Road Construction Oaks

The Oaks Shopping Center, the construction site across Black Rock Road and the Expo Center all have contributed to a need for increased traffic capabilities of the nearby roads. Hopefully, that need is being addressed with the current road construction.

The Norristown bound side of Egypt Road is being widened as it approaches the eastbound US 422 entrance.

The grass has been scraped from quite a bit of the hillside along Egypt Road.

It looks like new storm drains will be installed along the road.

New utility poles were planted to carry the overhead traffic signals at both intersections along Egypt Road - Black Rock and Mill Roads.

Although the entrance ramp will be wider, it is not likely US 422 will be widened much beyond the entrance ramp.

Above is the eastbound exit from US 422 onto Norristown bound Egypt Road. There is a basin that was excavated to the right of the exit ramp. It is full of water. I spoke with an older lifetime Oaks resident who remembers a spring right where that basin is today. I wonder if anyone did their homework before digging that basin?

Below are a few images I created whilst out with a camera. I can be dangerous, at times.

With all this road construction, surely the roads will not be jammed in the future. One can only hope someone knows what they're doing.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all right reserved

Early April Gardening Fever Leads to Death

It is early spring and Oaks Gardens is gone. It died and will be born again as Oaks Shopping Center. But fear not for lack of garden plants and supplies for Lowe's Home Improvements is just a hop, skip and a jump away. They seem to be ready to fill your gardening needs.

On the last day of March, there were already flowers, 

vegetables, 

herbs 

and plenty of garden supplies out in front of the store.

There were mostly cold hardy plants but be aware of each plant's hardiness.

I remember one year, a long time ago, I got gardening fever. It was just after moving into my first home in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia. We had never had a garden in my parent's home in South Philly. So I wasn't savvy when it came to planting times.

It was very early April and I visited the nearby garden supply store in Glenside, PA. There before me were trays and trays of beautiful blooming plants. Plants that I just had to have. I was driven by desire and purchased quite a few impatiens and begonias. I spent a whole day spacing the pink, white and red plants perfectly in the front of my house. I stepped back and admired my labor and the beauty of the flowering plants.

Sometime around the sixth or seventh of the very same month a sudden snow materialized. Those tender plants were blanketed in pure fresh frozen whiteness.

All were lost.

I learned a lesson that year that I remember vividly to this day. Gardening fever may cloud your judgement and lead to death.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved