Tent Caterpillars

Spring is a wonderful time of the year. After the cold, gray days of winter, the burst of new life and color of spring is a welcome reminder of the renewal of life. Maybe that's why we celebrate Easter at this time of year. Pagan holidays and religious observances intersect.

But one of the downsides of the life renewal of spring is the return of the parasites.  This past winter I took care of the telemarketer parasites. Now it was time to take care of the spring parasites. Tent caterpillars specifically.   Oh sure, I hear the argument "They deserve to live too" but folks, not on my wild cherry tree. NO way, NO how. They got to go. 




Not too many years ago an anonymous bird or birds deposited some wild cherry tree seeds (and you know how they "deposited" those seeds, don't ask me to go into detail) at the perimeter of my backyard wildlife sanctuary. This was one planting I didn't have to buy.  During the summer I pull up many wild cherry tree seedlings that are in an inappropriate place but this seedling was perfectly placed. The many birds who visit my backyard wildlife sanctuary during the season LOVE those wild cherries.  I see many of those seeds in my eight birdbaths. Thus, this was one "weed" I didn't pull up.

Then last year I noticed the ugly emergence of tent caterpillars.  You have all seen a tree decimated by tent caterpillars.  Always a sad sight.  Well, I was determined not to lose my wild cherry tree to this particular, unwelcome parasite.  And just as I got rid of the telemarketers calling my land line phone daily, I got rid of those tent caterpillars. 

The way I got rid of them was by destroying their tents when they are young and crawling up and down the smooth wild cherry tree bark to the young leaves of the wild cherry tree.  I found if I kept the young caterpillars busy rebuilding their tents until the leaves fully emerged, then I could starve the caterpillars and thus save at least one wild cherry tree for a food source for my backyard visitors. And that's what I'm showing you here on this blog post of the video that Bill took of me just a short while ago "brushing" the young tent caterpillars's tents.  

Hey, who else do you know who posts blogs about controlling tent caterpillars?  Just one more reason why you should ALWAYS visit my blog.  To quote the famous Forest Gump (referring to a box of chocolates):

"You just never know what you're going to get."

Spring is Here!

Finally, spring is here!  

I just returned from my local nursery, Peppers'.  Yet another purchase of daffodils to place in those empty spaces around Casa Tipton-Kelly.

Pat's is trudging through the snow in Toronto. A few days ago a late snowstorm buried Denver, Colorado.  Just one day after Denver was basking in spring time temps of 70 degrees plus. No more snow her folks! 

Monday I begin a three day stay in Philadelphia visiting my friend Don McK. More on site instruction showing Don how to use his new iMac computer.  I'm going to try and talk him into buying an iPhone and fully joining the Digital Age, even though he is approaching 80 years old. Wish me luck! Don was the one person who introduced me to computers thirty years ago (1986). This is my payback to my friend.

With all the bad news of terrorist attacks in Europe and the ridiculous Republican fight for the presidential nomination, I'm concentrating on the gift of living through another spring season.  Last night I left work and I didn't even need a coat!  Hey folks, I'm ready for the NICE WEATHER and good news.


Note: the video at the beginning of this blog was taken from my bedroom window this morning.  My backyard birds indulging in a morning bath routine.

The 45's 60's Band of Toronto Canada

Yesterday I was talking to my former boss and long time friend Bill P. on the phone.  Bill lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania now.  For many years in the late 60's, 70's and 80's we worked together at Girard Bank (now Mellon bank) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Bill is a longtime fan of doc-wop music from the Fifties.  He's also a classic (50's) car fan.  I mentioned to him that my new friend Pat (you all know "Pat" from Toronto, Canada, my Travel Buddy and soul brother) plays part-time in a band called "The 45's". See HERE. They play music from the 60's.

Pat's been playing his whole life.  Here is an early band album cover of Pat and his band.

