I'm headed for a weekend of camping in the "wilderness", so I best get out of here.  Thanks to all who submitted campfire recipes!  We'll sure be well fed on this short journey.   Diann, one of our site regulars, spent the day in Adams County, Ohio recently. Regulars here know that that is one of my favorite Amish settlements.  It's very traditional with dozens of Amish-run micro-businesses dotting the hillsides, selling anything from baked goods to birdseed.  Diann shot this photo of the Unity Parochial School which is located in the heart of what is known as the "Wheat Ridge" Amish settlement, located near the intersection of Unity and Wheat Ridge Roads.  The school is quiet now, but in two short months it'll be a blur of bonnets and hats.  Thanks for sharing this, Diann!

I will relate this post to the Amish.  This is the Fourth of July weekend.  With it falling on a Saturday, I'm not sure as many people are getting the long weekends out of it.  But the Amish are no different than the rest of us.  Give them a long weekend off from work and they'll pack it with fun.  Camping, fishing, boating, these are all outdoor pursuits that are pretty low-tech and therefore popular among the plain people.  Pitching a tent and sleeping under the stars is a favorite among the Amish, especially those with children.  The weekend will not be spent wrapped in outward displays of patriotic fervor, that's just not the Amish way, but this doesn't mean they aren't deeply appreciative of the religious freedom this country gives them.  Some people mistake their low-key ways with lack of patriotism.  This is not the case.

I'll be pitching tent for a couple of nights this weekend with Rachel and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  We're just going to have a relaxing "tech-free" weekend: campfire food, lots of books to read, hiking, and my SIL has forbidden me to use my cell phone or email during that time.  So, to help pass time, we'll eat.  We're going to ditch the diet for a day or two.  Does anyone have any good, easy, fun campfire snack recipes to share?

Okay, a safety seminar isn't as "sexy" of a story as "Amish battered by recession", but, wow, is this important and helpful!  The Amish are often very receptive to respectful, thorough education on issues like safety and health if it's presented to them in a comfortable format.  The Knox County Safe Communities Coalition in Ohio - near one of the largest Amish settlements in the world - conducted a "safety seminar", which brought in experts to talk to Amish attendees about everything from gun safety to CPR.  The audience seemed very open to the lessons and I think everyone walked away with lessons that could save lives back on the homestead. Click here to read about this important, neat event.