Shipshewana and Drive to Plainwell

I got up early and had breakfast at my hotel.  When I got to the dining area, it was full of Amish people who were visiting from Holmes County, Ohio.  I got packed up and then went to find a geocache as the Visitors Center.

Then I drove down some backroads.  I saw this interesting cemetery

I stopped at this place:

.  Here there was a sign USED BUGGIES FOR SALE.

Then I went back to Shipshewana and went to a few shops, and made a few purchases.  

Then I headed north into Michigan.  I stopped and made myself a sandwich along the way.  Arrived around one p.m.  Only Mike and Tina were there, and Cassy returned shortly.  Bob and Megan arrived and eventually Chris got home from work.  We had a light supper of salad, chips and sandwiches. 

In the evening, we all went to the Academic Achievements Awards.

It was a  two hour ceremony honoring the top students.  

Monday, May 21, 2018 Drive to Shipshewana

After breakfast at my hotel in Erie (Super 8) I headed west on 90.  My drive was uneventful.  I decided to not use the route outlined in my TripTik because I figured it involved a lot of expressways in the Cleveland area.  I went south on 44 to gete to 80W which eventually merged with 90.

I stopped at a McDonalds in Mantua to use the rest room and  to get a cold drink.                            .  It was the smallest McDonalds I ever saw!

  I took a few pictures in the area of the McDs.  I think it would be a good area to explore!!!!

I arrived in Shipshewana a little before five p.m.  I accidentally passed the Super 8, but that took me by the 5 and 20 Restaurant so I went in and checked out the buffet and decided to return later on for supper. I went into Yoders Hardware and made a few small purchases, and also to a thrift shop before having supper.

Supper at the 5 and 20 was great!

After supper, I returned to  Super 8, I was glad that I could park my car right outside my room. I slept pretty well.

Sunday, May 20, 2018 Church, Luncheon and Drive to Erie, PA

My original plans were to leave tomorrow (Monday May 21st) and drive to Shipshewana, Indiana and stay the night there and then to drive to Plainwell on Tuesday the 21nd.  However, I was starting to stress out about the long drive to Shipshewana all by myself.    It occurred to me that I did not HAVE to do it that way and began to consider getting a couple of hours of driving out of the way on Sunday.  I did not want to miss church or the luncheon after  church in honor of the several children and teens who were baptized during the service.    My macaroni and cheese was completely eaten!!!!!

 I got packed up this morning, went to church and the luncheon and then went home and called the SUPER 8 in Erie, PA.   I reserved a room for the night and headed out around 2:00 p.m.  Unfortunately, I forgot to grab my purse, but I was only two miles away from home when I realized it!!!  So I did lose a bit of time driving back home and getting it.

I had an uneventful drive...……….getting on the thruway in Depew and heading southwest.  After crossing into Pennsylvania I stopped to use the rest room at a very nice Welcome Center.

  Then I got back on 90 and headed towards Erie.  Once I got off of Exit 27, I stopped for gas, and then I located my hotel.  I got a very nice room on the first floor,  I saw this in the parking lot for the hotel next store (Quality Inn).

I had wanted to go to Primanti Brothers for a reuben sandwich, but I could not find it, even though my GPS took me to a mall that had a sign for Primanti's in front of it.  I went into a Ruby Tuesdays, but I looked at a menu and decided there was nothing I really wanted.   I decided to go back to the Super 8 and eat the lunch I packed before leaving Lockport:  ham salad sandwich, yogurt, grapes and a bottle of Charleston Tea Plantation green tea with mango.

I had a hard time getting the tv to work in my room, it took about ten or fifteen minutes to warm up!.  When it finally came on, I was able to find PBS and watch the second part of LITTLE WOMEN.

Saturday May 19th, 2018 : Garden Planning Day at IMAGINE COMMUNITY GARDEN

Today was planting day for the IMAGINE COMMUNITY GARDEN, from ten to noon.  

This is my plot.

BOXING DAY: May 17, 2018

Tonight was BOXING DAY at Aqua-Systems in East Amherst, NY.  A bunch of people (leaders)
of the IMAGINE COMMUNITY GARDENS at five p.m.   I met a woman who works at VanDeMark Chemical here in Lockport.  I told her I used to babysit for the children of Joanne and Alan VanDeMark.  She said Joanne recently retired, has purchased a condo in Niagara on the Lake and that years ago she created BUFFALO SPREE.

 Pizza, wings and salad were served!   The salad was great.  I am in this picture (which I did not take)

All of these plants were provided by Thompson Brothers Greenhouse.

After eatinf,  the chaos began.  It is hard to describe how we attempted to put plants and seeds into separate boxes for each small garden plot.

