Seth’s Sightings

This column was finished by battery power, as I was not quite done with it when the transformer blew up less than a block away from The Journal’s office. PPL crews were quick, having power back on in under two hours.

I’ve attended Houser auctions for over 30 years including one last week in Carbon County. There’s a certain nostalgic feeling to be in the audience with a numbered card, listening to the auctioneer’s patter. I bought one box lot and a tower heater.

I was able to get tickets for Henry IV, Part 2, at the PA Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University on the Saturday before the show closed. We spent the evening enjoying the complex plot, the foibles of Sir John Falstaff, and the various good performances of the actors including the rude/ crude pub scene.

We attended the opening night performance of In the Heights at DeSales U’s main stage. This is the big music offering for this year’s PA

by Seth Isenberg

Shakespeare Festival. See the review elsewhere in this issue. It is a highly entertaining performance. Snag tickets (they’ll likely go fast –prices are far less than those on Broadway or in Philly) —performances run until July 2.

For sightings these past week, Ruth and I spotted a doe and her days-old fawn on the hillside overlooking Big Boulder. It’s fawn season, so keep a special watch as you drive. Other critters include a healthy and tubby porcupine, groundhogs of all sizes, and the first of summer’s fireflies.

On one of our evening rides home, driving after dark, I sighted a fox seated at a little opening at the bottom of a tree just. We’d slowed for a deer when I sighted the fox sitting or standing there, thinking it was well hidden. It was watching the deer, paying no mind at all to us watching it.

It’s also the season for wildflowers. We are seeking to identify an orange/red bell-like flower with a yellow accent. We are also sighting thick stands of flowering mountain laurel, especially in Kidder Township around the state park. It’s a good year for the laurel bloom. Also of note, waterlilies starting to bloom.

Congrats to the Vegas Golden Knights. It used to be that some cold climate city team would be proudly raising the Stanley Cup, in May. Now the Cup’s home is in the desert of Nevada, earned in June. And the Calder Cup was decided in the desert in California—Palm Springs, where the Coachella Valley Firebirds make their home.

Old time AHL team Hershey Bears, established 1934, were pitted against the brand new Coachella Valley team. Both have been playing some terrific hockey. CV has been fantastic all year. The Bears had an amazing run through the Calder Cup playoffs, getting hot at the right time. We stayed up past 1 a.m. to watch the deciding game seven at CV. The Bears came from behind 2-0 to win it all in overtime.

Congratulations also to the Denver Nuggets on their basketball championship.

We spent a couple of hours at the Great Tastes of Pennsylvania Wine Festival at Split Rock, enjoying the music by North of 40 and some lobster treats.

We went out to find some local strawberries after finishing a shift helping raise money at the Weatherly Hill Climb. Our strawberry run found some at Gould’s Farm, east of Brodheadsville just before they closed at 6. Having some daylight still to burn, we decided to drive south to look at the other side of the hill and found signs to the Blue Ridge Winery. Curious, we followed them, only having to backtrack once. On arrival, we discovered an impressive winery in full summer swing. The place is very appealing. Our plan is to plan return on some special event weekend day.

Father’s Day we enjoyed a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Big Boulder Ski Area. The PA Shakespeare Festival players were wonderful. We hope to see more shows there.

June 25 to July 1 is summer’s Downtown Bethlehem Restaurant Week – worth the drive... We are already planning for the Independence Day weekend and have on our list a free performance by the 70’s Flashback Band on July 1 at Hazleton’s City View Park featuring the city’s fireworks that night. For fireworks alone, Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony will do their shoot on July 3. Depending on the weather, an evening at Knoebels is possible, or if the temperature is too hot, we’ll take the dogs and head west to a remote state park for some sightseeing, and swimming. The Benton Rodeo is on our “do” list either July 15, 16 or 17. And we won’t miss out on the Pow-Wow in Drums July 16 and 17.

Here’s to college football … counting down to its start. Good health to you all.