I made these guys earlier in the week. And now there’s more snow… to make more men!

The little guy reminded me of Colonel Kurtz, hence the Apocalypse Now reference.

The Summer months were kind to our garden. Above is only a fraction of the gastronomic delights produced. Note the odd, round, yellow “thing” in the very left of the above picture–apparently it’s a pumpkin (I failed to recognize). I put it back outside where it has turned color into a pretty orange, my poor little preemie pumpkin.

I made numerous batches of tomato sauce over the past few months. Once cooled, I packaged, dated them, and placed them in the freezer where they will rest until being devoured this chilly Winter. I’ve also made some delicious pesto… which is incredibly simple and fresh-tasting over linguini.

There remain tomatoes, peppers both hot and mild, leeks, onion, and a ton of herbs–but it’s getting colder and colder and it will all be gone sooner than I’d like.

Sunday was the first of what I hope will be many “Kites and Cupcakes” days. A bunch of us gathered at Promenade Park, Downtown with kites of all shapes and sizes. And yes, there were cupcakes too.

I found this owl to be very nice.

R. got creative with a plastic bag. Ingenious!

A bright red bat, flown by J., was perhaps the most successful kite of the day—both visually and in the air. We had a little lack of wind “issue” but she was still able to get her kite pretty high.

Early on, G. caught a snag, but it was nothing a little post-kites cocktail couldn’t fix. And that is how we closed the afternoon.

D. and I grabbed lunch on the water at Six Pack Bar & Grill this Sunday. It was my first visit to what I imagine could or may be a hopping party spot on the Maumee. It was previously called The Lighthouse, and earlier Frank Uncles—which would have been the last time D. visited, years ago.

The outside decks were fairly expansive, including picnic tables, a couple bars, docks for boaters and even hammocks. We shared the great view of the river with only a few more tables/patrons. According to D., Six Pack seemed a bit ‘rough around the edges’ since his last visit. But I see a lot of potential and think we’ll come back with friends for an evening of drinks sometime in the future.

Our pub food was pretty good for what it was—a grilled cheese (on thick texas-style toast) and side salad for me while D. thoroughly enjoyed his “black and blue” burger and onion rings.

Six Pack on The River | 2605 Broadway St | (419) 381-1140

We were only gone for a week–L.A.–and it seems that our garden went totally bonkers. I’ve had to trim back a bit some of the huge leaves from a zucchini that was overshadowing peppers. But wow.

Would anyone happen to need some chard?

And oh, hey! Unrelated question: Who left the tree sapling on our porch this morning… and where should we plant it?

This Saturday and Sunday, June 6 & 7, the Old West End opens it’s doors (literally) and invites you to festival weekend. Come and enjoy The King Wamba Parade’s 100th Anniversary on Saturday, beginning at 10:00 am. Immediately following will be The King Wamba and Queen Sancha Coronation Ceremony at Mansion View. There will be a Classic and Antique Car Show in front of the Park Lane, Saturday from 9am to 3pm.

Both Saturday and Sunday, house tours will be featuring beautiful historic homes. Also to enjoy: an art fair, live entertainment on a stage at Woodruff, children’s activities, food, and of course yard sales.

More information is available on the Old West End Association’s site.

Below is a Google Map of the parade route on Saturday:

Old West End/Ottawa Tavern Thursday strikes again! A group from the OWE met up and rode our bicycles for a bit, and met up with other cyclists at the Ottawa Tavern for food, drinks, and music.

The camaraderie inside the Tavern was great but I was really impressed by the camaraderie outside…

…beginning with this wonderful coupling.

Sweet handlebars.

Nice groupshot!

And more…

Parking permitted, this side of sign!

Adult tricycle! I feel like I’m in Florida.

Thanks to the Dirty Damn Band for tonight’s entertainment.

We spent quite a bit of this weekend on the water, thanks to our gracious hosts J. and A.

J. invited us out to enjoy Friday’s sunset as a double date with her beau A.

Enjoy the sunset is exactly what we did.

