Romantic Buggy Ride

 What could be more romantic than a moonlit ride behind a trotting horse? Even a quiet Sunday drive through a small town, or down along a gurgling stream, can seem quite romantic.

I'm a helpless romantic, both forms of romance:

 1)My books are dominated by idealism, a desire for adventure, and a touch of chivalry.

2) My writing may be characterized by a preoccupation with love or the idealizing of love.

What better backdrop could exist for this type of story, than an Amish countryside?

Horses don't interrupt a couple's conversation. Instead, they produce a rhythmic sound, much like a heartbeat. They pull a cart or wagon with a gentle rocking motion. No loud roars, no distracting radio, or any other electronic devices, unless you bring along your cell phone.
(not bad to have along... just be smart enough to silence the thing!)


They go slow enough that you can look into each other's eyes for a moment and not miss a turn or run a red light.

Bring along a light meal or a refreshing drink. Stop down by the creek and give the horse a much-deserved rest. After you wade in the stream for a while, your horse will be ready to make the return trip.

If it's warm out, leave off those heavy shoes. If it's chilly, snuggle.

 I might want to mention something of the downside to all of this...
      eeerrrchhhh!

You will be behind the horse all the while. Notice the view is always of the backside of a horse. Don't forget, they are living creatures that need to relieve themselves every now and again. Although, they don't use gas... they do produce quite a bit.

Horses don't seem to have a problem with privacy and are not shy about taking care of whatever business is at hand. They don't check with your human conversation to see if their contribution is timely, or not. I have even imagined that my horses use these functions on purpose if they don't like the conversation.

 None of those little issues seem to bother our Amish friends. In fact, they are so accustomed to those things that they may not even notice any of it. If you are really in love, and in tune with nature, you ought to be able to embrace the whole experience.

 Maybe I should have mentioned that, although I'm a romantic, I also enjoy a little humor and a reality check every now and then.

Sunday Drive / Amish Farmlands

         I remember, when I was a boy in the early 1960s, Sunday afternoons were so quiet and peaceful. Almost everyone in our little town of Midland, Michigan were church going people.

         Nowadays, we have shaken ourselves free of "rules" about not working on Sundays, but I feel the pendulum swung a little too far.

         Our Amish neighbors teach us something about what we used to have... and were SO happy to leave behind. Life was "going to be" so much better when we didn't have to hang laundry out on a clothesline day after day. When we got bigger tractors, faster vehicles, electric kitchen devices, (ie: can openers, toasters, coffee makers, and finally microwave ovens) and a whole plethora of modern conveniences.

          Okay, I'll admit we have a cushy lifestyle in 2016. However, have we taken the freedom to do a load of laundry (in our set of electric machines) and let it become a burden of seven equally non-restful days.
          I've never stopped in at any of my Amish neighbors and found them too busy to talk. In fact, I'm the one that has only a few minutes. I even hesitate to stop my Amish friends homes for fear that I won't be able to "get away" soon enough. Whole families gather around and listen to what their dad and an older neighbor man are talking about.

          TV, movies, video games, music devices, cell-phones, computers, and what all else has crept in and crowded out our lives from simple pleasure and natural beauty. I wonder how many "English" homes I could stop in and have the entire family gather around to listen to me and their dad talk... all with smiles on their faces. Good luck getting the earbuds out of their ears.

         My wife and I stopped in the "Mall" last Sunday. Almost every person seemed glued to their hand-held communication device. Storefronts advertise with huge photos of scantily dressed women. The place was filled with the hustle/bustle of buying and selling.

         Then, we took an evening drive though Amish country and reveled in the tranquility. I stopped at a stop sign behind these middle-school-aged Amish children. I know they didn't hear my truck. He was feeding his sister a piece of apple or something while she drove the horse. They turned around in surprise when they realized someone was behind them.

I invite you to take a drive though Amish farmlands on a Sunday afternoon,

and see for yourself what we left behind.

My novels are all about these contrasts, and lessons learned by observing Amish neighbors.

