Sure it’s fun to go back and see the old neighborhood...and sure it’s nice to see people you haven’t seen in over seven years, or my Dad which I hadn’t seen in over two years, but it’s also very nice to return to the beauty of the Catskills and our home we love so dearly. I will never again live in Pennsylvania, even though I spent over fifty five years of my life there, for the friends and beautiful countryside here is where it’s at! I love my wife...I love our farm...our friends and I love my life. The only draw I now have to Pennsylvania is my eighty five year old Father, and my Son and daughters families...one of which I missed this visit, for she was enjoying the seashore this past week. Although I missed her and the kids, I recently visited with them here in Upstate New York, when they came to visit for a long weekend. In her absence, I spent the day on Thursday with my son Joe, his wife Christina and their oldest daughter, Logan...the twins, Alex and Brayden and little Ava, the youngest daughter. We were quite a spectacle Thursday evening to surrounding neighbors I guess, for we had a marshmallow fire and learned how to make broom poles...as neighbors watched us from time to time...or continuously, from their windows. It kind of makes you think about the poor old miserable souls who won’t be invited to join in and have to peep out their windows, but what can you do? You certainly can’t have the entire neighborhood invited...especially to a family function!
Before leaving, we had a great breakfast at a favorite local restaurant of mine, we visited a bunch of Amish stores in Big Valley, found out another friend took his life one terrible evening and their small store then closed down....and finally, checked out the river lot where I spent almost every summer of my life. It is still pretty there by the Juniata River....but not as beautiful as our home in the Catskill Mountain and Hudson River valley area of Upstate New York.
It was an eventful trip. It was fun and enlightening...great to experience, but yet, great to have ended when I crossed the top of the New York Thruway just below Kingston and got the first glimpse of my Catskill Mountain range of familiar peaks.
I always get a warm feeling if inner peace and contentment....you know...the feeling of returning home. Below are but a few pictures of the valley. I am worthless when it comes to remembering pictures and Vick was so engrossed with our visit, she forgot herself too. Pictures were not what we were concentrating on this time folks. SORRY...we were engulfed in family. Just as we forgot to snap pictures of my daughter Joanne, grandsons Gage and Lucas and my old friend, (Joanne’s mother-in-law) Paula...we didn’t capture much on camera.
We have taken Joanne, the kids and Gud, her hubby, all over the place, sightseeing and want to do the same with Joe, Christina and the kids too, so the next time they come up, they can also see why I love living here amongst this intrinsic, northern mountain beauty. Christina wants to come for the garlic festival this fall, so we’ll see if they can make that.
Our friend Robin and her friend Ken, is coming all the way from Georgia to spend a week with us starting on September 5th. We can’t wait to meet Ken when we pick them up at LaGuardia, early on the morning of the 5th...long before daylight. We will be going with them, to the mountains, Woodstock, Vermont, Massachusetts... to the butterfly sanctuary and several other places of interest...one being a concert in Saugerties. Somewhere between all this, I am driving our friend Isabelle to East Jersey...somewhere near the town of Phillipsburg to meet a guy that will drop off her new puppy she is buying...and will be moving some furniture from her house to ours and a bed to another friends home. Our dance card seems to be about as full as it can get until our friends arrive, so we’ll relax between all these adventures when we can.
Below are the pictures we took at Peight's Country Store in Big Valley, near Belleville, PA.
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| The actual store in such a quaint place....Tradition Vs. Progress... |
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