Farm Transport

Mark has wheels and I think he's rather enjoying it! The idea is that I will cycle along the country lanes enjoying the peace and quiet and serenity of the area and Mark will burn up behind me on the four wheeler to encourage me to keep going. After the marathon ride last week haven't taken him up on this offer yet but we took a sedate ride round the vegetable patch the day before yesterday and down to the stream to feed the fish. Was amazed to see turtles in the stream, but they were very timid and soon disappeared under the bank and couldn't be persuaded out with crumbs of bread.

To Weed or not To Weed?

The farm vegetable patch is is full flow and the tomatoes are really starting to build up in the salad bowl. With just two of us here at the moment am not quite sure if we are going to keep up with the supply and am looking for ways to preserve cherry tomatoes for eating later. Every other morning we also have a cup of fresh raspberries for breakfast. What a treat!

It's become a tradition that each time I'm here I weed the vegetable patch trying to tame it into an English plot rather than a farm patch! I started today round by the tomatoes, peppers and basil and soon had a patch of clear ground. If I keep going I will uncover some strawberries and asparagus. This is proper allotment gardening and not the tame raised bed variety that I now have at home! Oh the joy of getting filthy dirty, bitten by mosquitoes and having an aching back after an hour doing battle with the weeds!

The Path Valley Restaurant

Over the mountain, (it's high enough to make your ears pop), is the Path Valley Family Restaurant. To lend it an air of French sophistication it is known between us as the "Pathe Valet" (pronounce it with a heavy French accent). As you eat crab cakes at Eastern market when going to the Path Valley you make sure that you don't eat lunch and then order the Black Diamond steak. That's exactly what Mark did and thoroughly enjoyed. I ordered lasagna and was automatically given a box to take home what I couldn't eat. The leftovers are enough for two of us for supper!

US Citizens at last.

It is official, we are now US citizens. As the proud owners of Fulton County Library cards and a supermarket discount card we are now officially locals, if only we could shake off the funny accent!

Cowen's Gap

Cowen's Gap is a lake set in a State Park about 11 miles from the farm. We had the bright idea that it would be fun to cycle there, even though it was mostly uphill, meet the boys, have lunch and a swim then throw our bikes in the back of the truck and hitch a lift home. The ride was hard work but my new improved bike, courtesy of Sherwin, got me there in one piece although a little wobbly in the legs. 11 miles is a long way but with the thought of a hamburger and fries at the end of it perfectly do-able!

The boys were late, we didn't know why until they turned up in the car not the truck as the fan belt had gone as they left the farm. The truth dawned and no amount of hamburgers would make up for the fact we were going to have to cycle back! The 22 mile journey was only my second time out on the bike. It's still hard to sit down without wincing but I am proud to say I only had to get off twice to push.

We will be going back, the beach is beautiful but I'm driving next time!

Fishing and Frogs!

Never have enjoyed fishing or touching wet animals before but who can resist wading in a stream with a child who is expert at catching crayfish, or craw daddies in this strange version of English! Our bucket was soon full of the crayfish, minnows and our prize catch, a frog. Well I say "our", my net seemed to have the most enormous hole in it that no-one else could see so that everything I caught escaped.

Heeding warnings of snappy turtles and bear prints found recently in the muddy bank we stayed in the shallows and an hour and a half later returned to the farm. We released our catch before we left but I am sure Mark has ideas of sending me back down to catch crayfish for the grill one night!

The Appleby Homestead!

Sara, Alexander and I arrived at the farm after an incredibly long journey of which most of the time was spent trying to leave the boundaries of Washington DC. Eventually we hit clear road and the highway gave way to familiar country roads, farmhouses, red barns and beautiful Pennsylvanian countryside. James and Mark followed later but hit the same traffic and had an equally long journey. However I still maintain that they had the more comfortable journey as they weren't accompanied by Potato and Chip, two extremely small rodents that despite their size created an enormous stink!

The farm looked just as it always does, white clapboard and a green tin roof nestling into the valley and surrounding fields. Farm time kicked in, the stress of the journey over and we settled down to wait for the boys!