a postcard from the midwest...

Yesterday brought a welcome drop in temperatures, with an almost chilly northwest breeze...perfect for taking care of outside chores.

For our neighbors; however, their chores were a bit more on the larger side...
it was an ideal time for them to harvest wheat.

Just sharing a few postcards from our part of the Midwest...

farm livin' is the life for me...

I couldn't help myself...the theme song from Green Acres is floating through my head this morning. I really hope you didn't miss this comedy growing up...
it's priceless!

Can you hear the music?

Green acres is the place to be
Farm living is the life for me
Land spreading out,
so far and wide
Keep Manhattan,
just give me that countryside.

There, now you'll be humming it all day...not a bad way to end the week. Somehow, the music seemed perfect paired with snapshots from a nearby farm...Happy Friday!

I'm pretty sure that's a smile!

another barn...

As I continue trying to capture old barns, this is my newest find...

Sure, she needs some TLC; however, to me, she's still a beauty. I love her cupolas and upper windows, and off to the side her silos are still standing tall and proud. 

Not only is she still in constant use on this large farm, but if you listen closely, you just might hear the laughter of children...sure to be found in the hayloft having the time of their lives!

Whenever we see these old wooden barns, they are a continuing reminder to us of our agricultural roots where history still holds strong. I can't help but slow down to ponder their past...and, if I'm very lucky, capture and preserve their images on my camera.

old barns...

This old barn is the most recent to catch my eye. It sits next to an empty farmhouse that looks as if it was a lovely home once upon a time. A large two-story house with loads of character...tall windows and two separate, yet side-by-side front doors. It's the kind of place I'd love to take a peek inside; however, a very large, very impressive "No Trespassing" sign keeps me in line.

Back to the barn...with bees in my bonnet lately, what really caught my eye are the stacks & stacks of white bee supers in the lower right corner...see them?

It makes me wonder what the old homestead was once like...with a barn this size and the others behind it, this must have been a busy, thriving farm in its day. For me, it's sad to see these empty homes & barns...I find it hard to believe there wasn't anyone in the family who wanted to claim it.

Yep...I have a soft spot for old barns, old houses, old things, old ways. Some might think I'm out of step with the goals and ideals of the modern world. That's okay...
I couldn't agree more with the quote below.

 

"For my part,

I'd rather admire the
ample barns of one
of our opulent farmers...
than study the dimensions
of the temple of Ceres."

-Hector De Crevecoeur 

starting a buzz...

First, a friend gifted me with this lovely tea towel...

then, Little Man gave me some sparkle for my birthday...

and I've been reading, re-reading, and marking up these books for over a year...

 

and then I thought about it...it was a sign.

No, that's silly, it wasn't a sign...so I hesitated.

I thought about it some more...

did even more reading and talked to beekeeper friends.

I continued to hesitate...for several weeks.

 

Then this morning, brain in a fog from lack of sleep and still bleary eyed, I placed an order for an English Garden Hive (at least I think I did...as I said, lack of sleep was a big factor!)

It will look like this...

photo source: Brushy Mountain Bee Farm

but of course, I have dreams of it (and our yard) looking like this...

photo source: flicker.com ell-r-brown

I'm sure it'll completely transform our entire backyard into an English cottage garden; right?
I'll be asking the kids if they'd like "a spot of tea" (herbal, of course) and calling my mom,
"Mum"...I'm sure of it.

Oh well, a girl can dream...here's to our next big adventure on the farm!

a small town parade...

Some glimpses from our town's Memorial Day parade...

A day spent...

~honoring our hometown heroes
~remembering the past
~tapping our toes to the marching band
~standing, hats removed and hands over hearts, as the flag passes by
~cheering and clapping as our kids lead their llamas in the parade
~adoring the next generation

"Courage is more exhilarating than fear and in the long run it is easier.
We do not have to become heroes over night. Just a step at a time, meeting each thing
that comes up, seeing it is not as dreadful as it appeared,
discovering we have the strength to stare it down."

 -Eleanor Roosevelt

May in all its splendor...

