WD - 40 is the solution

Yesterday Kim and Chuck had a Labor Day weekend party, and we all pitched in to get ready for the party. They had invited three other couples and their children, and we had a few things to do here. So we cleaned, cooked, did yard work, and by 3:30 in the afternoon the chicken was cooking on the grill. HW2 decided to sweep off the front porch, and a wasp in a pot on the porch felt that his home was being invaded and decided to sting her on her foot. It hurt like the dickens, and Kim googled, on line, home remedies to help with the after effects of the sting. We tried taping a penny on the site to help stop the swelling. We tried a baking soda paste, which did help keep the swelling down. We considered ice on the spot, and Christian quickly came by with a block of ice and a towel. Maybe the health care professions are in his future. Then we tried WD - 40 followed by Lanacaine. The WD - 40 took the edge off the sting site. Who would have thought???? All of these ideas were included on the google site and others.

Fortunately, HW2 was not terribly allergic to wasp stings and did not get to a state where she needed medical attention. She did say that the sting site hurt horribly and was ever so glad to have something to take the edge off the pain. She did take Ibuprofen and Benedryl. Maybe it was the combination of things that helped, but secretly I know in my heart of hearts that it was the WD - 40. Now what else can this be used for??????

P.S. - The party was a success. The kids played and ate. The adults talked and ate. All went home having had a good time. We cleaned up and went to bed. The house is now clean, the yard looks great, and we have lots of food to eat for days and days. Have a party. Look at all the benefits. But, watch out for wasps, and have the can of WD - 40 handy.

We are in Ann Arbor. MI

Yesterday we set off in the motor home and drove from south central New York State westward. We ran into misty rain about Allegheny, NY and that condition continued throughout the rest of the trip. It is easier to travel when it is cool, so no complaints from us on this score.

We found diesel gas prices had lowered considerably since we had traveled East and were thankful for any savings. It is horrible to fill the tank and to get a bill for nearly $300. We managed to get to Lloyd Bridges RV repair place in Chelsea, MI before they closed and they are doing some small repairs right today. We left the motor home there and quickly drove to Ann Arbor to see and stay with Kim, Chuck and the boys. We will stay here for a few days before continuing our travels westward.

Today is catch up time for us and helping Kim with any jobs that we find. They are planning a Labor Day party for their friends tomorrow afternoon and that means that we can be helpful with the part preparations as well. Happy travels!

The Plaza Diner

This afternoon we met Maurice and Anne in Vestal for a late lunch. They had gone over there to set up Anne's therapy out-patient sessions, and we all thought it would be fun to meet for a last lunch together. We went to the Plaza Diner. It is in a modern building but has the menu of an old time diner. You can get almost anything to eat, and they bring you large portions, too. Our waitress was Tami and was excellent, never hurrying us at all.

While we were sitting there, in came an older lady with a huge cake. At first we thought she had arrived for a family celebration, and gradually we learned that her family was the personnel of the diner. They cut her cake, and she offered us some, too. So we sang happy birthday to Natalie and helped her celebrate her 75th birthday. HW2 found out that she had lost both her husband and son in Vietnam. The staff at the diner was wonderful to her, cutting her cake and serving it as she directed. They also joined her in her celebration.

It was a lovely way to celebrate our last lunch together. We actually hate to leave such good relatives/friends. Anne has improved so much that she was able to walk into the restaurant on the arm of her husband and did not need or use her walker. Another milestone! She is making great progress! We have had a wonderful time visiting with then and helping out here and there, as we could. In spite of Anne's illness, it is one of the best visits we have ever had with them. We miss them already but continue to pray for Anne's continued improvement and so appreciate Maurice's great care giving. We also will miss seeing their four kids, spouses and grandchildren, too. All have been so supportive throughout. Great to see this close family in action. Congratulations! Happy travels all.