After dinner and some hijinks we slipped along back home.

We regained our land legs and went back out on Sunday, closing the weekend.

After learning of my “future” home plans, J. navigated us straight to The Toledo Lighthouse. We circled it a few times before moving on…

…moving on to West Sister Island. The word is this island’s for sale? Another rumor is Jimmy Hoffa’s corpse rests there? According to Wikipedia, it’s mostly bird droppings and poison ivy.

Good enough to anchor for lunch and some brief swimming!

D. beat me at backgammon. I’m convinced cheating occurred but sadly cannot prove it.

We later ended up at The Docks, where we bumped into and joined our friends S. and E. for dinner. More Toledo serendipity!

Dinner at Tango’s was great as was our final leg home. Toledo is beautiful at sunset. Our soundtrack for the weekend was the Talking Heads.

Toledo Habor Lighthouse | West Sister Island | Tango’s at The Docks (turn your computer speakers off)

Last weekend’s weather was perfect for a BBQ in the Old West End–or anywhere in Toledo for that matter. And it looks like the skies are going to be great this weekend as well? *crosses fingers*

So might I suggest hosting a BBQ in your own back yard!

Saturday was the Toledo Bicycle Extravaganza, a Toledo Green Drinks event helping promote bikes as an alternative to the gas-guzzling norm. Groups of people in neighborhoods all over the city met up in differing spots and rode their bicycles to the Toledo Farmer’s Market downtown. A bunch of Old West Enders met in The Commons.

Most of our route was straight down Monroe Street, as it’s probably the smoothest ride to get Downtown.

Upon arriving at the Market we shopped for local veggies, cheese and bread.

It’s still pretty early in the year, yet there were some great finds.

There was an eccentric collection of bicycles, as well…

Including this little yellow number…

And one powered by electricity for when the owner tires on long rides.

At the noon hour we hopped back on our bikes and headed to Manhattan’s, where a lunch buffet was hosted and accompanied by live music.

I really enjoyed the “Fairly Handsome Band” which played what I would somewhat expect to hear at a luau. There was a little bit of rain at that point so the ride home was damp. But our spirits were far from dampened. Great afternoon!

Toledo Farmer’s Market | 525 Market St | Downtown

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams St | (419) 243-6675

OWE/OTT was great fun. A group met up in the Old West End for a bicycle ride down to the Ottawa Tavern.

M. brought Z. and they rode a tandem!

It was an easy ride for the most part, so we kept riding… past the OT, through Downtown, down to the river, and back.

At Ottawa Tavern we all had something to quench our thirsts. And were met by friends sans bicycles. Jeff Stewart, local musician extraordinaire, was performing when we arrived.

May is National Bike Month, but events like this will be happening throughout the Summer and I will make sure to attend as many as possible.

Upcoming:

Toledo Bicycle Extravaganza

This Saturday, May 16th — Bike with your neighbors and friends to the downtown Toledo Farmer’s Market. Around Noon there will be a group ride from the market to Manhattan’s for a lunch buffet and live music! A group of Old West Enders are meeting at The Commons [Bancroft & Robinwood] at 9:30 am. Check out this PDF flyer and map for more details.

While out and about today we dropped by Wersell’s to pick up a new addition to the family.

There was a good deal to choose from.

In the end, there could only be one.

There remain plans to build another bicycle “from scratch” at the Toledo Bike CO-OP. In the meantime, D. has something to ride that is a bit faster than our cruisers.

Wersell’s Bike and Ski Shop | 2860 W Central Ave | (419) 474-7412

Toledo Bicycle CO-OP | 2272 Collingwood (St. Mark’s Episcopalian Church) | (419) 386-6090

This afternoon I got the first plants of our 2009 garden in the ground. We built two raised beds this weekend and had soil put in a couple days ago. We haven’t had time to plant shop yet but thanks to some totally awesome Old West End neighbors we already have a bunch of plants ready to go. Courtesy M. down the street are a bunch of greens and cabbage. This morning I opened the door to our neighbor across the street, M., who handed me some tomatoes, pumpkins, a gourde, and peppers he’s been growing. And later in the afternoon A., on the next block, brought over some cherry tomatoes. Thanks, everyone!

