A dear friend named Sue from Illinois noted that she enjoyed our blog pics, but wondered when we would post some to show the nifty stuff about our home ground. Think about that! How often do you tour your own stomping grounds and take pics of the scenery and lifestyles that surround you every day? Well, here goes.......
For Sue
Lancaster County has more than 2,700 miles of winding country roads connecting small towns and villages, but there are main roads so often that it is near impossible to get lost. We often try to lose ourselves along these back roads among breathtakingly scenic farmlands, romantic covered bridges and PA Amish and Mennonite life, but have never succeeded!
A typical farmstead here has been home to several generations of Amish or Mennonite families, and they build more houses or add-on dwellings as needed. This one shows two large houses, a greenhouse, barn and silo to the rear, and vegetables for sale in front (garden to the right-front). There are several clothes lines full on this fine Monday, and the clothes tell that is is a Mennonite family as there are many colors and some patterns.
The average farm is about 50 acres. Their gardens provide produce to sell and preserve and eat, and the fields grow a wide variety of crops, such as wheat, oats, corn, alfalfa hay, soy beans, and *tobacco (*only the Amish).
Cocalico Creek Bridge number 2, built in 1892, 64 feet long, 15 feet wide, and still in use today. Lancaster County has 29 covered bridges, the most of any county in PA.
A country school, complete with outhouses, swings, tether ball pole, and a ball field (not shown).
And a pump out front.
The famous Green Dragon Market, open all year (but only on Friday)!
http://www.greendragonmarket.com/index.php
http://www.greendragonmarket.com/index.php
Farm stand
Buggy tracks
The Ephrata Cloister, founded 1732.
http://www.ephratacloister.org/
http://www.ephratacloister.org/
Tobacco
Future buggy horse, in training
Oats stacked by Amish
Two large farmsteads