We move on

Tomorrow we leave lovely Central New York State and start a trek westward. We are planning to first go to Ann Arbor to have a small amount of work done on our motor home and visit Kim and family. We will leave there and head for Racine, Wisconsin to help Chris and family resettle from Atlanta, Georgia. Then we return to Omaha, Nebraska to see family and friends for a bit and then onward to Albuquerque, New Mexico to see family and friends. Hopefully we will arrive in Albuquerque in time for their fall balloon festival which is fantastic. Finally we will head south for the winter months probably to Kerrville, Texas where we have wintered in the past. This summer has been a joyful time helping family as we travel along. This seems to be our mission and our desire to go where we are needed and to help as we can. Happy travels!

Do you use 'to'???

I am totally unaware that I use 'to' in a colloquial way. I frequently will say, "Go to home." Now most of us will say go to the store or go to church or some such sentence involving the word 'to'. HW2 noticed that I say this and then realized that Mom says it as well. Others in the family may or may not, but I find it interesting in local word usage and wondered if any of you, the readers, either use this expression or know of others you would share.

In England they say, "I went to hospital," and leave out 'the' in the sentence. Most of us in this country say, "I went to the hospital."

In north central Pennsylvania there is a Pennsylvania Dutch usage such as, "Throw momma from the train, a kiss." The phrases are reversed here but delightful to hear. I hope to hear some of the expressions that tickle you. Happy travels!

Winter is coming

This is beautiful country with rolling hills, narrow valleys, and winding streams, punctuated with farms throughout. We went traveling following our GPS system over to my younger brother Gary's farm the other day. The GPS system took us over several of these winding roads through the hills, and after several turns and twists we actually arrived at his farm. We had been there only two times before and could not exactly remember the way to get there so appreciated the GPS system.

On the way there we noticed that leaves were beginning to turn, and the Farmer's Almanac predicts and early and long winter in this part of the world this year. The leaves are turning early this year and that supports the almanac's prediction.

We later on went on a brief nostalgia trip to see where my grandmother, her two sisters, and their parents had lived. The great grandparent's place was mostly gone, although two of the barns remain standing. The other three places were still there and in reasonable condition. As we traveled through these rolling hills, we were reminded that this part of New York is in the most northern part of the Apalachian Mountains and is really very rural. It is fun so see signs like Wade Hollow Road and others and to realize that "hollow" means a narrow valley here just as it does in Tennessee or West Virginia.

When this are was settled in the 1700's the woods were chopped down to create fields to be farmed, and most of this country provided subsistence farming, especially on the hills. The valleys are still farmed to some degree to this day, but remnants of farms are everywhere. The amazing thing is that the trees have taken back the hillsides, making it difficult to believe that anyone ever lived there or tried to farm there. This country side is poor, and Tioga County, which we are in, is the poorest county of all the 63 counties in the state. The people here are kind, look after their neighbors, family, and friends, and drive around these twisting country roads very fast. They frequently pass us. We were driving down a glen road and missed a buck deer by inches as he decided to jump the road just as we drove by. We have seen flocks of wild turkeys and many indigenous birds. It has been a treat to revisit scenes of my childhood and to visit with relatives and friends. Fifty-two years is a long time to no longer live in a place. But the memories last for a lifetime.

Great area classic car show

On Sunday at the Hickories Park in Owego, NY, where we are staying, was held a Central New York classic car show. There were about 200 entries and since it was literally in our back yard, we attended and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Maurice has a 1946 Ford sedan with suicide doors, painted in a blue-grey color and exhibited his car and helped his car club run the entire show.

Not too many weeks ago we attended another car show in Traverse City, MI and just loved all the cars there too. It gives you a chance to see some cars that you have not ever seen or not seen in years. I also enjoy seeing cars like ones I have owned over the years. I am equally sure that mine got hauled off to the junk pile at some point, but such a lovely trip down nostalgia lane.

This particular show was really quite large and well attended. Favorites for us were a Packard Limousine, Model T Fords and Model A roadsters. We got to see Hudsons and Nash Metropolitans and a two seater green Austin made in this country. There were even cars for sale, but we just looked and did not even think about buying.

