OSPREY - AGAIN !!

Osprey pictures that I took last weekend.  You have to look real hard to see her in the nest in pictures 4 and 5.  My favorite is the landing in the last picture.  I think I will have osprey on Saturday, as long as they are here and I can get pictures.  I said that yesterday.  Next weekend will be Mother's Day posts on Saturday and Sunday.

MARBLETOWN SCHOOL HOUSE

The schoolhouse was built in 1876, was a landmark in this rural hamlet and served the area children until in closed in 1947.

During those intervening years, hundreds of children from Grades 1 through 8, were taught by one teacher, in one room.  When the Newark - Arcadia Schools were centralized students were bused to the village, and the rural one room schools were closed.  Marbletown Schoolhouse is a classic example of a simpler life, one slower paced and perhaps offering a more friendly and personal way of learning.  The wood stove is still operational, as is the school bell and most of the desks found up in the attic recesses, are original to the building.

Marbletown Schoolhouse has been lovingly restored by the Newark-Arcadia Historical Society Members to reflect the 1940's - the time of the last class, the final goodbye !

The people that live across the street haven't been given the key to the schoolhouse for this year.  I left my name and phone number with them as I want to go inside and take pictures.

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER POST.  PICTURES OF OSPREY.

FIRST SPRING FLOWERS BLOOMING

The first five flowers are from dynnamae n and she said about the first flowers: I discovered my MIL daffodils are in bloom.  I have never seen this variety anywhere else, but I imagine they are older than us.  They smell so good, too.  I'm clueless what the rest of the flowers are but enjoy the fact that they spread on their own in my yard.

The last four, I took in our local park.  These are just blooming.  I, too, am clueless what the flowers are.  The only ones I am sure of are the last picture - dandelions.  Couldn't leave them out.

Could anyone tell us what the rest of the flowers are?

On my calendar today: A girl joining an exercise class was told to wear loose clothing.  She said, "If I had any loose clothing, I wouldn't be joining the class."

DRIVER FOR THE AMISH AND OLD ORDER MENNONITE. - PART 1

Hello, my name is John and my wife is Dot.  You often hear about how the Amish or Old Order Mennonites move in our area, we did reverse - we moved into their area.  My wife and I met while working for a company in Rochester.  We married, lived in the city subburbs, and raised our children there.  After our children grew up, went to college - they moved out of the area.

It looked for a while, the place we worked was going to close, at least in Rochester.  Rather than transfer, Dot and I took early retirement.  We also decided that seeing our children had moved, we were going to move where we wanted - out in the country.  So we sold out house and rented one in Gorham, right into the Old Order Mennonite area.  We weren't planning on moving into Old Order Mennonite area, it just happened where the house we rented was.

We met both Englishers and Old Order Mennonite in our area.  Our neighbors were Old Order Mennonite and we got to know them.  They were very nice people.  We enjoyed sitting on our porch in the morning, drinking coffee and watching the buggies go by.

Dot and I were looking for part time jobs.  But, out in the country, jobs are hard to find.  Also, being in our 50's, people would rather hire younger people than us.  It's either they think we would want to much pay or we are to old to do the job.  We never thought of becoming a driver for Old Order Mennonites or for the Amish, who later moved into our area.

The first Old Order Mennonites we drove were our neighbors.  They had come to use our phone, on occasion to call their driver, but never asked us to drive.  This day, the ladies Mother came to call the driver and they weren't home.  She called another and another.  None home.  Dot asked her where she wanted to go and she said her daughter had to go to the hospital.  We said, we would take them. So we drove to their house - took Mother and daughter to the hospital.  Once we made it to the hospital, the Mother asked if we could go get her son, the ladies husband.  He was at another Old Order Mennonite Farm.  So off we went and got him.  We had to break the news that his child was coming - NOW.
Instead of just dropping him off, we went up to the delivery section - we wanted to know if it was boy or girl, too.  We found when we arrived, their baby girl had been born.  We took Grandmother home on the way to our  home.  The next day the babies Father came and offered us money.  We told him, we were neighbors, that's what we did for one another.  Still never thought of being drivers.

Once in a while, we would get people that would come to our door asking if we could take them here or take them there.  If we could, we would.  They knew we would not accept payment, so we found money in our car after we left them off - sometimes stuck in the seat.

One day, their Bishop, came to our house - it was the Bishop before Bishop Joseph and said he heard we wanted to make some extra money.  Would we consider being drivers for the Old Order Mennonite?  We thought about it for a minute and said sure.  He said if we had our plans when someone asked, that was understanding - but they would appreciate it we would when we could.  Also, he said, we were to take money.  He understood we are neighbors, but we had to pay for gas, our time, etc. We agreed we would take money.

Dot and I were trying to figure out how to set up rates to charge people, but we never had to.  They paid us what they paid their other drivers and we took it.  When gas went up, the other drivers went up, our passengers started paying us more.  So we really never set a rate - they pay us what they pay the others.

We started with just our car.  Old Order Mennonites and the Amish have large families.  They don't fit into a four door sedan.  Finally, we bought a van and kept our car. So we have two vehicles.

Someone asked if we make a living doing this?  Not really, but it is a nice addition to our retirement.  It allows us to have some of the extras in life like eating out once or twice a week. going on a weekend vacation a couple times a year, etc.  It also helps cushion the money in the bank a little bit.

