Amish Country...............

One thing I enjoy when we go downstate is the Amish country. I love the big ol' farms down near Mt Pleasant. The countryside is much different from here further north. Its flatter and ideal farm land. It's good to see the crops and the cycle of life. Right now the ploughs have been at work and the rye grass sown. The corn (Maize) stalks are being cut and stacked in bundles (shocks) to cure and dry. We were lucky to see an Amish farmer cutting with his with a two horse team.

The fields are mostly ready for next Spring sowing.

The Amish farms are no doubt passed down generations and some are really big. I have heard that many Amish are not kind to their animals. They are "work" horses and used to pull the carriages. They are not pets. They are worked until they can no longer work. I have no idea and do not want to know if this is true. I assume even they have exceptions.I hope it's not true.
Recently there have been a few horses killed in road accidents. Usually its the other persons fault being impatient and overtaking when not safe. Children have been killed as well as the horses. Today there was one on the news, the person driving the buggy lost control and the horse pulled out in front of a semi.......one child in bad shape after being thrown out of the buggy. Its just a matter of patience mainly because they are slow but they have the right of way. Took us awhile to get around this one.

The carriage horses are nearly always black. Maybe common ancestors.


In this area there are several stores and they sell the vegetables and baked goods. The prices are really good and we have several we go down to, it's worth the trip to get the wonderful butter and cheese. They also sell bulk goods.

I love seeing the women in their special dresses, all hand sewn with white caps. So refreshing after the fashions seen by the rest of us. I seldom take pictures of the people I feel I am intruding.


The leaves still have some colour down there, where here they have mainly fallen now

I missed a couple of chances to get pictures of the washing on the line but got this one


I do love the Tamarack trees. They look like pines but have softer needles and they turn yellow in the Fall. When the sun is on them they glow

Anyway, I could live down there in farm country except..........I can not take the cattle trucks and the knowing what happens to the beautiful creatures in the fields.

I would get a farm and rescue who I could (smile) take in the old horses and the unwanted ones. Maybe an old farm to fix up. A dream. Not a reality................