a Monterey moment

Saturday, November 10, 2012, was the day the most defining building in Monterey was put on the auction block. That building is what has recently been known as Diane's Deli and, when I was young, Hartman's Store. "Store" because besides groceries, one could get hardware, thread, and most items in between. I believe I started working there in 1957--a few evenings and Saturday. Pay was 35 cents an hour (my parents got two-thirds) plus a bonus of one candy bar or bottle of soft drink. Hen Hartman was the proprietor along with his mother, Ma Hartman, and two children, Ken and Gwen, not twins, despite their names. Ken, middle in photo, was two years younger than me. The man on left told me that he is the oldest man living in Monterey. With all my memories of childhood, I figured the sale would start at 200 thousand and go up. Actually, the auctioneer started at 200 and had to go down to 50 until he got a bid. Bidding stopped at 140, but the sellers would not accept that. Porch extends the whole length of the building.  At other end is the store.  Photo by Dennis Yates.

building in winter

Monterey, even in the middle of winter, has two buildings under construction. That will bring the total from about 50 to 52. One is across Spring Road from the "natural produce" stand (see the sign). It is at the northwest tip of the village, right before the "goat path." The other, a house, is at the southeast edge of town on Stumptown Road. If you are tired of staring at your screen, don't rush here for a job. Both sites are strictly union--Amish union, that is.

world's shortest detour

The intersection of Monterey Road and Newport downtown Monterey (ha!). Let's see...the detour starts at the big sign and ends at the little one?

Monterey central

You can stand in the middle of our fair village and turn a 360 degree.


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local names

Where do local names come from? Such as Monterey? It's been posited that Monterey, Mexico, was in the news when the post office had to find a name for this village. There are other Montereys, including this beach one in California. Photo from wikipedia.

The big mountain photo is Monterey, Mexico, found by google image.

haunted by teen years

This pic came in the mail yesterday. All these chickens of 1958-59 came home to roost last fall when the Conestoga Valley class of 1962 met for its 45th reunion. I went to CV from first grade through 10th. Then I transferred to Lancaster Mennonite. This was the first time I met with them.

I don't have a clue about most of these people. In 9th grade I was clueless about a lot of things. My maturity with girls had reached the stage that I wanted the school to burn down so that I could carry out Carolyn (I'm not sure if that's her name) and have an excuse to hold her. Wiled away many a boring geometry class planning those details of rescue.

My Monterey buddies are here--top 3rd from left, Dick Mellinger, now Dr. and head of something at Ephrata Hospital. His dad and mom still live in Monterey and dad travels around in an electric cart (previous blog). Red shirt, 3rd from right, next to top row, Gerald Reeser. He and I made a go-cart on his farm. Top far right is Fred Albright (I think was a prime mover at Lancaster Labs in the old days). Our paths crossed only in 9th and 10th grades. Far left top, pink shirt, Jack Brubaker, author of the best book on the history of the Susquehanna River and weekly columnist for the New Era. My cousin, Lois (Martin) Greene, center, black sleeveless, was a welcome friend especially in the early grades.

The only teacher I had is Mr. Wengenroth, tie and hands on knees, seated, 3rd from right. He gave me my first organ lesson and picked me to play piano with the senior bass who sang "On the Road to Mandelay," from South Pacific. The rest is a blur.
I had a very good time, connecting to people who had and have a geographic linkage to me.
Oh, me--since this is probably too small to read--top row, 5th from right.

Dutch haute cuisine

Okay. We go from the high of family on National Public Radio to--how shall we say it delicately?--estomac de porc.

Dorcas got a notion to do Pennsylvania Dutch at market Saturday morning.

So, you stuff this thing with potatoes, sausage, carrots, and celery. Bake for 3 hours. Voila. It's haute cuisine. You slice it open and don't eat the casing. It's really just sausage casserole. Or, as we say in Monterey, pig stomach. A first here.

up in smoke

East of Monterey, when I drive to Souderton for my job Tuesday morning, I see the Limerick nuclear machine. One of those puffs is me turning the pipe organ on and using electricty.

I see this sight right after I turn north off of Route 23 in the village of Histand, which is 2 miles or so east of Route 100. If you like the Byzantine Pennsylvania web of roads, this is West Bridge Road. In four miles I'll be in Spring City. Cross the Skylkill and I'm in Royersford.

Hey, I like farmers who leave the corn stalk in the rough. Monterey farmers whack and chop them to the ground asap.

first 2008 snow

Snow in January--kind of a cliche. But when you haven't seen snow for a while it looks enchanting all over again.

Here's 3 o'clock at Monterey yesterday. That's the white oak, left, which won't let its dead leaves fall until the buds push them away in the spring. The oak is huddled against one of our live Christmas trees from yesteryear--a fir a think.

inside Zion

Tuesday I forget about Monterey and Harmonies for the day and start my work at Zion. By the end of the day I shot this picture after working out some pieces on the organ. The benches face to the left, so this is looking out the right side of the sanctuary.

That evening the worship committee met at the pastor's house, planning for Advent.

I'm eager to do this work.

White oak pleads...

...pleads for a little bit more time. Look at those leaves straining to communicate. And that color--isn't that a shameless bargain for more life.

But the tree knows what time it is.

This white oak is growing in the southwest corner of our little triangle in Monterey. We chose it because the 1824 deed describes the lines of our lot as going from "the huge stone at the side of the road, direct south to the old white oak." The white oak in 1824 surely was original growth and could easily have been there since 1500. Now this upstart, no more than a teenager, is trying to push all limits since we gave it nutritional iron two years ago.

Behind it is the spruce we used as a live Christmas tree ten or so years ago. The weather will soon get freezing cold. The oak will hibernate. The spruce, tough it out. They each inspire me.

Bill Moyers uses sounds from Monterey

Well, Monterey isn't the center of the world, but for a few moments anyone in the world who was listening to Bill Moyer's Journal would have been hearing a few sounds generated here.

Weekly, Bill Moyers produces a reflective television piece. Last Friday it featured the book Amish Grace. The sound of the hymn and the schoolhouse bell were supplied by Harmonies. We get a little link and credit.

This link should get you to it: http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/10052007/profile4.html