What a WONDERFUL day. Woke to bright sunshine and puffy clouds. We went to the Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster. It was far and away the best living history complex we’ve seen. And to sweeten the pie (Shoo Fly pie here! ) It was Oct Harvest week-end. The one week-end a year when dozens of crafts are demonstrated. There are 16 acres that interprets Pennsylvania German rural life before 1900. There are farmsteads, a tavern, country store, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, church, numerous homes and barns and buildings and much much more. I was in photography heaven. Everyone was “dressed” so authentically…no tennis shoes here! It took us 4 hours just to walk around the place.
We arrived before it was really open so we had the chance to go to the barn while they were harnessing the horses and talk to the old gent that owned the Belgian horse that was pulling the hay wagon. The owner had a white beard and suspenders…dressed like a farmer of that period. He was so friendly and chatted away to us while he worked.
I was fascinated by the lace maker. The delicate tiny threads…and the “time” it took. She had one beautiful piece, maybe 8 inches by 8 inches that had taken weeks to make!
They spent incredible time on the details of this place. The outhouse had morning glories growing on it, the geese swimming in the pond, the pumpkin patch with a split rail fence, the barn with the sheep grazing beside it, the garden outside a log cabin with a young girl in old fashioned clothes tending it. They were actually butchering! The hog was hanging and the butcher beginning the work on it.
They don’t have sterile “don’t touch” kitchens in the different households…Women are cooking over the fire…and delicious smells fill the air.
Rick was especially taken with a blacksmith that was doing beautiful work. My favorite was the sweetest young girl of the Brethren Faith. She was dressed in the black bonnet and dress and a shawl. I’d taken her picture before I began to look at the things around her. There was a old photo album with pictures of the old folks in the same bonnets and dress. She said “that is my great great grandmother.” I turned around and said ” I thought that was a costume….was I supposed to not photograph you?” She just laughed and said “Oh no…that”s the Amish…I still practice the faith but at home I’d be in jeans!” She was just the sweetest kid…told me they still do the ‘washing of the feet’ and she asked if I would like to try some the bread they use at communion. It’s tough and tasteless…probably unleavened. It was a wonderful glimpse into another life style.
My head is still swimming with the impressions…..