Friday, February 27, 2015

Belmont Farms



The barn is being taken down piece by piece to be reassembled in Elizabethtown, about 20 miles away. It is to be used for receptions and weddings. The barn is well over 100 years old. It is great it will be preserved! We are waiting to hear about the mansion??

This is the owner's mansion. The room on the roof was for his sickly daughter (TB) so she could look and see the lime quarry across the street.That is where her father made most of his money! I understand the mansion is the only structure to remain? The farm was several hundred acres.




This is a shot from across the street. This is where I grew up. At 1577 Fruitville Pike. heading north out of Lancaster City. We were about three quarters of a mile  south from Route 283 overpass. 



My dad's father was killed in a car accident, not his fault, and the driver paid no restitution. The Caldwell family were hired hands on the farm. When grandpa died they had to get out of the house. My mother saw an ad for a farm hand, grandpa Hess was looking for a new job, and they moved in this hired hands house. Daddy stayed on as the hired hand. Mom and he lived in the house. One thing led to another, and they were married! Yes the current owner of the farm was named Hess too. But anyone with our same last name that had money was not related to us. Hess, or Caldwell

I grew up in the third house, the brick one. Right across from the mansion.

This is the second house south from ours. This lane is a township road. It leads back to the quarry.

This is the alley behind the houses. My parents planted all the trees here and back at the quarry. My dad planted here so we had a place to ride our bikes, like roads.

The barn was a chicken house as long as I remember. Pennfield Farms contracted the barn to raise frying chickens. On all four floors, 72,000 chickens grew up there every 12 weeks. The first job I had at 12 years old was cleaning the wood shavings out when the chickens were collected for slaughter. Of course the shavings were their toilet too. When we cleaned the shavings, the ammonia from their waste products mixed with the sweat in our shoes and burned our feet. The next year I was sweeping backwards and got too close to one of the 6 by 6 trapdoors to push the sawdust down to the ground floor. I went from the fourth floor to the second floor. I suffer back pain yet today. It was the first of many traumas I would suffer in this life




Pennfield filed for bankruptcy. Was bought by Wellsource Nutrition, a division of Cargill. This happened in 2012.
You are probably eating their chicken now!

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Happy Valentine's Day!!

I asked Mary what she wants me to get her for Valentine's Day. She did not hesitate! She said "Days of Sunshine and 70 degrees"  A very SMART and GORGEOUS LADY! After all she did pick me to spend her life with!!





Saturday, February 7, 2015

I Gave Mary A Black Eye!!!!

Yes I did it. No I did not change my view on men hitting women and kids. Check my page, "Real Men DON'T"

Mary is a lot shorter than I am. She has arthritis all over her body, and I must be very careful when I hug her. I started the hug, trying to be careful not to hurt her! My shoulder hit the corner of her glasses, and pushed then into her face. She yelled, and I pulled away. Too late, the damage was already done.

Living with a maniac for 43 years, is starting to rub off on her. She said she is going to tell everyone it was me that gave her the black eye! I guess being sarcastic does rub off on your mate!

Next week she is going to leave me! NO, she is going up to her older sister for three days again. Since Donald, Shirley's husband of over 55 years died last January, Mary goes up about every 6 weeks to have a good time with Shirley and her daughter Donna.

I am alone, and unsupervised for three days. I tell everyone, prepare for the big PPPPARTY!!  Yes I am afraid of being unsupervised too. Marcy made me this poster!! She knows how I am!!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Why Men are Happier!



What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack...
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
If someone forgets to invite you,
He or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, even decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives
On December 24 in 25 minutes.
___________________________________
Men Are Just Happier People
NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah. If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Bubba and Wildman.
EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators...YEP!!!
MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.
BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.
ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.
OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!
SO, send this to the women who have a sense of humor and who can handle it ....
and to the men who will enjoy reading it
 And by now you can tell I am from the Male side of our species!

Please do not tell Mary I posted this, I want to sleep in the house this week!!
                          Thank you BOB!