  We used these sheets.

 and were handed small plants to make boxes. We checked off each plant or cup of seeds as we added them to the box.   Each box would be for one gardener to do his or her own garden.    It was total  chaos.  Pam got frustrated and tired and said she would wait in the car.  I joined her as soon as I completed my box and Eileen's box (which she started but then she started delivering the plants and seeds in order to speed the process up). I guess the boxes will be delivered to the gardens before Saturday when we plant the gardens. 

On the way home Pam and I stopped for ice cream at Johnsons.

Walk Along Canal 5/15/18

I went to the Ladies Life Group this morning, and then Pam and I had lunch at Burger King. When I got home, I found a message from Marlene asking if I wanted to take a walk later on.  So I called and left a message that yes I would and would connect with her after five p.m.

We finally connected and agreed on a spot to meet.  On the way there, I went by the Community Garden and saw several people working there.

We met up at the Day Road parking area and headed east on the trail. It was a beautiful evening.  I took several pictures.  Here are a few.

I think this last one is my favorite.  It was a great evening!  

Mothers Day 2018

Church was good and each mother received a small gift.  Our new church sign :

After church I went home and changed into capris.  Then I met Peggy and David back at church and we went to the Amherst Buffet for lunch.  It was great

Then we went to Trader Joes and I decided to buy some snack items to take to Michigan.

Community Garden Clean Up 5/12/18

Today was clean up day at the COMMUNITY GARDEN.   Several of us met up at ten a.m. and finished cleaning up the beds.  I took several pictures.

I noticed that there is now a LITTLE LIBRARY on Hawley Street, just outside the garden.  Pastor Craig hopes to find a teacher who will read stories to children at the garden this summer.

Pam invited me over to her place for lunch.  She had prepared a hamburger soup in her crockpot and she made biscuits from scratch.  After lunch, I suggested we go out for ice cream.  We headed out to Sub Delicious on 31, and stopped at a garage sale on the way.  At Sub D, we each had a scoop of coconut crunch.  

VINECROFT Adventure!

Tuesday at Life Group, Dee asked me if I would like to go to  a luncheon at Vinecroft Retirement Community in Clarence.  I really did not understand what the event was all about, but she said they would provide a very nice luncheon but asked that each participant bring an item of baby clothing.  I agreed to go.  On Wednesday I picked up two "onesies" to contribute.

Pam was also going and she had directions to Dee's house, so I picked her up and we picked up Dee and Jim at her place.  When we arrived, we handed in our baby items and signed up and were given name tags.   Their was a brief program and welcome after tables were filled with guests.  The collected items were to go to the The Baby & Children's Ministry of Harvest House in Buffalo.   

A facebook page for Harvest House shows this picture at the top, so I think perhaps Harvest Huse is in this building. 

They provided a nice buffet in a gorgeous dining room.  Everything was very elegant.  Two residents (Doreen and Joe) joined us at our table.

Desert (cheesecake) was served to us at our table and the LADIES FIRST QUARTET performed

They were excellent.  I particularly liked their rendition of THE CLIMB.  

Italian Buffet in Cambria

Elaine and I went to the Cambria Congregational Church for their Italian Buffet. (it was supposed to be three of us, but Nancy cancelled at the last minute).   It was great.............spaghetti, lasagna (two kinds),  stuffed shells, meatballs and Italian sausage, Italian bread and butter, salad and desert.  I had strawberry rhubarb pie.  We visited with Elaine's cousin Laurie for a bit before we left.

Out and About Lewiston SOLO

Peg, David and I tentatively planned to go to the Kinzua Bridge today but Peg felt she needed a relaxing day more than she needed a day trip.

I decided to go see Carrie in Lewiston.  I also decided to check out a couple of places I read about on Facebook:  Mrs. Thank You and the Stella Niagara Preserve.    I found both of them.  The Preserve is right along the Niagara River, but there does not seem to be a sign, and the only parking available is at the Senior Center down the road.   I did not have my camera with me, but I saw this sign, and found the picture online.   It is along the road at the location:

I located Mrs. Thank You's convenience store, it seems to be adjacent to the Indian reservation.

  It is spacious and clean, offer lots of prepared foods and has a nice area with tables for people to eat in.  I purchased a slice of pizza and a fresh tomato.

I decided to take a different way home and found myself on Route 31.  As I passed St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church I noticed a full parking lot and a sign saying BASKET RAFFLE, so I stopped and parked/  Admission was $7 which included one sheet of tickets for the raffle.  Since I was not interested in the raffle, I asked if I could go in and look at the deserts (which I could see from the ticket sales table) and I was let in.  

