FOLLOW THE EXHAUST

The Amish believe that cars cause families to be away from home and from each other too often. They feel the car also speeds up the tempo of life and make people forget what is important. They also state the power of the auto gives its owner an unnatural sense of self importance. Buggies keep people closer to nature and their community and, therefore, closer to God. They won’t own an auto but will hire drivers to take them if the distance is more than 10 miles. Charges will run around $10.00 per hour and .95 to 1.25 per mile.

In an Amish community you can always “follow the exhaust” and know which way a horse and buggy went. Most roads in the community have wide shoulders for the Amish and their buggies. Along these roads one will see much evidence that a horse pulled a buggy by “following the exhaust” or as others have said “look out for the road apples” or “be careful about the “alfalfa emissions.”

What is unusual to the uninformed is that each business in Amish country has a “hitching post”. At these locations the “exhaust” adds up so the city hires a “road apples” picker-upper.

These “items” are then deposited in a common pile with a sign "free manure”. I think the sign should read: “For Sale- Alfalfa Emissions For Your Garden”. We noticed that the deposit doesn’t last long as people come by and pick it up. Sell it and make some money.