) which is fine by me but sometimes I need a change, so they downgrade their request to "Daddy's songs?". Often over the last week, "Daddy's songs" has meant Sufjan Stevens' Illinois. It's one of those albums that I like more each time I hear it. Current rating: wonderful!

This morning we drove an hour or so west and went for a morning walk in the woods. Exile #4 was the first to spot these two-inch long salamanders. There were loads of them, but I suspect we could have walked past and over them without noticing them. It turns out that they are the terrestrial juvenile form (eft) of the red-spotted newt - curiously these creatures start their lives as tadpoles and finish them as aquatic adults, but in between are like this.


We also saw some Eastern Bluebirds for the first time in about two years. After that, we visited Howe Caverns where we went on a cool (literally and figuratively) walk through the limestone caves followed by a boat ride on a 43°F lake two hundred feet below the ground.

Once again, three generations of the family had a good time. Tomorrow is our last day of undivided activities, before I return to work. As Sufjan says, "All things go, all things go."

Day 2.223: Downstate, downtown

Much as I'd like to perpetuate yesterday's quiz, I've decided not to.

We were in New York City for the day yesterday. We started with a drive to Poughkeepsie to pick up a Metro North train which delivered us to Grand Central Station.We spent the morning at MoMA where we thoroughly enjoyed a really impressive collection of modern art, possibly slightly unimaginatively arranged.

After lunch in Greenwich Village, we went down to Lower Manhattan to see the "Mother of Exiles" - we couldn't miss that! It was near here that we saw the wild turkey - it just came wandering across the path.Next, we walked through Chinatown - scene of two of yesterday's pictures and this one:From there we walked up onto the Brooklyn Bridge which we'd heard has some nice views.We ended the day with a visit to Times Square where I photographed George M. Cohan watching the Gap jeans advertisement and the cars and foot traffic going by.Then, back the way we came. All made possible by my parents, who supervised the kids all day - thank you!

Day 2.222: To...? Two too!

Can you work out where Exile #2 and I took these pictures today? We actually saw a tutu - if I'd realised what day it was I would have got a picture of that as well.

Day 2.221: Rivers progress

I took the opportunity for a classic group shot with the addition of my parents today when we took an early evening walk at Five Rivers. I'm currently recovering from a hard-disk failure (my data disk with all my photos). They are backed up and all seems OK, but until I get them copied back onto a new disk, I am one failure away from disaster!

Day 2.220: Westward - hot!

The first part of the day took us up the coast a little way to this cliff-top technology commemoration. From nearby we could see the sea to both the east and the west. Our journey home took us briefly to a wildlife sanctuary, but the car outside temperature sensor was reading 100°F (it was really in the low nineties) when we returned a bit overheated to start our journey home in air-conditioned relative comfort.

To find our way, we were following signs for 'West: Boston' - not something you can do from many places. It was an easy drive - I'm sure it could have been bad on a busy day, but we had fairly free-moving traffic and good weather (apart from the heat).

Surely someone can say where we've been now?

Day 2.219: Tidal treasure

We visited a nearby natural history museum today. We had a great visit - including a private guided walk down to explore some tidal pools where this pile of treasures were found:

Not to mention this one:

(I meant the view, not the grandparents!)

After lunch we visited the small but appealing aquarium in the museum's basement, where E5N1 had a close encounter with some horseshoe crabs:

Exile #3 met a very blue lobster:

And Exile #4 tried to communicate with the jellyfish:

This afternoon we had a swim in the hotel pool, then dinner across the road and then six of us went for a mad dusk-jaunt to visit Trader Joe's - we had to find out what all the fuss is about. According to our shopping basket: teeny-weeny meringues and gluten-free ginger snaps!

Day 2.218: Loyal to the corporation

We completed our journey today venturing near the Myles Standish State Forest. It was about 11 am when we stopped at a small village store and bought the following items:

3 buckets with spades (pails and shovels)
1 bag of hamburger rolls (pre-split)
1 packet of turkey ham
1 tub of spread
1 packet of american cheese slices

The old chap who took my money struck up a conversation - his voice was a bit like a slowed-downn 60+ Agent Smith (The Matrix) turned friendly (just imagine the Miiiisterrrrr Annnnderrrrssunn after each phrase - I did).

"Going to the beach?" - Yes.
"Making sandwiches there?" - Yes!

Seemed like a pretty safe bet, but since the point was to offer us some free sachets of mayonnaise and mustard I'm not complaining. The beach parking lot was full when we arrived, so after a trip around the block, we joined the back of the queue. It took us half an hour or so to reach the front and gain access to Corporation Beach - but we toughed it out.

We all had a good time there. As you can see.

So - do you know where we are (basically at least?) and it's pop pun 103 for title watchers do you know which corporation I had in mind (other than the beach)? Maybe the state forest got me thinking on these lines (unless I dreamed it!). I'm sharpening stones, walking on coals...

