Lancaster

Today we left Odessa, Delaware and headed north to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We took an Amish tour  which included a bus tour to various farms and Amish stores, a tour of an Amish house, and a tour of an Amish farm. Here are three pigs resting on the farm.

Along the way the driver explained Amish customs. He said Amish people do not like to be photographed because of the second commandment. Having a photograph would be like a false god. Then he said, "Get your cameras ready. Here is a wedding." We saw 50 buggies parked in a field. Weddings take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the middle of October until the middle of December. I didn't take a picture of the wedding even though it is a rare sight to see. If people don't like having their picture taken, I will respect that choice. He told us how to spot an Amish home. Amish homes might have green window shades. Amish homes have no electricity line going to the house although they might have solar power panels on the roof to charge batteries. Amish homes sometimes have small buildings outside to store a telephone. Amish homes might have two wheeled scooters parked in front of the house. The scooters look like a two wheeled bicycle but they don't have a seat. Instead they have a flat surface for one foot while the other foot does the pushing. Amish homes will have a shed for the horse and buggy. Amish homes have a clothesline because the Amish believe clothes dryers are a waste of energy. On our look at farms we saw many goats and silkie chickens. Amish farmers have become rare but they are successful because they can re use their own seed, they use manure for fertilizer, and they use mules or horses to plant and to harvest. Amish farmer don't spend money on hybrid seed, fertilizer nor tractors.