Are We There Yet?

As the days pass the trees turn more and more. We have seen: green, light green, pale yellow, bright yellow, peach, all shades of orange on into the reds including burgundy. There was one time, close to the road, that the bushes looked like someone had thrown colored confetti. There are oak trees, varieties of maples, chestnuts, tulip trees, beech, and many other kinds of trees all growing side by side. So it makes it very colorful. Below are some pictures that we took. As we drove through the edge of the Catskill mountains it was a little hazy so it doesn't show the colors as bright as they were. There are also some pine trees in the Catskills so you have dark green among all the colors.
We arrived at West Point on October 11 and have been watching color changes here. There were not many trees turning here when we arrived. Everyone says that the colors aren't as good this year.

We stored our trailer outside the post and are staying with our daughter Br. and her family. The next pictures were taken at the area where we are storing the trailer. The third is of one of the hillsides here. A lot of the post is on hill sides like this.

Of course we are having fun with the grand kids.
The kids really wanted to sleep on the trailer. So we put it in a camping spot and spent Thursday night as they didn't have school the next day. I think they had a good time, do you?
The next morning Bu couldn't wait to build another fire. He has learned how in scouts and does a good job.

Their mom came in the morning after we had breakfast. The kids wanted to play on the play grounds for awhile so we let them.

Heading to the play ground. Br and her kids.
Kids in a swing race.
The swingers.
We were also able to go to a full review of the cadets. This is the building in which they dorm. Your can see dark arches at the base of the building. There are about seven of these and they file out of these, about four abreast, for the review. It is very impressive.

This is only about half of the ones on the parade ground. A visiting dignitary road by in a jeep to review them. Then they filed by in squads to salute him and the post commander.

The band marched by to lead the cadets in the review. Our son-in-law is playing bass drum on the far side of the snare drum player. He has just turned the corner so it is hard to see him.

The color guard going by.


One of the units going by.

B. and I went north one day and visited the F.D. Roosevelt Museum and toured his home. This was actually the home that he grew up in and then lived in as an adult. The home was added on to after his family got larger. The Library/Museum was built while he was living and he used it as his study and for his broadcasts.


The farm area was interesting. His father came there along with several other Dutchmen. The property was not very wide, so all could have some shoreline on the river, and was two miles deep. It was a working farm.

For lunch we went to the Culinary Institute. It is a chef's school. There are about four restaurants there and the students cook for them. It was gooood.

Niagara And On

We traveled through Penn. along Lake Erie and on into New York. The land is fairly flat. There are still cornfields but also grape fields. It rained most of the day while we were traveling and was still raining when we got to Niagara. We crossed over into Canada before we got to it. It was also getting late in the day and the wind was really blowing the spray and rain. So our pictures aren't the best. Horseshoe fall is very impressive.














The picture to the right is of the turbulence at the bottom of Horseshoe Falls.

When we went to leave, the windshield wipers took about three wipes and then stopped. we couldn't get them to budge and the motor for them was hot. So we shut them off. The rain had let up some and we thought it best that we get back across the border as we would be needing to get parts. Although we had made arrangements to stay further away, we thought we had best find a place close as we didn't want to have to travel far since it was hard to see. After crossing the bridge and going about six to ten blocks, we spotted a vacant half lot that had two tour buses parked in it along with a truck and car hauler trailer. So we pulled in there and spent the night. There was also a garage across the street where we could maybe get parts or find out where to get them.

In the morning, we awoke to sunshine. Yeah, no need of wipers. However, we decided that we had best fix them as we might need them later. After starting the truck, B tried the wipers. The Lord is looking out for us; they worked with no problems. (They are still working fine.) It was early and we decided to go back into Canada to SEE the falls and maybe get better pictures.





























The picture on the right is of American Falls. This is also a sample of how many people are here, even when it is raining. This is October, what is it like in the summer?

This picture is not of the water but was some trees in the parking lot at the falls. You can see some of the colors as more of the trees are turning. As we drove further north, we saw more trees that had started to change colors.

We drove on that day until just past Palmyra, close to Phelps; another small NY town. NY has
lots of small towns too. We have been taking secondary roads most of the way and just go from one to the next with houses along the road most of the way. We stayed in an RV park this night, Thursday, and Friday. We called some old friends from Yakima that live about ten minutes from where we were staying. Howard and his dad were our home teachers when we first moved to Yakima. Deana was one of our kids favorite baby sitters. It was good to see them and that things are going well for them.

