On the Map

During the first two weekends of September, there was a swoop of events in Johnstown. As summer turns to fall, traditions, old and new, serve as community celebrations. Our family of four traveled the land to be a part of the party.

It all started with the 30th edition of Ethnic Fest, Cambria City's 3-day doozy. 2018 was a spicy year for Ethnic Fest. High humidity made pierogies extra sweaty. While the sun beamed, our daughters ran wild in their great grandmother's backyard. She lives right in the heart of Ethnic Fest and she set up shop well before the festival debuted. Each September her home becomes a stomping ground for trips down memory lane and lamb sandwiches. Especially this year, her porch allowed festival wanderers to take a seat and beat the heat.

By Day 3 of Ethnic Fest, we had devoured a gauntlet of goodies. The ethnicities represented in Cambria City do little to promote the vegetable. The closest thing to a salad at Ethnic Fest is an onion you get with a lamb sandwich from Ace's. That onion might not satisfy your food pyramid portion, but it will stick with you for the rest of the weekend. With onion in my soul, I led our brigade to the Log House Arts Festival.

Arts Fest celebrated its 48th year this time around. Held on Menoher Boulevard in Westmont, Arts Fest became our launching pad to Christmas shopping. Nothing says "fa-la-la-la" like slithering through vendor tents with combative children in the summer. We found refuge in the Community Arts Center, an air-conditioned oasis. Inside, my daughters abandoned me in the face paint line, proceeding to paint rocks. Simply because I waited so patiently, I tinkered with getting my face painted. Also, I was leary of being anywhere close to my 3-year-old while she had a rock. We left peacefully. I without face paint, the rock not thrown.

The following Saturday, I ran in the 3rd running of the Jim Mayer Trail Family Fun Run. Unrelenting rain made for a bone-soaked 5K. I ran in a dedicated herd on this local trail recently designated a National Recreational Trail. Hugging the Stonycreek River, the trail is a flat and friendly trek for walkers, runners, and bikers. I took off before the awards ceremony A) because I was not going to be awarded and B) the potential of being stricken with hypothermia. I survived and a greater challenge lied ahead - watching my kids.

While I transitioned back to Dad, Mom arrived at the 6th annual Sandyvale Wine Festival. Marriage involves strategy. Dad got to run free in the morning. Mom got to drink wine in the afternoon. Both man and woman are joyous and agree to reunite in the evening. Just like every Sandyvale session, my wife gave two thumbs up to the event.

4 events. 2 September weekends. 1 hometown.

Here comes autumn. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Weekend Play-By-Play

In the spirit of football season, this is a play-by-play for the last weekend of August 2018. Like football, parenting can be intense with the potential for blindside hits, illegal formations, and heroic combinations.

Saturday

4:00 A.M. - My youngest running back (age 17 months) decides to stand in her crib and yell to her Mom. Not a scream or panic attack, just a loud request. Little does she know, her Mom is sleeping in her sister's room at the time.

4:15 A.M. - She finally switches to "Dad". Her request sounds more aggressive, but judging tact and tone is difficult at this hour.

4:20 A.M. - I take my youngest scrapper to the recliner. She finds comfort. For the next 2.5 hours she sleeps. I twitch and live in a state of fear - not wanting her to wake up, not wanting to fully fall asleep. It is "rest".

7:00 A.M. -  Our family of four begins to get ready for a "big day", the two-word description for every 24 hours on Earth.

8:55 A.M. - Depart for Stackhouse Park for the Run Park 5K followed by the Park Picnic and Jamboree. I  lovingly tell my wife en route, "If you don't see me at the finish line, it's okay, I just needed some more time alone."

9:30 A.M. - Race begins. Forest freedom.

9:59 A.M. - Cross the finish line as my wife, kids, and my parents cheer me on. Grateful for my family and the park I absolutely love.

10:00 A.M. - 11:30 A.M. -  Participate in a gauntlet of Jamboree activities: make sunglasses, pet dogs, eat hot dogs, run through hula hoops, eat corn on the cob, listen to music, nervously watch children cross a stream bridge, eat more corn on the cob.

1:00 P.M. - Mom gets a "parental hiatus" to restore order in the home and in her brain. I quarterback a trip to a 2-year-old birthday party. My mother sits shotgun. Both girls strapped in and making noise.

1:15 P.M. -3:30 P.M. - Attend an epic birthday party that features homemade pizza, an ice cream truck, and music blasting out of the garage. It was an awesome party. One I would never, never, never want to organize and orchestrate. Parents just wandered the grounds, all thinking the same thing - "Great party...this clean up is going to be awful."

