Still Making Fence

This isn't my most exciting blog, but for those who follow Amish Horses, here is an update.

Yes, I'm still making fence. After spending a solid week pouring over edits in my newest novella, Cowboys and Amish Girls, I went straight to work making this fence.

Last week I shared pictures of my draft horses pulling these corner posts to the far edges of my property. The posts are all set and painted now.

You can see the edge of my pasture where it meets up with my brother-in-law's farm fields. When my wife saw this picture she asked, "Did you get some of the white paint in your beard?"

"Nope, that white is a sign of my aging wisdom."

The fencing material I'm using is called Hot Coat. I first noticed this type of fence while on a book tour in a heavily populated Amish area of Indiana. It's high tensile wire, coated with a white plastic that will conduct a shock. Amish farmers use solar powered fence chargers to keep their fences hot.

We have a local Amish business that sells Hot Coat. Evan's Sales and Service is just down the road from my favorite Amish bakery, Golden Delight. (of course every time I go to get parts for my fence I have to stop and get a donut.)

 I put the fence where I wanted it and then have been questioning how wise I really am, to put a new fence next to an ancient ash tree. Hopefully when the tree does fall it lands in the opposite direction.

My horses still aren't grazing next to my new fence, yet. There will be plenty of horse pics with my new "Amish fence" in the future.

I do have a novella that is all about a fence between an Amish family and a modern suburb.
Whispering to Horses

To Build a Fence

It's time for a new fence at the Nye home-place.

Karm and Karla were called on to help get the job done. I hitched the team and put them on my little hitch-cart. I bought this two-wheeled vehicle at an Amish farm sale when I got my first team of work horses. That was in 1993. It was old then, and it looks just the same as it did the day I brought it home 25 years ago.
I hooked onto a wooden sled (also known as a stone boat) rolled my logs on, and the horses pulled them.

 Karm and Karla hauled the logs and braces out to the corners of their pasture. I rented a post-hole-digger from a local rental place and made some deep holes for my large corner posts.

In the photo below, you can see my old electric fence, Karla grazing, my pickup truck, and the post-hole-digger.

Once we got our equipment in place, the horses were sent out to pasture, and I put a gas engine to work.

I now have my corner post set. If it ever quits raining, I'll get back on this project and share some finished product photos.

Seasons of Life

 Well, it's time to give the final rose, as they say on the Bachelor show. If you have been following my blog over the past few weeks, you know about my conundrum.

I was given a choice between two amazing horses; one I've owned for the past nine years, the other a full sister to my favorite horse.

Karla (Karm's sister) gets the rose. I have to say, there was a lot that went into this decision.

 Karma and Karla relaxing in the sun.

The first time I hitched these sisters together, it was amazing! They had been a team until Karm was seven and it seemed clear to me that they are perfect for each other.

Coke is such a social creature and seems way happier at the Amish farm with a crowd of buggy horses around her. I asked my Amish friend if Coke raised a fit when she realized that Karm was gone. He said, "Not at all. But when I hitch the team and take them to the field, Coke and one of the buggy horses call back and forth to each other." She has a new best friend.

Ancient Greek philosophers concluded: Change is the only constant.
Seasons of life come and go. Many of us remember taking a new job which altered a connection with our fellow workers. Maybe that new job took us away from family or dear friends, but we knew it was best for our future. Have you ever needed to wean a baby or a colt? It seems so difficult at the time, but in the end, it is best for everyone involved. Our life is made up of seasons that are passing. Coke, Karm, and I had a season together. We learned from each other and grew to love and respect each other. Our time together was never permanent. That season is over, for now. Karla had a season with her Amish friend and other horses. His season of farming is over, and so is his time with his horse. It is time for my friends and me to embrace a new season, which also will someday pass. Wonderful memories of our times and seasons live on forever in our hearts.

When I brought Karma and Karla home a few days back, it was a difficult moment. Karm trotted through the paddock looking for Coke, much like a mare when her colt is weaned from her side. She stood at the gate, looking off in the direction of my Amish friend's farm and whinnied. I went into the house and shed a few tears myself. At that moment, I thought that I would go and get Coke as soon as possible.

A few days passed and Karma and Karla began to form their new routine together. When they seemed comfortable, I hitched them together in harness and the moment was golden. I took a video on that day, and I will share it with you. The moment seemed to declare that this was meant to be. It was time to usher in a new season. A season with Karma and Karla, sisters and friends.

(All of the photos on this post are Karma and Karla)

Horseman Bachelor/Bachelorette

In reality, it is both wonderful and terrible to choose between a group of beautiful girls.

