Rain

I did get out for a bike ride this morning before it decided to rain all day. I had biked up to the produce market for some fresh produce and hurried back home just in the nick time. 

Out and About

 Knowing what the weather forecast is for this week, I decided to take advantage of all the sunny hours so I went biking this morning. 

I biked down Bahia Vista to visit with Jean Bender. Much to my delight her son Thomas was there too doing some work. So I visited with both of them. Thomas is a staff photographer for the local newspaper, the Herald-Tribune. 

Les Detweiler waiting until the light changes before crossing Bahia Vista. 

It never did rain much today, at least not in Pinecraft. 

Tomorrow is a better chance for more rain.

The Green, Green Village of Pinecraft

 One of the first jobs on David Borntrager's "Do List" when they return from their three week trip is mow grass and lots of it. This is Harvey and Leanna's front yard and their grass is growing the fastest.  

 The Phillippi Creek is beautiful with the green grass and blue waters and a good fast flow. 

 The little storybook house belonging to Rita Farmwald. 

No lawnmower has touched this yard all summer. Every season it gets a bit more of a "Hippy Look."  

Sharing

Sharing a book

Sharing the cup

Shuffleboard - Wednesday Evening

 For a while tonight it looked like only one game of shuffleboard was going to play tonight, while the rest sit visit and watch. But then Fannie Kay and Wilma Yoder came driving into the park and soon Mervin got a board ready for four women to play. 

 

 I stayed around, knowing it was bound to be interesting. It didn't appear like these two had ever played before or else they never played much. Whatever... Mervin gave them some instructions and they played well.

I love these giggles they are having. It was a good evening. 

Termite Treatment

Today the pavilion at the park was treated for termites and whatever... 

Sunday Shots

 The backside of my landlord's house from Seaview Street.

 I don't know if anybody lives in here or not. It is on the corner of Bahia Vista and Good.

View from the backside.

 Perfect little Palm tree.

 Tonight I entered the park from the north entrance and noticed the landscape from a different perspective, like these palm trees crossing each other and the sun in the backdrop.

Cattail fluff ready to float away on the water or fly in the air, 

seeking a place to sit a spell, 

sprout and produce more of its kind,

for the seasons to come.  

Dannie Preaches

 The audience as I biked into the park. Dannie Miller, Jonas Miller, LeRoy & Jimmy.

I didn't get close but I couldn't stay away either. Minutes after I took this photo they dispersed. Crist Petersheim, Jonas Miller LeRoy, Dannie Miller, Albert Miller, the last one I think is Glen Yoder from Oklahoma. 

Crist Petersheim

Looks like Crist is riding out of the golden clouds. Anyway tomorrow, August 20th  is his 83rd birthday. 

Thursday

 This bike has been down by the boat dock for some time. I don't know what the story is but obviously nobody wants to steal it.

 Ornamental Grass

 Tonight we have a beautiful sunset from Katie Beiler's porch.

Today's Photos

 Packing peaches into Yoder's kitchen to make Peach Pie Filling.

 Tonight was an evening to be out and about. I don't know if the rest of Sarasota had rain today, but Pinecraft didn't. And it was high time to get out and about this evening. 

Two young men took their speedboat on the creek. A group of seven had the Volleyball court and two games of Shuffleboard were in progress. Some women sat and visited and  about four or so were in the pavilion. We can't stand to be cooped up day after day due to the heat index of over a hundred degrees and then evenings with pouring rain. We loose our sanity. 

  

 Crist Petersheim, Buck Levi, I don't know who the next guy is and Albert Miller.

We even had a colorful sunset in the west and a round moon in the east. Full moon is August 18th.  

Work in Progress

It looks like the men are making progress on the new horse barn and the log is about cut. The little girls are on the "Welcome Team".

Brunch and Chocolate Cake

 This morning Ron & Nancy Good and I had brunch at Jim's Small Batch Bakery. Nancy had found this place sort of by accident earlier this summer. Nancy has a way of finding these hidden eating places. She has been in love with food and eateries all of her adult life, maybe even as a child.

About every time she stopped in this bakery, she would bring me a few samples of the best of baked goods.

This morning we had egg sandwiches with a sweet, spicy bacon and cheese that melted, soaked and dripped into the egg and toast, the best egg sandwich.

My choice for taking home to eat later was chocolate cake. It was everything as good as the egg sandwich. I was going to save some of my bakery goodies for tomorrow, but it is gone. 

