Friends saw the touring production of Mamma Mia in Hershey and gave it very big "thumbs up" . . . When I was a youngster every kid had a cigar box in which to stash his treasures--a shiny pebble, a foreign coin, a feather. The box was hidden under one's bed and occasionally taken out to admire the contents. With the cut back in smoking I wonder if there are enough boxes to go around these days, or have kids found something else to house their most precious possessions. Maybe they just snap a picture and story that on their Ipads . . . I haven't been but scouts tell me that this weekend on the river is a real dud with nothing in particular to recommend it. Feel sorry for the couple of vendors that did show up . . .

Heat oppressive, so we closed early . . . The pottery personalized with HARRISBURG or CAMP HILL sells well, but the companion pieces which are not personalized have done poorly so we've decided to close out those. What remains will be 20% off . . .

Concessionaires are moving into the city for a big weekend on the river . . . TheBurg for July has arrived. You will love the cover from historic archives--swimming on city island in 1921 . . . Thought I would help beautify the city by pulling weeds on the Forster Street divide. Bad idea. My bum leg started to pain me almost immediately. This sciatica is unbelieveably agoniizing. Finally gave in and made a doctor's appointment. But the earliest they can see me is July 12 . . .

A belated happy birthday to Tyler Simmons . . . Today's TripAdvisor visitors were from Frederick, Md . . . Received a nice shipment of Bill Campbell vases in various shapes and sizes which will certainly enhance your summer bouquets . . .

Nice dinner with Dr. Bob Coldren . . . Today's TripAdvisor visitors were from Connecticut . . . the Patriot-News stuck it to us again today. They had a nice compendium of long-lived attractions (and some not so long-lived) in the Harrisburg area. We would have been among the oldest had they thought to include us, but of course they didn't. How can we get a free mention in their columns, do you think? And don't mention advertising: we were clients for at least twenty and perhaps thirty years . . . I sent an e-mail suggesting a feature on us for our 40th anniversary in October . . . we shall see . . .

I am sorry to report that a little bit of happiness will cost more in the future. I placed an order for our popular bluebirds of happiness today and learned that they now retail for $10.50, a dollar more than previously. However, if you hurry right in you can still get one of the three that remain at the old price . . . Kathy MacNett reports that there have been car break ins in the 200 block of Liberty Street in the last two weeks . . .

A beautiful evening to linger on the porch and await the arrival of the fireflies . . . Spent most of the day with my nose in a book . . . Bob went shopping to replace my microwave which had popped its last kernel of corn . . .

Another nice day . . . People have been wondering about my reading as reported here recently so I spent some time in research today. Found out that one pronounces Ngaio Marsh's first name to rhyme with Bio--Nio. Ignore the g and a . . .

Happy birthday to Mark Stevens who celebrates tomorrow and an apology to George Miller of Harrisburg whose birthday we missed last week. The city missed out on the severe storms that formed just east around five p.m. But it was another hot day and we watched Felix, Sabrina and Annalise playing in the water on the city sidewalk . . . nice visits from Lee Spitalny and Diane Neiper . . .

Really HOT. Took the advice being given to little old men like myself: close early, eat light, take a nap . . .

Today's news probably isn't really news at all. Received a letter from Dun & Bradstreet this morning informing me that The Bare Wall credit score has been reduced. Well, I might have expected that given the state of business the last couple of years. However, said the letter, D&B could show me how to improve my situation if I would just call them. One would assume that there is a fee involved, wouldn't you think? . . . HOT HOT HOT , , , Bob made a nice salad and ham spread sandwiches for supper . . .

Bob prepared us for the coming heat wave by installing the air conditioner today. I finished my eighth Ngaio Marsh mystery and started on the ninth. Intended at the outset to read them all but have since discovered that she wrote 32 of them! . . .

Annalise asked us to report that her daddy, Bryan MacLeod, was celebrating his birthday today . . . Weather damp and cool; street empty and we didn't see a single shopper today . . .

