We'd been saving our day trip on the back roads to Gettysburg until it was warm enough to put the top down on the Roadster. The clouds were finally moving on out of the area....
We also had to wait for a Friday because that was the only weekday the Historic Fairfield Inn in Fairfield, PA was open for lunch....
The Inn is one of the oldest continuously-operated Inns in America. It dates back to 1757 and served such notables as Patrick Henry, Thaddeus Stevens, and Generals Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart. It was also a stop on the Underground Railroad....
We continued on to Gettysburg. We weren't interested in the civil war connection so just drove around downtown before heading back south to Emmitsburg, MD for a stop for coffee and a quick browse in the antique mall. The drive back through the several State Parks kept us off main highways all the way home and on country roads where we passed old chapels such as Eylers Valley....
The rest of the month was devoted to home and hearth. A windstorm brought extra work in our woods. Half of this 80-foot Tulip Poplar twisted and broke off splitting the tree in half. You can see the ragged ends where it was once attached....
This is where the part that broke off landed....
Ken got the whole thing down, strapped the two sides of the trunk together, and built these stools and table....
He's also building benches and cutting up the rest for firewood.
One of our neighbors have sheep....
One afternoon Ken was working out in the woods when two of their sheep got loose. I wish I had photos of him and another neighbor herding the sheep back, but I was out shopping and missed the whole episode. Ken said their very friendly Llama visited with him over the fence while he was out in the lane trying to catch sheep....
Gabriel and I have started daily walks around the yard and woods every day. I try to capture amazing moments in nature like the sun shining on these leaves....
And before the time changed we'd watch the sun set over the mountains 12 miles away in West Virginia from the little table in the front window where we eat our dinner each evening....
The month ended with our family home to celebrate Thanksgiving....
....and my 63rd birthday....
We also had to wait for a Friday because that was the only weekday the Historic Fairfield Inn in Fairfield, PA was open for lunch....
One of our neighbors have sheep....
Happy Birthday Cathy! I just love the table and chairs your husband fashioned from your trees. How charming! I love it when we can make something from what others may see as a problem. Enjoy the upcoming Christmas preparations. ♥
ReplyDeleteThank you, Martha. I've been decorating the house for Christmas all day. We get our tree on Friday. ♫It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas♫
DeleteHappy Birthday Cathy! Hope you have a VERY happy and healthy year. PS - thanks for the news about the Fairfield Inn. I keep a list of recommendations I get from friends re travel and will be sure to add this one - I'd love to see that little gem. As my family always says, I love just about anything as long as it's at least 100 years old! LOL. I love your Thanksgiving table too. Your china is so pretty and all that cobalt glass is gorgeous. Are you a Depression glass collector? How much fun it must be to have llamas and sheep next door. You can play "Jane Goodall" and just watch them all the time - except of course when they invite themselves over for a visit! OK take care and have fun getting ready for Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHi Janet! Thank you for the happy, healthy wishes! I don't collect Depression Glass but I have a few pieces from my mother-in-law. I do collect Williamsburg Pottery, however, because of the cobalt blue used in their designs. I love that we can hear our neighbor's sheep baa-ing from time to time as well as their rooster!
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