Planting Bulbs

It was cold and windy today. I spent the afternoon planting crocus bulbs. I haven’t been able to plant bulbs in the past because the ground on the farm is so hard. Now I’ve found a great new bulb auger. You just put it in your electric drill as you would a drill bit. Using an outdoor extension cord, I took it out and drilled a dozen holes in no time with no effort. It’s from Better Gardening Tools. Tomorrow I will plant daffodil bulbs. 

Cycles

One of the things I like about farm life is the security of seasonal cycles. It’s harvesttime again. The corn pours like a river of gold from the harvester into hoppers which are taken to a local grain elevator to sell. Some is stores in the silos to sell later in the spring when prices are higher. Winter, spring and sumer will come and go with their own rituals, but then harvest will be here again. How dull life would be if their were no seasons and cycles. I’m sure this applies to life, but you can decide how.

Chimneys

It had been a cold rainy spring when I arrived in early May. None of the spring flowers I love were blooming yet. It remained cold and rainy, so I cleaned house. I was happy to be able to use the fireplace. A fire in the hearth is the feeling of home.  I detailed the kitchen and dinning room. I'm no longer steady enough to use my chain saw, so I hired a crew to trim the ivy and cut brush. It was gratifying to get that done. The wheat looks good, but since the weather has become warmer and wetter, we may have to stop planting wheat. Wheat likes cold, dry weather. I'll be sorry because I like to see my wheat fields waving in a breeze.  I've been getting black mold in the bedrooms, so had had my chimneys rebuilt. That should keep out moisture.

Eggs

I arrived last Monday. As usual, I've been busy cleaning the farm house. I, of course, took time to buy fresh eggs from a neighbor.  They really are better than supermarket eggs. It's been unusually cold for May. The mottos are true. "Change not a clout till May be out." And "Who doffs his coat on a winter's day will gladly put it on in May." I've been finding mold in the upstairs bedrooms which have chimneys above them. I called a chimney specialist and learned that they needed to be repaired - o, the expense. Sigh.

Farm Budget

I'm so disappointed that I can't afford to go to the farm this fall.  Traveling, especially rental cars are too expensive to go as often as I wish.  Jason, my farm "son" just sent me some pictures.  He's harvesting my farm now.  I wish I could be there in the chilly evening with the fireplace going, woodsmoke scenting the harvest air.  Here is a picture Jason just sent.

Setback

     I never have enough time or money to bring the farm back to it's showplace beauty that it was when my parents were alive.  I had hoped to rent it out for farm weddings, but when I started to work on that plan, I discovered there are no wedding planners in my part of Ohio.  This is a very rural area. People here generally get married in their church and have the reception in the church social hall.  Some have their weddings on their own farms.  

     I had thought about farm vacations, but the house needs more repair.  I don't think people around her want to vacation on a farm.  I have come to realize my plans were unrealistic.  This year I can't afford to spend time on the farm except in July.  I don't want to miss my family reunion.  I've also come to realize that it would be a waste of money to fix up the farm.  When I have to sell it, no one will want to pay big money on a farm house.

     It's been hard to accept the end of this dream.  In life, I've been able to achieve most of my dreams which makes this even more difficult to accept.  My children don't want to live on the farm.  I guess I will go when I can and live in it as it is now.  I won't sell it if I don't have to sell.  I love the farm.  It's the home in my heart.  My self identity is tied to the farm.  As the say, I just need a hug and five million dollars.

Work

I haven't written much this visit home. It's been largely work. When I got here, I spent a week cleaning the parts of the house I would use. I became tired, lonely and anxious.  The weather was generally cold and rainey which limited gardening which I like to do. I have to bless my mother and those who lived here before I lived here. Even if I couldn't garden, there were purple hycathin in the long spring grass. Then there were lilacs, bushes so old and big, someone long ago must have liked lilacs. Probably a women. Bless her. Then there is a cloud of allium migrating from the bed where my mother planted them. Now I have Lily-of the-Valley. Thanks Mom.
The whole time, I've been finding and dealing with repair people which is not pleasant. And there is always money to manage. My farm budget is so tight. I'm concerned to make sure I can pay the oppressive property tax this summer. I don't belive I can afford to come back for my family reunion this summer which I long to do. I'm only complaining l little.

