From the Hills of PA and NY

Mountain Laurel is in full bloom on Moffit Hill.  It is against the law to pick the flowers or dig the plant.  Very delicate
pale pink flowers.  Many rides through our area  have an abundance of Mountain Laurel.  There is also a Mountain
Laurel Festival in Wellsboro, PA, with a parade and crowning of a queen picked from local high schools.

Saturday we took a ride "around the horn" as we sometimes call a slow, peaceful ride to gather what we need for the week.  It was up over Moffit Hill to Coudersport.  The grocery store sells side pork which is our top pick over bacon.  Just fresh sliced slab bacon with no preservatives and nitrates.  Then we headed over North Hollow which is between Rt 6 and Rt 49.  The views at the top of the hills are amazing, they went on forever.  It made me wonder just how many miles long the views are.  Then we went towards Ulysses and turned onto Hickox Rd, yep, to visit the Amish Feed Store.  I actually get excited wondering what the little ones are doing.  Saturday was no exception to their busy little lives.  A boy around 12 was riding the big draft horse while his dad followed behind the hitch plowing the garden.  Two very tiny ones were running around the yard chasing each other and the older boys were busy grinding and filling various types of feed bags.  No girls in sight, if I only could see in that house.  I imagine they were cooking, cleaning and sewing.  Busy day, every day for this Amish family.  Once the garden is plowed  the wife and girls do the planting and tending to it.

The Troyer guys getting the garden ready for the women to plant.

We left the feed store and took an old, narrow dirt road to Rt 19, that came out near North
Bingham, Pa and soon crossed into NY towards Whitesville.  Our next stop was another Amish family that is building our cabin in August.  Dick and Joe had a few details to go over to complete the deal.  No papers to sign, no lawyer, no fancy words, just a good old conversation and handshake sealed the deal.  This might be why so many go to the Amish, the simple pleasures of good honest talk.  The view from this farm is breath taking.  While the men talked I was more than satisfied to enjoy the view and again watch the young Amish keeping themselves entertained.  There were 3 young girls practicing driving the buggy.  Up and down the long dirt driveway and around the house they would go.  Backing up, turning different directions and around a tree or clothes line.  I held up my phone to take a picture and got 3 big smiles.  Times are changing for the Amish around here, the women no longer hustle to the house when a car pulls in and leave the talk to the men.  I even had a nice conversation a few years ago with the wife.  Same concerns as many of us have, just not worldly worries.  That is a good thing.

The brother was trying to tell them how to drive.....these plain clothed sisters had the same reaction
as fancy clothed sisters.  A giggle and a comment from them and he shrugged and walked away.

Company arriving at Joe's for a celebration dinner,  he said there will be a lot of families there for the afternoon.

The trip "around the horn" led us to Genesee, down the Eleven Mile and finally back to Clara.  Lots to see during the ride and the fact we had about 3 hours of rest before working on the old garage.  It is coming and looks so much better with the fresh paint on it.  A few boards need replaced around the garage door, no problem.  My husband is a scavenger, when he sees things that we could use "someday"  he brings the "stuff" home.  The new boards are from the old Bob Pratt farm house up the road.  Beautiful boards that will never be able to be duplicated.  Thick, wide and aged to perfection.  Dick made a table out of some of the wide thick planks.  It will go in the new cabin.  What better way to keep memories of what was.

View from the Amish farm near Whitesville, NY.

On top of the ridge near Whitesville, NY.

Wheat that was blowing in the wind, rotation of crops is great for the soil.  This will soon be "Amber waves of grain".

 Just looking at these pictures give me a sense of relaxation.  Take a ride, take some turns off the beaten path.  You won't get lost, after all you will still be in the beautiful USA.