No Place Like Home

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This local home is one I have always considered to be a true masterpiece. It was built in 1905 by Benjamin Gonder and the architectural detailing is magnificent. I was driving by recently and noticed this patch of flowers along the driveway entrance. The blooms were calling out to me,so I bravely knocked at the door and was met by the owner who graciously allowed me on the property. I said I wanted to snap a few flower pictures and as usual I spent more than an hour at it.

Whenever you meet someone new like this,there is always a bit of uncertainty on their part about who this person is and are they legit. The owner came out after an hour because they wondered how long a snapshot takes? I reassured her that with me,it can be pretty involved to get it all right. She then offered to allow me to go take a peek out back and possibly shoot the rose garden,which was absolutely stunning and that will be a post for another day. For this image,I waited till dusk for the interior light to show,and then lit the plants with flash. As I recall, the owners referred to themselves as the caretakers,which I took to meaning that some homes are so special that they are really something unto themselves and are not owned but cared for, but I might have that all wrong too.

The Kings Palace?

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Is this the palace of an Arabian king, a temple along the Nile river, or the final resting place of some middle eastern ruler? Well none of the above,it is actually the home of Sight and Sound Theatres,which is the largest faith-based theatre in the country and it is in Lancaster county. Their live recreations of Biblical stories are unparalleled,and years ago I saw their production of Noah,which included countless live animals and a huge ark. Google it to see the stage. Shot both images in infrared and the sky in the top one is awesome in my opinion.

A Little Amish Humor

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This buggy caught my eye as I passed it on a quiet back road, so I pulled over and left it pass me and I captured a few frames as the message on the rear triangle came into focus. It says, “powered by oats,don’t step in exhaust”. I must admit that although I have lived in this rural community all my life,there are many things that I am still not sure of in relation to Amish life. They certainly are similar in many respects to the general public, but are worlds apart in other aspects. I have come across Amish who are very kind, those who are friendly,the occasional nasty one,and every type in between. They have a sense of humor,as evidenced by the sign, and hopefully folks who visit the area realize that TV shows like Amish mafia are absolutely ridiculous and should not even be on the air. The real Amish are right here and worthy of respect. The youngster looking out the back is either gesturing that I can take one photograph, or I am about to be scolded.

Saddle up your Horse

amish-kids-harnessAnother day of driving around found youngsters out of school and having fun on the farm. I guess the scooter driver is trying to race the horse on the reigns. I like the way they are really in sync as they charge ahead. Hopefully the suspenders will not break or the horse might get a snap on the back.

Shine it up

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An Amish girl shines up a buggy while conversing with a friend. If you look closely,there is a stepped wooden contraption at the rear wheel that is used to quickly lift the buggy to let the wheel freely spin while washing it. Might be a homemade device but it worked nicely.

Memorial Day

flags-and-crosses war-hero-tributeTwo different views from area cemeteries honoring those who served our nation.The bottom image features flags placed by strangers who have visited the grave of Richard Winters. Major Winters was a decorated ww11 veteran who was featured in the HBO series,Band of Brothers. The net has much more info on this decorated soldier.

Cows Came Home

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Ever hear the phrase-till the cows home?  Well here in Pa,they just came home and I have no idea what was going on till they came home,but you can relax now. This is an udderly worthless photo,but that’s how it goes.

Coming and Going

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This Lancaster county scene caught my eye with the colorful mustard fields blooming and the occasional buggy passing by. I captured one buggy coming toward me and another headed the other direction which gave two slightly varied vantage points. I like each about the same.

Competitive Spirit

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croquet2As with any competitive sport, tempers can flare when the action gets intense. These young Amish girls took the back yard for a game of croquet and the event started out friendly enough,but the mallets quickly started flying at a fever pitch,and finally one participant gestured in disgust at an illegal move.

Wrap it up

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This series shows an Amish crew at work in the fields. First they use a machine to create these round bales and then the shrink wrapper loads a bale and in a minutes time,it is encased in plastic.this is becoming more commonplace and the obnoxious white bales are stacked near the farm,and are an eyesore as far as I am concerned but it does keep the product safe.