Winter Scenes on the Amish Farm

There is something cozy about Amish farms during the holiday season, don't you agree?

I think it's that old-time, down on the farm quality of life that we all miss. We long for it all year, but the holiday season brings it out more than ever.

We long for the sweet, simple life. A time when people knew and cared about their neighbors.

A time when we knew the names of horses and cows instead of "cell phone aps." A place in history where little boys and girls ran and played in the snow, and also knew how to do chores.

 I love visiting Amish farms because all of this is still happening at this very moment... just as it did when my grandpa was a boy.

A few simple toys at Christmas were enough. They were toys that we enjoyed but didn't get "addicted" to. Instead of staring at a "little screen," or a "huge screen" all Christmas day, people sat and visited with each other.

Just as they still do on Amish farms.

Best Kept Amish Secret

There are many wonderful Amish recipes for food and healing, as well as multitudes of  Amish ideas for working with horses and other livestock. In fact, I truly feel the best-kept Amish secret has something to do with how willingly Amish children join in with work around the farm.

Maybe this blog post should read A very well-kept Amish Secret, Under the Heavens.

To date, my novels have been read almost exclusively by Amish and Mennonites. When my first novel, Under the Heavens, came out I was very nervous for those of Amish background to read it. One of my greatest surprises was how well it was received by older Mennonite folks. Many former Amish enjoy reminiscing about their early days and life on the family farm. Under the Heavens seems to bring back many good memories.

One older Mennonite man in our community actually called me on the phone to ask questions. "Where is this farm? I've been trying to figure out who this family is. Do I know them?" I was very pleased that my story was so believable; he wanted to figure out who the family was. 

My books are novels, however, they are based on my real life experiences with our Amish neighbors and friends. We have had many over the past 35 years.

My draft horses came from an Amish family not far down the road. I have had many wonderful opportunities to learn about farming with horses from that family and others in our community.

I have also been pleasantly surprised to learn that Amish folks themselves want to read books with Amish settings. It does make sense. Many Amish love to read and have made every effort to keep life simple and separate from the world. Why would they want to dwell on that "other" lifestyle when reading.

If you have memories of life on the old-fashioned farm, these books will take you back to those days of simple pleasures and good clean fun.




You can purchase a copy of Under the Heavens on Amazon: Author Thomas Nye or receive a signed copy directly through me.

Click on this link to order from Thomas Nye.
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Amish Families

There was something unexpected, that happened to me at the recent Horse Progress Days

        I almost felt as if the Lord had set me down in this booth and said, "Sit here and observe." For two days I didn't have any choice but to sit in that red lawn-chair (right behind the horse) and watch Amish folks interact with each other. 

        I knew it would be enjoyable for me, as an Amish novelist and a draft horse enthusiast, to visit Horse Progress Days, but I had no idea that I was about to observe something powerful. There were Amish families at booths on all sides of mine, and for two days I watched how they interacted with each other. I came out of my booth with a new respect for my Amish friends.

        Many criticize the Amish for their strict rules. Some say they are legalistic and that many of their man-made laws are unnecessary and don't make sense. I challenge you to go sit where I sat for two days, and then come back and tell me that they don't have something wonderful going on.

This is the only photo I took from my two-day seat.

         A Pennsylvania Amish family had a booth displaying their horse-drawn farm equipment, right across from my table. It seemed to be an extended family that have a business together. There were two young couples with their toddlers, and both women had a baby in arms. For two days I watched them peacefully care for their children in a confined area, under sweltering, southern-Indiana heat and humidity. The women had smiles on their faces the entire time. They visited cheerfully with every Amish woman that passed by and often had a group of women around them all laughing and talking. Meanwhile, they dawdled their infants on their laps and gently herded their toddlers, a set of adorable little girls in their Amish dresses. The little girls were busy the whole time playing at the feet of their parents. They spent one block of time arranging and re-arranging everything their mother had stored in a picnic cooler. They looked like they were used to watching their mama work and were imitating her. The husbands were often busy showing potential customers their products, yet, often took time to help their wives quiet a crying baby. I watched one of the dads gently feed a dropper-full of medicine to his baby. (I'm guessing something to sooth the teething process.) 

