Despite a desire to think that at least the Amish are immune from the pain at the pump these days, they really aren't.  High gas prices hurt them because many Amish hire "English" people to drive them into town or to doctor's appointments.  The hired driver's rates are now becoming unaffordable for a quick trip to the grocery.  In this sense the higher fuel prices have strengthened the Amish bond with their horse-drawn buggies. Although at the same time gas prices have been skyrocketing so too has the price of hay.  This has really caused feeding horses to become more expensive.  In fact, Lovina and her husband are selling two of their horses at auction this weekend simply because the strain on the budget became too much to bear. Read more here about how the Amish are impacted by the price of gas.

Quote of the day:
"I'm sick of dealing with them!" - an inspector in New York's North Country.

Now, THAT is real professional.  In the continuing building code battles in New York, score one for the Amish.  An Amish man was issued a proper permit for building a chimney, because, a) the chimney appeared functional and b) the inspector was just sick of dealing with the Amish.  Read more here.   I guess the building inspector needs to move to a land where everyone is the same, there are no different cultures, religions, or beliefs to deal with (insert sarcasm).  Those New York North Country government officials just seem to have a real chip on their shoulder regarding the Amish.