MIDDLEBURGH — Hot. Hot was the weather topic of the day as the OMOTM gathered at the Middleburgh Diner Tuesday morning, June 18, for breakfast.
It was already 84 degrees at 10 a.m. as I was driving home after voting on the Berne-Knox-Westerlo school budget. I always feel good about myself after I exercise my right to vote.
This column might be somewhat shorter than normal as this Second Scribe is determined to spend as much time as possible floating in/on Warners Lake with his very own old-fashioned black innertube that he has had for at least 20 years. I used to have a black lab who had her own inner tube and would float around with me.
There is usually a long table in the diners where the OMOTM meet for breakfast. It always fills up first and often the OFs will slide another table over and extend the long table to four more OFs.
This week, we sorta got carried away and ended up sliding a total of three more tables to handle 12 more OFs! We had to stop because we were rapidly running out of space in that direction.
Any more tables and we would be outside! We could have added a couple more tables at the other end. That would have been OK.
Maybe we should add tables so that the end result would resemble a capital “S.” Probably not a good idea, as the powers that be at the Middleburgh Diner would doubtless take a dim view. As well as the fire marshalls, insurance companies, and a few dozen other companies and state agencies.
Sometimes they have absolutely no sense of humor. We will stick with the straight long table; like the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” The OMOTM love old sayings.
First Scribe Emeritus
We had a treat this morning as we welcomed the First Scribe Emeritus to breakfast. It was great to watch the reaction of the OFs as they acknowledged John, and he was in fine shape and seemed to be happy breaking bread with us again as he tipped his hat and smiled and added a little bow to his long-time friends.
At his table, they got to talking about parades and the music from the marching high school bands. They wondered, perhaps we should have more marching bands. Maybe combine two smaller parades into one larger parade.
Listen to us talk as if we actually were planning the parade. We only eat breakfast; we don’t plan anything past that. Well, maybe a nap.
This Second Scribe had a chance to float an idea he has to the First Scribe Emeritus. That thought or idea was: Wouldn’t it be great if the First Scribe would write a paragraph or two every once in a while about anything he wanted to, an old memory about how things used to be, or just a funny story from the past that only he can tell.
I told him that he has many readers who would love to hear from him again about whatever he had on his mind. The good news is, he didn't reject the idea out of hand!
So to all you fans of the First Scribe Emeritus, don’t hold your breath, but don't be surprised too much if every once in a while, out of the clear blue, there appears in this OMOTM column a special section titled, “Random Thoughts From the Scribe Emeritus.”
I know many of the OMOTM would enjoy reading what John has to say in his unique style that is so familiar to all of us. And who knows, the Scribe just might enjoy writing a bit now and again, he might even become a lovable ol’ curmudgeon like Andy Rooney.
The OMOTM have a real need for their very own “Curmudgeon.” Maybe we should title this section, “Random Thoughts from our Curmudgeon.”
Party line
A couple of things heard around the table this morning included the memories of the “party line” telephones from the dark ages. This early rural phone system was popular in the 1930s and 1940s.
My house was on a party line in Clarksville in the 1940s but a little research in Wikipedia refreshes my memory and reminds me that it involved a series of phone line loops that served from two to 20 houses, or “parties” per loop.
Each party had a different “ring” — like 2 short rings followed by a long ring. There was no privacy and often the system was used for entertainment or just plain gossip, but it was handy to alert the neighborhood to an emergency in a hurry.
Street vendors
Also heard was the resumption of the fourth or last Friday of the month street vendors and good times on Main Street in Middleburgh. I think it goes on through August.
I don't know anything about it but check it out on the 28th from about 5 to 8 p.m. Sounds like the kind of a good family and community fun event that you will find up here in the Hilltowns.
While I am doing public announcements (just this once), the town of Berne has fireworks on the next day, June 29. Family fun there starts at 3 p.m.
The OMOTM who got together at the Middleburgh Diner this morning were: Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Miner Stevens, Ed Goff, Robie Osterman, George Washburn, Frank A. Fuss, Wm. Lichliter, Pete Whitbeck, Warren Willsey, Russ Pokorny, Roland Tozer, Marty Herzog, Gerry Chartier, Jake Herzog, Pastor Jay Francis, Gerry Cross, Herb Bahrmann, Dick Dexter, Jack Norray, John Williams, John Jazz, Lou Schenck, and me.
DELANSON — Tuesday morning found the OMOTM parked in front of Gibby’s Diner in Delanson/Duanesburg in or on vehicles ranging from motorcycles to a perfect 1956 red and white Ford Ranchero. Talk about bringing back memories of teenage years!
We talked a lot, of memories and farming in the Hilltowns outside of Albany. As the weather continues to be just about as good as it can get, it seems our number of OFs enjoying breakfast with old friends continues to climb from week to week. It just doesn’t get any better than this.
As this column about the OMOTM gets put to paper, sometimes this Second Scribe just can’t resist having a little extracurricular fun once in a while. Such as, for the past few weeks in the final paragraph where the list of the OFs present at that week’s breakfast is, that list always starts off with the same two names.
This is because the OF who starts the attendance list always puts his father's name first (a good son always does that) and then writes his name second. The names then appear in the final paragraph in the same order as they were written.
So to have a little fun when it came to the final paragraph, the beginning would start like always, with the father's name first, but then the son’s name would show up later in the middle of the list somewhere.
Well, the OF’s son knows how to play a game or two himself and never said a word. Good move on his part. So last week his name appeared at the very end of the list. Still no word. This is a very patient SOF. (Son of OF).
This week, when the list came around to my table to be signed by those present, there was a different name where the son's name always appears. After searching the list thoroughly, I found the son’s name, way at the end of the second column of names! Past everyone and everybody who would be coming later, the very last name located at the very bottom of the page.
