No winter blues for me just winter blue that the sky had to offer today. Although the temperature bounced from 13 to 16 on our little trip the sun was "hot". I can just see my southern friends and family doing the eye roll over that comment. It truly was, no heater going in the car today. This is a winter day to make me smile. So off to Ulysses for a few things from the Amish. Kinda like the old song we use to sing in elementary school, over the river and through the woods, with a couple hills. On the way we went through Oswayo which makes me think of the kids I went to school with and the friends that still live there. I said to one guy that lived in Oswayo when we were in high school, how can you stand living so far out? His reply, don't know what it would be like not to..good come back!
Some people don't like to do business with the Amish, for us it is enjoyable and saves us money. We buy horse, dog and chicken feed from one family. Heck Dick even talked the young boy into selling his puppy to him. Apparently Dick has a thing for black horses and black dogs that are well, juvenile delinquents. I wanted to name him Yoder but Dick chose Quincy. We took Quincy with us today and the young kid was happy to see the dog he named Nole. We never told him we changed the name. The young boys of the family that have already finished school work at the feed store. They look so young and I'm not sure but heard they are 15 when they graduate.
A few miles up Hickox Rd is the Amish family that sells bulk food and furniture. They have the best Amish butter in 2# rolls. All of their seasonings are very cheap compared to a grocery store. Plus they have the cutest young girls working the store. I love to hear them talk and Dick seems to get a conversation going where they even ask questions. Today was the subject of spring and seeing robins. She seemed very excited to hear Dick had seen a flock last week. Even the Amish are ready for warm weather even if it means working the fields and gardens. Women and girls do the garden work. It is at this home we watched the men cutting ice blocks from the pond. Perfect squares that were quite big. They slid them up a rail to the wagon hooked to a beautiful team of draft horses. The woman at the store told us they haul the ice to an ice house that will keep it for summer use for all the families to share. That amazed me.
This pond is near the Amish school. Several times during the winter we have watched them play hockey. They are pretty good on the ice and have the biggest smiles even as cold as it is. I can imagine play is not something they do much of considering we always see kids on the farms working at various jobs. Not easy jobs, splitting wood, working in the fields, saw mills and building. It doesn't matter how small they all have a job. I wonder, do they complain about all the hard work they do by hand with little help from modern equipment? Not sure, I can't imagine they do but maybe.
