Sunday Morning Drive

        Last Sunday morning we drove to Kalona to meet up with my parents, sister and family at the Kalona Family Restaurant for breakfast. It's so peaceful on Sunday mornings in our area. The roads are almost empty except for Amish buggies heading to Church.

        This intersection was especially busy! There are 10 Amish districts in the Kalona area, which means that Amish families are gathering at 10 seperate farms for Sunday morning church services. The districts have something to do with area because it's pretty far to take a horse more than 10 miles. 

        Amish families will visit a neighboring district if they choose to. Sometimes they visit another service because of something special going on, such as a relative being baptized.

         After we finished breakfast we drove past this farm. As you can see, buggies were parked everywhere. The horses are all tied in a barn. One of my favorite moments in life, was when I stepped into a barn full (and I mean full) of buggy horses at my first Amish church service. For a person that loves horses, it was an unforgettable sight!

Nylon Harness Shop

This past February, I brought my draft horses into the barn to harness them up. I was planning to hitch them to this little sled that my harness is hanging on.
Coke (one of my horses) reached to the ground to get a mouthful of hay that she had dropped and broke a snap off her harness.
When you weigh almost a ton, it's easy to break things without meaning to.
The next thing I knew her harness was draped over her head. Being the good horse she is, she stood still and waited for me to unsnap everything.
I knew that I was going to be making a trip to my friendly harness man.

While he looked at what needed repaired, we had a chance to visit about other things. He told me about a new team of Percheron horses they had recently purchased. This is a picture (above) of one of those mares and her new colt. You can see her teammate in the background with some other horses. He told me that they seem to be good horses... if you can catch them. They were purchased at the Sale-barn in Kalona and he didn't know anything about their history. He said, "We normally catch our horses when they come into the barn for grain, but they don't come in with the others." That is unusual, most horses love to come in for grain. I'm sure they will get used to their new routine soon enough.

While I was getting my harness repaired, I remembered that my steel bits were getting rusty. So, I bought this new set of stainless steal bits. Not that I wanted to spend the money, but these are like the brakes on a car, if they go out your done! You can see a copy of my repair bill below. The Amish church-bench wagon was parked at the harness man's house, and he told me that they would be having Church in their home in a few weeks. I got a call about a week later, asking me to please pick up my harness as soon as possible. I knew what that was about. When an Amish family hosts Church in their home they want everything on the farm immaculate, even in the harness shop.

Yes, he did misspell my name, but I was honored that he remembered my name without asking.

Another footnote: When I arrived to pick up my harness, the shop had an open sign in the window, but nobody was anywhere in sight. I could hear what sounded like a large group of children. Just then, Monroe came out of the big barn. He told me, "Our goats are kidding!" I asked him,"How many kids?" He told me around 40. I don't know if that was a total or if more were on the way.

In my novel Catbird Singing, Lenny visits a harness shop multiple times. His good friend, an aging Amishman, gives him good advice about more than horses and harness.

Daddy Daughter Day

My daughter, Bethany, spent the day with me at the Kalona Draft Horse Sale. She was there on the day of the equipment sale. I took this picture of her in front of a couple of buggy horses. After I took this shot, I realized that an Amishman was eating his lunch in his buggy, hitched to the horse on the right. He didn't seem to notice us, until we walked past, and then gave us a friendly greeting. Bethany was the first person to read my novel, Under the Heavens. She read it while living in Italy, where her husband was stationed. (Funny that my book made its debut in Italy)

There are usually dozens of buggies all lined up. A lot of Amish come in from the Hazelton Amish community in northern Iowa and from Bloomfield in southern Iowa. They ride with English drivers, in semi-trucks that are hauling trailers with horses to sell, or ready to take home newly purchased stock and equipment.

I bought this Bobsled (pictured below) for a very reasonable price, maybe because it's springtime and it won't be much use for a long time. I will be really happy that I have it the next time it snows. I had a similar sled but it was really old and falling apart. This one is good and solid.

