ABC 6 Action News, Maybe

Last winter, during a winter snow storm while I was shoveling snow from my driveway, I looked up to see my neighbor, from directly across the road, carrying a huge video camera crossing the road in my direction. He has a position with a company that produces the intro to the news programs at the ABC-TV affiliate in Philadelphia.

He requested my permission to video me for the intro that may be used winter of next year. I gave my permission and he recorded me as I shoveled. He directed I throw the snow in his direction as I smiled. I was already breathing and shoveling and he was requesting me add two more actions? I agreed to try. 

At that time I was wearing a fleece ski cap, a fleece jacket, fleece gloves and a fleece neck gaiter. The only flesh visible was between the top of the neck gaiter covering my lips and my eyebrows. I don't think anyone, not even close family members, will recognize me as the shoveler when seen on TV.

Yesterday, as I used my electric leaf blower to gather leaves in my front yard into piles, I looked up to see the same neighbor crossing the road in my direction with the huge video camera. He had been out and about looking for people doing fall activities. He captured every fall activity except one. All he needed was someone blowing leaves. There I was blowing leaves. Kismet.

If this clip is included in the intro next autumn,  I believe people will recognize me. I wasn't wearing a cap, jacket, gloves or neck gaiter. They'll see the top of my old balding head, my fat face and big belly. Undeniably me.

I was directed to stand behind the collected elongated leaf pile and sweep the blower left to right and back as I blew the leaves. The leaves fluttered to rest atop the pile. Several times my neighbor gave me hand signals and I saw his lips moving. Each time I turned off the blower to hear his directions- bigger sweeps, faster, slower, smile, look directly at the camera. I tried by hardest. Whether I met his expectations or wore him down, he claimed we were finished.

I stopped my neighbor as he started off towards home. I turned the tables and asked permission to photograph him for my blog. He agreed. That's what neighbors are for.

I will need to wait until next autumn to see if this clip is included in ABC-TV 6 News intro. That's a whole year. I may be dead by then. Of course, the snow shoveling clip captured last winter is due out the Monday before the winter solstice. I should be around for that.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Electrical Outage Due to Sandy

There is a road I pass daily that has been closed since super storm Sandy went through Oct. 29 and 30.

The sign on the road stated it was closed because of flooding. Two days past the last of Sandy, the road was still barricaded. Sandy didn't deliver enough rain for that kind of flooding. I decided to investigate.

It was fifteen minutes before sunrise and birds were singing and chirping all around. I parked just past the barricade and walked towards the stream where the flooding would occur. As I progressed farther, I could hear the drone from one electrical generator.

In front of the house with the droning generator I saw a large branch of a Catalpa speciosa(cigar tree) lying atop the power lines. It was putting a severe amount of tension on those wires.

Beyond the broken branch, on the ground, was a electrical transformer. Due to the tension on the wires the utility pole, on which the transformer was mounted, was broken and dangling upside down. When this incident originally happened, this was a very dangerous situation. Live wires on the ground. The ground wet with rain. A deadly situation.

The transformer was definitely off the pole and on the road pavement. It was fairly obvious the electricity had been turned off to this section of the road. But you can never be sure. It is best to stay far from the wires and transformer if you were to come across this situation.  Electricity is not forgiving.

At the time this photograph was captured, except for the one house with the generator, the houses on this road were without electricity for four days.

As sure as the sun will rise again, electricity will return to the houses on this road. Just not sure when.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Super Storm Sandy Clean - Up

Thursday morning, two days after Sandy blew through my neighborhood, with the sun above the horizon just twenty-five minutes, I noticed an impressive mass of trucks in the nearby Target parking lot. There were, by my estimations, thrity-some six wheel bucket trucks, utility pole lifting trucks, trailers, 12 passenger vans and pick-up trucks from out of town. Originating, I figured from the license plates, in North Carolina and Florida.

Organizing amongst the trucks were dozens of safety vest wearing workers - lineman, flagmen/women, tree trimmers and supporting crews. Workers that left their families and put their regular lives on hold. They traveled hundreds of miles north to help clean up and re-energize my neighborhood. An unfamiliar community hard hit by a powerful super storm.

They arrived the night before and stayed at a new hotel in the area, Hilton Garden Inn in Oaks, PA. A facility that opened its doors just three weeks earlier upon finishing construction. The hotel is a few hundred yards away their hot tired trucks rested overnight in the Target parking lot.

According to Nicole Ream, Regional Director of Sales, the hotel embraced the arrival of the workers. "After three days on the road",  Ream said, "Garden Inn wanted to make the workers feel at home. These are great group of guys. They will be working long hours doing dangerous work with high voltage. Once they are here in the hotel we want them to relax and provide them with good food and comfortable surroundings." 