I purchased $7.00 worth of deserts.  

which are pictured here along with the tomato from Mrs. Thank You's store!!!

Chiavetta's and More at Faith Tab!!!!

I pre-purchased a ticket for take out Chiavetta's BBQ at Faith Tab, which was a fundraiser for the teens mission trip to Mexico.  Pre-purchasing  allowed me to go to the youths rummage sale early so I did. Everything was set up for the sale of the dinners and cars were lining up when I arrived, but I decided to go to the rummage sale first.

At first, it looked disappointing, but I kept looking and actually went up to pay three times!  I got  a yellow chenille bedspread, three Vaseline glass desert cups, some candy cane tree ornaments, some red and white table napkins, a book by Corrie ten Boom, a Martha Stewart craft kit to make an autumn wreath and a few other items.

Peggy had arranged for her and David and I to take our dinners to the "Upper Room" so we could gt together with Jim and Kathy Christie and Jim's mother.   Jim had been previously married to my stepsister Lori years ago before he met his second wife and they became missionaries.  It was good to see them and meet his mother.  The Chiavetta's dinner was very good!

After dinner and on the way home, I treated myself to a blueberry/vanilla custard at RJ's,

May 2, 2018: KNOX FARM

Mary Ann called me kind of late last night and said she was thinking about the possibility of going to KNOX FARM and asked me to check the weather.  I did so, and found out that today was supposed to be nice and warm, with no precipitation  so I agreed to go and set a time to pick her up.

We arrived around ten thirty and parked and looked for the Visitors Center.  There was a sign with an arrow but following the arrow did not seem to lead us to a Visitors Center.  We asked people we saw but nobody seemed to know anything.  I had a geocache programmed in, so I suggested we head towards it.

I found the geocache KNOX BLOX.  Mary Ann waited while I went into the woods.  Then we looked for a trail she remembered from a previous visit many years ago.  We never did find it.   Here are a few pictures I took.

I took this from the trail near where I found the geocache. 

 I guess these are the main buildings of the farm.

When we located the rest rooms on the way out, we found that they were in the unmanned Visitors Center where maps of he trails were available.  

We drove to Main Street, East Aurora and found Tony Rome's Globe Hotel.  Elaine had told me about Tony Rome's after she and Nancy went there last fall.  We had lunch here and it was great.  

 They have $5.99 lunch specials.  This is half of my chicken salad pita, which came with homemade potato chips, a pickle and a fountain drink.  I added on a cup of beef, vegetable barley soup for a little over a dollar.

It was a nice meal and if Tony Rome's was closer to Lockport I would definitely go again.  On the way back to the car I went in MR POT PIE, McDuffies Bakery.  I tried a couple of samples but did not buy anything.  

It was a great day!!!!

REINSTEIN WOODS (and more) Adventure on May 1, 2018

It was a gorgeous spring day and Mary Ann and I headed to Depew this morning to go to Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve.   It was my first time while Mary Ann had been there once before years ago.  It was easy to find.  Our first

stop was at the Environmental Education Center, which was very nice.  We picked up a map of the preserve and headed out.  We started out on the Lily Pond Loop, which led to another trail and so on.  I particularly liked the State Symbols trail which had interpretive signs for various symbols of New York State.  Here are a few pictures I took as we walked the trails:

The trails were all very flat and easy, very well maintained.

As we approached the stone cabin:

I thought I saw smoke just beyond it.  Indeed I did.  A tree had fallen and taken down some electrical wires.  You can see them in this picture.  As Mary Ann and I were hurrying past the wires, we met up with staff who had come to investigate.  

I think we were the last people to be allowed to walk past the wires and the fire.  If we had not been allowed past we would have had to walk the long way back that we had just come.  

Fire trucks and rescue vehicles were arriving:

We continued along the trail to get back to the Environmental Education Center.  By this time, the beginning of the trail had been closed

We went into the EE Center to use the rest room.  When we left we decided to walk a little way out on the boardwalk, but we ended up walking all the way to the end.  We were able to watch the fire trucks and we saw the NYSEG truck arrive.  At the end of the boardwalk I found a Sweet Buffalo Rock

I left two rocks that I had brought with me along the trail we took between the outdoor rest rooms and where we parked the car.  

We headed to Depew to go to Schwebl's for lunch.  We both had the Beef on Weck, which was very good.    The beef was hand carved.

Then we found a geocache.  This involved a lot of driving around to get to the right spot.  Before leaving West Seneca, we stopped for ice cream at this place.  

It was close to five p.m. when we got back to Lockport.   It was a great day.