My Neighbor

This is my Amish neighbor, Enis. I met his very young wife Feba just a few days ago. They are newly weds and recently moved into the farmstead behind our property, which used to be worked by one of his other six brothers. A few of the families decided to play musical homes to accommodate the newest family. Must be nice to have such a big family living so close to each other. Guess you'd have to given how long the average horse drawn carriage ride is. Those modern automobiles don't help either; always trying to speed by, spooking the horses.

I met Feba while looking for her husband. His brother Ike, who lives just down the street and operates a very nice produce stand and green house, sent me to their farm looking for a bale of straw. Feba gave me an indirect tour of their property as we searched all over to locate him. I am totally in awe of their tomato hot house. It was almost Swiss in how each tomato plant was neatly strung in straight vines, row after tidy row, with a drip line precisely laid over the white plastic tarp each plant had punctured. Feba couldn't be more than 17 or 18 years old. When she spoke her voice was so gentle and shy, yet she was happy to search for Enis on my behalf.

We finally found him in their massive barn, getting his horses ready to go out into the field. Today he spread fertilizer, perhaps for a crop of cantaloupe, like his brother grew last year. I got my bale of straw (for my very small veggie garden) and made sure to let them know they are welcome anytime. I know they will never come visit, but that wasn't the point anyway. I just wanted them to know I am a friendly neighbor.