I get to keep all four of these dolls in my life, they're my daughters. However, over the next few days, I need to make a decision that is about as tough as anyone on the Bachelor show has had to face.

It turns our that I have to choose between four amazing Percheron mares. It may seem like a wonderful opportunity, and it is. But, it's also a terrible dilemma.

Let me give you a quick history in how I fell into such a burning ring-of-fire.

Between my home place and Kalona lay ten miles of rolling Iowa farmlands. Most of the farms are Amish owned. Yes, it is a virtual paradise for a man who loves draft horses as much as I do. So much so, that I wrote three full-length novels about my experiences in this heavenly place. If you have read my first book, you will know what a kind, gentle horseman Grandpa was. My Amish friend that I bought Karm and Coke from is about as close to Grandpa as he could be. Every time I step onto his farm I learn something new about horses.

My Amish friend is at a transition point in his life, he is going to be moving into the "grandpa house" and his son-in-law will be the main farmer. He wanted to borrow my horses back one last time before that happened. While they were at his farm, all four mares got a chance to be reunited. My friend told me that I could take home whichever two horses I want. They are all four amazing. I didn't hesitate to say, "I'll take my own two back home." There was one huge problem, though, one of the horses is a full sister to Karma, the best horse I've ever owned. My Amish friend and I had many conversations about it, and we both agree that Karm and her full sister make a better match in multiple ways than Karm and Coke. You see, Coke is a beautiful horse but she is a handful. Much like a sheepdog that needs a full-time job, Coke needs to be hitched often to keep her out of mischief. She will get that if she stays on the Amish farm.

Since all four horses were happily reunited, and I had the tough job of separating them again, I decided that I might as well give Karla a try. I brought her home on a ten-day trial basis. What I didn't see coming was that I was about to fall into the same ring-of-fire every man on the Bachelor show falls into. I fell in love with multiple girls and I can't have them all.

Over the next few days, I will have to give a rose to one of these two beautiful girls and say goodbye to the other. I am in a most wonderful and terrible predicament. Pray for me and I will let you know what happens in a week, or so.

Horse Reunion

Kallie, Karla, Karma, and Coke

Coke, Karma, Karla, and Kalley

My horses spent the past several months at a "horse reunion."

My Percheron draft horse mares, Karma and Coke, were born and raised on my Amish friend's farm.These four horses are all closely related, and they hadn't been together since I brought two of them to my place about 9 years ago.

When not squeezed together for a picture, these stalls are perfect for big teams.

 The middle two horses in these photos are full sisters. My friend (I won't mention his name for privacy sake) helped me squeeze three big girls into one stall so I could get a photo of them.

My Amish friend is an amazing horseman and one of the nicest men you could ever meet. He likes these horses every bit as much as I do. He kept Karm and Coke over the winter and was really excited to get all four mares together again. He used to drive the full-sisters as a team until I took Karm home with me years ago. He had an idea, he thought maybe we should try putting the two sisters back together and the other two horses actually match well. I decided to give it a try. We haven't traded horses, yet, but we are considering it.

Karm and her full sister Karla

So, after several months of all four horses spending time together on my friend's farm, the reunion is over. I now have Karma and her sister Karla at my place. They are so much alike! I do miss my good friend Coke and I can tell Karm does as well. It's a tough decision to make, and I will keep you updated on what we end up doing.

Dreaming of Spring

 Spring is my favorite time of year. The whole world is resurrected with a burst of new life after laying dormant through long winter months.

When spring arrives little Amish girls will run and play barefoot in Mommy's garden, pick raspberries and climb fences.

In Pennsylvania, little Amish girls don't wear coverings but usually have tight braids wound in coils behind their ears or tied together at the base of their neck.

Over the rest of Amish America, girls wear coverings from infancy. When working or playing on the farm they are often seen with headscarves. Don't rule out the possibility of seeing a little Amish girl with braids running around the yard. But rest assured, Mommy will tie on a scarf or pin on a covering before they leave the lane to go somewhere.

 These little girls are searching Grandma's raspberry bush for early fruit and helping themselves to a snack.

Just looking at these pics, taken two springs ago, makes me start dreaming of spring, again.

Fresh fruit and vegetables, garden tea, bees buzzing, baby lambs, and even dandelions seem welcome at this point.

(By the way, these are pictures of my own granddaughters, Lyla and Kinley, and were photographed with permission from their mommy) They were in these Amish made dresses for the purpose of a cover photo. If you want to see the finished product of the photo shoot, click on the link below.

Cover Photo Link

The Stolen Cowboy Hat

I recently spoke to a group of children at Washington Township Elementary School.

The children were super well behaved and I really enjoyed reading part of Catbird Singing to them. I read a story about a little Amish girl that rides her pony into a house.

