THE ICE IS STILL WITH US!

The ice is still with us and the road is still closed.

I took a few more pictures when we got home from work this afternoon.

ICE!

We are in the middle of an ice storm. Late last night a cinder truck was on its side at the top of the hill. The road is now closed. The electric blinked several times. Mary heard a tree crashing down out back. The green trees in the first photo are usually about twice as tall. They are very bowed over by the ice. There is another picture of them at the bottom of the post. The fence around the chicken yard is covered with ice--as is EVERYTHING else. We are staying home!

Farm Sale

Black Friday dawned bright and chilly. We did some work around home and then headed for the farm sale. There was a nice group of spectators and bidders. I was, of course, just a spectator.

I was at many auctions before, but I think this was the first farm sale I ever attended.

The grandchildren sold hot soup, doughnuts, and hot drinks.

Benefit Auction

Last week we attended a benefit auction for Mary's 17-year-old niece. Geril has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Her youth group friends organized a benefit auction for last Saturday. The response was a bit overwhelming for the family. There were nearly 200 bidders who raised somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000. That will not go far in paying medical bills these days, but it is certainly a financial lift for a family of 10 children and no medical insurance.

Lauren, Sharita, and Geril

Barbecue Bash

Friday afternoon the school went through a transformation from school to the annual chicken barbecue fundraiser. I haven't heard the statistics, but there was a lot of chicken and a lot of people there between 4:30 and 8:00 P.M. The funds go into the student activity fund that is used for field trips, socials, the yearbook, the school trips in the spring and many other things throughout the year. By the time I stopped in at school Saturday morning, everything was back in place and ready for school again on Monday.

The chicken was done by some of the freshmen and sophomore guys at Shady Maple with the help of an experienced supervisor. The rest of the food also came from Shady Maple. Then, it was all hauled to the school and served.

Some people picked up take-out meals and some ate at the school.

While the last people were finishing their meal and visiting, the students began the clean up process. All the table and chairs had to be returned to the proper place for school Monday morning. All the decorations had to be put away again. It was a lot of work, but it seems like the students enjoy doing it every year. There are always adequate willing helpers to make it all happen.

50-hour celebration is in progress!

The 50-hour celebration for my Ed.D. graduation and 50th birthday is in progress. We have had guests from Florida, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and, of course, Pennsylvania.

This was the first time the Showalters from Virginia visited me.

Debbie was here from Florida.

Several young ladies came at 12:40 and visited until 2 AM.

We were graced with the presence of a few "elderly" ladies (several of my students)

Today was the family sale for Aunt Nora's things. At 93 years old, she was there all day and able to tell them what some things were and where they came from.

We had rain, sun, and a grand time visiting.

This wagon saw many trips up and down the hill somewhere.

Nora and her boys watch her things sell.

The cake top from James and Nora's wedding cake that was modified by Emeline and Mom.

The great grandchildren do one last read through the comic books.

I am most pleased with the purchase of an English/German primer that was published in 1846 and owned by Lizzie W. Burkholder.

Camping

New Post

New school year has begun.

New laptops provided by the school for all faculty.

New frustrations trying to use the new laptops.

New students (36 of them) to learn to know.

New occupant at Gray Lane coming this week.

New digital camera because the old one turned green and died suddenly.

New hobby for the dog: rounding up the chickens we have turned loose since they are not laying.

New Mode of Transportation

I guess it is a step up from the Suzuki--at least I have to step up now to get in it.

PEP Boys -- Suzukis

Mandy, Moe and Jack

Jack has died, and Mandy and Moe are on the way out.

We bought this Suzuki in March 2000 and drove it for a few months until the engine blew. Since then, it has been the "parts Suzuki," "the dead Suzuki," or the "junker."

In January 2001, we saw this one advertised at the district attorney's sale. It had been seized by the police. We went to the auction just to see what it brings and ended up buying it for $750. This one has run well most of the time, but we did have to replace the engine in about 2003 because it kept spewing antifreeze out after about 10 miles of driving. This was Mary's Suzuki.

We kept seeing a ragtop Suzuki parked along 625 in Bowmansville occasionally. One day on my way home from school in September 2002, it had a For Sale sign in the window. We took it for a test drive and bought it for $800. It had a standard ragtop on it when we bought it, but we did some work to it to turn it into a little pickup. We used a back door from the "dead Suzuki" to make a back wall behind the seats. I bought new canvas to cover the back and top (the original canvas leaked and needed replaced anyway). I also bought a fiberglass hard top to put on in the winter. This was my Suzuki.

July 28, 2007 we parked the last two out by the road with For Sale signs in the windshields and by that evening we had sold mine for the same price I had paid for it although I am sending the hardtop along in the deal. It has been cheap transportation. Mine did not have mechanical problems like Mary's did, but it is rusting quite a bit. The trim pieces under the door are screwed on and the screws will soon rust out. We have screwed steel plates to the floor because my foot went through the floor one morning on the way to school.

The end of the Suzuki era has come. We no longer have the time to keep them running. We are trading 15 wheels for 5. All three Suzukis are to be sold, and we have bought a Ford Ranger pickup.