Harvest

Due to the beautiful weather this spring and summer, the corn is being harvested about 2 weeks early.

 

These men are cutting corn by hand to feed to their livestock.  This corn is still green, not ready for harvest. 

 

Heading out to the field for a very long day of work 

 

Perfect dry day for hay!

Fair Time

I am not native to Pennsylvania so Fair Time has always made me kinda scratch my head.  I guess these things are what a small town is all about.  The New Holland Parade starts the festivities.  It is on October 3rd.  Last Saturday, September 22nd, (11 days BEFORE the "event") the streets were beginning to look like this, everyone saving their "spot" with their chairs!  Amazingly, they don't get stolen.  On October 2, Main street will be shut down, most of the businesses will close and everything will come to a standstill until the fair ends early Sunday morning.  They set up all kinds of rides in the streets, venders come from all over and it is a BIG event, even the schools close half day on Friday so everyone can attend. This New Holland fair has been going on for 81 Years!  

Benefit Auction

 

The Amish believe in helping out their own people instead of depending on the government for help so when something happens to one of them they will have a benefit auction to help defray the costs. The benefits are usually open to the public so yesterday when I saw a sign for one I stopped in.  The auction was for a 40 year old women that because of an accident will be confined to a wheelchair for the remainder of her life.  I stopped in early to see what was going to be auctioned off and to my surprise nothing was out.  I asked the auctioneer and he told me that people will drop off their items when they arrive, no one knows exactly what is going to be on the auction block but usually they end up with a huge pile of items.  I was also told that the auction is on the honor system so the buyer (not the auction house) keeps track of the amount they owe, no other records are kept.  The really intrigued me.

At the start of the auction the auctioneer asked everyone  to pray for the auctioneer and for honesty, all the men took off their hats and had a silent prayer.   Then the auction began.  There were items as big as a $6,000 swing set and as small as a flashlight, each bringing what they could afford.  Prices were high, as I overheard one Amish women say "its only money".  I was totally amazed.

 

Amish kids love volley ball and the benefit was a perfect excuse to get one going.  One more thing... The food at these things is wonderful.  Homemade pies, chicken, ribs, shrimp you name it they have it!

School is back in session

This is an Amish one room schoolhouse.  The Amish children start school in late August with a few weeks off for harvest in September/October.  They will go to this school until they finish the 8th grade at which time they quit school and either go to work or learn a trade.

After the Nickel Mine shootings on October 2, 2006 all the schools installed fences.  At first they were locked up tight but it looks like they have become relaxed a little again.

Bird -In - Hand Half Marathon 09/08/2012

The weekend of the Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon is a weekend full of fun.  It starts on Friday night with an Amish Pasta Party, Amish Country Hot Air Balloon Fest Launch, Bird-in-Hand Kid's Fun Run and Bird-in-Hand 5K and a Bonfire & S'mores Party.  The Half Marathon is  on Saturday.

What I find interesting is the Amish involvement in this weekend.  Most people think the Amish stay to themselves but the truth is when it come to helping out they are first in line.  The marathon proceeds go to the Bird-In-Hand fire company which has quite a few Amish volunteers.   

 The Amish took care of most of the weekend, making the pasta and pizza supper on Friday, signing runners in and helping out wherever needed.

 

The Amish children gave out water at the water stations, 

horse and buggy drivers gave rides to the runners that needed assistance

Bird-in-Hand has a running club called Vella Shpringa (translated, "let's run").  It is made up mostly of Amish and Mennonite people,  they run through the country once a month when it is full moon.

An amazing weekend for everyone.