Fishin and Runnin

We got a call on Sunday morning that Mike and Sherri were going to the lake and we were invited to join them.  We jumped at the chance to spend a couple of days fishin, playin euchre and swappin lies. Later in the week Nanc went to lunch and shopping with all the ladies.  On Sunday Nanc and Tom ran the Pittsburgh Great Race.  I must be out of blogging mode because I failed to take pictures of several happenings this week. 

As you can see, Mike and I were real laid back while watching the Pirate game.

I knew there had to be a hitch, but just a small one.  Mike and I installed new steps on the stoop he had rebuilt on their last visit.

We had one overcast and one beautiful day on the water while the ladies did some shopping.  The fall colors are really coming out in Northern Pennsylvania.

Fisherman Mike (Capt'n Catfish).   He smiled for the picture, but he was totally out fished.  He only caught two while I caught ten.  It was a fun time even though all the fish together would not have added up to the length of my pole if laid end to end.  That's why there are no pictures.  Still, we had a nice relaxing time at the lake and once again the guys ruled playing euchre. 

The cabin is looking good after they had several trees removed letting in more sunshine.

We were up real early on Sunday morning to drive to Pittsburgh for the Great Race.  Georgie and I dropped the runners off at the starting line and then went downtown to find a parking spot and have breakfast while we waited for them to finish.  This is the line of racers waiting for a bus ride to the start.  16.000 people ran so it is a massive job getting people to the start. 

The big crowd at the finish line.

One happy finisher.  While Nanc missed her goal of finishing in under an hour by 18 seconds for a 10K race, she still came in 17th out of 63 in her age group. GREAT JOB!!!!!

You never know who will be in the race.  Here is Captain America.......

......and Wonder Woman.

The happy runners.   Tom finished in the middle of his age group.  Because his birthday is September  29th (Happy B-Day!!!!!) Tom has the distinction of being the same age for the race two years in a row.  My grandfather, who lived to 100+, had a saying, "You have to keep goin if you want to keep goin."  Obviously Nanc and Tom are trying to do just that.  Still running after all these years.

Food, Friends, Frank and Football

It was another very busy week in WashPA doing some new things and getting to visit with out of town friends.  We thought we might slow down a bit since all the doctor stuff was done, but we realized that we now had more time to do things we want to do rather than things we have to do.

Always at the top of our to do list every time we return is to go to John's for his wonderful wood fired pizza.  He is a master at making great pizza in his beautiful oven.

A few of the friends who joined us for a wonderful evening of food and friends.  Top Chris, Bill, Mike and Lena. Bottom John, Tom, Nanc, Sherri, Jackie and Georgie.  Sorry I missed getting pictures of everyone, but I was busy eating.

We became friends with Valerie and Richard at our first Escapees rally in 2007 and have gotten together with them many times during our travels.  They have since given up their RV and found a place in Charlottesville, VA.  They were coming to Pittsburgh so we invited them to stay with us for a couple of  days so we could get caught up on what we have all been up to and explore our area.

Like us. they love touring any building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  So we decided to visit Kentuck Knob, one of two Wright structures in the area, the other being Fallingwater which they had toured previously.  This is the entrance to the house.

The one story Usonian house was built in 1953 for the Hagen family when Wright was 86 years old.  They lived in the home for almost 30 years.  Wright houses rarely have garages even in wintry Pennsylvania.  

Like most Wright houses many things are built in.  No pictures are allowed inside,but this is looking into the dining room from the veranda. 

The hexagon design of the house is even carried through to the pattern of the sun shining through the patio ceiling.  There are only two right angles in the entire house.  The red plaque is Wright's signature.

Looking into the living room from outside.  The house is built with cedar and local stone.  The chair at the desk is from the Price Tower in Bartlesville, OK another Wright building we have visited.

The veranda overlooking the woods. 

While the property has this beautiful view of the Allegheny Mountains, as is typical of many Wright houses, the residents don't have this view from the house.....   

..... as it is set on the other side of the knob.  The low profile natural setting is another typical Wright design.

The stone wall below the veranda and the roof with the hexagon patterns.

The home is now owned by Lord Palumbo of London, UK who added a sculpture meadow with 35 pieces including a slab of the Berlin Wall, right.

An old London mailbox and phone booth that gathered a crowd.   Bottom is the 1000 piece Red Army sculpture.  If you are interested in Wright designed buildings, Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater are two must see Western PA stops.

After Kentuck Knob we went to nearby Ohiopyle State Park.  The park is a great place for biking and white water rafting, but not over the waterfalls.

On Saturday we went with John and Patrice to Heinz Field to see a Pitt football game.  Here is a view of the Pirates PNC Park and downtown Pittsburgh from the stadium. 