Some country pleasures never seem to change. With the windows are open, the sweet scent of freshly-cut grass drifts in, a woodpecker can be heard in the big maples surrounding our front yard, and a cherry-red cardinal is perched on a windowsill.  Now that summer is on its way, we’re rediscovering the joys she brings with her.

I was gifted with a fountain for Mothers’ Day, and it seems many of the honeybees from a neighboring farm have found it irresistible. They too can be heard buzzing happily as they move from flower-to-flower, then pause to take a little drink. Tractors rumble in the fields, and peepers sing loudly each evening.

The farmer’s market is now open on our town square…what a joy each spring! Walkways are scattered with tables that are filled to overflowing. We can find vegetable plants for our gardens, home-baked pies, bags of crisp lettuce, plump red radishes, and bundles of green onions. A corner stand can be found selling farm-fresh eggs, honey, and the prettiest bouquets of wildflowers tucked inside Mason jars. The chatter of friends catching up and farmers giving tips on how to best prepare their just-picked produce is everywhere, as is the laughter of children as they play hide-and-seek between the large shade trees.

A continuous string of warm days here in the Midwest means we’re enjoying sun-dried sheets as well. It’s a simple pleasure to hang sheets and quilts on the clothesline and then watch them snapping smartly in the breeze. By early afternoon, they’ll be dry and brought indoors, then tonight, our family will sink into sheets that smell faintly of sunshine and clover…sure to bring pleasant dreams.

Our last frost date has officially passed, so today we’ll be planting tomatoes, potatoes, beans, cucumbers, squash, corn, and other family favorites. A visit to the local nursery found the kids choosing fragrant herbs to tuck into the fairy garden. Cinnamon basil, German thyme, spearmint, and apple mint will surround a little house, table & chairs, and a tire swing…all fairy-size, of course. Then we’ll wait, and if we are patient, maybe shimmering fairies will come to visit and stay for the summer.

This time of year we find so many things filling up our calendar…weddings, graduations, picnics, and school activities. Kids are looking forward to a summer of sleeping in, staying up late, chasing fireflies, and as much unplugged fun as we can have. Each day is honey-gold, full of anticipation, and will pass all too soon. Let’s enjoy every minute!

another old barn...

"Barns are landmarks,
the symbols of rural life that spark our curiosity
and fan the flames of the American spirit."

-Laura Brooks, "American Landmarks: The Barn"

This is another old barn I passed a few weeks ago. Red, like most of the barns in the Midwest,
and with one lightning rod leaning a bit, it's still standing strong and put to good use on a nearby farm...
that always makes me smile.

After I placed the photo, I noticed a little "halo" over the barn...see it?
It's not a special effect I added, it just appeared when I dropped the photo in place.

Seems like a sign to me...yes, in my mind, barns are heavenly.

springtime iris...

This iris has a history all its own.

Each day when I drove to work, I'd pass an abandoned old homestead. Even though the house had been neglected for years, it was still full of 19th century character and charm. I used to drive by it and think, "With a little love, and yes, a lot of money, it could be such a pretty home once again." 

It had all those characteristics we don't see in newer homes...quaint zig-zag trim, a large beautifully carved front door, and a wide front porch that was just perfect for a row of rocking chairs. It sat on a
small hill, and I could see in my mind's eye the lovely views it must have offered the families that once lived there.

Then, while driving home one day, I could see black smoke in the distance. As I drove closer, I saw that the house I found so charming had been burned down. To me, this was just too sad. Didn't anyone want to claim it?

A few days later, I went by again, and on a whim pulled into the gravel drive. I stood there and looked around...nothing was left. However, in a corner of the yard, an iris was struggling to bloom. And yes, without thinking twice, I dug it up and brought it home with me. I felt like something of the homestead should remain and be cared for.

It's taken several years for the iris to bounce back, but this year, it seems in all its glory.

happy Mothers' day!

 

Wishing you a lovely Mothers' Day filled with the sweetest of memories.

old barns...

In this fast-paced, newer-is-better world, I have a soft spot in my heart for things that are old.
Old houses, old barns, old ways of doing things.

