Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving! Enjoy the delicious food with friends and family!

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire...

While I was in the Bend this weekend, my grandma and I decided to pick some fresh chestnuts from the neighbor's chestnut tree. We picked a whole basket full! Next, we are going to try and roast them just like the Christmas carol says! It was a great first weekend of October!

Flashback Friday Fall Photo

Here is a flashback pic to last fall! This photo was taken in November on a beautiful autumn day. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, and all the leaves were bright colors. As you can see, all the trees on the other side of the river in the Bend turned bright orange, red, and yellow. This was an amazing sight with the brightly colored leaves and crisp blue sky. I can't wait to recapture this photo in a couple of months!

Fall at the Bend Farm

Fall is officially here! Even though the Bend is pretty quiet around this time, it probably is the most beautiful time of year because of all the trees changing colors. The Bend Farm is harvesting their autumn crops which includes all different kinds of gourds. I look forward to enjoying this fall!

Signs of Fall!

Even though it definitely felt like summer this weekend, signs of fall were in the air. I captured this photo of a couple trees across the river starting to turn yellow, orange, and red. Before we know it, all the trees will be bright colors and fall will be here. The river is still high from all the rain, but it was still a beautiful weekend at the Bend. I hope everyone has a great last week of summer!

Calico the Cat

Here is a little story for your Sunday evening. One evening, a few years ago, my grandparents, parents, and myself were winterizing the big motor boat for the year when all of a sudden a calico cat came walking into our yard. She was very friendly and tame which made us think that she was probably abandoned in the bend. My grandparent's garage door was open since we were all going in and out of there while winterizing the boat, when the cat decided to go in there and make that her new home. My grandpa, a huge animal lover, decided to just let the cat camp out there for a little while thinking she might get tired of the garage and move on. Boy was he wrong! My grandparents called us one day and said that Calico, our name for the cat, had given birth to a litter of kittens in their garage! We were all shocked and had no idea what to do next. My grandpa finally decided to take Calico and her kittens out to the local humane society where they could be properly taken care of. A few months later, my grandpa decided to call the humane society to check up on Calico and the kittens, and to his surprise, Calico and her kittens had all found good homes! To this day, we all still cannot believe that this really happened!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all enjoy it with family and friends as we bring summer to close. Enjoy!

Labor Day Weekend 2018

The beautiful Allegheny River on this Labor Day weekend! Labor Day is a very sad time for us Benders because it means the end of summer. :( Everybody is in the river today kayaking, boating, and tubing getting their last dose of summer. Before you know it, all the Benders will be heading south for the winter. Even though it is depressing, I look forward to the 2019 summer season! I hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend!

August

Well the dreaded month of August is finally here. To Benders, August means the end of summer which also means the end of camp fires, boating, and other summer festivities. Schools will begin to head back to classes and winter will be here before we know it. Summer always goes by way too fast! At least we have one last summer bash to look forward to. Labor Day will be here in just a few weeks. I hope everyone had a terrific summer and enjoyed the river!

A Rainbow of Air Boats

In past summers at the Bend, I remember all different kinds of air boats passing through. They would come up and down the river every weekend. You could always tell when one was on its way because they are very noisy boats. There were all different colors including red, blue, yellow, and green, so you could spot them from a mile away. When ever I heard one coming, I would rush to the river front just to see the bright colored boat pass by. I have not seen them in recent years, but I love the memories I have of those unique boats.

Henry's Bend Festival 2018

Yesterday was the 2018 Henry's Bend Festival! They were selling these awesome beach balls along with t-shirts and hats. The Chinese Auction was the show stopper though. I love Chinese Auctions even though there is no guarantee of winning. I love walking around to all the tables and putting tickets in for all different types of neat things. All the Benders love this! We all got to socialize with each other over the delicious food that was prepared in the Chapel's kitchen. It was a day full of fun, food, and family. I can't wait till next year!

Happy Belated Fourth of July!

Happy belated Fourth of July from all us Benders! I hope everyone had a fun and safe Independence Day with lots of food along with spending time with friends and family!

The Henry's Bend Parade 2018

Here is the video of the 2018 Henry's Bend Parade. It is like no other parade. Enjoy!

