Nappanee

Touring the Oliver Mansion in South Bend, IN with my husband’s nephew, Marc.

The Oliver Mansion library and study.

The patented “Oliver” plow that made the mansion possible.

“The Stone House” Christmas Shop is part of Amish Acres in Nappanee, Indiana.

Cute chickens in Amish Acre’s parking lot.

Inside the Christmas Shop.

Barb Kaiser has worked for the Christmas Shop for five years and says she loves her job. “The store is open year ’round,” says Barb, “except during January and February.”

Many of Christmas Shop items are handmade by local artists. However, they are not made by Amish. According to Christmas Shop employee, Barb Keiser, the Amish that make handicrafts sell them from their homes instead of through merchants.

The Dairy Queen AFTER the tornado.

HERE’S a video of the employees of the Napanee Dairy Queen a few minutes before the tornado hit. Note the response as the employees get phone call after warning phone call…the lights go on and off, the sky grows yellow…and then there are sirens.

Fortunately, the employees  took cover inside a restroom and survived.

More pictures of the tornado are here and here.

Tornado Warning Siren

On vacation
On vacation 2
Marathon Gas Station and Convenience Store Sign
1″ thick steel on bottom of Marathon sign bent from the tornado.
Marathon Service Station
Marathon Service Station 2
Closeup of all that is left of the Marathon Station’s convenience store.
House and bulldozer
Rubble
Taco Bell
Taco Bell 2