"We here at the hotel are very interested in our community," Ream told me. "The owners and staff are grateful for the sacrifice of these out-of-town workers are making to help our community," she said. She added, the chef has put extra effort into making sure the breakfasts are hearty and will last the men through their mornings. He personally baked cookies to include in the box lunches to bring a little bit of home to their mid-day break and meal. And lastly after sixteen hours of hard labor, the workers should have good hot filling dinners before they get to lay their heads down and close their weary eyes.

Hilton Garden Inn usual guests are corporate and leisure travelers was well as guests from the community. Guests such as grandparents visiting for the holidays or those storm victims without electricity looking for a dry comfortable place with a hot bath to stay for a few nights.

The hotel is located in Marketplace of Oaks /422 Business Center. It shares space with large retail stores Target, Lowe's, BJ's, indoor entertainment and The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. There are also several eateries such as Bob Evans, Max and Erma's, a hot dog and a sushi restaurant and a pizzeria.

The inn also contains a bar and restaurant that are open to the public as well as a banquet facility for meetings, parties and wedding receptions.

If you see one of these men sacrificing their lives to bring our community back to full functioning, stop and say thanks, thanks a lot.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Valley Forge Park Pre-Hurricane Sandy

I stopped by Valley Forge National Historical Park to see what preparations were evidenced before the impending super storm named Hurricane Sandy.

The sky was overcast with very little contrast.

The arrival of Hurricane Sandy was little more than 24 hours away and no preparations were in site. 

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Hurricane Sandy Preparations

As much as the media has reported on Hurricane Sandy, I just need to add my two cents. Sandy was not just a category one hurricane, it was a category one hurricane combined with several other weather systems to create a super storm. Some in the media were calling Sandy, Frankenstorm, because of the timing near Halloween. (In my mind Frankenstein's monster was manmade. Is it a conscience or sub-conscience tying of this storm to man's influence on earth's weather?) Mind you, meteorologists did not call this the storm of the century. We suffered through one of them just twenty years ago. With this century just started, I think the meteorologists are waiting until later in this century to use that term again. I am somehow comforted by the fact that I will not see another storm of the century.

In any event, I spent most of Monday raising everything off the floor of my basement. (Note to self - bring a large trash can down to the basement.) My house is built on what appears to be solid rock. Rain water or melted snow runs down hill, finds the hole that is my basement and begins to fill that hole. I have a sump pump that runs with the slightest rain. When the sump pump is working correctly, I do not have a problem with water in the basement. However, twice in the last nineteen years, I have walked through the basement with water up to my ankles.

The first time, most of the family was out visiting my eldest daughter at University of Pittsburgh. My son stayed behind to mind the dog. There was rain at home, the sump pump did not work and water quickly accumulated in the basement. The next time the sump pump was working fine. The check valve, however, was not. With the super storm approaching, both the sump pump and the check valve were in good working order. However, there were predictions of power outages. Without power water will rise in the basement. That is why I spent most of Monday in the basement.

During the three days before the arrival of Sandy, I found two battery operated radios, three flashlights, both a propane camping lantern and camp stove, a dozen large candles and several boxes of matches. Friday I purchased, bread, milk, eggs, two cases of bottled water, propane cylinders and food that could be eaten without heating.

I collected all items outdoors that might become missiles in high winds and brought them into the garage. I tied down the large swing on the patio. I was fairly confident all the gutters were clear because of the gutter guards installed on them. My biggest concerns were the twenty year old shingle roof, my large windows on the ground floor and the sump pump and loss of power.

Once everything was complete, I went into the garage to build a bedside table for my youngest daughter, currently at Millersville University. It was either that or watch TV and media coverage of the advancing storm. I opted for the garage. I was prepared as I was going to get.

The power was interrupted at 21:37 on Monday.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Galatea and Aphrodite Photograph Google Ranking

The other day I noticed that if the phrase Galatea and Aphrodite were Googled and then images chosen, my photograph ranks highest and is the first returned. 

Is that an accomplishment?

Of course, there were photographs of sailboats and a handbag returned, too.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Valley Forge Radisson Hotel and Casino at Night

I was busy all day Sunday. By the time I was free, the sky was clear and dark with a quarter moon shining brightly at the peak of its trip across the sky. I immediately thought about Valley Forge Park and the National Memorial Arch and the moon. I didn't hesitate, off I went to the park.

The park closes at dusk each day. However, there are four roads through the park that are open to traffic at all times. Those roads are as follows.  PA rte 23 that runs east to west.  PA rte 252 that runs north to south. Gulph Rd that is one of only three roads into a developed housing community in the southeast corner of the above map and County Line Rd that almost bisects the park north from south.

I entered Valley Forge from the west on PA rte 23, very close to General George Washington's Headquarters. Where rte 23 bends to the left I stayed straight onto Gulph Rd. Gulph Rd passes within 100' / 30m of the arch and then continues into the developed housing community.

