Time to get Posting !!!

 Wouldn't you just know it... even more time has gone by in the flash of an eye.

It seems like only yesterday, we were making our batches of Salsa, and putting them up on the shelf.  Now, winter is almost ready to start into spring, our salsa stash is just about depleted and the daffodil bulbs are beginning to push up through the cold earth.  The signs of spring are returning to Eastrun!

 Robins are back from their winter hiatus to warmer climates, and the maple trees are going to be running sap soon.

 There are plenty of things happening in 2019, and I'm looking forward to them with anticipation.

My work life has taken a new direction.  At the start of the new year, there was a corporate decision to close down the program I had given a great deal of my energy to developing from a pilot program into a service available to clients on a national level, at all of the company's retail outlets.  

 It was a shock and a sad day, when the news was shared with all my colleagues and myself. 

 How does it go ?  When life hands you lemons, You make a lemon meringue pie! Or something along those lines.   I'm still working on the crust for that pie.  You have to start somewhere.

 So, I'm starting by, brushing off my resume' and sending it out to potential employers.

 I've interviewed two potential employers so far.  They both gave me a good feeling about their company philosophy.  They also are family owned and operated, instead of huge corporate entities, which also made me feel a little "warm and fuzzy" about the possibility of working with them.

 

 Another new adventure for me is:  This is the year I move into the Presidency of The H.H. Franklin Club.  For the next two years, I will be presiding over Board of Directors meetings and hosting four major events for the club.  I will also host a couple of cocktail parties as President.  I'm REALLY looking forward to those!!!  Tee he he.

 The other events are, The Franklin Trek held in the finger lakes of central New York State at the end of July, and the Air Cooled invitational at the H.H. Franklin Museum at The Gilmore in Hickory Corners Michigan, the third weekend in June.   (www.Franklincar.org  for anyone who wants to look up the web site)

 If you've read some of my earlier postings in here, you would have seen my Franklin Sedan out and about on different adventures.  This is something I'm very passionate about, and I'm very happy to be able to give back to this non-profit with my time and energy.

 

 I will be posting to this blog more regularly.  I would encourage you to check back from time to time... Even make it part of your "routine"!  I'm going to be making it part of mine.

 Cheers for now...  and enjoy the two pictures of Farnsworth house at East Run, and the new Car Barn we had built for the expanding antique car collection.

 

 

  

Time seems to be Rushing By !

The winter was a wet one and gray for the most part. Spring took it's time getting here, and was also on the the "wet" side.  It took forever to dry out enough to allow planting a garden.
 Once the garden did go in, I was fighting the crows, who were pulling the fresh corn kernels out of the ground as they were germinating.  I finally won that battle by laying chicken wire over the rows of corn.
 Time seems to be rushing by....  Jon and I picked a bunch of tomatoes and preserved then as a batch of salsa.
 Tomatoes, onion, peppers, salt, vinegar, cilantro, jalapenos and a few other things, and the next thing you know, You've got a batch of salsa ready to go into jars for when the snow is flying.  Nothing like the taste of summer when you open a jar of your very own salsa to share with friends.

Kirby, The Best Puppy in all of Puppy-land He will be missed.

It has been a long time since my last entry. 
But, I'm writing today as a way to honor our beloved Kirby.
He was Jon's companion every day in the Piano Workshop and around the house while I was gone all day to work.
 Kirby was our traveling companion of motoring trips to visit family and friends.
He was always a gentleman at other people's home.. (Well, there was that one time in Houston, BUT he was encouraged by the lovely Mila.. you know how a girl can be when she wants something..)
 Kirby will be missed for a long long time.
 It has been over 3 months now, and I still think I see him in his usual places around the house, when I turn a corner or walk into a room... but he isn't there.

One last fall adventure with the 1925 Franklin

The weekend was OURS !!! The weather was splendid, for one last weekend adventure with the 1925 Franklin.
 We gathered up a few things to eat and drink, packed them into the trunk on the back of the car, and started off for Clearfield, Pennsylvania to join up with our friend Mac and his 1922 Franklin touring Car.
 A crisp late fall day, but even with clear skies and sun warming our faces, the occupants of the Touring Car had to be bundled up against the cold morning air.  Even Kirby, "The wonder puppy of East Run" had to be under wraps... and he was wearing his fur coat !
 So, off we motored into the woods and fresh air in the mountains above Clearfield, Pennsylvania.
 Our party consisted of Kirby, Mac, Our friend Trixy and her husband Mark, J.P. & Myself. 

Mean while, Trixy and I were comfortably being warmed by the very efficient heater in the 1925 Franklin Sedan....  no need for coats or lap robes when you are traveling along in the comfort of an "all weather" automobile.
 Our first stop was to a large rock outcropping called "Panther Rocks".  There was a place to pull the cars off the dirt road and park.  We followed the path into the woods until we found our way to The rocks.
 Kirby was full of energy, and ran all over and around, and sometimes even under,  following the scent of chipmunks and squirrels.

After stretching our legs and feeling the need to move on to more of the adventure, we followed Mac along until we reached a lake.  It is man made by the Bureau of forestry at the site of an old inn called Shaggers Inn.

There was a place to sit at the water's edge, and feel the afternoon sun on our faces.

 I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to have a summer time picnic there when the weather gets warm again.

We had to keep a close watch on Kirby, because he was all set to run into the lake and take a swim....

Trixy and Mark were feeling the sun on their faces, J.P settled in for a nice rest while being warmed by the sun...  and I kept taking pictures to remember the days activities.

