Our drive yesterday was easy and smooth. The traffic was light and the weather dry and clear. Driving through Pennsylvania was familiar and uneventful, a drive I have made many times going to Pittsburgh to visit relatives or taking my daughter Kathryn to Penn State. But instead of turning off for my birthplace, Ted and […]

Charlotte says goodby to her grandfather and his biking buddy Ted It being Summer, it is time for me and Ted to flee our respective homes and head off for yet another excellent adventure on our bikes. This year we have decided to bike the Ohio to Erie Trail, a 326-mile trip extending from Cincinnati […]

Juana and Charlotte are shocked by the size of their harvests The rain of the last few days has made harvesting difficult. Dreary skies spitting out inconsistent precipitation makes one want to stay inside. But it has been three days since we have been out to pick strawberries so with a break in the rain […]

At this time of year there is a welcome contrast between my property and that of many of my neighbors who have lawn services. For them and the near constant arrival of professionals with large and noisy equipment, the goal is to erase any signs of untidiness in the form of decaying plants or random […]

Sometime between the first frost and the release of the last leaf from a surrounding tree, the lawn needs a final cut. The month of October has offered a welcome respite from the regularity of mowing (particularly during a wet year) as the cool temperatures and lower exposure to sun has slowed the growing process. […]

As fall arrives, many of the garden plants are dying down and with that the insects that have been feeding on them. However, we have been fortunate (or cursed) that this fall we have had a ton of caterpillars feeding on the garden greens. The worst example of this has been in a small test […]

While many plants power their way though growth in the heat of the summer, lawn grass is a different beast. Making their push in the Spring to reestablish themselves, the fescues, ryes and other varieties slow down this time of year. The light bright green of early growth gives way to a duller, deeper shade […]

Day breaks with a clear cool sky and only slight signs of the prior day’s storm. Ted and I are ready to make our final push, returning to Charlottetown. As we look out toward the ocean and New Brunswick, a quintet of kayaks make their way east on a placid, smooth sea. The water is […]

We are nearing the end of our trip and only now are we faced with the possibility of inclement weather. The forecast is for heavy rain this afternoon. We have already cut off a section of our bike tour to take our daily mileage total down to around 40 miles from over 50. We may […]