Sprite in America

I don't speak for everyone, but I usually recognise Sprite as 'lemonade' flavour. But since Lemonade here is made with lemons, and sugar, and water, the local packaging for sprite seems to have been given a bit of extra explanation - "Lemon Lime Soda" (also, 100% Natural flavors, No Caffeine, just in case you were wondering).
Other than that, it tastes the same. Every so often I think it would be a good idea to have a soda, and I always regret it.

Still here!

Just finished a very busy week helping out at our church's Vacation Bible School, which had 400+ kids (so needed about 200 people to run it...). I always meant to take a photo or two, but had too much to do!!

Police Force Organisation

Working out the different police forces has taken a while. here is my best summary:

• State Troopers look after the roads - so they cruise around, creating small ponds of traffic moving at the correct speed limit (standard is 5-10 miles over the posted limit). They also pull people over and attend accidents. I'm not sure who does the chases.
• County Police Departments look after county matters that don't happen on roads. 
• Additionally, each incorporated city (I think there is a certain size you have to be to be a city) has their own police, that work within the city boundaries (presumably not on the roads, although when there are special events that need traffic direction, the city police do it, I think.)

Each force has their own car and uniform.
Other sort of police organisations:

• National Guard - not quite sure what/who they look after, but seem para military (although the defence force gives left over equipment to the police force here, so it is hard to tell sometimes when things get tough). More research indicates that they are a branch of the armed forces, but they hold civilian jobs, and are on call for emergencies, rebuilding, and overseas missions as required.
• SWAT - I had to look them up to know what they stand for - Special Weapons and Tactics - use specialised or military equipment and tactics. First formed in 1960's to deal with riots or gunmen, but increasingly used these days, for better or worse.

New thing I find irritating

New signs have gone up at the playground we frequent... While we live nearby, they are correct, we don't live in the Tidewater Colony community, and therefore shouldn't really be using them. I can't help thinking of all the public parks back home, maintained by the council and free for all. The downside of that, I acknowledge, is that they're free for all, including those pesky school kids that need somewhere to smoke.
We're still using the park, but out of respect for the similar sign on the tennis court admonishing that only tennis should take place in the tennis court, we're riding our bikes elsewhere.
They might have only needed to do it for their insurance, but it feels sort of petty...

Crab Feast!!

First one of the season. Not so many photos, as I was picking crab meat out for the baby pretty constantly. He was more interested in banging things (flat) with the wooden hammers that you're meant to use to crack tough bits of shell. But here is the rubbish heap!
I love how some things are strictly seasonal, and that includes crab feasts.

Things to do with big cardboard boxes

Make a train. Use picnic table as a carriage and 'pull' many assorted toys on the adventure. Remember to wear train drivers hats given free at train museum.

Last day of school

But, but we've only just started, right?! Everyone is ready for a slower routine...Of which the highlight appears to be breakfast in our pyjamas.

School Picnic

Managed to go to a school picnic for the K classes, celebrating the end of the year. This courtyard was previously untended, because no-one could get a ride on mower into the area (only entrances are through school corridors). On arriving in their temporary quarters (while getting an upgrade), our school promptly got a push mower, mowed the place, planted various veggie gardens and some trees as part of various learning units, and it is an oasis filled with dappled shade on a hot day.

Caravan behind an RV

RV = Recreational Vehicle (really, = bus that is converted to large drivable caravan). People own RV's and go on trips in them. Some people are nomadic in their RV's. It is definitely a way of leaving home with all the comforts of home. Often there is a car towed behind the RV.
This morning, we saw this large caravan attached to the back of an RV. Unless it is a family of 12 travelling together, or a dance troop, or something, it seemed a little over the top. I am inclined to think there is a reason, because it would be a lot of tricky driving and fuel consumption otherwise.

PA countryside

This is one of Steve's efforts. We both enjoyed going for a drive. The kids were less appreciative, especially after the first five minutes. The farm buildings are all sort of close together, generally a small farmhouse, and a huge barn, and a silo (or three), minimum. The Amish farms, of which there are a lot out here, are all very neat and tidy, with huge, well ordered kitchen gardens, and a washing line that often is tethered one end to the house, the other half way up the silo or barn wall. In addition, lots of lovely mules (?) to pull the plough, as well as 2-3 good looking horses, to pull the buggies. There are round bales covered in white plastic and all lined up like giant marshmallows, and generally, wheat (which looked a bit shorter than in Australia?) plus corn, which was only about hip height, and just the beginnings of the tobacco crops. We also saw cabbages, and some sort of grass/pulse, that I suspect was being cut and left to give the ground a rest. Lots of the farms had 5-10 dairy cows (I think milked by hand, if Amish cows), as well as chickens, and we saw one farm with beehives. On sale were strawberries, and garden flowers, as well as the usual baked goods. (Plan: to not arrive such that we leave on a Sunday, because there are no stalls on Sundays, but we didn't want to buy stuff on Saturday and have it all hot and miserable. Also, bring esky). The land can only be described as rolling, and green, as in, rolling hills, and green pastures. This bit of country has rightly been known as the bread basket of America (presumably when America consisted of the Eastern States only).

