Making progress...and an Amish auction

Hooray, Monaco finished the painting late Thursday and we got the coach back! So, we did a thorough cleaning due to the flooring installation and prepared for Carlisle, the Amish woodworker, to install the new day/night shades and maple valances. The floors are just what we hoped they would be; I am a happy girl!! :)

Getting up early on Friday because the Monaco guys wanted to wash the coach before we left, the Alternator light gave a failure sign, so they checked it, and sure enough, we need one of those lil 'ole things! So, that means another day or two here.....gee, we are thinking about trying to find ACORN around here so maybe we can vote in Indiana!!! :)

At any rate, we felt very lucky to have that happen right here in the service center, as opposed to on the road somewhere!!

So we got a message to Carlisle (many of the Amish have cell phones that they leave in a little booth by their driveway; they go out, check it and return phone calls frequently during the day, taking care of business in this way) and he agreed to come to us and install the valances! Bob drove down to Nappanee (quicker than a horse and buggy), and returned with Carlisle and the maple valances!! They got them all installed in about two hours...whoohooo!! I was so grateful to him for coming up to us...now we are not so far behind in the "to do list" !! And Wow, I like those valances!!! I am a happy girl!!

We have truly enjoyed getting to know Carlisle and learning a little more about the Amish ways here in Indiana. They are more progressive than the Pennsylvania Dutch and seem to be pretty prosperous. Carlisle has a fabulous workshop, with state of the art tools. It is powered by a 40 KW generator! His home is immaculate and he also has a lovely showroom, also powered by generators. He has two power boats...one in the yard and another in his two car garage, parked next to his black covered buggy!! We haven't yet asked him if he launches the boats with the horse!

Today was "donut" day....this called for a daytrip over to Middlebury to the best little bakery we've ever encountered! The "Rise and Roll"....Bob is addicted to the Chocolate covered custard filled donuts. Very light and buttery with the most delicious custard filling...Yum Yum!! We watched the young girls making their goodies, using belt driven mixers, under propane lights. Once again, this was a first rate shop, powered by a generator and using propane for cooking. The Amish are quite ingenious in providing the means to keep their lives and livelihoods prosperous.

Armed with donuts, rolls and fresh bread, we drove through the Middlebury countryside and came upon an Amish auction........there must have been over one hundred buggies parked in the field, along with quite a few cars. We decided to check out the auction...what fun!!! The Amish people were friendly enough, and we browsed through the barns and sale items. They had a bake sale and were cooking chowders and tenderloins!! Of course, we had to buy some of their cherry and apple pies and cookies. The cherry pie is made with dark, bing cherries, and my oh my, it is good!!!

It was most interesting to see their working farm up close. The stalls were full of draft horses, cows and horses to pull their buggies. But no tractors!! They had a working windmill and large propane tanks. Most of them were speaking a form of German, as they usually do to each other. Healthy grape vines grew around the base of their windmill, still laden with large clusters of blue-black grapes. Lots of children, all dressed in homemade, solid colored or denim clothing, were laughing and playing in the yard. What a treat it was to step back in time and walk around this farm.....oh, and they do their auctions just like we do; an English auctioneer rides in the back of his truck with a microphone and performs the sale!

(The camera was left behind in the coach today, so no photos. We wouldn't have taken photos at the farm or auction, even if we had it with us. But we missed lots of glorious fall landscape photo ops today (: ! )

An Amish "manure spreader"!

After talking with my sister, KK, we have decided that I will wait until later this week to come home. It looks like we may be finished here on Wednesday, so that would be great! It is starting to get COLD here and there is a possibility of SN*W on Monday.....brrrrrr...time to head South!

Kristy seems to be doing very well after her BMT....this is great news!!! Many thanks to everyone for your prayers and well wishes...it really means a lot.

Big hugs and safe travels to everyone!

Hurry up and wait.....

On the road less traveled....a serene, working barn

We have just about run out of things to do here in the Elkhart area. It seems to be "hurry up and wait" at this point!

We are most anxious to be back in the motorhome, and to get back to Richmond. The last week has been spent in the Comfort Suites here; it's a brand new hotel and is very nice, but we like our own bed!! :)

Right now, it is looking like it could be late next week before they finish up with the coach, so I am thinking about flying out of Chicago back to Richmond. Kristy is having the Bone Marrow Transplant on Thursday, so I really want to get back there.

She has a blog site, if you want to see how things are going, please visit http://kristysite1.blogspot.com/.
She will post if she feels up to it; if not we will do updates. She is using email and text messaging alot right now as the chemo has left her mouth and throat quite blistered and it hurts to talk. She enjoys hearing from people so please leave her well wishes if you like. Big thanks to all of you who have already visited and left her your well wishes...you guys are just the best!!

My nieces Anita, Kay Ellen, Kristy, Karisa and my daughter, Tiffany

The folks here at the Monaco Service facility and at Duncan have been very good, but we sure are ready to head back to Virginia!

