Tag: Parmelee Farm

Frosty and Sweet

    As soon as I open my mouth about bringing Spring things in, Mother Nature tells me to curb my enthusiasm. 

  Snow falling on Cedars –  My chicken coop pictured below with the cedar forest a very philanthropic woman named Elizabeth and her husband Ed planted many moons ago here on this little farm. It was upon her death at the age of 95 about 16 years ago at the estate sale that I first laid eyes on the inside of our 1835 farm house and the surrounding grounds and fell in love.  A lot has changed here in the ten years we’ve owned the farm – including the complete resurrection of the house.  One thing that is absolutely as it was – are the cedar forest on the left of us and Pine forest on the right, minus a few trees lost in storms.  I love them 💗 they remind me every day of the thoughtfulness and generosity of the previous occupants of Grace –  (This Old House)   We’ve paid it forward, so to speak – by planting many sugar maples along the dirt roads on the property.  Someday someone will enjoy the shade and glorious colors  and perhaps the syrup made from the the sap of the Mighty Maples we’ve planted. We will at least get to enjoy them as juvenile trees.

  Speaking of Maple Syrup –  I’ve been collecting the sap  from some of our ancient maples when the weather conditions encourage the sap run, and the boys have been dropping the buckets off at the Sugar House at Parmelee Farm.   It’s balm for the soul, this community project.  Residents of our little town have been collecting sap from their trees to add to the big barrels at Parmelee,  helping to fill the distiller,  they’ve been volunteering to fill and label bottles, some even dropping off cookies and snacks for the volunteer force to enjoy while they work.  The Boyscouts and Girlscouts have visited to learn the ancient art of syrup making, as have science classes from the middle school.  All sales of the limited supply of syrup are applied to sustaining the farm and sugar house.

  That label being applied is one I designed for the project –  I’m no professional, but I think it came out pretty darn good in the -winging it- department.

      In these times of truly ugly politics, this community effort for a worthy cause is a beautiful thing indeed.  If you’re feeling discouraged for whatever the reason, I strongly recommend finding a project or organization in a field of your interest that is doing something good in the world – no effort is too small, the commitment does not have to be huge, so don’t let work commitments and the lack of free time discourage you.   It’s balm for the weary soul. 💗

      Till soon, friends… 

Sugar & Rainbows

  Specifically – Sugar water – from This Old House’s ancient maples.

   Our good friend, Tim, has been on a quest in recent years – He learned and honed the art of Maple Syruping here in New England and put forth a community campaign to raise funds and build a Sugar House at Parmelee Farm, a town owned community gathering place rebuild after abandonment by local volunteers and businesses.   This is also were myself and my market partner hold our annual Artisan Market. 
 Drilling a hole for the tap 
     The Sugar House has just been completed and Tim plans to teach the art of maple syruping along with a handful of other volunteers of the farm.  Residents will eventually  join in the fun by collecting sap from their own maples to  add to the many many gallons of sap used to make that beautiful golden syrup.  
   Funny thing – my husband loves the idea of the wholesome manufacture of the stuff – but Aunt Jemima forever holds a place in his heart, and on his pancakes.   I’m a purist – I love the real deal. Below is a label we created with the new Sugar House on it, and the real deal in the bottle. 
    We’ve got a few trees tapped here at the farm.  One of my morning chores is to check the bags to see if they need emptying into the white buckets, which Tim will pick up to contribute to the stash at Parmelee Farm.  When the sap is running, and there are specific weather conditions that make this happen – it’s a steady drip drip drip. a bag can fill in a day. 
   If you look real close in the picture below, you’ll see my chickens in the background.  The Polar Vortex lasted only a few days, thankfully – and we’ve seen temps in the 40’s since.  So, when we’re out working around the property, I let the girls roam. 
    The free range is healthy for them – bugs, grasses, all contribute to a balanced diet for the hens, mentally and physically.  The downside is we have plenty of predators such as coyotes, fox and hawks, so I have to be careful. 
     The accumulation of maple sap water  looks like this  at about 1/2 day.  and each tree can have several taps – it’s amazing how much sap runs through a tree.  Also – and what’s important to me – is tapping those trees does not harm them. 
    