After laughing out loud, this Second Scribe told everyone at the table what was so funny. OK, the fun is over; the SOF wins. His name will be back where it belongs this week. But it was fun while it lasted. Such serious men, these OMOTM can be at times.
Minding the meadowlarks
Last week a discussion about haying, first and second cuttings, occurred within range of my hearing aids, and I wrote about it while confessing my ignorance of the entire endeavor. I indicated my need to get in touch with the First Scribe Emeritus (he is better than Googling it) to get some info on the subject.
Well, he recounted how his father would never cut the hay in the spring because the meadowlarks were nesting in the field and he wasn't going to disrupt that process. So off I went to Google and the Audubon Field Guide all about meadowlarks.
About two hours later, I now know more about this bird than I ever thought possible. I know what they look like, where they nest, which is on the ground in open hay fields.
Now I know why the Scribe’s father would not do an early cutting in the spring. I even know that there are western meadowlarks and eastern meadowlarks. No, I am not going to tell you where they live. You have to do something for yourself.
Common ground
While talking with the Scribe about his memories of cutting hay on the farm and his memories of his father, he mentioned that he “does miss the sounds and smells of the farm, one being the smell of newly mowed hay.”
I told him that lately I have been recalling my past and I could empathize with him with regards to fond memories of important times and events, a way of life, in business, or just the pleasure of a walk in the woods.
I was no farmer. My working career involved a shirt and tie and shined shoes and the fluorescent lights of an office. A very long way from life as a farmer. A long way from the hard physical work of a farmer, but not so far away from the business side of being a farmer. We all had to put food on the table, and pay the power bill.
We have our memories, and we all miss the times we had making those memories. We remember exactly where that loose floorboard was in the barn, or how you had to open a particular door so it wouldn’t squeak.
As the OMOTM get a little longer in the tooth, Father Time sort of reminds us to start thinking about how to pass the torch to our sons and daughters and he has ways of telling us we can no longer do things as well or as easily as we once did. (Your Second Scribe has no idea when the last time was that he ran up, or down, a flight of stairs.)
Memories are the common ground for all of us. A Hilltown Farmer and a Flatlander Businessman, two different worlds, yet so much in common.
Which brings us to the Final Paragraph for another week. The great bunch of OFs who joined their fellow OMOTM this morning were; Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Frank A. Fuss, Michael P. Kruzinski, Peter Whitbeck, Wm Lichliter, George Washburn, Russ Pokorny, Warren Willsey, Ed Goff, Pastor Jay Francis, Roger Shafer, Wayne Gaul, Ted Feurer, Jake Lederman, Paul Whitbeck, Glenn Patterson, Mark Traver, Ken Parks, Otis Lawyer, Joe Rack, Roland Tozer, Duncan Bellinger, Jake Herzog, Gerry Cross, Jack Norray, Dick Dexter, Gerry Chartier, Bob Donnelly, Dave Hodgetts, Paul Guiton, John Williams, John Jaz, Lou Schenck, Henry Whipple, and me.
MIDDLEBURGH — On another beautiful morning, May 14, we arrived at the Middleburgh Diner and instead of turning right upon entering the diner as we always do, we were directed to the left this morning toward another room.
It was like going to an entirely new and different diner! I was going to say something about it not being a good idea to pull a switch on the OMOTM so early in the morning, when we are set in our ways and thinking about what we are going to have for breakfast, but that’s not the case at all.
There were positive vibes all around. The Maple Syrup OF showed off his syrup again, a clear indication that a tall stack of pancakes would soon be placed in front of him.
It was a perfect morning prompting one OF to comment about riding his motorcycle later in the day. Another OF said he was going for a nice ride in his classic early 1950s Hudson automobile. Yes, he was taking someone along with him to help enjoy the ride.
That comment led to a discussion about motorcycle sidecars. All of which just proves that the old saying about never being too old, especially in springtime, for car rides (even motorcycle sidecars), or boat rides, or just going for a walk, or sitting on the porch with that special someone. Just ask the OMOTM, we are never too old!
Flower power
A lot of the discussions around the tables dealt with flowers and gardens. Probably having Mother's Day a couple days ago and the nice morning it was with all the outdoor flowers in bloom, it was sort of natural we would get around to this.
Having to prepare the gardens, old and new, requires digging up the ground and that got us very quickly to rototillers. No one had a new rototiller, just old and older.
Which kind of tiller was easier to use, the kind that has the tines in front of the engine, or is it better behind the engine? It was felt that a tiller with the tines behind was easier to handle.
Then helping your neighbor or relative tilling their gardens when they found out you had a rototiller. Sorta like owning a snowblower after a big storm or a pickup truck to haul that topsoil back to the garden you just made ready with your rototiller. Sometimes you sure get popular in a hurry!
Also, that little flower garden leads to maybe a small vegetable garden, which leads to a somewhat larger garden. That’s when you realize you only have that little old tiller in the first place because you wanted to plant a few flowers in front of your house two decades ago.
Common thread
I have mentioned in this column over the last couple of weeks of the constant need for additional volunteers that virtually all firehouses and ambulance squads find themselves in search of. I’m happy to report that it prompted one OF to check out a service club that has been part of the fabric of the Hilltowns since 1960.
That organization is the Kiwanis Club of the Helderbergs. He said he had belonged to another service club during his working career and had enjoyed the many projects that he participated in over the years as a member of that organization. He always felt good when he put back a little something into the community where he earned his living and enjoyed what the community had to offer.
He is retired now and said he has some time to get involved in something. Sitting on the porch can get a little boring.
Another member of OMOTM invited him to come to a Kiwanis meeting. He said they were meeting for a potluck dinner at the Octagon Barn in Knox. He said he would go, if only to see what this Octagon Barn was all about, and besides that, he would get a free dinner! What could go wrong with that? Nothing!
