Lilacs and Manure
The country, a place seperate from where I live. It is a strange mixture of smells and sights. There seems to be a slowness there that has nothing to do with physical movement. I visit the country proper once or twice a year. A visit to the country requires planning and a special day. Weather is the first consideration. It must be a sunny day. It can be cold but not windy. The next important consideration is the map. Technically the country starts via the 90 NYS Thruway about 15 minutes from my house in the inner city. But my husband and I need turn by turn directions if we are to arrive there at all…
On the chosen Saturday our goal: Letchworth State Park. Letchworth State Park has hills, a gorge, rapids, two waterfalls, bears, eagles and ancient trees in a real forest. At one time a man named Letchworth owned all the property. On his death it was donated to the state of New York. The directions from Mapquest states total time for travel is one hour and forty minutes. We left the house at 9am with fruit, flavored water the map and our cameras.
When visiting a wild place like this park, in the back of my mind is the thought, ‘ wouldn’t it be exciting to run into a bear or something!‘ I would expect the sighting to be from the safety of my car. There I can take all the photos I want without the inconvenience of having to run for my life.
It was a beautiful day. When we got off the I-90 and onto US route 20A we were officially in the country. We drove by farms with cows, sheep and horses, and small towns 4 and 5 blocks long. After a couple of miles rt. 20A becomes very hilly like being on a roller coaster. You literally are on top of one hill looking half a mile away to the next hilltop. At one point we were on a curve that opened up on top of a hill near Varysburg. Awesome view. It was like turning a page in the sky and seeing a whole new world. Behind and next to farm houses and barns were sleek white windmills. For the next four or five miles, maybe it was fifteen miles, sleek white windmills scattered among the farm houses, cattle and silos. It was all very sci fi.
Part of going to the country is the alternative shopping that is available. In the city we shop for new things. In the country we look for signs that advertise garage sales. We stop at the home of strangers and pick through their very used items hoping to buy something. We talk to the sellers and learn something about their lives from the pieces of junk they are trying to sell. Most of our stops had the usual fare, dusty glassware and shrunken clothes. I did find a treasure. It was a very small chair for a toddler or a doll. Wooden about 15 inches tall with the back painted with folk art flowers and real cane woven seating, $3.00
Laughing and talking during the drive I thought I saw a camel in amongst some ponies. My husband suggested I clean off my sunglasses and we continued on. The next stop was at a barn sale. Hundreds of useless items spread over the very big yard in front of the barn and silo. No treasures there but the way the owner had displayed the rakes, shovels , hoes and picks against the silo was very visually interesting. I took several photographs of it. Also they had really good information. Yes that was a camel I saw back down the road. The camel is just one of the exotic animals on that farm we were told. There’s also zebra, elk, llamas, alpaca, burros and an ostrich. The farmer, Hans is starting a nature preserve and building a restaurant on his property. My husband and I planned to stop at Hans farm on the way back home. That’s one thing about rides to the country- you don’t zigzag around, you follow the map. For instance if there’s a sign that says garage sale and it’s pointing down a side road and you can’t see the house from the road you’re on, that’s a sale we won’t be stopping at.
Just before the entrance to Letchworth State Park is a roadside diner, USA something. We stopped for lunch. I felt like I hadn’t eaten for days and the simple hamburger had the best taste to it.
If you are not in good physical shape the Park may kill you. It is hilly with something they call trails. The trails are narrow walkways that will take you into the thick of the forest. It looked hazardous to me, the kind of place you are likely to run into a bear without your car.
My husband and I stayed on the walkway along the gorge. The walkway was uphill walking and I stopped frequently to take photographs and give my screaming thighs a rest.
There are two waterfalls at LetchworthState Park. They are called the small waterfall and the big waterfall. Close to the big waterfall I sat on a low wall next to a much older white gentleman holding a cane. When his wife and my husband walked over a conversation started. We spoke about our personal business, our children, jobs and particular events in the world. We laughed and talked for a long long time…
On the way home we stopped at Hans farm and spoke to one of the daughters in law. She showed us the log lodge that the sons of Hans the farmer were building by hand. It was the families intention to have the project complete by June but now the they were shooting for a date in September. The lodge will have a restaurant and four halls for weddings and catered affairs. They also want to have several jitneys to take customers through the preserve where they can interact with the exotic animals. While my husband and I were talkng to the daughter in law three tanker trucks pulled into the property and disappeared. I asked if they were oil trucks. No. The tanker trucks were full of manure. They mix the manure with water, draw it up into the tankers and a machine on the farm converts the manure to methane. The methane is then used to generate the electricity that powers the farm. Hans farm has 1800 milking cows, about 6 homes, another 2000 cows that roam and the lodge being built. She said the excess power is sold to the utility company. When we got home it was 9:30 at night. I took a one hour nap and then I went to work. It was a good day.
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