BIRDS IN PLOWED FIELD !!!

Took these near where the osprey are.  The field had just been plowed.

MENNONITE PLOWING TIME !!!!

Mennonite farms are plowing their fields.

ELMER'S POST

We never expected the response we got to our idea of having a tour and Amish dinner.  Many of you are really interested.  I really didn't think anyone would come - but I was wrong.  As yet, we are still discussing it.  Most of us looked on the bright side, but there is always someone who brings us down to earth and lets us see the problems that could come up.  So, we are discussing them, too.

Which leads to answering a couple of questions you asked.  Do we have a lot of tourists in our area?  Really, not many.  Oh, if we have a road stand, people stop.  Sometimes they look at us a little funny when they see how we are dressed.

As for picture taking people, they are few and far between in our area.  Marilyn, is the one that takes the most.  But, she never takes pictures of our face.  Sometimes we see people driving in the area, but few take pictures.

We run into more tourists if we go into town or Canandaigua.  People sometimes stare at us and I am sure some people take pictures of us, but so far not so we notice it very often.  It is rare that someone comes up to me with a camera to take a picture.  Most understand when we ask them not, too.

I wonder though, as time passes, if more people will realize that we are here.  I wonderful if we will become more of a tourist attraction.  That is a concern in the tour and dinner.  We believe that you people will respect our ways.  But, we don't want the press to know and send camera people out, newspaper people out, etc.  We don't want to end up on the front sheet of the papers or on television.

We have seen what has happen in areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio and more.  In some cases the Amish and Mennonites have learned to live with it.  Some have even made profit from it.  I am not complaining.  It's just that we don't want it.

To be honest, some of our Amish and Old Order Mennonites, would rather we didn't have it.  They believe that if we have this, others will want to do it and make profit.  They feel if we do this, that we will be turning the area into a tourist area.  We explained that it would be a one time thing.  But they say if we have one, then someone will take from the idea and "go with it."  The worse part is, they may be right.

As Bishop Eli says, we must consider our friends and neighbors, too.  We are not saying, it's not going to be, or that it is going to be.  It's just that we found that we have a lot questions and problems we have to consider.  Most of them are things we never considered.

Oh, Anna reminded me, then there is another questions.  Some of our friends wanted to know if we thought of having a place where they could sell their crafts, canned goods, etc. to you people.  They are Amish and Mennonite.  We never thought of that.  Would that be commercial selling?  Like kind of forcing people to buy something?  They say people can buy if they want or not buy, but give people the chance to see their items.  I don't want people to feel they are forced to buy anything, but we are not turning down the idea.

Good thing Anna was secretary at the meeting, she has the important things written down.  Another being, entertainment.  We hadn't thought of that.  It was discussed of having some us, myself not included because I can not carry a tune in basket, sing some of our religious songs - both Amish and Old Order Mennonite.  Many of our religious songs are the same.

So what started out as a simple idea has risen.  That's is why we said it would be next year.  This will give us time to see what we can work out and decide if we will do it or not.  We know there are enough people interested, if we do it.  When we decide, we will let you know, in advance, so you have time to plan.  Right now it is discussion and prayer.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

OSPREY , AGAIN

Osprey pictures again.  I took these last weekend.  I think Mom is sitting on the eggs.  Am waiting for the eggs to hatch and see if I can get a picture of the baby or babies.

AFRICAN VIOLET PICTURES FROM CATHY IN WEBSTER

Cathy from Webster sent me pictures of two of her African Violets.  The top one she sent before, but it is blooming now, as you can see.  The second picture shows the African Violet flower that she loves.  Thank you Cathy for sending your pictures.

There will be a post tomorrow.

ELMER'S POST

It seems we went from winter into summer.  Doesn't seem to be much of a spring.  Been very warm.  I am not complaining - just stating fact.  So glad the weather is warmer and we get to do our farming work.

Whenever our children or  grandchildren come over, we tell them to be careful and not break a window on the greenhouse.  We especially tell the grandchildren when they play soft ball or volley ball in our yard.  Stay away from the house windows and greenhouse windows.

One Saturday some of our children and grandchildren came over to our house.  The ladies help clean the house, with baking, helping with the garden and alike.  Some of our grandchildren mowed the lawn and helped the ladies.  My sons and grandsons were going over the farming equipment to make sure they were okay.  Some also cleaned out the barn.

After work, we all had ice tea and cookies.  Adults sat and talked.  The children started to play softball.  Some of our grandchildren's friends had come over to play.  Again, I gave my lecture on not hitting the house windows or the greenhouse windows.  So they played softball away from both.

Anna saw something she asked me to rake out of the corner of the garden.  The garden is right next to the greenhouse.  I went in, got the rake and raked what Anna asked.  When I got done, I was looking at my work and swung back the rake forgetting what was behind me and put the rake through one of the windows on the greenhouse.

The soft ball game stopped when the children realized what I did.  All were watching me and Anna.  I guess they thought we were going to get upset.  Anna said: "Elmer did it again."  Our grandchildren started laughing and so did their friends.  So did Anna and I.  What I enjoyed hearing was my grandchildren telling their friends: Our grandparents never get mad."

Well I can't say we don't all the time, but most of the time.  I put cardboard where the window was and taped it in.  On Monday, I bought a window - in fact four windows.  Told the man at the store, I am always breaking them, I might as well have extras so I won't be running to the store all the time.  Now the replacement window is in and we have extras.

Anna is doing much better.  She still uses her cane - sometimes.  Actually, she is using it less and less.  Now she cooks our meals, handles her greenhouse and checks on her garden.  This year, I think our daughters are keeping an eye on the garden for her.  Also, they have been doing all her housework and most baking.

I am so glad that Anna is back with our meals as no one cooks as good as her except maybe my Mother, but Anna knows that.  She has also baked me a couple of my favorites for me.  Don't want her over doing too fast.

We have something to ask you folks.  Marilyn came up with the idea.  Bishop Eli, Emma, Jean, David, John, Dot, Anna and I got discussing this.  This wouldn't be until next year, but wondered if anyone would be interested.  We know most of the people that read this are not in our area.  But anyway here goes.

Would anyone be interested in going on a local tour of Old Order Mennonite and Amish farms, schools, and in Mennonite case a church?  Then one of us would have an Amish Dinner in our home.  John and Dot would be the drivers in their van.  It would be a one day trip and dinner.

There probably would be a charge as we feel that John and Dot should be paid.  Also, the dinner fixings would cost.  The dinner would probably be at Bishop Eli and Emma's house as theirs is the biggest.  Jean, David, Bishop Eli, Emma, Anna, myself and anyone else that you know from New York State of Mind would try to be there. We have made no plains.  This is just a discussion. But we would really like know if anyone would interested?

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer

ANNA'S STRAWBERRY PIE

ANNA'S STRAWBERRY PIE

1 baked pastry pie shell
1 quart strawberries
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Cup whipping cream

Select the choice half of the strawberries and place in a baked pie shell.  Mash the remaining berries until the juice is well extracted.  Mix sugar and cornstarch, bring juice to a boil and add the cornstarch and sugar mixture.  Cook slowly for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Let cool and pour over the uncooked berries in the pastry shell.  Place the pie in the refrigerator until very cool.  Top with sweetened shipped cream and serve.

SWEETENED WHIP CREAM

1 Cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a chilled small glass bowl and using chilled beaters, beat cream until it begins to thicken.  Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla: bean until soft peaks form.  Store in the refrigerator.  Makes 2 cups.