“Back in the day” is a large part of your conversational repertoire. And there’s that yearning for things nostalgic. You want to insert them once again in your graying life. Maybe you don’t. Perhaps is just my mental processing and not yours at all. But bear with me. And imagine! And process! One of the places I always wanted to visit was the Crayola Factory. It conjures up thoughts of

elementary school, your rooms with planked wooden floors, recently oiled for the start of school. When chalkboards were made of slate, and the erasers were cleaned by clapping two together out back. You yearned for being chosen eraser duty. It meant more time outside at the end of your school day.

If you had that dime, you got chocolate milk with your morning break. Fridays mandated that tomato soup and grilled cheese would be the midday highlight. And you know exactly where you were when you found out the first Kennedy had been shot. You practiced defending yourself from a Russian bombing by kneeling under your desk with your eyes covered.

Or even better, you went into the basement with all the other boys in your class, putting your arm over your eyes as you faced the wall. Restrooms back then were always in the basement. Ok! OK! I digress. Let me get back to that classroom Your teacher hands you that first tablet of the year. Yep, it’s that Kurtz Bros. notepad with the white cover and the blue-limed yellow pages. Your a bit moved. And then she stands at the front of the room with a few small boxes, opening them and withdrawing that yellow No.#2 pencil. You just can’t wait to smell that eraser. And the other end, it’s really lead in there and not graphite. No one knew then that lead could lead to cancer. By this time you’ve grown anxious. An now, for the coup de grace, here come the green and yellow box from Binney and Smith.

Your eyes focus and excitement overcomes you. Their going to pointed for the last time, allowing you to stay within the lines more easily. My daydreaming is over, and I want to visit the Crayola factory. So we made plans, took the two hour trip and exited at Easton, the last so chance before entering into New Jersey. Easton is your typical, small industrial town of Pennsylvania, who has since seen better times. And we are greeted with the notion that the original factory closed some 15 years ago.

The hoopla now is a hands-on conglomeration of activities being manned by hundreds of hyperactive pre-teens. What a bust. No factory! No actual history!  Only hordes of questionably mannered youngsters. No nostalgia today, Leroy. I manifest good thoughts of the wonder years, making them much more exciting in my mind than did in actuality. I settle for thoughts of more ‘Back in the Day’. I realize again that as life moves on and yesterday is just a memory, that today still is, in many ways, so much better than we give it credit.

Our Site at Lake In Wood Resort

The first thing I encountered as I exited our wooded and shaded lair was the way the sun just seem to light up the flowers framing the mini golf course here at Lake in Wood Resort.

Jerome's Prized Accomplishment for Last Year's Park Improvement

Rounding the bend you can’t help but notice the manner in which Klass has chosen to highlight the outdoor firepit and chimney by roofing it, railing it, and still keeping with the outdoor theme. This will provide a beauty as it overlooks the lake.

The Outdoor Fire Pit Being Housed with Struts and Beams

Heading south on the Reading Pike, the sights are commonplace as I’ve passed this way hundreds of times this summer but one begins to notice the tobacco fields are at their ultimate heights and nearing harvest.

Lancaster County Tobacco at its peak growing season.

But further on down the road my eyes were treated to what appeared to be a maze of miniature lime teepees. Upon a closer look, the spires turned into cut tobacco readying themselves for harvest and drying.

Teepees of Tobacco Ready for Harvest

In fact, I learned that it’s all not done at the same time as the very next farm had already harvested their product and had it hanging in the barn,drying in the sun, on the next step of production.

A Red Barn Houses Tobacco Plant Drying in the Sun.

The road winds toward Blueball and off in the distance I think I see a farmyard strewn with white-painted rocks. I pull over to the shoulder and upon further inspection, they’re not rocks at all. It’s a yard full of chickens enjoying the morning sun as their hatches have already been harvested for the day.

Cluckers gather to share the morning gossip.

And the birds hover atop the silo to warm themselves and to prepare for the feast the hens will leave on the ground.

Awaiting the barnyard feast.

Now that school is in, driving takes a bit more caution. Not only are the horse and buggies roadside, but the children are on their way to school in the early mornings. The Amish don’t ride bicycles like you and I know. The seats, gears, and pedals have been removed and the frame fabricated for a lower platform to stand upon, thereby creating a scooter from the bike. Pedals, gears, and seats would be bringing too much of the ‘modern world’ into their lives. It’s only Mennonites that you’ll see actually riding bicycles here.

Amish children 'scooter' their way to morning studies.

After obtaining the morning foodstuffs, I chose an alternate ride back home. I always do that. Chances are I’ll see a totally different palette. No ‘old world’ sights on this path. I did spy a garage that piqued my fancy. I just loved the cup0la on the roof.

A garage to be envied by most.

And as I took this shot, Mr. Ed, was watching me from afar, waiting to the day’s work ahead of him. The sun just seem to highlight an already glossy coat.

This guy would be the envy of any filly.

The lonely road back home looked devoid and without much ado, but as you can see, every bend brings more eye candy to please.

"Every mile's a memory"

Crisp mornings, cooler evenings and campfires nightly. I love the coming of fall. Changing colors, Friday Night Lights, and hardy mums. It seems as if we just arrived here at LIW and now we’re looking at one more weekend and our stint will come to an end. We’ll work Labor Day as the RVers leave for school and the end of summer. This job can’t really be deemed that. We almost feel guilty when we procure our paychecks at the office because the job is more fun than work. It’s by far the most enjoyable three months we’ve had in any position. We’ll continue to stay on until September 12th and then head back to Pittsburgh as my brain surgery is scheduled for that week. I’m trying not to think about that until time makes that a necessity. In the meantime, we keep enjoying our days on and off from the cafe. Erin is here for another week. Ryan and Carolyn will visit on Saturday and I’ll be in my own heaven. Although I take a decent photo sometime, Robin is learning much faster than I can teach her. In fact, when I look at some of her work, I feel that the student has surpassed the master. Her keen eye picked out these acorns while she and Brutus took one of their many daily jaunts. I would not have seen them.

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