My Neighbor's Barn

            I saw my neighbor pushing his bike down the road about ten miles from our place.  He had a flat tire, so we threw his bicycle in the bed of my faithful little S-10 pickup and hauled it home.  When I pulled in his drive and saw his barn up close, all I could say was, "Wow, can I take some pictures?"
          I am a big fan of old barns!  I love to look inside and imagine what life was like back in the old days.
          That is what I like about having Amish around... the old days are still alive and well on their farms!

           A lot of time was put into building these old structures.  Look at that foundation!  Most old barns in Iowa were built with native oak lumber; such hard wood you can't drive a nail in the beams.
(At least I can't)
           If you click on these pictures you will get a closer view.

           I love barns with a ramp access to the mow. Just imagine how many loads of hay were pulled up that ramp by teams of horses over the years.

           Back in the good old days this barn would have been hopping with activity around chore time. People and livestock probably hurried inside during cold winter snowstorms, or walked out of its doors at the perfect time of evening to see a beautiful sunset.  I bet this old barn could tell some great stories and a few romantic tales too.

    Check out my Facebook page,    https://www.facebook.com/AmishHorses   Look at my photo album named "Barns."

Fun on the Farm

 My Grandchildren love Karm and Coke!  Whenever they come out to the farm they always ask, "Can we feed the horses?"  Of course there is nothing that makes this old Grandpa happier than his grandchildren wanting to see the horses.  They aren't afraid of Karm and Coke which is great, but I want them to have a healthy respect of how big these horses are.  Both are gentle, friendly horses, but their shear size makes them dangerous if a person isn't cautious.  For example, don't let them accidentally step on your foot!  My oldest grandson Alex and I took a ride in the wagon last Sunday evening.
           Lyla was born a horse girl, she is pictured below riding our out-door rocking pony, blowing on dandelion seeds and taking a ride on Coke.

           Karm and Coke out in the pasture, you can see my manure spreader in the background.

Amish Acres in Nappanee,Indiana

Amish Acres Round Barn

          After I left Shipshewanna I drove toward Goshen because I knew there would be Amish and Mennonites all the way down to Nappanee.  I got a chance to see some beautiful farms and horses along the way but didn't know I was in for a nice surprise.  

          When I arrived in Nappanee I discovered a place called Amish Acres and they just happened to be having an Arts and Crafts Festival.  I snapped a few pics of the old home place with my trusty cell phone, so I could share them with you.  Down below I will show a few pics of the festival.  As peaceful as this acreage looks, there is a huge crowd on the other side of the barn!

          It is so relaxing to sit on a porch in the evening after a long day of hard work.  The sights and smells of a farm leave a lasting impression on a young child's memory.

           When I was a boy my Grandpa and Grandma didn't have indoor plumbing, it was all part of a fun adventure for me.











           A farm with a variety of livestock and poultry feels so full of life and character. Now days most farms are specialized, raising only one type of livestock, and those hidden away in long enclosed buildings.  I miss driving through the countryside and seeing hogs rooting in a field or chickens scratching and pecking in a yard.

          Horses have so much more personality than a car or a tractor, they can make life more complicated but always more interesting.
          That's what I like about Amish farms... they take you back to the good old days!

          The Arts and Crafts Festival was huge!  I couldn't believe how many booths were there and what a large variety of goods available.

          Food wasn't in short supply either!  I highly recommend bringing the family out to Amish Acres for a day trip.  Even more fun if you happen to get there during the Craft show.

Check out this link for more pictures    https://www.facebook.com/AmishHorses

Shipshewanna

            I swung by Shipshewanna Indiana on my way home from visiting my mom in Michigan.  These Belgian horses were part of the amazing vistas everywhere around me.  I really enjoy driving around the countryside looking at Amish farms and YES Amish horses.

           I stopped at this book store that sells books about Amish.  Hopefully my book, Under the Heavens, will be on a shelf here when it comes out later this fall.

          There are buggy rides available behind the Blue Gate restaurant and Bakery, in the heart of Shipshewanna.  The Blue Gate restaurant has amazing food, you have to try their Amish peanut butter, apple-butter and amazing pies.

          These buggy rides seems like fun too!  There are Amish buggies and local "plain-people" riding bikes throughout the streets of this little town.


           This is a great place for a day trip, I am thinking of planning a week long visit sometime.

           I was entertained by seeing buggies stopping in at the gas station and by the attendant who kept coming out to scoop up all the buggy exhaust.


           I'm not sure if the man giving horse drawn rides is actually Amish but I'm gonna guess that he is! (Pictured below)

            If you enjoy these pictures check out my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/AmishHorses I have more pictures in albums there.  Be sure to "like" my Amish Horses page while your there.  Thanks for your support!

Lost Canyon (horse-drawn attraction in Wisconsin Dells)

This is an AWESOME experience!

Anyone who loves horses will really enjoy Lost Canyon in Wisconsin Dells area

 There are so many attractions in the Wisconsin Dells area but this one is a MUST DO family friendly experience. At just over $10 a person it has to be one of the cheapest too. The canyon that the horses pull your wagon through is beautiful and so are the horses. My visit to Lost Canyon last week was at least my 3rd time and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time I was there. The guides are always funny and friendly, Kevin who you see pictured in these photos was a great young man and his love for his team of dapple-gray Percheron draft horses was obvious!

There are usually several teams of horses waiting to give rides through a cool wooded canyon. It doesn't seem to matter how hot it is everywhere else, this canyon stays nice and cool.  The horses trod through shallow pools alongside a creek on a nice sandy path, and almost seem to be having fun too!

It's fun to meet up with the other teams of horses and wagon loads of tourists. Everyone seems to have a smile on their faces and the guides usually stop for a moment to tease each other.  Be sure to ask lots of questions while on the ride.  I always do; and I learn a lot about the place, horses and even the guides.

There are many places along the trail where you wonder if the horses can even fit through the narrow canyon walls, they do!  This narrow confined area actually makes for a very safe horse drawn wagon ride. I have given wagon rides commercially in the past and I know that there is a risk when you take a large group of people for a ride with horses. Most horse drawn rides are either in town or out in wide open spaces where plenty can go wrong.  I am jealous of this spot because distractions are very limited as well as places for scared horses to go! I could see that whoever set things up here, took many precautions to keep everything safe.

   


 It is really fun to watch the other teams pulling through the canyon as you meet them along the way! I love watching horses in harness, so this place is easily one of my favorite tourist attraction of all time!

Down below is my favorite picture of Kevin with his horses!  He is a really nice young man and got excited when I told him he (and his horses) would be making an appearance on my blog.  He seemed happy to promote Lost Canyon even though he was working his last week, after being there for several years!  We wish you all the best where ever you end up Kevin!  By the way, I think you have draft horses in your blood. Once you have that bug, it doesn't seem to ever leave you.

Road Apples and other signs your nearing Kalona

Road apples, a little nickname we Kalona people give to what horses leave behind.

Also known as buggy exhaust!

This is a good sign you are nearing Kalona.

The Cheese House, known to the locals as "The Cheese Factory"

famous for squeaky cheese curds!

A large variety of horse drawn vehicles.

This is a horse drawn sprayer. 

(vehicles like these leave road apples behind)

Signs along the road, reminding us to watch for horse drawn vehicles.

Dozens of signs advertising home grown products, almost exclusively Amish signs.

(My little time-machine S-10 pickup can be seen in this picture)

Just past the "rumble strips" you roll up to the "Four-Corners" 4 way stop.

From here you can see our famous, Puller Inn motel,

JW's grocery,

and English River Pellets.