PRATTSVILLE – Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all. Spring arrives on the 20th and perhaps we will be able to enjoy true spring weather, as in warm days filled with sunshine.
Was able to have a conversation with Willie Briggs in regards to his and Hannah’s upcoming parenthood. Their daughter will carry the name of Willie’s great-grandmother, Hazel Briggs, with Kathleen as a middle name honoring a relative from Hannah’s family. Willie said he likes the time honored names, not the almost made up names so in vogue now. He has special memories of his Great-Grandmother and they decided Hazel would fill in all the blanks. Hazel had her hair in this great braid that was worn coiled at the back of her head and would be in style today. And she would feed her family of sons and all their friends fresh homemade breakfast. One was amazed that cheeseburgers and chocolate cake were available for breakfast. Thanks to all the Briggs family for such fond memories. And congratulations to Hannah and Willie.
With the warm weather and buds forming on the trees the sapping season is over. No syrup anywhere can beat Danny Dymond’s Maple Hill Farms’ Catskill Mountain maple syrup. See you soon Danny. Out of town relatives always make the trip to get his syrup, me too. More on the total supply later or you can just ask Danny’s sister Deb Wandursky at Jim’s Great American. Deb once said Danny made her get bundled and booted up and get in the sap bush to help him get the sap to the sap house for boiling down to the right consistency for table syrup.
Sandy and Larry Hill are in touch with local residents through The Prattsville Scoop. They enjoy reading the column: “It was nice to read the news letter today. We don’t know too many people around our home towns, but I like to keep up. I saw where they are making maple syrup. I [Sandy] used to work in the sap bush with my Mom and Dad. Walking through snow and dumping sap in my pail. We always had the first draw for supper. A small bowl along with supper. My favorite. I get my maple syrup from the local Amish Store here in Eldon. It taste like Dad’s. When we have pancakes or French toast I always lick my plate whenI’m done for the last drop of maple syrup. I haven’t grown up yet. We had an up and down winter. No snow. The temperatures are in 30’s then up in the 60’s. We are on a roller coaster ride as far as temperature. We need rain really bad. We are in a dry area. We had what they called rain but it only spit enough to wet the drive way. We pray for rain, but not a gully washer. Larry and I have been to the doctors offices. I am so tired of doctors. Larry fell in the driveway last Sunday night. The next day we went to ER to have him checked out. Being the man he is, he wouldn’t go when he fell. I made him sit in the chair for over an hour, because I was afraid he may have a concussion. He did a great job on his forehead and his left arm. I always have to watch him. HA! HA! As for me I’m always working with some doctor. Wish I had my OLD body back, but these doctors don’t know how to do that. So we [are] busy giving our gold to the doctors. So much for the Golden Age. Larry and [daughter-in-law] Jennifer are not able to party together for their birthdays. We live too far apart. They live in Washington State. Takes three days one way by car to see them. Well guess that is enough about us. ….. Too much going on with the older set. Stay well and THANK YOU for doing the Scoop. Best Wishes.” In the olden days, anyone that had a farm or land to sustain some maple trees, had a “sap bush”. Directions for bringing the cows home for milking were “past the sap bush” or “before you get to the sap bush”.
In watching the news with details about volunteer fire departments, as we have here on the mountaintop, we give all our local volunteer department firemen our thanks and gratitude for their work. Stay safe and active. We thank all who make our lives easier, safer, healthy and, to our military/veterans, for giving us our freedoms.
McKenna Hoyt, a senior at Stamford CS with ties to Prattsville, played on the championship basketball team at Stamford. Congratulations McKenna! They won the championship of the Section IV Championship Class D title. McKenna is the daughter of Becky Sutton Hoyt and granddaughter of the late Stan and Carol Sutton. McKenna is also the great granddaughter of William and Madeleine Truesdell Sutton. Have to mention her grandfather Stanley got to go to baseball training camp and great grandmother Madeleine was a super athlete while attending the Grand Gorge Central School. McKenna has played on sport teams since the 8th grade.
Happy Birthday to twins Aaron and Adam on March 14. Aaron and Adam are the sons of Laurel Van Aken. Happy Birthday to Luke Maurer on March 16. On March 17 it is Happy Birthday to Daryl Smith, Jacob Lindly and Sandy Martin. We wish Kayleigh Wheeler on March 18. Happy Birthday to David Irwin Jr. on March 19. On March 20 it is Happy Birthday to Sue Truesdell. Kathy and Everett Sherman celebrate their special day on March 18. Happy Anniversary.
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