Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Gannon University, Waldron Campus Center
Last week Wednesday, Kim and I went to the alumni luncheon at Gannon University. This year's theme was, "It's a small world: International Gannon."
The luncheon included foods from China, Saudi Arabia, and India. The food was good, especially the vegetables on the India table. After lunch, we enjoyed the program which included five or six international students who spoke about their experiences and adventures at Gannon. The students were from Pakistan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, China and India. I came away very impressed. These students are very intelligent and articulate, and seemed to have a good attitude about living and studying so far from home. I enjoyed the luncheon very much.
After lunch, Kim and I walked to the parking ramp where we were both parked. For about an hour we sat and talked on the top level of the ramp, enjoying the company and the sunshine. When we were ready to go, we discovered Kim's car battery was dead. I pulled my car close to hers while Kim searched her trunk for jumper cables. We connected the cables, and twenty minutes later we were both on our way. A little thing like a dead battery can't stop two intrepid and resourceful women like us.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Zoo season opens. Sunday, February 26, 2012
One of my favorite places to go is the Erie Zoo. For the past several years, the Zoo has closed during the winter. When they reopen in the spring, the Zoo is fortunate to have funding to have free admission or a very low admission cost. One year the Zoo charged the daily temperature as admission, and I think I paid thirty-five cents to get in. There was free admission this year, and the crowd responded to the opportunity to see tigers, lions, penguins and llamas, to name a few.
Several baby animals were born over the winter, and the crowds were thick around the orangutans to see the adorable little one who stayed so close to her mother. The primates had climbed to a high platform where they could see and be seen, and yet feel safe.
Another popular place to be was at the gorilla exhibit to see Samantha, our lone gorilla. In mid-February, the Zoo staff had decided Samantha needed a companion and found a small black and white rabbit named Panda. Samantha and Panda share the same enclosure and are quite happy. It is heart warming to see the two of them together.
My favorite exhibit was in the barn. Amidst the stalls for horses and pigs is a glassed enclosure where a small, bright green and yellow parrot lives. The parrot sat quite close to the glass to get a better glimpse of all who walked by. A little girl in her grandmother's arms peered at the parrot and brought a finger up to the glass. The parrot tried to reach the child's finger (which of course was impossible). The child shrieked with laughter as she pulled her finger away. Again and again she brought her finger to the glass; again and again the parrot reached for her finger. The little girl's laughter filled the barn. It was good to hear that, and nice to see people interacting with the animals.
When the little girl and her grandmother moved on, I stepped up to the glass and brought my finger up so the parrot could see it. The parrot made no move for my finger. I was a bit put out. The parrot would not play with me.
Several baby animals were born over the winter, and the crowds were thick around the orangutans to see the adorable little one who stayed so close to her mother. The primates had climbed to a high platform where they could see and be seen, and yet feel safe.
Another popular place to be was at the gorilla exhibit to see Samantha, our lone gorilla. In mid-February, the Zoo staff had decided Samantha needed a companion and found a small black and white rabbit named Panda. Samantha and Panda share the same enclosure and are quite happy. It is heart warming to see the two of them together.
My favorite exhibit was in the barn. Amidst the stalls for horses and pigs is a glassed enclosure where a small, bright green and yellow parrot lives. The parrot sat quite close to the glass to get a better glimpse of all who walked by. A little girl in her grandmother's arms peered at the parrot and brought a finger up to the glass. The parrot tried to reach the child's finger (which of course was impossible). The child shrieked with laughter as she pulled her finger away. Again and again she brought her finger to the glass; again and again the parrot reached for her finger. The little girl's laughter filled the barn. It was good to hear that, and nice to see people interacting with the animals.
When the little girl and her grandmother moved on, I stepped up to the glass and brought my finger up so the parrot could see it. The parrot made no move for my finger. I was a bit put out. The parrot would not play with me.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Down at the dock
Despite living on my own, I spend a fair amount of time cooking. I like the creativity, the choppng, the mixing. I like taking raw ingredients and making something hot and delicious I can savor. Something simple, like pasta and sauteed veggies and a salad. Yum. Most of the time, my culinary creativity is a success. I'm not a foodie, but I enjoy good food prepared simply and well. Sometimes, however, my efforts hit rock bottom and I am left with a total mess or something inedible. On Saturday, February 25, my efforts were in the inedible category.
I had purchased two chickens, BOGO, at Giant Eagle, my local grocer, and roasted both of them. Easy enough. I took the meat off the bones, froze most of it, and then made gravy. My dinner menu called for biscuits, gravy, and some of that good chicken. Mmmm. Problem is, I can't find a good biscuit recipe, so on this particular Saturday I gave up my search and used a mix. Big mistake. HUGE. The biscuits were tasteless rounds of awfulness. No more biscuit mix!
On Sunday after church, I took those failed biscuits to the dock to feed the gulls. I know I should not feed the birds people food, but it is fun to do once in a while. I parked near Smuggler's restaurant. I could see a flock of 50 or so gulls resting at the water's edge, so I grabbed my bag of biscuits and headed for the pier.
The birds saw me (and the bag) approach, and en masse walked over to greet me. It was the strangest thing; they actually walked over to me. Evidently I am not the only one to feed the birds! The gulls and I walked to the water's edge, to be out of the way of traffic, and the birds began to put up a fuss. Feed me! they seemed to say, so for the next several minutes I tossed crumbs to them as they crowded about me. The gulls were so close I could have reached down to pick them up.
When I was done, I folded the bag, said to the flock "That's it. There isn't any more," and began to walk away. The gulls must have thought I was lying or perhaps needed an escort, because the flock walked me to my car. One even perched on my car hood and waited for me. "Shoo," I told him before I had reason to wash the car, "shoo!" The rest of the flock stared at me in silent reproach. But I drove away without a backwards glance. I will not be made to feel guilty by a flock of gulls.
I had purchased two chickens, BOGO, at Giant Eagle, my local grocer, and roasted both of them. Easy enough. I took the meat off the bones, froze most of it, and then made gravy. My dinner menu called for biscuits, gravy, and some of that good chicken. Mmmm. Problem is, I can't find a good biscuit recipe, so on this particular Saturday I gave up my search and used a mix. Big mistake. HUGE. The biscuits were tasteless rounds of awfulness. No more biscuit mix!
On Sunday after church, I took those failed biscuits to the dock to feed the gulls. I know I should not feed the birds people food, but it is fun to do once in a while. I parked near Smuggler's restaurant. I could see a flock of 50 or so gulls resting at the water's edge, so I grabbed my bag of biscuits and headed for the pier.
The birds saw me (and the bag) approach, and en masse walked over to greet me. It was the strangest thing; they actually walked over to me. Evidently I am not the only one to feed the birds! The gulls and I walked to the water's edge, to be out of the way of traffic, and the birds began to put up a fuss. Feed me! they seemed to say, so for the next several minutes I tossed crumbs to them as they crowded about me. The gulls were so close I could have reached down to pick them up.
When I was done, I folded the bag, said to the flock "That's it. There isn't any more," and began to walk away. The gulls must have thought I was lying or perhaps needed an escort, because the flock walked me to my car. One even perched on my car hood and waited for me. "Shoo," I told him before I had reason to wash the car, "shoo!" The rest of the flock stared at me in silent reproach. But I drove away without a backwards glance. I will not be made to feel guilty by a flock of gulls.
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