Pat, in the foreground on the right holding the CD and his band

After I told Bill about Pat (who I hope I can introduce to each other some day, I love to have friends from different parts of my life intersect), Bill had asked if he could see on You Tube Pat's band.  Bill's son also plays in a band of "old guys."  

At the beginning of this blog post is what I found on You Tube this morning.  First time I've seen it!  

I had a little difficulty finding a video of "The 45's" because, apparently there is more than one group called "The 45's".  Somebody didn't copyright the name (fellas).  Maybe they should have called their band "Five Naked Ladies."  But wait, there is already a band by that name isn't there?  And actually that is a Canadian band too, isn't it?

So folks, for your listening pleasure here is my friend Pat's band, The 45's.

Yet Even More Old Films Transferred to DVD

  This is your lucky day folks.  Yet even MORE old films transferred to DVD that I'm sharing with you today.  Hey, isn't this fun?  Almost as much fun as having a neighbor pressuring you to stop by and view an hour's worth of slides from their latest vacation trip.  Oh yes, I remember THOSE days.  When we lived in Philly, we had these delightful neighbors, the Kehrers.  Very nice folks.  One summer they took a vacation to Europe.  When they got back they invited us down to show us their slides. Folks, I have to tell you that was one of the most boring two hours I've ever had in my life.  And believe me, I've had some boring episodes in my life.  But hey, after you've seen one angle of a church cathedral in Cologne Germany, you've seen them all.  No need to show me ten different versions.  And they Mr. Kehrer got caught up on "Was this taken in Cologne or Koblenz Germany?"  I wanted to shout out "IT.DOESN'T.MATTER!"  But of course, the Best Little Boy in the World that I am, I didn't say anything but suffered in silence.  So folks, I am quite aware that I may be boring the pants off of some of you and if I am, then just move on to the next blog but for those of you who are interested, here is my latest installment. 

This video shows me cavorting with our two Pomeranian dogs at our new house in the woods outside of Downingtown, Pennsylvania.  Oh those were the days. I was so young and those dogs were so frisky.  Check me out with my skinny leg jeans, before they were fashionable.  Hey, I still have those jeans but they don't fit me anymore (waist).  The waist is 31 inches and length 36 inches.  These days the Old Ron takes 34/34.  Waist has expanded and I've shrunk.  Fifteen pounds heavier too. For years now I've been procrastinating selling those jeans on Ebay as "vintage jeans."  That's another project I should get in gear for. 

Me and my skinny legged jeans 1986

And guess what folks!  I found a video that I had taken of my workplace at Mellon (formerly Girard) bank in Philadelphia.  I had forgotten all about this video.  What a delight to see my former co-workers like Nazarene Regalbuto, Bill Price, Joe Moorhead  Peggy D'Allesandro, Nancy Wallace, Renee (I forget her last name) and Sue Saylor.  Hard to believe I took these films thirty years ago (1986).  Time does really fly.  

Two good friends and former co-workers Reno and Renee (Renee is gone now)

Note: Pictured at the header of this blog are my former bosses Joe Muirhead (now deceased) and Bill Price. 

More Old Films Transferred to DVD

What a job this is!  This morning I transferred more old 8mm film that was transferred to a VHS tape and now I'm transferring those images to a DVD format.  I think I'm getting better at this.  

One thing, it is time consuming and I have so many VHS tapes to transfer.  I hope I live long enough.

Me in Quebec, Canada - 1967

Another thing, much of the content is boring to the casual viewer.  What was I thinking taking film of water?  And I thought my father was bad taking film of the sky.  Well, at least I have film of people, including me (of course), which is now very interesting to look at.  I moved that fast?  Wow.  Now I can hardly get a smooth stride going.  I'm getting the Old Man Walk.  Not the "Shuffle" mind you but that hesitant walk that portends falling down, which I never want to do again.

