paul and i rode the couple miles in to the city of york, PA. he picked up a paper at the transit center and then took me to the big indoor market.
this very old building was impressively constructed of wood, stone, and metal. it had that good sturdyness of old, quality craftsmanship. paul insisted on watching my stuff while i went around to see the stands and buy gifts and provisions. i got some snow peas from a produce stand at which i got a good vibe from the produce. you can sense the life in real deal local goods. and these i could tell were grown with care. from a cheese stand with a wonderful selection of raw, regional cheeses i got a block of horseradish/bacon cheddar and another of herb/garlic goat.
i rode the bicycle out of york and thought i would try hitching a ride. i stopped to see about water at a little convenience store. i didn't find water or a bathroom, but when i went to pee in the shrubbery behind the store i found an abundance of easily reachable and very sweet mulberries! i ate a bunch and filled one of my plastic pints with them to share later.
nobody stopped to pick me up at the first place i tried, but when i rode a little further i ended up getting a ride with a wonderful woman who was dropping her son off at the dentist. she was from germany, but started a family in the U.S. we had the most wonderful connection and conversation. she told me she has difficulty with the term christian, but likes to call herself, 'a follower of jesus'. i like this way of putting it too. she is a survivor of colon cancer and has found new appreciation for life through her experience. she now lives with more love and generosity every day, wanting to share her joy at being alive. she drove me all the way to the east side of new holland.
from there i got picked up by a man who was only going a short distance, and ended up getting out after only a mile or so, as he was going the other direction on the road i was to turn onto. there was no more hitching after that. i was to ride, following the turns i had written down and asking people for clarification if i got confused. it was beautiful weather for riding and i was feeling strong.
some of the land i rode through after getting off the main road was amish land. i have never seen these kind of farms before. there was a vigorous feeling, a sturdyness to them. laundry hung outside and the lack of electrical lines are indicators of amish farms. i saw a man riding behind a team of four horses, turning recently cut hay. another man on a single-horse farm vehicle waved to me as i passed. i swooned. it was waving to my honorable ancestors. there was a sense of brotherhood i felt. i've wanted to meet some amish folks, but this is as close as i have come. there was a peacefulness that was so refreshing.
as i approached my destination i rode through an area with more beautiful old farms, but of a different style. it was more hilly and forested, and the properties more spread out. along the road, mostly on one called nantmeal road, i saw some of the most impressive dry-stack rock retaining walls. masonry is one of my many interests, and i hope to get more practice with dry-stack once i am settled somewhere. these walls can last thousands of years! some of the ones i saw on this ride were in disrepair, but others held to their purpose.
walking up one last very steep little strech of country road, i arrived at beautiful camphill soltane. there was still plenty of day left. i had picked nettle on the side of a small road and gathered a whole lot of lamb's quarter from around the compost bins at camphill soltane. michelle and i prepared these and served them as a side of greens with dinner! the house mate cooking that night made 'smoothe' mashed potatoes and roasted chicken breast. it was so nice to share a meal with the the people of emerson house!
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