    Yesterday morning at this time, the frost made a beautiful blanket across every outdoor surface – 
     This morning, currently  outside my office door and looking out to the road,  the warmer air has created fog, which  is beginning to lift as the sun struggles to break through.   
      It’s time for me to get out there and check the  sugar water bags and feed the horses and chickens and do coop and stall clean up.  I was told putting some of that maple water in coffee is a delicious treat – I’ll give it a go and let you know.

****  Update – I just returned from morning chores and wanted to share a few things…

The overnight collection of sap, poured from the bags into this bucket. It’s clear, with a texture of water, taste like water with a hint of maple sugar.

The girls don’t lay as often in winter, so we’re lucky if we receive a few gifts each morning.  This is today’s gift.. 

    And no sooner had I turned from the chicken coop to head up to the barn to feed, when I saw this…

   A rainbow… that begins on the left, right at the point mid-barn where Opie’s stall is located… and he’s buried directly underneath the arc of the rainbow.  I choose to believe he’s sent me a sign this morning, that all is well and he is at peace.   I don’t know what becomes of a soul once we depart this life, and I’m surely not religious in the traditional sense of the word.  That being said, we are clearly more than the sum of our parts, because we think and feel and reason.  So I’ll continue to hope that when my time comes, I will reunite with those who passed before me – my relatives, my friends, and especially the animals I have loved – my dogs, my horses, even Henrietta the chicken.

     Till soon, friends – 

The K List

   *the K list is my lazy way of finding a post title for a real  rambler.  Here goes… grab a cup of coffee or tea if you’re willing to get through this whole post.  
   So.. when we bought Stella by the sea, we initially thought renting it out for a few weeks of the summer would be a grand idea because owning a second home, even a little one such as Stella… costs money.  We weren’t keen on the idea of renting to strangers, but perhaps just people we know, or people who know the people we know. 
   Our first “guests” came to stay for just three days.  We didn’t know them, but we knew their relatives and they are indeed a decent crew. Good way for us to test the waters, right? 
     The three days went by and the following day I returned to Stella to clean up.   By “cleaning up” I mean.. I assumed… washing sheets and towels.  Vacuuming and dusting and disinfecting bathroom just because “guests”. 
     What I found was a little different.  There was leftover food left out and open  on the counter.  Empty drink bottles too. We have a white curtain on the inside of the bathroom door, which is an old glass pane door, so the curtain is needed for privacy. That curtain was filthy from little boy hands with dirt.. and blood.  Bandaid wrappers also strewn. Thankful the cut wasn’t too big, apparently.  One bed was left without being stripped, the other bed stripped and sheets left on our little Edith Chair with wet towels.  On the chair.  Wet.   There were crumbs left on the kitchen table and the kitchen sink was filthy with some dishes left there too… 
    A  lovely thank you l note was left in the guest book saying it was obvious we had put a lot of thought and time and creativity into resurrecting Stella, thank you for letting us stay. .  
    We won’t be doing that again.   I don’t think the “guests” intended any disrespect at all, to be clear.  I think they are just a little oblivious, perhaps due to their affluence or the way they were brought up. Someone else will take care of this.  I’ll leave it for the service. 
     While my husband dismissed it as “the typical way people leave hotel rooms”… I don’t really think so.   That’s beside the fact that our little cottage is not a hotel, not even a true rental property. When we stay in a hotel, before we leave, I put the wet towels in the bathtub or a neat pile on the bathroom tile floor.  I make sure we have not left any garbage strewn about, including drink bottles, crumbs from snacks, papers, etc.   My mother really didn’t have to teach me these things…. it’s just common courtesy.  She probably did teach me that, common courtesy.   People who work service jobs such as waitresses and waiters, bus boys, maid service in hotels, for example…. they deserve the respect of any other person – their job is thankless, truly.  