        Both days ended with a show. All of us crowded around a ring where six and eight-horse hitches pranced. A group of Amish teens performed a synchronized, horseback "dance" for lack of a better term. They showed some impressive horse handling, while weaving their mounts in what resembled a square dance. The non-Amish man with a microphone kept suggesting that we applaud. A few did clap, but it is not the Amish way. That didn't mean they weren't enjoying the show, they stood perfectly still, all with smiles on their faces.

         After the main event, a procession of local Amish families left in their buggies, while visiting Amish folks, that were waiting for tour buses to come pick them up, watched. I stood with them and watched too. I really liked how mothers and daughters often wore dresses made from the same piece of cloth. Husbands and brothers sometimes had a shirt that matched.

        Somehow it seemed so peaceful to see young families crowd into their buggies. Mamas with baby in arms, a little boy standing between daddy's knees, holding onto the driving lines. Older sisters with younger siblings on their laps. Families that lived nearby waked home together.

        It hit me, that these families stay together. These children probably wont be caught in a custody battle and torn between their fighting parents, who use them as leverage to outdo each other.

 I have lived near an Amish community for about 35 years. I have eaten many meals in my Amish friend's homes and visited Amish Church, Singings, volley-ball games. I have had the opportunity on numerous occasions to help make hay with Amish families. Yet, this two days of observing hit me in a new way. I became convinced that the choice to stay within the guidelines of strict Amish rules has payed off for these families more than they might even be aware of themselves. I am so thankful that there are horse-drawn communities around us. The rest of us have a lot to learn from them.

Notice the little girls in the back with a balloon

My Favorite Blurry Pictures

 There is something about this picture that I love. I like how up close and personal it is, without invading anyone's privacy. The Amish are not looking for attention, however, that draws us to them even more. I like how you can see the driving lines in his hands and the female passenger's bare feet.

  Father and son, harnessing up a horse as part of their daily work routine. Maybe they're having a conversation about life, or working without words? When I drive by a scene like this one, I feel like I'm seeing a vision of my grandpa working with his dad in the early 1900s.

 I was heading down a highway when I noticed these children going for a pony-cart ride. I snapped the photo first, and then realized that they were on their way to look at a camel. I'm not sure if they are going for fun, or if it is part of their daily chores.

 My wife took this picture while I was driving slowly past an Amish Singing. It was a perfect evening and we slowed down because we could hear beautiful four-part harmonies. We could see into a long pole building filled with Amish young folks (that is what they call themselves), opposite this buggy scene. When I look at this photo, I can still hear their beautiful voices.

 I barely caught this moment, as an Amishman drove his four-horse team around a corner with a full load of manure. I like the action of his horses bumping into each other as they round the intersection. He really shouldn't let his driving lines drag like that... if he runs over them with a wheel it may jerk them out of his hand.

This photo is not only blurry, but crooked. These girls stopped at a four-way intersection and waited for me to go. I waved and they all waved back. I was hoping to catch their friendly gesture, but it didn't work out that way. I was also hoping that the buggy disappearing behind them would show up better. Oh well, I'm an author, not a photographer.

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An Old Swing

My wife's Uncle Duane lives in the heart of Amish country. He always has great stories to share with me every time I talk to him. He and his sons baled and/or sold hay to every Amish family for miles around. I stopped over to visit him the other day and three of his grandsons were there putting up a swing. They had a very interesting story about this swing and I thought I should share it with all of you. Duane explained that this frame was designed to be a hoist. They would drive a team of horses through this frame and a pulley at the top would be used with a rope to hoist up the front end of a grain wagon, to unload it. After they quit using the frame as a hoist (a very long time ago) they decided to use it for a swing.

