A Baby's Bike Cart

This afternoon after making my run to the bank and Yoder's Fresh Produce, I met up with Treva Hershberger and son. I immediately noticed the bike cart for it had a different look. Junior, Treva's husband came up with this covering to protect their son from the heat, the cold and the rain.  

The covering is not finished as he still wants to put netting in the front and back and cut little windows in the sides. I'd say he is a blessed baby.

Amish in the City, Ten Years Later

Ten years ago this Mother with twin boys, age 2 years old lives in Sarasota Florida. Tonight she was at the Pinecraft Park to let her boys run off their extra energy. Under the pavilion she was met by this group of women, Ada Petersheim, Leanna Miller, Katie Beiler, Esther Burkholder and myself. Ada asked her if her Mother is so and so? And yes, Ada was right. So I had the next question, I asked her if she was in the group of Amish that did "Amish in the City"? She said,  "Yes, ten years ago." That was the end of that conversation.

But then when I said, "I have another question" these women snickered a bit behind my back but I didn't care. I asked her, "How does Bishop Raymond Hershberger look after his beard got cut off?" I asked because she was born and raised in that neighborhood and was up there with her Mother the night the beard cutting happened in Holmes County. She causally said, "He looks like a Mennonite man" and gave a look that only I knew what it mend. He was always so strict about every man having his hair on their head just the right length and never have their beards trimmed.

Miriam's twin sons examining the slide.

Misc Pictures from a Rainy Day

It rained a slow drizzle almost all day. But tonight soon after 5 PM it more or less quit except for a drop from the sky now and then. I had to get out of the house for exercise and so I did.

There is some sort of a vine growing under my steps. I let it in peace because I think it looks fine.

Water drops on these berries. I don't know what they are called but years ago my Brother Eli took some of these berries and smeared them all over his face and arms. He claimed to his little sisters that he is a Red Boar and he looked like one too.

This plant ought to know that it gets it's nourishment from the roots and not from the head.

I have often admired this Orange tree that looks more like a bush than a tree, and tonight I saw the reason - the main tree had been cut down and there are about six-seven shoots growing out of the stump and producing oranges.

Wilma Whetstone

Whenever Wilma Whetstone comes around things start to happen. I am sure she has her down days although I have never seen any of them. In the recent years they have lost a son in an accident and a granddaughter in a drowning and yet both John Henry and Wilma rise above their sorrows. Here she is having a good laugh with Esther Burkholder. 

And her she is wanting to see something in Leanna Miller's bag. I don't thinks she is snooping, Leanna obviously wants to show her something. John Henry is sitting on the right.

Body Language

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago when the Pioneer Trails was returning north. I don't know what the connection is between the girl getting on the bus and this little guy but his way of dealing with whatever, was to put his pant leg up and hold it there. It is just body language.

The Bus Left

The Pioneer Trails bus left today with maybe half a load or less. Yesterday it came in with almost a full load.

Donny Wagler and Laverne Slaubagh are the drivers.

The two ladies on the left came down two weeks ago. Edna Mast for her nephew's wedding and the Helmuth woman just came along down with Edna. The two on the right are locals; Katie Weirich and Marie Beachy. The time comes when most old people need support of a cane to walk.

Bill Detweiler is local, Al Miller is from Geauga, and Perry from Indiana.

Saturday Evening Gab Fest

In the evenings if there is nothing going on at the park, I bike up to Bahia Vista and watch the activities of whatever. Tonight Abigail Overholt Desmond was cleaning her Mother's flower beds.

While Fannie Miller was out on her walk and she stopped to visit.

Next Vera Overholt came out of her house to join them. Then there were three people...

And then Milt Yoder came by on his golf cart and there were four people.

And then Abigail's husband Desmond came out of the house and there were five people visiting. This is the first time Desmond and Milt met, the reason for the hand shake.

Fannie left and walked around the corner and stopped to visit with Bill Detweiler and Anna Yoder and last Clyde Sommers, Vera's brother appeared at the door. After Milt left Vera looked up and saw me and motioned me to cross the street and so I did for a short visit. They invited me in for supper but I had my meal before I went biking, so I declined. All of these people are year round residence and this is just the way we do and act.

Breakfast of Fruit and Nuts

I can't remember the name of this fruit but I bought it at Yoder's Produce a few days ago. I had been eye-balling it for a long time. So that day Maria who knows everything about every product in the market was in that section of the fruit. so I asked what it is and ho to use it. She said it is similar to a Prickly Pear Cactus, with seeds like a Kiwi and it is not a sweet fruit, a little it tart and it makes excellent fruit smoothies. So I bought one.

This morning I was pleasantly surprise when I cut it open. I scooped out the insides with a spoon and...

here is my breakfast.

Bus Runs

Mel Mullet is waiting for his wife who is on the Pioneer Trails bus. I don't know who or what Andy Beiler was waiting on, but LeAnna claimed he is wanting to pick up a coffin. But Leanna didn't know, even if she said she knows.

(Click on the pictures twice for better viewing.)

Junior Mast came to wait until the bus comes in as his cousin from Berlin Ohio was a passenger on the bus. I asked him who his cousin is and before he could answer my question Leanna was talking to him. So here he is telling Leanna to be quiet so he can answer my question of who his cousin is. And Leanna was quiet too. No more talking after that, at least not to Junior.

Here he is with his cousin. Paul Waglers also came down, so I am assuming he is employed at Yoder's Produce again for the winter or however long.

Ernie, my neighbor also returned back home from about a six week stay with his family members in Indiana. He has to reassemble his bike first before he can take it back home.

Early this morning the Crossroads bus from Indiana finished it's first run for this season. For the time being they are only running every two weeks.

Snow Birds are Back

About half a dozen snow Birds returned to Pinecraft today via the Pioneer Trails bus. Must be they can feel it in their bones that it is going to be an early long hard winter up north.

John Troyer the Amish deacon ordered one coffin which also came down on the bus in the luggage compartment.

Widows' Supper

Every first Monday evening of the month, the widows get together for a carry-in dinner. during the summer months the single girls are also included. so tonight was the second time I went this summer. So after the meal was over we sat around visiting while a few cleaned up the kitchen mess. Most of the time the Amish ladies clean up as the dinner is in the Amish church house. So I saw these ladies visiting and I snapped pictures. Anna Yoder on the left is so expressive, as you can see. I don't know if she always was this way or if it is because she has Alzheimer's.  I find these times so interesting.