Highlights

Our romantic Thanksgiving at a little cabin in the snowy woods.

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Friday, December 12th, 2014

We arranged a five-day rental at our favorite little cabin at Tohickon Valley Park in Bucks County. It happened that this Thanksgiving was the year that our children were scheduled to be elsewhere with their partners. We left Wednesday morning for the park and arrived at the height of a snowstorm.

Tohickon Valley Park - Cabin 2

WE HAVE MOVED to Media, PA -- Everybody’s Hometown.

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Monday, July 22nd, 2013
The move was born of our desire to live a simpler life in a vibrant community and with less “stuff.” While the process of moving was a challenge (see my blog), we are now well established in a sixteen-foot-wide row house that features a narrow but deep backyard that can support a garden and a small chicken coop.

Quehanna Trail and Historic CCC Cabin

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Friday, June 15th, 2012
We’re back from backpacking on the Quehanna Trail in the Moshannon State Forest and a restorative week at our historic CCC cabin at Elliott State Park. The Quehanna Trail was a simple four day loop originating at Parker Dam State Park and returning there four days later. We started hiking the same day that we drove from Philadelphia, so we actually set out at 4 pm and did five miles before finding a site about 6:30 pm.Quehanna Trailhead

We march to the White House for GMO Right to Know labeling of our foods.

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Friday, November 4th, 2011
Fran and I spent Villanova fall break (Monday 10/10/ – Sunday 10/16) hiking more than 100 miles (camping at night) with the Right2Know marchers. Marchers arrived at Lafayette Park (opposite the White House) on Sunday and heard speakers such as Vandana Shiva explain how large corporations such as Monsanto are genetically modifying the foods that we eat but refusing to let us know which of our foods contain these GMOs (genetically modified organisms).Right2Know March

Arrested at Lockheed Martin (again), and now Paul’s an outlaw.

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Saturday, September 24th, 2011
On August 6, Hiroshima Day, I (Paul) walked onto the grounds of Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest war profiteer, to ask employees to reconsider their working on nuclear-related systems that, instead of obliterating whole cities and killing 100,000 people at a time as in August 1945, could potentially obliterate the whole world and kill billions. I was arrested in the process.Paul's arrest

Bees, beach, and family, plus hiking and camping in New England at 101F.

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Sunday, July 31st, 2011

Summer vacation in New England had three objectives this year. First, we visited with my Mom and family at my sister’s beach house in Niantic, CN and had a wonderful time there. My three children were there also. After that we attended a treatment-free bee conference in Leominster, MA for four days while tenting nearby. “Treatment-free” has a specific meaning – these are bee keepers who do not use chemicals or antibiotics in their hives, do not feed bees junk to make lots of junk honey, and make a point of using “natural” (not muscled-up modern oversized) bees.

Winter break in our romantic cabin at Tohickon Valley

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Sunday, March 13th, 2011

First week of March was Villanova’s mid-semester break, and we were out of here. Reserved an isolated little cabin at Bucks County’s Tohickon Valley Park (electricity, no running water, outdoor privy) for four nights. We “hiked in” to the cabin and had the park essentially to ourselves. Cabin felt luxurious compared to the winter camping that we sometimes do at this time.

Cabin at Tohickon

Things will be buzzing for us.

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Saturday, September 11th, 2010

On September 11 we attended the 2010 Philadelphia Honey Fest held at the historic Wyck House in Germantown, PA. Fran and I have been interested for some time in having our own hives and producing our own natural sweetener. Bees are environmentally friendly and help to pollinate our native plants.

Our starter hive

Backpacking the Green Mountains

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

We spent most of the first week of August (six days, five nights, to be exact) on a backpacking trip through the Green Mountains of Vermont. We officially began our hike at the Lye Brook Wilderness Area and later joined up with Vermont’s famous Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail.

Green Mountains lakeside cooking

Camping at Tochickon Creek

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Fran and I went to Tohickon Valley Park for an overnight camping trip with three boys (13, 12 and 8) who were born and raised in a refugee camp in the mountain jungles of western Thailand.

Tohickon: Boys in Tent

Paul's 50th high school reunion (Northfield-Mount Hermon)

Date: 
Sunday, June 6th, 2010

In 1960 Paul graduated from Mount Hermon School, a boy’s boarding school in western Massachusetts that is situated on old farm land near the Connecticut River. In June 2010 Fran and I returned for my 50th reunion. We saw the sights and people that influenced me during those formative years.

NMH Dinner

Silent Retreat at St. Raphaela

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

For Christmas last year, William gave us a night at St Raphaela Retreat House that he had purchased at a charity auction at St. Joseph’s University. Fran and I decided to make this our own silent retreat as a couple – something that we had previously discussed but never done. Early May was an ideal time to use William’s gift.

Silent Retreat at St. Raphaela

Nana's 100th Birthday Celebrations

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Family members gathered in Connecticut to celebrate my Mom’s 100th birthday on April 16, 2010. We kept her busy, with three parties in all. Events were a great success, and we all had fun.

Nana's 100 La Trattoria

A Tour of Woodmont (Palace Mission) with Mother Divine

By: 
Paul
By: 
Fran
Date: 
Saturday, February 20th, 2010

When we learned that one of Lower Merion Conservancy's Winter Treks was a "Divine Saunter," a tour of the Woodmont Estate, led by Mother Divine, we signed right up.

Woodmont

Blizzard Backpacking

By: 
Paul
Date: 
Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

As soon as we got the news that Villanova would be closed the next day in anticipation of a blizzard, we were on our way out the door with our backpacks on.  We hiked from our house into some nearby woods to our destination squat that is inaccessible to all but the stalwart or/and foolhardy We arrived at our site after a hike through untrodden snow and drifts and streams, just in time to set up our t

Blizzard Backpacking - 7

Visit to the Eastern Shore

By: 
Fran
Date: 
Saturday, October 17th, 2009
With fall break affording some time for adventuring, we decided on a trip to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, camping at Pocomoke River State Forest, visiting some of Fran's old haunts and having dinner with a friend who dates back to playgroup dayFerry

Black Point 2009

Date: 
Monday, August 10th, 2009

The focus of our summer vacation is always Black Point where we gather with extended family, enjoy the warm weather and take Nana for her swim! This year all our kids were able to come up, though not all at the same time.

Nanaswim

Adirondacks backpacking

By: 
Fran
Date: 
Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

Well, the five-night backpacking trip circumnavigating the trio of Adirondack lakes, Murphy, Middle and Bennett, was not to be. We lost a couple of days trying to wait out the worst of the rain, and we knew our pace would be slower even in a light rain, so we opted to go to Murphy Lake for just a two-night hike.

Murphy Lake

Our first mushroom foray

By: 
Fran
Date: 
Monday, July 13th, 2009

We attended our first mushroom foray this weekend, the Annual Victor Gambino Foray held this year

First Foray

Mid-May visit to Delaware Water Gap

By: 
Fran
Date: 
Friday, May 15th, 2009

The Delaware Water Gap is such a busy destination in the summer months, it's good

MtMohickon
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