Pinecraft-Sarasota: April 2015

Shuffleboarding: When Pinecraft is Empty

Tonight when I biked into the park nobody was even close to the shuffleboard but when I was ready to leave Chet Stoltzfus and Katie Beiler were waiting on a few players to show up. Soon John Troyer and Omar Stoltzfus showed up.

Chet is sprinkling the board with beads of some sort to make the disks slide easily. It was a hot day so he is barefooted and so is John Troyer.

Omar and John on the one side...

while Chet and his Mother-in-law Katie were on the opposite end.

Actually Omar & Chet played against John and Katie.

There were a few other people watching and visiting like Atlee Raber and Enos Bontrager, David & Irene Swartzentruber, and I think Floyd and Sarah. I can't remember if I saw them or imagined I saw them. I am loving this lazy, sleepy village.

After the Rain

We had a quick shower tonight. After a while the rain clouds left and the normal evening clouds came around. So I decided to go for a bike ride, looking for plant life especially flowers. This is what I found.

I don't know who planted these but I love the wild mixture of color. I am guessing these will bloom all summer as they are planted under a slow dripping faucet. At least this spot was always a bit wet last summer.

Wet and Happy

A bud opening up.

Sunflowers galore all because the parrots dropped seeds this past season.

These Royal Palms look like they wet themselves.

Pinecraft is now a sleepy little village and people are far and few.

Nokomis Drum Circle

Last evening was spent at the Nokomis Drum Circle. (Jerry & Janet Oberholtzer)

About the second time I was at the Drum Circle we had three or four Amish girls with us. These Amish girls were not afraid to ask questions with answers. So someone in our group asked one of them, "What does a person get out of these Drum Circles?" The answer was simple, "Whatever you want to get out of it."

So here are some of the things we/I got out of last night's Drum circle, making new friends.

Hula Hooping with two Hula Hoops.

Sitting with friends.

Watching the sun set.

Meeting Leo formerly from Colombia SA. He was selling jewelry made from seeds and strung on high quality hemp cord. They have a Facebook page and a website.

Trying on a bracelet.

Making choices.

Some watches are made from this seed.

These bracelets reminded me so much of my Grandmother on Mom's side of the family. Not that she wore jewelry but she loved beautiful things and had a number of strung beads made with Job's Tears, a plant that grew in their garden. Most every mother had a few different strung beads in their diaper bag to keep the babies occupied during the long three hour church services. Job's Tears are still on the market both for stringing beads and seeds to plant. I would love to get a few seeds or some beads to string in memory of Grandmother.

Vern bought a watch, with his Aunt Nancy looking on.

It was another beautiful evening of sitting, visiting, making new friends...

Dining on Popcorn and Bread

Tonight the birds had their fill of popcorn and old bread. They screamed and fought and ate until their croup was bulging full and so I quit throwing out popcorn and bread.

I don't understand the Great Blue Heron. He never comes for food but instead just sort of circles around and looks in on the action. I never can figure out if he is approving or disapproving of me feeding the birds.

The Great Blue Heron will not let this bird get close to the popcorn and bread. Tonight I thought they are going to lock horns.

This black bird was tolerated but not welcome with the crowd.

In the meantime people were out biking or walking and playing shuffleboard. There are still enough people here to keep the shuffleboard going.

A sure sign Summer is here is seeing this cat outside. It has been around for years but I haven't figured out yet if it is a Town Cat or someone's pet.

Out and About

Omar & Laura's Tools for yard work.

Well worn hands

Joe Fisher and Freeman Byler visiting.

Ken Byler's Boys down by the Phillippi Creek. Ken is with the boys but not in the photo.

Just out for one last bike ride before they leave for the north tomorrow morning.

Out and About: Sarah Yoder and Anna Mary Stoltzfus.

The Light Chasers

This morning Laura Beiler send a text message that there are artists at the park, so I biked over there. The parking lot was full of vehicles, many more vehicles than artists. Obviously many of them took to the woods. I did get photos of some artists painting along the Phillippi Creek.

Every Thursday they go to a designated place and paint. If a person doesn't want to pain that specific day, then don't show up. It is that simple. Here is their website. They also have a Facebook page.

Lapp's Bike Shop Closes Down

Today I took my bike to Lapp's Bike Shop to get it cleaned and tuned up for the summer. Only one of these bikes wears white socks. He dares to be different.

These bikes worked hard all winter. Most of them were put to use early in the morning and didn't retire until after dark.

Lined up by size and color.

Pressure washing my bike. He had the wheels spinning and the dirt flying.

Each bike has a chain, lock and key.

One wheel

After my bike dried it had a good oiling and tighten a few screws. And it is ready for the summer months. The bike shop owners spend their summers up north, so bike shops close up when they leave for the north.

Love how the calendars are put to use.

Fire!

Here are some pictures of the house fire in Pinecraft Monday evening. If I wouldn't have received a text message from Laura Beiler I wouldn't have found out about this fire until the next morning.

This house was a little Presbyterian church built in 1941 as an outpost Sunday School for Pinecraft. In 1944 the Mennonites purchased it and the trustees were a Mennonite, a Conservative and an Amish man. "The History of Pinecraft" by Noah Gingerich wrote about the early beginnings.