Neighbors

Yesterday, a smiling young man knocked on my back door. He had a red curly beard and mustache,
He shook my hand , and introduced himself has Adam. Honest. He told me that he, his wife, and two youg daughters lived in a house hidden in the woods on the south side of my farm. He said they had wondered about me for awhile. He asked me if I had given permission to hunt on my farm. I told him I hadn't posted it forbidden. Like all the farmer abound here, we dislike it when tthe deer roll around on the crops and smash them, so I was of two minds. He said he had seen hunters chimbing over my fence between our farms. I told him to post it forbidden if he liked. He was worried that a stray bullet mind strike one of his daughters. Actually, I often worried in hunting season when the guns were close that I might be hit while working in the yard. I'm on the fence about this risk. I invited him in and we talked a little about our families and the age of my farmhouse. He said he and his daughters were picking mushrooms in the woods. Today he appeared and asked I would like some mushrooms. This is just how neighbors are around here. I'm always embarrassed that I have nothing to give in return. My parents always has fresh product from the garden or canned jam my father made. He prided himself on his jam and jelly skills which was well deserved. It just hit me now that I should can marmalade from my fruit trees in Florida and bring it here to use for that propose. Any way, a digression there. He offered to go bring mushroom. I ventured to ask if he was experience at picking wild mushroom. He said he was. His father had taught him. I reminded him of the old expression: There are bold pickers, and there are old pickers, but there are no old, bold pickers. He left me his name and his families names and a phone number in case I needed help with anything. Off he went. Will he return with mushrooms. Probably. Will I dare to eat them. They might taste wonderful and I would have missed a chance to taste them. The other possibility is unthinkable. Would you eat them?

Silence

When I arriveed to the farm, the utilities were a mess as usual. A fuse blew in the breaker box cutting off heat and water. An electrician fixed that but says the box is old and should be replaced - over a thousand dollars! It will have to struggle on for a while. Next, I discovered that the internet wasn't working. I spent hours talking with teks who gave up and scheduled a crew to come out next week. I haven't had my Dish service turned on because I had hoped to use sling player, so I could cancel Dish to save money. Fixing up the farm is proving to be quite costly. So. From Friday to Tuesday I had no internet or television. I would have told you that I wouldn't miss it- but no. The silence in the farmhouse was very stressful. Outside was cold and rainy, so I couldn't get outdoors much even to hear the birds and rustling leaves. Each morning, I got up, had breakfast, then began cleaning and fixing things. Occasionally I sat down, but once I caught my breath, there was nothing to do, so I would get up and work some more. I must say it was a lesson on how much time I waste watching tv.
Still, I was feeling very anxious by Sunday night. Fortunately it was chilly enough for me to use the fireplace. Watching the flames leap and the logs crackle was extremely comforting. I wound the clock, so the ticking is cheerful. Now with the internet I can connect with friends and write this blog. The sling player is working occasionally, but not enough on which I can depend, so now I have to decide if I can get along without tv. Could you?

Train whistles in the night

I'm in the train station, waiting. I love trains. As a Midwestern child, if I heard a train whistle in the distance at night, it made me dream of all the places I might go some day. Edna Vincent Millet said in a poems that she never heard a train that she didn't want to get on, or words to that effect. Now when I hear a train whistle I think of my beloved Dad. He grow up on a hill farm in southern Ohio.  He told me that when ever a train came along the nearby tracks, all the boys from neighboring farms would stop what they were doing and run to watch the train. I suppose they dreamed of traveling to wonderful places. My Dad knew the names of all the train lines that came through although most of them have probably changed by now.
The drive from my Florida home to here was tedious. I had to drive through the Disney traffic and then through downtown Orlando. It made me realize how much I was looking forward to the peace of the farn. I can't wait to walk through the long spring grass of the yard and see which of my flowers are blooming. The only sounds will be from the birds singing, leaves rustling in the breeze, an occasion passing car or a distant dog barking. Bliss.

