Savannah Moon

We have had enough of winter and after booking with Lindsay, our trustworthy farm sitter, we boarded a plane and flew south in search for spring. I am happy to report, that we have found it. Sunday, we flew from Manchester down to Savannah GA, and after a very long delay at the Charlotte airport we drove into the city of Savannah. We had a room waiting for us at the River Street Inn, alas, not overlooking the river, but still very nice. We dumped our bags and walked to the Moon River brew pub for a well deserved beer and food, then with our "traveler", a plastic beer cup, we walked along the historic River Street getting our bearings for the next day.



On the River

Monday after breakfast we hit the footpaths, wandering the city, through all the squares, through the Cathedral, looking at all the architecture and gardens, up past SCAD, to Forsyth Park, then back down. We didn't do the two hour Paula Dean tour, you wouldn't believe the people lined up to do so though. We walked, had coffee, and walked some more. Then we crashed.




Wormsloe Allee

Tuesday we headed out to Wormsloe, the oldest property in Savannah, now part of the Georgia park system. They have a very famous allee of old Live Oaks that are covered in Spanish moss, and a very handsome gate, leading into the property. After touring that we then drove to Boneventure Cemetery where a lot of the memorials were used in the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It was amazing how many people were there looking for the particular statues that were in the movie. Kinda weird, but that's what we were doing so what can I really say. Then back into town to really tour all the shops on River Street, which hare all very shlocky. Don't need to do that again.



Bonaventure Statuary

Wednesday we left Savannah and drove to Hilton Head to visit with Mrs Colpitts, a family friend, then we toured the rest of the island. We don't need to go there again. Then back down to Savannah and out the other side to Tybee Island, where stayed at the lovely Lighthouse Inn B&B on the north end of the island. We walked down to the lighthouse and just relaxed. No Internet so we just read and walked and took pictures.



Tybee Light

Thursday we hired bicycles and pedaled all over the island. We decided that it was the best way to see the island, it would have been too much to walk, and to much of a pain to drive, and we wouldn't have been able to see anything, but biking was just right. We found a great cafe that the locals hung out out that was big on charm and character and huge on food. Our favorite place to eat in all of GA!


Tybee North Beach

This morning, we said farewell to Tybee, drove back through Savannah and onwards to Charlestown, a very easy drive. So here we are in Charleston for the night. Stay tuned for further updates.



Charleston Street Scene




Charleston Tree




Hidden Garden

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Greetings from Savannah!

After a very long day with much waiting in Charlotte (4+ hours) we finally arrived in beautiful Savannah. There is much to see but we are so exhausted from too little sleep so we are saving the sights until tomorrow.

Here is a few shot from today, courtesy of my phone. Enjoy!











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This is a test

Okay folks, we are getting ready for our next foray. We'll be heading south for a little R&R and we're trying out a lighter method of technology. Schlepping two laptops and a whole boatload of camera gear is so 2011 and we're going with iPads and one camera and a folding keyboard.

Savannah, Tybee Island, Charleston and Asheville are all waiting for us. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. :)

Cheers!

This Fence is Higher Than I Remember!

Curses, Foiled Again!

If I Only Could Jump

Can't Go Down Under

Morning is Lighter Sooner!

Fred

Fred. It seems as though all of our time in the last fortnight has been taken up by our Boer buck goat Fred. He’s been getting a little pushy. I don’t know if he is getting aggressive or if he thinks he is playing around, but he is getting dangerous. The bruises that we have been getting from him are not good. We have tried thwarting him by putting a bucket over his head, but that didn’t work. We then tried a dog training collar, a little zap with the stern words ’NO FRED” seemed to work until the batteries in the collar gave out because of the cold. Now we are trying a water pistol filled with white vinegar aimed at the face when he starts up. So far that is working.

To top it all off, Fred has also become an escape artist. We don’t know how he’s been getting out but we have been spending all of our free time either getting him back in his fence or trying to fix the fence where we think he was getting out. First we thought he was jumping over the fence so we made the fence taller in all those parts, but that didn’t hold him for long. Then we reinforced the gate because we thought he was climbing through the panels, but that didn’t last for long. Then I saw him walk along the stone wall, then he was out, so we tore done parts of the stone wall that he could get over, but that wasn’t it either. Then I saw him crawl under the fence. It wasn’t easy for him, but damn if he wasn’t going under, not over as we had thought. So we have been closing up the tiny little gaps where we think he was getting out. So far, in the last 36 hours he has stayed in. Lets keep our fingers crossed that this is it. It wouldn’t be quite so bad if he wasn’t eating my trees and shrubs, but the fact that he has balls…I just don’t want any unplanned pregnancies happening.

The chickens are certainly happy with the longer days. They have started to lay again, anywhere between 1 and 6 eggs! I am so happy to be getting fresh eggs again. I am also happy the days are longer. The sun is rising at 6:45 in the morning, and this morning it was light at 6:00. That and it is still light when we go out to do evening chores. No more having to carry a lantern to see where we are going!

I’ve been starting seeds inside, I transplanted some lettuce in the greenhouse yesterday, and soon will be able to really pick the salad greens that have overwintered. They are really starting to grow now that the days are longer, soon I won’t have to be buying any salad greens at all….that makes me really happy, longer days, fresh eggs and my own salad….

Before the Rain

Where's Noah?

We Want an Ark!

