A summer of music

Cathy writes: With the kids in Maryland for the summer I had a lot more free time on my hands. I managed to fill it up quite frequently by attending some concerts.

I saw Kenny Chesney three times and Keith Urban twice.

Additionally I saw Rascal Flatts, Josh Turner, Creed, and the American Idols just to name a few.

At right: Kenny Chesney in Philadelphia in late June.

Keith Urban in Philadelphia Aug. 1

Taylor Swift in Philadelphia Aug. 1

Creed in Bristow, Va., Aug. 22

When I wasn’t traveling I managed to squeeze in some volunteer work at a local camp and at church. Plus I was training on some new functions at work.

Now that school is back in session we’re back in the groove with plenty of Scout and church activities. No rest for the weary!

Musical weekend in Jersey

A two-day free festival of rock and pop bands drew thousands of people to a Union County park on the weekend of Sept. 12-13. Dan and Andy attended Saturday and ignored an on-and-off drizzle while listening to The Alarm, a reunited '80s British band; The Minus 5, led by Scott McCaughey and featuring R.E.M.'s Peter Buck on bass; blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and that night's headliner, Third Eye Blind, which just released its first album in six years.

Julie and Christine joined Dan and Andy on Sunday - a beautiful sunny day - and saw Glenn Tilbrook, formerly of Squeeze, with his current band the Fluffers; the Gin Blossoms; those nutty geek-rockers They Might Be Giants; and Pete Yorn, a Jersey-born singer-songwriter.


(Click the slideshow screen to go to the photo album on Picasa.)

Wrapping up summer on Cape Cod

Tish writes:
"Since our return from Charleston, we have been enjoying a Cape Cod summer. Here's a photo from Dennis Summerfest. What could be better than a warm summer evening on a Cape Cod beach complete with a bonfire, fireworks and music by 28!"



Gerrit and his bandmates in 28 have been playing a lot of shows on the Cape this year, including a Labor Day weekend gig at BBC Hyannis where they were recording for a new album.

Tish adds:
"This Martha's Vineyard sunset completed our wonderful day on the Vineyard."

WHAT DID YOU DO ON YOUR SUMMER VACATION?
Your reports are now due!
Send them to birchstreetweb@gmail.com

Nevada's great outdoors

Doug and Lisa are settling into their new surroundings near Las Vegas... and they've been out and about exploring Nevada's great outdoors. Here are a few photos by Lisa from their visit to Cathedral Gorge and Kershaw Ryan state parks, a few hours drive out of the city.





Look closely at this next one: Where's Doug?

Memory Walk 2009 - Please join the team!

Shanna writes that she and her brother and parents have formed a team again this year to participate in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk in New York's Riverside Park, to be held Oct. 25.

The Memory Walk is the nation's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer care, support and research. Since 1989, Memory Walk has raised more than $260 million for the cause.

"Last year was a great success and we raised over $300 with the help of our family and friends," Shanna writes. "Thank you to all of those who donated last year. This year, we have set a goal of raising at least $500 for the Alzheimer's Association. We hope to not only meet, but to exceed this goal. In order to do that...we need your help!"

To find out more, join their walking team and/or make a donation toward their goal, go to their team page at the Memory Walk web site.

Read Shanna's report from last year's event

The wildlife of Jessup's Neck

Webmaster Dan writes:
It's become one of the must-dos of our visits to eastern Long Island: Feed the chickadees on Jessup's Neck.

The Morton Wildlife Refuge on the neck between Noyac and Little Peconic bays is home to many varieties of birds, to deer and rabbits and chipmunks and many other animals. But it's the chickadees who've become the boldest around humans. Stand by the bushes with sunflower seeds in your outstretched hand and there's a good chance a chickadee will land right on your fingertips to grab a seed or two.

Here's a montage of photos and video clips from two visits to Jessup's the week of August 9. Enjoy.



And remember, if you go there to feed the birds, they prefer sunflower seeds.

Genevieve's bridal shower

Genevieve, her bridal party and other female relatives and friends gathered at Bistro Citron in Scarsdale on Saturday (Aug. 15) for a luncheon and shower. Her cousin Shanna has posted some photos on her Facebook page; here are a couple of those pictures. Above, Genevieve poses with her bridesmaids; below, she opens gifts.

Becky joins new RIT classmates on Adirondack trek

Becky, who will soon start her freshman year at Rochester Institute of Technology, was among six incoming students who took part in a "pre-orientation" program that involved a backpacking excursion in the Adirondack Mountains.



The RIT University News web site carried this photo (Becky's at the far right, we think) and an article about the adventure:

According to Rebecca Andrew, one of the first participants in what is expected to be an annual pre-orientation adventure called FACEtime, it was an experience of a lifetime.

“I feel like I have met my new best friends for my upcoming college years and longer,” says Andrew. “It’s wonderful how open and real people get without so many modern distractions. I got to know some truly extraordinary people and had tons of fun trekking through the woods with them.”

See the full article here.

Tubing on Noyac Bay

Captain Ted took a bunch of crazy kids tubing on Noyac Bay on Aug. 12. Check out the fun as Patrick, his friend Kyle, his sister Genevieve and cousins Andy and Christine take turns splashing across the water.