Relaxing in the Hammock

Even though everything at the Bend is meant to be relaxing, swinging on the hammock is definitely the most relaxing activity. There is nothing like laying back in the hammock enjoying the nice breeze coming off of the river while watching the puffy white clouds float by. It is also amazing to watch boats go up and down the river while relaxing on the shore. Many Benders love spending a lazy summer afternoon this way. It is also very neat to lay out on the hammock at night and look up at all the twinkling stars. Hammocks are definitely a staple in the Bend!

Fireworks in the Bend

Everyone in the Bend loves fireworks, especially on the Fourth of July. Every year my family and I go to our favorite local firework company to get our Fourth of July fireworks. I love going to Kellner's and seeing all the different kinds of fireworks. I could spend hours in that store! Then on the Fourth we put off our own firework display right in our own backyard. Sometimes it is hard to stay focused on our display when all the other benders are putting on displays of their own. Seeing the sky light up all different colors is an outstanding sight! The Fourth of July can't come soon enough!  

The Fourth is Right Around the Corner!

As a Bender, the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays! I love seeing all the firework tents up and smelling everyone's BBQ's. The annual Henry's Bend fishing contest, parade, and festival are just about a week away, and I can't wait. I love seeing everyone decorate their four-wheelers and golf carts in red, white, and blue for the parade around the Bend. The Henry's Bend Chapel always puts together an amazing festival with delicious food and a fun Chinese auction as well. June is almost over, but I can't wait for July! Let the festivities begin!

The Weekends at the Bend

When my brother and I were small and we lived two hours away from the Bend, almost every weekend in the summer we would spend it with our grandparents in the Bend. The Grove City Outlets were the halfway point, so my grandparents would meet my parents, brother, and I there. We all would eat a Friday night dinner at Hoss's Steak and Sea House before my brother and I headed back with our grandparents to enjoy the weekend in the Bend. To make the drive time go by faster on our way to the Bend, we would always count the number of semi trucks we passed, and trust me there were A LOT! Saturday would be full of playing in the river, the sandbox, and swimming in the pool. Saturday nights we would always crash out before our heads even hit the pillow. When Sunday rolled around, grandma and grandpa would always take my brother and I to church after we packed up all our luggage. After mass, we would meet up with our parents again for a nice Sunday lunch. My brother and I always hated to see these weekends come to an end, but our frowns turned upside down when our parents said we could come back next weekend! Lots of memories were made each and every weekend at the Bend.

The Pool House

Our pool in the Bend is up and ready for summer! Now this is no ordinary pool because it is indoors. Yes, I said indoors! My family and I have been enjoying the pool house for years. I personally love turning on some Sirius XM while I relax and float around in an inner tube. With a direct view out over the river, the pool house is where I spend the majority of my time. I can't wait to spend lots of time there this summer!

Last Summer

It's that time of year again! Grad parties all over the place, so here is a flashback picture from my graduation party last summer. I decided to have my party in the Bend so all my friends and family could enjoy the river and the view. The day was absolutely perfect with the sun high in the sky and a gentle breeze coming off of the river. I enjoyed food, family, friends, and nature as I celebrated my graduation from high school. The Bend was the perfect place for my grad party not only because of its physical attributes, but because of all the memories I had made there over the years. I hope everyone's graduation parties are amazing and filled with celebration! Congrats class of 2018!

The Henry's Bend Bed & Breakfast

Here is a little Henry’s Bend history. Not too long ago, the Bend had a wonderful bed and breakfast. It was located right on the river, so every guest could enjoy the Allegheny. Whether they went kayaking, canoeing, or simply went out onto the deck in the morning to enjoy the view, the bed and breakfast offered it all. I remember a couple of times when a few Benders decided to get married in the Henry’s Bend chapel which made the B&B the perfect place for their family members to stay. The B&B offered a cottage like feel so everyone could just kick back and enjoy nature. A few years ago, the owner decided to close the B&B and move away, but I know there were an abundance of great memories made there by family and people just passing through. Who knows, maybe I will open it back up some day! Only time will tell!

My First River Video

Yesterday was a beautiful day on the river. The chilly river was quietly flowing along as the sun peaked through the clouds. Luckily, I did not see my snake "friend" while I was enjoying the view. I could sit here and describe the day to you, but why do that when you can see it for yourselves! I hope you all enjoy my first video!