Sigh

As fun yesterday was, as troublesome is today.  My new geo-thermal system quit working last night. I had to drag out the room heaters. The repairman came at 6:45 this morning. Still dark outside. He reprogrammed the thermostat, so it's working now. He gave me some bad news. I knew the system required propane to back it up if the electricity goes out. I invisioned a tank like you use with an outdoor grill, and I supposed they had already installed it. But no. It requires an outdoor tank, which with installation will probably cost me an extra thousand. Sigh. Money is going to be tight for another year. I had to give myself a pep talk. Be strong. Without struggle there can be no sense of accomplishment. Sigh

Age and Beauty

This morning I went to the Pumpkin Show in Circleville. It's a large festival. They cook all things pumpkin. Pastries, candy, ice cream, pies, as you would expect, but it goes on, burgers, chili, sloppy Joes, you can even have a pumpkin shooter in a bar. I wore my party hat, a bowler I bought at an auction. I always get complimented on it. I had on my pumpkin beads, like marti gras beads. It was a beautiful walk through Circleville. It was raining lightly, but I had a big black umbrella. After I admired the giant pumpkins, I ate pumpkin chili and bought souvenirs. Walking back to the car was like being in a dream of age and beauty. I walked by beautiful Victorian homes, stone, brick, wood with ginger bread, beveled doors and windows. The wet streets were gleaming and gold leaves were blowing around me. The scene was so beautiful and evocative, I was lost in reverie.

Pumpkins

When I arrived to the farm, I found two pumpkins. One was growing in the brush pile and another in a flower bed. This began several years ago when I threw a pumpkin in the brush pile which is also a compost heap. When my parents were alive, that area was were they had their vegetable garden. Maybe someday, someone will have a garden there again. If I can develop my plan to use the farm for farm vacations, I will hire someone to plant an organic garden there. I understand a vegetable garden is an attraction to farm vacationers. Anyway, the fall after I threw the pumpkin in the brush pile, I found four big pumpkins growing there. I suppose some critter moved around the seeds. It's nice having my own pumpkin patch. Among all the things that need repair or replacement, is the stove. The burners work but not the oven. Replacing the stove is not near the top of my list. I wish, however, that it worked so I could bake the pumpkins. Then I would can it for pies, soup, etc. when I visit my farm friends I like to have something home grown to give then. They give me fresh vegetables, flowers, cookies - whatever is available. Well, someday.

Mother Earth

I'm sorry to have to say, my furnace is no more. I didn't think it would last another year. Also, it costs $500. A month to warm the house. The furnace was like a rumbly grandfather taking care of me. Now it is Mother Earth. I replaced the fuel oil furnace with a geo-thermal heating and cooling system. The system sends water through pipes. The pipes are underground. Below about five feet the earth stays the same temperature all year long. In the summer the water will be cooled and sent back. In the winter Mother Earth will warm the water. It takes very little electricity to warm the water to the desired temperature and blow it through the vents. Now I can heat and cool the house all year long. I can control it from my phone when I'm away. Now I can arrange to have the black mold removed and keep it from coming back. At the moment, it's cold outside, but I'm warm. Instead of a steady roar, now I hear a warm whisper all around the house as if my mother was humming in another room.

Pumpkin Show

I went to the Pumpkin Show in Circleville, Ohio. My mother grew up there as did her mother and grandmother. As children we visited her frequently. The Pumpkin Show was our favorite time to visit. I don't think we ever missed it. As we walked down Court St., the first event was the pony rides. It still is. My sister and I were horse crazy, so we were thrilled to ride the ponies. Seeing them brings back those happy memories as well as remories of my parents and grandmother Wentworth. They have all foods pumpkin. The pumpkin sloppy joes smelled good, but I didn't want to wait in line. Besides the carnival rides and food, there are tents to buy souvenirs, crafts, jewelry, etc. it's fun to browse them. I always buy a refrigerator magnet. They are small wooden pumpkins with the year painted on them. There is always a wagon with the biggest pumpkins and a pumpkin tree plus many varieties of squash and gourds. Before leaving, I stopped into a bar for a pumpkin shooter. It was somewhat like drinking melted pumpkin ice cream. It was a lovely day in all ways.

Heartbeats

You might think it's lonely being by myself  in the big farm house on a cold, dark night. I have two companions . First is the mantle clock. It's been in the family for several generation. It's like part of the family. It has a steady tick tick like a heart beat. My second companion is the furnace in the cellar. When it comes on, it rumbles like a purr. It too is like a companionable heart beat. I know that the furnace is on it's last leg. It will have to be replaced with something new and more efficient but probably quieter. I will miss it. The house seems like a living being.  In the winter, I dream that it is calling to me, that it is cold, lonely and misses me. I feel that it is happy when I am here.  Picture of the cellar.

Haven

When I arrived on the farm in the middle of October, the weather was cold and rainy. That night the wind and rain howled around the farm house. Actually, I liked it. The brick farm house is solid. It's warm and cosy. The fields have been harvested and are dark and bare. I like to think of the farm house as a haven in the cold darkness. I like to think that a person driving by would see it as a light in the darkness.

