The 100 Day Project #59
Amish Picnic at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, NY, 2020
The 100 Day Project, Day 59
Mike and I made several drives to Niagara Falls during the pandemic — it became one of our reliable escapes, close enough for a day trip and always worth the drive. I wrote about our Valentine's Day visit in the last post. This one was late summer of 2020, for a picnic and a long walk through the trails.
And then we came upon this.
Seven Amish children — three girls, four boys — all turned away from the camera, peering through the fence at the water flowing below. Handmade clothing. Bright sunshine. Blue skies. A tall thundercloud building slowly in the far distance.
I grew up in the midwest and on the west coast, where Amish families were rarely part of the landscape. Here in western New York I see them often, and every time I do I find myself quietly admiring their commitment to a slower, more handmade life. There is something deeply appealing about that devotion, even to someone like me who lives very much in the modern world.
I, too, come from a large family. I grew up with four sisters, and seeing large families always make my heart happy. Something about the particular energy of a group of children discovering the world together — in this case, one of the greatest natural wonders on earth — makes me nostalgic for the days when my sisters were part of my daily life. I now live on the opposite side of the country from them and staying connected is harder than it once was. I hope our retirement years bring more time together — more travels, more adventures, deepening the connection that we established when we were young.
About the 100 Day Project: A global creative challenge where thousands of artists share a piece of their practice every single day for 100 days. I'm joining creatives around the world, and I'm excited to bring you along. Each day I'll be sharing one of my photos — some recent, some old, and some from my current project — along with the story behind it: where I was, who I was with, and why I love it.