The members, men and women, were gracious, friendly, and welcomed him into their meeting and potluck dinner. I won’t subject everyone reading this column to the long list of what this Kiwanis Club does with its youth-oriented programs for the Hilltowns. (I looked it up and it is impressive.)
They actively help the children in our schools by extending a helping hand to some of our neighbors who may need a little assistance once in a while. So the OF has joined the club in order to volunteer some of his time to give back to his community a little of what it has given him of itself over the years.
This writer is not promoting one particular service club over another. They are all great and we all live in a better place because of them. What I am promoting is the common thread that binds them all together. That thread is called volunteers. Give it a shot; it will give back more than you will ever give it.
Miscellany
Just a couple of random things heard around the room on Tuesday morning. We all know about the age-old argument about toilet paper; should the paper fall over the top, or under?
It was noted that one surefire way to solve this monumental decision is to install two toilet-paper dispensers, one for the over folks and one for the under folks.
Here is another comment that is near and dear to all of us OMOTM: Why is it that the older we get, the stupider we get? Yes, we all smiled and nodded in agreement.
That’s all folks. Time for the roll call. Joining this morning were: Harold Guest, Ed Goff, George Washburn, Wm. Lichliter, Pete Whitbeck, Frank Fuss, Roland Tozer, Pastor Jay T. Francis, Wally Guest, Ted Feurer, Jake Lederman, Russ Pokorny, Warren Willsey, Frank Dees, Jake Herzog, Gerry Cross, Herb Bahrmann, Jack Norray, Lou Schenck, and me.
DUANESBURG — It seems like each Tuesday’s weather is nicer than the last one. May 7 was no exception as we gathered at the Chuck Wagon Diner in Duanesburg.
With more OFs returning from the southern climates our numbers continue to increase. Last week’s column regarding the need for volunteers for our volunteer firehouses and rescue squads resulted in several OFs approaching me with positive thoughts and their own memories of their time being part of a volunteer firehouse or rescue squad.
I learned of one OF in particular who just celebrated 70 years of membership in the Huntersland Volunteer Fire Department! He did acknowledge that he no longer runs into burning buildings carrying the fire hose like he did when he joined as an 18-year-old in 1954.
He told me of how they acquired an old school bus, cut the top off, got rid of the seats, and modified the interior so they could carry the equipment and the substantial pump they needed to pump water from a pond to fight the fires. They would drive their early version of today’s pumper truck to the pond or lake or river and pump the needed water.
One more example of yesterday’s and today’s volunteers; they have always done whatever it takes to get the job done.
One more thing about volunteer fire companies, when I mentioned the nine volunteer fire companies in last week's column, I am sure that there are many, many men and women volunteers who just looked at each other and either said out loud or at least thought, “This writer doesn’t have the faintest idea of how many volunteer fire companies there are up here in the Hilltowns!”
You are right. I don’t. I have done some additional research, and I won’t even bother to try to quantify the number. Let’s just say the low number nine I threw out there last week is beyond laughable. However, I believe the message for the need for volunteers was on the mark.
BYOS
Last week, the subject of 100-percent pure maple syrup vs. commercial maple syrup was part of the breakfast conversation at one of the tables. This week, one OF had a waffle and commented he didn’t bring his own 100-percent pure maple syrup like the OF from last week.
This started a general conversation about how the whole industry of making maple syrup works in the first place. The large number of trees involved (more than nine; I’m not making that mistake again!) and the short time span to actually harvest the sap. How the lines from all those trees are all connected together and the lines are maintained, ending up at the sugar shack.
How many gallons of sap are required to make a quart of syrup (a lot), and the constant even temperatures that are maintained in the cooking process, where the source of heat is provided by wood-burning “furnaces.”
In early spring, while all of this is going on, there is usually a weekend or two where the public is invited to come and witness this operation right at the source. There are tours at some of these operations where they will take you out to the trees to see how they are tapped and show you the lines the sap flows through to get to the sugar shack.
I made this trip; it was a great afternoon, and yes, you can generally purchase some 100-percent pure maple syrup on the spot. Afterwards, the next time you have some pancakes for breakfast and use your own real maple syrup that you watched being made, you will find it tastes so much better than what you used before, that you too will want to BYOS (Bring Your Own Syrup!).
Recognizing Ron
The Chuck Wagon Diner is the home of Ron, the fabulous, famous, and favorite coffee man of the OMOTM. One of the OFs had decided to recognize Ron with a nice plaque showing all of the OMOTM’s appreciation. This was previously presented to a much-embarrassed Ron
On Tuesday, the owner, Chris, made sure that we all took note that the plaque was now hanging on the wall in the room where the OMOTM meet for breakfast. It looks good hanging there.
Side hustle
One last note left over from last week. At another table we took notice of a unique side hustle taking place.
You know those small little creamers on the tables that are there for those of us to use in their coffee? It was observed that one OF asked another OF for just one of those creamers.
The other OF promptly gave him one, and then said that would be 50 cents! The cream was free, but there was a delivery fee of 50 cents!
After a bit, the first OF needed another creamer, and this time the delivery fee was 75 cents! Well, the first OF had had enough and demanded to know what was going on.
The second OF calmly explained that this was how he made enough money to pay for his breakfast! That all he needed was a few more little creamer sales and he would have enough!
The first OF asked if he could have the second OF put it on his tab, the second OF said sure! Everybody was happy.
Those OMOTM who enjoyed breakfast this week were Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Miner Stevens, Wayne Gaul, Ted Feurer, Jake Lederman, George Washburn, Wm Lichliter, Pete Whitbeck, Frank Fuss, Paul Whitbeck, Jake Herzog, Jake Herzog, Paul Guiton, Paul Guiton (I had to put Jake and Paul down twice because I failed to list them last week when they were present), Marty Herzog, Michael Kruzinski, Roger Shafer, Russ Porkorny, Roland Tozer, Frank Dees, Gerry Chartier, Joe Rack, Ken Parkes, Duncan Bellinger, Mark Traver, Jack Norray, Lou Schenck, Gerry Cross, Dick Dexter, Bob Donnelly, Dave Hodgetts, Elwood Vanderbilt, John Dab, Pastor Jay Francis, and me.
