Girl Scout Stephanie bridges to Juniors

Stephanie started her fifth year in Girl Scouts by moving up from Brownies to Juniors.

The "bridging" ceremony was held at a local park where there was an actual bridge for the girls to walk across.

With the move to Ohio last year, Stephanie joined a Brownie troop that had nearly 30 girls.

Most of the girls in that troop are still in 2nd or 3rd grade this year but 4th-grader Stephanie and one other member bridged to Juniors and joined Troop 348 in the Ohio's Heartland council.

The troop meets at Stephanie's school, Hilliard Crossing Elementary.

It's a smaller troop, 8-9 girls, but busy.

"So far they have planned a Halloween party and a sleepover at COSI (a local science museum) and possibly a mother/daughter camping trip," Cathy writes.

"The girls already earned their first badge together."





Topping off the bridging ceremony - cake!

Recommended reading: Story of the Nez Perce

Hugh has written us a review of "The Last Indian War — The Nez Perce Story," by Elliot West, published earlier this year by Oxford University Press.

The nation that called themselves Nimiipuu (“the real people”) were named Nez Perce by the French traders that first encountered them. Their homeland encompassed what today is northeastern Oregon, southeastern Washington and most of north central Idaho. West describes the circumstances that triggered confrontations with white settlers and the U.S. Army, the migration of the Nez Perce, their battles with the U.S. Army and the plight of the Nez Perce after the surrender of Chief Joseph in October 1877.

Read Hugh's full review and find out more about the book.

Last days of summer 2009 in Noyac

Brien has shared a selection of his photos from the last few weeks of summer in Noyac. Click to see the slideshow, or double-click to see larger versions on our Picasa photos page.

Rocking in New Jersey with U2

U2 put on a magnificent concert at Giants Stadium Sept. 23-24 and Dan, Julie, Christine and Andy were there for the second night's show - along with some 80,000 other fans.

The Irish superstars of rock performed for nearly two hours on a circular stage under an array of lights, speakers and video screens that looked like it had landed from space and could take off again at any moment.

The show included mostly material from the late '80s and beyond, from "With or Without You" and "Where the Streets Have No Name" to recent hits like "Vertigo" "Get On Your Boots."

Some of Dan's photos of the show:
Click twice to see larger versions

The oldest number was 1983's "Sunday Bloody Sunday." During that anti-violence anthem, originally written about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the stage was bathed in green in honor of Iranian dissidents.

The Star-Ledger's review by Jay Lustig described it well: "Spotlights above the tower pointed straight up, reaching toward the sky, during "I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight," and Bono wore a jacket with built-in lasers during "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)." But as dazzling as the special effects and the stage were, musically it was a no-nonsense show. The Edge (guitar), Clayton (bass) and Mullen (drums) played their parts with power and precision, and no wasted notes, and Bono, at 49, still came across like an rambunctious kid, ready to change the world." (See The Star-Ledger's photos)

Our roster of scholars (Updated)

Among all the scholars in our family, most have resumed classes and the rest will soon. We thought we'd put together an update of our family's educational activity.

Some of this is based on guesses or assumptions, so we apologize for any errors... So please fill us in on whatever we've missed or gotten wrong. (Thanks to Aunt Pat for updating us on Brennan and Shannon!)

Shanna - Graduate studies at Mercy College
Dan - San Jose State University
Vivien - third year at Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration
Kevin - third year at Manhattan College
Liz - third year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rebecca - first year at Rochester Institute of Technology
Christine - junior at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School
Patrick - junior at Fordham Prep
Brennan - senior at Saratoga High School
Shannon - sixth grade at Maple Ave. Middle School
Lizzie - freshman at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School
Andy - 8th grade, Park Middle School, Scotch Plains-Fanwood
Christopher - 7th grade, Heritage Middle School
Stephanie - 4th grade, Hilliard Crossing Elementary School

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: