Old Treasures

 Yesterday when we visited Novilla and Verna we were told of another old house to photo shoot. I guess I have a love for old buildings, because of the stories they would tell if they could.

An old Southern Camp Meeting place.

The Plaque

 There was another writing inside the Arbor giving more history.

Fountain Nook Road

On Saturday afternoon Nancy and I took a slow ride up on Fountain Nook Road, starting in Maysville and ending up on US 250. (These pictures watermarked for their protection.)

Green Valley School is where I started teaching school as a helper for Rudy Menno's Fannie. I knew nothing about teaching school but she claimed I can teach and so I did.

 

 This farmstead was owned by a Hershberger family when I was teaching in Maysville. 

 Working the fields.

 The black horse in the yellow field with the farm buildings in the background, plus the beautiful sky overhead makes for a perfect picture on Fountain Nook Road.

 I remember when these custom made mail boxes started showing up. I don't know who invented or made them but it came about because so many mailboxes were vandalized and beaten to pieces.

 More field work.

 We stopped to get this shot of the horse and buggy, and as a bonus someone walked out of the house. 

 Little Swartzentruber Amish boys. The biggest one is quite happy to see us with a camera. 

 This boy was burning the trash. It is a chore you do every Saturday after the weekly cleaning is complete in the house. 

 At the sawmill three men were cutting slab wood into smaller pieces to heat the water in the big iron kettle to take their Saturday night bath in the galvanized tub.  Then also heat water Monday morning to do the weekly washing. They don't have such huge loads of laundry as one might think, because a weekly bath means a weekly change of cloth for the adults. It is just a way of life. It was this way when I was a child, but in Mom's time it was a monthly sponge bath in the winter months and a weekly wash house bath during the hot summer.

 I love this setting way back in. I am sure the lane is one mud mess in the spring and whenever it rains because they don't gravel their lanes. They may have gravel drives and lanes if the men spread the gravel by hard labor.

 Every time I travel this road I am on the lookout for these milk cans. I think only one time they were out by the road ready to be picked up. That is the picture I want but I know I have to be there at the right moment to get such a shot.

 I am assuming and reading between the lines but knowing the Amish, especially the ways of the more conservative groups, these young men are visitors from a distant Amish settlement and are spending the weekend in the area.

 Down the bank from the previous picture these two are mowing the grass. I am also assuming the barefooted one is from this home and the girl with the black stockings and shoes is the visiting girl who came with the boys and is probably a sibling to a few of them.

The bright red blanket hanging on the old picket fence in front of the red buildings is eye-catching.

An old bony milk cow grazing at the intersect of Fountain Nook Rd and US 30.

Rain and the Pioneer Bus

 Today the Pioneer bus was due to come in around 1 PM. Soon after twelve the sky darkened with storm clouds. I looked at the time and the clouds and decided I don't want to miss this opportunity of watching the bus unload in a heavy down pour, so I headed out the door at the first drops of rain. 

 I pedaled as fast as I could and just made it under Marie's roof before skies let loose.

 After visiting quite a while with Marie I biked to the edge of the carport and saw Leanna and Allen Yoders taken shelter across the parking lot.

 Their little awning was not quite big enough to shelter all of them, so he took shelter under the window awning.

 Then it was the little girl's turn...

 until she had enough of standing alone.

 The bus finally pulled in very late, with Ken Wengerd and Jacob Miller as drivers. The reason for their lateness was coming upon a wreck in Columbus Ohio which delayed them for an hour. They made up about half of the lost time while stopping for breakfast. But then they were stopped for a bus inspection before crossing into Florida. The inspection took 45 minutes. Their last delay was in Tampa, which I never got the details.

 

 But they arrived safe and sound at 1:45 more or less. Amish Henry came off the bus.

 And about a dozen or so more. Tomorrow we go up with 27 people or so. Obviously by the snapshots the rain stopped long before the bus arrived. So I didn't get to see the passengers getting off in the rain, but I am glad it quit raining because it would have been a mess.

Pineraft Golf Shop

 I think it was on Friday evening when I first noticed the mural on the Pinecraft Golf Shop, across the street from Yoder's Amish Village. I had never noticed this mural before, so it made me wonder if it always was there and I never noticed it? But then I mentioned it to one of my Pinecraft friends and he had never seen it either, so that made me think it is a new mural.

I biked across Bahia Vista and started taking some photo shots. The painting supplies piled in the corner waiting for another day of painting.

After a while the owner Joseph Baracco, Jr came out for a visit. He advertised for an artist via Craig List and someone from Venice responded to the ad and they made a deal.

Breakfast Beggar

 Most mornings Pasty the dog literally comes knocking on Charlotte door for breakfast. And Charlotte has Puppy Breakfast cereal on hand just for her.

 

 But this morning she had breakfast at home before they went on their walk. She couldn't resist the begging but she refused to overeat. 

And she turned her back on Charlotte. Smart Dog and spoiled, and loved.

Marie Comes Home

 Marie fell and broke her hip about six weeks ago. She was in the hospital for a few days and then went into a rehab until she is ready to return home. She very faithfully did all her exercises and whatever was required to heal and return home again. Today she had a doctor's appointment. Julie took her to see the doctor and as they left the doctor's office she messaged me that they will be at Marie's apartment in about teen minutes. So I biked there and waited until they came.

 They came honking up the street to announce her coming home, but not to stay as she has not been officially released by the rehab center. Her release date is on Friday.

The first thing she did was pull some weeds in her parking lot. Last week when I went in to see she almost couldn't wait to get her fingers in the soil and around the weeds again. So why not pull weeds first thing?

 Marie with Julie

 Marie is getting her first look of her apartment after a transformation her daughter Lois did while she was in the hospital.

 

The chair is comfortable, although it is not a recliner.

 Julie is showing her the new burner they bought her.

 And now into the bedroom/sewing room.

 The sewing machine is ready and waiting for her busy fingers. Marie has no problem of not knowing what to do for she is always making quilts or other sewing projects.

And an examination into the bathroom, which got some changes to fit her needs like handle bars and such stuff.

 Inspecting the fridge...

 and the freezer compartment.

 Reading her mail.

 Deciding which cane is hers and which belongs to the rehab? She got it figured out. Of course she had left hers at home being she went to the hospital in the emergency squad.

And examining her new phone which Julie will set up for her. 

These pictures of Marie are mostly for her family.