A sneak peak at those floors!

Big hugs to everyone!

Autumn Palette

Returning to Elkhart, they continued to work on the flooring installation until Friday afternoon. Hooray..it's finally completed and looks really good! No more carpet to vacuum!! Once the other items are completed, we'll post some "before and after photos".

We immediately drove the MH up to the Monaco Service Center; they need to complete the painting and it needs to be indoors in the service bay over the weekend, so we sadly left it there and returned to our motel in Elkhart. We were quite anxious to do a detailed cleaning (it got pretty dusty while they were working) and get everything put back together, but it was supposed to rain on Friday evening so it needed to be inside. At least the biggest part of the work is complete, so it's all good :)

On a Wakarusa Street corner..

Monday the guys at Monaco will start the painting and hopefully they'll finish by Wednesday so we can return to Duncan for the awning installation to be completed. Kristy entered MCV hospital on Friday to begin the radiation and chemo to prepare her for the Bone Marrow Transplant next week. We were so hoping to be finished here and back there with her, but it seems everything takes much longer than anticipated (we've been here five weeks). Please keep her in your thoughts while she fights this battle. She's ready to get through it and has a great attitude, but it is a tough trip for her. I'm anxious to get back there, too! Hopefully, we're on the road by next Friday!

Hugs, everyone!

More covered bridges....

 

Bridgeton Bridge...The "most photographed" bridge

Tuesday brought more covered bridges in Parke County. There are five different "routes" to view the bridges and visit the Festivals; we toured three of them. At the little town of Bridgeton there was an amazing festival; lots of vendors with interesting items (not the usual Chinese imported junk) and examples of local art, sewing, quilting and weaving. And more delicious food! One of our favorites were the Cheese Heads from Wisconsin with their Fried Cheddar Cheese Curds...yumyumyum...those little fried curds were GOOD!! It was a delightful and huge festival.

The bridge in Bridgeton is considered to be the "most photographed" of all covered bridges; it is a long bridge over a fast flowing creek, creating a lovely waterfall beneath it much of the year, and a pretty sight when the water freezes over the falls. (I don't even want to THINK about being there when the water is frozen!)
It is a double arch bridge, referring to the two semi-circular wooden arches inside on each side of the bridge, providing the support system. This type of circular arch is known as the Burr Arch and was the prevalent means of construction for most of the bridges in this area (and in many across the US), from around 1800 to the early 1900's. There's a photo below which shows the Burr Arch rather well.

Crooks Bridge

 

Close up view of the Burr Arch type of construction


The Owl's Nest Inn provided and interesting and fun home base to enjoy the festivals and bridges.

 

The Owl's Nest Inn B&B in Rockville, IN

The fall weather was still enjoyable and the farm scenery was never ending. What an abundance of charming old farmhouses, all in "neat as a pin" condition. It's so refreshing to see these working farms flourishing in the heartland of America.
Another lovely old farmhouse

While there are not as many Amish in Parke County, they were still in evidence there. The entire family seemed to be helping to harvest the corn crop in this photo...
Amish team harvesting corn, Hmmm... bet wonder if they receive Farm Subsidies from Uncle Sam!

Hugs to everyone!

The Bridges of Parke County

Our first Parke County covered bridge sighting, Melcher Bridge built in 1896

Monday was the day to deliver the coach to Bradd and Hall for the Maple flooring installation....:) :) Can't wait for that to be finished!! They need it for the next three days, so about 3 1/2 hours Southeast, on the Illinois border is Parke County, Covered Bridge Capital of the World, and from October 10 thru 19th is the Covered Bridge Festival. It was the perfect time to spend a few days "vacationing" in this quintessential mid-west area.

The weather being sunny with bright blue skies and 73 degrees was perfect for moseying around, taking autumn photos of these lovely old structures. Arriving at the festival center in the Town of Rockville around 3:30 pm, we got (literally) the last room in town, at the Owl Nest Inn....Toolie, the endearing proprietor, offered us a room in her daughter's house next door (she rents out two bedrooms adjacent to the B&B during the Festival). Thrilled with this offering, we gladly accepted! Toolie and her daughter, Starr, saved the day!

Then it was time to sample the many goodies offered at the Festival grounds in Rockville. Everything smelled so good....grilling sausages, spiced apples, smoking chickens and pork tenderloins, and corn fritters for starters. Uh Oh...cholesterol city again! After sampling a few delicious things, it was off to see Covered Bridges!

The Mecca Bridge over Big Racoon Creek, Built in 1873

The Phillips Bridge over Big Pond Creek, built in 1909

Phillips Bridge from afar

The Sim Smith Bridge over Leatherwood Creek, built in 1883

What Festival would be complete without.........

A big bowl of Peach Cobbler with cream!! UmmUmm good! :)

Makes it easier to forget the country's troubles with the simple life here :).
Hugs to everyone!