I will share the video of me reading the same story to Karm and Coke. (my horses)

I also wrote a very short story for the event, titled The Stolen Cowboy Hat. 

The Stolen Cowboy Hat

  A few years ago there was a boy named Dallas in 2nd grade at Washington Township. This boy wanted a cowboy hat more than anything in the world. Not the kind of cowboy hat you may be thinking of but a Dallas Cowboys stocking hat. You see, he thought it would be really nice to have a hat that said, “Dallas,” on it and he liked the Cowboys. His mother said, “I saw them at the store and they are very expensive. You don’t take care of your hats, you always lose them. I don’t think should buy you an expensive hat.”
Dallas was really disappointed, that is until Christmas. He opened up a gift from his mother and was surprised that she had bought him a stocking hat with big bold letters that said, Dallas Cowboys. He quickly tried it on and it was a little big. Mom said, “Let me see that. Oh dear, I should take that back and get a medium instead of a large.” But Dallas put it back on and smiled. “I love it, just like it is!”
Dallas wore it around the house during Christmas break. One day Dallas’ brother, who was in the 5th grade, had one of his friends over. His brother's friend, named Eddie, was a big bully and he teased Dallas. “What’s a little kid like you doing with a big hat like that? Do you even know anything about the Cowboys?”
“I love the Cowboys, and besides my name is Dallas.”
“I oughta take that hat.” Eddie the bully said.
When Christmas break was over, Dallas was really excited to go back to school so he could wear his new hat. But, he couldn’t find it. He searched his room and the hall closet. He couldn’t believe he had already lost it. He didn’t dare ask his mom to help him find it because he didn’t want her to know that he had already lost his expensive hat. His mom called, “Dallas, hurry up the bus is here!” Dallas pulled his hood up over his head so his mother wouldn’t see that he wasn’t wearing his new hat, and ran out to the bus.
All he could think about all day was his lost hat. When he went out to recess he could see his brother and the 5th graders playing on the big kid’s playground. He thought he saw that bully Eddie was wearing a brand-new Cowboys hat. When the teacher blew the whistle and everyone lined up to go back inside, he saw Eddie up close and it was true, he was wearing a hat exactly like the one Dallas lost.
All during class Dallas kept thinking about his hat, and he remembered hearing Eddie say, “I ought to take that hat.” He was just sure Eddie stole it. During the afternoon, Dallas asked the teacher if he could walk down the hall to visit the boy’s bathroom. On his way past the 5th-grade room, he noticed a Cowboys hat hanging on the coat rack outside of the class. He took it off the hook and looked at the size. It was a large just like the one his mom bought him. He said to himself, “This is my hat, Eddie stole it!” Dallas decided to take his hat back, and on his way to the 2nd-grade classroom, he hid it in his own coat pocket.
After school, when the bus stopped in front of his house, Dallas took his new hat out of his coat pocket and proudly wore it inside. He walked past his mother slowly, so she would see that he was wearing his new hat. She handed him a bag and said, “Here, I took your new hat and exchanged it for a medium!” Dallas took the bag and looked at his mother with wide eyes, and she gave him the same look. “Where did that hat come from?” She asked.
“I thought it was mine,” Dallas said.
“You didn’t answer me, I asked where did you get it?”
“At school,” Dallas answered.
“So, you took someone else’s hat?” Mom asked.
“I thought Eddie stole mine.”
“I see, so you stole it back? Get your coat, we are going over to Eddie’s to return his hat.” When they got to Eddie’s house Dallas asked Mom, “Would you come with me, so Eddie doesn’t smack me across the head.”
“I’ll be right here watching,” She said. Dallas went to the door and knocked. Eddie opened the door and the two boys had a conversation. Eddie lifted his hand and then reached over and rubbed Dallas on the head. When he got back in the car Mom asked, “What happened?”
“I told him the whole story,” Dallas said.
“What did Eddie say?” Mom asked.
“Eddie said, ’Thanks for bringing it back, I was just trying to figure out how I was going to tell my mom that I lost my new hat!”

Here are a few of the letters I found in my mailbox, sent to me from the first-grade class. I loved them all but thought I'd better only try to share a few.

In the top left picture, you can see me lecturing the students and the round table that held my books. You can also see the poster I made that says, Beginning, Middle, End. That is was I taught about... being sure to give every story all three parts.

I will share a link to my Thomas Nye Facebook page, where you will find a video of my little speech. (It gets cut short because my iPad was running low in storage.) And you will find the video of the Pony Story. Just look through, "My Videos."

Author Thomas Nye on Facebook
Please "Like" (Thomas Nye) while you are there!