Busy Saturday

We had a really fun day  today.   We slept until our eyes opened this morning, had a nice second cup together and then set off for the famous Martin's Carriage Auction in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Sasha has moved right into her normal relaxing travel pattern....

"I already told ya, I ain't eaten no left over banana pieces...."

I love all things horse, and anything even remotely connected with them.   I love to look at horse stuff, talk about horse stuff, smell horse stuff,  read about horses and their stuff, you get the idea.    So.....I enjoyed the morning at the Carriage Auction.   It was much more than an auction of carriages and wagons.   So many horse related things were for sale on a beautiful sunny day deep in Amish/Mennonite land.   On the way to the auction we passed horses grazing in green pastures, horses pulling manure spreaders, corn cutters and wagons, horses, horses, horses.    The auction had zillions of horse related things for sale in addition to a dizzying array of horse drawn conveyances.     I'm not well versed in the nuance of carriages, carts, wagons and sleighs, but I sure can appreciate the beauty of it all.

So, I'm just going to show you some of what we saw as we walked around and stood in the auction hall today.....

row after row of carriages await their turn on the auction block

tables of harness bits

some items were perfectly restored......

some were in "original" condition.....

others were just plain neglected

others showed what could be.....

The lfe this wooden carousel horse exuded just blew me away

sleigh bells

beautiful silver coach lights 

Dave is fascinated with the mechanics of it all

Sicilian Donkey Cart and bridle

close up

Sicilian Cappetto

antique toys

We caught up with Cindy and Walter for a birthday lunch at a great local restaurant called the Gin Mill.  After lunch Dave and I did a bit of exploring in the surrounding towns of Manheim, St. Petersburg, Lancaster and Mt. Gretna before heading back to Beluga.   Cindy went back to the Sunnybrook for a little nippy nap and Walter headed back to the auction to finish looking around.


After we all got back to the campground and settled our dogs, (Sasha was beside herself because the nearby shooting range was in active mode and the popping and echoing of the gunshots had her pacing and panting wildly - Benadryl time for the old girl)  we met outside Beluga for drinks and shrimp cocktail.   Walter opened his birthday presents and we headed inside for a delicious steak dinner (thanks Cindy and Dave).  While we were eating dessert (molten lava cakes) Geneva called to wish her Dad Happy Birthday,  it was great hearing her voice on speaker phone.    Thanks for sharing her with us Walter.

Dave manning the grill

Cindy loving up Lewis and Walter arriving for cocktail hour

Mmmmm    Shrimp cocktail

As is our travel custom, Dave did the dishes and I recounted our day and put it in blog form for you.

Its way too late, I'm heading off to bed.   It was a wonderful day.