Two Amish girls at the door of their schoolhouse.

Although the poses of the girls were finally just right, there was considerable work and visits to a number of bakeries to get the elements. The ladies working the dough in the bakery were from a different set of photos that also presented some challenges. I culled the baking tools from the Internet because I wanted the old fashioned style of tins. I used an oven that is more modern because I observed them in a number of country bakeries. I moved the window several times as I wanted the view to be included but not to be too prominent.

Once again I pieced together from my files the various bits of information. The gladiolus bunch in the pail on the chair, the produce stand itself, the baskets of potatoes, the cat, and the vegetables of so many colours were added to a farm lane that ended at a house. I must mention too the many photos of Maia, the author's daughter, which were so helpful for the construction of this tentative but concentrated pose.

Using many photos from visits to orchards during the picking season, I was able to construct a setting for this wonderful poem. Nan's daughter and her little friend were the perfect models for this piece as they have such a loving relationship. I tried to hold myself back a bit as this image could easily become saccharine. I thought the brown and white chickens a good visual counterpoint to all the green.

Few experiences can beat a buggy ride on a pleasant summer day. The author described the whole scene with the kids in the buggy passing the cornfields that this piece almost painted itself. I did take one liberty with facts which is the girls are not wearing bonnets, but I wanted for you to see their faces. This is the painting from the book that my wife chose to keep.

Picking up stones from the fields in the spring is not a very fun job. All the stooping to gather the stones that have been forced to the surface by frost is necessary before working up the land for planting. Removing the stones will not only make for a better crop but will also prevent damage to the seeder as it makes its way up and down the fields.