A Trip to Ohio Amish Country, Equine Art Paradise

Every year I try to do a sort of women/artist retreat with some of my friends. This event usually happens in September and always includes some great photo opportunities. This past September was no exception. Jean Cook, (Paola, Kansas) Ann Dysinger (Ohio) and I started out from my house in Delaware County, Ohio and headed northeast to Holmes County where Ann had grown up. Holmes County and the surrounding areas are some of the most beautiful farming landscapes to be seen and there are surprises around every turn as you meander through the winding roads and countryside. At one point we crested a rise in the road and came quickly up on a herd of loose, Black Angus cattle. We made our way to the farmer's home to let them know their cattle were in the middle of the road. This little distraction made us a bit late for our meeting with fellow artist, Karen Brenner (Wooster, Ohio) who was waiting for us on a street corner in a nearby town. With no cell service to be had, we could not call her to tell her we were running late. Fortunately we made it before she had given up on us.

We ate a scrumptious lunch in Mt. Hope, home-cooking at its best, and then headed into the countryside, stopping to photograph horses and landscapes along the way. We had a great time, though it always seems to go too fast! Karen Brenner, Juliet Harrison and I did a similar trip in the spring, meeting up with fellow artist, Sue Steiner, in Kidron, Ohio. Here are some of the shots from those wonderful trips. Needless to say, I have lots of painting material from these adventures!