Jefferson Strawberry Festival

Hey Gang!
Jefferson Village, Ohio is only a scant 45 miles from my home base in Wickliffe but it seems so much farther. That is not to be taken in a negative way. I mean it as a positive. 45 miles ain’t much but it really did seem like I traveled much further. Things are so much more laid back, at ease and should I say safe in Jefferson compared to the city. I been to Jefferson enough times I even wrote about their Christmas Parade and depot but never spent time just hanging around and getting to know people. It’s a nice place.

I decided to leave at 3 am Saturday instead of trying to wake at 8 so I could arrive by 10 to set up for the Jefferson Strawberry Festival. I got in town around 4:30 went to the police station where it just so happened a cop was in the lot by his car. I asked him where I could park for the night and he said pull back there under the trees. So that’s where I parked for two nights.


The Strawberry Festival is small but they are working on it to improve attendance and the amount of vendors.

The head of the Depot is Jean and Jim Dutton. What terrific people. I don’t think Jean would mind me telling you her age, she is 90. When you see all she has to take care of at the festival and in between she plays the piano her energy is just amazing. And her husband Jim is right alongside her bouncing around greeting people, making sure the vendors are OK and parking cars. I loved their hospitality.



Sunday there was a car show. Instead of parking with the other cars Jim wanted to park the Go-Go Bus closer to the entrance to attract people driving by. There were some really classy cars there so I was honored to park where he wanted me to.

Saturday was successful for book sales, Sunday lacked but it may have been the heat that knocked the attendance down a bit.
All in all what a great time, making new friends is always fun and selling books on top of that made it very successful.

Thanks again Jean & Jim and for the rest of you, go visit the depot, its a throwback in time and Jean and Jim can tell you the story how it all came to be.

. Gotta Go-Go!!
       Carey

This one's for Gwen

Hey Gang,
Gwen made a request, well sort of a request, that she wishes I would write fun stories as I use to. Well this is the best I can do until our economy rebounds or gas gets to a reasonable level so I can hit the road and meet wonderful and interesting people or cats again.
So many things I do I just stumble on, no planning just walk right into them. It all comes down to timing and instinct which you can't explain. Thats how my Saturday went. I haven't had a day like this in some time.

My good friend Joe opened a business in Ashtabula selling Cutco knives. Ashtabula is about 45 miles from my house in Wickliffe. Joe bought a cabinet in the Cleveland area and asked if I could do him a favor and deliver it. Of course I said yes. I wanted to check out his new office anyway and it would give me the opportunity to take a short road trip.

The only plans Joe and I made was the time, I had to be at his office before 9pm. Since the weather was on and off rain and nothing else going on I decided to leave early and take my time getting there.

The quickest way to Ashtabula is taking the freeway Rt. 90 and exiting at Rt.45 but I prefer Rt. 20. Rt. 20 is the old route that everyone drove before the advent of the freeway, it will take you all the way to the east coast.

I took the freeway Rt 2 until it ends and dumps into Rt. 20 in Painesville Twp.. From Painesville Twp. you drive through Perry, Madison, Geneva, Saybrook and then enter Ashtabula. In Madison there were detour signs saying road closed 6 miles ahead. I trusted my instincts instead of following the detour, which sometimes can take you on a wild goose chase, and continued on. Before hitting the road block in Geneva I took a right on Walter Main Rd.. There is a junk yard I go to on Walter Main but I never drove the road past that point. I played my hunches and I was correct. It connected with Rt. 84 and from there I could loop back over to Rt. 20.. Follow this? You may want to travel it someday.

NOW I wrote all that just to tell you what I stumbled upon. If not for that detour I would of missed one of the most interesting in your face houses I have ever seen. I flew passed it and had to turn around. I parked on the berm to snap photos of it and the owner came out.

Believe it or not I can't remember his name. To tell you the truth, I can't even repeat much of what he said. Normally I can write in verbatim what someone says. But this guy talked so fast, had so much to say I couldn't keep up. I can sort of sum up what he said this way "Vote them all out"! Oh one more thing I remember, he said people should be worried if they shut me up because then its over.

I would almost have to call his house folk art-ish meets 60's protest - how about folk-adelic? The same with his cars, yes written all over. He said to get his message out he frequently parks his cars in no parking zones. Its worth the fine because usually these are the best spots to advertise your message.

Before I left I invited myself back for coffee and he said sure, anytime. So when I return will report back to you with the full scoop. He did say go ahead post this all over the internet what these crooks are doing. So I am obeying orders. I just wish he lived in Euclid.

From there I headed back to Rt 20 to get to Joe's but my day wasn't over yet.
Stay tuned.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey Masci