Xanga

A Mud Sale That Wasn’t Muddy

Mud sales are popular benefit auctions for fire companies and Amish schools in our area, and are called mud sales because many are conducted in muddy fields from the spring rains.

Those who are part of organizing the Penryn Mud Sale must have been delighted with the beautiful, warm day.

After finding our seats inside the fire hall and leaving my extra camera gear with Cerwin, I went outside to see what was going on.

The grounds were already filling up, and it was only shortly after 8:00 a.m.

There was plenty of food – delicious food.

And a large variety of things for sale.

The building and horses were for sale. I understand that these are stud horses for breeding.

Need a load of hay or straw?

There were wagon loads of things for sale.

There were auctioneers everywhere – mostly Amish – as this is a benefit for a local Amish school and the Penryn Fire Company.

There were several large tents – this one featured very nice furniture.

There were several Amish bench wagons where benches where stored for seats when needed inside or outside tents.

I love how benches are numbered to match their proper storage area.

Just beyond these items is a tent that is full of people bidding on specialty and antique items.

After this tour of the grounds, I went inside the fire hall to enjoy a cup of coffee and share a glazed donut with Cerwin while we watched the craft auction.

My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure.

James 1:2-3 (Good News Translation)

Guess Where We Were Today?

Our country village of Penryn has been preparing for it all week.

I looked out the window one day to see our Amish neighbor Eli going by with a wagon train (four wagons) being pulled by a small tractor. I almost missed getting a photo because the camera card was in my computer.

The wagons will be used to store items for auction.

We arrived early, and parked at our niece’s place because they live within walking distance. The first people we saw were our daughter Deb (left), her sister-in-law (right), a friend, an the friends father. Just as I snapped this photo they said, we weren’t ready!

Oh, yeah! That’s much better.

It’s only 8:00 a.m., but it is obviously going to be a beautiful day.

Pip can’t be left alone, so Deb had her in a special carrying case.

The grounds surrounding the Penryn Fire Company were filled with hundreds and hundreds of things for sale.

Pip-Squeak and Pepper were a big attraction to anyone who noticed that Roy and Deb had goats in their carrying cases. Somehow I missed getting a picture of Pep, mostly because she was sound asleep when we arrived.

Being photographed by an auction attendee.

Its been a long day. I tell you more about the auction tomorrow night.

Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like you?
You are glorious because of your holiness and awe-inspiring because of your splendor.
You perform miracles.

Exodus 15:11 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

Sportsmen’s Dinner

Worship Center, Lancaster, PA

Friday Night, March 9

Cerwin, I, Jeff, and Diana went early for the 5:00 p.m. meal, giving us time to visit the vendors.

I like this fancy European mount.

The Bible for Sportsmen

It’s a regular Bible with a special cover and comments inside.

Cerwin liked this creation made with railroad spikes and steel, which is now displayed in our house. All sales benefited Centershot Ministries.

Centershot Ministries is an interdenominational program geared to to teach students of all ages the the life-skill of archery while sharing the Gospel at the same time!

A hunter with a turkey & and an archer in a tree stand.

Jeff, Cerwin, and Diana talking to Dale Shelly who creates many wildlife recipes. I tasted a sample of a dip. It was delicious. He also had a cookbook.

A Red Stag from New Zealand

Dinner was served at 5:00, 5:30, and 6:00 p.m. settings. Our grandsons Jordan and Nathan, and five of their friends came for the 6:00 meal.

I should have taken a photo of Jeff or Cerwin’s plate, because I don’t eat that much. This sportsmen’s event does not serve wild game, but pork, chicken and boneless ribs.

I like to go to the  early meal so I can sit close to the front and take pictures. Don’t miss the background – a stage full of Canada geese in a cornfield. The items in the front and on the stage are door prizes.

I won a woman’s prize – a Mary Kay bag with body cream. I think there must be a hunter’s wife who sells Mary Kay, as there were several Mary Kay products. It sure suited me better than something for a hunter.

During the opening program more than a dozen items were auctioned to benefit Centershot Ministries. If I remember correctly the items sold totaled $5,000.00.

Partway through the door prize giveaways there was a lot of noise – like geese flying overhead, and two hunters came up out of a blind in the cornfield “shooting geese”, then from somewhere overhead there were men throwing hunting hats and shirts into the audience.

Randy McPhearson (speaker) was not able to be there due to a car accident, so his friend John took his place. John was interesting, challenging, and fun.

First he asked a young boy, a woman, and a man to come to the stage to see who could do the best job with an axe. In this photo John’s friend (both from Wisconsin and affiliated with Matthews Archery) helped the young boy prepare to hit “the mark” with an axe.

This is when they discovered they were going to be blindfolded when trying to hit the “mark”. Each had three chances to hit the mark on the log.

You can’t see it, but the men asked him to remove his hat, then after he was blindfolded, they put the hat on the log.

