Great pictures Bill! Those barn raisings are a fascinating thing to watch. I’ve only seen them on TV so it would be wonderful to watch in person. I love the sunrise picture. Thanks for sharing.

Margie

Hey Bill,
Great pictures…as always. I especially like the sunrise shot too. I’ve been trying to take some sunset shots, but they never do seem to turn out like I had hoped.

Interesting people, the Amish. We don’t have any down here, but we do have Mennonites. They’re a religious people very like the Amish, but a slight bit more 20th century. They are also fantastic cabinet makers and bakers and are well-known for these talents around here. If you’re ever in Brooksville, MS, stop in at their bakery. Their cakes and breads are simply divine!

Thanks for sharing these with us.
Gwen

Thanks Margie & Gwen.

I took over a dozen shots of the sunrise to get that one picture. The color didn’t last long in the sky. I turned out to be a beautiful day.

The barn raising was fascinating; they began at 6:30 AM and were essentially finished by Noon. A barn raising is a social event in the Amish community and there were over 50 men participating. Heck they had enough men to raise two barns.

There is a large Mennonite community in the area as well. The Mennonites are not a strict as the Amish in most cases, but some live a similar life as the Amish. In fact my Mom’s ancestors were Mennonites and they came to Pennsylvania in 1709 from Switzerland with William Penn. It was the line descending from my Revolutionary War ancestor that moved away from the Mennonite faith.

Although many were fine cabinet makers and woodworkers which I guess explains why I am a woodworker on the side, must be in the DNA.

My Dad’s immediate neighbors are Amish and Anna is one heck of a baker herself. I always gain a few pounds when I stop in to visit with her and her husband Isaac.

Bill…as usual your pictures are beautiful and interesting.