DUANESBURG — The OMOTM started arriving at Gibby’s Diner shortly before 7 a.m. They said hello to their fellow OFs and talked in their cars as they waited for the doors to open at 7. Sure enough, the doors opened, and in they went.
So in they went, still talking about whatever it was they were talking about in the cars. Another thing about the OMOTM that may not be common knowledge, they can talk! In a car, walking along, waiting in line, eating breakfast (that does slow them down a touch).
One of those conversations had to do with the old ice-cream drive-ins around the area, most of which are gone now. Places like Dutchers ice cream in Altamont. Their ice cream cones were huge! One OF was heard to comment that you really had to eat them fast in hot weather before they melted all over the place.
How about the Toll Gate Ice Cream in Slingerlands, or Dukes Dairy Bar in East Berne. I spent many a summer Friday or Saturday night at Dukes eating ice cream, drinking a Coke, and shooting darts over in the far corner all the while sneaking quick glances at the pretty girls.
Sometimes we would drive over to Fonda for the stock-car races; I had to bum a ride because I was too young to drive. I believe Duke would lead the way.
I could be wrong about that; an 80-year-old’s memories about things that happened when he was a young teenager sometimes are not the most accurate! But I do remember a stock-car driver driver named Kenny Shoemaker and speaking of Toll Gate Ice Cream, how about Howie Westervelt driving the the #24 “Toll Gate Special.”
Oh, the dreams a young teenager, who didn’t even have his first driver’s license, would have that night! I also spent a lot of time at the Toll Gate enjoying ice-cream sundaes and eating French fries and watching pretty girls. Do you sense and pattern here? Hint, no, it wasn't the ice cream or FFs!
Mind you, all of this was being talked about and old memories being stirred before we had even all arrived and sat down to order breakfast.
At another table, one OF sat down and promptly pulled out a bottle of 100-percent pure maple syrup made right here in the Hilltowns. When asked why he had brought the syrup, he explained that he was going to have a tall stack of Gibby's big pancakes for breakfast and he wanted “real” maple syrup along with plenty of butter!
And that is exactly what he ordered. He ate it all.
Call for volunteers
From ice cream, maple syrup, and pancakes, we moved on to another table where the conversation was somewhat more of a serious and important nature — of volunteers for the local fire departments and ambulance squads. These organizations depend 100-percent on volunteers.
I went online and quickly found nine fire companies from Berne to Knox to Medusa to Westerlo and they all had two things in common. First, they all are officially called and known as “Volunteer Fire Companies” with the name of the town coming first. The second thing they all have in common is, they are all in need of additional volunteers.
The same holds true for emergency medical services. Although the two organizations are different in that they serve two separate segments of our community, they nonetheless are joined at the hip.
You will always see the EMS vehicle at a structural fire, standing ready to assist a firefighter or anyone who may need some help. Likewise, you will always see the firetruck and or the rescue truck standing by a car accident also to lend a hand if needed.
Another thing they all have common is the behind-the-scenes army of volunteers. The public, for the most part, is unaware of this army of men and women who are standing by with whatever is needed to help the firefighter or emergency medical technician who stumbles out of the smoke-filled building and really needs a drink of water or maybe some oxygen or maybe just a place to sit for a moment to catch their breath.
All that and much, much more is waiting for them because of this behind-the-scenes army that is always there, ready to do what is needed. Maybe that help is in the form of a 75-year-old OMOTM just handing out a towel or half a sandwich or directing that firefighter or EMT to a chair.
All volunteers. No one is getting paid for this; they are all just doing what they can to help their friends and neighbors in their communities.
It takes all kinds of volunteers. Are you good at numbers? Accounting? Mowing a lawn? Organizing an open house to try to get a new member? How about a fundraiser? Participating in a work detail to keep the trucks and equipment and building clean?
Are you a purchasing agent/inventory type person who can make sure there are enough Band-Aids and spare parts for the equipment? Are you a mechanic who can help keep those trucks and the rest of the equipment in perfect operating condition so when the time comes they all perform the way they should, as if people's lives and homes depend on it? Because they do.
They are a team. They work as a team. They are all heroes. They are volunteers.
Please consider donating a little time to volunteer; it will change your life. Just ask the OF at the table who was reluctant at first to join the EMS squad but, when he did, he stayed for years and he says it was the most interesting and rewarding endeavor he ever did. I can personally attest to that, but that is another story.
Those OMOTM who made it to Gibby’s for breakfast included Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Ed Goff, Jamie Darrah, Wm. Lichliter, George Washburn, Miner Stevens, Frank Fuss, Russ Pokorny, Frank Dees, Ted Feurer, Jake Lederman, Marty Herzog, Roland Tozer, Roger Shafer, Ken Parks, Joe Rack, Glenn Paterson, Mark Travor, John Dab, John Williams, Jack Norray, Gerry Cross, Dick Dexter, Lou Schenck, Herb Bahrmann, Elwood Vanderbilt, Bob Donnelly, Dave Hodgetts, Allen DeFazio, Henry Whipple, and me.
SCHOHARIE — On a cool crisp Tuesday morning, the OMOTM gathered at the Your Way Café in Schoharie for breakfast. We welcomed back some OFs that had spent some time in Florida who took great delight in talking at length about the warm (mid 80s) dry weather and cloudless blue skies.
After they got through “mouthing off,” the rest of the OFs pretty much ignored them as their “moment in the sun” had definitely passed.
