If you're already wondering where you plan to take the family this summer for vacation, why not skip Disney World and opt instead for a 'Farm House' get-away! Better yet, make it a Working Farm get-away...replete with cozy lodging, lots of fresh air and open spaces...and fresh off the farm fare for all your meals... including a picnic or two!

Blackberry Farm in TN sets the bar, as does Mary Jane's Farm in Idaho, but there are many more nationwide...and even abroad. Check out Homestead for more lovely locales...including Maine, of course!

And for an even more novel idea, go Out On a Limb on Green Pioneer!

The weather has been holding beautifully...and still cool enough that the bugs haven't come out in force! We've been over on our land every day this week...except the day we went down to Portland. So I took some photos of our 40 acre property in Plymouth that we hope to call 'home' in the not too distant future.

This is early Spring in Maine...hints of low green grass and tiny buds just beginning to emerge. The snow is melted along with the ice and it's wonderful to see the blue hues of Plymouth Pond in the distance.

Here I backed up the hill a little more so you can make out the pond better. The little town of Plymouth lies on the other side of a causeway or low bridge that basically cuts the pond through the middle...and provides a great place for fishermen...and women...and fisher-kiddos...to hang out!

Excuse the limitations of my cheapo camera, but if you look carefully,  that faint lavender rise in the distance is 5000 ft. Mt. Katahdin in Baxter State Park. Being the tallest mountain in Maine, it still has snow over its top...making it more easy to spot! Mt. Katahdin is a more rounded hump shaped mountain as opposed to a straight up pointed peak...it took me awhile to get used to that...I kept looking for some tall sharp peak in the distance. Nope. Not here.

Our property is rather narrow up here where it's been cleared but then it spreads out there at the back with the majority of it being these woods that pretty much encompass this whole side of the pond. My husband has located the outer boundaries of the property but there's much of it still unexplored...and way too dense to get through except in the winter on snow shoes or XC skis.

Looking back up the hill is our log home still awaiting its roof...among a host of other things too overwhelming for me to fathom at the moment! ; )

Remember the Lovin' the Lean-to we finished in March? Well, here it is now...no longer surrounded by pretty white snow. We've been clearing the small saplings and a path to get down here...

The children LOVE it in these woods...it's non-stop entertainment! The kind of entertainment we like!

This is mid-way in clearing the path into the woods. Eventually I'd like to thin this out enough to create a woodland garden down here. You can see the back field behind the trees. Our cleared fields are now officially 'organic' so it's great to have so much potential there. We're so enthused over all the possibilities for this place...for this land...OUR land!

On our way down to Portland this week, we managed to get left from the house in time for a side detour...which is a miracle in and of itself!

I discovered recently that there's a Shaker Village...called 'Shaker Village'...in the town of New Gloucester near Auburn. We already stop off in Auburn on our way south, so we scooted over to see what we might find...

I had heard that they had one of the historical round barns that I was especially interested in. Sadly, they didn't have that...but they did have this gorgeous big barn with about 50 various breeds of sheep...his favorite being the Romneys that are popular up here. They provide a good wool and are rather hearty with minimal feet problems.

By the way, I just learned this from Carla Emery's Country Living tome I checked out of the library...did you know that sheep actually have long tails? And these tails can get rather fat and large as the sheep grows? So now I see what "Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep...leaving their tails behind them" is all about. I always thought this was just more nursery rhyme silliness. Silly me!

This 'Shaker Village' doesn't officially open until Memorial Day, but when he heard that we were from St. Albans...and that our neighbors raise Scottish Highlander cattle...and that their bull, Atta Boy, is REALLY big...he suddenly said, "BIG! I'll show you BIG!" and took us down to introduce us to his BIG Scottish Higlander bull, too! I'm finding that St. Albans is developing a reputation as Scottish Highlander breeders. Small world.

Also turns out that this little enclave of Shakers are the only remaining Shakers in the world! And wouldn't guess they'd be right here in Maine..???!! Perfect!

They have some lovely historical residences and buildings dating back to the 1700's and the village is absolutely lovely! I tried to take more photos, but the batteries died on me! boo! They're also opening for Maine Free Farm Day from noon to 4 p.m. if you'd like to visit them and tour the sites for free. It's a beautiful drive and an enjoyable find!

Do you notice anything unusual about this picture? Hmmm...something's missing...like the snow suit....and the big bulky jacket maybe?

We've officially passed into Sweater Weather! No, it's not everyday...especially for me!...but it IS more often. And oh my goodness! The FREEDOM...the freedom from bulkiness!

And these sweet first blossoms of Spring have pushed up out of their dark earthen wrap to celebrate as well!

Sweet smiles of sunshine...and sweaters...and white petals...and Spring!

It's rain...not snow!! The snow is melting...the rain is raw and cold! Is there a silver lining in this anywhere? Yes! There is!! We drove down to Camden yesterday...and drove back home at night in sheets of pouring rain. But as we meandered along the coast to Rockport and then Rockland yesterday afternoon, we chanced to pass a quintessentially quaint little store called none other than

Fresh Off The Farm Store

Despite the rain and drizzle, we promptly pulled a U-ey to check out this winsome little place with birch-branch wreaths hung across its porch posts and bushel baskets of large yellow daffodils peeking at us from under the awning porch. And not only bushel baskets of daffodils, but pots upon pots of promising blooms of tulips and hyacinths ready to burst open at any moment!