 Now that I got that off my chest…  the stress that pounds my body when I take in the daily news has crescendoed and I am taking a hiatus from it.. just a peek here and there at the headlines instead of devouring it and trying to make sense of the nonsense.  The world is going to have to sort this all out and I am just going to hope for the best.  
  We continue to enjoy Stella in between  work hours and farm responsibilities.  Most days I load Frasier and Sally into the car, we  ride past farms and stop at the  stands along the commute, grabbing some summer sweet corn,  with tomatoes and cucumber salad from the home garden. We walk the little island roads down by the sea, and prepare a meal for whomever shows up after work at the end of the day.  Occasionally we go for a swim when the tide is high.  There is a long list of people we would like to host for a relaxing evening and seaside supper… That will take some time. 
My nephews as we celebrated a  birthday… 
My son and I are the most avid swimmers… 
To give you an idea of the difference in water level at low and high tide… 
This is high tide.  My son is standing, I’m floating. 
At low tide, the water is at our knees in the same spot. 

  We don’t stay overnight just yet … often leaving in the peak sunset hour…. too many animals at home depend on us for their evening meal and tucking in. Someday when we have fewer animals to care for, we’ll spend summers living in the cottage. For now we’re very content to commute.  
     
Meanwhile, back home… another farm market in the books – and it was a good one.  

 I bought this apron, it’s now hanging in my kitchen.  One of our vendors makes aprons out of vintage feed and flour sacks among other things –  I love them!

Mom and my Aunt, her sister.   While the circumstances behind my aunt’s relocation are very sad ( her husband recently passed) , I love that they live next door to each other now and get to spend quality time together.  If there is a heaven, my grandmother Elsie is smiling big.

 Not only does my family support my farm market efforts by attending market and buying from local farmers and artisans… mom treated me to this recycled dress by one of my favorite vendors.  Marylynne of BH Upcycle Designs uses old sweaters, t-shirts, sweatshirts to make new pieces of clothing like skirts, dresses, shirts, etc.   This is one of those..

  Speaking of Markets.. our September market will include an installment of The Kindness Rocks Project.. have you heard of it?  I believe it’s happening in areas all over the country – but it’s in full swing for sure on our shoreline.  People are painting rocks with words of inspiration or kindness and pretty designs and placing them in random spots where others will find them.  They are showing up in places like post office drop boxes, town hall steps,  benches in parks, on hiking trails, in doorways to shops, etc…    My market partner, Linda, and I will host a rock party at the market – I’ve gathered smooth rocks from Stellas waterfront and painted them an undercoat.  We’ll provide the paints and brushes for whomever wants to show up and create their own “kindness” and place it somewhere in the world for another to find.   It’s the little ripples that fan out into the sea, creating change, right?  Rock on..

These are a few that I have already sent out …. message on back, design on front.

 These were found on the ‘net –
Great idea, no?  Something positive anyone can do –
I’ll end this post with a few shots of my beloved coneflowers –
they are so happy this year – must be all the rain and humidity. – bleh. 

    Whew, that was a long one.  Are you still with me?  It’s a new day, all.  Let’s not look at the newsfeeds.  Not once.  Maybe for a few days even.   I need to stay put this morning and catch up on cleaning duties here at the homestead –  This post is clearly a procrastination effort.  I’m particularly good at that.  

 Till soon, friends – 

Of Fairies and Farm Markets

   My friend Linda and I run a farm and artisan market here in town – it’s a once-monthly affair on the second Saturday of June, July, August and September.   This is one of my great joys in life, seeing friends, neighbors, vendors, artists, even dogs and their people… come together to buy stuff from local farmers and artisans, chat with each other, make new friends, visit with old… I see hugs, smiles, giggles, out-loud laughter –  Just.. all the good stuff of life, you know?

