Road Work Changes Face of Oaks Deli and Pizzeria

22 August 2013

25 August 2013

Entrance to Oaks Pizzeria, 21 August 2013

A wall went up at the entrance of Oaks Pizzeria. This structure will protect the pizzeria patrons from falling off the pavement as well as flying debris as the excavators remove a large portion of the patio to widen Egypt Road. 

Oaks Pizzeria, 26 August 2013

The road work continues through the night.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Oaks Deli and Pizzeria to Lose Patio

Oaks Deli and Pizzeria is another day closer to having its patio trimmed.

19 August 2013

20 August 2013

If those white lines in the photograph above are any indication, when the patio gets trimmed there won't be any al fresco dining at Oaks Deli and Pizzeria. It will be a challenge just to enter the store.

Oaks Deli and Pizzeria from the Oaks Shopping Center construction site, 20 August 2013.

I wonder why the pizzeria is still standing. It makes more sense traffic-wise and business-wise to demolish the building and have the pizzeria move to one of the shops in the rear of the new shopping center. The traffic will flow better. The pizzeria will have a brand new building with loads of accessible parking.

Who am I to make those decisions?

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Demolition to Widen Egypt Rd.

The view along Egypt road has already changed since the beginning of 2013. Widening of Egypt Road near the eastbound entrance to US 422 is a part of the change. The widening will continue on the same side of the road going towards Phoenixville.

Work has already started between between Cresson Blvd. and Oaks Deli and Pizzeria.

The house there is unoccupied and the driveway and front lawn was dug up for utility work.

From the alignment of the utility poles, the patio outside Oaks Deli and Pizzeria just might be reduced in size by the road widening. 

Two buildings west of Mill Rd. have been stripped of all their asbestos shingles.

 

The building with the cupola at the intersection of Egypt Rd. and Station Ave. that is extremely close to the road was prepared for demolition. 

As is the adjacent brick building to the west on Egypt Rd.

The semi-detached houses seem to be the last on Egypt Rd. scheduled for demolition.

The view facing Norristown along Egypt Rd. from Brower Ave. will certainly be different by the end of 2013.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

August 13 Harvest

A few vegetables harvested within this last week from my raised bed square foot garden.

One Nantes and several Kaleidoscope carrots

In this one bowl are 2.9 lbs/ 1343g of Tami G grape, Beefsteak and Rutgers tomatoes and one bell pepper.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Cuke in a Bottle

The first cucumber in a bottle project ended when the cucumber stopped growing, turned brown, died. It was too young to meet such an end.

The second cuke in a bottle project is still going well. I started this project with a larger cucumber and a much larger bottle.

I pinched off a leaf in order to push the stem deeper into the bottle. It looks as though it is growing fine.

Not to give up on the smaller Coke bottle, I found another slightly larger cucumber to try again. Although I originally had the bottle turned upside down to keep out any rain. I didn't do that this time. If any rain collects in the bottle I should be able to pour it out. That is, if I catch the cucumber before it completely fills the bottle.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Tomatoes - Beginning of August 2013

Early August finds the raised bed square foot garden beds doing well. You can see in the above photograph the Mortgage Lifter tomato is quite tall. Easily 9'/2.8m in height. As of 3 Aug, 6.5kg/14.5lbs of Mortgage Lifter tomatoes have been harvested from just one plant.

On a sadder note, to continue my problems with tomatoes this year, I believe the Cherokee Purple plant is dying. I haven't seen a new flower on it since the weather got hot. By hot I mean above 90ºF/32ºC in July. I must say I believe the tomatoes from this vine were the best tasting harvested this year.

Rutgers

Beefsteak

Along with the Mortgage Lifter, I continue to harvest Tami G, Super Sweet 100, Rutgers and Beefsteak tomatoes. However the Rutgers and Beefsteaks are small in size.




Sandwiches with tomatoes are quite popular since the beginning of July. Bagel with cream cheese, tomato and sweet onion, grilled cheese with tomato, oregano with and without bacon are the top choices.

Although the homegrown tomato season is not over, I will really miss them when they are gone.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

Oaks Construction - Beginning of August 2013

Chicago Grill as viewed from Bob Evans parking lot

The construction is moving alone. All the walls are up at Chicago Grill-Pizzeria Uno. Fake stone work is being done on the lower part of the exterior walls. From Egypt Road I can see plastic pipes growing out of the floor inside the walls.

The bank site is on the right of this photograph with Wawa site to the left.

Originally the opening for the Oaks Shopping Center was Fall of 2013. 

Wawa site on the right side of this photograph with Buffalo Wild Wings site on the far left. A tall retaining wall was built between the shopping center and the houses on Gumbes Rd. A white fence was recently installed atop that retaining wall. Both the wall and the fence can be seen behind the Buffalo Wild Wings site.

The roads near the intersection of Black Rock and Egypt Roads are being enlarged, as seen in the photograph above and those below.

A lane has been added to the westbound exit of US 422.

Two lanes have been added to the eastbound exit/entrance of US 422.

Fall is not quite two months away and lasts another 90 some days. 
It is possible completion of this project will happen before Christmas.

We shall see.

©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved

First Cucumber Harvested 30 July 2013

This cucumber started at a very early age on 11 July.

It appeared to be growing into its prickles on 18 July.

Almost ready to be harvested on 26 July.

Weighing in at 226g/0.5lbs this Burpee's Sweet Burpless Hybrid Cucumber was cut free from its vine early on the morning of 30 July. A meeting with dill and sour cream is scheduled.


©Damyon T. Verbo - all rights reserved