The Amish Way

Amongst the Amish - yesterday in today.

Most of my Amish photos are drive-bys. In other words, to avoid the awkward discomfort on both sides, I was mostly taking pictures from the car. I tried not to go against their beliefs and didn't really get any face shots or take any photos of their children (much as I wanted to!!!! Their kids are very cute in their dresses/pants and hats), but I couldn't be surrounded by all this Amish imagery wealth and not take ANY photos, so...! Most of our associations with these people were mutually polite and friendly, and I tried not to mess that up!

Potato farm.

And believe it or not - a tobacco farm! And to put it into perspective, there's an article written on this subject, called "Tobacco: A Burning Issue!" Apparently some Amish see tobacco use as a practice endorsed by the bible and do smoke, and others see it as definitely on the no-no list! However, whichever way it is viewed for Amish use, one writer put it this way: "Tobacco is labor intensive, and ideal for the large Amish family." You can still grow and sell it, even if you don't use it yourself. Fewer Amish do grow it now though, perhaps because: "It’s time to face the facts and realize that using tobacco is a lust of the flesh, a harm to your health, and a waster of your money."

Grocery store parking!

Their horses are lean - they're working horses! But they are not skinny. Mostly, from what we saw, the horses look to be worked pretty hard but also well cared-for (it certainly wouldn't pay to NOT look after them well!! You wouldn't want your car to hate you or to break down on you all the time, would you?!).

Empty silos - at some point, they will all be full of corn.

Many of the Amish have very nice-looking, nicely-kept homes and barns. You might even mistake them for more modern homes and farms - until you see the unmistakable buggies in the yards.

A roadside stand. One of the many. The Amish farmers lay out fresh fruits and veggies, incredible baked goods (some of the best cinnamon rolls and PB cookies we've ever had!), drinks ("meadow tea," which tastes to me like Celestial Season's Sleepytime tea, root beer,...), jams, etc. They are often just run on the honor system, with a can out to put your money in. But sometimes they are manned - sometimes by the whole family, sometimes just Mom, sometimes just the kids. Or sometimes no one is in sight - till you spy a curious face or two in the window!

A common scene - the ubiquitous laundry line.

Another quintessential farm scene.

Another stand I stopped at. Shoo-fly pie can be described "like a coffee cake, with a gooey molasses bottom." We're not so into molasses, so I never got us one, but I love the name! They are also into whoopie pies! Other folks (esp. New Englanders) sometimes know these as "gobs," or "chocolate gobs" as my friend Sarah calls them, but apparently they were originally created by the Pennsylvania Amish and called whoopie pies. They are basically two giant soft chocolate cookies with a fluffy white (sweetened vegetable shortening) filling.

Towards day's end...