Grandpa was standing behind the counter wearing his white apron and white paper hat, chatting with an elderly lady customer when we opened the door to his butcher shop. The door had bells tingled as we walked in, and then had a loud jangle as the door slammed shut. The pungent aroma of ground meat and spices was in the air. Grandpa was making sausages or hot dogs today, which meant we could be enjoying them when we visited for dinner tonite. Grandpa always brought home whatever was freshly made that day, or whatever did not sell. I hoped that it would be the hot dogs.
Grandpa looked over at us and smiled. Dad walked over to one of the chairs and sat down. I looked in the meat case and looked at the different meats Grandpa had displayed in the case. There were some sausage links and some assorted beef and chicken meat on display. Also there were customer orders wrapped in white paper which had names of customers on them. The elderly lady finished paying Grandpa for the order. Grandpa took the ladies money and placed the money in the old wooden cash register and Grandpa said to the lady; "thank-you and say hello to Jim for me".
Grandpa said; "hello Donnie, hello Pat", and asked us if we would like to walk with him to the bank and then maybe we could go and get some fresh apple cider at the cider mill. Grandpa took his white apron and paper hat off, grabbed his deposit bag and walked around the meat case and to the door. He put up a handwritted sign that said; I will be back in 15 minutes -ED We walked out together and I heard the bells jangle as the door slammed shut and Grandpa turned the key in the lock.
I looked up at the steeple of the church across the street and the village green when someone in front of the fire department said; "Hi Ed, what looks good today? Got any nice roasts?" Grandpa said; "Not today,got some nice pork chops though".
I stroll along and look up at the church which is now the Kirkland Art Center, just like I had done many years ago walking with Grandpa and Dad. I was glad that not a lot had changed here in the Village of Clinton. The businesses are different now, and many buildings are different colors including the church. Unlike much of the Mohawk Valley area, Clinton has retained much of the character and charm it has had for the last hundred years. As I walk past the fire department and the building where Ed's Meat Market used to be, I hear Grandpa's gentle voice. Grandpa says; "I'm saving some hot dogs for us tonite!".
