Something new and beautiful has come to my town and the farm.
First, the dog’s bark, then the donkey’s bray, then we hear a horse whinny in return, then we hear the clip-clop of a horse on asphalt pulling a wagon.
Everything is shrouded in black. The Horse, the carriage, the people riding. Sometimes a mother and daughter, sometimes a man, sometimes a family.
The other day, two carriages came by in wind and snowstorms; they don’t seem to care about the weather. We haven’t yet figured where they are going.
At first, one carriage was going both ways; now there are three, four, sometimes five. The county has put up “horse and carriage” signs, and we have spotted three or four farms now occupied by Amish families.
The black carriages stand out against the snow. It is fun to speculate about where they live and where they go so industriously. Our town is small, we will get the details soon. It’s fun to guess.
The carriages come and go in the rain, snow, high winds, the families all wrapped up against the cold, the horses stepping lightly and briskly as they pull their carriages a long way, over steep hills and roads with sharp curves.
The carriages’ sound is wonderful to hear; the dogs bark well in advance of the carriages trotting past the farmhouse. Maria and I always pause our work and come out to look if there is time.
I wave to the people in the carriages and point to my camera, and they nod and smile as they come past. (I don’t actually need permission to photograph anything on a public road, but I always try to ask, it’s a courtesy. No one has said no.)
The people wave but do not stop or look much at our farm or the animals.
The new families are welcome. Their horses and carriages are beautiful; they are iconic and timeless and add dimension and character to our communities. The Word is, they are saving a lot of farmland.
What a fabulous image! I love how you caught all four hooves in the reflection.
I didn’t even know it..
Those are the best surprises!
I love the juxtaposition of the horse-and-buggy with the power lines overhead.
There are Amish communities not far from where I live. They make wonderful neighbors; are very respectful of nature; are honest and industrious; the men farm well and the women sew and cook beautifully. The keep to themselves and are shy about photographs. They’ll add to your community, with a doubt.
Unfortunately, approximately 98% of puppy mills are Amish owned. When their horses are worn out, they send them into the slaughter pipeline which is hell on earth for horses. I think their simple lifestyle sounds wonderful, but they really don’t treat their animals well.
Lisa, I’m afraid I don’t write about animal politics here, it’s a quagmire. I write about politics when I can see it and have personal feelings about it. The neighbors of these people praise them as warm and welcoming and hard-working and decent to one another and other people. I have no idea how they treat their animals and will treat them as neighbors and members of my community unless I see otherwise.
This allegation comes from an internet thing that circulated in 2017. Interestingly, at that point the %age that was purported to be Amish owned was 20%, not 98%. There is no evidence to prove or disprove these allegations as the religious affiliation of kennel owners is not recorded. (Snopes)
There have been more allegations than that Sonia, but few of them involve anything one might call proof.
Some people who claimed to Amish have been in the business of selling puppies, they turned out to be Mennonites, but you are right, these allegations have never been proven and can’t be disproven…
Please take it up with your local government. I am sure not all Amish are involved.
Your photo reminds me of the Mennonites who live on the farms nearby my cousins in Ontario, Canada.
I too love the sounds of them going along the roads. Easy to romanticize their lifestyle, but boy do they work long and hard. As I’m sure you know.
I think their close knit community is one thing I really am curious about. Appealing, but would it get too close knit for me with my strong independent streak?