Friday morning we went into Palmyra and tried to find our way to the Smith home. One of our clues for getting close to it is the modern Temple. We totally missed it as we were looking at a meeting house on the other side of the road. This is only an example of one of the 'extended routes' that we have taken. (It took us an extra five miles to get back into the US from Canada Thur. morning because we were busy looking at the American Falls and missed our turn just two blocks from the bridge.)

Well, we ended back in Palmyra so we decided to stop at the building where the first Books of Mormon were printed; and maybe we could get a map there so we could find our way. B found this interesting as he worked in a printing shop when he was in high school. We also got a map here so we could find our way.

One never knows what surprises the Lord has for us. We went to the visitors center at the Smith Farm area. As I started to go through the glass door I thought I recognized the woman on the other side. As we came through she greeted us and asked where we were from. As I responded I looked at her name tag and saw that it was who I thought. She then asked our names and I said, "You already know us." She looked a little puzzled and then I told her our names and she was shocked. She called her husband over. Brian were going to school at MSU getting his doctorate when B was finishing up. Joann was my first VT partner after I joined. They also hosted our wedding reception in their home after we were married. We have seen Brian a few times since then but haven't see Joann in years. It was great to see them. Just think, if we hadn't had wiper problems we would have been there the day before and probably would not have seen them.
















The log home is the home of Joseph Smith Sr. The family lived in this house for a number of years. Later Alvin started to build this house for his parents and also for his future family.
When Alvin died the family could not bring themselves to work on it for a few years. they did finish it and lived in it for awhile, then lost it and had to move back to the log home. A friend purchased it and rented it to them where they then lived until they moved from the area.

The log home set inside Palmyra township and the frame house set inside Manchester township. The fence in the next picture is right on the line.

The hill in the background is the Sacred Grove.

The frame house was never completely finished when the Smiths lived in it. The kitchen was the only room that was plastered. The other wall were covered with planks that were not cut off on the edges. In the following picture you can see where strips were nailed to cover these raw edges. In the Kitchen was a soap stone sink with a special feature - a drain to the outside, saving Lucy the chore of taking out the drain water.













The hearth and bricks that Joseph used to hide the plates are in the living room of this home. This is a picture of the hearth.





When you look to the east from the Smith farm you can see the Palmyra Temple. It looks out on the Sacred Grove.

The view from the front steps of the Smith frame house looks towards the threshing barn and the cooper shop. Hiram was the barrel maker. Beyond them is the grove. I took several pictures in the grove but will spare you and only show two of my favorites. The one of the leaves I took because of all the different colors.


























There was a special feeling in the grove. It was also very peaceful there.



From there we went to the hill Cumorah. I had no idea that it was a steep as it is. It is also very narrow on top, about the width of a rode, and then drops of steeply on the back side. The statue of Moroni is different that what we usually see. Here he is holding a book.










We also went to the Peter Whitmer farm. The log house is a replica of the original. I couldn't resist taking this with the little boy in it. He was having so much fun running around and checking everything out.







The last place in this area that we went to was the Martin Harris home. There are no original buildings there but there is a building that we have seen many of in this area. The stones are really close to the same size.

Indiana to Points East

We have made it as far as New York and our daughters home at West Point. However, let me catch up on what has happened since my last posting.

We went out to the Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum. We had been to this site two years ago when we were out here for Thanksgiving. The loss of this battle in 1811 by the Indians and the destruction of their camp led them to joining with the British which also added to the origin of the war of 1812. I also learned that in history, when they referred to the "Northwest Territory", they were talking about north of the Ohio river. This included Illinois, Indiana, part of Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. I don't know where I was when we went over this in school, but I always thought they were talking about west of the Mississippi.

While we were at Lafayette I was able to see one of my high school class mates that I hadn't seen since the night we graduated. It was good to see her and catch up on our lives.
Then we were able to stop in and see Kathy and Davin who lived in Yakima. They are now out of Columbia City. Our girls always enjoyed babysitting their kids.
One of the things that we wanted to do on this trip was to see some of the early church sites. The first one of these that we stopped at was the John Johnson farm out of Kirkland, Ohio. This family left Vermont in 1830 and came to here after buying 100 acres from the government. (This was originally part of that Northwest Indian Territory.) They had eight children, later a total of 15 of which 10 lived. They built a log home and lived in it until they built a frame home a three or four years later. After living there three years they bought another 150 acres. They built a Gris mill, had a dairy, made and sold cheese, along with the crops that they raised. This area is also heavily forested, so they had to clear all the land also. They had to be very productive to do all that they did. By the size of their house it is also apparent that they were financially well off.
Joseph and Emma were sleeping with the twins in the room left of the door, where the two windows are located, when he was pulled out and tared and feathered. He preached from these front steps the next morning.

