Toe to Toe

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This scene is one I have seen played out countless times over the years, but only recently did I decide to capture it. I never gave it much thought till I stopped and evaluated my image, and it is not too hard to imagine that this could potentially turn ugly if the puller in front slipped, and the pusher did not stop soon enough. Maybe its the way he is leaning to go up hill that made me pause,but she can’t be more than 4 feet in front,but she still has ten toes,so they have a system.

Personally I am getting more frustrated every day with the direction I see our country headed,but maybe old age is just making me more irritable.Here is one example in contrast to the Amish. Our local elementary school has now decided that they are removing all the swings sets because they are a liability issue. For over 200 years,children have been able to handle this dangerous item, but now we must protect them from this danger. Life is meant to be lived and taking responsibility for our choices and the results of those choices is all part of it.I say If you want to mow your grass in bare feet, have at it,because its your decision. these siblings really are going toe to toe in their chores together as they get a firm lesson in team work.

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.

The Light Still Shines

 

strasburg-angelThis image was taken this past weekend in the town of Strasburg,Pa, and was shot at St Michael’s Lutheran church, which dates back to the early 1700s. I had been driving around looking for scenery and the evening was a little lackluster so I decided to stop and light paint this scene.The Angelic statue was lit using a small flashlight to bring out the details and the rest of the scene was illuminated by flash.

 

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.

Down in the Meadow

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I had to post these two images to help tell the story. I was driving around looking for images and although you would never know it by the appearance of these, it was very late and very dark. I was using an 80-400 and was at 300mm or so and a shutter speed of a 350th second. That is too slow for this lens,but I braced myself on my truck window and snapped a few shots. All four siblings were near the wheelbarrow and the little one in the wheelbarrow with grass clippings piled on her had me in stitches. The father came pulling up with the team of horses and their attention focused on him. I really like the top image but if the little one in the wheelbarrow would be visible in that image,it would be priceless.All I needed was for the older boy to step to his right and she would have been in the image.

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.

Life in the Slow Lane

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This image turned out pretty well considering it was shot through my truck windshield. I had snapped a few frames from the side of the road and the boys saw me ,so they looked away. I drove around a little while and found them again,so I tried shooting through the windshield as they paused at a stop sign and sure enough,it was sharp. The whole family was dressed in the same color and the little girl looking out the back window and the mom smiling at her were added touches.

 

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.