When I lived in Missouri, it was in a very rural area, but was close to civilization... still convenient, while being as pretty as country can be...
However, living in Lancaster County in PA has proven itself better than equal to my former digs in Missouri...
Here, we are right on the edge of town in a very clean and well-kept area... and are only minutes from 2 lane blacktop roads (country) that pass between barn buildings as it cuts through farms, etc.
We could go to the store to get milk very easily, but we like to go to a local Amish farm, pull into the gravel parking lot in front of the barn building we'll enter to buy the milk, and make our milk purchase there...
Inside the barn, there is a tall, multi-door refrigerator just like you'd see in a grocery store or liquor store... full of milk, homemade cheese and other similar products...
It's all 'honor system' here... there is a bowl with change to make your own change and a slot that you drop bills into...
Outside, on the way in and on the way out, you have a shaded area with baby and young calves watching you as you enter and leave the building...
Frequently, there is a small Amish boy wearing his Amish attire talking to and hanging out with the calves...
An older son tends to the mature livestock...
They're silent as they do their chores and rarely so much as look up or in your direction when you're going in and out...
There's a shiny Amish buggy parked next to where we park and the towering and surrounding barns have very well-made stone foundations, possibly due to the long and strong stone mason heritage in the area...
I'm constantly amazed at the peacefulness in this area...
Not just the Amish, but everyone...
Maybe it's the farmers... and the farm-based community...
There is even a local farmer that builds hand-made caskets in his garage... he's not Amish...
He just decided to start doing it as a sideine to farming...
Seems like that would beat the heck out of going to Walmart to buy a casket, which you can now do...
A hand made casket, made by a local farmer with his own hands...
Not something molded that may have been shipped from elsewhere...
The various barn architecture in this area is amazing also...
All different types of style and types of barns...
There are dairy barns, tobbacco barns. general storage barns, abandoned barns... I'm beginning to recognize them by style...
There are barns built completely from stone, many completely from wood...
Many a combination of the two....
The raods around here weave through the country...
Nearly every turn is like entering another postcard from heaven...
Amazing beauty...
The state parks are absolutely impressive... natural beauty in riveres, streams, lakes, ponds, forrests, mountains, valleys...
I feel extraordinarily blessed to be a part of this community...
