Happy first birthday, Mary Claire

Fall festivities!

This Saturday we will be celebrating fall and Mary's Claire's first birthday on Gryder Farm. I am so excited to have our family and friends coming out to join us in a fall meal and hopefully (fingers crossed) bonfire. Hopefully the weather will behave for us -- I have been so excited for the last two weeks about having the fire. Some things revert us right back to being a child... this is one of my "things"!

I look forward to seeing everyone out (and for those of you who can't make it - you will be missed!). Hopefully I will have lots of great pictures to share next week!

Feels like fall!

(unrelated picture)

I love our wood stove.

Last night was our first fire of the season. Nothing beats snuggling up with a cup of Chai tea, a warm fire, and little crochet work while Allen pours over some blueberry research. I guess I don't completely hate cold weather...

The Good Life

Here as of late, the Gryder Farm has been pulling inspiration from "The Good Life" by Scott and Helen Nearing. Moving to the mountains of Vermont during the Great Depression, the Nearings lived a sustainable life, providing for themselves off their land, bartering for goods, and only making only enough money to pay for items they could neither produce or barter for. Their lifestyle has proven quite thought pravocing and inspiring for both Allen and myself. While we are not interested in going to the extent of the Nearings (no karosene lamps for me - I willingly accept paying for electricity), it puts into perspective how completely attainable the goals Allen and I have for our family are. To live on the land, to eat off the land, to raise our children in a simplistic lifestyle where they appreciate what we have and the work it took to achieve it. To share all this with our community. Simply put, to do more good than harm.

We came for salvation
We came for family
We came for all that's good that's how we'll walk away
We came to break the bad
We came to cheer the sad
We came to leave behind the world a better way

-Salvation Song, Avett Brothers

Evening walk

After seeing Emma and Allen off for their trip and eating some dinner (Mary Claire discovered the oh-so-satisfying "thump" of banana hitting the floor), Mary Claire and I headed out for an evening walk around the farm.

This weekend Allen and Emma are headed to Raleigh. Allen is going to be building a deck; Emma is going to be spoiled by Allen's parents. She keeps asking if Mary Claire is coming too. While she seems disappointed that her sister won't be with her, I do not imagine she will be missing Mary Claire once she arrives at Mi Mi and Papa's!
Anyhow... that leaves Gryder Farm in the hands of Mommy and Mary Claire! I look forward to some quiet moments this weekend with my more contemplative beauty (while the dramatic half of my family is on leave!) I am grateful to have this weekend alone with Mary Claire so close to her first birthday. I know it makes me sound like old people to say it, but it seems like only yesterday.... Be on the lookout for farm fresh eggs soon.... we are getting closer every day to "Emma's baby chicks" producing! Feel free to let me know if you are interested.

Cherry Place Farm

Saturday turned out to be a
perfect day for a pumpkin patch visit. Warm weather, cool breeze, and good friends to go with us. This was our second year at Cherry Place Farm (http://www.cherryplacefarm.com/). Emma loved it last year, as I waddled around behind her, my due date with Mary Claire looming only weeks away. This go around was a definitely easier with Mary Claire strapped to my back in the Ergo! (or as Emma would say - Mary Claire was in Mommy's backpack)

Emma's favorite part was painting her adopted
pumpkin, Bob. Mary Claire
seemed to enjoy "talking" with the sheep.
Aparently they were competing to see who could make the loudest noises!

Sadly, looks like the deer haven't only
been visiting Gryder Farm. Cherry Place
appeared to have a third of the production
from last year, thanks to these lovely
creatures with an affinity for pumpkin vines (they ate ALL of ours) and smashing pumpkins with their hooves. I guess we won't be the only people spending their winter devising deer-proofing plans.

We had such a great time at
Cherry Place. I am so very
excited with hopes that soon we will be able to open our farm to the community, allowing others the experience all the things we hope to make our day to day life.