One night last week I was driving to my daughter Ann's house with my husband, Allan, to deliver the dining room table he made for her (that’s another story). Ann lives in Lancaster County, about an hour drive from our house. I always enjoy driving there. The countryside is landscaped with rolling hills and freshly plowed fields. The farms and barns sometimes look like paintings, they are so perfectly quaint and manicured. Although the smells can be pungent and sometimes a little unpleasant, you can be certain the soil contains some good fertilizer. It is not uncommon to see crisp white sheets or a handmade quilt drying on a clothesline, blowing gently in the breeze. Because Lancaster County is home to many Amish families, it is also not unusual to pass horse-drawn buggies clip-clopping down the road, or see children on scooters or bikes wave hello as you go by. For this reason, I like to get off the main road as soon as possible and travel through the back country roads. It’s like traveling back in time.
On this particular night, because of the time of day, Allan felt we would be better off to travel the main road. Little did we know that because of construction, part of the road was closed and it narrowed down to one lane in spots. At one point we ended up sitting without moving an inch for a good five minutes. We were stopped in front of a gas station and Allan looked over and commented, “Now there’s something you don’t see every day!” I glanced in that direction in time to see a buggy pulled up to a gas pump! I looked closer and noticed an Amish farmer filling a gas tank while his wife kept the horses still. While the Amish generally do not use electricity, we decided that they may be using gas powered engines for some of the farm machinery. Still, seeing a buggy alongside a gas pump was something that at first glance just didn’t make sense, and was definitely something you don’t see every day. I definitely had to do some “close reading” to figure that one out.
On this particular night, because of the time of day, Allan felt we would be better off to travel the main road. Little did we know that because of construction, part of the road was closed and it narrowed down to one lane in spots. At one point we ended up sitting without moving an inch for a good five minutes. We were stopped in front of a gas station and Allan looked over and commented, “Now there’s something you don’t see every day!” I glanced in that direction in time to see a buggy pulled up to a gas pump! I looked closer and noticed an Amish farmer filling a gas tank while his wife kept the horses still. While the Amish generally do not use electricity, we decided that they may be using gas powered engines for some of the farm machinery. Still, seeing a buggy alongside a gas pump was something that at first glance just didn’t make sense, and was definitely something you don’t see every day. I definitely had to do some “close reading” to figure that one out.
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