Glimpsing the president in campaign mode

A few days before the election, Stephanie's Girl Scout troop leader got tickets for the girls to see President Obama during his visit to Hilliard, Ohio.

Cathy writes: "Since both candidates were here in Ohio so often during the past few months I'd become very nonchalant about their frequent visits." But still, "it's not every day the president comes to your neighborhood. He was making a campaign stop at the Franklin County Fairgrounds just a few miles from our house. The tickets were free, which made me happy, and the girls would have to miss part of school, which made them happy. To be fair I got an extra ticket for Chris to attend as well..."

"Naturally we had to go through airport-like security. The event was held inside a barn at the fairgrounds. There were some bleachers near the stage but most of the crowd was standing. Plus there was a line of camera crews on a platform in the back representing the various media outlets covering his visit.

"A few local speakers addressed the crowd prior to the president taking the podium around 11 a.m. He spoke for approximately 30-40 minutes, then shook hands and greeted many of the people in the front rows. He made a complete circle around the front edge of the stage with the Secret Service agents all around him before being whisked away behind the curtained off 'backstage' area.

"The best comparison I can make is that I felt like I was at a Kenny Chesney concert. Everyone was cheering and holding up their cameras. The only difference was that he didn't autograph a guitar..."

"Now that the election is over I'm just glad I don't have to listen to any more political ads!"

Cathy posted more photos and brief video clips here.

Rite of passage: First school portrait

Xander appears quite pleased to be posing (against a wild backdrop) for his first official school portrait. He's enjoying kindergarten at Hugh Mercer Elementary School in Fredericksburg.

Here he is sporting a different look - joining his dad in sporting a mustache for "Movember," a men's-health-awareness initiative.

Long arm of Sandy reached far western Maryland

Some 300 miles inland from where Sandy made landfall on Oct. 29, it toppled a number of trees around Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland, as Hugh and Dolores discovered when they went to check on their lakeside retreat the following week. Two apple trees came down just behind their unit at Arrowhead.

The combination of Hurricane Sandy and a winter storm moving in from the west dumped more than two feet of snow on the area, and Hugh surmises it was the weight of the wet snow more than the wind that caused the trees to fall.

Hugh writes: "I do not know for sure, but have always assumed that the apples were the remnants of an orchard that was here when the lake was originally flooded. That was in 1925. If that is where they came from, they were very old apple trees and probably near the end of their life cycle. In any case, we get a better view of the water in the summer now. The house is undamaged and everything is in good shape."

Birch Street Back on the Grid!

This photo shows the moment at 12:24 p.m. when a PSE&G lineman reconnected Birch Street Media Headquarters to the power grid. It was 12 days, 19 hours and 38 minutes after Hurricane Sandy knocked down a backyard tree that tore the power, cable and phone lines off the side of the building. Eureka! Electricity!

Weather woes continue in Northeast

This Star-Ledger photo pretty much says it all: An out-of-state power crew working on lines in Bridgewater, N.J., that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy, amid snow from today's wintry storm.



This post is being filed from a hotel near Newark Airport, where Dan and Julie are sheltering from the storm because Birch Street Media HQ still has no power and therefore no heat. Andy is sleeping over at a friend's house - a good choice, since word came late today that his school will reopen tomorrow.

From Barbara and Steve (Brian's parents) we learn that Sandy caused significant damage as far inland as Hamilton, N.J. "There were many downed trees, which took out electricity, cable, Internet and landline phones. It has also caused a lot of property damage," Barbara writes. "We feel fortunate because we didn't have much damage to our home. We have a wood stove for heat, running water, and gas for cooking and hot water."

Hamilton, N.J., Oct. 29.

Quick updates on Sandy aftermath - 11/3 & 11/4

Still no electricity at Birch Street Media HQ, so here's a quick dispatch via the WiFi connection at the Fanwood Public Library:

Shanna reported on Facebook Friday night that power came back on at her family's house in Yonkers. In Scarsdale, Kathy says there's still no power and "Con Ed says maybe Wednesday."

Just one of many trees down in Fanwood, this one blocks the street in front of the municipal building.

(Updated 11/4:) PSE&G estimated Saturday that it would restore most of Fanwood by Monday night - but who knows if they'll meet that schedule, or when they'll get around to fixing individual house lines like Dan & Julie's. Andy's school gave up on Monday and now plans to reopen Wednesday. Dan's office and possibly Julie's will be open Monday.

From Cape Cod, which escaped the wrath of Sandy, Tish reports area residents are collecting relief supplies for the NYC area: "I just dropped off seven bags and was so pleased to see all the other bags of clothing, food, blankets and personal items that are being collected by Cape Cod Relief for Hurricane Sandy/NYC Area, at the Cape Cod Community Media Center in Dennis Port, Mass."

And Courtney in Florida - where hurricane disaster is certainly well known - posted: "I just donated to American Red Cross Disaster Relief and you can too. ... Any little bit helps! We've been there - let's help them too." Texting "REDCROSS" to 90999 on a cell phone donates $10, which will be added to your phone bill.