Much discussion ensued about the “Name Game” of matching the first and last names of the OFs who attended last week’s breakfast at Mrs. K’s. I had printed out a bunch of extra sheets containing the A and B columns of names. The OFs’ first names were in column “A” to be matched with the OFs’ last names in column ”B.”
Two OFs had already gotten back to me, “The Game Master” or “TGM” for short, with 100-percent accuracy in their answers. They indicated they didn't cheat, which actually is allowed in this game. Those two OFs were present today so I had the ability to refer the rest of the OFs to them if they still had questions after I explained the game rules — again.
Of course, there was an OF who wanted to know why the mysterious new member’s name from a few weeks ago was not on the list. That’s what started this whole thing in the first place. Since the mystery man is no longer a member of the OMOTM, he was definitely not in attendance and therefore his name could not be on the list.
Others wanted to know where the attendance list was, so it was explained that this was the attendance list and they had to match the first and last names to find out who was present. Sigh. I don't think the TGM is going to do this game thing again. He has, however, developed a whole new respect for makers of “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy.”
Mourning Mike Willsey
To turn to a much more serious matter, our long time Charter Member, Warren Willsey, passed away on April 16, 2024. Warren, who virtually everyone called “Mike,” would have celebrated his 98th birthday in June.
Please allow me to take a few moments of your time to express my feelings for a man that I didn't personally know but I am proud to be associated with a group of men that we know of as theOld Men of the Mountain, of which Mike was a charter member.
Here is where I want to make myself clear. As I read Mike's obituary, the book “The Greatest Generation” by Tom Brokaw comes to mind, and seems to be written directly about this man, his friends ,and family from the Helderberg Mountains and the surrounding Hilltowns of Albany and Schoharie counties.
The obituary talks about Mike's “very deep ancestral heritage in the Helderbergs.” Both of Mike's parents, Frank and Mille, grew up on neighboring farms. Mike's future wife, Whilma, also has very deep roots in the Helderbergs as she grew up on land her grandfather farmed in the 1700s.
Whilma’s brother, Herbert, and Mike became very close life-long friends as both worked their dairy farms in the East Berne area. Herb also was a charter member of the OMOTM.
Mike enlisted in the Army Air Corps before he graduated high school. Of course he did. When WWII ended Mike came home and married Whilma. He refused VA benefits, to quote from the obituary, “He strongly felt only those who saw combat or were wounded in action deserved the benefits.”
So this man from a dairy farm in the mountains outside of Albany, New York, who grew up during the Great Depression, went to war, came home to the family farm, married and with his wife raised a family, a man who worked hard and asked little, if anything, for himself, certainly epitomizes Brokaw's The Greatest Generation.
I enjoy having breakfast with one of his five children, also named Warren, who is a current member of the OMOTM. I just wish I had been able to get to know Warren “Mike” Willsey. He was the type of man, like my own father, both from that same greatest generation that Tom Brokaw writes of, who are my heroes.
Well done, Warren “Mike” Willsey. To you and your generation, well done.
Band of brothers
On a considerably different and happier note, another OF has some brothers and guess what? They like each other!
I will keep with the tradition that the Scribe established and limit my use of the names of the OFs as much as possible as the Revenuers may still be out there watching and waiting.
This band of brothers, like so many families, are spread out across the country from Illinois to New York to Vermont, but they get together once or twice a year at one of their homes to “light the drinking lantern.”
They catch up with each other and their families, maybe talk about old times they had at the same college in southern Illinois where they all attended for a million consecutive years, or to figure out where to get together next time.
They went to breakfast at the Chuck Wagon which, you may recall from a previous column, originally was in Champaign Urbana, Illinois, close to where I went to college and got married. It really is a small world.
I think we all can relate somewhat to this, as many of the OMOTM and their families get together for family reunions. It is a good thing. There is enough sadness around; this is a happy thing.
No more Name Games this week. It is OK to write the attendance because it is a well-known fact that the Revenuers never read the Final Paragraph; they fall asleep! This week the following OFs made it to breakfast at the Your Way Café in Schoharie: Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Frank Fuss, Roger Shafer, Glenn Patterson, Mark Traver, Joe Rack, George Washburn, Wm Lichliter, Frank Dees, Russ Pokorny, Paster Jay Francis, Jake Herzog, Ed Goff, Warren Willsey, John Dab, Bob Donnelly, Dave Hodgetts, Elwood Vanderbilt, Lou Schenck, Jack Norray, Gerry Cross, Herb Bahrmann, and me.
The days are getting longer, or at least are starting earlier. Driving west over Cotton Hill Road to Middleburgh on Tuesday morning was a pure joy. I saw the sunrise, I saw deer and turkeys and flowers and green grass and blue skies and of course, the Helderberg Mountains.
By the way, did you know the Helderberg Mountains are 417 million years old? The Rocky Mountains are only 55 to 80 million years old. Maybe we should change our name to the Old Men Of The Old Mountains!
Anyway, it was a good morning to be alive and I was looking forward to joining my OMOTM friends for breakfast at Mrs. K’s Kitchen.
I knew it was going to be a lively breakfast when two of the OFs changed their usual coffee order from decaf to regular, or was it the other way around? At any rate, Angela, who, like all of our favorite people who know how to take care of us as we travel from place to place, knows our names, what kind of coffee we order and what we usually order.
Take me for example; I always have an English muffin with breakfast. Therefore, she had to question them, “Do you really want your coffee that way?”
This placing of our respective breakfast orders moved smoothly into a discussion of how to cook oatmeal. You have to be careful; if left too long in the boiling water, it will boil over and create a mess that you really don’t clean up with one swipe of a paper towel!
One OF was telling a story of someone he knew who made his oatmeal in a cup and put it in the microwave for about four minutes, whereupon another OF exclaimed, “Wow, four minutes? That cup would be really hot! How did he pick the cup up?”