Day 2.217: It's "holy" OK?

We're on the road. Today we were at a children's museum. Why is that in England we pronounce places that are spelled 'Holysomething' as if they had something to do with holly rather than with holiness? I've no idea, but it is not so here.

Anyway, we all had a lot of fun.

E5N1 answered some emergency calls.


His answer to another child being in the driver's seat was to confidently walk up and say 'My turn!' He had great success, but didn't respond so well when it was someone else's turn.

Exile #4 ran a diner.


When I arrived, lunch service was in full swing. She asked Exile #2, "And would your husband like something?".

Exile #3 reported the weather.


It may not have been quite 96, but it definitely topped 90 °F.

E5N1 played a drum, the girls manned the veterinarian clinic and everyone enjoyed blowing giant bubbles and climbing on the 'curvy climber'.

We drove on towards our final destination and have stopped for the night - after a very nice meal and a good bottle of wine, I am ready for an early night.

Day 2.216: Trail trial

We did the Indian Ladder Trail today. For the first time, E5N1 was on foot until we reached the far end and were ready to climb the last 50 steps or so and return along the top of the cliffs. There was more water coming over the waterfalls that the trail ducks under than had been the case on our previous visits. I imagine after some rain it must get quite interesting.

There were several millipedes on the trail below the cliffs. Thanks to this picture
and Google, we were able to identify them as Narceus Americanus. It turns out that they could have caused us some discomfort if we'd bothered them - but we had no such intentions.

When we got back to the car I insisted on sitting everyone down for a group picture. The visit has officially begun!

Day 2.215: Birthday Olympics

While some sporting events are fairly common at birthday parties such as pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey:

And others are not too unusual - such as face-painting:

This party at least took things to another level with the sack-race:

The creek jump:

And the pushing-it:

Our guests have enjoyed a fairly quiet day today and I have been at work for the last time for a few days.

Day 2.214: New arrivals

One of E5N1's first friends, J - born a few days before him - became a big brother this week. Congratulations to him and his parents S and T. This picture is not of any of them.

It is, in fact, me and one of my two big sisters - at a few weeks old. This post is not about my arrival.

The photo - along with more than 1400 others - arrived this evening with my parents from the UK. They are the fruit of my Dad's slide-digitisation project. Exile #2 and I have been browsing them for the last hour or more since Mum and Dad went to bed - they stayed up laudably late. Hopefully their grandchildren will let them sleep to an equally civilised time in the morning.

Day 2.213: Bumping, splashing

A couple more vignettes from the birthday parties at the weekend.

Here is Exile #3 on a funky bumper-car at Jeepers on Saturday. After a bad experience on the too-scary roller coaster, she was reticent, but finally willing to try these out if I went on too. We had a turn and then she went to find a friend to come on them with her for another turn.

After the other festivities of the party on Sunday, the teenage brother of the birthday boy started filling up water balloons and handing them to the younger kids. Eventually this degraded into a free-for-all water fight. E5N1 was right in the middle of things getting extremely wet...

and loving every minute of it.

Day 2.212: Size of a bear

No - he's not demonstrating how big a bear is - he's demonstrating that he is the size of a (teddy-)bear! That flamboyant little top he is showing off in this picture from Saturday's opening celebration for our church facility is an outfit from Build-a-Bear. He also sported a graduation gown for a while. They were both a strangely good fit.

Day 2.211: A tale of two piñatas

Many birthday parties we have attended here have had the ritual violence of the piñata ceremony. A few have been marginally under-supervised resulting in stick waving near to small children's heads. A few have used the non-violent but more small-child friendly ribbon-pulling technique. None of them have made much sense to me. It has always seemed like a lot of waiting around followed by the same feeding frenzy for 'candy'. Much though I enjoyed the ritual destruction of this space shuttle yesterday (it's being retired you know). I wasn't sure that the little US citizens should be destroying it flag and all. No qualms for Exile #3 as you can see.

All that changed today - we were at a Mexican birthday party and the piñata was suddenly a colourful and entertaining spectacle. The song helps.



For those not familiar enough with Spanish to pick out the words here is a translation from Wikipedia:

Hit it, hit it, hit it (or "go, go, go")
Don't lose your aim
Because if you lose it (your aim)
You will lose the way.
You've already hit it once
You've already hit it twice
You've already hit it thrice
And your time is over

And now, my time is over - se acabó!

Day 2.210: On the web...

At a birthday party this afternoon, Exile #3 spent a good deal of the time stomping on spiders. Not that the place was infested you understand - these were serious suspension-of-disbelief electronic spiders. Here's a clip of a round:


As you can see, the game finishes with a prize of a few tickets rewarding the contestant. These tickets can later be exchanged for various items of 'treasure'.

