Across the River

It pays to be vigilant and observant

My daughter, who lives in Perry, came through our Village of Leicester a couple of days ago, and then stopped at the Wilson Farms Store (which was previously a Sugarcreek Store) where she brought some gas.

As she was filling her tank, she noticed a car parked to the side and inside were three young men.

On her way back through Leicester, two hours later, she noticed that the car with the young men still parked there. She stopped in the store and mentioned to the manager that there were three young men in a car parked outside and that she had noticed them some time before that.

The manager confided to my daughter that she was quite uneasy, since she observed the car and also that they had not entered the store to buy anything nor had they even bought gas.

They seemed to be simply watching (and perhaps “canvassing”) the store. Finally, the police were contacted, and sure enough, they were not “good” guys, had records and were wanted and so were arrested. So, if you see something that doesn’t appear to be “right”, do something about it!

My Empress tree, which I planted over two years ago, and which was run over by the lawn mower, at least twice, has grown to impossible heights. At glance, I estimate that this tree is now over 25 feet tall (for it towers over my house).

I wish I could say that it is a beautiful tree, but it is not. It looks nothing like the catalog picture, which showed a beautiful tree, covered with blossoms.

I believe the tree resembles a large burdock plant. My grandson observed that “at least, it provides some shade!” One thing is obvious and that is that “you can’t kill it”! Well, you win some and you loose some, for my caladium plants are very beautiful.

Of course, I have had to cover them, every night, for the past few nights, for they cannot tolerate cold weather, and I will bring them in, soon. I will let them complete their growing season (by probably the end of October), then I must remove them from my soil, dry them off and store them in a cool (but not cold) place for the winter.

Then, in the spring, after the last frost I will replant them. My eldest daughter, who often councils me, is aghast at all the work this entails.

I hate to have the weather change and get colder, for then all of my flowers will have to “go!” I planted new rose bushes and they are all blooming, now, along with many other hardy flowers.

I imagine that my grandsons, Zack and Joe, are very happy for I found that the University of Rochester football team won their first football game, this past Saturday, at Cincinnati.

There was nothing in the D & C, but perhaps Monday’s D & C will have more information. Both Zack and Joe “love” football. I am happy for them. Joe was just voted to be captain of the U. of R. football team. I also learned that both Joe and Zack made the Dean’s List for the last semester.

Condolences to Don Cuozzo, upon the death of his daughter, Joanne Mistretta. I regret that I did not know her, and we prayed, at St. Patrick’s Church, for her. I didn’t realize she was Don Cuozzo’s daughter. She was very young, and she will be missed by her family and friends.

For quite awhile, I had been looking for my friend, Jenny. I had seen her at mass at St. Patrick’s for some time, and then suddenly she was no longer in church, if she knew where she was, but she didn’t know.

I wondered if she were in a nursing home, so when I went to Murray Hill to visit Helen Masonis, I looked at the list of people who were there, but no luck. As luck would have it, as I was entering Wal-Mart one day, who should enter but my friend. She no longer attended church as she had some medical problems and chose to view mass on Sundays via television. So Jenny and I had lunch together and we relived some of the days when we were young (so long ago).

When we were teenagers, Jenny often spent the weekend at our house. She even remembered that Mother was a very good cook, and we reminisced about our lives. I learned that she has a grandson, who coincidentally has the same name as one of my grandsons, “Travis”. So, now that I know where Jenny is, we shall meet every other week, or so, to try to catch up on our lives.

My daughter stopped by Saturday and asked why I wasn’t down at the Leicester Village Park, attending festivities there. I had completely forgotten that there was going to be a ceremony about installing a wreath on the statue of the Civil War hero statue in our park.

I changed my gardening clothes and hurried down to the park and found a parking spot way at the end of the park. I could see many people listening to the speaker. I later called the Roffe house, for Tom Roffe, who is our historian had a great deal to do with this occasion, and I spoke with Tom’s sister, Karen, and she gave me some information.

However, when I learned that Howard Appell from the LCN was there covering the occasion, I felt it would be redundant for me to publish anything more about it.

Tom Roffe has done a fine job as our historian, and all of us, in the Village (and Town) of Leicester are grateful for all of his assistance and achievements.