Lately I have been keenly aware of a dramatic shift that seems to be taking place in the good old U.S. of A. This blog is supposed to be about photography, but each day the news brings something more bizarre that makes me wonder if we are perhaps approaching the point of no return? From random shootings to government surveillance of its citizens, to the fact that many people are hoarding food and weapons,something is definitely in the air. I have said many times that if our founding fathers were to be planted back here today,they would be in utter shock at how far we have slid. I come from a very conservative region,and have no intention of offending anyone who has different views, but from my vantage point I see a population of apathetic citizens who want to be led around like lambs to the slaughter, so ready yourself because a storm is on the horizon.

Two views of the same Victorian home shot in infrared. The sky was stormy and the sun was barely out,so infrared was not as strong this evening. I like both images about the same. This home has the most gorgeous wrap around porch that has to be seen in person to be appreciated.

As promised, the rose garden from the Gonder mansion. I added some flash to give a little pop in the greens.

This group of camels basks in the spring sun on an Amish farm. I am sure they would much rather be here instead of baking in the sun on some arid desert.

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.

These Amish youngsters were having fun keeping this young calf from taking off. Just a quick grab shot while driving around.

This image was shot with my infrared camera,hence the white tree in the background.Not the most dazzling shot but I liked the sky and decided to keep it.

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.

Amish canons sit ready to launch at tourists that venture too close. Actually just harvesters sitting in a field,but it sounded possible.

A gazebo stands out against the bright white foliage, which was the result of infrared.

Two views of the same Victorian home shot in infrared.

A powerful sky provides a nice backdrop for this local church. Wish I had shot this in infrared.

Two 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.

According to legend, cows usually lay down if its going to rain, so even though skies looked threatening,the herd of cows were not buying it. The spacing is what caught my eye initially.

An Amish mom takes a stroll down the farm lane along with her girls riding a scooter and a tricycle.

This is the time of year that fields appear striped due to using plastic to jump-start certain crops. I am not an expert on the technique but i think the plastic holds extra moisture to help young plants.

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.

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.