Best of all, Anne came down for the car show and visited it and then came by the motor home as well. She is doing so much better. We ended the day by meeting at Maurice and Anne's home for dinner shared with Mom, Emily and Bill and their family and Tim. There was so much food that we can feast on left-overs for several days.

Barbecue Heaven

One of the fun tings to do in Central New York State in the summer is to attend as many barbecues as you can. Many organizations use barbecues as a fund raiser, and we have tried to do our part to support any needy cause. Many years ago, when I was a kid, Cornell University developed and promoted a different barbecue recipe that is fantastic on chicken or on spiedies (chunks of meat on sticks). At the end of this segment I will include the recipe and hope that, you, the reader, will try it in the near future. We frequently had chicken halves barbecued in this style and always wanted to go back for more.

Our friends the Zagatas offered chicken barbecue at the New York State Fair for many years and we always looked forward to the tasty treat.

Another typical style of barbecue is to dig a pit, put lots of firewood in it, light the whole thing, and gradually you get a pit with great coals. Then you cover the coals with a light layer of dirt, place wrapped pieces of beef on top, cover all with more dirt, and leave the whole thing to steam over night. The next day, the pit is re-opened, and the beef is unwrapped for another delicious type of local barbecue. We tried that the other day in Berkshire and it was wonderful.

The recipe for Cornell barbecue sauce is: 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1 cup of vinegar, 1 egg, 6 tablespoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning and pepper to taste. Whip this mixture up in your blender. Pour the sauce over several pieces of raw chicken and let marinate as long as possible (over night is wonderful). Put the chicken pieces on the grill and cook until done, turning frequently and basting with the sauce as needed. Don't let the heat get too high as the chicken can easily burn. The end result is delicious. Happy feasting!!

Blogging Award

I believe that Kristy nominated me for a blogging award, and this was quite a surprise! There are several conditions that I must then conform with. First, I give credit to Kristy and to Rachael for getting me inspired to start this blog in the first place. You can see links to their blogs on the right, and I do encourage you to read their musings as they are both quite inspirational. Next, I give credit to HW2, my partner in crime, and encourage you to read her blog. She writes very well and takes much of her time to get my grammar, spelling, and syntax correct. Bless her heart. Finally, I thank my readers, especially those who take the time to comment or email. I especially thank Terry, Linda, Joan, Joetta, and Barbara who are dedicated readers. Both HW2 and I have gotten comments from unknown sources outside of this country. When we put son-in-law Chuck winning the pie eating contest this summer we had over 200 people view the video of his eating abilities. I was amazed and wonder how many people actually read our blogs on a reqular basis. You wonder what lives you touch with your printed word, and it makes you even more careful in what you actually choose to say or write.

This blog is nearly a year old

I never thought that when I started a blog that I would get to a year with almost daily comments on this and that. It has been fun to do this and especially great to keep in touch through this media. We have heard from many friends and family throughout the year, and they have been encouraging to keep on with the writing.

In the process I wrote a short children's story about Scotty dogs and have started a mystery which had languished for many years in a folder since when my brother-in-law Mike and I started writing it many years ago. It is fun to put some fantasy and some real elements in the story and to use real names of people I have known throughout my life.

The most fun though is to try to relate some humorous happening and to make you, the reader, chuckle or laugh. The comments about our family especially the historical ones, hopefully will be enjoyed by both kids and grands and maybe be something that they did not know before. I hear that my version is not seen as always correct, but it is unabashedly my version. Sometimes stretching the truth is a good way to make a point. As I begin to enter year two of this blog, I hope you will continue to read and enjoy and occasionally make your comments known. I read every comment and sometimes reply back. Thanks for being there with me on this rewarding journey.

Mom Drives A Battery-Powered Cart

Yesterday we went to a mall in Syracuse where you have to do a lot of walking, and we found a battery powered cart that was free. We got it for Mom, and at firat she did not want to drive the thing. However, she got the idea of how to do it quickly in spite of her protests, and this made it so much easier for her to get around in the mall. What really tickled us was the delightful smile on her face as she tooled down the mall. You would swear that she was at a fair and driving bumper cars or something. We finally got all our errands completed and drove home. Mom had been delighted to get out of the house, have a new experience, and hopefully be on the way to recovery from some of her several back problems.

