A little girl after her Grandpa's own heart. . .

There is a special connection between a girl or a grandpa and their horses. I don't know whether or not it is a born-in-trait or something that's learned but at any rate it's unavoidable to recognize. I captured this special little horse-lovin'-granddaughter playing, playing, reading horses all day yesterday at Grandpa and Grandma's house (that has no lack of horses for that matter).

 

 

I really can't see how it could be any sweeter than this.
 

  all photos on this post are ©RubyEllenPhotography 2013

Dusk on the Farm {A story through Pictures}

I always love going out to "the farm" to spend time with my mom and dad and siblings. There is something I miss about coming home after a ball game and sitting on the porch swing, watching for fireflies, enjoying the sunset, weeding the garden and watching the horses. I had the privilege of sneaking by for a couple of minutes after my brother's ball game last night. So pretty.

 

 

Dusk on the farm... A sight to behold.

 all photos are ©RubyEllenPhotography 2013
 

Hoof in Mouth

                    I don't know about you but I have a big issue with putting my own foot in my mouth!
          We had some good friends over for supper one night, my wife had made a delicious meal. (her Mennonite background at work) After supper my wife told me to go to our basement and get a big container of ice cream out of the freezer.  I was to put a little beside everyone's piece of pie.  Both families were waiting patiently for desert when I opened my big mouth.  "Honey, this ice-cream is a little freezer burned."  She told me that it would be fine, get it scooped.  I told her again, "NO, this ice-cream is bad!"  My wife calmly informed her husband, "Hun, it's fine... they brought it."

          This picture above is my good ol' mare Karma, rolling to get rid of some pesky flies.  Looks like she is rolling with laughter!  I'm sure Karm and Coke have wanted to laugh at me many times.  After growing up on  an Amish farm, they know how real horse-drawn farm equipment should work, yet, they patiently endure my slow learning curve, as I try my hand at it.

Part 3

Part 3

                    My heart was pounding, in time with the pulse of the milking machine; I didn't like trying to talk Abe down.  I was actually ashamed to tell him how much less I was going to offer.  First, I explained to him again, “I am not a horse trader; I think your horses are worth all that you are asking. I'm just a guy who really wants to buy these horses, and this is the best I can offer.  If you don’t feel you can accept it, I totally respect that and understand.”

When I gave him my price, he looked down at the black-and-white  Holstein cow he was milking and thought for a moment.  Slowly looking back up at me, he said...

(To read more click on, Back in Time, tab on menu bar above.)  
If you already read part 1 & 2 scroll down to part 3                                       

Part 2                                                                                

                             

                    During the next few days, I worked out a plan where I would be able to afford Abe’s mares, if I could only talk him down a little in price.  After work one afternoon, I sped quickly down the highway and turned down the gravel road leading to the 1800s again.  I parked my truck, awkwardly near the hitching post and rolled out, back in time.  On this visit, I only talked to Virgil.  I found him out in the barn.  It was milking time and large black-and-white Holsteins, each in a stanchion, waited patiently to be milked.  I drew in the sweet smell of hay and cows; Michael was milking and told me where to find Virgil.
Only too happy to show me the horses again, Virgil slid open a large door and the line of big black horses clomped into their stalls and calmly let the young man put on their halters and tie them.  I asked if we could take the two mares I was thinking about buying, outside, so I could see them in full daylight...

(to read more, click on Back in Time tab on the menu bar above)

If you already read part 1, scroll down to part 2

Part 3 will be added 6/26

Short Story

                               

                            In a small, gray S-10 Pickup, hustling down gravel roads over Iowa’s rolling hills, I had one of my experiences with time travel.  In a cloud of dust, I crossed a time warp and found myself somewhere in the late 1800s.  Stumbling out of my little truck, I headed toward a large, white barn.  I looked for signs of life inside.  Some voices could be heard coming from within, and I followed the sound until I found a young man and woman having a conversation.  The woman stood there, barefoot, with a long, plain, green dress, playing with her apron strings.  The man had his thumbs under his suspenders, his face hidden by a straw hat.  Unnoticed, I listened for a moment, and couldn't make out a word they were saying.  They spoke in a foreign tongue, but their conversation seemed quite pleasant, as laughter filled the air.
  Suddenly, they saw me and the room fell silent.  They looked me up and down, as if I were some kind of alien.  “Is your dad around?” I asked.  “He’s up at the house.” The young man answered in broken English.  I left them behind, heading up toward a very large, white farm house.  Everything seemed familiar; I knew I had been here, on an earlier voyage, but didn't know if those living here remembered  me.  Passing under spinning shadows of a windmill that clattered rhythmically...

           (To read more... click on, Back in Time, tab on the menu bar above.)

Chore Time!

       Anyone who ever spent time on a farm knows those words, chore time!
       My wife's dad is an older Mennonite man in his eighties and loves to tell stories of the old days.
       One Sunday, over a delicious home cooked meal he told me, "If you ever want to see something amazing, go to an Amish farm at chore time!"

He said that he had taken his push-mower to a local Amish farmer, who also has a small-engine repair shop. When he got there a young boy told him that "Dad" was gone but due to return soon. My dad-in-law decided to wait in his truck.
       He told me,"I was upset that I had to wait, until I realized I wasn't going to be bored! There were children everywhere doing a whole variety of chores. Everywhere, all around me! Some were feeding chicken, others feeding hogs. I saw a little girl, not much more than 5 lead a tall buggy-horse up near my pickup truck. I was amazed that she wasn't afraid to handle that big horse. She tied it to a hitching rack near my truck and left. Pretty soon she comes back with a screwdriver and proceeded to lift up each of that horses feet, cleaning them out with her makeshift hoof-pick." He laughed and repeated himself as he usually does. "That little girl picked up each of that big horse's feet and cleaned them out! I was almost disappointed when their dad came home and we loaded up my lawnmower."

       There are dozens of small businesses on Amish farms in the Kalona area!  I highly recommend taking a trip to any Amish community and doing business with the Amish.  I can almost guarantee you will come away with a great story of your own!  Just look for a sign along the road advertising rhubarb, brown eggs, rabbits, puppies, or a million other similar items for sale.