Evans Family Reunion

Sunday was our 76th family reunion. My father's cousin was Bob Evans of the restaurant chain. We still have the reunion at his farm even though he has passed away.  He loved the reunion. He used to say, "It's a sin to miss your family reunion."  I made baked beans, three bean salad and brought fried chicken, sliced tomatoes, a peach pie and an apple crumb pie with cheese.  Our ancestors came there from Wales. When I was young and my grandparents were alive, we sang the Welsh Nation anthem in Welsh. The older generation is gone, so we no longer sing. The reunion was always one of the highlights of the summer. We used to have over one hundred people, but attendance has dwindled over the years. Cousins have become more distant in relationship and in geography. This year we looked around and there were less than twenty of us. Lowell made his family's traditional crock of lemonade and led the meeting. We announce new births, deaths and family achievements. We ask who is the oldest and who is the youngest. We ask who traveled the farthest, We have a president, secretary and treasurer who passes the hat for donations to pay our expenses. Under new business we discussed whether we could keep going with so few people.  My heart sank even to think of it. I remembered all the dear faces I had loved to see. Grandparents, parents,  aunts, uncles - all gone. I never want to lose my extended family. It brings tears to my eyes now, as I think of it. I would travel from the ends of the earth to be there. We decided to meet again next year and see how it goes. Here is a photo of the Evans family for whom the reunion was created.

Farm Auctions,

I

I have been on the farm for six days. Mostly, I've been doing house cleaning and yard work. On Friday I took a break to go to a farm auction. The auction was at a farm not far from here. The owners had died or gone to a nursing home, I imagine. That's usually the case. Their children want to sell the contents of the house and barn. It was a big two story house with two barns. Well, you can imagine how many things there were to be auctioned off. There was every thing from paper towels to antique clocks. I never buy from antique stores when I can buy them at auction for much less. I was looking for an antique table for my printer, but there wasn't one I liked. When you arrive, you get a paper with a number on it. You use that to bid. Bidding is fun. I decide what I will pay for an item. Sometimes I bid higher, but not a lot higher. Some times I win, and sometimes I'm outbid. Farm auctions are a social event in the country. People come early and bring a folding chair. I see a number of people I've seen and spoken to at other auctions. There is always a food truck with breakfast and lunch food. They usually make good cheeseburgers or pulled pork sandwiches among other things. After 911, for about a year or so, French fries were called Freedom fries. There are usually old order people there. They are like the Amish, but some are more strict than others. My farmer and his family are old order. They call themselves German Baptists. The women make their caped dresses and wear sheer white caps. No TV or movies for them. They do, however, have electricity, and they drive cars. they are the kindest, friendliest people I know. The only thing I bought at the auction were old fair canes. Every summer, my Dad would have one go at winning a cane. When the ring went on the can, it made him happy. On the farm, we have simple pleasures. The current fair canes have plastic tops. Not nice. The old ones have wooden tops with gold tassels. I collect them in memory of my dear father. Other people collect them too, but I outbid them. The day was sweltering. In the pictures, you will see two German Baptist ladies in pastel dresses. Just looking at them made me feel cooler. I included a mother and son from another old order. I don't know what they call their order. There is a picture of the food truck and some quilts for auction.

On the Road

I am in Sanford, Fl. waiting to board the Amtrak auto train. I will have a cabin with a couch which will be made up into a bed tonight. I will have a small bathroom in my cabin. Tonight I will go the the dinning car for a nice dinner. The tables have white linens, nice china and glassware. There will be a flower on the table. I will  have a choice of three entrees. They are cooked in the kitchen car. Wine is served with dinner. I will enjoy watching the scenery as I dine. I go on the auto train once a year. I love sleeping on the train. It rocks me into a sweet sleep. Sometimes I wake in the night and look out my window. We pass through small southern towns with one stop light. I think of the people asleep in their homes. It is a typical night for them, but I am rolling through the night in my snug cabin on a train.
In the morning we will be in Virginia near Washington, DC. Before we get to the station, we pass Quantico. The fighter jets are awesome. After they unload my car at the station, I will drive to my farm in Ohio. I can make it in one day if I push it, but I often spend the night on the road. I'd like to drive through so I can sleep in my own bed on the farm, but I will take it as it comes.