......

THE YARD MAN and I picked her up at the airport in Philadelphia yesterday, scurrying around from arrival gate C to arrival gate B, and befuddled by the clever sharing of flights by two separate airlines. Fortunately for us, we didn't have to wonder or wander too long (thank our lucky flight pattern for cell phones!) before spotting her there--our daughter flying in from Asheville.
So now I can tentatively say: We'll have a terrific time of togetherness.
(I'll let you know, Reader Dear, if it's otherwise!)

......

......

THE EXPLORATION OF small towns in the Pocono Mountains may be as simple as riding in a car with two sisters-in-law in a big circuitous route leading from mountain to mountain and up one hilly street and down another.


It may involve pestering the sis-in-law who is driving the car, "Stop! I'd like to ask that guy on the sidewalk there what they do in this town for fun!"




If the driver stubbornly refuses (on numerous occasions) to bring the car to a stop and allow one to get out of the car with one's burst of curiosity, nor even so much as slows for an inquiry through an open window, Reader Dear, it could very well result in a severely restricted exploration of very small towns in the Pocono Mountains!*


......
*(Ergo: severely truncated blog post)


......

......

DEER!


And my goodness, Viewer Dear, there were just so many natural wonders of the (Poconos) world to see and hear! Along with the other dear family members gathered here, I hiked through dense wooded areas, dabbled my feet in cold water at the foot of a waterfall, climbed over rocks at a boulder field (field of boulders, Reader Dear, just a field of boulders) and "explored" small towns in the mountains:




Perhaps the most outstanding wonder of all is how this family can manage to sit out on the expansive deck of the cabin, while the frantic cicadas are loudly making their bellies buzz, and follow the conversation while all the humans talk at once!


It's a modern marvel!
(Or perhaps a very ancient one, how am I to know...)
......

(And I'll still be talking Pocono wonders tomorrow, Reader Dear, if you care to hear more [or even (and I hesitate to say this, but it's ever so true, Dear Reader) if you don't!]).

......

WE SET OUT FOR THE POCONOS, my Yard Man and I,
in order to sit around with family members (twenty-four extended ones, Reader Dear)!











We went to a spot where meals are an easy, casual affair;
in addition to which, there's an easy chance of spotting a casual bear!



(And not only that, dear Dear Viewer, there's a fairly good chance of seeing...
[oops, to be cont'd)

......

.......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS pop up everywhere in late summer! It's just that time of year, I suppose--nine months after...uh...Columbus Day!

At one time I studied Greek with today's birthday person, Iudi being her Greek name. And she arranged this lovely little birthday excursion to celebrate not only the birthday, but the friendships, and the tiny little tourist spot called Mt. Gretna (where they have, Reader Dear, an actual "Fairy Garden" that is accessible to anyone and everyone; just walk right in and pour oneself some imaginary tea and eat some imaginary crumpets [and revel in the British feel of it all, and especially with the Olympics bringing London to our doorsteps...er...TV screens...twenty-four seven!]).



Reader Dear, we did have an actual for-real birthday meal at Mt. Gretna, but only after flagrantly flouting the law of the land!!
















(It just so happened, Reader Dear, that our dear birthday person wanted to rid herself of an adorable little pest, and so we TRANSPORTED BY VEHICLE a WILD ANIMAL! [Of course, we stopped to release DeeDee (Iudi herself did not care to name this small creature, therefore the task fell to me [perhaps the only truly humane creature in the car, Reader Dear!] back into the wild territory known as "far enough away from Iudi's house!")

Dear Reader, a good time was had by all!*
Happy Birthday, my dear friend Iudi!
......


*(Though it's quite possible DeeDee had the
most miserable day of her life!)
.......