West to Pittsburgh

You asked for a close up of a Faerie Pumpkin. It just so happens that we have a photo! This is one of the artificial pumpkins. I don't know how they cut them, maybe they use a laser device.






While we're doing pumpkin closeups, here is one of the Celtic knotwork pumpkins.







New Germany Lake

We didn't stay in this cabin but at another nearby. New Germany Lake is almost all the way to the western end of Maryland. We did a concert for the Friends of New Germany Lake. The views were wonderful, although the locals were complaining about a wind farm on the horizon. I recently heard an energy guru speak about adjusting our aesthetic sensibilities. If we are using energy we should be willing to have the source in our view. It's an interesting concept.

Pittsburgh

We scooted up to Pittsburgh after our concert at the Citizen's Library in Washington (PA) to play a house concert for Annie Trimble. It was on the south side of the city, so we didn't have to navigate through Pittsburgh - which makes Boston look like a walk in the park. I spent a lot of time here back when I was an engineer 20 years ago. The view of the city from Mount Washington is spectacular. Many people still think the city is covered with smoke and ash from the steel mills, but the last furnace closed in the 1960's.

One of my favorite restaurants, Piccolo Piccolo, is gone but the Grand Concourse is still in operation, although at the time we were there they weren't serving. We often get stranded between lunch and dinner when we are traveling. The Grand Concourse is the train station built at the height of Pittsburgh's prosperity and they spared no expense. The ceiling is by Tiffany, the floors are marble, etc.


An Amazing Effort - but why?This is not a real magnolia tree. It is a sculpture in a little park in the city. One has to admire the tenacity of the artist in making all those blossoms.