3:45 P.M. - My oldest daughter (3 years, 7 months) is calling me "Mom" and in a vulnerable haze. Her body wishes to escape reality, while her mind refuses to embrace naptime.

4:00 P.M. - Subaru-induced sleep.

7:00 P.M. - Our family hosts a fire in our backyard. Multiple children and parents attend. Fire provides warmth and danger. Mothers and fathers protect their young while enjoying open flame.

10:00 P.M. - Fire out. No one fell in. Live to see another day. My oldest wants to sleep outside. We head in .

Sunday

3:00 A.M. - My oldest wakes me up in "our fort". She declares "I am not sleepy". We transition from fort to bed.

7:30 A.M. - Mom and our youngest burst into the room. "Wakey, wakey, we don't have time for eggs and bacy".

9:00 A.M. - Café Sunday @ Mill House Café in Westmont. My kids have grown to love this fellowship. They learn about faith, music and community in one super swoop. At one point, my oldest disagrees with the lyric "Oh my God". She corrects everyone with "Oh my Gosh". Get it right or pay the price.

11:00 A.M. - Spirituality Round 2 @ Our Mother of Sorrows mass. In the 4th quarter, aka the halfway point of mass, things get a little violent (spilled goldfish, screaming, pew dash, team meeting, intercept kids). I take the youngest on to the streets for 1-on-1 counseling. Mom heads back into the Catholic huddle with our veteran.

11:45 A.M. - I do my job. I go to communion with a cute, sleeping daughter. Everyone looks at me and thinks, "what a composed father". Minutes before, we were sweating on the sidewalk and talking to ourselves.

12:15 P.M. - Parish picnic outside the church that incorporates water. Fire on Saturday. Water on Sunday. Parents watch their children dodge aquatic dangers while discussing the rigors of parenting. At one point, my youngest daughter sits alone on the pavement, pushing stones and dirt around with pure joy.

2:30 P.M. - My wife takes our oldest to a 1-year-old's birthday party. My youngest and I are designated to watch golf on television. This was her idea.

3:00 P.M. - My wife is in the thick of a birthday party bonanza @ Heritage Discovery Center. She reports it was awesome. She never, never, never wants to organize or orchestrate such a scene. I report watching golf was awesome. I never, never, never want to attend a PGA event, but I recognize it is my Dad duty to live out my golf dreams on my parents' couch.

 4:30 P.M.- My youngest and I depart Westmont and hike through Stackhouse back to Brownstown. I push our adventure stroller while she goes along for the ride. She protects her baby doll from critters.

6:30 P.M. - Porch dinner and discover that baby robins have hatched in our front yard tree. The crowd goes wild. Mother robin looks concerned. Her nest is on lunatic property.

8:00 P.M. - My wife and I decide to take the kids to Shaffer's Frosty Freeze. Hard day, soft serve.

9:15 P.M. - Oldest daughter is mesmerized by an "orangish moon". We pull the Subaru up to the Inclined Plane lookout to get a better glimpse. A small army of high school kids are talking about their semester schedules. My daughter will begin school in September. She's ready, no doubt. She currently thinks the moon comes out of the sun.

Two days.

Two kids.

Two parents.

One fun place to build a family.

Goodnight Johnstown, big day ahead.

Dance, Walk, Run

DWR cardio is critical to my Dad life. My girls and I are always on the prowl for Dancing, Walking, or Running. Without movement, we can become cranky, hysterical, and even destructive. DWR can be scheduled or spur of the moment. Here is the latest and greatest around Johnstown.

In preparation for the Walk to End Alzheimer's, our family attended a fundraiser at B&L Wine Cellars in Cambria City. Shortly after entering the event, my oldest daughter wanted to exit. She was well aware that the Stonycreek River was in walking distance. A goose sighting was essential before mingling with the people. We said "Hi" to one lone, silly goose and shuffled back to the action.

Lux and Company provided musical entertainment, including a cover of the Police's Message in a Bottle. The repetition of "sending out an SOS" is something every parent can identify with. SOS translation - "urgent cry for help"; however, on this night, there was a lot of dancing and no distress. Join us on Saturday, September 22nd for the Walk to End Alzheimer's @ Windber Recreation Park. Registration starts at 8 A.M. Opening ceremony is at 9. Walk is at 9:30. Dancing is at your discretion. 

To provide an extra jolt, running does the trick. In her illustrious stroller career, my 3-year-old has competed in eight races as an enthusiastic passenger. During her most recent run, the Round the Mound 5K, she provided lyrical inspiration around Westmont. After singing to the finish line, she enjoyed a post-race hot dog with her fellow competitors. I am the proud father of this blonde blast.

