This is a shot I took yesterday but it’s not exactly what I would like to get at this old-fashioned diner. I heard they had really good food, so the family loaded up to head there and I took my camera just in case. Well exactly a half mile from the place I get one of my wonderful migraines, so my crew went in without me while I let my medicine kick in outside. It was raining lightly and my vision returned to normal so I decided to shoot a quick shot. I took this shot and then took all my gear back to the truck and went in to eat. We were inside a good twenty-five minutes and when we came out, I noticed I left my rear tailgate window wide open with all my gear sitting in there. My heart just dropped and I quickly looked inside and everything was still there. The thing with migraines is they can have a variety of effects on you and sometimes I feel like I am not in a normal state of mind and this was the case in leaving the tailgate open. Thank goodness there was no shady characters here that night. Well the food was delicious and I plan to return often and hopefully the owner will have his old police car parked here so I can give it a serious attempt next time.

A rainy night in Intercourse,Pa creates an opportunity to capture reflections around town.This shot includes one of the lovely B&Bs along main street.

I was out chasing storms last evening and once again came up empty on that endeavor, but I did see this shot and going on my truck roof made a big difference in being able to see the corn rows. Imagine my surprise and excitement when the rising moon made an appearance at just the right spot. I hope to get a second attempt at this tonight if the weather cooperates.

I shot this set of images this past sunday evening at the same location about 20 minutes between the two. I decided to head out in search of lightning and storms and was following a storm to the north of me but even though it was very dark and threatening, I saw three lightning strikes at the most the whole time I was driving. I ended up going by this church,noticed their exterior lights were starting to come on and decided I might as well just try a shot here. The clouds were starting to churn around and I was sure lightning was imminent so I set up the camera and waited in my truck as I remotely snapped the top image. I saw rain was coming so I covered my camera in a trash bag except the lens hood and waited while it poured. No lightning ever materialized and I actually was busy doing a second shot after the rain stopped because the parking lot reflected the church nicely and as I sat in my truck firing the tablet,I noticed the church windows were starting to glow? Everywhere around me the skies were stormy and dark except a small sliver of clear sky on the horizon to the west. I got out of my truck to look the situation over and thought to myself if the sun does appear,it will illuminate the church and the reflection should be great. No sooner had I pondered the possibilities,when the sun broke free and all of a sudden the rainbow appeared,then a second one. They lasted maybe a minute or so as I rushed to capture the unfolding spectacle before me. I might have had time to reposition my camera to get the rainbow directly over the church but this angle shows the facility better and the composition is more appealing. I cant remember a storm quite as ominous that had no lightning but I will take the rainbow any day plus seeing it over the church makes it all the more special.

Seems kind of strange to be taking photos of clothing hanging on a line, but this Amish wash line seemed to include almost every color imaginable and I had to turn around to make a quick stop to get a shot. It’s funny a lot of people associate Amish wearing black all the time but that was nowhere to be found here.

The other week I shared a photo of an Amish mother with her  daughter in the basket,and now I captured one in the basket and one standing with mom in the back scooter. One day they will have their own scooters and get around the countryside the same way. I have only seen an Amish teen on a bicycle one time in 30 years and for some reason the scooter is the only allowable transportation besides the buggy. I am guessing the bicycle is considered too mobile.

This shot was partially thanks to a bus load of tourists that were at a roadside stand and practically all of them were across the road posing for pictures with the tall sweet corn,that towered over them. These three were busy watching that circus when I was focusing on them. I got a couple of images captured before they noticed me and the little girl has such a sweet and striking face I thought.She reminds me of some hollywood star with the hair across the face. I also love the real tattered pants that show some signs of hard playing or work.

These carriage rides around Intercourse,Pa have become popular in the last couple years but these poor souls got a little wet after thunder storms rolled in quickly. The group in the front got a bit lucky as their carriage had drop down covers on the sides.This photo does not really do justice to the amount of rain that was falling.