I slowed my speed to a crawl as I traveled past the arch. I looked for the location of the moon. It was behind the arch but high in the sky. I was also aware there was a car approaching from my rear. I thought it might be a park ranger. You've read of my ranger encounters. Not wanting to confront a ranger, I continued on Gulph Rd towards Thomas Rd and the housing community.

The car was still behind me. I couldn't discern whether it was a ranger or not, so I continues on Gulph Rd past Thomas Rd and into the community. I was probably half way to the intersection with Richards Rd when the car turned off onto a side road. It wasn't a park ranger. I quickly made a U-turn and proceeded back towards the arch.

When I was again directly in front of the arch I could see the moon wasn't in the right position for a great photograph. I drove on. At County Line Rd I turned right. I thought there might be a place along that road that would give me the correct point of view to bring the moon closer to the arch for a good image. I drove slowly down the road ducking down and looking over my right shoulder to see out of the side window towards the arch and the moon.

There are several tall trees planted close to the arch that blocked a clear view of the arch as I drove. I thought I came upon the spot.  I stopped the car, opened my door and stepped out to get a good look back at the arch. I leaned on the roof of the car and took a long discerning look at the arch. I and the moon were too far from the arch to get a good photograph. I was disappointed. I got back into the car and continued towards rte 23. Keeping a sharp eye to the road not wanting to hit any deer.

So there I was, driving through Valley Forge Park at night. The park was closed. I was avoiding whitetail deer on a dark unlit curvy road. My mind was racing. I didn't want to waste my time or the trip. So I changed my goal.

Sometime within the last week, I decided I wanted to get on the rooftop of either the Valley Forge Casino or the nearby Radisson Hotel. I thought there might be some great images of the park from up there. Especially near sunset with the sky all red and orange and the park spread out between the casino and the fiery sky. In order to get to the rooftop, though, I needed to speak with someone at the hotel or casino. Someone with authority.

It was getting late in the evening. It was 20:30. I didn't think the person with authority would be working on a Sunday at that hour. I hoped, however, there would be someone at the hotel desk that could give me the name of the PR/marketing person and their phone number. So I headed to the Radisson Hotel. The taller of the two buildings.

I entered the hotel without my camera. I introduced myself as a local blogger writing about the park and explained how and why I desired to get onto the roof. After rejecting the suggestion I talk to someone in security, I requested the name and phone number of the PR/marketing person at the hotel. Without any further questioning I was given a name, phone number and hours of the day when I should call. Goal accomplished.

As I walked away from the hotel, my mind and eye turned to photography. I began to see possible images. I returned to my car, grabbed my camera and walked back to the hotel. I began to  

create some photographic images of the hotel

and casino.

Trip not wasted!


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Taste of Garden Harvest

The best producers measured by weight have been reported. Now it's time to talk about taste.

Since the majority of plants in the square foot garden were tomatoes, that is where I will start. Here is my list, starting with the best taste.

1. Black Krim
2. Mr. Stripey
3. German Johnson
4. Super Sweet 100
5. Husky Cherry
6. Big Boy
7. Early Girl
8. Chocolate Cherry

The first three tomatoes are heirloom varieties. The taste of all the heirloom tomatoes far exceeded the taste of the hybrids, except for the Super Sweet. The Super Sweet were just delightful, small, sweet with just enough acid to say tomato. The taste of the Husky Cherry was good but the thick skin detracted a great deal from the eating experience. The Big Boy and Early Girl were just pedestrian compared to the heirlooms. Compared to tomatoes available in supermarkets these two were much better as was their texture. Probably because they were vine ripened. I had great expectations for the Chocolate Cherry. Thinking that they would taste somewhat like the Black Krim because of their similar color, they fell short of my target.

The cucumbers had good taste and very few seeds. There was quite a bit of flesh compared to seeds. The cucumbers were firm and great raw in salads.

The bell peppers were crisp with good taste but there just weren't many of them. The cayenne peppers were productive for one plant but they were not spicy. At least not as spicy as I thought they would be.

The green beans had a strong taste. Especially when eaten raw in a tossed salad. They were good when boiled or steamed.

The potatoes, as small as they were, tasted quit good and very fresh. I will adjust the method of growing them next year with hope that they will grow larger.

In the early growing season the snow peas were very sweet and much fresher and smaller than if bought in the supermarket.

Even though the lettuce had a slow start the taste was delightful.

After evaluating the fruits and vegetables from the garden in 2012, I have decided which will return in 2013. And the winners are, in order of priority -

1. Super Sweet 100
2. Black Krim
3. Mr. Stripey
4. German Johnson
5. Snow Peas
6. Loose Leaf Lettuce
7. Burpee Burpless Beauty Cucumber
8. Russett Potato
9. Yukon Gold Potato
10. Red Norland Potato

Planning of the square foot garden for 2013 has begun.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved