Winter's Short Days

 
Winter in the Midwest can be brutal. Amish families endure the elements in a way most modern Americans don't have to. Can you imagine hitching up a horse after dark on a cold winter's night just to go to your children's school function? How about when the temperatures are below zero, there is ice on the road, and you have no heater or defroster in your vehicle. Don't forget there won't be electricity in the barn or any turning on the lights quickly so you can see what you're doing while you hitch up the horse.

Horses, however, are tough creatures. They, like buffalo, can calmly nibble at grasses on a snowy field when the temperature is below zero. They willingly pull a buggy through a curtain of snow. The picture above was snapped during a moment when the wind chill was negative 20 degrees. If you pass a row of buggy horses waiting at the hitching rack they all have a nice warm blanket wrapped around them. No kidding, Amish folks are quite devoted to their horses' well-being. 

Amish Children find fun games to play outside during cold weather. This hand-held game connects the players, unlike most hand-held devices children are connected to these days.

My wife and I enjoyed some hand-held outdoor fun a few weeks ago as we walked from shop to shop in the Amana Colonies to complete our Christmas shopping.

Winter days are short but the season can seem long while we wait for spring to bring new life to our fields and gardens. May I suggest a great pastime for those long winter evenings by the fire?

Why not curl up with a good book and a hot cup of something delicious to drink.

Here are some links to learn more about my Amish novels:

Books by Thomas Nye

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Barnes & Noble Thomas Nye page

Amish Church/ Autumn

A perfect fall day for Amish Church.

My wife and I were on our way to our non-denominational church for Sunday services when we passed this picturesque Amish farm. Their service had already started and the farm appeared quiet and still. There were horses standing tied in a long line with their tails swinging.

The horses can almost be seen in this pic. They were close to the white shed, which happens to be where the Amish church service was being held. If a person listened carefully, you could hear the slow, scooping Amish-style singing filling the air.

Slow-moving vehicle signs seemed to match the autumn leaves perfectly.

 Here is another angle of the iconic Amish farm dressed in Sunday's best autumn attire.

This scene reminded me of a chapter in English River: Book III of my Amish Horses Series. In this novel, Lenny and Leah, attend a fall wedding on an Amish farm. The bride's dress matched the leaves. Amish do not use white material for a dress, including wedding dresses.

If you are ever visiting an Amish community on a Sunday morning. Drive along the country roads until you see a yard full of buggies. It is a delightful surprise.

Seven Villages

Once upon a time, a group of people with strong religious convictions left their homeland of Germany and transplanted themselves onto American soil.

They first began a community in New York state and later purchased a large tract of land in central Iowa. They surrendered themselves to a communal lifestyle and shared all their worldly goods. Families stayed intact, but they shared large communal homes and dining halls. 

Pictured on the left is the smokestack of the Amana Woolen Mill. The stream is manmade, designed to power the mill and as an avenue to float goods through the center of Amana's 26,000-acre farm. The Amana Society constructed six villages and later purchased the nearby hamlet of Homestead, Ia. Nowadays, seven beautiful villages are standing as relics of bygone days. There are numerous shops, restaurants, wineries, handcrafted furniture venues, butcher shops, museums, and more.

My middle daughter and I love the "family style" breakfast served in Amana restaurants. Grandson Parker slept right through the meal, but I'm pretty sure his day of feasting with Grandpa is coming soon.

My grandparents took my mother and father to the Amana Colonies for a family-style meal on their wedding day in June 1951, and my wife and I honeymooned here in January 1981.

There are many amazing sights, scents, and tastes in the colonies. 

Many large homes, dining halls, churches, and factories were constructed of sandstone, brick, and wood. They are beautiful in structure and create a lovely ambiance. (I enjoy riding my bicycle throughout the seven colonies. Pictured above.)

These seven villages have been an integral part of my life here in Iowa. My love of Early American History draws my heart to Amish farms and the Amana Colonies. Those sentiments are the inspiration for my Amish novels and soon-to-be-released Amana novel.

(Above) I'm standing in front of the Amana church in a village called "Main Amana." If you are ever passing through Iowa on Interstate 80, take a break, stretch your legs with a scenic walk, sit down to a scrumptious meal, and enjoy browsing through a few shops. You will want to make this the destination instead of a stopping point on your next vacation. 

I'll keep you posted as my Amana novel nears publication.

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Where Donkeys Rule

There is a place in America where donkeys rule.

In Cripple Creek, Colorado donkeys are free to roam the streets at their leisure, and they do. My wife and I recently spent a week in the mountains near Cripple Creek. We took a drive through the little mountain town and came across a herd of donkeys roaming the streets. My first thought was to let someone know their donkeys were out. I checked in with a local business person and she explained the phenomenon.  

Cripple Creek is an old mining town. Donkeys were an integral part of life here during the birth of this community and they remain a permanent fixture. In honor of all the donkeys who carried loaded packs, or worked in the mines, these donkeys are treated like royalty. 

The donkeys have a support team known as the Two Mile High Club. The elevation of Cripple Creek is 9,495 feet above sea level, which is almost two miles up. I had to gasp for air when I strolled from shop to shop. Lol, not quite that bad, but it gave me an excuse to sit on a bench and take in the views. 

