Amish Country

Mom and Dad wanted to explore Amish country today.

First, they ate at a Pennsylvania Dutch restaurant called Good N Plenty. If you know Dad, he is not about trying out different types of foods. Can you see his excitement and enthusiasm?

Then the three of us decided we would take an Amish buggy ride. Today was a little warmer than what it has been since we have been in Pennsylvania. It think that the temperature is in the 50's. Notice that I still have on a sweater though because it is windy.

Dad and I are waiting for our ride underneath the covered bridge.

Here's Jill and our buggy.

The buggy is tight quarters, just for Mom, Dad and me. The back of the buggy consisted of two thin benches with little to no leg room. I sat on the bench next to Mom.

Our driver, Tom, sat up front holding the horse's reins.

Notice Dad's knee next to the small bench I am lying across.

I enjoyed listening to the horse's hooves hitting the pavement and looking out the buggy
at the beautiful countryside. Then I overheard Tom talking about how these horses and cows have to work for a living - pulling wagons, plowing the fields, and providing milk at the diary farms. Dogs do have the best life!

I feel sorry for these horses and cows, making me appreciate my cushy life.

Here's a one room school house that all the kids within about a 5 mile distance come to school. Amish children go to school from first grade through the eighth grade and are taught by the same teacher. One room and one teacher! Tom also explained that the teachers were young and typically did not teach for very long. When the teachers marry, they stay home to raise their families.

The family who lives on this Amish farm has 13 children! The Amish believe that you should have no wires coming into the home because they view it as connecting you to the outside world. They stand firm on the Bible stating that you should be different from the world and do not have electricity or other worldly items. So, the clothesline is their dryer. I bet it takes a while for the clothes to dry on these cold days.

Here's another buggy passing us. Although we frequently see Amish buggies on the roads, including the main highway, Mom still gets so excited each time one passes by. You would think that they would have a special lane for their safety, like a bike lane but they don't. The cars just slowly pass, being careful not to spook the horses.

During our buggy ride, we also learned about the different types of Amish buggies and wagons. For instance, the one on the right side of the picture below is referred to as an Amish "pickup".

Then we went to a local farmer's market and saw several handmade Amish quilts.

Who knew that quilts were so expensive?

Thank you Mama Duke for making Mom and Dad a quilt as a wedding gift and for the one you made Mom for Christmas. Now, I know why Mom is so protective of them.

Even though I am not allowed to lay on Mama Duke's quilts, I am lucky that I get to have my own chair and not have to work around here.

Now, I guess I will take me a little nap in my warm and cozy sweater on this winter day!