Children in Pinecraft

 The Christmas Holidays always brings families with their children. So I take this opportunity to focus on the children. These are Sam Yoders' grandchildren. Two of their children are married. One has three sons and the other one has three daughters.

 Jason, age four and his younger sister. I didn't quite catch her name but she is three. They wouldn't tell me what their Daddy's name is. I suspect for these two their daddy's name is "Daddy" and nothing more. They are ready to go to the beach.

 Siblings from Kentucky.

 Daddy with his children sitting in Lapp's Bike Shop.

 Father and son from Indiana. I think his name is Myron Bontrager. 

 Anna Mary and at least five of their grandchildren, two from North Carolina and the rest from Pennsylvania.

And the two on the front seat with Anna Mary.

A Day in Pinecraft

 Hats at the shuffleboard

 Daddy with Daughter

 County workers trimming trees

 And putting up a new utility pole and transmission box

 In Ohio John Raber from Mt Hope cleans tables at Mrs Yoder's Restaurant. Down here he has been hired to wash and clean Pioneer buses and help load luggage. John is my second cousin and he is also my first cousin's first cousin. 

 Checker games at the park

 Bird Watching at the Phillippi Creek

 Martha is cleaning their fence.

Driving a Spiffy golf cart. Maybe some day I will have a ride on this one.  

Christmas Vacation Has Come

 Waiting for the Pioneer bus to come in.

 The bus was loaded like 45 passengers. Only nine passengers were Ohioans. 

 Indiana passengers always out number all other people groups. They are factory workers and have a two week vacation. 

 And so this is my favorite time of the year with all the families with children coming down. 

 This is an Ohio passenger.

 Loaded down with luggage. Probably not all her's as she was with family. 

 One of the bus drivers, Donny Wagler. 

Dawn Szantyr, Local Massage Therapist

About a month ago, more or less I did a bit of sewing for Dawn Szantyr. When it came time to settle up, I asked for a massage rather than cash. Beings we both live in Pinecraft we planned to do the massage at 8 PM one evening rather than during the daytime. Doing it in the evening I could go to bed and sleep the night in bliss. Dawn has a firm, yet gentle touch.

Education:

1985 Graduate St Mary's School of Nursing, Waterbury, CT

1994 Graduate USF Tampa Florida, B.A. Environmental Studies

1999 Sarasota School of Massage Therapy

Dawn goal is to give affordable service to the local residents. If you want a good reasonable massage contact Dawn at 828-553-0123.   

Loading the Pioneer Trails Bus

 This afternoon the Pioneer bus loaded passengers and headed up north. 

 Lovina, Ada and Edith

 Schrock from West Union, I can't think of his first name is visiting with Sprayer Reuben from Fountain Nook Ohio.

 John Miller and his wife and Henry Detweiler

I don't think the bus was loaded to capacity, although they had a lot of luggage. After all it is Christmas.  Also a few of the couples had taken the train out west to get on a Cruise Ship and sailed through the Panama Canal and landed in Ft Lauderdale. Today some boarded the bus to go home to Ohio. I have no clue how many miles they traveled in this huge circle by train, by water and by bus.    

Shuffling with Beginners' Luck

 By the time I got to the park this afternoon most had already left to get a bite to eat  and return for the Wednesday evening tournament. Mel Schlabach and Mr Troyer were the only two men so they played both ends of the shuffleboard. 

 Mel's wife Esther is shooting...

And Mr Troyer's wife shoots. (I can't think of her name.)

On the opposite end is Leanna Miller and Mary Hershberger. Yesterday was Leanna's first time at the shuffleboard and she had lots of beginner's luck. Today it was a different story. She did win a game or two, but not like yesterday. 

The Pinecraft Pickers

 During the winter months The Pinecraft Pickers play Blue Grass almost every Saturday evening at Ed Detweiler's place on Gardenia St. This songfest has been going for many years, long before I arrived in Florida. Ed's mother Ada Detweiler had offered her garage to the Pickers. After she passed away Ed decided to continue with that offer. 

 Ed visiting

 Indiana Ladies 

 David Swartzentruber

His brother Lee who also sings isn't here yet. A bit of genealogy, Nix, Freckles and Grandpa were uncles to Lee & Dave. Nix, Freckles and Grandpa were old men when I was young in my teens.

 John Miller

 John's father had his roots in Holmes County Ohio. He was Bill Joe's William from the Mt Hope area. Three of William's brothers were Bill Joe's Sollie, Josie & Monroe. 

 Gary Miller

 I think his father's roots were from Charm Ohio.

  John Henry

 Tonight was the first time I remember seeing him.

 Darrell

David Weaver

Yoder's Pie Day

 One of the Pilgrims that helped make the day a success.

 Workers

 The man on the right is from Tampa. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas he buys 150 pies for people in his area. 

  Forty years ago Yoder's pie order for Thanksgiving totaled fifty. Today 40 years later it is at 7000.  

Repairing the Bridge

 The Bridge needed repairs.

 These three men took the lead.

 And soon more men dug in and the work continued.

 You would think Larry had the easiest job but he had to watch for sign language that was used throughout the day.

Larry had to watch for every man's finger. I am not sure what finger up meant the men did. 

 Most of the working men were from Arthur Illinois except Mel Schlabach is from Kokomo Indiana.

Women watched the process and visited.

We were served a Pizza lunch at Chet and Anna Mary's place. 

 This morning the bridge was opened again and I had the privilege to be the first person to ride over the bridge. 

 Larry Yoder follows. 

Watching and following every movement of repairing the bridge with my camera made me realize how much I appreciate my heritage, my culture. Every culture has its strength and its weakness. We have no say-so of which culture we will be born in. I am speaking for myself, as a child the Amish culture was just a part of my life. Later I felt trapped in it but thankfully I could leave and I did without being cut off from my people. Then this past Saturday while watching the activities of repairing the bridge I realized what a rich heritage I have. I treasure it, for it will always be a part of me. Just a thought, maybe more bridges should be repaired.