Ardmore ~ North End

As we announced in mid-April, we moved two weeks ago to Ardmore PA, an honest-to-goodness neighborhood about 9 miles from downtown Philadelphia. Our little (~1200 sq ft) house sits at the north end of a street entirely populated with "twin homes", essentially duplexes with a property line that subdivides the structure.

Yin-yang twin home in Ardmore

Although our place has been a rental since its owner moved out about five years ago (and so needs a serious cleaning and some cosmetic work), we're already way more comfortable than we were during our six months in the humongous house among the horse farms.  With the exception of the location, our routine would be familiar to most people who live in the North End:  We walk through the neighborhood to dinner (Ardmore's version of DBA lists over 40 eating establishments in the town, which measures about 1.5 miles square), ride our bikes to the Saturday morning farmers market (in Bryn Mawr, home to the eponymous women's college), walk the dogs (through campus of Haverford College, another highly-rated liberal arts college, only a few blocks from our place), drive about two miles to the local grocery store (Trader Joe's in Ardmore or Whole Foods in Wynnewood). Our achievements of the past two weeks include identifying a great neighborhood coffee shop (Milkboy), Irish bar (McCloskey's Tavern), sushi restaurant (Harusame), hardware store (DMI), and dog park. With the exception of the dog park, which is two miles away, everything's within walking distance.

I drop my shirts at the dry cleaners on my one mile walk to the Ardmore train station. Most days I ride Amtrak to Paoli (subject of several earlier posts), from where a shuttle bus takes me to Vanguard's campus. My commute has extended from 25 to 55 minutes but it consists of a 20 minute walk and reading on a train and bus.  Longer to be sure, but when I arrive in the office at 8:05AM I'm less stressed because I haven't had to deal with traffic or parking.  And when we have occasion to head into Philly (which we'll do next Saturday to see members of the Trey McIntyre Project perform Peter Pan with the Philadelphia Ballet) the train will drop us off downtown in about 15 minutes.

We're on the left side - 636 Georges Lane

Of course our new abode boasts a guest room - in fact we'll host Petra, Tina's  friend and former coworker, in a couple of weeks. Her visit is a great excuse to head into Philly, Washington DC (where we'll have dinner with Alan and Geri Bullard, Boise friends who're coincidentally visiting DC) and NYC (to see Porgy & Bess on Broadway) during her week-long stay.  PLEASE come hang out with us!

Change of Venue

It's been a month since we posted - no excuses (good ones, at least) - and we promise to get to it more regularly.  In the meanwhile though, we want to share the news of our pending relocation.

We shared with you the adventure of living among the horse farms west of Philadelphia. You'll recall we found the house too large (and expensive), without the neighborhood feel we enjoyed in the North End (although our next door neighbor is Christin Steele's childhood friend - how crazy is that!) and too far away from shops, restaurants, and other amenities.

The suburb to which we're moving, called Ardmore, is only nine miles from downtown (aka Center City) Philadelphia. We'll be one mile or less to supermarkets (Trader Joes!), restaurants (our new favorite sushi place!), a library, the train to Vanguard and Philadelphia, and heaps of other stuff we can walk or ride our bikes to.  Plus, the house is around the size of our Boise place, with similarly lower costs.

For your records, as of this Sunday 21 April, our address will be:
636 Georges Lane
Ardmore, PA 19003

As a reminder, Vanguard's just north of Paoli and we're living (for the moment) on Yellow Springs Road (in the very upper left corner). Our new place is marked. Philly is at the bottom right.

The River Trail Showdown

We spent many, many hours on the Boise Greenbelt during our tenure in the city. Kenn did most of his marathon training and took hundreds of other runs and rides along the entire length of the trail from Discovery Park at Lucky Peak Reservoir to where it crosses beneath Eagle Road. Tina likewise walked and jogged the Greenbelt many times. While it's a convenient site for community members to exercise they may take for granted to beauty of the strip of urban park that is the Greenbelt and the River itself.

