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Part three of Lancaster Happenings

Lancaster County Amish lane

The last installment, of three, from the recent Lancaster County trip:

When I’m at Abe’s, on Saturdays we sometimes do a big breakfast down by the river out back.  This involves Chef Abe grilling up a variety of meats–sausage, bacon, spicy sausage, etc, on an open riverside fire (though this time he used the grill up by the house).  Eggs, toast, jelly, sliced peaches, pancakes, shoofly pie, black coffee and orange juice round out the brunch.

Abe’s family usually comes down and it’s a semicircle of 40-some seats around a picnic table laden with food.  This time, Saturday brunch followed a day of fairly heavy rain.  Some Amish neighbors kayaked by at one point, taking advantage of the fast currents for a little recreation.

Abe’s workers were among those in attendance, a bit of a thank-you from Abe for their toil among the tomato plants.  The terrain is a little uneven down there, and I’m not sure if it was the slickness of the grass, or a misplaced seat leg, but one of Abe’s workers, returning with a heaping tray, managed to flip himself head over heels, tray launched high and landing in the best spot possible (from a comedic standpoint).

The egg and jelly made a nice addition to his shirt, and the other boys in attendance laughed mercilessly.  He’s lucky he didn’t slip-slide into the river itself, but he shrugged, reloaded, and accomplished his breakfast objective.  In any case, the riverbank at Abe’s is an ideal spot for a family meal, entertainment or not.

I also had a chance to visit a new market, in Maryland.  The Miller crew and I headed down for a visit/research trip.  Our last Amish market excursion took in four markets in two states.  With their array of food stands, Amish markets are a good place to put on weight, or to procure supplies for putting on future weight.  I picked up some pumpkin butter this time around.

Speaking of pumpkins, over at Jacob’s place, I mentioned in a previous post that the tobacco was coming in.  Last year, in addition to the usual tobacco, Jacob had planted pumpkins in a patch of a few acres.  This year, the orange globes were conspicuously missing from Jacob’s fields, replaced by more tobacco plants.

Jacob explained that he’s not doing them this year, as he wasn’t sure how much disposable income people would have for extra pumpkins around the house, given the economic situation.  Tobacco, however, remains a reliable bet.  “People have got to do something to calm their nerves,” he supposed.

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    5 Comments

    1. Janice

      Love your posts, your photos, and your sense of humor! Can you tell us the location of the new market in Maryland, please?

    2. Thanks Janice! It is an established market but was new for me–off of I-83, exit 20 at Cockeysville. If you’re in the mood the Markets at Shrewsbury just a little ways up across the PA border is another good one, and a good bit larger–exit 4 (or 8) off I-83, and follow the signs.

    3. Janice

      Hey, thanks! It’s a new one for me, too — actually both of them will be — so I’m looking forward to trying each one … thanks again!

    4. Bill

      Good posts here from the Lancaster area, Erik.

      A very well done restoration to the “Stoltzfus House” from what one can see from the photos.

      And speaking of photos, the photos you post here aren’t so much “poaching”,(your quote), as they are a “respectful chronicle”,(my quote). 🙂
      I may be mistaken but I don’t think most Amish would have a problem with the photos you post here. What do you think?

    5. Amish on 18 Kids and Counting

      Thanks Bill, I agree with you. Most Amish probably wouldn’t have a problem. Posing for photos is usually the big issue, and these friends were fine with these photos being taken; I actually have others with the kids smiling for the camera (dad stood to the side observing, out of view of the lens). One of my Amish friends recently shared the sentiment that some Amish are going to have a problem with any attention whatsoever given by the outside world, even including, for example scholarly books. On the other hand, you have the Ohio New Order family that were on the “18 kids and counting” program the other night, giving a tour of their home for the cameras.