Day Eleven - Pennsylvania Dutch Country

Well, dear reader, as you can see it has been some time since I last updated. And clearly this "Day Eleven" occurred some time ago (June 10th to be precise). I think I have been delaying writing this last entry for that exact fact...it would be the last, of the road trip at least. It was such a wonderful experience that I did not want it to end! I loved seeing new places and getting a sense of how huge this country is. Also, the end of the road trip meant the beginnings of many responsibilities: finding an apartment, doing all the change of address stuff (again), new bank account, DMV and all that, moving for real, starting internship and so forth. I really am excited about starting internship and finally doing, full time, what I have been training for these four years. The end of the road trip also signifies how far I am from Kevin and that I am really gone from San Francisco, no longer a resident.

Day Eleven, however, was also a very enjoyable part of the trip. I was somewhat concerned that our tour of an Amish farm would be patronizing or cheapening of the culture, but it was quite well done. The tour guide was not only knowledgeable, but respectful of the Amish culture. His own family background included the Mennonite tradition and he noted that he had many friends who were Amish. He emphasized that although the Amish do have their own particular traditions and lifestyles, they are very much a part of the outside community, banking and doing business at the same places as everyone else, and even answering to fire alarms in the community (arriving via scooter and horse).

The tour included going through the house, which was very old...I think 16 or early 1700s and was generally representative of current Amish homes. Though they do not connect to the electric grid, they do power modern appliances like refrigerators and sewing machines by gas or propane motors, and run modern plumbing in the same way. We saw typical clothing as well, and then toured the farm which I just loved.

The mules in a field were playing as we approached, though stopped by the time I retrieved my camera. A cow grazed placidly nearby, ignoring the mules' antics. There was a windmill, some outdoor stoves used for making soap, smoked meats and fruits, among other items. A large barn housed chickens, roosters, more cows, pigs, a few horses and some visiting pigeons.

We saw a one-room schoolhouse as well. Best of all were the pygmy goats - there was a large fenced-in area with at least half a dozen, many kids. They were so cute! One small, white kid sounded exactly like a loud cat - he was adorable. I so want one or two some day! Actually they were selling some of the kids, but I'm fairly sure no apartment in New Jersey would allow them. On our way out, we saw a horse and buggy.
From there, we stopped at an antiques mall - I was looking for an enameled basin and pitcher, but did not find any I liked, though there were some other tempting items. After that we headed along our way back to Connecticut. By the evening we reached the Valley and unpacked the car. Everything is stacked in odd places in the living room and family room. It was nice to be back someone familiar and stable, though bittersweet to realize how far it is from San Francisco. It is a big change.