Indiana and Broken Windshield

  Very nice time with cousin Jonas and Betty B. Great host and hostess they are. Showed us so many of the local Amish businesses in the Goshen -Middlebury locales. They are so industrious.  Trailer/RV factories are booming pumping many dollars into the local area. Even the new smaller farm tractors are now being used for transportation by Amish families. Slow and subtle changes making marks. Quite dramatic in the long run.
  Also stopped by a first cousin Lester Kramer. We had not seen him in probably 60+ years however he recognized my immediately. Looks old with his untrimmed beard -graying. Quite distinguished. His wife is daughter of Ira Yoder from second marriage as her mother -my aunt- passed away young from cancer. Lived next door to us in P.C.

       Lester's daughter and son -in-law now live in the typical Amish homestead.

 Lester is somewhat retried but rents Bobcat equipment to others. Post hole diggers and backhoe being several, Lester is still the entrepreneur as always. That seems a bit incongruous being the conservative bastion of the area. They have what looks like a long barn with living quarters and shop.

 Then we stopped by Allen and Arlene Bontrager. Their recently acquired copy lathe was a bit of a hurdle fro them. Helped to get the headstock and tailstock unraveled, cleaned, and repaired. It has lots of potential however they are looking for  more flexible machine for creative turning projects. 

  Travelling west we experienced our windshield broken by a passing dump truck and are not close to Alaska! Wonder what else is ahead? 

  Interesting spinning wheel at the home of Jonas B. that has history of coming from Germany with a Kramer family ancestor. It was discovered in the attic of a Holmes County Ohio home many years ago, and gifted to Jonas and Betty since they had stopped by the folks that purchased the farm many many years ago.

  Now on toward Buchanan County where Edna was a child..........oh boy, some real background ahead.