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Now There's Something You Don't See Every Day

5/26/2015

5 Comments

 
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     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.


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5 Comments
Stacey Shubitz link
5/26/2015 06:30:00 am

I LOVE driving alongside the horse-drawn carriages in Lancaster County. Thanks for sharing this little slice of country tranquility with us.

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arjeha link
5/26/2015 08:42:34 am

Kathy and I enjoy traveling through Lancaster county. Kathy goes for the quilt shops and I go to eat.

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elsie
5/26/2015 08:54:21 am

One must always be alert for those funny views that at first don't make sense. Glad you were able to spot this one.

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Tammy and Clare link
5/26/2015 11:17:03 am

We once saw horses towing a car in western MA suburb --love the idea of closely reading the situation! You will have to give us a good route from Philly to Lancaster in October -- sounds like we may have a memorable drive.
Clare and Tammy

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Erin Baker link
5/26/2015 01:16:13 pm

There is a place I travel to here in MO that has a lot of Amish families. It is also close to where they keep the Stealth Bomber jets. One day, on my way to town, the Stealth Bomber flew right by my car. When I arrived in town, I saw an Amish family in their buggy. Definitely something you don't see every day.
I love how you described the landscape with the sheets and quilts and fertilized fields. You painted a picture in my mind. :)

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