Milroy, Indiana

Milroy is a small crossroads town in southeast Indiana about 45 minutes northwest of Cincinnati.  While the far larger settlements in northern Indiana and Ohio get most of the tourism traffic, Milroy has a quiet charm of its own.  There is an Amish run bakery and general store and some greenhouses that contribute to the local economy. Three Amish church districts cling to the warren of rural roads that spider out from Milroy in all directions.  I'd heard about Milroy for years because the original Amish Cook columnist - Elizabeth Coblentz - would occasionally talk about relatives there.  The settlement is an endearing mix of Swiss Amish who came to the area from Berne, Indiana years ago and more traditional ones elsewhere.  So you see a combination of Swiss open top buggies on the road and more conventional closed top ones.

I was visiting my new Amish friends Daniel and Christine on a day that featured the first fluffy flakes of the winter. We sat at their kitchen table sipping freshly brewed organic coffee, eating doughnuts and having some great conversation while watching the flakes fall. It was a cozy morning in their sturdy farmhouse.  We also had the opportunity to meet some of the equine residents at their place.

Daniel trains horses and this is one of his charges, seems to be posing for the camera:)

Daniel and Christine's house is well-kept, tidy and traditional, resembling many of the farmhouses around Berne, Indiana about 100 miles to the north. Daniel and Christine's children are grown, so it's just the two of them.  This means downsizing to a small buggy, a cozy model just for two. Here it is parked snug in their garage.