Refreshing, it is.

   The icing on the cake here is the market is held on a farm  owned by the town we live in that has been restored mainly by volunteer power of it’s residents and local businesses.  The husband and I have been a part of the efforts and there is nothing more rewarding than seeing the finished product… a place where the community gathers to enjoy the outdoors and each other through the various events now taking place.  I strongly encourage all of you – in what ever capacity you’re able, and that differs for all of us … to get involved in a project in your community.  The effort doesn’t have to be a huge commitment of time or money – volunteer for what is comfortable for you in a setting and for a cause that you believe in.  Talk about restoring ones faith in humanity… 

    So… about those fairies…. This fairy in particular is a good friend of ours and you may be familiar with her blog – The Herb Shed.    She’s known as Raven… and in character here as Queen Bee. 
  In her fairy life she visits sick children at hospitals, she’s an actress in the Renaissance fairs you may see in the region.. and this was the first time in all these years I’ve known her, that I got to see her in action.   WOW…  not only does she captivate the children, but the young at heart as well.   My husband may still have a little blue glitter stuck to his person 🙂    As soon as she arrives, she is in character, speaking in a completely different accent than the one I am used to.  It’s musical!.. and she is a trained actress, so she projects her voice well. The joy of that for me is.. I can still hear some of it!   Queen Bee was accompanied by her friend from the Glen Wood,  Peasblossom and together they were enchanting. 
 Besides mingling with the crowd, there was story time as the fairies read to the children, including song, and much.. much.. *.*.*.*.GLITTER*.*..*.. 
Some of the children wore their own fairy wings! 
 We will invite the fairies back to the market for sure.
 As for market day, we had glorious weather and the crowds showed up, always rewarding to see plans come to fruition.  The farmers and artisans work hard throughout the year and these markets are so important to their survival.   When you see them advertised or pass by them in your travels, take a few minutes to stop in and browse the market for fresh foods or artisan pieces you and your family can enjoy.  Farm markets are a huge advocate for eating healthy, we need to encourage their existence lest they cease to exist. 

The smiles!…

Is he not the cutest? There’s always one in the crowd who captures my heart.  

 For those of you in the know, you’ll notice my family is dispersed throughout this post.  I so appreciate their support in my endeavors too…

 This month we held a car cruise on the front lawn of the farm to help bring crowds in and to give the men something to do while their wives and children enjoyed the market and fairies…

 All in all, it was a very good day –  if you’re reading this and you came to visit with us at market, a huge thank you for your support.  

Porch Sitting and Community gathering and OH, what a SUCKY MOVIE, but a few good books

  I wish for every person to have a place to call home where there is a porch to sit and contemplate, to rest, to find respite from the troubles of the world.  It need not be fancy – it need not be decorated with fine furnishings and fancy trinkets.  Heck, where I come from a folding chair out in the driveway or in the open-door garage would suffice as you watched the action out on the street or watered the postage stamp “lawn”.   (That always cracked me up – a neighbor just two doors down had a lawn about 20 x 20 with a sidewalk down the middle – and don’t ya know that lawn was perfectly edged and fertilized and watered, always. )    I’ve talked about porches before, forgive me for singing their praise here again.  I just feel right now especially.. we all need a porch sit. 
 This is my backyard view, can you see the hummer at the feeder? 
    Thank you to the few who braved comments in my previous posts.  I don’t ever swear that I will agree with you and I almost always have more to say.  But.. I am grateful for your comments when they are genuine and not with malice.  I think we accomplish that most often, even if we don’t walk away in agreement.  I wish that for the world too… and the porches. 
Saturday was the second farm market of my four market season.  The turnout was terrific and the vision of neighbors, children, strangers,  vendors and volunteers coming together, sharing good conversation, browsing the “stuff” and just enjoying something that is NOT the stuff of headlines.. well, it was so good for my soul.  If you’ve got these kind of community markets or town picnics, etc. in your area, don’t pass them up.  They are an affirmation of all that is GOOD out there, so be a part of it when you can. Join in, support your locals, talk to your neighbors, strangers, children, vendors, volunteers, etc. etc. etc.  