I purchased this hat as a memento and to help support the donkeys. Local stores carry Two Mile High Club merchandise and a portion of the sales are used to maintain the donkey herd. There is a Facebook page and a website for these donkeys. You can click on the links at the bottom of this post and join the support team. 

We were lucky enough to take in the annual rodeo while we were in Cripple Creek. It is touted as the world's highest rodeo. I had to wonder if the horses noticed the low oxygen content of the mountain air.

The locals seem to embrace these little darlings and allow them free access to roam, sit, eat, and poop wherever they so desire.

Everyone loves to stop and feed and/or pet these "rulers of the mountains" but be sure to check about what food is acceptable before you toss them a treat. We want to keep these gentle spirits safe and honor the legacy of those valiant ancestors who faithfully served humankind. 

I took the photo below when I first witnessed a herd of donkeys roaming the streets.

This was my first view of Cripple Creek (below) as my wife and I crossed the mountain pass heading into town. It was love at first sight for me, and I didn't even know about the Two Mile High Club yet. 

 Be sure to notice the white-capped mountains off in the distance lining the horizon. 

Here are the links I promised:

Cripple Creek Donkeys on Facebook

cripplecreekdonkeys.com

First Horse Sale

Grandpa (Thomas Nye) and Grandma took our little  2-year-old Ruby to her first draft horse sale a few weeks ago. First, you need to understand, Ruby is horse-crazy just like her grandpa. When we stepped out onto this catwalk she literally shook with excitement. See how she is pointing in the photo below? She pointed at every horse in sight and squealed, "Horsey!"

 

We went down among the horses. Ruby made a special point of saying a friendly, "Hello" to anyone who happened to be on horseback. She ignored people on foot. LOL

When we headed outside she enjoyed watching buggies and horse-drawn wagons rolling past.

We ate in the Sale Barn diner where the cooks and waitresses are Amish or Plain Mennonite. Ruby smiled at everyone and cleaned up everything on her plate!

We watched horses sell to the relaxing rhythmic sounds of an auctioneer. Horses are super pricy right now. A horse that would have sold for a thousand dollars five years ago would sell for three times that amount today.

Horse sales are a place where the Amish and non-Amish worlds come together. It probably feels to them like a day in the modern world. And to us, as if we stepped into the past.

 If you love horses, the good-old-days, or if you're intrigued by Amish culture...

You need to give one of my novels a try. Click here for the list Amish Novels

Early Impressions

Plastic farm animals are awesome!

Some of my first memories are of setting up elaborate scenes with plastic farm toys. The natural next step was to encourage my children and grandchildren to do the same.

Grandma (my wife) and I found these wooden barn, corrals, and fences at our local favorite Amish store. Golden Delight Bakery will blow you away with the best baked goods you've ever tasted. They also sell these barns and fences, and plastic farm animals.

Amish parents are very selective about what toys are allowed in their homes. Amish children love playing farm. There is something wholesome about this kind of play... instead of robotic super heroes with mega weapons of mass destruction. My grandsons and I spent hours setting up our display and having our human figurines do chores and move animals through shoots and into new lots. 

We had to keep the peace at times because some of the bulls got into fights and some horses kicked each other.

Things were going along smoothly until Isaac (the older of these brothers) noticed a huge storm brewing off in the distance. Leo (younger brother) suggested we get all the livestock inside the big barn for safety.

Our plastic livestock cooperated for the most part and they were quickly rushed inside and jammed together in close quarters as the storm approached.

You can only imagine the chaos of nervous farm animals riding out a storm inside a barn. A little Noah's Arkish. 

This brought back a fun memory of mine. I was at a Farm Progress event in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Hundreds if not thousands of Amish folks were at the event. A big storm came up and everyone ran for shelter. People around me were crowding into some tents but I thought they didn't look too secure. I ran for a huge barn about a football field away. The storm broke before I got there and I was soaked when I rushed inside. When my eyes adjusted to the darkness I realized I was the lone English (Non-Amish) person inside a barn packed with Amish men, women, and children. They were all silent and facing the doorway I just ran through. We all stood and watched a fierce wind blast across the fields before us. When the thunder, wind, and rain subsided, they we all ventured out together and friendly conversations resumed. 

I was surprised at the creativity my grandsons showed when they came up with this reenactment of such a realistic and traumatic event. This type of play can help children work through their fears and work out  solutions to lifelike problems.

When the drama ended we decided it was an easy conclusion to our playtime because the animals all belonged inside the big barn for storage anyway. We picked up our fences and put everything away.

My little granddaughter (Ruby) is finding herself nurtured by grandpa in the same way.

 

When the toys are all cleaned up they love to go outside and see the real deal. There is nothing more therapeutic than connecting with a living, breathing, massive draft horse.

Amish Christmas Collection

How about some Christmas stories?

The men of Amish fiction would love to take you on a Christmas adventure.

My own horses have a set of Christmas lights on their barn.

Thomas Nye's Christmas story takes place on a farm like this one. The Holiday Harness Shop shares the happenings in an Amish harness shop during the week leading up to Christmas.

Winter in Amish country is picturesque. 

Action and adventure on an Amish farm don't slow down because of a little snow or cold.

Cozy up with a cup of cocoa, a blanket, and an Amish Christmas Collection this holiday season.

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