Endless summer in Noyac, Chapter 51 (Updated with more photos)

Daniel and Lorraine's four "kids" were all in Noyac for a few hours on Saturday, Aug. 8, meeting up at Long Beach and later gathering at Kathy & Ted's vacation house for pizza and conversation.

Here the original "Birch Street Six" pose for a photo:



For the record: It was 50 years ago this month that this gang first spent a summer vacation on Birch Street in Noyac (excepting Kevin, who made his debut a couple years later).

The latest gathering came as Dan, Julie, Christine and Andy were beginning a week's vacation on Pine Neck. Kathy and Ted were enjoying having their whole family there for several days before Genevieve heads out to California for a job interview and Vivien returns to Cornell. Patrick had a friend visiting as well, so it was a full house. Brien was spending the week on the island too, visiting with Mom and Dad at the original "Fair Play" cottage. Kevin, Kathy, Shanna and Kevin were just out for the day, and picked a good one with sunny warm weather.

Here are a few more photos from the day:

What we did on our Jersey Stay-cation

Webmaster Dan writes:

Our "stay-cation" week of day trips in and around New Jersey turned out to be a lot of fun. Along with trips to the Jersey Shore and the Camden aquarium, we checked out the amazing variety of rocks at the Franklin Mineral Museum...



...including this large display of rocks that fluoresce under UV light.

It was an amazing sight when the overhead lights were turned off so the rocks seemed to glow in the dark.



We also visited the Lakota Wolf Preserve near the Delaware Water Gap, where four packs of Tundra, Timber and Arctic wolves thrive in a natural setting.





And we ventured out-of-state to Philadelphia. There we checked out the Rodin Museum, which has the largest collection of the French sculptor's works outside Paris...



...strolled along Ben Franklin Parkway to the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art...



...and toured the Franklin Institute's special exhibit on Galileo. (No photos were allowed there, but here's a link to the exhibit's site.)

Next stop: Noyac for our annual week of beaching and boating. Hope to see many of you there!

Greetings from Charleston

Owen writes: I promised some Charleston photos and here they are. The first one is our house, the others are from around the city.

We are enjoying our time here - it is truly a beautiful, historic city. We no sooner leave and are looking forward to our next trip back.

An aquarium adventure in NJ (Updated with video)

Xander and his mom, Marie, joined Grandpa Dan, Julie, Aunt Christine and Uncle Andy for a visit to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden.

Here's a selection of photos...



And check out the video from inside the Shark Tunnel:

Splashing in the surf at the Jersey Shore

Dan, Julie, Christine and Andy are enjoying a week of "stay-cation," taking day-trips around New Jersey. So far they've paddled canoes on a lazy river, splashed in the ocean, checked out an amazing collection of rocks and minerals and visited a wolf preserve.

More details and photos later. For now, here's a clip of Christine and Andy frolicking in the waves at the Jersey Shore. (No, that's not one of us parasailing in the background.)

Chris, Stephanie visit the grands in Rehoboth

Hugh writes:

Chris and Stephanie spent three days with Grandmother Dolores and Grandfather Hugh at Rehoboth Beach last week.

On Saturday their mother Cathy came to pick them up and had some quality beach time too.

We dipped our feet in the ocean, saw some sand castles under construction, and enjoyed a stroll on the Rehoboth Boardwalk.

Cape Cod update: Lizzie heads to high school

While vacationing in Charleston, S.C., Owen and Tish send along this update:

On June 22, Lizzie graduated with High Honors and the Service Award from Nathaniel H. Wixon Middle School in South Dennis, Mass.

Receiving her diploma

With big brother Gerrit

Lizzie then spent three weeks participating in the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School Academic Leadership Institute, and assisting at the Cape Ballet Theatre Workshop.

More news and photos from Charleston coming soon

Celebrating and relaxing with a cruise

Dan and Eyvonne aboard a Carnival Cruise ship. To celebrate brother Ozzie's 21st birthday, and Dan's birthday, both in late July, they along with Anne Marie and Os took a cruise to Catalina and to Ensenada, Mexico.

On board the ship it was "tons of food, hanging out by the pool, etc.," Dan said. "Then when you stop you get off and do touristy things." The Catalina stop was a lot of fun, he said. "We took a 'semi-submersible' boat tour."

At the Mexican stop "it was like being in a big open air market, with people aggressively trying to get you to buy the most useless junk," but they took a bus tour out of town that included a stop at "La Bufadora" - a marine geyser.


Dan has a few more weeks to relax before resuming his studies at San Jose State University.

Andy back from a week in the woods

Andy returned home Saturday from a week at a Boy Scout camp in the Adirondacks. His Troop 33 from Fanwood spent the week at Sabbatis Adventure Camp in Long Lake, N.Y.


Frankly he didn't like the camp as much as those his troop has gone to in past summers. But he says he did enjoy being with his friends and "the wacky hijinks that ensued." And he completed some merit badge requirements that will help him earn his First Class rank this fall.

Check back - we may get pictures from the troop