Bethany and I never seem to run out of things to talk about.  We enjoyed looking at all of the really old items and discussing what we thought they were, and how they were used. We noticed that some things we considered antiques were being purchased by local Amish folk, not as antiques.

My daughter pointed out how the light was making a nice shadow of this Percheron.

This dad and son are heading home from the Horse Sale with their newly purchased items... just like my daughter and her daddy. Yes, that is the Maple Avenue Greenhouse on the left. I blogged about the greenhouse a few weeks ago.

I sold books on the second day of the Horse Sale, and bought an amazing pecan sticky-bun from an Amish family that was selling baked goods. I took one bite and it was warm and delicious. So, I called over to the teenage girl that took my money, "Did you make these this morning?" She smiled and nodded.

I took this photo from where I was set up, selling books. I had a great view of the sale ring and was quite impressed with the quality of horses that sold that day. Good horses were bringing a handsome price.

There were a couple of young Amish families that came to the sale together... I passed them on the way home.

This young Amish fellow impressed us all with his skill and courage

Thank you Bethany, for being a sweet daughter and a great friend...
I loved spending the day with you!

Amish Greenhouse

Maple Avenue Greenhouse is owned and operated by an Amish family. Open to the public, just north of Kalona, Iowa. Every spring my wife and I go pick up plants for the garden here. Things like tomato plants, pepper plants, annual or perennial flowers, rhubarb, or even garden tea; whatever you want to grow in your garden or flowerbeds.

There really is nothing quite like the smell of a greenhouse! My wife is more of a gardener than I am but I always enjoy going along to Maple Ave. and walk around looking at all the growing things and taking in the awesome aroma. Not to mention, there are usually little Amish children playing in the house-yard nearby, which ads to the ambiance.

The place looks empty here but there are usually Amish girls working to keep everything tidy.

 Make sure to see their private Covered Bridge! Ask them about it at the greenhouse. It is over a creek leading to their tree nursery. Go look at baby trees, even if you don't want any... just to take the drive over the covered bridge! I talked to the Amishman that owns this place last summer, I think he said that it was an existing building that he converted into a covered bridge, but I'm not sure I remember that right. Ask him about it, he would be glad to tell you. I told him that people will get a big kick out of his bridge and he got a huge grin and asked, "Really?" Be sure to compliment him on it, he is hoping you will like it! You can also see the covered bridge in the photo below, and the tree nursery.

 If you're in Kalona, find the "Casey's General Store" and go straight north from there, past Kalona Mennonite Church. You will also pass by the Kalona Harness Shop (another great place to stop.) It's on a gravel road but only about 1/2 mile off pavement.  If you are up for more adventure, keep going north from here about another mile, you will come to a T intersection. Turn right and head another 1/2 mile and you will find the Golden Delight Amish Bakery and the best doughnuts in the world! Golden Delight also has a nice gift shop.

I took this photo right next to the greenhouse (it's their pony)

Winter on the Farm

Wild horses thrive out west, even in the worst conditions. Yet, people worry about horses on a farm getting cold. Horses are as tough as deer or buffalo. They have it made on a farm where people are providing food and shelter.

Up until around 1920 almost everyone depended on the horse for transportation year around. The Amish help us "Englishers" get an idea of what our great-grandparents lives were like. It wasn't quite like... getting in a warm car, in a heated garage, and jumping out to run into the mall.  Someone has to harness up a horse and hitch it to the buggy before going anywhere. Those buggies don't have a heater in them either.

When you get home, no matter how late, someone has to un-harness, brush and feed the horse. Wintertime is get-by mode on a farm. Amish are hardworking people, who are rarely caught unprepared for cold weather. Barn full of hay, crib full of corn, pantry loaded with canned goods, woodpile heaped up, they are ready for whatever winter brings. When the weather is really bad, chores can take all day. 