The OF telling the story reached out with his hand and demonstrated the technique by extending his forefinger and thumb and picked up his coffee cup and said “About like this.”
At this point, the table broke out laughing. It is somewhat humorous to read about that exchange, but I have to ask you visualize a couple of OFs sitting at a long table with a bunch of other OFs with their white hair, or no hair, hearing aids and flannel shirts, sort of listening in to this conversation, and then watching one OF extend his arm across the table to demonstrate how to pick up a coffee cup!
And if that visualization doesn't make you at least smile, then try to visualize Tim Conway explaining this to Harvey Korman on the Carol Burnett Show.
Old cars
We gracefully moved on from that moment to look at some pictures of an older (1950-ish) Hudson car, which prompted memories of some of the names of the models that Hudson used for its cars.
I didn’t catch or write down the names but I did hear some of the descriptions, such as, “That was the sedan,” or “That was their fast hot one.”
One of the OFs, who evidently has an older car or two, says he would tell those who he would take for a ride in one of his cars, “Bring a pair of good walking shoes and your cellphone.” I guess some of these cars would take you out, but may not bring you back.
Big fish and headless meters
Speaking of cellphone pictures, another OF proudly showed us some pictures of his grandson holding some really big fish he had caught and the OF was heard to say, “Now the student is telling the teacher how it is done!”
One last discussion involved the parking meters in front of Mrs. K’s. Two or three car lengths up the street is a pipe standing there with no meter on top.
That is where this OF likes to park so he can save the 25 cents. Of course another OF asked him if he dropped a quarter down the pipe anyway, quick as a flash the car-parking OF replied “Of course!”
Name game
OK. Time for the Final Paragraph. Going to be different this week. Remember how I sort of messed up a name on the attendance a few weeks ago? And the grief I took for it?
Well, here is your chance, fellow OFs. Can you match the first names with last names of this week’s OFs in attendance?
The attendance list consists of two columns side by side.
The column on the left is called “A.” It contains the first names of those OFs who were here at Mrs. K’s on Tuesday.
The column on the right is called “B.” It contains the last names.
Each row is numbered. Let’s say in column A, row 1 is the name John, and let’s say in column B, row 12, is the name Williams
Row 1: A1 + B12 = John Williams.
If you think that is the right first name (John) that goes with that last name (Williams) then your answer for this row #1 would be A1 + B12. The answer for row 2 might be A2 & B17, and so on. Match the first names from column A with the last names from column B. Don’t write the names, just match column A with column B.
(By the way, John Williams is not allowed to participate. He is too smart and knows everything. Doug Marshall is not allowed either. He is not stupid; he just has the answer key.)
Give me your written answers over the next couple of breakfast meetings, and I will put all the correct answers in a hat or something. The Scribe will draw the winner. There is a very desirable monetary prize for the winner.
Harold Whipple
Glenn Cross
Jake Norray
Dave Tozer
George Bahrmann
Ed Guiton
Jack Schenck
Wally Francis
Elwood Dab
Mary Donnelly
Dick Lichliter
Herb Vanderbilt
Bill Rack
Marty Shafer
Ken Hodgetts
Lou Gaul
Paul Goff
Bob Herzog
Joe Feurer
Roger Washburn
Roland Parks
Henry Herzog
Jake Guest
Ted Traver
Wayne Lederman
Gerry Guest
Pastor Jay Patterson
John Dexter
— Photo by Cynthia St. Jean
The Diamond Ring Effect: R. Douglas Marshall’s daughter took this photograph on April 8 at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine’s Carrabassett Valley.
MIDDLEBURGH — We met the day after the April 8 eclipse. This clearly was the topic of the day at the Middleburgh Diner, with pictures being passed around from just about every OF present.
I showed off the iconic picture of a total eclipse that my daughter took from the Sugarloaf Ski Resort in Maine. She said it was a totally cloudless day with a blue sky, perfect for watching and taking pictures of the eclipse.
I will quote from her email to me that kind of sums up the whole experience. “When the totality was about to hit, there were shimmers on the snow, waves of light,” she wrote. “It was really cold when the sun was hidden, and a very surreal twilight time, with a 360 degree sunset on the horizon. Just the most amazing thing.”
One of the funniest comments of the morning came early on before many of the OFs had arrived and it was made by one OF expressing his concern for all the farmers having to run around putting the special eclipse glasses on all their cows!
Later I heard someone say, “The cows don’t care.”
Someone else didn’t think the sheep cared either. Very serious discussions these OMOTM engage in at times.
We all had the similar experience of good viewing early with very few clouds, and then, just as the big moment was arriving, so did the clouds! We here in the mountains, up and away from the Hudson and Mohawk river valleys, had some really good and clear views of the 97-percent total eclipse.
Kind of appropriate in a way, the clouds came just at the peak of the eclipse, thus making it seem darker than it might otherwise have been. Then the clouds sort of broke up and came and went while we enjoyed the moon exiting stage left.
We did get to see the eclipse at around 95 to 96 percent; I don’t suppose we could have really seen the difference between 95 percent and 97 percent anyhow.
Since we were pretty much all stay-at-home OFs, we did indulge in some head shaking when talking about the people who traveled hundreds of miles or more, getting married, or even getting in an airplane to get above the clouds, all to get a good view.
Then, after all that, there was the heavy traffic to deal with going home. Witness what my daughter and her husband did, driving from Manchester, New Hampshire to Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine; they just stayed a few nights in their Solis Pocket van in the Sugarloaf parking lot until traffic had passed. But that really is a great picture!
From handlebars to fishing poles
The conversations did turn back to the regular topics of springtime with which the OMOTM are much more comfortable, such as motorcycles and fishing boats and bird feeders.
As an example, one OF said he either has ordered or is thinking about ordering new handlebars for his cycle. The new handlebars would be somewhat taller and closer together than the regular stock ones that are on the bike now.
