Two Cycles Are Better Than One

This weekend in the SC we were inundated with some freakishly bizarre weather. It snowed; a lot. It wasn’t your average snow, but a very heavy wet snow. In some areas they reported accumulations of seven inches. As a snowboarder this would normally be fantastic, but in this case it was a different story.

Since we’re just getting into the heavy fall colors, the trees are still covered in leaves. This, coupled with the wet snow caused a lot of trees to lose branches or come down completely. They actually declared a disaster and opened shelters due to the power outages (that still hasn’t been completely restored). Fortunately I had power, but I, as well as several friends, had a lot of trees and tree related parts lying on the ground, hanging on roofs, or bending well beyond where they should due to the extra snow-load. In order to clean up from Mother Nature’s cruel joke I got to run my chainsaw.

I don’t often get to play with the chainsaw but it’s definitely something I really enjoy doing. I was offering to help friends, neighbors and anyone who had tree appendages that needed to be cut. There’s something about a finely tuned chainsaw effortlessly slicing through a piece of hardwood that’s quite gratifying. Apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way because the neighborhood sounded like a sawmill.

While it might seem as though I’m making light of the events from this weekend I’m not. It’s incredibly nerve wracking to lie in bed at night and hear nothing but the sound of cracking wood followed by loud thuds that you hope are not the roof of your house. Fortunately the weather warmed up enough to melt out the snow and give some relief to the over-stressed trees. Also, power has been restored to most of the community. Even with all the craziness, I was able to find one more thing that I really enjoy doing and now I also have some free firewood.

It’s All About The View

Fall is starting to settle into the Valley and the trees are starting to change. This weekend I was out in Rothrock for a bonfire, pig roast, and general merriment. Several of us decided to camp so we wouldn’t have to drive back in to town. As an added bonus, it was a fantastic night with cold crisp air that made getting zipped up my sleeping bag that much nicer.

Sunday morning was nice and sunny so on the drive out I decided to stop and take a few pictures. Looking down into the valley I was greeted with brilliant colors and some low clouds that were fighting to hang around before the sun burned them off. It was one of those views that you just need to sit back and take in. There was nothing but trees, hills, and Mother Nature doing what she does best. The pictures don’t truly capture the moment but it’s nice to have a reminder of why I live in Central Pennsylvania.

Things I Hate

While other people might disagree, I consider myself a pretty easy-going guy. There really isn’t much that I hate. In fact, I don’t even like using the word because it seems so harsh. Until recently there was only one item on the list of “Things I Hate.” That one thing was cobwebs. I truly hate cobwebs, with one caveat. If I’m in the woods were cobwebs are common, I don’t mind them. They’re supposed to be there. However, when I’m walking out my front door in the morning to go to work and take one in the face, I hate them. This weekend, I added another item to my list. The new affiliate giving cobwebs company is acorns.

I have a tremendous white oak tree in my back yard. It’s probably close to two-hundred years old and is very healthy. For about the last month this tree has been surrendering acorns. They have been ricocheting off my roof keeping me awake at night and accumulating on the ground. So many acorns had fallen that walking in the yard is like walking on marbles (those cartoon characters aren’t exaggerating much). Apparently there aren’t enough squirrels in my neighborhood to take the acorns away and since the majority of this tree fruit is now on the ground I decided it was time to take action.

After spending several hours raking acorns into rows and piles I was faced with the decision of what to do with them all. After some discussion with the neighbors and consultation with other individuals more wise than me, I still had no definitive answer. I reluctantly decided to add them to my ever expanding yard waste pile. After hauling about a dozen trash cans full of acorns across the yard, I called it quits. This constituted only about half the acorns that were relinquished by this massive white oak. I don’t know what I’m going to do with the rest of them. What I do know is that right now, I really hate acorns.

Happy Anniversary

You may have noticed that I didn’t post last week. That’s because I was at the beach enjoying the sun, surf, and sand. It was truly one of the best trips I’ve had in a long time. It might have been because of the people I was with but for whatever reason it was absolutely amazing. I’m not going to tell you about it because I don’t really want to. Some experiences are just for me and this is one of those instances.