I understand that "old" oftentimes means more work. We've found our house has "charming" slanted floors & doorways, and finding someone to plaster walls is next to impossible. All these things make renovating challenging, and yes, I've thrown my hands in the air many times thinking it would be better to start new.

But after all, houses from 1864 have seen a lot of laughter, tears, and love. It's comforting to walk on the floors and look through the rooms and out the windows where so many generations before us have done the same.

I feel the same about barns. You'll see a bit of the old construction of our small barn here. And while it needs a little love...that's exactly what it will get.

So when I saw this old barn down the road with all the boards gone, I understood. Wood rots over time and it would be nice to put fresh, strong boards on the outside. The frame stood straight and strong...what a fine barn it will be again.

However; a few days later, I drove by only to see this...

Yes, the frame had been removed...I'm hoping it found a home on a new farm. What you see burning was only some remaining wood; however, there was still a sadness to it all.

I'm going to keep a file and photograph old homes and barns as I find them, and perhaps I'll add them to a weekly post. There's just something captivating in their age and character. And, sadly, I feel that most of these vanishing landmarks will soon exist only through photography.

These words seem so true...

"Those who seek the spirit of America might do well to look first in the countryside."

-Eric Sloane, "An Age of Barns"

just for fun!

Life on the farm doesn't always mean cleaning the hen house, wondering if the latest frost harmed the fruit trees, asking myself if this is the year to become beekeepers, or tackling a seemingly endless to-do list. Sometimes, something just plain FUN comes along on the farm! This past weekend Sweet Girl had the opportunity to be in the high school musical, Seussical. There were so many characters needed, that auditions were held at the elementary schools. And so in January, thrilled to make the elementary cut, Sweet Girl began rehearsals. The last few weeks most rehearsals were 4 hours, 4 nights a week. The days were long, and the mornings came much too early, but she was having a ball trying something new and loving every minute of it. And so, here's our FUN...Sweet Girl, the tightrope walker in Seussical! posing for a cast photo... singing with the Circus...   with the sweet little Elephant Bird... Now the makeup (which was beautifully done) did make Sweet Girl look a bit older...gulp. And I did tell her.. "Now if anyone should ask, tell them you are still in elementary school,  and yes, you are tall for your age;  however, you won't be dating for 5 more years,  and then it will only be double dates!" Sigh...what's a mom to do? Mom worries aside, we all had a terrific time making sweet memories!

happy May day!

Wishing you baskets of blooms and a sunshiny day!

rainy April days...

"Most of April hours are happy ones...for even the dreariest rain means the quickening of the frosty old earth into a new splendor. It isn't just a rainy day, but it is a day to make the hyacinths grow, and lengthen the green lances of the tulips. 

We often have to put the furnace on, and snow sometimes sifts soon over the greening lawn, but we know it it is just a temporary note from winter and tomorrow will be warm again."

-Glady Taber,
Stillmeadow Seasons

it's the most wonderful time of the year...

As I sit down to write this, the sun is shining and when the clouds part, the skies are a robin's egg blue...but don't let that lead you to believe it's a lovely spring day here in the Midwest.

I'm in a turtleneck and sweatshirt on this happy Monday and the kids wore their winter coats to school. The winds from the north are strong and cold. Had this been a couple of months ago, I dare say we'd be in the middle of a blizzard.

And so, for me at least, it's a day for indoor chores. However; the farmers are hard at work outdoors today, so I thought I'd share a peek at what we see all around us...

 

So, as I sit bundled up, I'm grateful we're not snowed in like some folks are. I can promise though, that we'll be keeping warm with a kettle of simmering soup on the menu, along with mugs of creamy cocoa!

Happy Monday to all!

thanks to those good folks at Backyard Poultry...

A heartfelt thanks to the publishers at Backyard Poultry magazine. If you take a peek inside their April/May issue ("The Joyful Sound of Spring: A Delightful Peep" page 24) you'll find our story of how 6 little chicks came to live at Windy Meadows Farm!

Now, a year later, six happy hens are more fun that we thought possible...and it's all thanks
to a little nudging by our kids.