We must admit we did exactly that. We extracted two of our five bikes from their basement prison and took our first ride on the Schuylkill River Trail and Perkiomen River Trail this afternoon, taking advantage of the continued excellent weather to get a little outdoor exercise. We'd read and been told about the paved trail beside the Schuylkill (skoo-kull) River and looked forward to making use of it ourselves.

The SRT is a paved path, two auto lanes wide, following the River as it arcs northwest from the western edge of downtown Philadelphia. The Perkiomen River Trail intersects the SRT near Phoenixville, northeast of our house and adjacent to a fenced dog park to which we take Karma and Bailey. We rode on the SRT north from the dog park then followed the PRT north another few miles to a convenient turn-around.

While both Trails are surely convenient for runners, walkers and cyclists (although in our opinion not an appropriate substitute for roads for the hard-core cyclist because of the density of other users) the main drawback to us was the state of the Schuylkill River itself. The muddy banks are choked with underbrush in which trash hangs; myriad dead trees litter the banks and channel; the water appears thick, brown and sluggish, with streams of white bubbles swirling downstream. Not a body of water in which I'd be inclined to let my dogs cavort, much less that I'd want to kayak or from which I'd eat a fish.

More or less what the PRT looks like, at least for the moment

In sharp contrast we've had the pleasure of doing all three of the above in the Boise River.

While perhaps a technicality - our disappointment is with the River, not the Trail itself - round one must go the to Boise Greenbelt.

How we remember the Greenbelt...

Spring Is Here (we hope)

The Taters moved to PA in the fall - in our opinion, the most beautiful time of year Idaho. October turned out not to disappoint in Pennsylvania either, but by Thanksgiving the woods around our house were literally a stark reminder of winter's thrall.

Like most of the rest of the US (including Idaho), Pennsylvania's been spared a harsh winter, granting us one small favor in our adjustment to the east coast. And, as of the past few days, it appears as though spring has arrived in earnest, if not on the calendar (it officially starts March 20th) at least in temperatures and, perhaps, temperament.

We heralded the season with last weekend's visit to Longwood Gardens in nearby Kennett Square. In the early years of the last century Pierre S. DuPont, great-grandson of the founder of the eponymous company, bought a farm on the site and created most of the extensive horticultural center that exists today. The place is like a Smithsonian for plant and flower lovers; every imaginable variety is on display in a gargantuan, rambling greenhouse and in various formations around the vast grounds of the estate. Even on a crowded spring weekend it was hard not to find it impressive and charming.

This past week brought consistently warmer temperatures until today, when we noticed the farmland and trees around us greening quickly and enjoyed sitting on what passes for our front veranda. Crocus, daffodils and other greenery are bursting through the brown grass and dead leaves in the yard, and the merest hint of leaves tips most of the trees that are no doubt enjoying the warmth as much as we. So warm was it today that the dogs even took themselves out of the game (of fetch) at the local dog park, lying in the shade panting. 

We're not foolish enough to believe without reservation that the potential for wintry temperatures and precipitation is behind us. Anyone who's lived in Idaho knows that the key to successfully surviving the "shoulder months" is to dress in layers and keep the umbrella handy. But the probability of a nasty surprise is diminishing daily and we're very much looking forward to cycling, hiking, fly-fishing and otherwise experiencing the outdoor life in this part of the country.

Buried Neck-Deep In History

To say that the region in which the Taters now live was central to the American Revolution is like saying Boise has a few outdoor recreation opportunities. You can't swing a dead possum (sorry for the sudden lapse into Southernism...) without hitting a monument, battlefield, house where Washington slept, and so on. Kenn, with his keen interest in history, has been doing some reading and exploring, which is summarized here.

interactive link at bottom of post

Probably the most obvious symbol of American independence, and the war that was waged to create the nation, is the Liberty Bell, which is housed in Independence Park in downtown Philadelphia. While it's unlikely the Bell was actually used to proclaim the Declaration of Independence (it was in pretty bad shape at the time, apparently) it's become an international icon and relic.