Instead, I’m going to talk about something a lot less interesting. This weekend marks the one year anniversary of this blog. I’ve come a long way from “Bacon Wrapped Barbeque Scallops.” When I started this blog it was difficult for me to figure out what to write about. I had some great ideas regarding what I wanted this blog to be and that it would have some great purpose where I could voice my opinion about topics as if anyone actually cared what I thought.

As it turns out this blog became more of a weekly journal about my doings. In a way, I’m kind of happy about that because it gives me an opportunity to look back and recount some of the adventures that I’ve been on. With all the craziness (and mundane activities) that occurs in my day-to-day it’s nice to look back and recount what I’ve done and where I’ve been.

It feels like this year (as with most) has gone by so fast I haven’t had time to enjoy it, but when I look back on the past 365 days I’ve done some pretty cool things and spent quality time with some really great people. There have been some ups (I bought my first house) and some downs (turning blue in New Mexico) but overall it’s been a really full year. The best part is there’s still more to come.

Fandemonium

I’ve been posting to this blog now for almost an entire year. In that time, I’ve had several visitors drop in and take the time to read the worthless blather that I’ve spewed out. I’ve also had a few regulars continue to stop by for a quick read. This past weekend I got the chance to meet one of the anonymous people that read my weekly post. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a “fan” because that implies they might actually enjoy what I write. I thought it was kind of flattering, but at the same time a bit nerve wracking.

See here’s the deal-e-o yo; I found myself at a distinct disadvantage. I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a “Look At Me, Look At Me” type of person which also translates to a need to be the center of attention. Because of this, I like to dictate (read: be in control of) how a conversation might go. Here’s an example:


(Me) “Hi I’m Eric.”

(Other person) “Hi Eric, I’m [insert name here].”

(Me) “Let me tell you about how awesome I am. Also, I’ll take everything you say and turn it around to be something about me therefore emphasizing my self-centeredness and unquenched need for attention.”


Since this person I was talking to (let’s call her Emily) has been keeping up with my weekly ramblings, she had an insight into my world, yet I had no clue about her. To top it off, she grew up just down the road from where I grew up so she also knew about the geography that helped to shape my childhood. It was definitely not my normal conversation stream.

After a bit though, I came to terms with the situation because she was pretty cool (despite her being from the Valley). It was also nice to meet a complete stranger that has been patient enough to keep up with my day-to-day. Also, the possibly of having at least one fan (sorry Mom, you don’t qualify) is always a nice little boost to the ego. Oh yeah, and to the ladies at the Monday Night Book Club who tend to follow along as well, thanks for being my “fans” (even if you’re not).

Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em

This was a busy weekend for me. Since it was the Labor Day Holiday (and therefore a three-day weekend) I made the most of it. I did a little of everything including visiting with friends, riding my bike, putting a new water pump in my car, cutting brush out of the yard (that was no small undertaking), and cooking food in a trash can. That’s right, a trash can.

See, I enjoy everything pig. From the bacon, to the tenderloin to the chops, and even the scrapple, pork is pretty much always delicious. I decided to make myself a smoker so I could enjoy one of my favorite types of pork, the barbeque. I found some make-shift instructions on the interweb for making a smoker out of a trash can so I figured I should give it a go. Getting the thing to function properly is a story in itself, but rest assured, about one year and way too much money went into this contraption, but I finally managed to get it working. This weekend marked the maiden voyage of Sir Smokes-a-Lot.

I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical about cooking food in a trash can, but I figured if there was someone on the net-xtravaganza claiming that it worked than who was I to question the legitimacy. I put a slab of meat in the smoker this morning and went about some yard work with frequent checks to monitor the temperature and smoke content. As the day progressed, everything seemed to be working out as planned. After about seven and a half hours I had a properly cooked and smoked hunk of meat that was quite delicious.

Sure I learned a few things along the way and may do some things differently for the next smoking but for the most part it was a success. The one change I’ll certainly make before the next time is switching from a plastic can to a metal one. No matter how much sauce you use it’s hard to cover up that taste.

Holidays for Everyday

So it’s a holiday weekend which means tomorrow will be my Sunday. Check back then for a new post will ya?