Mom And Her Spinal Block

Mom has been having trouble with a pinched nerve in her lower spine, and the doctor determined that she needed a spinal block for the pain. After about a six week wait, she had the procedure this morning. In the late morning we took her home and finally got her to rest a bit to give the drug a chance to begin to work and hopefully give her a respite from the pain of her pinched nerve. It was quite a challenge to get her to rest... apparently the valium (or other anesthesia used) really makes her hyper, judging from the fact that she talked all of the way home, even though we could not hear what she was saying. Then she bopped all around the kitchen area like a limping energizer bunny. That's when we finally forced her to rest, and she has been sleeping for about two hours. We found out when we got home that she has to go back in a month for a second shot. Since we will be leaving long before then, we are hoping that sister Sue in NM will be able to be here for that epidural. We certainly do hope these blocks will work!

You Are Stapled

"You are stapled," said the cashier at the Chrysler car place. "I have always wanted to be stapled and it didn't hurt a bit, although I always thought it would hurt to be stapled," I replied. We looked at each other and then laughed. Happily, HW2 and I went home with our new car radio. We had traded out our radio that also did navigation for a radio that would allow us to receive satellite radio. We arrived home and decided that we needed the serial numbers of the new radio so that the satellite people would know exactly what unit to turn on. We called the Chrysler place and decided we had better return as it required special tools to remove the radio, and all the numbers that we needed were on the back of the radio. Mark inserted two special tools, and the radio was easily removed so that we could write down the numbers we needed. Do thieves need these special tools to steal your radio??

We returned home, and HW2 called Sirius Radio and after answering many crazy questions finally got a real person and quickly discovered that none of the numbers we had were useful. The real person suggested that we call XM satellite radio and probably the numbers were ones that they used. HW2 called XM and got a real person after some more unnecessary questions, who proved very helpful. None of these numbers worked for XM either. Then we called the company that supplied the radio to the Chrysler dealer, and they informed us that there was no satellite radio for our type of car. Well, we called the Chrysler place AGAIN, and they said they would check into this mess for us and, at worst, put our original radio back in. See what happens when you get stapled!!!!

More Blue Birds

Some time back I wrote about seeing my first Blue Bird. I have been wanting to see one for many years and it was wonderful to finally see one. Last night Joan called to tell us that she had found chicks in one of her many Blue Bird nesting boxes. Joan has studied Blue Birds at Cornell University, placed nesting boxes to encourage them to stay in the area and repopulate. She checks her boxes and keeps the nests clean from other vermin that interfere with the chicks growing to adulthood. She has also banded birds and participated in annual bird counting to see how her species is doing.

After dinner we drove to Joan and Todd's home and she took us out in her back yard to see the new found baby chicks. There were four in the nest. I asked if the adult birds minded if she handled the boxes or nests and she replied that she has even replaced nests with new grass and all was fine. We went back to her deck and could see one of the parents either checking to see that all was well or to bring more food to the chicks. While we sat there we also saw a Chipping Sparrow. This sparrow is generally hard to find and quite shy although if you know their calls you can recognize that you might have one.

We may go back there today to see the Blue Birds feeding their babies. HW2 gave me a pair of binoculars that allow me to also take pictures. If I succeed, then there may be additional pictures on this blog. This part of central New York is a wonderful place in which to see birds. At this time the Gold Finches are very evident and so pretty to watch. We have also seen Hairy and Downey Woodpeckers feeding. What a treat!

If you will put out a bird feeder you can enjoy their antics and contribute to maintaining them. There is much to learn and a great feast for the eyes.

How Green It Is Here!

It has been raining almost daily here, and everything seems so lovely and green to us. Even better, it has been a pleasant temperature in the 70's most days. We are currently staying on the bank of the Susquehanna River in Owego, N.Y., at a lovely RV park called the Hickories. At night as we look at the river, we see many bats flying right in front of our RV, enjoying their insect harvest and evening meal. The grounds here are immaculate, and it is actually quite difficult to get a spot for the motor home. Many people come here and stay for the summer months before traveling southward for the winter.