The inside of the house was all painted white with the woodwork painted a color. When it was being restored, they scraped down through all the layers of paint and found traces of the original. I found the floor in the parlor interesting. It was painted in about four inch checker board with deep red, green, black, and I think blue. The wood work in the kitchen had a feather pattern painted on it.
This is the kitchen fireplace. Note the door on the rt. That is where twelve loaves of bread were baked every day. All of the fireplaces that we say had hangers that swung out from the fireplace to hand pots on. It saved catching dress hems on fire. The teal colored door goes into the living dinning room.
The room on the Lt. was John Johnson's study. The middle area shows the side outside door the bottom of the stairs that led up to what had been the Johnson's bedroom until Joseph and Emma came. The bedroom was then given to Joseph for a study.
Pantry located at the other end of the kitchen, just as you come through the door from the summer kitchen.
Summer kitchen with indoor pluming - see the hand pump below the basket handing on the wall. This room also has doors to the outside to the Rt. and Lt. that can be opened in the summer. The fireplace sets so that most of the leftover heat from it goes to the outside. There is a loft above here that doesn't receive any heat in the winter.

This is the room where Joseph wrote that had been the Johnson's bedroom. Mrs. Johnson liked bright colors as can be seen. The fireplace shows storage above it for heating blankets.

The Johnson's moved across the hall into the dorm that is where the boys slept. Then they partitioned it off, with left the boys part without heat.

We may think that attached garages are a thing of our times, but the Johnsons also had an attached carriage house. See the picture. From it you went across a covered porch, on the left, into the summer kitchen.
Mrs. Johnson was fortunate to have a large area up stairs for a loom and some spinning wheels. You can see just an edge of a bedroom used by one of the girls.


From there we went into the town of Kirkland. We went to the Newel K. Whitney store, his home, the saw mill, and the ash house. Whitney owned the ash house and I think also the saw mill. The store is stocked as it would have been, (1830-1838). Newel keep meticulous records so it is known what he had in the store.

B on the left in the store. Note the shoes in the picture below. There is no left or right. They can be worn on either foot. That would be a plus for kids, but most of them went barefoot in the summer.

This is the Whitney home. Even thought they were well off, their house was a lot smaller than the Johnson home. They know that they were well off because their house was yellow. The cheapest color was white, then red, and yellow costing more.

This is their dinning area below.
The chair in this picture was original to the home. When the Whitneys left they took it to Missouri, Nauvoo, and on to Salt Lake. When this house was restored their descendants sent the chair back to be shown in the house where it once was located.

The saw mill is built over a small stream that turned a paddle wheel by running under it. It only took a few inches of water to turn it. There is also a lathe in the wood working area of the saw mill.
Inside the saw mill.


I found the ash building interesting. I knew that ashes were used to get lye for making soap but I didn't know what else could be done.
The citizens were paid twenty-five cents for a bushel of ashes. The business did produce a lot of the ash that it needed. The ash was put in bins (see wooden funnels) and water was added. The water was allowed to trickle through and was caught below. It was then tested to make sure it was caustic enough. If not it was ran back though. If it was it was put into large metal bowels, set in bricks under which was built a fire. This was cooked down until they had potash. This could be sold for fifty dollars a barrel. Or they put the potash into ovens where it was cooked at 400 degrees until it was light grey all the way through. I can't remember what it was called then. This was used to make porcelain and was sold for one hundred dollars a barrel.

We also went to the Kirkland Temple that was built at that time. It is much larger than it appears in pictures. I think that is because of the windows. They are actually at least five feet across. So, even if there are only about five on the side of the building, that covers a lot of space. The pews are enclosed by about three foot high partitions that start at the floor. This was to help stop drafts and hold in the warmth from the warm bricks/rocks that people would bring as there is no heat source in the building.
We also saw the hotel that Johnsons built and ran after they sold their farm to pay off some church debts.

When Joseph and Emma Smith first came to Kirkland, they lived at the Whitney home for six weeks. Then they went to the John Morley farm for six months. From there they lived at the Johnson farm for one year, then the Whitney store for one year. Then they lived in a home by the Temple for four years, prior to going to Missouri.

We went out to the Morley farm but there is not much there of original buildings except the trail that was the main route west at the time. Morley started out with 100 acres also. He built a log home, went back east, married his childhood sweetheart, and came back. They raised flax from which they wove linen. He was also a cooper; he made barrels.

This is about enough for this post. I will continue to work on another and let you know what else has been happening to us.