The old frame accidentally got bent a short time ago by a tractor. Duane's grandson's didn't want to see the old swing gone... so one of them welded an exact replica of the old hoist.(The guy you can see kneeling down near the frame.) His son is the little guy taking the first ride in the new swing. If you look really close, you can see the old hoist laying on the ground behind Uncle Duane. This is where the story gets really interesting, to me. When the three grandsons dug down to the old cement footing, to attach the new frame they made an fun discovery. There were names written in the cement.

These young men found their grandmother Marilyn's name written in the concrete along with three of her other siblings names. The baby of their family didn't write her name... so we have an idea of how long ago this footing was set. Aunt Marilyn passed away a few years ago, and this was the farm she grew up on. I think it is cute to see her child-like signature (which she happened to misspell, there is an extra i in there.) Someone drew lines between the names, Rodney, Howard, Marilyn, and Linda.

Uncle Duane's great-grandson will be the Fourth generation to play on this swing, that is set on an old grain-wagon hoist. You can see the footing with the names in this picture. Uncle Duane has a great family. I'm very impressed that his grandson went to all the effort to make an exact replica of the old hoist. And, that his grandsons took the time to come set it in place and keep the family traditions going. They were rewarded for their efforts, with a connection to their grandma. A set of autographs that lay hidden under the soil for around 75 years!

Old Amish Games

Dutch Blitz

This card game is in every Amish and Mennonite home. 

I passed by an Amish school a few days ago and saw a big crowd of children out in a nearby field. You can see in the picture above, the school is on one side of the road and the children are playing in a field on the other side. They were playing a game of Red Rover, at least that is what we called it when I was a little boy. The children up on the hill were all holding hands in a line. They would call a name of one of those below and that child would run up the hill and try to break through the chain. If they break through, they get to stay up on the hill and those whose hands didn't hold the chain, had to go to the bottom.

This is another Amish school only a couple miles from the top picture. You can see a few "scholars" (that is what Amish call school children) out behind the school. I don't take pictures close up because I know they don't like it. When I passed by both groups, the children looked at me and waived. I didn't want them to see me snapping pictures, some of them know who I am and recognize my pickup truck. A group of young girls were standing right behind this school house. They were in a clump visiting (couldn't help wondering what they were talking about) , and a few boys were chasing each other in circles. I believe they were playing an old game named, "Fox and Geese"  In this game a pattern is stomped out in the snow, like a plus sign with a circle around it. The Fox (the one who is "it") has to try to tag the Geese. They can only move about on the tromped out paths in the snow making it more complicated and fun than "tag."

When I married my Mennonite wife 34 years ago, I found out that Dutch Blitz would be a permanent part of my new life. Amish (as far as I know) won't use "Face Cards" that the English use, but they love this game! Each of 4 players pick one stack of cards, (Plow, Bucket, Pump, or Buggy) I always choose the "Buggy" stack. Then, you lay out 3 single cards in front of you, face up, and a pile of ten with only the top card's face showing. That is your Blitz pile. The rest of your stack is held in your hand. At the signal "Go!" everyone is free to lay any #1 card that is face up in front of them, and then proceed to going through your stack by 3's searching for a #1 card to lay out or a #2 of a matching color to lay on a #1 already laid out, and so forth until you use up your Blitz pile. The first person to empty their Blitz pile and yell "Blitz!" wins.

My wife is a master at this game and I've only beat her at it a handful of times. A couple of my daughters take right after her, with quick hands and a sharp eye. We have played this game with many of our Amish friends and my wife has some real competition when we do! Our Amish friends have large families so we sometimes play in teams of two. That way eight people can play at once. It is a fast game and everyone is laughing before it is all over.

This game (Dutch Blitz) appears in my first novel,

Under the Heavens

This is a game board for "marbles" my wife's grandpa made, it is

played like the "store bought game" Aggravation.

Of course, the best game of all, for Amish children, is riding ponies out in the pasture!

A couple of makeshift jumps and let the games begin!