Iced Bud

We have had a beautiful stretch of weather. some great snow for the ski areas and the gardens in the way of protection. We have been able to get the dogs out for some good walks most days. Some of our favorite routes are not useable because of the snow cover, but we still have plenty of roads we can walk. The dogs get filthy with mud and road slop, but it is that or no walks at all and that wouldn't be good.

The forecast isn't looking good at the moment. It is raining cats and dogs and the temperatures hovering at freezing, meaning that there is ice on all the trees and bushes. Beautiful yes, but with the heaviness of the ice, there will be limb breakages and power loss. The lights have already been flickering today. We are ready for the power outages, but not looking forward to them.

The goat frat house in the lower pasture is under water. We did a great job siting the goatage for wind and sun protection, but the water runoff from the driveway is flooding the inside and the boys are not happy. we will have to make a temporary fix by putting down some pallets and screwing down a floor. at least it will keep their feet dry. Then come spring we will have to get in a bobcat and make some drainage swales to carry the water away from the shelter.

Soon I will be starting some of the vegetable seedlings, and stating more salad greens that will be able to be planted out next month is the greenhouse. We had some beautiful days last week so I was able to get in and water and feed the remaining salad the the resident mice haven't eaten.

The days are getting a bit longer, yeah! We almost don't need a torch to do evening chores now. isn't that sweet! Spring will be here before I know it. Thank goodness.

2012 So Far

Good Times

Pets and their "masters"

Tubby

Watching the New Year Ring In

Fireworks for the New Year

Honestly, where does the time go! It was only this time last week that we were up at the lake (Little Sunapee) with Steve's family celebrating New Years. This is our tradition, getting together with his family up at the lake, skiing during the day, then having dinner with all three generations, skating on the lake, a dance show by the younger girls, fireworks and seeing in the new year. It is just marvelous. Even thought there isn't a lick of snow on the ground, all the ski areas are making snow as fast as they can. We honestly didn't think the ice was going to be think enough this year with all the warm weather we have been having, but the cove where the camp is was frozen enough for ice hockey and the fireworks show that Peter and Beckett put on for us all. It was a lovely beach party to welcome in the new year.

Winter still is wide open, no snow in the immediate forecast. We have has dustings of snow, but the snow is gone within a day or two at the most. Interestingly enough, not too many our friends are complaining about the lack of snow. Life is just so much easier not having to deal with it. Farm chores are easier, getting the wood in is easier, and it is actually a bit warmer without the cold of the snow surrounding you. As long as the ski areas can make snow, I'm happy. In fact most of the landscapers I have talked to are also happy. They seem to have plenty of pruning jobs, hardscaping jobs and brush clearing jobs to make up for the lack of snowplowing jobs.

Speaking of brush clearing, I have been working hard on my "new project". This is clearing out all the trees and brush between my brother's and my property line (building a berm on the line,) and the goat fence. What started out as just a little project has amazingly enough escalated into a full blown project. Tim has come and dropped a bunch of trees which we have cut up, hauled brush, cut into cord wood, split and stacked. With all this good weather I want to continue, but then I think how long can the good weather last ? I am ready for more trees to come down. I hope that I can have it all done by spring, then I can have an excavator come in and stump, de-rock and smooth, before I plant all the trees I have ordered. If not, I will have to grow the trees in pots until I can get the space cleared.

But no farm work today. A friend called and invited us on a hike down to a little pond for a cookout. We met up at 10:00, got Tubby the horse packed up with all the important picnic stuff, food and grog, or should I say grog and food. Anyway, we set out, one fully laden horse, 11 dogs and 12 people. It was a beautiful clear and warm day (for January) and we hiked down dirt roads, fire trails, and through fields till we got to the clearing for lunch. What a day for an excursion. It was perfect day.

Happy Winter Solstice, First day of Winter

Yeah! the winter solstice! The earth is now tipping towards summer and the days are starting to get longer. If that isn't good news, I just don't know what is in my books.

The next pressing questions is will we have a white Christmas? At the moment the ground is bare and soft. There is a winter storm on the books for tonight, but Christmas day itself is supposed to be mild. Not that I mind I have to say. We are driving down to Marblehead, MA to have lunch with Steve's family, then back to Hancock to have dinner with my family and do farm chores. Having the roads clear of snow will just make everything so much easier. I will say that it is strange not having snow on the ground and the lakes open now. I do remember having warm Christmases in the past, but we aren't burning nearly the wood that we normally do by this time of year, and we have really only had to deal with frozen water buckets a few times versus every night and morning. Chores are, dare I say, pleasant.

I am finding the land beautiful right now. You really get to see the bones of the earth. Normally the leaves fall, the snow comes and everything is buried till spring, but not having any snow you can see through the woods and see the stone walls, waterfalls, old buildings and cars and of course rock formations. Not having tons of snow means now I can be out on the land clearing brush and trees, opening up more space and letting in more sun on the orchard. What started out as just opening up a little space has grown mightily. But I tackle a bit every day, cutting and hauling, building the berm and splitting firewood. As much as I would like to have the project done now, being the impatient person that I am, it is nice being able to slice and dice the fire wood, haul the brush as I go and not have a big mess to contend with when the snow does fly and the project is on hold till summer, when I don't have the time for such a project.

Winter will come, like the sun will rise in the morning. At the moment I am content with the warmish days, soon though, I will be hovering by the wood stove reading and waiting impatiently for spring. Merry Christmas to all, Happy holidays, be safe happy and healthy.

Just for fun, go to http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/b4_EdJ-XkUA?rel=0

.... they aren't our goats, but you will laugh like we do. Cheers