In Noyac, a neighbor reports no apparent damage at the Birch Street cottage. He told Kevin the bay waters never rose above the beach.

Sandy leaves many of us powerless

As far as we've heard, our family came through Sandy the Post-Tropical Cyclone without injury or major damage. But many of us have been without electricity since the high winds hit on Oct. 29.

At Birch Street Media Headquarters, a backyard tree fell and tore down the electric, phone and cable connections. The surrounding towns remain largely without power Friday, although a few nearby areas started to come back on that morning. But even when as service is restored to the surrounding area, Dan, Julie and Andy will probably be without power longer, waiting for their individual line to be reconnected.

Dan was able to post this update by using a wifi connection at the local library. If you can read this, please ADD A COMMENT and let us know how you're doing post-Sandy.

What we know so far:

Lisa and Doug in Norfolk, Va., were not affected by the flooding on nearby streets (they're on the third floor) and did not lose power because the lines there are underground. Marie, Brian and Xander in Fredericksburg, Va., stayed safe and dry. Likewise Hugh and Dolores in Maryland, who then headed to Rehoboth Beach, Del., for a weekend art show that seemed still on schedule.

In Yonkers, power went out Monday and was still out Friday at Kevin & Kathy and Kathy & Ted's homes, but Brien's apartment never lost power(!)

From Facebook: Shanna reported hunting around for gasoline, finally after spending two hours on line succeeded in getting gas on Thursday evening. Courtney reported her mom, Nanette, had power back at her Shelter Island home by Wednesday night: "They didn't get it too bad out there at all."

There's no word yet on how the houses in Noyac fared, as no one's been able to get out for a look.

Again, please add a comment on how you're faring. Or e-mail birchstreetweb@gmail.com - but there's no telling when Dan will be able to retrieve it. Or call and let us know how you're doing!

Surrounded by Sandy (Updated 4:30 p.m. Monday)

Google storm map as of noon 10/29. Click for larger view. Get updated version here.

As of midday Monday, the monstrous merger of Hurricane Sandy and an inland storm system encompasses most of our extended family, from Virginia to upstate New York and from Columbus to Cape Cod.

Let us know how you're weathering the storm!

Last week, Sandy brushed Florida on its way north. Courtney reports there was "just a little bit of rain and wind but nothing too crazy." But by late yesterday, rain and wind were hitting coastal Virginia, and overnight it spread across much of the Northeast.

From Norfolk, Va., Lisa sent these photos today of flooding along the waterfront, several blocks from the apartment where she and Doug are living while Doug oversees engineering on the Midtown Tunnel Corridor project. (The ship is the USS Wisconsin.)



From Fredericksburg, Va.: Marie reports a lot of rain and some wind but no problems at the apartment where she, Brian and Xander are sitting out the storm. Brian had the day off as the Virginia Railway Express canceled service for the day, and will not resume until Wednesday.

From New Jersey: No ill effects so far (as of 3:30 p.m. Monday) at Birch Street Media headquarters, but the winds are picking up. The National Weather Service reports gusts of 40-55 mph in the area. Here's a little video clip of the wind in the trees behind our HQ.

Dan, Julie and Andy are all at home, as school is canceled until Wednesday and a state of emergency is in effect, keeping non-emergency vehicles off the roads.

And how about this: The needle on the Birch Street Media Weather Station barometer has fallen below the 28.3 low point on its scale!

From eastern Long Island: This amazing photo was posted at easthamptonpatch.com by a resident who listed the location as "Atlantic Avenue" - presumably the Atlantic Avenue beach in Amagansett.

Getting a head start on Halloween (Updated)

In Fredericksburg, Va., Dr. Who found Waldo on Saturday, and they headed downtown to the city's fall festival. There they met a reporter from the Fredericksburg Freelance-Star, who included them in her article:

Trick-or-treaters flooded downtown Fredericksburg Saturday, eager to beat impending Hurricane Sandy, which many parents fear will impact Halloween on Wednesday. Sponsors of the event, the Downtown Retail Merchants Association and city police, say this fall’s street festival drew the largest number of children to date. Officer Kenny Camp said they expected about 300 children, but an hour into the event nearly 1,200 came through...

(At) Rivery books, where children’s books were given out instead of candy ... Xander, 6, picked up a book titled “The Runaway Flying Horse” ... But he was most excited about a gum ball he received at a neighboring store. “It’s my favorite,” he said. Xander was dressed as Waldo and his father, Brian, was dressed as Doctor Who. Brian, who lives in the city, said they are definitely worried about the storm and were happy to have an opportunity to trick or treat early.

On Friday, Xander - or was it Waldo? - or Peter Parker? - transformed into Spiderman to join the "Boo at the Zoo" festivities at the National Zoo in Washington.

Prepare for wild weather

Family members from Virginia to Massachusetts are bracing for several days of bad weather next week, as some combination of Hurricane Sandy and a Midwestern storm is expected to clobber the Northeast starting as early as Sunday and lasting ... well, days.

