Fix-It and Forget-It

These beautiful turkeys---are they Mr. and Mrs.?---live nearby. While their faces might be considered homely, the overall effect of feathers, wattle, and tail is very impressive.

The Amish harnessed wind power long before it was trendy. This windmill rises starkly above the frosty fields on a recent wintery morning.

If the short days of November and December are getting you down, here’s a gorgeous Lancaster County sunrise to lift your spirits.

Much of the country suffered crippling drought this summer. Here in Lancaster we were fortunate to have good rains throughout the growing season.

This field corn was likely harvested a row or two at a time with a horse- or mule-drawn corn-picker. After the ears are harvested, the dried stalks are chopped and baled for use as livestock bedding.

There’s a good chance that this buggy, on the road early last Thursday, was headed to a wedding. Amish weddings are all-day affairs and involve the whole community.

November is the traditional month for Amish weddings, although as the Amish community in Lancaster grows, the weddings have begun to spill over into December. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the usual Amish wedding days. A local Amish-run nursery lists its business hours in its catalog, but adds this qualifier: “During November and early December there is a good chance we have a wedding on Tuesday or Thursday.”

Here in Lancaster, the apple trees are loaded with ripe fruit. In spite of potentially damaging weather conditions last spring, we’re so glad to see that this orchard, at least, will be stocking our favorite fall fruit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that apple production is down about 14 percent across the nation, due to this past spring’s damaging cycles of early bloom and frost. According to the USDA, this year’s crop may be the smallest in more than two decades, with New York’s apple yield down by about half, and Michigan’s by nearly 90 percent.

Although some orchards in our area were affected, the damage around here was widely scattered. That means enough apples at the market, but fewer orchards offering public picking and higher prices for apple cider. We’re hoping for better weather and abundant apples for everyone next year!

A little gathering of jack-o’-lanterns greets scholars as they arrive at this nearby Amish schoolhouse. The pumpkins, with their bright orange faces and big, toothy grins, add a cheerful note to a series of gray and drizzly fall days here in Lancaster County.

Judging by their rapt expressions, our photographer is the most exciting thing that’s happened to these neighboring cows all day. Continue Reading...

The Amish scooter gives new meaning to the term “green transportation.” This model is foot powered, emission-free, and quiet. It also parks neatly in small spaces.

Amish farmers in Lancaster County have been busy harvesting this year’s tobacco crop. The work is labor-intensive, as each stalk must be cut and speared by hand.

After a few days, the tobacco is hung in the tobacco shed to dry.