816-Lanca»ter Fuming, Saturday, July 11, 1992
BERN VILLE (Berks
Co.) “Most people say there is
a pot of gold at the end of a rain
bow, but at the end of my rainbow
was a dream just out of reach,”
Sherry Bashore said.
The woman was talking about
how she had been (me of a handfull
of young adults across the nation
who were selected to represent the
United States in a world-wide agri
cultural work experience program.
She had been chosen to go to
Australia.
However, not having the funds
to travel made it look as though the
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
was going to pass her by.
Working on an Ono-area farm in
Lebanon County, her plight caught
the attention of the local newspap
er and eventually the county agri
cultural community. The agricul
tural community raised the money
to send Sherry on the trip.
“My dream was to participate in
the Work Experience Abroad
(WEA) program and go to Austra
lia,” Bashore said, adding that the
WEA is run by the FFA and rural
youth around the world.
‘Thanks to the generosity of
individuals, groups and businesses
of Lebanon County, I was able to
follow my rainbow down under.
“In January 1989, I boarded a
plane to Australia. Roy and Elva
Dalitz and sons were my host fami
ly. I stayed with them for three
months, working on their dairy
farm,” Bashore said.
She said her memories of her
time in Australia will stay with her
forever. She said she came to
regard them as family and affec
tionately address them as parents.
“Milking, painting the dairy,
along with other farm chores were
some of my jobs. Exchanging
notes about farming and other cus
toms with the Aussies also proved
to be a challenge everyday,”
Bashore said.
But too soon the trip was over
and she returned to Harpers where
she worked for her brother on his
dairy farm.
In September, she married Bob
Bashore and moved to Berks
County. The couple has 90 head of
registered Holsteins and call their
operation Plenty-Good Holsteins.
They farm on about 450 acres in
Mohrsville.
Underwriter* Laboratories jt \.
Approved Master Labeled Ty_i
Lightning Rod Systems 'W
TEATES
PROTECTION
LP.I. Cartlflad Master Installer
Farm, Residential and Commercial
FREE ESTIMATES
TIM SHAFFER P.O. BOX 136
(717) 374-7090 Freeburg, PA 17827
Need Your
Farm Buildings
Painted?
Let us give you a price!
Write: Daniel’s Painting
637-A Georgetown Rd,
Ronks, PA 17572
(or leave message)
(717) 687-8262
Spray on and
Brush in Painting
Down Under, Over The Rainbow
With the memories of Australia
seemingly tucked away to recall
for pleasure. Sherry said she
settled into her life and didn’t real
ly know if she would ever see the
Dalitz family again.
But recently, Bashore got that
chance. This time is was her turn to
show off the agricultural
community.
‘Three years later, I found
another end to a rainbow. My lost
‘parents’ were coming to the
U.S.A,” Bashore said. “They
started their six-week stay in
America on May IS, by doing an
organized five-day country tour
around Lake Michigan.
“They rented a car and drove to
a trainee, a WEA participant, in
Wisconsin. You have to watch out.
Australians drive on the wrong
side of the road,” she said.
She said the Dalitzes also got to
experience the unusual late spring
weather this year. “They left warm
Wisconsin to come to cold Pen
nsylvania,” she said.
About 9 a.m.. May 26, the phone
rang at the Bashore house. Sherry
answered. “‘We arc in Bemville,’
they (Dalitzes) said,” Sherry
recalled. “I jumped in the car and
drove to the service station.
“G’Day and hugs were the
greeting. Roy and Elva said it’s
colder today (in Pennsylvania)
than it gets in winter (in Australia).
They got settled in and we all
enjoyed the afternoon catching up
on all the news. We went to my
parents’ house for a Pennsylvania
Dutch feast
“The meal consisted of pot pie,
lettuce with hot bacon dressing,
chow-chow, butter carrots and
com. For desert we had a treat
cherry crisp and ice cream. Elva
said, ‘Cherrys are very expensive,
and we don’t get them.’”
The Dalitzes are from Denili
quin, New South Wales, Australia.
They milk about 160 head of Hols
teins. Their farm consists of about
3SO acres that are flood irrigated.
Their three sons, Steven, Trevor
and Darrin, kept operations run
ning back at the Dalitz farm, while
Roy and Elva went on “holiday,”
Sizes And Layouts
To Your Specifications
the Australian term for vacation.