 Our sons went to school together and this guy is just always with a smile
on his face and a willingness to lend a hand.  We need more of that. 
   Mike and I watched  BY THE SEA last night –   Don’t waste your time on this movie.  Directed by and starrring Angelina and Brad Pitt,  it was terrible.  Briefest summary – nothing but glamour shots  of two shallow people dressed to the nines with very little substance underneath.  We kept watching because we thought  – surely there’s more to it than this…. but.. there wasn’t.  When they finally reveal something that is indeed a tragedy for some people, you don’t even care, these guys are so shallow.  And.. someone please throw her a cheeseburger, with bacon.. every day for the next six months.  I had high hopes, because although there didn’t seem to be much chemistry in their Mr. and Mrs. Smith roles, Angie did such a great job with her first to directorial movies, I thought this would be a hit too.  This one was so bad I don’t know what she was thinking other than an opportunity to wear what she perceives as fabulous cloths while she sulks around in beautiful malta.  Clearly she failed at directing herself.
    Are you a reader?  I am at a loss when I don’t have something to read on my bedside table. Hard to fall asleep without reading at least a little bit before lights out.  I just read Anderson Coopers new book, a correspondence between he and his mother (you may have seen the interview on TV)… and I have to tell you… I like him a lot, I like her very very little.. to be blunt, what a flake.  Just received both Nobodys Fool and Everyones Fool from Amazon, looking forward to diving into those as I’ve heard they are a good read.  I need to leave the TV off for a while, too disgusted with no answers …nothing ruins sleep better than the nightly news as of late… 
… Off.. to the porch. 

Santa came to town….

  I’m going to share with you some photos from our local Chamber of Commerce “Christmas at the Farm” event yesterday at Parmelee Farm.  Santa came for a visit, and I have to say, one of the highlights of my holiday this year is  getting to take some of their photos.. their reactions were priceless and all over the map… it brought all the  – childhood awe- of the holiday front and center – I don’t know about you, but the jolly old fella scared the crap out of me when I was young.  My son wanted nothing to do with him either, although we admired him from afar and always made sure to leave cookies and milk and grass and treats for the reindeer come Christmas Eve.

 Do you recognize this guy talking to Santa about predicted  flying sleigh travel weather for Christmas Eve?…. I’ve gotta tell you, considering he’s from one of the biggest political dynasties of our time, you’d never know it.  Ted Kennedy Jr. is one very warm and down-to-earth person who really gives a damn about the average Joe, and especially those with disabilities.  It’s refreshing, just that.

  Have I told you lately?… just loving this season for so many reasons.  Those kids above? yeah. That.  Why do we forget it?  Let’s not…  And Liz Jones?  I just received your lovely note, thank you.   This post is for you –


