Back to Ohio!

We trekked on back north to Shelby, Ohio for some more time in my old child hood stomping grounds.  We return to find our normally bug encrusted motor home spotless!  While we were gone, my uncle Gary and his grand-daughter summer cleaned the front of our motor home!  Wow!  How nice!  Here Heidi enjoys some time with Alex, my Uncle Jim's daughter, and one of her Clydesdale horses.  We had a great time visiting with them at their place. 

A video at my Uncle Jim's place.

Hailey gets to know Alex's miniature horse, Cody.  He sure has some personality! Ornery, some might say!

We spent a day driving through Ohio Amish Country!  Ohio has the largest concentration of Amish anywhere in the United States.   The country side is absolutely beautiful farm country!  The next couple of photos are of some of the sights along the roads.  Oh, by the way, I did not take this photo.  I wish I did but, I can't take credit for it! 

I took this picture of an Amish farmer bringing  in the hay using a team of draft horses.  The Amish do not wish to have pictures taken of them, if it show their faces.  While it is not unheard of that you can depict their faces, it is generally not an accepted practice, due to the fact that this goes against their beliefs and that a photograph can lead to pride and also the prohibition against making a graven image before God. 

Many people, like me,  are often perplexed and/or romanticize the Amish, a denomination of the Christian faith.  The Amish are not simply playing dress up or just un-plugging from modern society.  A person could drop out of modern society and adhere to almost the same practices and live as a "hippie" and not be Amish.  The difference is what motivates the Amish.  They fore go modern conveniences not because they are inherently evil in and of themselves but, those modern conveniences  tend to increase our pace of life and therefore, dilute relationships.  In particular, modern life dulls the relationship with Jesus Christ, family and friends.  The car in particular widens our world to the point that we have many more "relationships"than we can manage and therefore become less than what God intended for us.  The Amish also do not use T.V or the Internet because they are particularly careful with what they allow into their minds and hearts.  God calls us to protect our hearts and minds for what we allow into our minds.  What we allow in tends to be what we think upon.  While I think we can learn a lot from the Amish "brand" of Christianity, they too do not have it "all figured out".  They too are human and at the heart of ALL men is evil and they have struggles too.  I do think we all could do with a bit more "Amish" lifestyle and slow down and actually talk to one another face-face.  I do think that the one thing the Amish fall short upon is the great commission.  While we, as Christians, are indeed in the world but, we are not to be of the world, something the Amish walk out very well. However they fall short with respect to Acts 1:8,  where Jesus tells his followers that "you shall be My witness both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  The Amish lifestyle can and does cut both ways.  It protects them from the corrosiveness of modern society, but it also tends to wall them off from the world.  As Christians, we are called to be ambassadors for Christ.  We are called to make  differences in our hometowns, states, and the world.  Modern society can and does offer an ever-widening ability to engage the world.  No matter the lifestyle or culture, ALL need to know that they too can be reconciled with God through putting faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only when He is first in our life, no matter what we "do" will we have any hope.  As I love to say; "I can't. He Can. I think I'll let Him."   

The Holmes County courthouse in Millersburg, Ohio makes appropriate accommodations for the many Amish! 

At Hershberger's Amish farm, Heidi and Stacey get to visit "Big Ben" the biggest Belgian draft horse in Holmes County, Ohio.  He is 19 Hands and 3 inches high at the shoulder.  That equates to 6 feet 6 inches tall!  He also tips the scale at 3,000lbs or 1 1/2 tons!  Holy hulking horse, batman!

Heidi loves on one of the many types of goats at Hershberger's.

Moo!

At Hershberger's, I come precariously close to having to purchase this furry critter that Stacey took a liking to.  The power of the puppy and a pretty lady are really tough to resist!  "Dear Lord, have mercy!"