Less iconic but certainly more important from a political perspective is Independence Hall, across the street from where the Bell is housed. It was here that the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were debated and adopted. This building was literally the delivery room into which the United States was born.

Founding Father and all-around rock star Ben Franklin is buried a couple of blocks away.

It was not at all clear that, once the War commenced, that the new country would succeed. In fact, the odds against their doing so were quite high: At the time England had the most powerful military force in the world, having only a few years before defeated France in the Seven Years' War (aka French & Indian War) in one of the first true world wars. 

So much more remarkable, then, was Washington's crossing the partially frozen river that is Philadelphia's (and Pennsylvania's) eastern border to defeat the Hessian troops stationed in Trenton with a successful surprise attack on December 25, 1776.

While an important tactical and political victory the Continental Army's victory at Trenton obviously didn't settle the matter. In fact, Washington's troops pretty frequently took what we'd have called down South an a**-whipping. Several noteworthy battles fought in the 1777 Philadelphia campaign took place within a few miles of here.

At the Battle of Brandywine in mid-September 1777 Washington was outmaneuvered due to poor battlefield intelligence. The fight, one of the largest of the War, nearly led to the destruction of the Continental Army and allowed the British to march unimpeded into the new American capital of Philadelphia.

Remember that most European wars were politically or religiously motivated so the goal of the fight was to capture the capital, at which point the defeated monarch would cry uncle and pay tribute or give up land. Rather than rolling over and giving up the Continental Congress simply moved out of town while the British occupied Philadelphia and the Continental Army, while depleted and depressed, remained viable.

It's likely that members of the Continental Army would have marched down the road in front of our house on their way to Yellow Springs, site of a Revolutionary War hospital. Washington withdrew his men to Yellow Springs in search of ammunition after the Battle of the Clouds (September 16 1777).

A few days later, British troops got the drop on a detachment of Continental soldiers led by General Anthony Wayne, who had himself been planning to ambush the British army. Wayne, who lived in nearby, encamped his troops in Malvern (within a couple of miles of Kenn's office). The British got wind of Wayne's plans and executed a devastating bayonet and sword attack on the unsuspecting American camp after midnight.

On December 19th 1777 the Army marched into an area that was home to an iron forge west of Philadelphia and began establishing its winter encampment at Valley Forge.

There's plenty to intrigue and satisfy the history buff in southeastern PA. Beyond the Revolutionary War sites, the most obvious might be the Battle of Gettysburg fought during the War of Northern Aggression (Civil War for those who didn't grow up in the South), but plenty of important stuff has happened here. More on that later.

walking Karma in Valley Forge National Historical Park - Sunday 22 Jan 2012

http://maps.google.com/maps?pq=battle+of+the+clouds&hl=en&sugexp=pfwl&tok=72SoksAqe0s-gLSR3dSMPA&cp=4&gs_id=f&xhr=t&q=valley+forge&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1536&bih=850&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Let It Snow... (or not)

Ahh, how we enjoyed snow days in Boise. Snowshoeing with the dogs at Camelsback or Robie Creek Parks. Riding the bikes downtown or elsewhere. Long Foothills runs on snow-covered trails. Even shoveling the sidewalk was fun, inasmuch that we'd stop to chat with our wonderful neighbors Don and Rita Belts, CK Haun and Karen Meyer, or Hobie and Gina Swann. Even though neither of us especially enjoy alpine skiing (a favorite hobby of many of our friends) we found plenty to do and never dreaded a forecasted snowfall.

Let's just say that residents of the Mid-Atlantic region have a somewhat different perspective, one that reminds Kenn of his childhood in the South. There, even the hint of snow - temperatures below 40, a few puny flakes - elicited uncontrolled glee from children and near-panic from adults. Supermarkets would be mobbed as though a the area were on the cusp of a massive natural disaster or World War 3. It's not *quite* that bad here, but all eyes were on the weather radar a few days ago as a storm approached from the south and west, threatening snow, sleet, and the dreaded "wintery mix."