Watching baseball and DWR do not gel together, but we made it work for the opening night of the AAABA tournament. While Mom and our youngest held down the fort, the blonde blast and I headed for the Point Stadium. The coming and going was the biggest thrill via the Inclined Plane. There was no way we would have lasted for an entire game of baseball, but we could have rode the Inclined Plane until sunrise. When the Inclined car is in motion, kids are doing all sorts of DWR.

Upon leaving the game, my daughter got another glimpse of the mighty Stonycreek. She asked me if there were "octopusses in there". She showed no emotional reaction to my "No". She zoomed up the ramp toward the Inclined Plane, exclaiming, "It's a beautiful night in a beautiful city!"

She keeps me dancing, walking, and running. Her sister is starting to catch up. My wife and I sometimes are on the brink of losing our minds.

But, it's a beautiful ride.

One dance, walk, or run at a time.

Feast on Summer

On Wednesday, it is August. The July-fly-by is almost complete. Age does not seem to be a factor in how short summer feels; however, the older I get, the longer winter becomes. After watching Frozen 700 times, I've come to the same conclusion after each screening.

Do you want to build a snowman?

No.

Alas, tis the season to soak it in. Last Saturday, I was a combatant in the 25th edition of Barnball, a 2-on-2 basketball tournament on Coon Ridge Road; simple by description, complex for the psyche. I first stepped foot in the barn when I was in high school. This summer, I was a 34-year-old veteran. The kids in high school are now closer in age to my kids than to me. When my partner and I were eliminated deep into the 2018 Barnball, I awoke the next morning and did what a small child would do.

I took a post-barn bubble bath. "No bubbles, no glory." - Mr. Bubbles 

While basketball brings it all together, this July phenomenon has endured through families; through community; through connection. The blood and bruising is a testament to Barnball's impossible to fully capture camaraderie; a quarter-century of fellowship on the hard, hard wood. Fathers and sons, brothers, and some incredible female athletes have laid it all out in the barn. Maybe, one day, my daughters will be playing hay bale hoops. For now, stick to Frozen and I'll ice my knees.

This Sunday, the Family Fun Barbecue at Our Mother of Sorrows was a much less rigorous form of fellowship. Spearheaded by my ambitious wife, the sun shined on dozens of families. In my 3+ years of parenting, I've used the wolf pack comparison the most. Once you start traveling as a parent, you are at your best in a pack. You get to talk about interrupted sleep while reasoning with your wolf pups on how attacking someone with a stick is not the same as "playing with sticks". You gain strength by learning about the weakness of other wolves - those parents in the fight of their lives. I told as many people as I could that my 1-year-old peed all over me during the New Testament. I went to the car, changed my shirt, and was back for the homily (wolf howl).

At OMOS, in the barn, and across Johnstown, I have met a lot of good people. My wife and I have made it a point to have our kids say 4 amazing words to anyone we meet - "Have a good day!" I believe the more that we say it - as a family, as a community - the more good days there will be. In our culture, we too often hear the word "news" and think "bad".

Make good news. Turn a barn into a family. Have your family feel like part of the community.

In the words of my daughters, "Have a good night!"

And for those parents staring at the moon, "HOWLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

Joys of July

Once July arrives, it always feels as if summer accelerates. And in that acceleration, it is always nice to take time for some appreciation. This is the best that July has had to offer thus far.

Independence Day is a yearly reminder that we have it good. In our parental escapades, my wife and I try to channel our frustrations by reciting "first world problems" - a realization that the crosses we bear are quite bearable. On the 4th of July, I was subjected to Brownstown's firework bonanza as my daughters circled us like vultures - adorable, adorable vultures. My 3-year-old rejoiced in her idea for a family hug. As the sky lit up with explosions of all kinds and colors, our family of 4 hugged hard. It was a grateful and goofy moment.

On the very next day, that same family of 4 had private occupancy in Idlewild's toddler pool. This was because it was raining with ferocity and we were the only swimmers of silliness. We rampaged through the rain until the Soak Zone closed for the incoming soaking. By the time we got to the carousel, the heavens burst and thunder roared. A torrential downpour would not steal my oldest daughter's merriment. Completely at peace, she praised her horse. Then, it was a mad dash from the merry-go-round to the Subaru. It was one satisfying storm.