This is just another example of why I love living in this neighborhood–OWE people are really friendly and always looking out for each other. That and having a program like the Old West End Private Security Co. during tough times like these is a total plus. If you live in the OWE and aren’t a subscriber, do look into it. I’ve been seeing more and more patrols over the past week–and that’s a good thing.

It’s still a little chillly out, but not so much that a couple drinks and bar appetizers on the patio of Manhattan’s is out of the question. We shared chicken strips paired with some spicy mustard and a plate of chicken quesadillas that were fantastic with jalepenos.

Be sure to check their website for an event calendar full of local entertainment gems and what looks to be a delectable Scotch Whiskey Dinner on the 13th.

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams St | Uptown District | (419) 243-6675

D. and I pulled the bikes out Friday afternoon and rode downtown. The city was full of activity, including a MudHens game.

We closed the night with a couple manhattans… at Manhattan’s.

Saturday was the second Artomatic 419! weekend for ‘09, so we spent our day with several hundred fellow Toledoans enjoying local visual and performing arts.

Artomatic has been a complete success… so do come out next Saturday for the final day (May 2nd).

Post-Artomatic activities included dinner at the Oliver House, more bike riding, and cocktails with friends on the back patio of Wesley’s.

D. started his Sunday with a visit to the Toledo Bicycle Co-op!

They have a gazillion bikes ready for you to claim and ride away with.

Next up…

The Ice Cream Social!

Thanks to everyone who came out, supported a great local business, and enjoyed some ice cream! I had a really great time celebrating the 1st birthday of this little Toledo blog with all of you.

… and this entirely pleasant dog! An extra special thanks to Marcia and co. at Lickity Split!

A few hours later had us enjoying R.’s birthday BBQ in the Old West End. A popular dish was the red hot sausages, but they frightened me a little so I declined.

All said and done, it was a great Toledo weekend–we have so many more to come!

Manhattan’s | 1516 Adams St | (419) 243-6675

Artomatic 419! | 201 Morris St | 419-254-ARTS (2787)

Wesley’s | 1201 Adams St | (419) 255-3333

Toledo Bicycle CO-OP | 2272 Collingwood (St. Mark’s Episcopalian Church) | (419) 386-6090

Lickity Split | 2021 Glendale Ave | (419) 382-3285

D. and I have just returned from an open house at The Greenhouse Project, a greenhouse and garden built and maintained by troubled youth in Toledo—with the assistance of volunteers and adult mentors.

Several local agencies and non-profits have culled their resources to make this project happen… plans include raised beds for vegetables, chickens in chicken coops that have already been built, a worm box and a huge composting area.

The greenhouse itself is pretty impressive. It was constructed late last year by over 30 area youths and will be filled with flowers, vegetables and fruit starting this Spring. Copy/pasted from a press release by Michael Szuberla at Toledo GROWs: “The resulting benefits to participating youth, their families, the neighborhood and greater community will include: reduced gang-related activity, the teaching of job skills, neighborhood beautification, increased availability of fresh produce, and an increase in earth stewardship values.”

The Greenhouse Project is located behind Connecting Point (1212 Cherry St.) along Lagrange Street, between Seneca and Onedia Streets.

For more information about Toledo GROWs visit their site, here.

Sunday afternoon was much like today: dreary, damp and cold. But inside the Buckminster Fuller dome at The 577 Foundation it was warm, colorful and full of life.

We had signed up for a gardening class–which was very well attended. The woman leading the class mentioned an increased demand for vegetable gardening classes due to the economy. It was a helpful session with many of our questions answered, including answers to questions I wouldn’t have conceived on my own. We are hoping to improve upon our gardening efforts of last year.