 Susan Branch Christmas Art

A Weekend full of Wonderful –

  It’s been a long time since I’ve had such an action packed weekend, all in a wonderful way.  I was the kind of bone tired last night that you welcome after getting some rewarding work done… out like a light at 8pm, I was.  Saturday was filled with meeting and greeting neighbors old and new, catching up with friends and family and getting rid of “stuff” we didn’t need here at this old house. We had a tag sale out front and it was well worth the effort.  The weather was a perfect mix of fall foliage with the aroma of fading leaves and pine needles, some sunshine and a little chill in the air. A big thank you to Joleen and Lynn for joining in, it made the day so much more enjoyable. 
  Sunday I got up bright and early. The girlchild took care of the critters for me so I could head to Hammonasset Beach to photograph the Run For The Cove. A wonderful couple I’ve known for many years founded this organization in, I believe, 1995 and it has grown in ways unimaginable… an incredible source of support for grieving children who have lost a parent or family member.. to learn more about THE COVE center for Grieving Children, visit HERE  Again, the weather was fall-chilly-beautiful and oh, how very uplifting these people and this event always are.
The reason I don’t have any adult runner pics available is because I mistakenly hit the RAW
button and shot every image in jpeg and raw, which is a huge file.  Guess who filled her 
camera card before the event was over, and forgot to bring another.  
*sigh*
Thankfully there were other photographers on hand and they assured me they would complete
the photographing with adult runner pics.  
Live and learn. 
   Then it was off to Parmelee Farm in Killingworth  to help with the First Annual Pumpkin Carving Party organized by the Parm Farm Steering Committee. Sponsors were the Killingworth Lions Club, Pizzeria DaVinci and the Killingworth Chamber of Commerce.  What a fun day! So many families came to participate and the smiles and happy chatter and laughter were a breath of fresh air.  

 
 A giant leaf corral bordered by hay bales was a big hit with the littles…

There was some awesome artwork among the pumpkins…

A Big THANK YOU to all who helped make this happen,
and to all those awesome families who came out to LIGHT THE NIGHT!

The Spirit of Community.. .it’s a beautiful thing. 
Don’t pass up the opportunities in your area to join efforts like these,
the rewards are endless and so good for the soul. 
It’s a new day, all ….
make it a good one. 
 

Community

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”

  – Mother Theresa


“Heroes didn’t leap tall buildings or stop bullets with an outstretched hand: they didn’t wear boots and capes. They bled and they bruised, and their superpowers were as simple as listening, or loving. Heroes were ordinary people who knew that even if their own lives were impossibly knotted, they could untangle someone else.  And maybe that one act could lead someone to rescue you right back.”
-Jodi Picoult




“The single greatest lesson the garden teaches is that our relationship
to the planet need not be zero-sum, and that as long as the sun still
shines and people still can plan and plant, think and do, we can, if we
bother to try, find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing
the world.”
– Michael Pollan



       
*  Blogger is being wonky today with typeface, I apologize for the annoyance. 


 


  My husband and I are just a small part of an incredible group of volunteer citizens who are collectively restoring Parmelee Farm  so that this once dilapidated town owned farm can be a recreational and educational gathering place for generations to come. So many people have shown their generosity with their time and skills, and I can’t describe accurately how wonderful it feels to see all the accomplishments of these good hearted and visionary people, and to contemplate all the possibilities for the future.  No one here is a Rockefeller.  It’s blood, sweat and even some tears that are getting this job done, and a whole lot of heart. 


   Community.. we all need it. If you are able in any way to get out into your own community and give of yourself in any way that feels comfortable to you and your lifestyle, I recommend it highly. You give of yourself a little, and you are paid back in spades, I promise.   In these troubling times, when it is so easy to feel powerless and overwhelmed by all the bad news we are bombarded with daily, the truth is we can indeed be the antidote, each one of us, in little ways, taking small steps.


 

Updates on Parmelee:  Due to a STEAP grant, 

the farmhouse has been restored and is the new home of the Historical Society.

 





What was once a Turkey shed is now being refurbished as a pavilion
for future events for the community – weddings, farmers market, dances, etc.

Many local contractors,generous civic groups and citizens have stepped up to get the job done.

The Little Free Library is a big hit…
..and it all started with the vision of a certain resident, who created the Community Gardens..
still in bloom on this late September afternoon.

 

Many of you, my blog friends, have been giving to your community already in the many different ways that this is accomplished. Some of you have raised foster children and made them your own, some have taken in stray animals that needed your care, some of you have donated your time or money to your own communities – the library, a hospital, the Goodwill Store – …  I could go on and on.  


 

My hat is off to you, my friends. Together we all make a difference, never forget it, and keep on truck’n. 


 

It’s a new day, all.  Make it a good one ~