Friday, 21 June 2013 and Saturday, 22 June 2013
Pennsylvania Dutch Country — The Blair Way!!!
As you can see from this post, we did not do the Pennsylvania Dutch country the way most people do it.
The Cloisters
To begin with, we visited a State Historical site called The Cloisters. Until we visited The Cloisters, I thought the Shakers were the only celibate religious group in America. It seems another religiously persecuted German group migrated to America in 1732 almost a hundred years before the Shakers came. This group (founded by Conrad Beissel, born in 1691 in Eberbach, Germany) believed that Christ was coming while they were alive so they prepared themselves by being celibate and adopting a very rigorous lifestyle. Upon coming to America, they settled in what is now known as Pennsylvania Dutch country. This order did not last for long after Conrad Beissel died in 1768 (perhaps because Christ did not come before he died). Perhaps the most interesting (to us) features of this society were the enormous buildings they erected (certainly for the mid 1700s) and their German calligraphic writing called Frakturschiften. We previously had some understanding about Frakturschiften but certainly had no understanding of where it originated and then to see 18th century Frakturschiften writings that were on 6×8 foot cloth like material.
The Cherry Festival at the Alexander Schaeffer Farm
Meriam found a local cherry festival we attended on Saturday morning. It was held at the Alexander Schaeffer Farm. This very substantial farm was built by a German immigrant named Alexander Schaeffer in 1738. It is representative of a number of German built farms of the era. Attending the local cherry festival of crafts, arts and food held on the farm property was a welcome addition to seeing the farm itself. We purchased a lot of cherries and could not pass up their traditional apple dumpling!
Wolves…
Saturday evening we attended a “full moon” event hosted by 43 wolves. The Wolf Sanctuary of PA is located near Lancaster, PA. This organization rescues wolves who have been held illegally and/or mistreated. The 43 wolves were grouped into 8 packs. Each pack has their own large roaming area (one pack of two has over 1 1/2 acres for themselves.) This sanctuary was started in 1998 by a man who actually kept five wolves in his house. A law was passed in Pennsylvania outlawing wolves in a domestic environment. He was ordered to put them down. He refused and got special permission to start the sanctuary. The sanctuary is staffed by a very knowledgeable volunteer group. We learn a great deal about wolves, their social structure and their habit from these volunteers.
According to the volunteers, there no known (and document) attacks by wolves on a human. I find this absolutely amazing!
Meriam doesn’t like this picture because its too posed, but it gives a feel for some of the wheat field farming country.
While views like this are not uncommon in the Pennsylvania Dutch country, one has to look pretty hard to find them. This area is really over developed.
The main house of the Alexander Schaeffer homestead
MB investigates the wares of a broom maker
A period lace maker
The “pigsty” of the farm
Kids and “kids”
The women’s dormitory at The Cloisters
Notice the large Franturschiften hanging on the wall.
Several of the large structures at The Cloisters
This is the Omega (loner) wolf of a pack. He stayed separate from the others.
Notice the eyes!
A timber wolf (a sub species of the grey wolf)