Me coming out of the surf at Ocean City, New Jersey. The first and last time I was ever in Ocean City, New Jersey. Too many lifeguards blowing their whistles

So here goes, I'm posting this portion of the old 8mm film that I copied to DVD this morning.  By the way, I forgot how I uploaded it to You Tube so I had to figure that out all over again.  The brain is going folks.  Going, going, GONE!



P.S.
I've reviewed this DVD and only Part 1 has uploaded to You Tube which is just as well.  The whole DVD is about an hour long and folks, you'll have to admit that watching "home movies" that long would even bore the pants off of the person who took the home movies (that would be me).  So I'm only going to subject you to fifteen minute increments.  

My niece Karen Tipton with a cat - I don't think Karen has ever seen this video. Karen is 53 years old now and has a grown daughter. Time flies. Karen is to the left with her brother (my only nephew, Isaac, III and her sister Dawn)

Of course I know where and when all these scenes were taken but you don't so here is a list (hopefully) in chronological order:

1. Ottawa, Canada - changing of the guard -1967
2. Niagara Falls, Canadian side - 1967
3. Cheswick Square Apartment, Roxborough, Philadelphia, PA - me at the apartment pool - check out my doofus diving (I can't dive)
4. My father's "farm". My brother Isaac takes a puppy out.  "Pop" had pigs, chickens, ducks and even a goat.
5. My niece Karen Tipton with an orange cat whose name I can't remember.
6. Valley Forge, PA. I apologize for the long, boring scenic shots. They don't mean anything now except if those fields are filled with high rise apartments now which hasn't happened yet at Valley Forge State park but could very easily happen in the future with the King of Prussia megapolis creeping around the edges of the park.
7. Our Pomeranian dogs "Horace" (the orange one - male) and "T" (short for "Tiffany") romping around at our new house in East Brandywine Township, Downingtown, Pennsylvania. 

Watching these videos brought back many good memories.  I've had a good life folks.  I'm glad I'm able to share it with you now.  Long after I'm gone these videos on You Tube and my blog will live on, a testament that even a skinny, gay man like me brought up constantly belittled can succeed in life.  

Who is this hunk? Why it's me! Actually, I wasn't too bad looking back In The Day was I? Shame I didn't realize it at the time.

Old Films Transferred to DVD's!

NOTE: I noticed that the video doesn't actually begin until a little over three minutes into the video right after the Jay Leno segment.  By the way, I used an old Jay Leno tape to test the copying but I didn't realize I had also uploaded that segment to You Tube. So please bear with me.  Also, bear with the background hillbilly music which could be annoying to you Mariah Carey fans (which I am NOT). Enjoy!


Finally!  I've started to transfer my old VHS tapes to DVD's. This is something I've been putting off for a long time. It's a big job folks. I have over a hundred VHS tapes to be transferred to the DVD format.  Because of this monumental job, I've been procrastinating for a LONG time.

Several years ago I bought a VHS/DVD combo unit to copy the VHS tapes to a DVD.  Folks, the process is quite complicated.  Almost too complicated for this 74 year old brain.

I was about to figure out how to do it six years ago when I made a memorial DVD for my Mom's funeral.  I haven't done anything with the VHS transfers to the DVD format since.  

This task has been hanging over my head for sometime.  Lately I've been spending a lot of time playing on line Scrabble in my Facebook account. I have to tell you, lately I've been feeling guilty when I'm "wasting" my time playing Scrabble on Facebook.  

Yesterday, I finally bit the bullet so to speak and planted myself downstairs in our finished basement in front of my old 40 inch SONY Bravia flat screen TV (which we paid $4,000 for years ago, being once of the early purchasers of the new "gigantic" screen TV's which don't seem so gigantic now - I have a 60 inch flat screen TV in the Tipton Cinema).  

Oh what a day yesterday was.  I had to relearn the whole process again.  My old brain cells really got a workout.  Unfortunately I accidentally erased about ten minutes of a VHS tape I had of my Mom counting her bonds which I kept in my safe.  What is the matter with me?  Practicing on a real tape instead of one of the many "junk" tapes I have?  Sometimes I could kick myself.

