Seth’s Sightings

Winter has returned, first by temperature, and then in the form of a small storm that decorated our area on Monday night. Having been spared most of the season, the small threat was enough to send organizations into a cancel-a-thon. A Monday night meeting I was to attend cancelled, but the storm came in two hours later, time enough to have a double-length meeting and still be home safe.

I’m one of these now older folk who remembers going to school, waiting for the school bus, on snowy days. It took a big snow to actually cancel school.

We attended two Penguins games last week.

During the game versus the Phantoms on Wednesday, the Geisinger Health System gave out a souvenir foam hockey puck a stress reliever. The lightly attended game had our Penguins behind until the 3rd period, when an exciting goal earned us a tie…and excited fans began to throw these foam pucks onto the ice hundreds of them, like hats after a hat trick. Order was restored with this repeated announcement: “Fans, Please Stop throwing pucks on the ice…” which prompted more foam pucks thrown before staff came onto the aisles to shut down the tosses. More importantly, we won that game.

by Seth Isenberg

The Penguins hosted the Belleville Senators, an out-of-division team, this past Saturday. Belleville on paper was not as good as our guys, but on the ice, they were faster, and their goalie stopped most everything that came their way. WBS managed a regulation tie, and then lost in overtime.

Sunday was a beautiful day to drive, so we took the dogs over to Hickory Run State Park for a walk with the idea that if the storm brings snow, the fields at the park would just be wet as the snow melts.

I am feeling strong ahead of my surgery. I even did a little shoveling. This next cancer surgery is another big one. I am in the good hands of the best of the U. of Penn Medical team in Philadelphia. The plan is to remove most of the cancer, then treat the area with HIPEC (state of the art). I should get out and about later in March.

Saturday, we took a trip to the newly expanded Slatington Marketplace, and we were impressed. They have added a food court with a distillery, about a dozen little restaurant stands, and a winery with tastings. Ruth and I shared a Poke Bowl, croissants from the bakery stand, and nut pastries from the Greek/Indian food stand. Go in the south-most entrance to find the new section and the food. It’s also where the new, large parking lot is. We’ll be back soon.

There have been vees of geese going in all kinds of directions lately, all very noisy. I am guessing the geese don’t know how the weather is and neither do we really.

We also sighted an eagle flying over Pocono Summit near I-380. Other sightings have been the usual of wandering deer into the roadways, plus some early birds returning for what should be an early spring. Hockey in Wilkes-Barre will be Wednesday the 8th, and next Friday and Saturday. It will be a big week for our locals. Then, that Sunday the 12th, starts Daylight Savings Time, so the week ends on a high note.

This weekend, we’ll drive to the Kalahari Convention Center to see the Pocono Home and Outdoor Show either the 4th or 5th. Our other weekend highlight is the return of the Game Dinner held at the Silver Ridge Hunting Club on the 4th. It’s a treat that has been absent these past couple of years.

Here’s to another light snow this Friday, then slowly warming days so the snow all melts away. Wishes of good health all around.