Did not see any of my pictures or my "memory" in today's Patriot-News recounting stories from Agnes, but here is the piece that was on PennLive yesterday . . . My building on Green Street in downtown Harrisburg did not lose any of its utilities during the crisis. ... Displaced friends and their families who were not so lucky came to take warm baths, cook several meals and watch television in the hope of seeing their own distressed neighborhoods. I spent a great deal of time on the telephone searching upstream for people’s relatives — hopefully to find that they were safe and in shelter. I recall that the volunteers in the Wilkes-Barre area where particularly efficient in keeping records of who was evacuated and to where . . . Mayor Harold Swenson showed commendable leadership, but it was Ron Drake, a WHP radio announcer, who was the hero of the hour. Drake was on the air almost non-stop for days throughout the flooding with emergency bulletins and instructions. We relied on his every word to get us through . . .

I am really excited by the latest collection of silk scarves from Lucille. So bright and colorful and still only $36. There are a couple of others in purples and lavenders which are not shown here . . . Saw my little squib about the Agnes flood on PennLive today, so I suppose that means it will be in tomorrow's paper. I had to chuckle. There is one line missing from my original text. I mentioned that the opening of The Bare Wall had to be delayed because of the catastrophe. The Patriot has great trouble in mentioning our store. I don't think we got a free plug from them in the last thirty years whereas some of the shops on the North Third Street corridor get a mention at least once a week . . .

I was very distressed to learn of the passing of Barbara Jane Gillette. She was a very classy lady. Her husband was at one time the headmaster of Harrisburg Academy . . .

My thanks to Eric W. for getting stamps for me at the downtown post office . . . Received an e-mail from John Campbell, executive director of the Historic Harrisburg Association in reference to yesterday's blog. He assure me that HHA is currently negotiating a contract that will greatly improve their street scape. Missing bricks will be replaced and new flower boxes installed. Now if we could just convince all of the other merchants on the street to clean up we might have a viable neighborhood on the horizon . . .

Mike Billo reminds us that the building at Green and Forster was struck by a vehicle back in the days when sisters Ruth and Polly lived there. The vehicle did not break through the wall that time, however . . . Had a nice conversation with Lawrance Binda of TheBurg this afternoon. He is hopeful that the North Third Street corridor will one day become a collection of cute shops offering sophisticated merchandise. I told him I had serious doubts. Merchants who have come (and gone) there simply fail to maintain any kind of decorum. The gutters are littered, the sidewalks filthy and weeds are growing knee high, even at the Historic Harrisburg Association which should know better. I also doubt that this is the best area for the Susquehanna Art Museum. Drive past this area some day and see if it is a place you would like to browse and stroll at . . . However, if you are a merchant looking for an audience, you might look into TheBurg. The rates are reasonable and the coverage probably attracts your kind of customer . . .

EXTRA - EXTRA - EXTRA

The area was rocked by a crash about six a.m. this morning when a car and truck collided at Green and Forster and sent the truck into a house. Far as we know at this point there were no injuries but one family has quite a mess to clean up . . . Our thanks to Bob Coldren for the top photo . . .

Bryan and Jaime MacLeod are returning their white house at 706 Green Street to the market. We wish them luck but would hate to lose Annalise in our neighborhood . . . Saw a cute poster today: Warning: the dates on this calendar are closer than they appear . . . Yesterday's TripAdvisor visitor was from Washington, D.C. . . . The new pills I got yesterday certainly eased the pain but left me sleepy most of the time . . .

Lee Spitalny back from a ten-day cruise to Bermuda with her daughter Jane and son Gary . . . Bob and I watched the entire Tony awards show despite thinking that it was one of the poorest in years . . . got some help with my sciatic pains from Mr. Jones at the Cummings Clinic. He said the condition strikes a lot of pregnant women but I assured him that was not my case. The large lump under my right arm pit which sprung up unnoticed until Sunday is a cyst that we can ignore unless it gets painful. Has nothing to do with the cancer, I was assured . . . June 23 will mark the third anniversary of this blog. Often wonder if I should continue . . . sent Lucille an order for more silk scarves; we are down to four, all purple/lavender. More colorful ones are on the way . . .

There is a lot of talk today about obesity and diet. "Experts" blame companies like Coke and Wendy's and advocate banning all sorts of "junk" food in schools. I got to thinking--I grew up in the 40s and back then we drank a lot of sodas and stuffed ourselves with burgers (only a quarter or less) and lots of French fries (usually with gravy as was the fashion). I don't remember many--no, make that any--chubby classmates. So what was different? . . . Well, we town kids walked to school, and not just a few blocks, either. We were not delivered to our activities around town; we rode our bikes. We had chores--cutting the grass with a push mower, for instance, and that was nothing when compared with what the farm kids did. We played outside till dark, weather permitting, because there was no TV to entice us indoors. Maybe the exercise was more important than what we ate . . . So I am not feeling one bit guilty when I tell you that Bob and I had Arby's sandwiches for supper . . .