School bus parking

The school buses always seem to just be seen within a certain set of hours, and then they disappear. This is why - they are parked at a lot in the country!

Trains in PA

We took the weekend to go on a quick trip to the Strasburg Train Museum and the Strasburg Railway. It is only 2 hours really, now that the kids can travel a bit better. Saturday was spent in and around trains, with dinner at our favourite pub next to the motel (with a view of farmlands). Sunday we took the morning to go for a drive around country Pennsylvania, swim in the motel pool, and then we drove home.

Mailboxes

This is something I noticed ages ago - you know the 'typical' American mail boxes? They really exist! All over the place!! Right down to the little flag that presumably pops up when you have mail. It is so cute!

Starbucks

It is funny, that in Australia, Starbucks is both loved and loathed - loved if you enjoy its coffee and free wifi, and loathed because it isn't a local company/corporation. It seems to depend on if you have a favorite barista elsewhere. Yet here, it is local (in that it is American), and it happens to serve some of the best takeaway tea I have managed to buy. This is how it is good:

• They put the teabag in before putting in the hot water
• They have done their research and have a decent teabag in the first place
• I don't get the huge cup, so I don't end up with effectively one teabag in two cups worth of hot water
• They provide three different types of milk that requires refrigeration, and nary a site of powdered/long life coffee mate
• In Annapolis mall, the shop is in the quieter 'kids wing' of the mall, where I can buy a cup of tea, and go and drink it at the tables in front of the huge fish tank, with my small excited child and his popper of chocolate milk
• On days when I've really misjudged the food situation, they also serve chocolate croissants :)

Patriotic Summers

With July 4th fast approaching, consumers are being encouraged to get ready for that gathering. Here is some bottled water, 2 packs of 24x500mL bottles for $7, and the little circle with the star on the bottom right hand side of the packaging says, "Celebrate America".

Wild Cherries

Hah, how cool is this - the cherries grow wild in a tree along the path near our place! It is a big tall tree, I could only just reach some of the lower ones. There is a lot less flesh and a lot more pip.

Changing Supermarkets

I have complained about the supermarkets long and hard here, to many people, both by email, blog, and in person. But we had a supermarket that usually had everything we needed, and wasn't too bad, and we got fuel discounts from the loyalty scheme...
Then they announced that the fuel discounts partnership was ending, and I guess, we had one too many weeks where you could smell the fresh fruit section rotting (and the latest blueberries were inedible - I mean, they're in season, its ridiculous that they were so awful).
Finally, this Saturday, because the shopping didn't get done on Thursday night as usual, we looked at each other and decided to try a different supermarket - Trader Joe's, to be precise. Which on previous visits was always too crowded, too overwhelming, seemed pricey, and I just didn't remember them having fresh produce.
But when it really came down to it (ie, now, after they've expanded in size, and we got there early to beat the 10am rush), we realised that we buy more premium priced stuff at the supermarket anyway (ie, cage free eggs, whole wheat bread, natural no added sugar peanut butter, tinned beans without stock, etc), and the prices seemed about the same. Plus, we were already going there for the icecream.
So... we may be changing supermarkets...I'm feeling a touch nervous about the change, but looking forward to not having to trawl through 50 different varieties of frozen peas and corns, because there is just one Trader Joe's brand variety.
Photo - is from current Trader Joe's Flyer - you really have to see the pictures they use to understand.

Gourmet food

I thought we could go no further than the salmon with tomato sauce, but as per usual, we've managed to push the concept further. 

This is Boeuf Bourgignon, Beef Burgundy, made with red wine, my best sauce yet, and...cheese. I would like to here and now apologise to my mum for all the thoughtless fussy eating I participated in when I was young.

Tim Tams

The last two Tim Tams from Australia (although apparently you can buy them in Target now). Hubby put one in sons lunch for school, and tellingly, son called it a candy bar (when he was requesting that they be put in his lunch every week). They do taste so good though!!

Sultanas and other dried grapes

This has been a while in the making, but having had the opportunity back in Australia to purchase some genuine Australian raisins - Here is a sample of:
Currants, USA raisins, and Australian raisins, with some mixed dried peel thrown in. We ate the golden raisins (which are yellowish sort of sultanas) before I could get a photo.
The bigger Australian raisins, and the mixed dried peel simply don't seem to exist here.
The packet for the raisins (Australian) says that they serve only the Waltham Cross and Lexia grape varietals - largest in size and have a sweet muscat taste.

Mystery game

I haven't yet worked out what this installation is, but it certainly is interesting. This is from Mr 5. It has been around since the middle of the week.

My (small) pile of envelopes

I just spent a hard two weeks at work. Everything seemed due at once. But, by dint of doing stuff at home, and getting extra days at work care of the babysitter, and working v v hard... I got a pile of envelopes...
Not just any envelopes though!! My first set of letters sent out to government agencies as part of an Environmental Review for a project that is applying for government funding.
I'm a bit disappointed that the pile was so small, but there you go. Next time I'm aiming for no letters, because I hope to be more organised and manage to email the information.