Aunt Ashley and Sweet Ava visit

We love having visitors on the farm. I don't think any one (other than the grandparents maybe) get the kind of reception from the kids that my sister does. Emma and Aunt Ashley have been very close since the day Emma was born. If Emma had her way, there is a very good chance she would be living at Aunt Ashley's house instead of Gryder Farm. Mary Claire is a mess. Aunt Ashley probably would opt out of Mary Claire living with her. But that's ok. Mary Claire doesn't want Aunt Ashley.Mary Claire wants Aunt Ashley's baby. Ava. Look how skilled Mary Claire is - baby in one hand, sippy in the other.Mary Claire loves babies of all species. Mary Claire loves baby girls. Mary Claire loves Ava.This is Mary Claire's "Do Not Take My Baby" face. It's pretty effective. And when Emma finally demands she gets a turn holding the baby...this is what happens. Thank you for visiting us, Aunt Ashley and Cousin Ava!

Garden planning

It's seed order time again. Getting ready for planting time requires no small amount of prep. So many catalogs bosting so many varieties of the same plants. Allen has been pouring over his favorite seed catalogs night after night. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds has been the easy favorite this year. Order your own free copy at their website: http://rareseeds.com


Deciding what veggies we will be eating in a few months is always exciting, but this year we are also planning for a market garden. We enjoyed selling some veggie baskets last year directly off the farm and hope to do that in a greater quantity. We also hope to have a presence in Rock Hill's Old Town Market. The market opened last summer and holds promise for the people in Rock Hill who are looking to support local and eat local. We'll be the people in the old truck with three blond-headed girls running around (well, we are assuming Olivia will be running by then!). While it's still a long way away, we hope to see you there!

Snow again?

The snow started late last night and is still falling. The farm looks beautiful with it's white blanket. Thanks to the girls for finding them, these baby chicks are staying nice and warm in their little home in the play room. Funny to think that the majority of them came from the same two parents (the two big guys were born one week earlier than the rest). Beautiful.

Waiting for dinner

Anytime the cows hear Allen outside, this is what you see. And there is sound as well. Loud, loud mooing. The cows do their best to let him know, regardless of the time of day, that they are ready to be fed. Now.

A special find

Today the big girls went outside to play. When Allen and Olivia joined them, he noticed they were off near the barn, where they are not supposed to play. Emma immediately came running, telling Allen to come see. Mary Claire heard some noises while they were in the back yard, instructed Emma to "Come on!" and led her off to find what was making the noise. They stumbled across quite a few baby chicks, probably a couple days old. The hen and rooster are both solid black, but somehow they have made quite the interesting group of babies - some solid black, some white with black and gray, some brown with yellow... all beautiful. Allen and the girls brought most of them in to the cooler (per Emma's instructions) that has been transformed to baby chicken house in the playroom, leaving two little black chicks with the mommy hen to keep her happy. What an exciting find. Hearing stories like this are a constant affirmation that we are raising our children exactly where and how we need to be raising them. The girls are in heaven with their new group of chicks, and Allen and I are looking forward to having eggs again soon. Between the age of our chickens and the cold, egg production has practically halted. Looks like in a couple months we will be up and running again. The life cycle is an amazing thing to experience first hand. First calves, now chicks. More new life on an old farm.