I paused on the stair landing and watched yet another, seen only by a vague green light from whatever he was using to make himself visible to passing traffic, as he pounded down the road well before dawn.
I wonder where they are all going.
And have you noticed that almost every single one of their horses is lame to some degree? Watch for the tell-tale head bob when the hurty foot hits the ground when they trot....or listen. You can hear that little hitch in their git-along too, especially in the quiet of the early early morning like today.
Anyhow, something is happening somewhere.....
****And on another note, I am SO GLAD that moose are uncommon in NY (although I am sure most local folks will remember the one in Fonda a couple of years ago. Do click the link above then click on through to read the whole story. I know a lot of tough women, but to drive away an attacking moose with a grain shovel...at 85 years old and 97 pounds...well, that is amazing.
We have such mixed feelings about the Amish here in central Ohio.
ReplyDeleteTheir self-sufficiency and close community and family ties are so wonderful . . . but sharing the highway with us motorists . .
scares the hell out of us - coming around a corner . .
PS. Even with a functioning central heating unit Keith and I are fighting over the covers in the middle of the night. Oh honey!
A leaf in a dictionary, what an outstanding figure of speech.
ReplyDeleteKeep us informed of the Amish activities. Sounds a little ominous. btw, do they have central heating?
My wife & I attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The Amana Colonies are just about 20 miles west of there, with horse-drawn buggies a-plenty. Fortunately, the highways there are long, straight, and flat, so it's easy to see a buggy before you reach it.
ReplyDeleteOh, and thanks for the link.
The closest Amish to me are around Hutchinson, KS - and one sect uses tractors to get around. They're all small, relatively high speed small tractors with plastic cabs, and they use them for farming as well. So, at restaurants or other businesses in town where Amish women work there are usually several small Ford tractors mixed with other employees cars - Fords apparently having the fastest road speed.
ReplyDeleteThe whole thing started because the horses were basically being eaten alive by flies - teams of horses were just not gonna work. One sect was pretty worried about the speed of the tractors affecting the worldliness of it all, so they retrofit old lug steel wheels on their tractors to keep the speeds lower. However, the state does not allow steel lugged wheel on roads, so they have to heat and stretch tire carcasses over the steel wheels, which definitely look very, very odd.
We have a lot of Russian Mennonites in the area, and while they are different, they are generally moral to a fault. However, we've been getting "German Mennonite" immigrants for a while - originally Germans who immigrated to Mexico and then here. Unfortunately their moral fiber isn't even close.
It is amazing! Those creatures are HUGE!
ReplyDeleteWe have huge mennonite communities here and they all drive HUGE crew cab trucks (brand new) and have cell phones and live in fancy/dancy houses. There is lots of money in their communities here.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Cathy, about the same here. It is good that someone, anyone, is farming the land, but the ones we have hunt deer to extinction without regard to rules and ...well, I could tell you stories but I won't. And I am toasty warm at night. I have SO many blankets. lol
ReplyDeleteJan, it varies. Many of them heat with coal. their houses are usually fairly small and from what I have been told, quite warm.
Rev. Paul, thanks for the incredible story! We talked about it all day. They don't make em like that any more.
Jeffro, well said! There is a vast difference among the locals as well, I suppose the same as anyone. We have had them work for us and do outstanding work, quickly, honestly and just plain right and had other cheat us and sneak in and walk off with stuff. I guess it just depends.
Linda, likewise to the west of us. Beautiful farms, perfectly run and appointed. That lady and the moose! My hat is off to her!