No I am not that stupid to spell the word picture incorrectly above, but the interaction I had with this crew is worth mentioning. I saw this foursome heading up the road ahead of me and so I patiently waited with the camera in my lap and using a long lens I snapped this shot before they got too far. As I put the camera down on the seat,  I heard the one say something to me, but it was with a very heavy accent,so I asked what did you say? The oldest one says 5 dollars a picture,but it sounded more like 5 dollars a pitcher. Anyway I said my wallet was empty,which it was and as I pulled away,they all started laughing, and they must have thought, stupid tourist. Anyway its just another memorable moment from my travels.

This is my first return trip to the spot I felt had potential and I am certainly glad I went. The evening started out with stormy weather and I had high hopes of getting lightning here,but instead I just set my camera on the tripod at the side of the road and it basically sat there for well over an hour with a constant rain pelting my gear. I covered the camera with a trash bag and left the lens hood sticking out so I could still use my remote if anything developed. At least twice I said to myself,go home already and quit wasting time because it was nothing but gray sky and rain. I was getting fed up when I noticed a hint of blue sky to my left and I hoped things might get better.

Shortly before I shot this,a rainbow appeared behind me,and I almost shot it but unless a rainbow has a foreground element or is absolutely stunning I usually pass and that was the case this night.This composition is not my first choice but there was an ugly old ford truck parked to my left and I was not sure I could clone it out,so I moved forward to this spot,which by the way is right in the lane of travel. While this is a rural road and there were cars going by every 30 seconds, when the sunset happened, there was a good 4 minutes when not a single car came. There is plenty of line of sight to safely get off the road if needed and I don’t make a habit of this but the color reflecting on the wet road was very specific to the spot you viewed from and when I went off the road,the color was minimal at best. Patience is not one of my strongest attributes but when I know there is potential,I can be persistent and many times I have been richly rewarded.

Even though its 90 degrees around here and the middle of summer, some folks are busy making plans for winter and that includes stocking up on wood for the fireplace. This Mennonite family includes six kids riding on the wagon driven by their dad.

Go ahead,wander into the old foggy cemetery if you dare.

A young girl checks out her dads handiwork at this Amish buggy building shop.

This little guy feels safe under moms long mane.

While out driving around,I took notice of these farm buildings framing the farm in the distance and knew with a little patience,an Amish buggy would be the perfect complement to complete the shot.

I found a new favorite composition while out in Amish country and hope this is just the start of great shots to come. I really liked the way the barns on each side of the road framed the barn in the distance plus the winding road going through the shot. I set my tripod up and used my wifi Camranger and tablet to shoot remotely from my truck to get this. I particularly like the contrast between the colorful trio of Amish on the right and the conservative tones worn by those on the left. The girl on the left buggy is turned away from the other buggy,almost like she disapproves but that is merely conjecture and probably totally wrong on my part,and she might have seen my camera and decided to look away.

Just relaxing in the back of the chauffeur driven wagon on the back roads of Lancaster County.

Working together to rebuild a burned down barn, these Amish workers rebuilt this entire structure in three days.It is something I have witnessed a few times over the years and it is a great lesson in teamwork and community support.

We live along a rail trail in our town and I have what is known as the Gnome village that I created for children of all ages to inspire their imagination. In the next town along the trail, a local artist has also taken the time to add his artistic touches to an old building that was being vandalized regularly. Artist Shaun Hogarth was tired of seeing the beauty of the trail ruined by a careless few,so he has been creating masterpieces like this whenever he gets permission from the property owner. The trail is quickly becoming a favorite place to hike,bike and spend time with family enjoying the beauty along the way.

An Amish man heads out to the fields to do some planting,while a family headed the other way enjoys a ride in the buggy on a relaxing day in Lancaster County.

For whatever reason, I found these freshly sheared sheep grazing in front of the colorful clothing on the wash line slightly amusing. Everyone is without clothes this day.

People often say the Amish use a bowl to cut their hair,and whether that’s true or not,I can’t say but you can see where the thought might come from.

Just another day on the back roads in Lancaster County, Pa. Horse decided to go for a walk,but he was wrangled a short time later and was safely back in the barn where he belonged.

These Two Amish siblings are in perfect synchronization as they scoot along the country road. I actually own one of these scooters,but I electrified mine for easier travel. I did it after seeing an Amish guy with an electric version and speaking to him about it.