Amish Country Vacation: The Farm at Walnut Creek Pt. 2

In part 1 you saw a paradise tucked away from the hustle bustle world that we know...  that was crawling (literally) with hundreds of beasts of the forest and fields.  Come with me now to another paradise...   as we step inside an Amish home and get a feel for how they live their daily lives.

No computer, iPhone or television set can compare to the beauty and peace that comes from this simple life.

And the smell is phenomenal!!  Fresh and clean...  and then the smell of cookies and bread baking!  Somebody pinch me!
 

Room number one was a gigantic kitchen where several of the sweetest Amish kids helped Mom scoop cookies from a cookie platter and place them on the table for those of us touring the home - their guests.  There were dozens upon dozens of cookies fresh out of the oven to welcome us.

We were drawn to the next room by an angelic voice singing the sweetest song...  and there I spied a little girl, her back towards me, singing and rocking her dolly in her arms as she turned the pages of a picture book.

When asked if we could take her picture, this very 'adult' 5 year old replied, "No pictures.  But feel free to take pictures of the home and everything else, just no pictures of us."  My heart melted at her sweetness.

Simple.  Sweet.  Quiet.  Peaceful. Aromatic.   These words describe my overall experience as we found our way through this beautiful home.

The family that we were seeing lives somewhere here... but the photos that you are seeing are mainly for show.

And the impression I got is that this is a typical model of how the Amish do live.

So what do the Amish do with no TV, no phones, no video games, no electricity ... ?  Well.  I would sum that up in one word.

Work.

This little guy photo-bombed us...  The reason I post it is because he has an uncanny resemblance to our grandson Jasper..  He even acted like Jasper...

"Did we tour this part of the home yet?"  Gary asked.
"I'm not sure," I said.
So he walked up the steps and said he'd check.  He went inside while I waited at the bottom of the steps for his response.  I waited.  And I waited.  And...  soon I became tired of waiting and I decided to just go ahead in.  I reached for the door to open it and it was locked!  Wait!  What's happening here?

"Anyone in there?"

Gary, playing one of his practical jokes.  Oh, he is just so funny.  Not.

Amish Country Vacation: The Farm at Walnut Creek Pt. 1

The problem with these newfangled iPhones is ...  the camera takes a great picture and it is fast as well!  You can snap-snap-snap away and before you know it, you have a dilemma, which photo's to delete and which ones to save.  

And that brings me to this edition of Amish Country Vacation:  The Farm at Walnut Creek Pt. 1

I had never been to an animal sanctuary before and did not know what to expect.  The sign gave me a momentary chill...  but it didn't stop us.

We concluded early on that the bucket of food that we purchased (to feed the animals) was not nearly enough.  These guys were hungry!

The welcoming committee trotted steadily towards as upon our arrival.

And it was obvious that they were expecting compensation for their hospitality.

The Farm is home to over five hundred animals with around a hundred different species of animals.

Being the animal lover that I am, I could hardly contain myself.

I soon learned that being quick to put my hand full of food outside of the car window would keep food pellets from being strewn throughout my car.

Note to self:  Clean car when you get home.

 It was a heavenly experience.  And speaking of Heaven, this must be a glimpse into what it will be like.

 The animals all seemed to get along beautifully...

Their existence, peaceful and carefree.

We missed the part where you can get out of your car and interact with certain animals...  it was getting too hot...  so, next time.

I know, I know... I got really carried away with all the pictures.  And to think I've deleted a lot of them to keep this shorter!!

If you love animals and ever get a chance to visit The Farm in Walnut Creek, Ohio....  do!

 I do not think you would be disappointed.

Goodbye little buddies...  God willing, I'll be back to feed you again next year....

The Face

The face of corn on the cob addiction...

The face of pure joy and freedom....

The face of embarrassment....

The face of confusion.  Wait.  Where's my face?  And is summer really winding down?  And gee dad, looks like you need to invest in some new pool toys for next year...

Let's Face it...  It's all work....   and it's time for a rest...

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Thanks to the colonel our labor day gathering was easy-peasy....

Chicken dinner thanks to he who cooked a fabulous meal for us...

The games..  oh those wonderful and fun games thanks to Marissa who has been planning for almost a year now.

First, a sundae challenge.

Create.  Observe. Judge.

And the winner is....  the team of Jake and Jack

Good job guys.  But Summer and I did win the toilet paper challenge.  Yes, I was able to mummify her in less time than the other teams (okay... so I had less to mummify... whatever. we still won fair and square)

Then.  The egg race.  Hurry hurry hurry... but don't drop the egg.

A lot of planning went into this day.  Thank you Marissa for the effort and all the fun!

Swimming happened too.  And baseball in the pool.  More fun.

Oops.  Well....  it happens...

And the trophy winner goes to JAKE GEARY!!  Yay JAKE!  

But we were all winners  and we all got medals.  Because we had fun.  We were awesome.  And we contributed money to St. Judes.

Yea.  Good day.  Good food.  Good belly rubs. *Yawn*  Good-night.