The Allegheny General Store

The Allegheny General Store was the little country store that I had talked about in a previous post. It is located at the top of the hill before you go down into the Bend. Over the years, I have stopped there with my family to get milk and bread, subs for lunch, and sometimes a delicious ice cream cone on a hot summer day. It had a little bit of everything, which made shopping there always a treat. This store has always welcomed everyone into the Bend. Sadly, it closed a couple of years ago, but I will always treasure the fond memories I have of this store. Country stores are the best!

Imagining in the Sandbox

My love for business started very early. When I was little, I use to love to play in my grandparents sandbox in the Bend. My grandpa would give me his extra pieces of wood, and I would make all kinds of stores, restaurants, hospitals, and skyscrapers. I would pretend I was building my own town. Using my little garden hoe to build my roads so my toy cars could travel all around, I would spend hours in the sandbox. I loved creating and building in my own little area. From that point on, I knew business was my true calling. This is just another wonderful summer memory I have from the Bend.

The Bend Farm

Henry's Bend is lucky enough to have its own farm. They grow all different kinds of fruits and vegetables along with raising chickens for fresh eggs. These Benders work hard farming year round! Since it is now farmer's market season, you can now find The Bend Farm at all the local farmers markets selling their fresh produce. Feel free to check them out because everything is Bend fresh!

The Homemade Ice Cream Adventure

The one food that screams summer is ice cream! One summer when I was staying in the Bend, my grandma and I decided to try and make our own homemade ice cream. My grandma pulled out her ice cream maker, and we got to work in the kitchen. We figured, how hard could it be? Well our first attempt was a failure to say the least. We followed a recipe for vanilla ice cream, but to make it a little extra special, we decided to add some peanut butter to the mix. We tried our first creation, and it was not at all what we had expected. My grandma and I both turned up our faces in disappointment. Our next attempt, a couple days later, we decided to take a different approach. My grandma bought a strawberry and chocolate ice cream mix at the store to help us along with this attempt. After making both batches, the strawberry and chocolate ice cream came out perfectly! It was delicious and refreshing on a hot summer day! Making homemade ice cream is very rewarding and the perfect summer activity.

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Thank you to all those who have served, are serving, and will serve in the future. You all are the reason why this country is the best! I hope you all enjoy the holiday, and remember to thank these true American heroes!

Memorial Day Weekend Part 2

Not only did we enjoy a delicious meal yesterday, we also got to spend some relaxing time in the outdoors! All the trees on the hill side along the river now have bright green leaves and are ready for summer. I also found this beautiful flower that was in full bloom, so I had to take a picture of it. Mother Nature is finally in the summer spirit!

Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! The Bend is hopping this weekend with all the benders returning and getting their cottages ready for the summer season. With that grilling aroma in the air, cookouts were taking place all over the bend along with people taking four-wheeler and boat rides. The unofficial start to summer is finally here, and us benders could not be more thrilled! My grandma made a delicious fruit tart for our holiday picnic, and boy was it good! Not only is it a very patriotic dessert with it being red, white, and blue, but it tastes just like summer! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend as we thank all those who made all this possible!

Pumpkin Love

My grandma is a Bender who loves to bake! She made me a delicious loaf of pumpkin bread and recently some pumpkin muffins. I have always loved pumpkin, so when we found Pillsbury's pumpkin baking mix, I jumped for joy! Every time I enjoy something with that pumpkin flavor, it makes me think of how beautiful the bend is in the fall with all the brightly colored leaves on all the trees. This Bender loves enjoying pumpkin all year round!

Spring Flooding

Even though rain showers do bring spring flowers, they also bring high waters to the river. The river has come halfway up our boat ramp, has covered the rocks on the other side of the river, and is very swift. Sometimes when we are expected a lot of rain, I will put a couple sticks along the river bank to see just how high the river will get, and believe me it can get extremely high. When the water finally goes down, I love walking along the river seeing what the high water has brought in. Besides the usual sticks and trees, I have found toy boats, innertubes, life preservers, and much more. You never know what you will find next!