However, after much frustration I finally figured out how to transfer the images from my old VHS tape to a DVD.  The first one I did was of films that were taken in 1966.  Yes, FIFTY years ago.  I'm uploading it now to You Tube.  Hopefully that goes without a hitch.

The contents of that video tape were originally 8mm film.  Thus this is the third time the images have been transferred to a different format.  Of course there is some degradation. But you can still see a YOUNG Ron Tipton.  Did I really have all that hair?  And the sheen, where did that come from.  Believe it or not, I never put grease in my hair, I always kept it dry even when it wasn't fashionable.  Man, do I ever feel old now.

I see where my upload is now complete.  Folks, a warning, this is a long tape.  Over thirty minutes long.  So if you're really interested in my life, you can take the time.  If not, then I won't throw any guilt trips on you for moving on to another blog with a briefer post.  

Another warning, you'll notice I'm a little "fey" in the video.  Remember, this was back when I was young.  Twenty four years old.  I have no excuse for acting like a swish other than I can blame my good friends Ron Hampton and Ed Cage who were very femme. I have since realized that the "femme" route wasn't good for me so I butched it up big time.  

Long blog posting here folks.  But I did want to share my good news with you that now I can copy all my old VHS tapes to a format that I can post to You Tube.  I have a big job ahead of me but once I'm finished, and as I near the end of my time here on earth, I will go in peace.  By sharing this part of my life to You Tube, my legacy will be complete.  I don't have any family members now who are interested in my old photos, VHS tapes or DVD's but if someone in the future, family member or not, is interested in my time here on earth, then there it is . . . on You Tube.  

Me, exactly 50 years ago!

By the way, here is a photo of my friend Pat "way back then.  He's pictured with his band mates on an album cover.  Yes, that is Pat to the right.  Some hunk right?

Pat and his band "The 45's" way in the past - were we every THAT young? (and had all THAT hair?)

Good Morning Sunshine

Oh my, yet another gorgeous spring day here in southern Delaware! 

I'm loving this folks!  It's days like that that one feels grateful to be alive, in good health, with friends, nice home, not hungry and warm.  Just lovely folks, just so lovely.

With all the bad news in the world isn't it wonderful just to take time out and enjoy The Moment?

Yesterday I hit my favorite local nursery again yesterday and bought even more daffodils.  Oh yes I did.  One can never have too many daffodils, that cherry harbinger of spring and happy days to come.  

A garter snake I found at Pepper's whilst I was perusing the plants - oh yes, I almost peed myself

I've made it through another winter cold spell.  Thankfully this winter wasn't too brutal and even more thankfully I didn't fall and injure my leg or any other body parts like my hip or arm from bracing a fall.  I had a couple of close calls but no accidents.  And wonder of all wonders, I didn't even get a cold this winter. Maybe those flu shots work after all.  

Well folks, I'm off to work again today.  The hotel renovation is almost completed.  We'll be ready for the seasonal onslaught of guests to our spectacular, water view upscale boutique hotel in the smack dab center of Lewes, Delaware.  Come on down!

Best boutique hotel in Delaware

Yesterday I finalized my reservations for a three day stay in Philly at the end of this month.  I'll be staying in the guest suite of my friend Don McK.'s co-op on Walnut Street.  Spring will be popping (I hope) in Philly plus I'll get to spend more time with Don.  In may I'll be returning to Philly to meet my Canadian Travel Buddy Pat.  We'll spend a week in Philly and a few days down here in LSD (Lower Slower Delaware) before the hordes of summertime tourists descend upon us and make the roads impassable. 

Philadelphia, PA - one very COOL city! My "Goldilocks" city; not too big and not too small . . . . just right!

I hope all of you have a bright, cheerful daffodil day!