This prompted the question by a non-biker about how this would help or hinder the bike’s handling on corners.
I didn’t hear the answer because another OF was talking about putting grape jelly out with the bird feeders specifically for Baltimore orioles. He says they love it and he buys many jars of grape jelly each year.
So, by the time I got through listening to the grape jelly / Baltimore oriole discussion, the motorcycle-raised-handlebar question was answered and had moved on to fishing boats. Not just any old bass fishing boats mind you, but serious boats equipped with down riggers, trolling motors, full canvas so as to go fishing in inclement weather with a little heater for when it got cold and with at least a 150 horsepower engine.
This craft is probably somewhat bigger than the average bass boat or regular (whatever that would be) fishing boat found on Thompsons or Warners Lake. I have no idea how the conversation went from handlebars to fishing poles so fast.
Interpreting noise levels
Last week, an OF made two interesting comments, or at least they were interesting to me. The first comment was about how comparatively quiet it was at that particular moment.
“Must be everyone is eating,” he said.
The second comment was, of course, a little while later. He observed that it was pretty noisy, “Must be all done eating; it’s getting noisy in here. Must be about time I went home.”
I put that to the test this week; sure enough, the OMOTM breakfast can be divided into three segments: noisy, not nearly so noisy, and noisy. Just goes to show, there is always something to learn at an OMOTM Tuesday morning breakfast. You just gotta listen.
Don’t forget, here comes the Final Paragraph for this week and the Scribe and the Pinch Hitter have something planned for next week’s Final Paragraph. Here is a hint or two or three or four: It is painless, could be fun, might be hard, definitely different! Oh, one more hint, it can't be done at one breakfast, at least two, maybe three before it is over.
Those OFs who contribute so much of their wealth of mostly useless information who enjoyed their breakfast at the Middleburgh Diner were Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Miner Stevens, Ed Goff, Paul Whitbeck, Marty Herzog, Russ Pokorny, Jake Herzog, George Washburn, Wm Lichliter, Gerry Cross, Jack Norray, Herb Bahrmann, and me.
PRINCETOWN — This week, the OMOTM gathered at Chris's Chuck Wagon Diner in Princetown. We were treated to another fantastic sunrise which portends some lousy weather is on the way to us, but not before we enjoyed another fine breakfast with plenty of fresh hot coffee delivered to us almost before we sat down.
This feat is made flawlessly and routinely by Ron, who received a special proclamation praising his efforts that was read out loud in front of the entire group. Congratulations to Ron; he certainly deserves it. If we OMOTM don’t have our good, hot coffee before, during, and then after breakfast, we get grumpy, and, as I have told you before, you know what happens when the OFs get grumpy. It is not pretty.
Along with acknowledging the great service from Ron, we had a truly extra-special surprise to all of the OMOTM: John R. Williams, the Scribe himself, walked in and sat down in his regular spot and ordered breakfast after first receiving his hot cup of coffee from you know who!
I don’t want to over-do this, or be too dramatic, but it did take the Scribe some time to eat his breakfast while being welcomed back by a roomful of smiling and happy OFs, who were very glad to see him where he belongs on a Tuesday morning.
The Pinch Hitter, me, was among those welcoming the Scribe back. I handed him the list of OFs present and my notes of the meeting. I should say I tried to hand him these things, as he politely declined my attempts to retire back to the bench. Let me just tell the regular readers of this column a quick story concerning the Scribe that happened just today.
A regular customer at the Chuck Wagon, Richard R., happened to be eating breakfast there this morning. He took note of the group of OFs, 27 of us this morning, in the other room eating breakfast and having a good time.
He recognized us for, as he put it in an email to the editor of The Altamont Enterprise, “He had only read about The Legendary OMOTM!” and here they were! He even said he thought about asking for autographs! That would have been fun.
The point I am trying to make is this: The OMOTM are what they are because of two things, one, because The Altamont Enterprise has been printing this column for all these years and two, because the Scribe, John Williams, has been writing this column for all these years. If any one OF is legendary, it is you, Scribe, it is you.
Pipe-wrench magnet
One of the OFs had what looked like a bright red miniature pipe wrench (about the size of a large ballpoint pen) in his shirt pocket. I think it was probably a manufacturer’s advertising give-away. I think there was a thermometer located at the other end.
He took it out of his pocket and showed it around the table. Then another OF came by and sat down close by and promptly asked about the bright red miniature pipe wrench in his pocket. Our OF took the “pipe wrench” out of his shirt pocket and showed it to the newcomer and put it back in his pocket.
A few minutes later, you guessed it, yet another OF stopped by to ask a question to someone at the table and noticed the “red pipe wrench” in the shirt pocket and, of course, asked about it.
Again, the OF pulled it out and explained all about it and, as he was putting it back into his shirt pocket, he commented that he had no idea that his little red pipe wrench/thermometer advertising give-away gimmick would be the object of so much conversation.
I wonder if the manufacturer had as much success attracting attention with his advertising give-away as the OF got by having it in his pocket Tuesday morning.
Snowbird adventure
A couple of OFs are headed to Florida in the next couple of weeks for a taste of spring and some warm sunshine, as compared to what we are looking at around here for the next few days. This prompted questions about where exactly they were going in Florida — east coast, west coast, etc.
One OF said he used to drive his mother down to Sanibel Island, Florida right after Thanksgiving and then would drive her back in the spring. He bragged about never receiving a speeding ticket in the 10 years or so he made this trip — although he did admit he deserved a few.
He told the story about once, when he was driving through the mountains in Pennsylvania on a four-lane divided highway, he was passing a slower car that was in the passing lane, on the right as they were going around a curve right into a trooper with a radar gun.
The trooper looked up and saw two cars, side by side, one car had a nice young man driving his gray-haired mother in her little baby blue Cadillac in the right lane, and the other car was in the left lane.
