Pine Creek People

We can’t leave Pine Creek –- Seriously Folks, we can’t leave this trail.  I think we will be back in a week –- We can’t leave this Pine Creek visit without a word about the people.  We always say that the best part is the people;  here are a few examples. 

We met Val and her husband at the Blackwell parking area.  They have a place at Slate Run and hope to make  it their home some day, but not before they travel the world –- we talked about their trips to Ireland and Alaska, their marriage arranged by friends around a music festival (all fun, no drama.).  Like many we meet, their kids are as settled as possible and they are living NOW, with no fears for the future.


Crossing into Cedar Run, Patty stopped to talk with two young Mennonite boys.  One was holding a sign  “BEAR   THIS WAY” . The eight year old reported that they had dumped some cooking grease at their vacation place and the bear had been around  all morning.  He just wanted to share the joy with us.  The six year old was afraid “that bear is going to get in big TROUBLE!”


This crossroads has several big rental units that are popular with vacationing Old Order folks.  We have meshed in with their group rides a couple times and had some nice talks.


Who knew that pretty young mom at the ice cream store was a photo journalists for Al Jazeera and Reuters? And exactly where IS Kyrgyzstan?


We met Rick at the campground just because he had his Airstream shirt on.  He was scouting for a future rally and was without his AS. We had a nice visit and made another Airstream  friend. 



The fresh produce sign caught our attention and we made a point to stop on the way back. The shed was in front of the barn and lots was going on. Truck being unloaded,dogs passing through, but the Mennonite mom had a big hello, asked about the biking. The young man helping us (he was 12) moved over to help dad with the load of local cantaloupes and his eight year old brother totaled our bill for six different items and made change IN HIS HEAD.  He’d had a pretty good day. “…helped Father get a load…’’ thinks he’ll get to go fishing tomorrow   “after chores.”



The folks in Wellsboro are without exception gracious and kind, with time to visit and a story to tell.  We, of course, looted the Library book sale.

  “We have had lots of librarians visit to see what we have done with our historic building.  They asked about “Friends of the Library” and told us how much good they can do. We didn’t have such a group, so we librarians set up the book sale.” (but not before checking with the local (great) bookstore to get their blessing.) 


Tom and Debbie Finkbinder run Wolfe’s General Store at “One Pine Creek.” It is a full line Orvis fishing store and guide service, a really good deli, a surprising gift shop, small grocery and gas station where you might also rent a bike, all in a home built and rebuilt and added on along a perch between the highway and the bike trail and close by beautiful trout filled Slate Run.  It was hard to keep up with Debbie as she greeted each new customer and attended to Deli, gas, gift and grocery.  It being summer and a slow fishing period, Tom and the other 70 year old had time to get acquainted.  We could have listened to his genial stories all day and would have if some pesky customers hadn’t interrupted…
The store’s mission is worth quoting:
Our store's mission is simple: To provide polite, friendly service to each customer that enters the store and to make sure that his or her vacation is better because of us. In other words, we aim to treat every customer the way we would like to be treated when we are on vacation. Very simple!
www.slaterun.com

We “finished” the trail at Jersey Shore, PA.  (Funny they don’t sound like Snooki here??).
We were taking some local advice by visiting the Weis Grocery just 100 feet away. It was crowded, but the teen wrangling baskets very graciously showed us a place to store the bikes.
When I caught up to Patty at the Deli, she and her new best friend were comparing current prices to the prices of their childhood. Her friend had a printed list. 
The stories continued…
…I babysit my nine year old grandson.  He comes over with computer games and sets one up for me to play and shows me how.  When I mess it up, he very patiently straightens it out and “there you go Grandma.”  …Sometimes I wonder who’s sitting who!