What are the Amish doing in February?

The fields are frozen and you will find the Amish out in the fields with their manure wagons, spreading manure and in some areas, spreading loads of corn husks on the fields. Corn husks are spread by hand using a pitch fork. The load of husks is taken out of the field by a wagon with wooden sled runners. Actually, the same sleds they used to haul ice squares last month.

The Amish are very hardy and don't use layers of clothing in the cold. They don't use down or thinsulate linings in their clothes. The men have jackets with a heavier lining made of wood or felted material (remember, they are all homemade). When they travel in their buggies they cover themselves with blankets and a black tarp is attached to the buggy opening that serves as a wind break. The driver turns a section of the tarp down so he can see the road ahead. They do have a triangle shaped sign on the back of their buggies for safety and at night they also light lanterns on each side.

When the Amish are in an open wagon they sometimes use a big black umbrella to break the wind. It is a cold sight to see two Amish young men huddled behind a big umbrella as they go hunting on a cold winter day. The women have long black dresses, their bonnets and a cape that keep them warm. The cape has a lining also. The children dress like their parents and you often see them with rosey cheeks as they play outside or help with the chores. Everyone wears a head covering - we will discuss that at a later date.

The Amish men and boys (and sometimes girls) work to keep the wood supplied for their stoves. They have a stove going in a great room in the house where everyone gathers and eats during the day. There is no heat in other rooms in the house. They usually have a stove going in their business/outside building also. Everything and everywhere smells like woodsmoke in the winter.