Back to Basics

This is not a 1-horse town.
(dwm photo)

We lived in Augusta, Wisconsin for 12 years.  The kids grew up there.  I spent most of that time working for Aid Association for Lutherans, but then was lead into fundraising.

Augusta was home to a settlement of Amish.  Many operated small farms, others worked as craftsmen.

One of our fondest memories was hearing the clip-clop of hooves along Lincoln Street in front of our home.  It's been years since we heard or saw buggies traveling city streets and county roads.

There's another Amish community near Pardeeville where I recently joined their Pedal and Party ride.  Horses are part of the transportation mix there.

One section of the ride went down Barry Road, which in one section seems like a mini-mall of  Amish farms selling produce, flowers, and furniture.

The road is also home to Mishler's Country Store.

W5209 Barry Road, Dalton, WI  (dwm)

It was a stop on the ride, and the reason for a return trip this last weekend.

It is a general store with just about everything a neighbor might need.  What catches the eye, though, are shelves with packaged goods in bulk.

Large bags of dehydrated mini-marshmallows for under $2 a bag.  And bags of carob chips - I really don't know what a carob chip is, but I suspect I wouldn't want to bit into a chocolate chip cookie and discover carob chips - were in abundance.

There is a lot more to choose from and the English (non-Amish) eat it up.  I'm not sure, but I'd guess customers are nearly an even split.

Given today's news, it felt good to get back to basics, I suggest you might want to do the same.