Seth’s Sightings

What gorgeous Spring days…sunny and 70s with a couple of summer teasers in the 80s. How wonderful. Daffodils are beginning to bloom, and my forsythia is putting on a brilliant yellow show. At the Journal office, the magnolia tree is about to burst with big pink and white flowers.

On the down side, there are some brush fires going on as it has been very dry. As I finish this column, a sizeable fire is burning in far north Kidder Township and another in Bear Creek. There should be no open burning hereabouts until we get some rains.

Ruth and I took our dogs on a long ride to Worcester, Mass. for a family seder dinner last Wednesday. We left the Poconos with enough time, but ran into New York traffic just before the Connecticut border on Interstate 84. It was two hours in stop and go and gone was being on time. We arrived mid-meal and enjoyed the rest of the evening. The following day, we spent time with family, then made a cemetery visit before heading back to PA stopping at Rein’s Deli Restaurant in Vernon, CT, for salads, sandwiches, pickles and sweet kugel.

On our way up on Wednesday, we stopped at the Noches de Columbia in Newburgh, NY, for a road snack and some wonderful baked goods.

We attended another seder on Saturday in Princeton, NJ, as part of a fourgeneration event with 24 of my relatives and family members. Attendees my 99 year-old aunt Joan as hostess, 18 cousins and second cousins (Joan’s grandchildren) with their spouses and partners, and 6 great-grandchildren from 13 years-old to 1. We made it home before midnight…

Easter Sunday we were tired, but it was too nice a day keep around the house. We took a nice drive over the Francis Walter Dam and through Lake Harmony, and then through Hickory Run State Park. There, our patient dogs were rewarded with a short walk at the day use area. (There were four sets of people out using the park, which was nice, as lately we’ve been the only folks out.) While there, a heron flew proudly overhead. Other sightings these weeks include fox, racoon, hawks and an owl, and of course lots of deer. Easter Sunday

by Seth Isenberg

in Kidder Township and at the State Park, we sighted three different signs of bear activity scat near the day area, fresh scratching on trees, and an overturned set of trash cans.

Gas prices are going up and threaten to rise more. Gas prices in New England were about $3.30, then 10¢ more in New Jersey. Like everyone, I am hoping it is temporary.

On the medical front, I was at Carbon County St. Luke’s for a blood draw ahead of my next sessions of chemotherapy and met Heisenberg the therapy dog (named after the Breaking Bad character I like her name a lot). She’s a Bernese Mountain Dog and was in the hall with her handler as I went to and from the room where bloodwork was done. She visits the hospital twice a week. Me? I’m the same, and am working to hold my good life quality while doctors direct the battle on the tumor cells.

Looking ahead, in just a few weeks, Knoebels opens on weekends. There are also some great concerts coming up at local venues.

I am watching the amazing weather in the Sierras in California. While we experience 80-degree days, it’s supposed to snow a bit at the Donner Ski Ranch (at the pass). They now are literally inching toward an all-time-record of near or over 700 inches of snowfall. At Donner Pass, the days are now warm but most nights are well below freezing. According to the California snow expert we’ve been following, the warm then cold weather sets the snowpack into what he called “California concrete,” not snow anymore but a form of ice now 30+ feet deep. Also of note…

Congratulations are due to the Louisiana State U women’s basketball team, and UConn’s men’s team as winners of the national basketball championships. I followed the women through to the amazing final. It’s no surprise the games drew record audiences… such good basketball. Also congratulations to Quinnipiac University of Connecticut for being the

NCAA Division 1 men’s ice hockey champions.

Speaking of hockey, this Saturday is the last night of local hockey in Wilkes-Barre for the season.

As for the rest of this weekend, we’d like to get to the Eagle Shows gun and knife show at The Slatington Marketplace a short ride from here (the place has good parking, and easy access for Ruth who is still on crutches).

Here’s hoping for some beautiful days to do spring yardwork these next couple of weekends.

Best of health to you all.