You might have to use an Ax to chop open the water tank. Spend extra time bedding down livestock with a fresh layer of straw. Plow snow or shovel the walk. Imagine how nice it is, to finally get inside after fighting the cold for hours, and then sit close to a wood burning stove with the smell of homemade bread circling around you like a wreath. 

 In the picture below, you can see that we have a few Amish homes in Kalona. The city is accommodating for Amish, even providing a shelter for tying horses while shopping.

James (pictured below) is using a team of draft horses to plow snow out of a drive. He is 16 and not sitting on a couch, playing video games, or texting his buds. It was -4 when this picture was taken and this young man is getting a job done. Molly and Mary (his team of Belgians) are more-than-likely happy to have something interesting to do, rather than standing around looking over a fence.

Photo courtesy of Laurie Erwin Gabbert
Interested in reading about Draft Horses and Amish? Read my novel...
Under the Heavens

Kalona Fall Festival

Fall in the Kalona Iowa area

(notice the dragon fly in the clouds) 

Fields are turning golden, nights are cool, mornings brisk and apples are perfectly crisp.  The Kalona Fall Festival is set in this perfect time of year.  My daughter and I were having a conversation about all of our great Fall Festival memories, most of them include food.

Natalie, my daughter, told me that she can't wait to have some of that home-made apple-butter.  That got us started talking about Apple Fritters, those perfectly fried, cinnamon-sugary doughnut  hole type things.

Then we remembered the Hand Made Soft Pretzels! What could be better on a chilly fall evening than biting into a warm, salty pretzel dipped in melted cheese.  You wont find any of our local Amish at an event like this but as you can see from the picture of the Pretzel booth, there are plenty of Mennonites.

I haven't even started talking about all the wonderful music and entertainment, ranging from our local school bands and choirs to Bluegrass bands with a flare for humor.

All of us locals have a great time visiting but there is plenty of room and food for anyone that wants to join the fun!

Pictured above, faculty and staff from Iowa Mennonite school are having fun making Apple Fritters.  My son graduated from there last year, so it will be my first Fall Festival in a while that I'm not working in that booth.  I'm still buying and eating my share though!

Stop in the Mennonite Historical building and be amazed at all the artifacts and history in there.

Be sure to look inside of the little village buildings while your there.  An old train depot, a cute little Amish grandpa-house, store, log cabin, and country church (the place where my wife's grandparents used to go.) And plenty more, including a building and tents overflowing with arts and crafts for sale.  I will also be there selling and signing copies of my Amish novel, Under the Heavens.  Stop by and see me in the main office.

My Amish Horses Book Series takes place in a fictional town but if you stop by Kalona you'll see that I didn't have to dream up a lot, I had a perfect pattern right in front of me.

Garden Spot of Iowa

In my mind, Kalona is the garden spot of the state of Iowa.

Most of these pictures were taken in the past few weeks. I love fresh garden produce and enjoy driving past Amish farms and looking over their huge gardens.  I am always impressed when I pass an Amish farm (on my way to work) at 7:00 a.m. and see teenage girls already working between the rows.  On my way home, someone is usually working in the same garden.

In my novel, Under the Heavens, I mention that an Amish garden is lived in as much as any room in the house.  That is probably an understatement.

Amish farmers near Kalona still plow up fields, making them appear like huge gardens. In the old days, all of Iowa was plowed, gone over with a disc and harrow, until all soil was neatly combed.

Most farmlands in the U.S. now fall into the category of no-till.  Once harvest takes place, remaining stems and root systems are left in place, keeping soil from eroding.  This is good for the soil but not as easy on the eyes.  The farmlands surrounding Kalona still look garden like.

Garden tea is a delightfully fresh drink, it tastes like summer in a glass, and is a staple in almost every Amish home.

I highly recommend taking a leisurely drive through an Amish/Mennonite community and noticing their gardens. Many Amish families sell fresh garden produce for a living.  Stop in and let yourself go back in time, to a place where food was anything but "fast", and almost everything is healthy and tasty.