Mac has an idea for a tech. article he would like to write.  He plans to experiment with the cooling efficiency of the Franklin Air Cooled engines, and discover the differences between the engine temperatures while the cars are working hard going up a hill, or coasting along on the level roads, and even when they are effortlessly motoring down a slight grade.
 There were a few times during our adventure that we pulled over to take readings from the engines with an instant laser heat reading device.
 Quickly, we would pull off to the side of the road, and up goes the hood of the cars, so Mac could get as accurate a reading as possible.
 When the signal was given, we would pull off the road, and everyone would jump out and do what we could to get the hoods up for Mac to go about his experiment....
 It all had a reminiscent effect of a Chinese fire drill, all of us jumping out of the cars and running around !!!
 Mac was so serious, while the rest of us saw it with unbridled humour, and laughing.

The final destination of the day was to visit friends of Mac's, at their camp site.  They have a nifty little place that was built in the 1920's on state game lands.  Just far enough from town to feel like you have gotten away from it all, but then if you've forgotten something important back at home, you can always go back for it if you really feel you need it.
 The entire place has a sort of rustic charm about it, but running water and electricity lends the place a simple nod to modern conveniences.
 There was a fire in the fire pit to stand and warm ourselves near, and we enjoyed some snacks and beverages with Mac's friends.  They were very friendly and fun to get to know.

With the sun getting low in the west, it was time to gather our things and head back for town.  It would be about an hour and a half to drive back on the dirt roads up over the mountains and into Clearfield.

Our Franklins provided us with another days worth of adventure and excitement as we explored old rail beds and long forgotten logging roads through the woods and over the mountains, along babbling brooks and streams.
 I can't wait to be able to dust off the car at the first sign of spring, and do it all over again. 
 Until the next time,
 Stay warm....
 ~B

Pumpkin Carving Here at Farnsworth House in East Run, Pennsylvania

The air has that crisp feel to it again. The feel of winter is in the wind that blows the dried leaves around.
So,  I drove over the mountain with the 1925 Franklin to gather up a few pumpkins for carving.

 My friend Trixy also grew a bunch of pumpkins this year.  But the pumpkins that came up in Trixy's garden where strictly a surprise.  Apparently there were pumpkin seeds in her compost that were still able to grow in the garden when she planted this spring.

 The assortment was varied, and we had a great time working on them.  First it was all about opening them up and pulling out the Pumpkin "Guts"... all that slime and seeds...  It went into a big bucket in the middle of the table. 

  Then everyone went about creating faces on the pumpkins.  Some would be smiles, and others would be frightening faces.  But all were delightful and fun.

 I personally think the best, most fun, scary, and well thought out pumpkin face was a scary one designed and carved by Trixy's husband, Mark.  It is a tall frightening face with sharp teeth and  sinister eyes...

  As for the Pumpkins that found their way to the front step of Farnsworth House...

 Well... lets just say,  Only happy looking pumpkins live here.  Smiles and a welcoming feeling at the door for when we have our little ghosts and goblins arrive for trick-or-treating.

  Have a happy and safe Halloween.....



 
 

Mushrooms, Mushrooms, Mushrooms EVERYWHERE !!!!

I know allot of time has passed since my last entry, and I have no doubt all my followers have been biting their nails waiting for the next installment of "Life in Eastrun"...  I say that with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. LOL

 On a recent walk in the fields and woods above "The Valley", we discovered a vast assortment of mushrooms growing.  All kinds of colors and textures.  I know very little about mushrooms. I only eat the ones that come wrapped in cellophane, with a bar-code in a nice little container labeled "Moonlight". 

 But, after being on this walk, I was thinking how nice it would be to venture into the woods and find great tasting mushrooms to add to your favorite dishes.
 That was a great idea until you start doing research into the "good" mushrooms verses the "bad" mushrooms...  and the more you talk with people about finding the good ones, the more you hear stories of how dangerous the bad ones can be.

  You know the stories I'm referring to...  They always go a little like this: " Oh yeah, the mushrooms you find in the woods are nothing like those bland tasteless things you get at the supermarket !  BUT, you have to be careful... Some of the (insert mushroom name here) can look allot like the (insert other mushroom name here) and if you get the wrong ones, you can get really sick !!!"
 OR, you happen to be talking with a "noted authority" about finding the so called good mushrooms, when he/she says something like " I learned everything I know from Old Mr. So-and-So. Now there was a guy who knew his mushrooms. But even he made a few mistakes along the way, and if he hadn't eaten that bad batch of (insert mushroom name here) he would still be with us today ". 
 Ahhhh.... Yeah !!!  I don't think so !!!!

 So, the long story shortened is this;  I'll leave the mushrooms in the woods and enjoy "gathering" them as images in my new fangled digital camera. I'll share them with my friends and family in this blog, and send them out to people interested in seeing all the varieties we have growing here in "The Valley".  I'll rest easy knowing there is no way I can do harm to myself or my friends.

 Enjoy these pictures and if you see a mushroom in the photos that you know happens to be a "good" one....  I would be happy to show you where they are growing.   But, remember what Old Mr. So-and-So did to himself....

 Until next time, keep healthy and happy.  I have to get into the kitchen,  It is time to add the "moonlight" mushrooms to the pot roast I have on the stove...  Tee Heee

 Bye for now

On Tour with the Franklin

We have left "The Valley" for a week of touring with our 1925 Franklin automobile.  We are in central New York State in the Finger Lakes region.
 It is beautiful countryside and the weather is a little on the iffy side. Threats of rain, but then the sun comes out again.

There have been a few "break downs", but the repair crew has everything under control. 
 Will fill you in on more the the fun as it unfolds...
 This is a short entry because I have to get back to the fun....  
 enjoy the pictures and video of some of the very early cars on this tour.
 Until later.....