After the class we wandered about the grounds a little. Oh, how I wish the Old West End Historic Board would allow us to build a dome like this in our yard. It was a welcome respite from the cold, wet weather.

577 Foundation | 577 East Front St. in Perrysburg | (419) 874-4174

Sometimes D. and I like to get “lost” and drive around Toledo neighborhoods we don’t regularly find ourselves. This weekend we ended up in the historic Woodlawn Cemetery and decided to explore a bit. As far as cemeteries go, Woodlawn is quite beautiful with it’s rolling hills and bridge-covered creek. I was not surprised to find the rural cemetery movement described as “pastoral oases in the midst of urban sprawl”. I would almost like to picnic there in the summer… maybe.

The most striking monument would have to be the pyramid (pictured above). We stopped to admire it for quite a while, wondering about it.

As it would happen, a couple days ago I was flipping through “You Will do Better in Toledo” (a new-ish book from The Blade) and came across some pages dedicated to John Gunckel, the founder of the Toledo Newsboys Association. To say “Gunck” was much loved would be an understatement and apparently over 1,500 Newsboys attended his funeral — each with a rock, which would be later used to construct this unique memorial.

The inscription reads, “The newsboys’ friend John Elstner Gunckel, 1846-1915. ‘There was a man sent from God whose name was John.’ Toledo honors: a citizen without reproach, a friend without pretense, a philanthropist without display, a Christian without hypocrisy.”

The Woodlawn Cemetery | 1502 W Central Ave. | (419) 472-2186

Hope you and yours have been keeping warm and cuddly during our little “white-out”. We’ve been surviving on a steady diet of rented movies, comfort foods and intermittent snow-shoveling exercises (more fun than it should be). I’ve still been able to get out and run errands here and there, road conditions aside, but am loving being home this week.

And, next week has me on Ocean Drive in South Beach for work… cry me a river!

On a whim, we took a midnight bicycle ride tonight. We were careful — kept our front and back blinkers on and stayed mostly on the sidewalks. It was a very warm feeling 50-something, so I grabbed a light jacket and scarf and we rode. I didn’t feel like bothering to take a photo but I am reminded of The Triplets of Belleville so I am grabbing a screenshot from a favorite film that captures the spirit of this post. It was a wonderful ride.

Rent it, Netflix it, Amazon it, or just borrow it from the Toledo Public Library. It’s a French film but you need not know a lick of French or worry about subtitles. Trust me.

Once more, I will make note of Toledo’s importance in bicycle history because it is just that… a piece of history.

I had never heard of fried pickles until my first visit to Toledo. Tony Packo’s was touted by D. as THE place for fried pickles… and I fell in love with those wonderfully breaded and fried slices. Easy Street also has fried pickles on the menu, in the form of spears and with a different sort of batter (more like Tempura). The only other place I’ve had fried pickles was in North Carolina at the famous Penguin Drive-In; they were thin slices… about a quarter of the size of Packo’s pickles… and man… so good!

This weekend we stopped at LaRoes’s in Grand Rapids and were pleasantly surprised to see fried pickles on the menu, so of course we ordered them. These were entirely different… spears with a crunchy (maybe cornmeal?) batter that was seasoned well. They came with a sweet poppyseed dipping sauce which at first seemed an odd pairing, but once we tried them it just made sense. Highly recommended. The weather is still nice enough to sit outside and enjoy the river view. Do it.

LaRoe’s | 24138 Front St. | Grand Rapids, OH | (419) 832-3082

Take advantage of gas at 2 bucks a gallon and drive; drive down River Road… past Toledo… past Maumee… and simply enjoy the fall colors. You will get alternating views of the river and then of a multitude of greens, yellows, oranges and my favorite reds. The road and topography of the hills — swirling up and down and over — are reason enough for the drive.

You can stop at many points along the drive. We chose a spot in Grand Rapids where there is a small dam.

Mary Jane Thurston State Park | 1-466 State Route 65