Thursday, Day 20: Seeing Amish Country, Playing On The Farm

Beautiful day. Our personal tour guide, having grown up in Lancaster County, knows the area very, very well. Paul took us to see the Boehme Church, city market downtown (wonderful old buildings all around), a gorgeous church built in the early 1700s, Willow Valley (a retirement center), and ended our a.m. tour at the Hans Herr House. The latter, built in 1719, is a fascinating structure, and we learned much about this historic landmark and the family behind it.

Oh, I think the windshield washer short is related to the AC fan. When the AC is turned on, and only at the two lowest fan settings, the washer runs. Any other condition and it is fine. I am uncertain how that works, but glad the mystery is solved! Just in time for the final two days of driving.

Back at the farm, we were put to work. The boys learned the tractor (which, by the way, their sister mastered the previous day) and did some mowing. They also took the “Gator” out for a spin on the property. I had the privilege of moving dirt for Paul, as he wanted to control erosion from the stream and that required a bit of front end loader work. What fun!

It is one thing to drive through and see Amish country. We had a most interesting visit with one of the neighbors, with whom an arrangement had been made. He took a break form his business of small diesel engine repair (their people do use such power for some farming purposes) and brought his horse and buggy over to the farm. Riding around for 10-15 minutes, learning firsthand a bit more about him, his family and their lives was a rich experience not soon forgotten.

The evening brought some frozen pizza out for the children, as the adults went to the renowned Sight and Sound Theater, which I think is in nearby Strasburg. It is a massive structure, finely appointed and stands out a bit like a sore thumb – only in that it is the kind of building one would expect to see in a metropolitan area, but sees oddly misplaced in rural Pennsylvania. It is, regardless, an impressive place visited by over 700,000 a year. The reason they come: live drama about biblical characters and events. The occasion this night was the opening performance of “Ruth.” It is hard to describe the ambition of the theater, but the exterior is not any more inspiring than the events inside. The acting, the sets, the scope…all was magnificent. Far more than was expected! And the presentation of the Good News was crystal clear. Met some very nice folks, indulged in some rich appetizers, and was inspired by the amazing story of Ruth. Wonderful evening.