A small village in southeastern Holmes County. Springing up at a rural country crossroad in a farming area of early German (Clark) Township, the town has been situated with a populous Amish community since infancy. From the initial business of a blacksmith shop, ca 1840, along an aged Indian trail, a town developed to become known as Stevenson. After the establishment of a post office in 1885 its name was changed to Charm. Throughout most of the town's years of existence it has been known by its nickname of "Putschtown," meaning "a small clump." Being unique, Charm has always been of service to the community and visitors, who marvel at it's homey atmosphere, its picturesque countryside, and its Amish lifestyle, reminiscent of American life a century ago. For these reasons, people of different walks of life have found the small country town a "Charm."

We had some good eats at this place and inexpensive too! Man, I'm gonna have to go on a diet...tomorrow...:)

Hailey and Heidi seem to have enjoyed themselves, here in God's country!  They even say that they would want to live here!  While it is beautiful here, I tell them that we should take a trip back in February and then see if they still wanna live here!  Well, we are off to Pennsylvania!  C-ya there!

Kentucky Detour

Team Breitmann decides to take a visit to Kentucky, while we are in Ohio.  However, we did not take our Urban Assault Vehicle.  Rather, we drive down to see our good friends, the Montgomery Family.  Here my friend Jon and I pose in front of the entrance to the place they are living.  They are living on a 55 acre horse farm near Paris, Kentucky, which is about 45 minutes from Lexington, KY.  Lexington is known as the horse capital of the world and is simply some of the most beautiful rolling farm country anywhere...well...with the exception of Ohio, of course! 

Team Montgomery and Team Breitmann on the Montgomery horse farm. 

Heidi and Hailey sure did enjoy "horsing around" with the three Montgomery kids.  They had been missing kids that they knew.  

The Breitmann "reds" pose with the kids of Team Monty before Sunday morning worship in Kentucky horse country!

Heidi gets a little one on one time in the morning on the "Montgomery Farm".

The horses here did not lack for attention and some brushing with this crew around! 

Bud, the owner of the horses, shows off a "little one" newly born this year.  The kids are in horse heaven!

Kellie Montgomery and Stacey pose by Hixton Creek, which is right up against the property they are living on.  How beautiful! I mean the women in this picture!

Follow the creek about a quarter mile down from the farm and you run into Colville Covered Bridge.  Here Heidi poses with the historical marker describing the bridge.

Team Breitmann in front of the Colville Covered Bridge.  You have to get lost to find this place! Covered bridges, like this one, were first built in the 1790, but did not become widely popular until after 1814.  They were covered to protect them from the weather.  At one time, there were more than 400 in Kentucky.  The timbered spans have played a romantic role in our history.  Some were destroyed during the Civil War.  The remaining ones are a nostalgic link with the past.

A view looking into the bridge.  

The Montgomery clan take Team Breitmann to a local orchard for a fall festival.  It was a gorgeous day and we all had a blast!  You can virtually visit this place here: Evans Orchard

The kids pose for a picture in the apple orchard where we all had fun picking apples of different types.

Stacey picks her favorites!  You can see Hailey has a sack full already!

Our two families enjoy the symbols of fall and the bounty of the harvest that God has blessed upon us. Our cups run over!

Hailey gets a kick out of feeding the Alpacas! 

Stacey says, "Oh, my gosh!  Feel how fluffy this wool is!" She had never felt the wool of a live lamb before!  I got a kick out of her reaction!  You never can tell what Stacey is thinking or feeling...sarcasm definitely intended on that one! 

Jon and I have a friendly competition on da farm!  Bring it!

The kids enjoy the massive straw and hay fort. 

Hailey enjoys the drainage tile pipe races!  The kids definitely slept well that night!

The girls, being Floridians, never saw these "wooly bear" caterpillar.  The legend has it  that the woolly bear worm, a tiger moth caterpillar can predict what the winter weather will bring...mild or harsh.  According to folk wisdom, when the brown bands on the worm are narrow, it means a harsh winter is coming.  The wider the brown band, the milder the winter.  Hmm...it looks the brown band is pretty big to me!  We shall see if you are a good prophet, my wooly friend!

Well, Team Breitmann had a great time here in Kentucky with our friends and now we are gonna cross the road and head on back to Ohio! 

