"We can't visit the palace tomorrow. The queen is in town," said Nancy, looking at her computer. It was the summer of 2014, and I was visiting my friend Ruth in Scotland. On the last full day of my visit, Ruth and her mum Nancy were planning a day of sightseeing in Edinburgh, including the palace where Queen Elizabeth normally stayed during the occasional visits to the Scottish capital. "What's she doing? Maybe we can see her," joked Ruth. Nancy skimmed some websites. The queen would … [Read more...] about The Day I Saw the Queen
Travel
Co-Workers Go South
My company's branded fabric has a palm tree logo, but it's not often my co-workers and I get to see palm trees. One day last year Liz from the wholesale department slipped into my office and whispered, "Susan, I'm not telling everyone yet, but I've been seeing this guy from Florida." At 3 a.m. on a Thursday morning last month, nine of us started on a thousand-mile trip south so we could attend Liz and Tim's wedding. The wholesale van, normally used to haul bolts of fabric, had been … [Read more...] about Co-Workers Go South
A Mouse Eating a Potato Chip and Other Photos from Hiking at Ricketts Glen
Sometimes you take a long hike to see one waterfall, but at Ricketts Glen, you can take one hike and see eighteen waterfalls in one afternoon. Last Saturday, several of my siblings and I took nine of my oldest nieces and nephews hiking at the state park located about two-and-half hours north of here. We hiked 3.2 miles (the main Falls trail at Ricketts Glen). Several of us enjoy photography and took our time taking photos. Here are some of my shots. After about a mile downhill, you … [Read more...] about A Mouse Eating a Potato Chip and Other Photos from Hiking at Ricketts Glen
The Smoky Sierra Nevada Mountains
As Lancaster County got drenched in the remains of Hurricane Ida last week, three of my colleagues and I were out west where the land is dry and the air smells faintly of smoke from the wildfires. I first noticed the smell when we got out of the airport in Reno, Nevada and stood on the sidewalk waiting for our hotel shuttle on Saturday evening. We were feeling thankful to be in Reno on schedule. The trip from Philadelphia had taken a literally heart-racing turn at our layover in Phoenix— our … [Read more...] about The Smoky Sierra Nevada Mountains
Camping in Pennsyltucky
Public campsites are to camping what decaf is to coffee. They might be safer, cleaner, and more conducive to sleeping, but they're favorless and boring. So when my church small group went camping last month, I was glad we were doing primitive, private-land-next-to-state-game-land type of camping, not pitching our tents at a KOA and trying to avoid eye contact with the neighbors at the next campfire. Marlin and Amy, one of the small group couples, did most of the planning. Marlin has … [Read more...] about Camping in Pennsyltucky