In full disclosure, even the Taters filled a few water bottles and made sure the pantry was stocked in anticipation of spending a day or two without power, or at least without the ability to travel on the area's hilly roads.  After all, much of southern PA is forested, and limbs heavy with ice seem to be magnetically attracted to power lines. And without power, the house we're renting has no heat or water. "It'll be like camping," said Kenn with feigned enthusiasm as he dug his backpacking headlamp from a basement box.

The Taters awoke this morning to 3-4 inches of snow, about what was predicted by the most recent forecasts. 8:00AM found them shoveling their long, hillside driveway (far earlier than neighbors, who seemed content to wait until hired help arrived at 3PM in the form of a tractor with a blade mounted on the front) and by 9:15AM they were tucking into one of Tina's always outstanding breakfasts - scrambled eggs with cheese, pancakes, and grilled ham.  Just like they did back in Idaho.

Snowshoeing in McCall, Feb 2011; Tina & Kenn, Eric & Tobi Mott, John & Donna Hoyne, Jason Crawforth & Jimsi Kuborn

Reflections on Martin Luther King Day

Although I (Kenn) grew up in Georgia in the 1960s I have no memory of Dr. King or the paradigm cultural shift of which he was a leader. I don't remember reading or hearing of his speeches at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the marches and sit-ins he lead, the newsflash of his assassination or the nation-wide riots that flared as the world learned of his murder. I was well into adulthood before it dawned on me what an extraordinary thing it was to have black classmates and friends at an Georgia elementary school in the early 1970s. I was not quite 2 years old, after all, when he died.

All that said, Dr. King is a hero of mine and I'm proud to be able to tell others that I was there, even as an infant. I credit my parents with making a choice that defied conventional wisdom among white Georgians, and even their own families: To raise my brother and me with the belief that the difference between a person with white skin and skin of another color is only that one thing.

When you consider all of the lessons young parents might teach their kids it's remarkable how such a small thing can create such an enormous difference in how one perceives the world. It means that the kid is raised with a presumption of equality and respect rather than inequality and anger. It lays the basis for competition in a meritocracy instead of privilege. It teaches that the Golden Rule is a universal mandate.

Most importantly it plants the seed for an understanding that the reason we're here is to make the world better, and the way to do that is by showing one another kindness and compassion. The only way.

In the past few years I've found myself compelled to study Dr. King's speeches and writings as part of my own journey. As an erstwhile writer and lover of words I appreciate him as a brilliant wordsmith. More importantly though, his words and actions echo those of other sages and saints, like Ghandi, the Dalai Lama, and many others. From them I've learned how difficult, but critical, it is to break the cycle of anger by refusing to retaliate when attacked; that service is the highest calling; that achievements are never earned alone and must be accompanied by humility; the importance of perseverance through hardship; and how a powerful idea can become an unstoppable wave of action when driven by single-minded focus on what is right.

Most fundamentally, though, Dr. King taught me, through my parents' choice, that we all want the same thing - to be happy. Understanding that there is no difference has made all the difference.

A few favorite quotes:


Hatred and bitterness can never cure the disease of fear; only love can do that. Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Strength to Love, 1963.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction....The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Strength to Love, 1963.

I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech, Dec 10 1964.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.
Martin Luther King Jr.

I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Speech in Detroit, June 23, 1963.

And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land. So I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Speech in Memphis, April 3, 1968, the day before King was assassinated.

The time is always right to do what is right.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Speech at Oberlin College, 1964.

Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve....You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
Martin Luther King, Jr.


Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Have a Dream speech, Civil Rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28 1963.

This will be the day, this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!"
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Have a Dream speech, Civil Rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28 1963.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every tenement and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
I Have a Dream speech, Civil Rights March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28 1963.

Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Strength to Love, 1963.

All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.
Martin Luther King Jr.


Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King Jr.

Let no man pull you low enough to hate him.
Martin Luther King Jr.