Of course, after three good hits, he chopped the hat into pieces.

John told a funny story about his first archery hunt, then closed with three things he learned from the outdoors.

There is a Creator God who designed the heavens and earth.

There is a Creator God who cares about His creation.

My soul longs for this Creator God. 

He told about a time he was hunting and while waiting for a deer to come on the scene, he spent time worrying about some cares in his life. Then he noticed a little field mouse scurrying about – seemingly without a care in it’s life. God used that to remind him of His great care for him and His creation.

Because hunters love to be in record books, he closed by saying, “Make sure your name is in the Record Book that counts.”

Tiny Babies

Pip-Squeak

Have you ever seen a baby goat wearing a diaper?

Mason

Have you ever seen a baby squirrel this small?

~~~

One of our youngest daughter’s passions is to give orphaned animal babies a chance to live.

~~~

Deb, Pip, and Mason came to visit us on March 8.

Mason in my hand.

He was one of four babies born about two weeks ago in a nest their mamma built in a well drill. A squirrel expert who gives Deb advice thinks they were less than twenty-four hours old when the men needed to take the drill to a work site and discovered the nest of newborn babies.

How do you convince a mamma squirrel to move her babies on a cold rainy day?

The men did not want to leave the nest behind on the wet grass, and knew the chances were slim to none that their mother would care for them after humans touched the nest, so they called Deb and asked if she wanted them.

Of course she wanted them!

Deb was surprised when each one was still alive the next morning, but her squirrel expert said there was almost no chance she could raise them, and three of them died within a few days.

However, Mason kept on living and growing while keeping warm in the little soft “carrying case” that Deb keeps for baby animals.

It is difficult for find a nipple small enough for such a small baby. She has created a special formula for baby animals.

We were so sad when he only lived twelve days. However, that is much longer than her “squirrel expert” said he would live. We expect his little lungs and heart were just not mature enough to live without his mamma’s milk.

I kept the happier story until last. Pip is still very young and not totally out of “the woods” healthwise, but is still healthy and running and jumping as all little goats do.

~~~

She was born on an Amish farm – the runt of triplets. Deb’s Amish friends did not have time to bottle feed her, and asked if she wanted her.

Of course she wanted her!

Our grandson Josiah holding Pip.

She was just a few hours old when she came to live with Roy and Deb, and weighed in at 14 ounces.

She was three days old when she, Mason, and Deb came to visit. I decided to hold her because she looked tired.

In less than a minute she was sound asleep.

A week later she and Deb were in our area again, and came to visit. She now weighs 2.4 pounds.

She was quite interested in this envelope that Cerwin had thrown on the floor. That is his way of disposing junk mail until he gets up and takes it to the kitchen waste can.

~~~

You won’t guess what happened today!

~~~

Pip-Squeek’s half sister Pepper (right) came to live with them. She is just a few hours old. They are easy to tell apart because Pep has a white face. But look – they both wear boots.

Pip and Pep have the same father, but different mothers. Pep is also the runt of triplets, and her mother didn’t want her. 

Together they weigh 3.6 pounds.

Happy Birthday

To Our Favorite Hezekiah

We Love You

Grandpa & Grandma

 The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need.

Psalm 23:1 (Good News Translation)

Good & Plenty

Jenna & A Camp Fire

We were delighted to spend Friday evening, March 2, at Good and Plenty Restaurant with thirty-two friends we lovingly call The Old Gang.

We get together about once a year in a variety of places – usually for trips or meals.

We were not the only people there, but filled three tables at the dinner concert.

It is amazing how quickly fifty years have passed since we were young people.

We were not only there to enjoy a delicious dinner, but also a gospel concert by The Taylors from North Carolina.

Brother and Sister

She is a twin to one of the guys, but I forget which one.

I did not expect to be sitting five feet from the stage, so had my 55 to 300 mm lens on my camera. I took this picture without zoom.

I was able to get all four in one frame when they walked to the other end of the room.

The next day, Saturday, March 3, we stopped at Subway to get sandwiches and take them to Jeff and Chris’ place when we again helped get things ready for auction at Mary Jane’s house.

Jenna asked us to drop her sub off at the drive-through-window at the drug store where she works.

That night Josiah invited several friends to come for a doggie roast in our backyard. The first to arrive was our nephew Kurt.

I wonder if these two are going to eat all those hot dogs?

Maybe they are preparing them for the rest of the guys who are coming.

The next time I went outside, Micah and Jordan were also enjoying the fire. It was a cold evening.

By the time I was ready for bed there were nine guys talking, laughing, and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.

The guys around the fire are Josiah, Kurt, Micah, Tristan, Dwight, Matt, Nathan, Jordan, and Jordan.

I am pleased that Josiah is making friends and enjoying living in this area.

I understand that several more people came after this photo.