It was also the couple’s 2Sth
anniversary celebration trip.
“Wednesday at noon, we left for
Niagra Falls, Canada. We found a
motel, two big blocks away from
Horseshoe Falls.
“We decided to walk down to
the falls and view them by night,”
Bashore said.
“Well, we got lost Our sense of
direction proved us wrong. Final
ly, the roaring water was right in
front of us. The different colors of
lights shining on the water
reminded us of a rainbow. They
falls were absolutely beautiful
the amount, speed and sound of
the water was incredible.”
She said that, after the dark walk
back up the hill to the motel, they
all made a stop for ice cream
sundaes and banana splits.
Bashore said the night went
quickly, and the morning light saw
them still enthralled with the mag
nificence of North America’s
natural beauty ... of God’s gifts.
“After sightseeing on both sides
of the falls, we were on our way to
the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.
Wow!” Bashore said.
She said that peering out from
the overlook at Leonard Harrison
State Park and viewing the seem
ingly endless mountains covered
in trees which dropped quickly and
deeply down to the Pine Creek was
almost surreal.
“The depth of the drop of the
mountains to the valley below is
really something,” she said.
Meanwhile, Roy and Elva
became intrigued with the squir-
LIVESTOCK TRUCKING
WINTER SPRING FARM
H. Charles and Joan Hoffman
Brodheadsvlile, PA
Licensed, Bonded and Cargo Insured
Order Buying. Weekly trips to
Leesport. New Holland, Lancaster.
(717) 992-6295
Also down cattle removal.
• Agricultural • Commercial • Residential
• Retaining Walls • Bunker Silos • Manure Storage, Etc.
LET OUR EXPERIENCE WORK FOR YOU
ESTABLISHED SINCE 19791
WE ORIGINATED THE CONCRETE SYSTEM!
We Work Hard
For Customer
Satisfaction!
rels and other common North
American animals.
Then the trip came closer to
home. The next stop was near
Ephrata.
‘“Elva, get your camera.
There’s a dragon ahead,’ I said as
we approached Green Dragon
Market The hay and straw auction
impressed Roy,” Sherry said. “He
said, Tf we want hay, we ring up an
agent and he’ll put us in contact
with someone.’”
Elva spent time at the market
milling through the offerings of
craft articles.
Then the group did another
Dutch County tradition they
ate lunch at a smorgasboard.
The pace of the trip slowed as it
neared its end. With everyone con
tentedly full and relaxed. Bob
Bashore drove the car back to
Bemville, taking all the back
roads.
Should You
WEST CHESTER (Chester
Co.) Confused about the bene
fits of refinancing your home
mortgage? Concerned that you
may not have all the information
necessary to take full advantage of
refinancing? Penn State Coopera
tive Extension is offering a semi
nar, “Refinancing Your Home
Mortgage,” on Thursday. July 30,
at 7:00 p.m. at the Chester County
Cooperative Extension office, 235
W. Market Street, West Chester.
Commodity Bins And Trench Silos
Authorized Dealer For
KEYSTONE
CONCRETE PRODUCTS
• Hog & • Trench
Cattle Silo
Slats Walls
• H-Bunks • J-Bunks
Get MOOOvin’
otvith Milk!
INC.
430 Concrete Ave., Leola, PA
717-656-2016
“Cameras were clicking as we
passed Amish farmers in the
fields,” Sherry said.
That evening. Bob and Sherry
hosted a ‘Get to Know the Aussies’
picnic for their families.
Early the next morning, the
realization of having to say good
bye was sobering and sad. Sherry
said. She said those feelings mixed
together strangely with the fresh
happy memories of the past days.
The Dalitzes drove away; to
Missouri, then on to Yellowstone
National Park, Washington state,
the Canadian Rockies, and eventu
ally back to Australia.
Meanwhile, Sherry and Robert
have settled back to the lives they
are making as Pennsylvania dairy
farmers, now enriched and
fulfilled in the knowledge of the
generosity and friendliness of the
agricultural community in Leba
non, Pennsylvania and the world.
Refinance?
What factors do you need to
consider if you are thinking about
refinancing? Should you refinance
to get a lower monthly payment or
to pay the mortgage off sooner?
What are the tax consequences?
How long will it take before you
see a benefit from refinancing?
These and other questions will be
discussed.
For registration information,
contact Chester County Coopera
tive Extension at 215-696-3500.
f