Ohio - Week 2

In Shelby, we set up "camp" at my Aunt & Uncle's house.  Cousin Eddie strikes again! 

Hailey enjoys an improvised tree swing at my Uncle's house.

In my Uncle Gary's house, the girls get busy with their school work.  Don't forget we have to do school, while on this "adventure" around the country. Some days are a struggle and somedays the gals cooperate.  It's like a box of chocolates...ya just don't know what you're gonna get!

Heidi and I take a drive into Shelby so I can get a hair cut.  While there, we stop in at Paul's drive in.  I used to go here as a kid.  Both my mom and my aunt worked here, when they were in high school.  At that time this place was called Love's Sweet Shop.  Check 'em out at their website: Paul's Drive In

Just outside of Shelby, my uncle Gary took us to his cousin's place...Spring hill fruit farm. The gals enjoy fresh from the tree apples! If you are ever in the area come get your fresh fruit here at Spring hill  at 5575 Ganges Five Points Road Shelby, Ohio 44875

Team Breitmann gets an opportunity to see where my military career began...the 179th Airlift Wing.  The 179th is an Ohio Air National Guard flying unit located near Shelby at Mansfield Lahm Airport in Mansfield, Ohio.  I enlisted in November of 1986  and served as a drill status guardsman (part-time) turbo-prop mechanic until late 1991.  I then transferred to the Air Force ROTC program at BGSU.  The photo above is of the wing and squadron patches on one of the 179ths aircraft.  The 179th has a long history of flying many different aircraft ranging from fighters to cargo aircraft.  Check out the history of the 179th here: 179th Airlift Wing

Here I am shaking hands with my best friend from my college ROTC days...Lt Col Stu Killian.  Stu is now the 179th Civil Engineering Squadron Commander.  He arranged for the tour of the 179th  for Team Breitmann and my Aunt and Uncle.

In Lt Col Killian's office, he explains to us the roles and responsibilities of the Civil Engineering Squadron, which he commands.  

We get an opportunity to tour one of the 179th Airlift Wing's C-27J aircraft.  Heidi poses in the crew door. 

 

The Alenia C-27J Spartan is a medium-sized military transport aircraft. The C-27J is an advanced derivative of Alenia Aeronautica's G.222, with the engines and   systems of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules.  It has a top speed of 374 mph and a range of 362 mph.  It weighs in at 37,480lbs.  You can read more about the C-27J here: C-27J Spartan

Heidi gets a chance to sit in the "front office" of the C-27J Spartan co-pilot's seat.  For the aircrew of the 179th, the transition from the C-130H to the C-27J has been full of challenges.  For one, flying the C-27J is a much more demanding cockpit than the C-130H, where workload was shared between two pilots, a flight engineer, a navigator and up to two load masters.  In the C-27J, there are two pilots and a load master.  

Even though the challenges and learning curves were steep for the men and women of the 179th, in true fashion of the "can do" attitude of this renowned Air National Guard unit, they rose to the challenge.  Shortly after receipt of these "new" aircraft, the 179th deployed to Afghanistan, where they flew an impressive 98 percent mission success rate!  The C-27J filled a crucial gap for resupply missions to forward bases normally resupplied by helicopter.  The quick response time and cruise was instrumental in keeping the front line troops supplied with mission essential gear. 

My friend Stu, who "owns" the fire department, arranged for use to get a hands on look.  Here we get a briefing on the medium sized aircraft fire fighting truck.  

One of the 179th fire fighters demonstrates the critical life support equipment each fire fighter must be able to carry and use. 

Heidi gets a feel for what it is like to haul around the fire fighters air supply tank!  You can't be a couch potato and be a good fire man, that's for sure!

Stacey gets a "feel" for fire fighting!

We get a demonstration of the water cannon on top of the fire fighting truck!  Now that's a lotta water!

Team Breitmann comes out to support Stu's son, Billy, during one of his Mansfield Christian School soccer games.  Way to go, Billy!  

Team Breitmann is blessed to be able to travel and read many pages! Thank you, God!