We wish we had discovered this park in earlier years but will sure keep it on our short list of great parks in which we park the motor home. The river can occasionally flood the area and did so a year or so ago. We keep an eye on the weather and would quickly move to higher ground if the need arises. Well, we have gone on our morning walk and are ready for whatever this day brings.

82nd Stoughton Reunion

For many years now the family has held its annual reunion on the second Sunday of August. This year was our 82nd. We were last able to attend on the 75th, so it was nice to catch up with some of our many relatives. Niece Joan keeps the family together and notifies each of us by email and post card of the annual event. Several years ago she also started a news letter called 'Second Sunday' to which anyone can contribute. We have an active genealogy book in which annual updates are added as members get married, have children and other family events. The genealogy has been worked back to 1066 when the Normans invaded England. Since we were Normans at that time, we were on the winning side. Descendants ultimately came to the New World a few short years after the Pilgrims and have been here ever since. Anyone with this last name is related in some fashion, and usually we can figure out how that might be. Cousin Ruth keeps the secretary and treasurer books and delights in keeping track of who has attended, youngest, oldest, traveled the farthest to attend, etc.

Yesterday we had a guessing contest of how many mints were in a quart jar, and believe it or not, I guessed it exactly. There were 121, and now I can no longer claim that I never win anything. I shared the mints with all assembled. We also participated in a word search that Joan provided, and some folks proved to be quite good at the task. I was not in that group. Mom at 95 was the oldest person in attendance. We had a wonderful time visiting and definitely appreciated all the hard work of Joan and Ruth. I wonder if in another seven years whether we will attend again and who might be there. Happy travels!

Anne is doing better

Maurice's wife Anne has been in hospital for nearly a month now but is improving on a daily basis. She was moved about a week ago to a second hospital for recreational, physical, and occupational therapy. We have managed to visit daily since we got here on Sunday. She has 4-5 hours of therapy broken up into two segments, one morning and one afternoon. One of her therapists informed us today that they were all pleased with her progress. She fell once yesterday but did no damage. She is trying to earn a night home on the 16th. If she continues to progress then she may get to go home and do therapy on an out patient basis. We are all pleased with all of her hard work and progress.

She is cheerful, optomistic, and has all her mental capacities, telling us great family stories when we are visiting. We are thankful for this blessing. We are very thankful for her husband and children's support. Many friends visit daily, and she has collected lots and lots of cards. The flowers have been beautiful.
How wonderful that we have the flexibility to be here to offer our help and support! Family is so important to us!

A.C. Brings Bad News

Florence heard A.C.'s car drive in the side yard and went to the side porch to see how his trip to the Albright farm had gone. A.C. said, "The news is bad, Florence. John Albright is dead!" "Oh, how awful! What happened up there?" asked Florence. A. C. said,"Well, he was cutting hay on the side hill, and the tractor hit a wood chuck hole, tipped, threw him off, and then landed on him crushing his chest. One of his sons saw the accident and ran to help but could not move the tractor, so he ran back to the house to call for help. John was still alive when I got there, but there was nothing I could do except give him a morphine shot for the pain. By the time they pulled the tractor off him, he was gone." "What is that poor family going to do without John to work the farm?" said Florence mostly to herself. "Their oldest son has just started into high school this year. I don't think that his wife Johanna can manage the farm just with her family." "Well. hard times cause people to rise to the challenge," said A.C.

"On another note, have you seen Helen?" asked Florence. A.C. put down his black leather doctor's bag on the hall table and burst out laughing. "Why do you ask?" he said. "Well, Helen was on the way to the fire, and there was a problem either there or at the feed store, and she hasn't been seen since." commented Florence. "She didn't tell you?" laughed A.C. "I thought you three sisters always told each other everything."

Where Was Helen?