Golfing, Bender Style

When summer hits, many people love to hit the golf course. As Benders, we love golf too, but just our own version of it. The Bend's version of golf is putting golf balls on a tee, getting out your driver, and giving it all you have got to see how far the golf ball will go across the river. The dream for a regular golfer is to hit a hole in one, but for a Bender it is to smack a golf ball so hard it reaches the other side of the river without ever touching the water. All the Benders are always competing to see who is the best "golfer" around. My part in this is the fact that every spring I pull a ton, and I mean A TON, of golf balls out of the river so they can be reused. Us Benders like taking golf to a whole new level!

The Henry's Bend Chapel

Here is a beautiful picture of the Henry's Bend Chapel. In the summer time when everyone is at their cottage, the chapel will host Sunday services, a Fourth of July Festival, and many other community events. It is the one place where all the Benders can come together and enjoy each other's company. It is gorgeous inside and out! I am looking forward to the Fourth of July Festival coming up in a few months!

Putting in the Dock

As Memorial Day approaches, the Bend keeps coming to my mind. I remember when I was little, every Memorial Day my grandma would cook up a big picnic that included hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, pasta salad, corn on the cob, baked beans, and a refreshing dessert. After that huge picnic, there was only one task at hand, and that was putting in the dock for the summer. My dad and grandpa would drag down all the dock boxes and boards while my brother and I would throw big river rocks on the dock boxes to hold them in place. My mom and grandma would bring down the rope to tie the dock to the tree on the river bank so when the river would flood, the dock would not float away. It was a real family affair! Once the dock was secure, my brother and I dragged down the canoe, followed by my grandpa who dragged down the little fishing boat to tie to the dock. My dad had the hard job of trying to get the "big motor boat" down the ramp. My dad hooked the boat onto our car, and very carefully backed it down the ramp, which always made my grandma a nervous wreck! Once he reached the river, we all helped unhook the boat, and tie it up at the end of the dock. By this point in time, we were all sweaty from being out in the sun all day, so we would end the day with a nice dip in the pool. This is how we celebrated the official start of the summer season!

River Work

Here is a pic from a couple summers ago! I just got finished building up the river bank for the year so when the ice came the river front would be protected. Every year we spend a whole day in late summer at the river throwing rocks up onto the bank to help avoid too much erosion. It is back breaking work, but it really does help protect our beautiful river front from the high water and ice that comes along with winter time. After a long day of hard work in the sun, I was just enjoying the nice evening view of the river!

The First Sunday in May

Today marked the first day of the mowing season for this Bender! After mowing, I took this amazing picture of this beautiful tree in full bloom! The river was quiet and clear today as everything is coming out of hibernation. More and more green is being spotted across the river meaning summer is coming soon! Before you know it, Memorial Day weekend will be here to mark the official start to the summer season!

The Ice Cream Truck Chase Down

With summer just around the corner and all the local tasty freezes opening up, it reminded me of a Bend story. One hot, sunny summer day, my grandpa and I were out enjoying a boat ride. As we went up and down the river in the "big motor boat" we could see the whole Bend enjoying the day. On our fourth run up the river, my grandpa and I were looking out over the Bend when we both saw the ice cream truck enter the Bend. It was a hot one out in the river, so ice cream sounded like it would hit the spot. We raced back to the dock, tied up the boat, and ran up to the end of the driveway. My grandpa and I have never moved so fast in our life, but we made it in just the nick of time as we heard the musical truck pull up. We each decided to get a delicious ice cream sandwich. It definitely hit the spot! This is one of my favorite Bend memories for sure!

Spring has Sprung!

The best part of having a huge deck in the Bend is this marvelous view. Spring has finally sprung! The sun is shining and warm air has finally arrived making this May day perfect! I cannot wait for more days like this to be on the horizon as we get closer to summer. These past couple of days have truly been picture perfect!