The trooper knew somebody was speeding and assumed it had to be the guy in the left passing lane. The OF did slow down and told his mother that he just got caught speeding.
Sure enough, the trooper pulled out with his lights flashing, caught up with them and promptly pulled the slow-moving car that was in the left passing lane over! The OF could just imagine the conversation that occurred between the trooper and the man in the slow car!
All in all, it was another really great breakfast as we welcomed the Scribe back and acknowledged the fine contributions of Ron to our breakfast enjoyment. Tuesday's OFs included John Williams, Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Miner Stevens, Frank Fuss, Marty Herzog, Russ Pokorny, Roger Shafer, Roland Tozer, Jake Herzog, Pastor Jay Francis, John Dab, George Washburn, Wm Lichliter, Michael Kruzinski, Dave Hodgetts, Paul Guiton, Bob Donnelly, Glenn Patterson, Mark Traver, Joe Rack, Lou Schenck, Jack Norray, Gerry Cross, Henry Whipple, Herb Bahrman, and me.
DELANSON — By the end of March, most of OMOTM are ready for winter to be over and we are looking forward to the warm weather and sunshine. So when last weekend's rain / sleet / ice / snow storm arrived, it really didn't bother us too much that most of the storm with its 18 inches of snow went just a little north of us.
Sure, we had some power outages, and some ice, but most of us only had four to six inches of snow and brief power interruptions. It did, however, provide us with the excuse to run the gas out of the snowblower one last time before the end of the season.
A couple of OFs did have issues with their heating systems however. We have been around for a while and have, over the course of our lifetimes, dealt with our furnace issues ourselves.
For the most part, the systems are so dependable and trouble free that we sort of take them for granted. Until they stop working. Then we get cold. Then we turn up the thermostat with negative results. We get colder.
Knowing that we really do not know very much, if anything, about the heating system, we set out to fix it anyway. Just like we did 15 or 20 years ago. Is it working? No. Got power? Yes.
Oh, look, there is a little door thing. What is behind it? How do I open it? Oh, OK, the hinge is on the bottom, I guess I’ll pull down from the top. Good, it is open.
What do I see? A flashing blinking light; wonder what that means? Probably not good. Wait, what is that little red button over there next to the word “Reset?” OK, I'll press it. Flashing light stops, heating system starts running. This is a good thing.
The next two steps are critically important to the whole project. The first step is to close that little door, straighten up and tuck your shirt in.
The second step is to make sure it is still running; if it is, then stand straighter, shoulders back, chest out, walk confidently into the room with the fireplace and announce that it is all going to be OK, you have fixed the heating system and have saved the day. Again.
You are still the hero she married so long ago. All is good. Until the washing machine breaks. The OMOTM don’t even know where that is located, and what is that big thing next to it? Oh, the dryer.
When a steak dinner
cost a dollar
One of the OFs brought in a show-and-tell prop for the memory discussions. It was the menu from the late 1950s for Mike’s Log Cabin on North Swan Street in Albany.
Several OFs remembered Mike’s as a popular watering hole where they didn’t check too closely about your age. Back in those days, the drinking age was 18!
You had to be 18 years old to drive at night so they must have assumed that if you drove there, you were old enough to drink. Worked for us!
A bottle of Bud was 35 cents, Schaefer was 30. A steak dinner with French fries and a vegetable was $1.00. Shrimp cocktail was 65 cents and a hamburger was 25 cents. This started a lot of memories, as you can imagine.
Good old days?
One OF recalled a summer job he had at Thacher Park. He would get there early in the morning and his job was picking up stuff to make the pool area look good.
One morning, he came upon a couple who were engaged in some research involving what they had learned in Biology 101 — not Advanced Biology mind you, just freshman 101 Biology. The stuff you learn in summer jobs!
Somehow this led the conversation to early TVs. Small black-and-white screens packaged in great big cabinets with only three or four channels, if you could adjust the rabbit-ear antennas just right.
You actually had to get up and walk to the TV to change the channel and then adjust the antenna each time. We found out that aluminum foil worked pretty good to help the reception.
Those great big cabinets held a whole bunch of tubes, which took a while to warm up and, when one would go bad, you had to try to figure out which one it was and replace it. This was a trial-and-error method that required several trips to the TV store to test the tubes.
If you had a great big 21-inch TV, you were very popular. Of course, it took two men and a boy to carry or move one of those TVs!
Good old days? Not so much. Some things are better today. However, Biology 101 remains as popular as ever today. Why is that?
Well wishes
On a much more serious note, one of our more senior members, Mike Willsey, fell and broke his leg this past weekend. He had already had an operation to replace the ball in his hip (the socket did not need replacement) and Mike is recovering at St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany.
Warren tells me that his father will soon be terrorizing the nurses in the finest tradition of the Old Men Of the Mountain. We were sorry to hear of Mike’s fall and we all wish him the speediest of recoveries.
There is a rumor floating around that involves the attendance report. This rumor, which only the Scribe and the Pinch Hitter know about at present, will manifest itself in a few weeks and will involve all the OMOTM present at a particular breakfast. Maybe even those OFs not present.
At any rate, we had a nice turnout of OFs on March 26 at Gibby’s Diner in Delanson / Duanesburg, and they were; Harold Guest, Wally Guest, Ed Goff, Pastor Jay Francis, Marty Herzog, Warren Willsey, Russ Pokorny, Jake Lederman, Ed Feurer, Wayne Gaul, Frank Fuss, Miner Stevens, Jake Herzog, George Washburn, William Lichliter, Mark Traver, Glenn Patterson, Joe Rack, Ken Parkes, Lou Schenck, John Dab, Paul Guiton, Gerry Cross, Jack Norray, Bob Donnelly, Dave Hodgetts, Herb Bahrmann, Nick Smith, Michael Kruzinski, Henry Whipple, and me.