Pitt does not bring the crowds that the Steelers do.

When Pitt enters the Red Zone the ketchup bottles pour on to the scoreboard.  Unfortunately, the first half success did not hold up in the second half and Pitt suffered their first loss. 

Heinz Field is also the home of the WPIAL football championship games each year.  Here is the wall with all the schools that have been crowned champs here since it opened in 2001.  Washington High School won there the first year.  Right is a mural of our alma mater Burgettstown.  Murals from sixty local schools are displayed around the stadium.

And of course Heinz Field is the Home of the Steelers.  The Great Hall is all about their great players and coaches through the years. 

There is a huge replica of each Lombardi Trophy they have won with the actual trophy displayed inside.  There are so many, SIX, that you can't get them all in one picture.  It was a great day for a game in the Burgh.  To bad it ended in a loss.

Soaring Through Another Week

Finally, all our annual doctor and dentist appointments are done and we are happy to report we are good to go for another year.  We also have completed the major inside and outside cleaning of Opus and the CRV.  It was quite a job getting all the Alaska trip road tar off both vehicles. We also had our dining room table top refinished by Tom's son, Tim.  It was showing the years of wear and now looks like new.  We continue to see more friends and support our favorite restaurants. 

When we were at lunch one day I ran into one of my former students, Matt.  He is one of several former students who are Facebook friends.   It is neat when I get to see them and follow their adult lives of work and family.

Another Wednesday and it is back to Al' an Rubens for an evening of Jazz and dinner with friends.  Here we are with Donna and Ed, who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of another grandchild, and Tom and Georgie.

While Nanc was out with the girls on Thursday Mike and I did a bit of fishing (and catching) while swapping lies at Cross Creek Park.  I failed to get any pictures of the nice small mouth bass we both caught. 

Another lunch date with Darlene and Jimmy Brown.   They had us out to their beautiful home for dessert.

They are planning to retire soon and their house is on the market.  If you know anyone in the WashPA area who is looking for a great home on five acres of land let me know.

More WashPA wildlife.  These two were just outside our rig in the RV park.  Deer in this area are so numerous they are a real nuisance and cause many auto accidents.  Between the two of us we have gotten four over the years, no fun.

On Sunday we were back at Al' an Rubens for a special Blues Brunch.  The food by Al and the music by Shovel Full of Blues was fantastic.  If you love music check out Al' an Rubens when in WashPA.

 

Also on Sunday was a special Wings Over Washington event at the local airport.  They had a few aircraft on display and.....

 

.......were offering rides for $25 as a fund raiser for Wounded Warriors.  Nanc did not want to go so my flight was with this 96 year old gentleman who was taking his first flight in a small plane. How Cool!!!!!! 

There I go.  I have flown and even taken lessons in a small plane, but it was neat to fly over WashPA and see how it has changed over the last few years.

Beautiful PA countryside.  Mike and Sherri's house is on the right.

Looking east at the new Interstate interchange.  Opus is parked somewhere out that way.

A view of the city with Wash High, the courthouse, the college and downtown.  Tom and Georgie's house is somewhere in this one.

Another look at WashPA.

And back to the airport.  It was a short flight for a good cause and it was really neat getting that view of the area.  As usual, we are keeping very busy during our stay here.

Another Busy Week

Our busy schedule continues with more appointments and getting caught up with more friends.  We are almost done with a thorough inside and outside cleaning of Opus and hope to get the CRV done this week.  Of course there is still plenty of time to have lunch or dinner with family and friends and eating at our favorite locally owned restaurants.  We always try to avoid chains, but especially here where we know there are so many great places to eat out.  

We went to a great cook out at Chris and Lena's home.  Wonderful BBQ, fresh corn on the cob and many other dishes.  Tom, John, Ron and Chris holding court.

Thanks to our hosts Lena and Chris for a wonderful evening of food and friends..

Lisa, Lena, BJ, Dave and Jackie having a good time.

Bill, Kim, Georgie and Tom.

Pat, John, Reg, Ron and Becky.

On Saturday we went to the Brown-Jamieson wedding, the first of two we are invited to while in WashPA.  Here we are with the groom, Stephen; bride, Christin and her happy parents, Darlene and Jim.  A fun evening was had by all. 

On Labor Day Nanc and Tom ran the 32nd Washington Labor Day Classic as a prep for the Pittsburgh Great Race they will be running at the end of the month.  Can't believe Nanc is smiling as she hits the finish line.

Not a bad time for a 5K run.

Tom at the finish line.

And Nanc came in second in her age group.  GREAT JOB!!!!!