That weekend, my brother and his wife announced that a baby girl is on the way. My immediate and genuine reaction was to announce that they will be the recipients of an entire closet of clothes. Between brothers, the official production count is Women 3, Men 0. Bring on the Barbies.

This past Friday, it was a Dad-daughter day at Idlewild. Dividing the family and conquering is sometimes the smartest of strategies. I took my 36.5 inch blonde to do it all. We adventured through Storybook Forest. We climbed the cargo net. We joined the sea of humanity in the Soak Zone. And in our greatest act, we rafted Pipeline Plunge for the first time. In a twisty tunnel of darkness, I shouted "It's okay!" Unable to identify how my co-captain was doing, we sprang and splashed back into the sunshine. Upon making eye contact as we came to shore, she calmly told me she did not want to do it again.

After leaving the amusement park, we had a delicious dinner date at Carol and Dave's Roadhouse. My goal was to refuel and run her hard at Friendship Park in Ligonier after digestion. I did just that. After a solid hour of an American Ninja Warrior circuit, swinging, and shenanigans, it was time to head home. Believing she would fall asleep in no time, I was ready to embrace silence. About when I thought silence arrived, my Ninja Warrior loudly asked, "Dad, when do we trick-or-treat again?"

Alas, today - Sunday - the day of rest. Two Scripture readings seized the day. The first, Psalm 85, centered on the harvest. The second, the Gospel of Mark, focused on a journey and how a walking stick is all a disciple needs. In the late afternoon, I led a team of adventurers into Stackhouse Park, the latest installment of Faith and The Forest. I had my walking stick in hand and my 3-year-old in my hiking pack. A friend and his son joined us. An ambitious mom and her four kids rounded out our brigade. We played in the stream, searched for wildlife, and built relationships. As we climbed out of the park, rain fell upon our town once more.

In the upcoming weeks, soak up what remains of this summer. Enjoy and find joy in your community. When the harvest comes, don't look back and wish you did more. Appreciate what you have and don't accelerate too much. You never know how many more summers you will have.

To every sunrise and sunset,

Rest easy, Johnstown.

Trail Fever

June jubilation exists on our region's trails. Read below about what has happened this Spring and what is in store in the Summer of 2018. Share your positive experiences and support the community by enjoying the local scenery.

The Laurel Highlands Ultra, a 70.5 mile race, blazed through the forest this June. The Laurel Highlands Trail, running from Johnstown to Ohiopyle, is a challenging landscape to hike, no matter the distance. To run the entire thing - astonishing and a bit mad. According to the results link, 85 brave souls finished this wilderness test with finishers from across Pennsylvania and all over the land, including Vermont, Florida, North Carolina, and Canada. Congratulations to all those who finished this incredible adventure run.

One week later, another batch of brave men and women were on the Ghost Town Trail for a 50K, 25K, or 12K endurance Saturday. The event, Ghost Town Trail Challenge, is part of the 2018 Cambria County Trail Series. According to the results page, 191 men and women completed their challenge. The Ghost Town Trail is a regional gem for hikers, bikers, and runners. Upcoming events on the trail include the 4th Annual Chernisky Classic on Saturday, July 7th featuring a 10K, 5K, and Firecracker Run for the young bucks. Later in the summer, on Saturday, August 11th, the Run for the Trail 7K will takeoff from the Dilltown trailhead.

On the same day as the Ghost Town Trail Challenge, 59 humans completed the Levity Summer Festival 5K on the Hoodlebug Trail in neighboring Indiana County. This out-and-back course included a run through a tunnel and across a bridge. I was with this jolly gang as 3.1 miles is more in my wheelhouse. 70.5 miles or a 50K would be my nuthouse. 25K or 12K would be doable, but I would live in a house of pain well into the following week. Alas, I zipped along the Hoodlebug. My wife and her cousin pushed my daughters via strollers in the 2-mile family fun walk. They both fell asleep proving that exercising is relaxing and a good way to get some color. My daughters fell asleep - not my wife and her cousin.

The trails into Stackhouse Park are ready for summer fun. Take any trail to the main pavilion for tonight's First Day of Summer party. Games, music, and children will be running free at 7 PM. Then, this Saturday, join an adventure crew for Faith and the Forest. We will be leaving the Saint Michael's church parking lot at 10:30 A.M. to explore and more. It will be a looped hike for kids and adults. And finally, Run the Park, a 10-mile, 10K, and 5K is coming to Stackhouse on Saturday, August 25th.