By the time that Setty and Florence reached the main street of town and were getting ready to go back to their homes, they realized that they had not seen Helen at the fire. "Isabel told me that she had gone there,"commented Setty. "Well, why didn't we see her then?" asked Florence. "There weren't more than twenty-five people there." "Well maybe she stopped to see if her husband was at the GLF store or out delivering feed to nearby farmers," continued Setty. "I'll call her as soon as I get back to the store and let you know." "OK," said Florence, "and I'll let you know what A.C. learns from his autopsy."

Later in the afternoon about 4:30, the phone rang upstairs over the store and was picked up by Setty. "Hello, hello?" There was no one on the other end of the line. "Well, that is odd," she thought and put the phone back down. Then thought she would call Florence to see if she had any news. The phone rang, and Florence picked it up and said, "I wondered when you might call." Setty said, "How did you know it was me?" "Well, who else would be calling me?" commented Florence, and she went on to ask, "Have you heard from Helen?" "No," said Setty, "but Everett called the store, and Jim answered. Everett was back from taking feed out to the Charlie Stoughton farm on the Wilson Creek Road and wondered if anyone had talked to or seen his wife Helen." "Well, the mystery deepens," said Florence. "Do you suppose she is all right?" "Well, I certainly hope so,"commented Setty. "Let's give her until supper time and get worried only if she hasn't reappeared by then." "All right. And by the way, A.C. says this autopsy is beyond his skills and shipped the body to Owego for further work." "Was it a man or a woman?" asked Setty. "A.C. said it was a man about 40 years old, but that is all he would tell me since he had to go out to see John Albright because he had an accident with his tractor." "I heard the ambulance go that way and hope John is not hurt too bad," Setty commented, "John works that hill farm of his, and you can have nasty problems with tractors on a hillside." With that comment the sisters agreed to check with each other about supper time.

A Service Station Encounter

Yesterday we stopped at a service station on Interstate 80 just west of Cleveland, Ohio for the necessary diesel fuel. At least it was not as expensive as other stops had been on this trip. Coming back from paying the fuel bill and with breakfast in hand, we got waved at by a trucker who made it clear that he wanted to talk with us. So we waited for him to walk up to us, and he wanted to know if we were hauling our Crossfire car on our trailer. We said yes when he told us that his wife wanted one and finally got one, maybe for her 50th birthday. She had been driving a restored MG convertible for the past 25 years. She had looked at a 2004 Crossfire but finally settled on a new one. He didn't like the way the convertible looked so this time she has a hard top as do we. She can haul a lot of stuff in the car and has three daughters. He said he spends too much time on the road, and when he retires wants a big motor home like ours too. I said that then he would be an old fart on the road like us. It took him about 20 minutes, talking almost non stop to tell us his bit of his history, and we thoroughly enjoyed the whole conversation. Now with breakfast somewhat colder, we continued on our way to Berkshire, NY.

When we got to Owego, we left the interstate and began our drive of about twenty miles to my brother's home in Berkshire. As we started to leave Owego, we had to pass under a railroad bridge that had a clearance of slightly more than 12 feet. Not wishing to see if the motor home could fit safely we prowled side streets until we finally found a surface crossing of the railroad tracks and then made our way back to the road to Berkshire. If you have been reading my latest attempt at fiction writing, you now know that the Berkshire part is real.

Florence Finds the Tragedy

It took Florence only a few minutes to walk the two block from her back door to the warehouse next to the GLF building. By the time she got there, the ambulance had been joined by the town volunteer fire truck and the citizens who helped when there was a need like this. The south end of the warehouse still spewed smoke and steam where the fire had just been put out. Florence asked who had discovered the fire, what caused the fire in the first place, and was about to ask a third question when there was a collective gasp from the gathering townspeople. A badly charred body was found under some of the building rubble.

First a fire and then a body. Berkshire would have something to talk about for weeks. This small town had little in the way of excitement except for the occasional speedy driver or pranks from boys who needed more work to do.