The Unexpected Visitor

One summer night, my grandpa was just about to go out and take all the bird feeders in like he did every night. The only difference, was that it was already completely dark outside. Just as he stepped out the door, the phone rang. My grandpa knew something had to be up because who would call this late in the evening? After he picked up the phone, he was told from his neighbor, a fellow Bender, that there was a gigantic black bear out at his bird feeder! My grandpa knew there had been a bear wondering around the bend during the night, but he never thought it would visit his house! My grandpa and grandma turned on the outdoor lights and ran over to the window where there they saw the huge animal on his back legs ripping down the bird feeder. They tried to scare the bear away, but this bear was apparently fearless! After ripping down the bird feeder, he went up and sat down on my grandparent's deck to enjoy his feast. My grandparent's, in utter amazement, just stood there and watched. After the bear finished his dinner, he got up and left. From that day on, my grandpa made sure to bring in the bird feeders before dark! A couple years after that, I was driving to the bend when all of a sudden I see this huge black object dart across the road. It was a black bear! I told my grandpa his "friend" had survived the hunting season! To this day, I consider the black bear to be Henry's Bend's official animal!

Throwback Thursday!

The Bend is a great place for senior pictures! Here is one of mine from last year. I love how the sun is shining on the river with the beautiful trees in the background. This is just one of many that I had taken there. The Bend's beauty makes the photo possibilities endless!

Transportation around the Bend

In the Bend, cars are not the major form of transportation. Four-wheelers get you from place to place in Henry's Bend! I love riding around the Bend on my four-wheeler seeing what all the Benders are up to. Some people say they enjoy riding around in their golf carts more, but I definitely enjoy my rides on the four-wheeler the best. So the question is: Four-wheeler or golf cart???

Creek Fun!

Even though the Bend is right on the river, my brother and I used to love to go to the nearby creek and play. The water was very chilly, but it was neat place to hang out. My brother and I used to always gather up all different kinds of rocks to try and dam it up. Our goal every time we would go there was to try and stop the water from flowing. We would play in the creek for hours! The Bend's little creek was definitely a summer hot spot for my brother and I when we were younger.

A Morning Walk with Grandma

As I said before, when summer came around I would stay with my grandparents at the Bend all the time. Early Saturday mornings, my grandma and I use to love to get up at 7 AM and go for morning walks around the bend. With heavy fog over the river and dew on the grass, my grandma and I would put on our sweatshirts and off we went. The Bend was always as quiet as a mouse with the only noise being the dew dripping on to the leaves. One morning, as my grandma and I walked by a patch of woods, we saw a little path. We stopped and looked up the path and to our amazement a big deer was staring back at us. Neither one of us made a move so we could admire the buck who was eating some wild berries. After a few minutes, the buck ran off back up into the woods. My grandma and I finished our morning stroll, and then went back home to tell my grandpa about our morning visitor. You never know what you might spot in the Bend!

Flashback Friday!

After this week feeling a lot like January, I figured I would share this selfie from last summer. It was a beautiful evening in the bend towards the end of August. I love the Bend's skyline mixed with the trees and river. Being on the river is what Henry's Bend is all about! I cannot wait to spend more time at the river this summer!

Grandpa's Station Wagon

I think it is safe to say that this car was an icon in the Bend for quite some time. My grandpa and I use to travel all around in it together including going up to the general store at the top of the Bend hill to get an ice cream cone. When I was little, I loved sitting clear in the back because I could sit the other way and look at all the cars traveling behind us. Grandpa always had his Elvis cassette tapes that he loved to listen to while he drove. Sometimes he would even let me sit on his lap and steer this classic car around the Bend. Towards the end, most of the car was being held together with duck tape and bungee cords, but it was still always a treat to get to ride in it. These memories are what makes the Bend a special place for me!

The First Sign of Spring

After a long winter, Saturday was a gift from God! Being able to wear shorts and flip flops was a real treat. Even though there is still no green on the trees yet, it was still a beautiful day. Can't wait for summer to arrive!

The Story Behind The Bender

I have been a Bender since day one! For as long as I can remember, my mom brought me to my grandparents' house in Henry's Bend, PA where not only she grew up, but my grandpa did as well. Now Henry's Bend is a quiet, little village along the Allegheny River that is mostly made up summer cottages, but I was lucky enough to experience all four seasons there since my grandparents were not snow birds. When I was younger, staying over with my grandparents in the bend on the weekends became a norm, and when each summer would roll around, I was there as much as possible. Who needed to go on vacation when I could just go to my grandparents' house and go boating, swimming, and four wheeling. Some of my fondest childhood memories took place in Henry's Bend. I continue to make more memories to this day. I have so many stories from this magical place, and I cannot wait to share them with you all! Hope you enjoy my blog!