I hope you have the chance to read the article, along with the rest of Backyard Poultry...
if you're new to backyard chickens, or even if you've been enjoying them for years, you'll find the pages filled with lots of terrific information!

is that snow?

Ah yes...yesterday, and just for a bit this morning, there were snowflakes drifting down from the spring sky.

Snowflakes!

Delicate blooms on fruit trees remain covered, along with other little blossoms...I'm crossing my fingers.
Soon enough we'll find out how they've fared when the "real" spring weather arrives. (Should I tell you I had a fire in the fireplace yesterday?!)

And so, even though it's absolutely freezing outside, here's a peek of what's to come...
just a little something to keep our spirits up!

 

a flowery, showery month...

April is full of foolery…so far she has presented us with unseasonable temperatures in the 80’s. These warm days have brought early buds on fruit trees, blossoms on perennials, and grass that is inching up daily. Oh yes, on this farm, mowing is in full swing (and the grass may yet have the upper hand!)

And yet, with all the promise of new life spring offers, April may yet present some parts of the country with a snowfall. The highs predicted next week in our part of the Midwest, will be half of what they have been…daytime temperatures in the 40’s will surely bring nights that mean covering up blooming flowers in hopes they will be spared the nighttime chill.

No matter…April has brought with her breezes that make sheets and quilts smell their sweetest when dried on the clothesline. Even cleaning out flowerbeds doesn’t seem like a weighty chore when the sun is shining and the birds are singing. While I go about,  I’m dreaming of making changes…adding  hydrangeas where the goldenrod have taken over, surrounding the old-fashioned lilac with colorful zinnias, tucking a few more herbs in the kitchen garden, adding a handmade fountain here and there, and adding a few goodies to the kids’ fairy garden.  

I've been collecting photos for inspiration...and oh, are they ever!

photo source: http://www.interiorfans.com/greatest-garden-art-from-junk

photo source: http://roadkillrescue.net/2012/02/outdoor-dining-table/

photo source: http://artgardendiva.blogspot.com/2011/07/cracked-pots-at-mc-menamins-edgefield.html

The land is warming and the season is changing. We welcome the heavenly scent of freshly-mown grass that surrounds us, and when paired with the fragrance of the earth as the fields are plowed, the air is sweet.  Soon it’ll be barefoot time…tossing shoes aside and feeling the soft grass underfoot is a simple pleasure to be enjoyed no matter where you live (or how old you are!)

This weekend the kids will enjoy an egg hunt with friends, we’ll visit with family, and have our traditional Easter dinner as we pause and reflect on the holiday at hand.

Such are the pleasures of April!

did you miss me?

Wait...no need to answer that...maybe I don't want to know!

Let me tell you where I've been.

On March 15 thunderstorms and lightning rolled through in the night. Storms that rattled us from a nice, cozy slumber. Storms that brought cracks of thunder and flashes of lightning way too close for my comfort level.

We woke up to find that all was well outside...the tall pines, maples, and oaks that surround our old home had held on tightly and stood strong through the night. However; our quick "What's going on in the world this morning?" computer check, found that the storms did quite a Texas Two-Step with our computer and printer...even though they were "safely" plugged into a surge protector.

Alas...for a girl who loves simple, old-fashioned ways, I've certainly missed our computer! And while we're just now getting plugged back into the world, I dread the task of trying to transfer files from our backup to the new pc. I am grateful; however, that files, photos, and "must-haves" were able to be saved for us to restore.

And so you ask, what have I been doing while unconnected to the world? Well, spring cleaning is
in full swing (I firmly believe that toys and dust bunnies multiply) and with days that have brought temperatures in the 80's, a little outdoor sprucing up has been going on as well. I'm hanging sheets on the clothesline...oh how sweet they smell, and making garden plans. When it's this warm, I'm so tempted to plant flowers and veggies early, but those temps in the 80's aren't common for us in March, and twice this week we've covered fruit trees when frost warnings were issued.

And so I'm happy to be back to "normal" and will sign off by sharing a few glimpses of spring
as she's arrived at our farm.


I hope wherever you are, all is well!