Amish Buggy Rides with Miriam Meyer

This Video is probably the second most popular of my collection. And, I dare say, one of my favorites if not my favorite. I am so thankful the two Amish children, with their Father, came out of the barn when they did. It made a wonderful beginning. And to have Father and Daughter together in the carriage telling us about Amish life certainly put the icing on the Shoo Fly Pie. Oh, Shoo Fly Pie doesn't have icing ;) - but that's not to say that some may make their pie different and put icing on it. And, it's not to say that some Amish make their life different than other Amish.


Between you and me, Miriam is in College majoring in business. Her Father went to college as well. There was a day when I was riding with Amish Jack, in his truck, when he got a call from Miriam on his cell. He reminded her that she had to work today, and reminded her to, "dress good and Amish."


Well, as John Lennon said, "Whatever gets you through the night, is alright. Do it wrong or do it right, is alright."

Lenker Reunion 1986

As soon as YouTube was born I knew I had to get my family videos on there so all my loved-ones could see them. "So, JR, why did it take ya so long then?" 


.... Well, cuz I didn't want to go 'there' cuz I knew what was lurking there. My 'price' for admission. And sure enough, just after popping the old VHS in, Pop-pop's face covers my screen .... I had to yell, 'cut' to get a hold of myself. Then, I had to again, when Connie waved.


Granted, the technical aspects of the project seemed uncertain. (from VHS to Digital HD Video) I had thought of hiring somebody to do it, but the fee for this, and the way I had to leave my precious, priceless VHS with a stranger, even before he decides to do it, shivered me timbers.


And then there was the emotional aspect of the project. This is what I knew was waiting for me. The main reason I haven't looked at them all these years, and the reason it took me so long to get to this project. Having someone else do this would certainly take care of that aspect. But then that seemed to me like a cop-out.

....so grab a box of Kleenex, I needed a towel ! (don't drive while watching)


No other video I've produced was so difficult, not only technically and time consuming, but also emotionally draining.


Loved-ones, I sure hope you enjoy. Please do let me know, or donate, so I can start on the next family video for us to cry over, and to bring us all together.


We need another reunion, soon.


Love ya, JR~

Amish Carriage Making

I had no idea Jack was Amish. He didn't have the Dutch accent over the phone when he was telling me how much he enjoyed my videos on YouTube, as well as other vids, as he put it, on YouTube. He was telling me about his business website , not mentioning what his business is, and his FaceBook page. He was anxious to meet and told me how to get to his house. Just because he lives in 'Bird'n Hand' PA, which is outside 'Intercourse' by the way, I still didn't think he was Amish. There aren't any Amish who watch vids, have a websites, a facebook page or would even be aloud to have such pleasantries. Their religion strictly forbids it.......or so it would seem to the tourist. And, so it would seem to me, at least, until I met Jack Myer.


His house didn't look Amish, looked more like a mini southern mansion. 'Jag' in driveway, and there on the back porch steps, telling the Gardner what to do between calls on his Blackberry, was an Amishman.


"Hey JR, come on up here."


Jack gave me a complete tour that day of his land, his house, I met his two children (who will be in the vids that follow) and his barn in the back yard where he keeps his little collection, as he calls it.
He has the largest collection of carriages that I have ever seen. And they weren't Amish Buggies either.


News Link  •  Police StateAmish men jailed for refusing to pay buggy fines
01-13-2012  •  www.cbsnews.com 
A group of Amish men were sent to jail in western Kentucky Thursday for refusing to pay fines for breaking a state highway law that requires their horse-drawn buggies to be marked with orange reflective triangles. 

Amish Weddings

The day Jack and I filmed this, off of 422 in Intercourse PA, I had no Idea the interest it would generate. I thought it would be fitting to have my first post of the video that has gotten the most hits. And it's only been a year or so.

It was nice and ideal to have the farm, where the wedding was held, in the background. But it was also very dangerous. You can hear the cars go by three and four feet behind me. He told me later that he was so concerned about me that he forgot some of what he wanted to say. He wants to do an 'Amish Wedding II'. I told him, "That's fine, I'd love it, but can we try to stay off the road next time?"

The Amish Wedding

http://www.amishnews.com/amisharticles/religioustraditions.htm#Part Seven