Having seen all she could, Florence turned and was about to walk back home, when she nearly ran into Setty. "Well, I never," started Setty when interrupted by Florence, "Did you get a good look at the burned body?" "How could I, you were all in the way," said the slightly out of breath Setty. She had practically run to the fire and was still getting her breath back, since running was not her idea of a good time. "Do you think it was a man or a woman?" asked Setty. Florence said, "I'm not sure, because I could only see part of the remains, but since A.C. is the county coroner, I'll know real soon." And with that said the two sisters walked back to their respective homes, talking the whole way.

We Wander East

Sadly, our six week hiatus at Interlochen came to an end. Kim and the boys headed home to Ann Arbor, and we headed East. As we went through Ann Arbor, it felt strange to not stop and see them. Instead we kept onward to Toledo and then turned toward the east. We are heading to upstate New York to see family. If travel works out as planned, we should be there late this afternoon.
This is a trip that we have made many times over the years. It is always fun to drive through Cleveland and to go by the lake, and then head up toward Erie, PA. We are always glad to travel through Erie in the summer rather than when it is snowing, since they get the lake effect snow and lots of it.

As we drove along yesterday we noticed miles and miles of cornfields in full tassle, I wondered whether the farmers were hoping to sell their crops for food or energy such as ethanol production. Perhaps some of both. If corn prices stay high, then the farmers will have a good year and we, the consumers, will be paying higher prices for food and gas. Gas prices seem to have come down a bit but are still high. Of course, Exxon Mobile has the highest profits ever. Aren't you pleased you helped them out???? NOT!!!!! It is evident that there are fewer folks on the road. This is particularly obvious in the RV world. Diesel fuel is so expensive. I filled half of the tank yesterday and it cost $190. Today will be the same or more. That makes travel very expensive.

We are figuring that we will be moving the motor home only two times per year. That is, we will winter in one spot and summer in another, only moving between. The problem is to locate a summer spot. We do have a short list and Traverse City, MI, and Durango, CO, are on it. Any suggestions for a good summer location?

The Berkshire Biddies Solve the Crime

THIS IS MY SECOND ATTEMPT AT WRITING FICTION. WHEN YOU SEE BERKSHIRE BIDDIES IN THE TITLE OF A BLOG ENTRY, THINK FICTION. ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED. THANKS 1HW

They were on the phone. They always called each other, as good sisters should, every day. Lucetta, who lived up over her husband's grocery store 'The Stop In,' was trying to make icicle pickles and could not remember how much alum to put in the batch, so she was talking with her youngest sister Florence. Florence interrupted Lucetta (Setty) saying, "It is one teaspoon of alum per half gallon of pickles." "Did you put in our secret ingredient?" "Of course," continued Setty as if she had only drawn a short breath. "I am trying to fill the large crock with these pickling cucumbers that Jim got in the store yesterday. Esther Ford's husband brought them down from Richford." "How is Esther?" asked Florence.

"Well, you know she isn't good. She has dropsy, and her goiter is giving her fits, but A. C., the town doctor, has her medication under control, I heard," said Setty. "Well, I knew all of that," said Florence. "After all, A. C. is my husband and has been for thirty years." "Have you talked with Helen this morning yet?" asked Florence. They called her "Duals" behind her back since she had to wear hearing aids in both ears and was so hard of hearing that the sisters frequently put off calling her since it was so hard to make her understand without yelling on the phone. Besides, Isabel would get on Helen's party line to listen in and frequently would comment too, "You don't have to yell. I'm not hard of hearing." This was usually followed by, "Get off the line, you nosey old bat." It never deterred Isabel, who went on happily listening and then called everyone she knew with her latest gossip.

Florence and Setty continued to comment on the goings on in Berkshire and surrounding communities for another forty minutes when Setty was interrupted by thumps on her floor, which was Jim's way of saying, " Get down here to the store. I need help with the customers."

A half hour went by before Florence got around to calling Duals (Helen). The phone rang four or five times before she heard a click and then Isabel interrupted to tell her that Helen had gone into town in a hurry because there was some trouble at the GLF store. "Oh well, thanks for the info," said Florence and hung up just as she heard the siren of the ambulance go down the back street toward the GLF feed store. "I wonder what is happening," she thought as she untied her apron and hurried out the back door.