Some of the people we are close to them and their families - we have built a relationship.  I know Elmer has told you that people are different and different groups of the Amish and Old Order Mennonites are more open than others.  Some of them are very close friends of ours.  Some of them, we are just their drivers and our customers.  I would say most of them are our friends and we are theirs.

I was going to tell about driving the Amish and the Old Order Mennonite, but I guess maybe I getting long.  So I will do another post. Feel free to ask questions.

How Elmer bribed me to do this is that our landlords want to sell the house we are renting and offered it to us.  After praying, looking around, we decided we wanted to build a new one.  We also decided the best place to build it is the farm area next to Elmer.  Dot and I wanted to ask him, as he is particular who buys that property.  We didn't know if he would want Englishers next to him.  So, we decided to ask except Anna broke her leg, they went to Pinecraft, and were busy when they came back. Finally we asked.  We told them we WOULD have electric.  We would have phone.  Still Elmer and Anna agreed.  He said they would sign the papers, if we would put a post on here.  So here is the post, so we can own the property and start building our new house.

I told Elmer, the only reason he wants us next door, is so he wouldn't have to go so far for his driver when he needed us.  With a grin on his face he replied : "Darn right."

John and Dot

On my calendar today is: Sorry looks back, worry looks around, faith looks up.

AFRICAN VIOLETS PICTURES PEOPLE SENT

The top two African Violets are from littlemancat.  She said: Here are a couple of pics of my violets - only have three total.  I don't have much window space so just enjoy these.  The one with dark purple - the single flowers - is a plant I grew from a leaf.  The "Momma" was bought at the Phila show years ago.  The orchid color one, the double, was a gift from my son and I think it was bought at a Trader Joe's grocery store.

The following three African Violets pictures were sent to us by Vanssmomc.

Thank you both for sending these pictures of your beautiful African Violets.

ELMER'S POST OF THE WEEK

Am giving this post to Marilyn on Friday.  Anna and I will be at the doctors on Monday morning, getting her cast removed.  She has these big plans of things she plans on doing, but she will still have a lot of physical therapy.  Won't be able to do a lot of things she wants to for a while.

Also, as Marilyn told you, I have gotten one of our drivers to put on a post.  I bribed him, in a way.  He will explain what I did.  Think you will enjoy what both he and his wife do transporting  us around when need be.  We are glad and appreciate what they do for us.

Someone asked how do we teach the next generation the importance of treating our land with the respect it deserves?  In the Bible Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."
also Genesis 1:11 - 12 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind and God saw that it was good."  Also Genesis 1:24 "And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so."

In Genesis, we are told that God created the earth.  On the earth He gave us grass, herb yielding seed, fruit trees, living creature, cattle, beast and more.  In Genesis 3:23 "Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken."  When Adam and Eve disobeyed what the Lord told them in the Garden of Eden, they were sent to the earth.

Because of these readings in the Bible, we feel it is out duty - is the world of the Lord for us - to treat the land.  To respect the land.  To use the land.  When one of our children or grandchildren show disrespect for the land, I read them Genesis Chapters 1-3.  We discuss it.

It does bother me today they are building subdivisions.  Much of the property is also having business built on it.  Now, I admit Anna and I built a house, so it sounds like I am saying that for everyone else but myself, but that's not what I mean.  I have nothing against people building a house, but when they build 20 or 30 houses - that bothers me.  The price of land has gone up.  It is so expensive that some people have had to go into different trades because they can't afford to buy land.

In answering your question, I assume that you know the Lord and your child or children know the Lord. The Lord's way is what I know.  What I, hope, I made our children understand that we were given  the land for our use.  When out time comes - the land may be passed to another family member, or sold.  But, it is no longer ours.  We can not take the land to heaven with us - it stays here on the earth.  The land was here long before we got here and unless the Lord comes soon, it will be here long after we are gone.  It has gone generation to generations.  We just have the use of it while we are here.

This land is a gift to us, even though we had to pay for it, and it is for our use.  How we use, we will have to answer to the Lord for.  I like to plow the fields.  The horses pull the plow and have done it for so long, they know where they are suppose to go.  I just make sure they go there.  While I am out there, I pray much of the time.  I thank the Lord.  Also, think of this dirt will soon have seeds in it and they will grow and become crops that we will sell some, eat some and give some.  The crops come up every year we do this. Thank you Lord.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

OSPREY PICTURES AGAIN

The osprey were in their nest until I pulled up - then they flew to the next phone pole.  Took these pictures last Saturday.  Will probably go by once a week or so and take pictures.

OLD ORDER MENNONITE FARM

We have been to this farm before - maybe a year or two ago.  This is the farm that raises different animals.  One year they had a lots of chickens.  Another year turkeys.  So, as I was in the area, I thought I would stop and see what they are raising this year.  This year is looks like turkeys and ducks.

Elmer just called and has a very interesting person who will be putting a post on here, hopefully, next week.  He is one of the people that drive the Amish and Old Order Mennonite to the doctors, grocery store, visiting, etc.  Do you have any questions you would like answered?  Ask questions today, as driver is going to post tomorrow to have it on next week.

Another post on tomorrow !!!

GOD'S CREATURES - TURTLES

Behind where I live is the original Erie Canal which has turtles.  Thought you might be interested in seeing some.  You might have to search for some of  them, but they are there.

Sorry, I forgot to put one on this morning.  Didn't think about it until I woke up this morning.