Reader Ed C sent in the following photo, taken a few years ago in Lancaster County. Â What’s happening here? In an unrelated note, apologies if you could not access yesterday’s post (about Amish and child labor violations) via the email subscriber or Facebook links. Â The post is available under a new url here. Update: Nothing tricky about this photo. Â Lattice was the first to guess…
I gave my talk on Amish-themed websites this morning at the Amish & Technology Conference at Elizabethtown College. Four main points covered in the talk: Many Amish websites have a commercial aspect, even those we might not expect to A number of indicators suggest Amish website visitors are more often female and middle-aged Searchers find Amish websites via many obscure search terms There are likely…
Road signs warning of buggies are ubiquitous in Amish areas. Â This is the first time I’ve seen one alerting drivers of an Amish funeral ahead. This sign was spotted on an Indiana backroad. Â As you’d expect, funerals can be heavily-attended occasions, among the largest events held at Amish homes. Another time to stay particularly alert is on Sunday morning when Amish travel to church services,…
This circular hanger comes in handy when you need to dry small items like socks, underwear, towels, caps, gloves and so on. They’re often seen around Amish homes. Â This photo was taken in an Amish shop in Adams County, Indiana.
Reader Michele purchased an Amish home and converted it to “English”, a process which took about half a year to begin. Â She had this to say about “living Amish” in the meantime: I don’t know why they are called “simple”…we lived just like Amish for 6 months before our contractor could start our construction. Â There isn’t one thing “simple” about being Amish. Â It’s a lot…
A reader in Indiana shares: The fences around here are used as a “lost and found.” I have seen halters, lead ropes, buggy wheel rubbers and the most common item — horseshoes hanging from the fences lines in the Elkhart – LaGrange community. Perishable items like clothes, expensive items like batteries, or small items like bike lights are usually picked up and then listed in…
While in Belle Center, Ohio a few months back, I had dinner with Mark Curtis and a young couple in his community. One of my favorite moments came after Mark said something in Pennsylvania German which seemed to baffle the three other “native Amish” at the table. The man of the house, grappling with the fact that no one could put a finger on the…
You might remember a previous post on July 4th buggy races in the Elkhart-Lagrange Amish settlement.  As one reader shares Topeka is not the only spot in northern Indiana holding an annual buggy race: Shipshewana has a celebration called Mayfest each year. Mayfest includes several different events one of which is a buggy race. The buggy race involves teams of 4 individuals. Two team members ride…
This ice kiosk is located just south of Shipshewana, Indiana. The person who shares it explains that “it’s fully automated, takes bills and dispenses ice in bags or bulk.” Though some Amish use ice houses, Amish in this northern Indiana community permit home refrigerators and freezers such as those made by companies like Crystal Cold of Arcola, Illinois, or Shipshewana-area E-Z Freeze. Update: Not all Amish…
Mark Curtis let me take a few photos of his two-seater buggy while in Ohio last month. Â We took this to supper on the night I arrived. Â Very chilly that evening, so the extra-thick blanket you see below came in handy. I don’t know how many people you could fit in one this size (brings to mind the stunts with clowns cramming into a VW…