Buggy Man.....

While I am not QUITE done - I have a top to build,  a brake rod to attach/adjust, and, of course, paint - I AM far enough along to have a "roll out viewing".

Actually, we COULD go for a drive the way it is, but brakes are always a handy thing to have - even though a LOT of Amish buggies do not have them - they have the old fashioned "WHOA" Brakes.....These usually work pretty good - if the horse feels like it.

So, last Saturday, we rolled it out of the barn, and took a few photos. I couldn't coax my lovely wife to get into the seat, so her dad got in instead. The seat turned out to be pretty durn comfortable. Probably way better than I could have made.



This afternoon, I made the trip over to the Amish Harness Shop to see how the girl was progressing on Pearls bridle and harness. She told me she was ALMOST finished, but earlier in the day, she ran out of gas, so her sewing machine wouldn't run.....

It sounds odd, but their machines all run on a "line shaft" that is turned by a small gas or diesel motor.

She had just gotten back from town with some gas, so she told me "If you want to sit and watch, I can finish it up in a few minutes".

Ok

Leaha (the Amish girl harness maker) fired up the motor, hit the clutch lever, and all the line shafts and pulleys came to life. She grabbed the two remaining pieces, and sewed them together like she'd been doing it for 20 years........

Ok, she's only about 15 years old, but she knew how to run them machines!

When she was done, she explained a few parts, and told me how to order the two pads we need (they didn't have RED...), and I carried the whole thing to the car. At home, I brought it into the house to show Deb. She wondered aloud what part went where....To her, it was just a big Pile-O-Parts, jigsaw puzzle.

I'm hoping the horse knows where stuff goes - and is willing to show us.....



Actually, it's not that hard, but I will still want one of our Amish friends to come over and help me to get things adjusted right the first time.

Now, if the sore on Pearl's foot would hurry up and heal, then we could have her shod, and head out on the highway to dodge semi's........