Concept

Despite seemingly endless overcast, we have had very little in the way of precipitation for a considerable time and our long range forecast is for clear, dry weather with cold nights and mild days into November.

Very nice, but a little rain would be welcome.

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An early outing on the 15th offered the benefit of viewing the world at first light.

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Isn’t it the best time of day to get on the road?

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The Sun had yet to clear the hills, its long rays lighting the russet trees.

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In recent days there had been a frenzy of harvesting.

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As we progressed along, bright patches of colour caught my sight.

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The scenic route goes up and down over a series of hills…

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…where we look out for various animal friends…

(none in view that day)

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…donkeys and a miniature horse here.

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Coasting downhill here we sometimes see wild turkeys, or deer in the far field.

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Last time we came this way a work team was clearing vegetation along the sides of the road. It certainly needs to be done and it isn’t a job I’d care to do, but those men thrash about like savages, leaving in their wake a roadside that appears to have been ravaged by a madman.

This is not a local phenomenon. It happens throughout the area we travel.

However, at least we can now see the lake.

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Here we once came to a halt and Grant jumped out to help catch a runaway cow.

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There seem to be farms tucked away at every turn.

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It must be a very hard life, which accounts for the many sad farms that stand abandoned.

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The past few years have seen a considerable influx of Amish families to this area. They have purchased abandoned farms and completely turned them around in a remarkably short time.

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It is fascinating to me to see these people conducting their totally separate lives alongside the rest of us, apparently unbothered by all our modern machines and devices.

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We pass by their farms and hear their horses clip-clopping along the road, but I know very little about the Amish except that they have enviable work ethic.

From observation it appears that the Amish work as a team, for the benefit of all.

What a concept.

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