By Sherman Shifflett
Lots of rain here, and we needed it badly. Some of our roads are flooded and we had 2-hour delay on school openings.
Not sure how much rain we got because I had taken my rain gauge in last fall. Every year it freezes and breaks. I’m guessing between 4-6″.
My chicken house is about 100 yards downhill from my house and it got flooded – for the first time in 15 or 20 years. When I went down to feed them Sunday morning, some of the chickens were wearing waders, some had water wings and a few were floating around on inner tubes. Seriously, the birds were still on the roost at 9:00 AM and floor was covered with water – I have a dirt floor. Luckily, I have some wood shavings and will put that down when the water drains. The chickens had a dry elevated spot where they flew off the roost and had access to a fenced-in lot.
I have a bored well and it was really low. My water cut off recently and a plumber told me the water level in the well was low and to conserve water. Many people in this area are getting new wells drilled. Can’t afford a new well right now.
I woke up early Saturday AM, and for some reason decided to go antiquing. Took Rt. 33 west, crossed Swift Run Gap and found a “Mom and Pop” restaurant in Elkton – eggs, country ham, coffee and home fries. Darned good. The ham reminded me of Gayle’s, so of course I had to stop. Got a 2 1/2 lb. package of ham for $15. Yoder’s will hit you for almost that much for 1 lb. of Kite’s ham. The ham from Gayle’s is really good. I shared some with Ava and her parents, plus a neighbor.
Gayle’s has good cheese also, but cheese does not agree with me, so I declined to buy any.
There was a Thrift store near the restaurant in Elkton. I found a genuine cowhide belt, like new, for 75c. Wow! There’s a little thrift store on Rio Rd, past CATEC, if you are going west. It’s called School House, I think. Small place, and they have mostly children’s and women’s clothes, plus books, but they have some men’s stuff too. Good deals.
It was a good day to do nothing. I’m good at that, but I’m never sure when I’m through.