Friday, January 2, 2015

HELP at your beck and call!!

U.S. Help Lines!
US Suicide Hotline
800-784-2433
NDMDA Depression Hotline – Support Group
800-826-3632
Suicide Prevention Services Crisis Hotline
800-784-2433
Suicide Prevention Services Depression Hotline
630-482-9696
AAA Crisis Pregnancy Center
800-560-0717
Child Abuse Hotline – Support & Information
800-792-5200
Crisis Help Line – For Any Kind of Crisis
800-233-4357
Domestic & Teen Dating Violence (English & Spanish)
800-992-2600
Parental Stress Hotline – Help for Parents
800-632-8188
Runaway Hotline (All Calls are Confidential)
800-231-6946
Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7, English & Spanish)
800-223-5001
Suicide & Depression Hotline – Covenant House
800-999-9999
National Child Abuse Hotline
800-422-4453
National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-SAFE
National Domestic Violence Hotline (TDD)
800-787-3224
National Youth Crisis Hotline
800-448-4663

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Senior Travel!



You know me, MR. SELF CONTROL!!

When Mary and I get too old for my iron horse, we go to senior travel!!









Friday, December 12, 2014

Gearhead's Christmas Present!

http://www.enginelabs.com/news/jewelry-for-the-ultimate-gearhead-rings-with-your-favorite-engines/

Santa, please bring me one!!

Check out link for more!!

VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!


Santa on Iron ReinDeer!

MS CLAUS!

Iron Rudolph when not working!


Santa showing off, he got that from ME!
Rudolph and the gang relaxing before long night!!

In case Rudolph gets sick!



The gang on trial runs!!



Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Forgotten Baby Syndrome!! PLEASE CHECK BEFORE LEAVING VEHICLE!!

People say it's 'impossible' to forget your child is in the car. But I know that for sleep-deprived parents who are out of their normal routine, it's all too easy." PLEASE!!PLEASE!! NEVER, NEVER let this happen to your precious child. Do not be another story on the news.

Our four year old grand child falls asleep a lot when we bring him over. We open all the windows in the van, put it in the garage and keep the door open between the kitchen and the garage. Then one of us stays in the kitchen to monitor what is happening.

When our kids were little and slept in the back of our pickup camper, I would stop every couple miles and check on them! Even though there was a pass through, no back window in the truck or camper. We could hear what was going on in the camper. I still stopped and checked them out. And the three of them are grown up and doing great!!

 Put something in the back you must get when you stop. Be like me, check, double check and triple check they are all right. I am so glad I did. And now my kids do the same with our grandkids. A lesson worth remembering!! Do not forget the little one sleeping in the back seat. Every time you leave your car, make it a habit to check the back seat; even if you are sure no child is there. Make it a habit every time so your brain remembers to do it no matter what! Remember THE LORD is busy, HE counts on you to help the ones who cannot help themselves. DO NOT DISAPPOINT HIM. IT IS YOUR JOB!! To protect the innocent!!

 Thank you. Randy "Hoss" Caldwell

Monday, November 24, 2014

MOTHER NATURE is CRUEL!!! AGAIN?

Today, Monday it is suppose to be 70 degrees. In two days they are calling for 20 degrees and three to six inches of snow and high winds. I put the tension straps on the chains on the tractor rear tires. Put my safety wire on the chain hooks! Topped off the oil. Took the garden hoses out to the barn. Brought in my gas cans for the tractor and walk behind mower. Topped off the gas tank on the tractor. Started the engine and let it run for two minutes to mix the new oil I just put in.

My new neighbor Jim got a snow blower too. I told him since we are both prepared for the snow season will be light! WE sure hope so!!My almost flat part of the roof on my cape cod will not standup under seven feet of snow like in Buffalo!! I have the trickle charger on the tractor.  I AM READY!!  I HOPE!!

I complain about MOTHER a lot, but SHE has been good to us over the years! A blast of cold, snow and ice, then melting to let us dig out. Mary will be working just two days a week soon. With our luck it will  only snow those two days!!