Tonight's Shots

Tonight I was at the park again, first time since I came back home. It feels more like a Ghost Town with Chet gone and Wayne and Sara Mast left for their Ohio home for a time. And of course with all the rain this past week not much was going outside. 

 Local people say they have never seen the Phillippi Creek running over like it did on Tuesday. Today the water is still high enough for speed boat rides.

A bit of a rainbow tonight.

 Four people at the shuffleboard tonight. 

Albert Miller and Crist Petersheim

Tim Miller and Jonas Miller at the other end.

My New Bike

The only bikes or trikes I have been able to use are from Trailmate, which is located in Sarasota. My first bike I bought while living in Cookeville Tennessee. I got some use out of it but not as much as I wanted because we lived lived in the foothills of the Cumberland Plateau, in the hills. It took too much effort to bike uphill. So I used it some but not that much. After leaving Tennessee I used the bike strictly for exercise for the next six years. Then when I moved to Florida it became my transportation. This bike I had for eighteen years. It got a lot of wear and tear in Florida, so around 2012 I bought a new one. I practically lived on this bike until three-four weeks ago it needed major fixing. Chet Stoltzfus who was looking after Lapp's Bike Shop this summer was going to repair it but he died of a heart attack. Anyway I got a phone call from Lapp's Bike Shop informing me he is giving me a new bike as a gift. Today Ron and Nancy Good took my up to the Trailmate factory to adjust the brand new bike to fit me and bring it home to my place.

Below are pictures Nancy took with her camera. All the photo credits go to Nancy.

 Showing me how to use the battery charger. 

 Making adjustments

 Tying down the wiring

And I took quite a few spins in the warehouse and outside. Not only does it pedal easier than my old one, I also have power, lots of power. And it is a beautiful lavender with black wheels.  

I know it is going to take self-discipline to pedal and pedal a lot or I will loose my strength, I look forward to go further with the battery power or get caught in the rain. If this bike lasts me seven years, well I will be seventy by then. Or if it lasts as long as my first one did I will be 81 years old.  We will wait and see...

Thank you Jake Lapp for the bike and Thank you to Ron and Nancy for your help in taking me to the factory and bringing it home. Thank you to the people at Trailmate Cycles for your special need trikes you manufacture.  

Isaac Keim Homestead

Last evening we went for a ride through the old neighborhood, coming up South Kansas Road and turning onto Ely Road. There has been a lot of changes in the last 35 years but this homestead hasn't changed except by what nature does. I love the beauty of this home. 

Saturday Evening With Family

 Last evening we were invited to my Sister Clara's place for the evening, where I met up with a few more family members. 

These are Jensen's new school shoes.

 Earlier in the day Jensen and his Mom did school supply shopping. School shopping changed big time compared to 55 years ago. I started my first four years in school with a tablet, a pencil and a box of 16 crayons. Yesterday I discovered this day and age the parents supply almost everything a child needs during the school term, down to the Kleenex and handi-wipes. 

 Rhoda has always been a Little Maid whenever it comes to taking care of toddlers and little children. 

 Brothers welcoming their cousin.

 Sisters

 This little guy is fourteen months old. We had met one time last summer when he was only a few months old. Of course he remembers nothing of me. But this time he is trying to figure me out, knowing there is something different about my size. This has happened many times in the past. Usually the next time we meet up, we become friends.

 The men folks: Joe Schlabach, my brother-in-law Marvin, Marvin Junior & Atlee Troyer and the little boys.

After dark around the campfire. 

Yesterday's Drive

 The Book Shanty in Mt Hope Ohio is so well hidden that I never noticed it until yesterday we went looking for it. Years ago this was their post office. About twenty years or so ago Mary Yoder turned it into a bookstore basically for the Amish although anybody is welcome. One wall has only books in the old German language. There is a section of local history books. She has a number of biography and memoirs from Amish/Mennonite writers. In general the store is geared toward the Amish. 

Mary is also a walking, live history person. She knows everything concerning Mt Hope and the surrounding area in the years gone by. Her knowledge include my ancestors and we could have spend the whole afternoon visiting. On another trip I want to return to this Book Shanty and visit some more.

 These are the apples hanging over the Book Shanty.

We bought a bit of produce at the roadside stand from this farm.I think this is on the Mt Hope Road.