96% humidity and the choice was work outside in it or take an hour trip to Wegmans in Hornell with a stop at my favorite coffee shop the Terra Cotta, in Alfred. Actually no choice at all we both agreed and off we went. The Eleven Mile is closed about 5 miles up, right around Crystal for a bridge replacement. We can go to Shinglehouse and up Honeoye, Oswayo and Pinneo Hill or Eleven Mile and chose between two side roads. No matter what way they are beautiful rides. The hills are green, fields are high with corn and the streams still have a good flow of water for July 12th. Soon they will be low and what we call "dog days" will set in. I can remember my mom threatening me with, stay out of the crick/creek. She never really explained why other than it was "dog days". I assume now that means germs floating in the water.
For the trip up we took the Honeoye and past Alma Pond. I have always loved Alma Pond. In our area we don't have a lot of nice sided ponds that can be enjoyed with canoes, kayaks or fishing. Just enough water to set by and relax, watch a fish or two jump, the great pair of Bald Eagles soar above or just set in a dead tree watching the water waiting for a fish to get close to the surface. A few years ago we watched a mature Eagle swoop down and grab a fish! Unfortunately an Osprey was waiting, watching and attacked the Eagle which eventually lost hold of the fish only for the Osprey to grab it from mid air. Pretty darn exciting to catch something so awesome out in the wilds so close to home.
The return trip was my turn to drive (we both like to look around) and I decided on a side road off the Eleven Mile. The road is called Butter Creek which has a couple turns to the left that will take ya back to the Eleven Mile and below the bridge constructions. Off the Butter Creek I took Healey Rd. It is a beautiful deep wooded forest all the way. Wild blackberries and Elderberries should be plentiful this year, at least along this road. When they grow deep in the shade it means those berries will usually be big and juicy.........no hot sun all day long to dry them up.
About a mile before the road meets Eleven Mile was quite the "remember when" for me. Even driving I was looking at a beautiful big farm with fields and barnyards well maintained, even flowers planted everywhere. There is one small old barn that had the doors open. I grabbed a quick glance through it and quickly looked away. It was close to a spitting tears moment. I could here cows mooing, milkers pumping, cows chewing their grain, kids laughing and adults talking. Heck, I could just about smell the cow shit! It was a time when our kids were young, cut off jeans, barefoot and loving to visit the Hoffmans. Thanks to our son and their sons going to school and playing baseball together we had quite the friends to enjoy. We would stand and visit with Dale and Carol even though they were milking, it was a great place to be. Visiting their farm always made me feel at home, like back on our farm from so long ago. The famous Tandy Cake Recipe came from Carol and is still a big request around Cook'n by the Creek. It is in "Della's Daughter" cookbook. Back to that feeling, it never goes away when a memory is so full of love and runs deep. Close my eyes and see all those kids, life was very special for all of us. Now those little ones are married with children of all ages. Some close to 30 years old and some just a couple years old. Life is full circle, just sweet memories. 35 years ago how could it be?
Remember the little barn I mentioned looking in? The stanchions are still down each side. 35 years ago that little barn looked much bigger with 3 big silos standing by it. Today it looks very small compared to the huge modern barns that house milking cows, a milking parlor, young heifers, offices and what ever else. Gone is the small farms and in with the large farms that employ several people, machinery that the old farmers would never believe. Air conditioned tractors........gps.........radios..........that is way beyond anything the old timers would have thought considering gps and air conditioning wasn't even invented! Along with all this comes more work, more land, laborers and expenses. Check and see what milk was going for a pound 5, 10, 15, even 40 years ago and what it is today. You will be shocked! Thus the farmer keeps our country living because they are very special and dedicated to a farm life.
Thanks to all the farmers and especially right here in our neck of the woods, the Hoffman Family.
