Friday, Aug. 7

Friday, Aug. 7

Today, being the last day of the rally, we had a pancake breakfast and then a good-bye "speech" from the rally masters (5 couples) which turned into an impromptu, hilarious comedy skit as the "Red Dogs" made the lone "Gold Dog" an honorary member (you had to have been there to understand this.) Anyway, it was very funny and everyone left feeling it had been a very successful rally. I had decided to stay at Evergreen (the campground) for one more day and set out to see some sights I missed yesterday due to the repair work on my Roadtrek.

First on my agenda was Lehman's Hardware Store, which sells everything from books, to kitchenware, gardening supplies (large and small), appliances for both the Amish (which means they are non-electric) and the "English" (that's what they call us) --- they even sell hardware. It is a huge store and it was great fun looking at all the stuff. In the kitchenware part, they had one long wall just of cookie-cutters (see picture) in every imaginable shape (letters, every state, every animal, holidays, etc.). The appliance section was especially interesting. They had stoves that used gas, coal, or wood for fuel and some I think made to run off generators. One of my favorites was an "ice box" type refrigerator---or so it looked on the outside---but when you opened the doors, inside it was a modern refrigerator and freezer; the old-fashioned look was just on the facade! They had several rooms of lamps, mostly oil- or kerosene- burning, and a whole section of square "buggy lamps" that the Amish light and hang on the outside of their buggies if they are driving after dark.

After leaving Lehman's, I went to a store called the

Ashery, mostly to get the free ice cream cone

I had a coupon for, and

spent some time looking at all the bulk

packaged grains, nuts, dried fruits, baking supplies, and spices they sold there. I bought a bag of graham cracker pretzels which had been recommended. After the Ashery I stopped at Homestead Furniture but no one was working

in the factory at that time but I enjoyed looking at all the handmade, gorgeous, expensive furniture.

Next was a place called "Sol's Emporium"

which was an outlet store for P. Grahm Dunn

inspirational items, many laser-etched

in wood and most decidely Christian in nature, but I was able to find a few things I really liked and bought (for gifts).

When I got back to the campground, I talked with Sarah Hershberger (the Amish woman with 9 kids selling baskets that I'd met yesterday). She showed me how she made the baskets using a special wooden form, or mold, for the various shapes of baskets. I showed her the inside of the Roadtrek which she thought was very interesting. I considered trading the Roadtrek

for a smaller buggy, but decided not to; the dogs would keep barking at the horse pulling it I figured. Speaking of dogs, have I mentioned that Maggie has been spending most of her time hiding under the back table and won't even come out for walks with Juliet unless I drag her out? Well, this was where I found her when Juliet and I got back from a walk today ---

at least she came out from UNDER the table!

I did laundry tonight, soaked in the hot tub, and cooked fresh sweet corn-on-the-cob for dinner tonight. Yummy!