On the map above, the path that spends all week making a curlicue around Baltimore and drifting toward New York looks the most dastardly, but nearly all the paths would bring heavy rain and wind to the entire region.

Everybody stay safe! And please keep us posted on how you ride out the storm.

Our team wins again! Walk to End Alzheimer's 2012

Led by Shanna, our family team was once again the (self-proclaimed) winner of the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's, held Sunday in Manhattan's Riverside Park.

More importantly, the team raised over $1,000 for the Alzheimer's Association, which operates programs of support for patients and their families and helps fund research into the disease.

Shanna writes: "Thank you for all the support for this year's Walk to End Alzheimer's! It was a great success and we reached our goal for the fifth year in a row - bringing our total so far to over $4,000!"

Click for larger view

Concert video: Coldplay

Back in August, Dan and Julie went to see Coldplay perform in concert at the Izod Center in New Jersey. Dan captured some highlights and edited them into this mini-concert-video. If you're a Coldplay fan - enjoy!

NYC Walk to End Alzheimer's less than a week away

It's time once again for the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's, raising money for research into this cruel disease and for programs to support families coping with it.

Since 2009, Shanna has organized a family team to join the annual walk in Manhattan's Riverside Park, run by the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer's Assocation.

The 2012 event takes place next Sunday, Oct. 21. The registration booths open at 9 a.m., opening ceremonies start at 10 and the walk gets under way at 11 a.m.

2009 walkers

Please join us -- either in person, for a pleasant stroll through the beautiful park, or in helping the cause by adding to our family's contribution. Visit our team page to learn how.

The Alzheimer's Association provides a variety of support services for patients and families, as well as helping to fund medical research. Click here for a run-down of services provided by the New York City chapter. You could also find information about a chapter in your area - and about local Walks - on the national association's website.

Our extended family has been touched multiple times by Alzheimer's disease, giving us a stake in the fight against it. Please join us as "we walk to win."
 

Band season marches on for Christopher, Andy

It was a busy weekend for Chris and his bandmates at Hilliard Darby High School. The Panther marching band played halftime at a Friday night home football game, then performed in two competitions Saturday.

This picture of the saxophone section -- Chris is the one waving his sax over his head in the middle of the back row -- was taken before the Mid-Ohio Classic competition, where the band won the Grand Champion trophy.

Meanwhile in New Jersey, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School band played at a football game Saturday afternoon and a competition that night. Here's a shot of Andy in action during the half-time show.


By the way, both school's football teams won their games.

The SPFHS Raiders band is one of the largest in the state, and so far this season has not faced a competitor in its category. But it will be up against several other big bands from the NJ-NY region when it takes part in the Yamaha Cup competition at Met Life stadium (home of the Giants and Jets) on Saturday, Oct. 13.

Artist at work en plein air

Hugh writes: On Saturday, Sept. 22, the Barn Quilt Association of Garrett County, Md., sponsored a festival day that included a special tour of the 16 Garrett County barns with quilt elements mounted on them, plus exhibits at the Fair Grounds.

Dolores was one of three artists asked to demonstrate at one of the barns. She produced a plein air painting using the pastel medium.

The quilt element on the barn she is painting is known as “Crazy Quilt.” For more information, check out the Barn Quilt Association’s web site, GarrettBarnQuilts.org.

Spruced up on Birch Street

The grounds of Birch Street Headquarters have had a makeover.

Dan and Julie are enjoying the new look of their front yard.

Over the summer, workers trimmed trees, dug out surface roots and removed scraggly bushes; re-graded, added topsoil and seeded the yard; planted new bushes, perennials and a kousa dogwood tree; and repaved the driveway and entry.


Finally, the work is done and the grass is coming up.

Here's a "before" picture.

Gerrit's in charge of the fun in Cape Cod town

Gerrit has been named to the newly created post of recreation coordinator for the Town of Dennis, Mass.

Gerrit grew up in the town, and over the past five years has assisted with many Dennis Recreation Department programs. He also has served as a recreation programs specialist in nearby Harwich for the past two years.

Click here to read a full article on a local news web site about Gerrit's new position.

Here's a rundown of Dennis Recreation programs for the fall.

Join the Walk to End Alzheimer's

The start of the 2011 Walk

The annual New York Walk to End Alzheimer's is just four weeks away, and Shanna is once again organizing a team to take part.

This will be the fifth year our family team has contributed to this event in support of the fight against a disease that has touched us in numerous ways. Each year, our team has surpassed its fundraising goal. This year Shanna has set a goal of $1,000.

"I take great pride in the money we have raised over the years and the awareness that has spread," Shanna said. "I can not thank those who have supported my family and I enough. ... It's really awesome how involved everyone has been and I hope it continues this year."

Please visit our Team Page to find out more, and to contribute if you can. And if possible, join our family team for a pleasant walk in Riverside Park on Sunday, Oct. 21.

Our motto: We walk to win!

Kathy points the way to victory