Bob bought Felix a set of big water pistols for his birthday. Felix and his sister Sabrina thought they were "cool" and they were already planning their first battle. Mom and dad aren't quite so enthusiastic . . . the ghetto radios are blasting from cars, proving that summer is upon us. I thought we had a noise ordinance that included these annoying noisemakers. Hey, mayor, here is another money-making ticket possibility. If you would just enforce the laws on the books we would be out of debt in no time . . . Please remind me that the Tony awards are tomorrow night. I always make a note of the program but then forget to tune in until it is all but over . . .

Felix Hess will celebrate his fifth birthday tomorrow. Jack Brandt, a bit older, will celebrate his on Sunday . . . Jack Barnett's obituary will appear in Sunday's Pat-News . . . Today was street cleaning on the west side of Green Street from uptown to Forster. Apparently our traffic patrols had something to do other than give tickets. When Bob brought me to the store today we saw more than 40 cars that had not been moved. That is $600 or more that a cash-strapped city could have used . . .

Had my best "health day" in several days and as a result got a lot of necessary paper work accomplished. Looking forward to a great weekend of doing nothing . . .

It does not appear to me that Jerry Sandusky's jury is as impartial as it should be. Of course, if he is found guilty this group might be a good reason for appeal . . . After yesterday's post I wondered how long a Broadway "angel" continued to receive a part of the profits. Could it go on for years? . . . In the sixties I had a friend who wrote two one-act plays and they were produced in New York under the title Riverside Drive. They were not successful and the production ran for only 15 performances. However, my friend, John Donovan, used to laugh as he opened his mail each month. Ah, enough here to pay the light bill. Some stock group in Sweden did my plays and here are my royalties . . .

Sorry to report the passing of Jack Barnett at 10:10 p.m. last night. Our condolences to his partner, Dr. Bob Coldren . . . The mention of Market Square Radio last week brought Joe Loengard to mind. He was a member of one of Harrisburg's leading families of the time and lived in an apartment at North Second and Boas. I am told that one of his trademarks was two nested grand pianos in his living room where many festive parties occured . . . I knew him only in passing, but several days a month he would putt-putt past the store on his little moped with several LP albums lashed to the carrier; he was a guest programer at the station . . . There were a couple of Loengard stories worth repeating. One was that he was an "Angel" to Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate and every so often would receive a little check resulting from on-going royalties from performances and recordings . . . The other story might be a tale of "the one that got away" and Joe loved to tell it. He was sent a script to consider. Who would want to see a show about an old guy on a horse and his fat little servant from la Mancha? Joe asked. It was dreadful and didn't get a cent of my money . . . He loved to laugh at himself. I believe my friend John Goldsmith was related; will have to ask what he can contribute to the tale . . .

Our congratulations to JJ who graduated kindergarten tonight and is now a first grader . . . and a big HELLO to Janet Reed who will soon be our neighbor--again . . .

Sorry if you checked in to learn the local news. I have spent the whole day with the royals since 10 a.m. when the Queen and I went for a little sail on the Thames. And I am still glued to the BBC in America . . .

A pretty day but decidedly chilly . . . Yvonne Brown reminds me that we do have an alternative classical music station in our area. WRTI 91.7 originates at Temple in Philadelphia but is retransmitted (or whatever you call it) from Summerdale. Yvonne reports that the selections are superior to those at WITF and the commentary is better . . .

WITF has decided to trash its classical music format and replace it with yakety-yak people who know what is better for us than we know ourselves. This is disgusting because it leaves our region with nothing of local quality on the airwaves. Perhaps we should pool our resources and ask Market Square Presbyterian Church to bring back their radio station from the seventies. It far outclassed  WITF and other stations with its mix of classics, Hollywood and Broadway, easy listening and jazz--sort of what you serious listeners pay Sirius for. It was all volunteer as I recall and quite popular . . .Today's TripAdvisor visitors were two women from Dickinson College in Carlisle. We had a great and lengthy visit . . .