Off to Cooperstown wheh the game of Baseball began.

I just couldn't resist getting ready fou the pitch.   A stop at Cooperstown where the game of baseball began.  Batter up!  

Couldn't  resist taking a picture of this one that reminded us of Teresa's uniform after a game.  She loved to go for the hard ones, and usually got it.  

This is where the Sesquihanna River empties into the lake in Cooperstown.  I loved the  beauty of this town the most. It was just like you stepped back in time over a hundred years ago.  Lot's of beautiful old buildings.  This is the lake at the end of main street.  I could live I this town.  It is breathtaking.

Do you remember the movie "The Sandlot" ?  That is this town's story.  

  

Family Home Evening in President Blacks home.

this is Elder Morey from the area who has taught us about King Herod's Temple during Christ's time in Jerusalem.  We have truly enjoyed learning more about this topic from someone who has a great amount of knowledge on this subject.  We presented him with this picture of Herod's Temple to thank him for sharing  this information with us.  Dad and Elder Miner got in the  picture as well.

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This is the recipe for the wonderful slush drink Sister Balogna brought for us.  It is a keeper.  

This is a picture painted by President Blacks daughter that reminded me so much of Grandma Mary's front porch in Chester, Idaho.  It brought so many sweet memories of Grandma and time spent there with her over the years.  It was a perfect Grandma memory for me of a cherished childhood memory of time spent at her home. 

This is. our neighbors, Sister Janet Hadley and Terry Jensen at an Easter Concert at the Rochester Stake house.  After the concert I had left my purse and coat on the bench to get refreshments.  Brother Jensen had found my coat and purse where we sat and took care of it so it would not get taken.  I had to laugh when I saw him, because Rod would never have picked up my purse in a million years.  It is just not the manly thing to do in his eyes.  It made me smile when I saw him carrying my purse and I couldn't miss taking a picture.  It is just Elder Jensen's way of taking care of others.   The concert was amazing and well worth the time well spent.

To day we met a new friend from Ashton , Idaho

Yesterday Rod and I spoke in Sacrament Meeting at our Niagara Falls Ward.  As we introduced ourselves to the High counsel man who would be speaking with us, we asked him where he was from.  When he said Ashton Idaho, I asked him if knew any of the  Blanchard's in Chester.  He smiled and said that he had bought bummer lambs from Dee Blanchard for years for his kids to raise.  Wow, what a small world this really is.   It was a great memory for both of us.  I will never forget all the fun summers we spent in Idaho with the Blancher's.   Many tender memories of Time spent in Chestier, at the Fall River in Idaho  came flooding back to our memories.  As Dorthy in the wizard of Oz would say, "There's no place like home."

We attended a Easter Program at the Palmyra Stake Center in Rochester

We went with our Missionary neighbors to the Rochester Stake Easter Chior program tonight, and ran into Tate Tischner and his family who live in our Stake.  He is the son of Brent and Rita Tischner who live in Salem, Utah and is my cousin.  What a suprised encounter.  The minute I say him, I knew who he was.  What a great suprise for everyone, and we had to top this one off with a photo to share.

He said that they had been in Salem last summer visiting his parents, and swam across the pond to mom & dads boat dock on the pond.  What a small world.  

a Feist fit for the best of the Irish clan on St Patricks day.

Rod was at his best again as always with his famous Corned beef and Cabbage feast for st. Patrick's Day Celebration Barney style with all the fixings.  We could not have shared it with a better bunch of friends.  We fed about 25 To 30 people including the Missionaries who were working the night shift at the Temple.  It was enjoyed by all who came for the fun and friendships.

A few of our Temple friends, Bud Balagna, Marsha Jensen, and President Miner.  Everyone loved the feist and can't wait for the next Barney special cookout.

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A Trip to. the Everends Maple Syrup farm.

     Excursion day with some of the Temple Missionary group.      This is only 6 of the Missionary           couples we serve with at the Temple.  Greatest group you will ever find.  Wonderful couples to serve in the Temple with.

  

This is a Tap plug that they put into the tree to extract the syrup out as the sap flows up from the roots.

  

Then the syrup flows into these buckets that collect the sap.  The temperature at night determines the flow of the sap.  The number of buckets used on each tree is determined by the size of the trunk.  If you can put your arms around the trunk, you use 1 bucket. half way is two buckets, 1/3rd of the way is 3 buckets, etc.  Pretty interesting process and business.

This is where they boil down the syrup in this giant tub, fueled by a wood fire.  Some producers use a gas or oil fired furnaces, but this family does wood because it is free and they are set up for that, and it works for them just fine.  This is a family business and they all work together.  It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup.  They usually get a thousand gallons of syrup per year, but this is a bad year for syrup makers because of the unusually warm weather they are having.  We got to try some of their syrup product and I was pleasantly surprised at all the different things they make.  It is delicious.  One of my favorites is the dark syrup, and the maple syrup spread you can put on crackers.  It is yummy.  Hope you enjoyed our tour of the Eversons Maple Farm.

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a trip to Letchworth Falls in Leicester, New York was an amazing excursion. It was the perfect day to get out and see new country. I am amassed at the beauty of this Earth. we could have sat and watched the beauty of this day over and over. Heavenly Father has shared so much with us to capture and enjoy.

This is the lower falls.   The sound of the falls just mesmerized me.  I could live here.

 

If you look close you will see the upper and lower train bridges.   they are in the process of building a lower track at the bottom for a new bridge for the trains.  It will be safer .  

                                                                                 This is the big picture of the upper and lower falls.  I could have sat and listened to the roar of the water.  this will be breath taking when the spring, summer and Fall colors arrive.  We will be back for more of this beautiful place.

Wish you were here to enjoy this with us.    Yes!  We are having a blast.   Just so you know we really are on a Temple Mission and really do work there, we serve Tuesday nights,  and some mornings, Wednesday mornings, Thursday mornings and Friday nights, and all day on Saturdays from 8 am to 5pm then drive to Niagara Falls after we finish at the Temple for our Ward assignment on Sunday's.  We pick up members and investigators on our way to church.  we usually have from 3 to 5  others in the car with us?   It doesn't  get better than that.  Then after church we head back home to Palmyra.   Sounds like fun to me!   Love you all and know our thoughts and prayers are back home with all of you.    much love  to you all.   Elder and Sister Barney /  Grandma & Grandpa / etc.    

  It doesn't,t get better than this.

We have a Rowan in our Niagara Falls Ward

This is Rowan Simpson from our Niagara Falls Ward.  She was baptised last week, and I couldn't help but smile when they were calling her Rowie just like we call our granddaughter, Kyle and Pam's youngest girl.  Her aunt made this Baptism dress out of her mothers Wedding dress.  It was a beautiful day in many ways.

This is our Bishop Beggs.  He never ceases to amaze me with his ability to take the time to be "one on one" with everyone.  He is the best.  Below is a view of Niagara Falls on a cold windy day.  It as filled with blocks of ice drifting down from the river above.  Beautiful.

Cleaning the Palmyra Temple today.

We are still on closure at the Temple and spent the morning cleaning the Baptistry, which is my favorite room in every Temple I have been in because of the special spirit that is felt there when the youth come.  Palmyra Temple is no exception.

Today I got to dust off all the Oxen around the Baptismal font.  That was a first. Then we cleaned and polish the entire area from top to bottom.   I love to clean anyway, but to clean in the Temple is awesome.  We will be finished by the weekend.  The Temple will open again for patrons next week.   We can't wait.

In the meantime we are having fun going on excursions around the area.  Love to you all, and hope life is treating you good.