On one occasion however this happened:


Her reaction was somewhat similar to mine when I won the £10 jackpot on a 10p slot machine on a cross-channel ferry when I was just a couple of years older than she is now. We weren't normally allowed to play any of the games - never mind those ones, but I had had a fairly nasty accident and had just woken up from sleeping off a possible concussion so it was deemed to be a special occasion. The jackpot was paid out in 100 10p pieces (old-style - about the size of a quarter I suppose). I thought I had broken the machine. In the end, someone handed me a pint glass from the nearby bar and I carried my winnings across the ship in that.

The tickets (as with the 10p coins) eventually stopped - there were 50 of them. Her concern turned to joy - just as mine had all those years ago.


My memory suggests that my £10 went quite a bit further than these 50 tickets when it came to spending them.

Day 2.209: Friday Haikus #4

Fifth Birthday Party
E. had tiny bowling shoes
How extremely cute!


Exiles in New York -
We hit the big time this week
Thanks to a link here.

Day 2.208: Elegant parasite

I spotted these small white stems when I was mowing on Monday, but thought little more of them until Exile #3 found them for herself and sparked a little research - and a closer look:

It is a parasitic flowering plant called monotropa uniflora - or indian pipe. It is white because it doesn't use photosynthesis, but feeds on fungus in the ground. Hopefully you will agree, even if the cicada grossed you out, that today's 'weird nature' feature is cool.

This evening we watched the grand finale of So You Think You Can Dance and our favourite won - I'm sure our votes clinched it. The show was spectacular - full of the best dancers and the best dances of the season. Quite satisfactory all round.

Day 2.207: Sick ardour

At this time of year the evenings are very noisy with the incredible other-worldly sound of insects. However, it was still a surprise when the girls found this one dead on the driveway the other day. Well, I say dead - but it turns out that the rest of the family had another close insect encounter today when they arrived at a playground meet-up to find that to get from the car park to the play area they had to walk through a mass of huge hornet-like wasps. In fact they were cicada killer wasps were unlikely to bother them, but are - as their name suggests - no friend of the large singing insects - paralysing them, dragging them to their nest, laying an egg inside and leaving them to be eaten alive from the inside by the next waspish generation. So - is this one dead, or just very stationary? No idea, but it's big and kind-of beautiful - and out in the garage. Just in case.

Day 2.206: Daddy's turn

After we ate lunch at Hoffman's on Saturday, the girls (egged-on by Exile #2) decided that the best way to let their food go down was to challenge me to a ride of their choosing. They chose well.

I was chilling on this parachute ride until it latched into its top position at which the alarming tip over the top started. I kept my Daddy-cool but it was not quite carefree. When the ride stopped the operator informed me that the ride had been cut short by a request from an uncomfortable patron and I could stay on if I wanted. I decided it was time to ride the roller-coaster with Exile #3 and declined the kind offer.

As if that wasn't enough, when the six- and seven-year-old girls were all playing in the paddle boats on Sunday and E5N1 was feeling left out, Exile #2 volunteered me to get into one of the tiny plastic craft with a wriggly two-year-old and try to hold my own!

Pictures and ritual humiliation by Exile #2 obviously.

Day 2.205: We did it!

I got home from work a bit earlier than usual today and managed to get the grass cut since it had been the first all-dry day for some time.

Later, I showed the girls how to make a strong square from the Magneatos and suggested they build a tower. Their first attempt collapsed when adding the fourth layer, so I pointed out that the squares they were forming on the sides needed diagonal strengtheners too and they were able to build this - only stopping because they ran out of pieces.

My main achievement for the evening has been finishing off collating the information for my UK tax return. I'm sure not even the girls' smiles can match my relief and joy at clicking 'submit' at the end of that process.

Day 2.204: Manners for birds

If you click on or mouse-over this hummingbird it will stick out its tongue. No manners at all.

On the other hand, it is pretty cool to be able to photograph these tiny birds through the dining room window.

We had a busy day with a birthday party as well as a church gathering to fit in. I had hoped to cut the grass this morning, but it was wet even before the rain started - whether it was dew or an overnight shower I'm not sure.

Talking of being rude - you can now let me (and the other readers) know what you think of my posts by clicking on the reactions at the end of each post. I can change the categories, so feel free to let me know in the comments what you'd like to have the option of saying.

Day 2.203: Brief: summery

We decided to celebrate the first unreservedly summery day for a while by visiting Hoffman's Playland since we hadn't been yet this season. I won't tell you how our day was, rather I'll give you a taste, and let you work out the rest.

Unusually, these three videos all have sound - the second has the live audio and the first and third tell how our day went down and a bit about how the weather treated us respectively - the song titles will reward with the answers - if anyone actually recognises them feel free to educate your co-readers and polish your ego in the comments!







Incidentally - the 'three times' in the roller coaster clip title refers both to how many times we went round on each ride and to how many times I rode (first with Exile #3, then with Exile #4 and then again for Exile #3's final ride choice - the video is a montage of the first two circuits and the last circuit of the day).