It is Time

 Time to head north! 

 Packing Sunday, leaving Monday.  First stop Union Bridge, Md for a visit and when the weather looks like dry and sun through PA will be on our way home.  That is so good to say, on our way home.  Yes, it has been warmer, more sunshine and beach walks but.......... home is mighty fine too.  Plus I just know the leeks are starting to wake up and maple sap will be maple syrup by the time we arrive back in Clara.  All winter and more in the last few weeks we have been making our "to do" lists around the yard.  Raised vegetable beds to fill with dirt and seeds, flowers to plant, a hillside to clear the brush from so we can plant even more "stuff".  The lawn will need raked up and grass seed put down in places since it got pretty scare with grass with all the building going on last summer and fall.  One of the best times to plant grass seed is early spring.  Good thing!  

We have been taking our daily beach walks, morning and afternoon.  Seashells have just started to appear in abundance and yesterday we found 8 shark's teeth.  From Dec. 8th until yesterday we only found 3 so it was a nice surprise to see so many.  When we vacationed at Treasure Island in Florida we would find so many in our two weeks there.  In fact I would tell the kids we couldn't go home until they found one.  The funny thing, three days ago I told Dick, we can't go home until we find a shark's tooth!  Bingo, jackpot we can go home.

Our last fresh fish and shrimp dinner was this week.  There is a clean friendly seafood shop about 2 miles from us.  They guy is always so nice and takes his time wrapping it and asking me how I am going to fix it.  We are on the grill or broiled always.  I told him this is our last buy for the season, headed north.  I love saying that, headed north.

Another reason it is time to leave, pollen!  It has been an allergy battle the last couple weeks and now we are seeing the famous yellow pine pollen starting to cover everything.  Lucky that is has rained off and on for the last two days.  Sunday all sun and that means more pollen.  Headed north, good bye yellow pollen. 

We did pretty good staying here for so long.  I don't think many thought we would last this long.......I didn't either.  We did spend time driving to different places and exploring many beaches.  

Another draft that never got finished.  Reading it could have been written today.  Some things never change.

July, 2020: Coffee this morning was also sky watching.  The sky was overcast with a few small black clouds rolling by quickly.  Then it happened, the far away rumble of thunder that was getting closer and a few lightning flashes.  Still no rain, would it pass us by like so many previous times in the last month or so?  Not today............how thankful for the gentle rain that has been falling for about an hour, all day will be fine with me.  Tonight was our if it doesn't rain we will be carrying water from Clara Creek for a few choice squash and tomato plants.  Saved by the rain.  It would be hard to scoop from the creek since it is at an all time low.  One less worry of "if the rain will arrive".  I can get on to other rainy day plans. 

I hope to hear by the middle of August that peaches are ready, tasty and plentiful from down state between Harrisburg and Gettysburg.  Route 15 our go to MD road with a very nice Amish fruit stand and bakery.  Past years the peaches have been perfect for canning and half the price of what we would pay in our area.  Peaches and tomatoes will be on the list for our trip down scenic Route 15.

If you did not graduate from the Oswayo Valley High School I am going to post the schools alma mater.  Who wrote it was very talented and in tune to what our surrounding area looks like.  Unfortunately I have not found one person that knows the composer.  Sure wish we knew.  When the song is sung at sports evens it fills me with pride that I am so lucky to live here and enjoy our quiet, laid back area.  Our country is in upheaval, has been and will be for a long time to come.  Here in Oswayo Valley we are isolated from city life and happenings.  We have our problems but few compared to what other areas face.  I am not blind to the fact that any given time we could be subject to evil and should always be aware of our surroundings and beware of others.

Oswayo Valley Alma Mater:
In a pretty valley rimmed by hills so blue
Setting in a pathway that the red men knew
Seaward dancing, sunlight glancing
The Oswayo Flows
Oswayo Valley, when the years have come and gone
and softly singing in our memory ringing
comes this dear old song
Honor high and praise we sing
love and loyalty we bring
Our high school to you! 

The old "Pass it On"  was today.  We had several seashells and one shark tooth.  A little boy and his dad had a little bag and picking up random seashells.  Dick took ours over and the shark tooth for them.  Honestly, it couldn't have been a better give it away!  They both had big smiles and just kept thanking us.  Yes, it made our day.