My daughters and I recently visited the Jim Mayer Trail in Riverside, not to hike, but to bird watch (chase). Near the playground before the trailhead, a gaggle of geese and dozens of quackers were a-quacking. My 3-year-old and 15-month zoologist were mad over mallards. It was National Geographic meets Family Circus. The Family Fun Run on the Jim Mayer Trail is scheduled for Saturday, September 9th. I did it last year. It's a great 5K and the last leg in the Cambria County Trail Series.

If you voyage over Ligonier Mountain, check out the Ligonier Valley Trail that hugs Route 711. It is a smooth and flat trail, covering roughly 3 miles if you do an out-and-back. On a LVT run this morning, I competed against rabbits darting in and out of the brush. Mountain bikers need not travel over the mountain to find adventure as the Inclined Plane Trails in Westmont is now open for biking business. Ride at your own risk. Check out videos on the Facebook page - Friends of the Inclined Plane Trails.

Find a friend. Find a trail. Share the love. Share the trail.

Faith and The Forest

This weekend I adventured into Stackhouse Park, something I have been doing since I was a kid. On Saturday and Sunday, I was proud of two adventure teams, family and friends willing to explore; to discover, wander, and appreciate. Please respond to this blog if you want to join in Faith and The Forest adventures into Stackhouse this spring and summer. My hope is to teach and show my kids how to love nature and experience this community's great outdoors; how to experience nature and count your blessings along the way. And for the adults, rediscovering the kid at heart might just happen in the wilderness. Here is the Top 10 to the 1st weekend of Faith and The Forest:

10. Big, Fat Worm

My 3-year-old volunteered to hold this chubby invertebrate once I scooped him up. They had a brief, friendly relationship before she launched him back into his habitat.

9. Mark the Trail

That same daughter was fascinated by how trails are denoted by colors on trees. Saturday was blue. Sunday was red. Studying and staring at bark, she excitedly announced when her eyes locked on a mark.

8. Slithery Snake

My wife was the one who announced when a snake made his way across the trail. Everyone stood their ground as this footless creature disappeared into the brush.

7. Chuckling Crow

On our Sunday ascent out of the park, a crow flew right over top of us. This chattering bird landed on a tree branch and let out one mighty howl. My daughter immediately asked, "What is he laughing at?"

6. Slippery Salamanders

The stream was full of salamanders on Saturday. Everyone got in on the salamander chase. When my daughter found her own salamander under a rock, she shouted with spastic pride. The amphibian slipped along the rocky shore, eluding the passionate pursuit of a crazed child.

5. Detective Doe

There were no salamander sightings on Sunday, but deer were watching us through a maze of trees. At one point, two doe locked eyes with a daughter and her Dad. Silence was broken when the daughter screamed,  "What are you doing, deer?" They maintained their position and remained quiet. In a battle of who blinks first, the whitetails won. 

4. Beautiful Butterfly

Four of us - my parents, myself, and eldest daughter - got a glimpse of a purple butterfly on Saturday. When resting on leaves, it had no distinct color, a gray and gloomy look, but in flight, we were all struck by the color. My daughter contested the butterfly was blue, not purple. She immediately chastised me for incorrectly labeling this beautiful animal of the sky. It was a blue butterfly. Get it right or pay the price. 

3. Water Woman & LadyBug Lady

My youngest daughter desperately wanted to swim in the stream. With her mother holding on, this 1-year-old aquatic fanatic thrashed in the cool and flowing water, dipping her legs in pure happiness. Meanwhile. her sister was one with the water and the bug kingdom. She found a lady bug and they were best friends for two solid minutes. The lady bug traveled up and down her arm and all was right with the world. 

2. The One-Clawed Crayfish

A "sand castle" was a must-do for the Lady Bug Whisperer. In a sandy and sloppy mess, Dad and daughter dug and dug and found a crustacean with only one pincher. Our digging and discovery created a private pool for our one-clawed comrade. Sand castle architecture was interrupted by this bandit on the bank. 

1. The Scarlet Tanager

The most unexpected sighting was actually the first. On the steep descent into Stackhouse following the Brownstown Trail, my Dad called for our caravan to be still. There, in a tree overlooking the stream, sat a remarkable red and black bird. My Dad, who has taught me a lot about nature and enjoying the outdoors, knew this songbird. It was an awesome moment. My parents, my wife, my brother, and my kids froze to appreciate the Scarlet Tanager - amazing colors and amazingly quieted my children. 

"Nature has an unparalleled capacity to stir our emotions, fostering raw and powerful feelings of wonder, awe, mystery, joy - and yes fear." - excerpt from How to Raise A Wild Child  (currently reading, currently raising).

Summer is almost here Johnstown.  Who wants to adventure into the forest?