Hanging With Amanda and Ariel

     The day after the wedding, Sunday, Amanda and Ariel with Alice were still in Pittsburgh. Renna and Alex left for a short honeymoon in the Amish country in Ohio until Tuesday. We woke up early to have breakfast at Pamala's in Squirrel Hill. There are a few Pamala's locations and Alice drove to the one in The Strip. We didn't have time to lose; I wanted to hear Mark Bray speak at the Postal Workers Union Hall at three o'clock. The restaurant is always busy for weekend breakfast with their delicious buttery pancakes so if we lost our turn we would miss them; Ariel and Alice arrived later and ate next door. 

Reynolds St. Entrance

     The weather had cleared up from an over night rain and the smell of ozone filled the air. We drove in three cars to Frick Park to stroll around. I would leave at two o'clock. I would drive the Dodge Charger to  the meeting and Alice could drive Ariel and follow Simone to a place she wanted to take them. We would meet up for dinner at a local diner in Ambridge with MC and Harry before Ariel and Alice had to return to New York . 

     The 644 acres (2.61 km) Frick is the largest of four municipal parks in Pittsburgh. With its steep ravines and mature woods relatively undisturbed, it forms a nature reserve of native plants and abundant wildlife. Owls, amphibians, wild turkey, fox, and many mammal species are found in the park, but we didn't see any; only a few people jogging or walking their dogs. 

 

    We were having such a nice walk and I hated to leave, but we had a nice few hours together. Simone planned to bring everyone to Old Allegheny City Historic District. There were shops and artisan exhibits there that she knew. Everyone would be interested, but first it was off to to get bubble tea, a Taiwan favorite, that was available at one particular place in Pittsburgh. 

     They got their bubble tea to go and hopped back in their cars, Alice's following Simone's. The trouble began at a stop light on a small hill. Alice reached behind in the back seat to get something and took her foot off the brake. The four by four that she had borrowed in New York rolled into  Simone's car hard enough impact and spill everyone's bubble tea. It was a shocking. Leona texted me that there was an accident but no one was hurt. When everyone calmed down, they drove on to the art colony.

     Monday was the last day for Amanda in Pittsburgh. Tuesday morning, she had to fly back to Portland for classes at the State University. A few weeks before, Amanda and I had texted about possible nature trips around Pittsburgh. We considered driving to the forest and falls around Morgantown West Virginia or to the Lake Erie Shore. We ended up doing neither because of the rainy weather. Leona had wanted to see the new "Blade Runner 2049" movie that wasn't playing in Taiwan theaters, yet. Simone suggested we have dim sum breakfast at a place she knew in Squirrel Hill and then walk a few blocks to see the film. Even Ted would join us after playing in his  Sunday morning hockey game. This cowboy from Brooklyn was having a wonderful time in a college-swing manor, like a saint in New York.