Steel Wheels
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We have several Amish communities in our area of Minnesooooota. They definitely do not allow use of tractors, only horses. They are allowed to use diesel engines to run belt drives for power tools used in cutting wood and making cabinetry. They can also use propane and kerosene for refrigeration and lighting.
Years ago, I bought some oak rocking chairs from Mr. Miller at his farm about 30 miles from our place. His adult children were running the farm at that point, and he was running a small furniture shop.
He and his wife lived in a small house near the shop, and his kids and grandkids lived nearby. During the day, the grandkids were often near the grandparents' house. When I drove in with my pickup truck, I could see little faces peering out from doorways, windows, the barn, the porch, ... It was so doggone cute!
For later visits, I always brought a bag of Werther's hard candies, because Mr. Miller loved them, and he shared them with the kids, and probably his wife. The kids got progressively less shy about seeing my big blue truck pull in the farm yard by the shop. They knew that lady brought the candies.
Over a period of several years, I bought at least four rockers from Mr. Miller, and he always signed the bottom of the seats. I appreciated that.
Today, there are more Amish in the area. I buy my annual flowers from a family in one of the recent expansion areas of their communities. Selling flowers and various plants is a bridge from winter to spring for them. By Memorial Day, they are looking to finish the greenhouse sales and go straight to farming. The greenhouse business is done by the wife and kids. The kids over 12 basically run much of it, with the older girls in charge.
In one of the older settlements nearby, the Amish farms running spring greenhouses have a combined auction at the end of season, usually end of May. It's huge. That gives them an immediate end to their greenhouse business for the season, and everyone in the family is doing their part for the regular farm activity.
Every once in a while, we attend an Amish auction. That's quite an experience, being in the minority of an Amish event. Buggies are parked by the dozens, with a separate feeding and watering spot for all the horses of the attendees. There may be 100 or more horses.
The food available at the auction includes breakfast, lunch, and snack items, all homemade by the Amish ladies. It's a social event for them to attend, even if they don't intend to purchase items. The women congregate in solid-colored homemade dresses of only a few different styles. They wear headcoverings and aprons.
The men wear homemade black pants, and black vests over solid-colored shirts, sometimes white or other colors. The hats are either black or straw. The kids are mini versions of the adults, though they are often barefoot in summer.
They women wear their hair pulled back in a bun,, or braided and coiled around their head. The men have blunt cut hair that gives the impression ma got out a bowl and scissors the day before the sale event.
They don't talk with the non-Amish attendees unless spoken to first, and the conversation is usually kept very brief. Occasionally, someone Amish will be more conversational, but that's rare at an auction. At their greenhouse businesses, they can be chatty, but not at an auction, unless they already know you.
The prices at an Amish auction will not typically be low, and may be higher than at other auctions. The Amish prefer to buy within their own community, and sometimes will pay more than retail for a used item. The only bargains are likely to be in the household items, and even those may be priced higher than expected.
I love to watch the little kids. They are so charming and adorable. They know how to entertain themselves with games, and they gladly help the adults with tasks, making them feel more grown up. I like to ask the boys about their hat, or the girls about their dress. They will tell you all about it, including who helped make it, and all kinds of things. They are often very pleased to be asked and complimented.
There are a few people in our area who do not like the Amish, but most people are accepting or even friendly with them. There are some issues, such as graywater and wastewater disposal in some parts of the county, which create legal issues. The county has density limits for housing in the rural areas, which conflicts with their extended family farming. And then there are tourism businesses that capitalize on the presence and handmade products of the Amish. Overall, we get along fairly well.
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We have no Amish down here. The closest anabaptists I know of, are the Mennonites in Arkansas and Missouri. Next dining room set I buy, I'm driving to Arkansas and buy from one of the Mennonite shops. The furniture is solid wood, well-built and is priced low (I think) for what it is.
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Been to Lancaster County many times. Mostly for the pies.
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Been to Lancaster County many times. Mostly for the pies.
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
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@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
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@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
Thought you would have hung around for the girls to come out in their wilding period.
“Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”
Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton
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@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
Thought you would have hung around for the girls to come out in their wilding period.
@Jolly said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
Thought you would have hung around for the girls to come out in their wilding period.
Like Spring Break, which our winter snow schedule didn't allow for, I feel quite gypped as rumschpringe and equivalents weren't that big of a thing.
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@Jolly said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
Thought you would have hung around for the girls to come out in their wilding period.
Like Spring Break, which our winter snow schedule didn't allow for, I feel quite gypped as rumschpringe and equivalents weren't that big of a thing.
@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Jolly said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
Thought you would have hung around for the girls to come out in their wilding period.
Like Spring Break, which our winter snow schedule didn't allow for, I feel quite gypped as rumschpringe and equivalents weren't that big of a thing.
I remember Panama City on the Redneck Riviera before AIDS.
Ah, the sweet smell of coconut-basted female flesh in the sunshine...
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@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
Thought you would have hung around for the girls to come out in their wilding period.
@Jolly said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer said in Steel Wheels:
@Catseye3 said in Steel Wheels:
@Aqua-Letifer That's Lancaster Kaundi, Mr. Tourist.
I'm not from Lancaster, but there were plenty of Amish communities where I grew up. My school bus got stuck behind their buggies pretty regularly. We bought tons from them during the farmer's market.
Interestingly, my dad taught their kids astronomy. According to him, they were always the most well-behaved.
Thought you would have hung around for the girls to come out in their wilding period.
You'd know you were getting them fresh.