My flower starved eyes were feasting on all of this...and I hadn't even made it past the front porch! Once inside, we were greeted with local vegetables nestled in baskets overhung with pots of fresh herbs clustered across the top of the center table, handmade candles, deliciously fragrant homemade soaps...some in the shapes of eggs...every organic concoction known to this region and beyond, mismatched glass jars of dried herbs with handwritten labels and wooden scoops. My senses were reeling, of course. How does one imbibe such verdant wonder all at once..??

We eventually pulled away and then found ourselves on a great little street in Rockland...in a used bookstore serving perfect piping hot coffee and an array of organic loose leaf teas. Andrew picked up a book on woodstoves and I landed a gardening tome to beat ALL gardening tomes...and written by a family right in here Maine!

We then drove down by the ferry just in time to see the cars loading up... and a few passengers hurrying down the ramp...bags in hand, hoods pulled tightly down against the rain...ready to make their 10 mile trek to North Haven Island.

They were loaded in no time...then the small ferry pulled away quickly... disappearing into the mist and fog.

We could still see its small light rolling and rocking its way to an island life I long to discover. Oh how we wanted to board that ferry and be whisked off to some rocky distant island shore...despite the eerie mist and rain!

However, we had to suffice just listening to Captain Jim regale Anne and Gilbert with another tale from the sea as we listened to Anne's House of Dreams on the way back home. It's all part of our life now...in the cold, raw rainy romance of Maine in early Spring!

"Anne gave herself up to the eerie charm of the night....and the late afternoon had been very foggy; but a full moon had in part lessened the fog and transformed the harbour and the gulf and the surrounding shores into a strange, fantastic, unreal world of pale silver mist,...Anne pleased herself with a hundred fancies as she wandered through the mist. It was delightful--romantic--mysterious to be roaming here alone on this enchanted shore."

From Anne's House of Dreams (Ch.27 On the Sand-bar)

That's right..you got it! I just had to do it!! I realize that the high yesterday was a very warm and balmy 30 degrees outside...but it was very sunny...with a light breeze...OK, a very brisk wind....so I did it! I hung our bedding out on the line!

I had to wear my gloves and earmuffs to do it...and snow boots. Like I said, thinsulate is my friend...it's my buddy...my pal...we're tight...we go everywhere together! : D

But that poor clothesline has just looked so bare and lonely out there...so..without any purpose or meaning in life. And I do miss seeing my laundry flapping and flouncing around...dancing it's dance in the sunlight...

So how do you know when it's actually dry??..one might ask...and that's a very good question. Well, if when you take your pillowcase off the line, it won't bend in certain places as you try to fold it into the basket...and your shams appear to be starched stiff to within an inch of their lives...then you know it's still wet. I believe the optimum word would be frozen, actually.

Just give them a little more time...hopefully before the sun sets...and the temp's drop even more...and thinsulate becomes your even better friend!

Oh! But can I tell you how wonderful our beds felt last night..?? Can I even begin to describe the wispy fragrance of summertime that filled the entire bedroom..??? It was sheer heaven...sheer thoughts of leaves and green grass and wildflowers!!

Spring Laundry...how I love thee!! : D

Yesterday happened to be a gorgeous March day in Maine...upwards of 40 degrees, bright and sunny with hardly any wind. Perfect!! It also happened to be my husband, Andrew's, birthday so we decided to spend the afternoon over on our land....where he's constructed a rough lean-to...

We invited the neighbors to join us...a trek down to the woods...where even though the snow has majorly melted since last week...it's still way over the knees in many places...just ask Sherry who kept falling through...especially down here in the woods!!

We dug out the snow under the lean-to (that's a tarp over the top...soon to be covered with saplings) then dug a pit for a bonfire...

This is looking out east from the lean-to toward the open field that's our back pasture....


Then below, here in the next photo, is looking from the east  toward the west into the woods where our lean-to is located...

I know...it's hard to see...just behind the bright red sled is the lean-to...if you can make out the slanted roof...and all that smoke coming up. That wood did NOT want to burn yesterday!!

We all donned the skis and snow shoes. More of our friends are grabbing the gear from the thrift stores now. They're trying to get their families outfitted, too...so we can all get around in these beautiful winter woods!! And enjoy more fabulous days like today!

These are my snazzy new XC ski boots I grabbed for only $2...that go on the more modern fancy bindings...even though I still love the old-fashioned 3-pin kind, too!!

Lots of activity under the lean-to! Mozzarella cheese and crackers, carrots and dip, and Heather brought hot cocoa fresh from Hope...her Jersey cow! Very yummy!!

As you can see, the children were everywhere...having a blast! Our son even built his own little lost-in-the-woods shelter out of cedar branches that he cut with his own hatchet axe...a great idea he got out of our Pioneer Sampler book!

Old and new...and lean-to, too....made for a wonderful birthday afternoon...perfectly made for Maine!!

You got it...more of the white stuff....coming on down today. I read the weather on the computer this morning and you'd think the sky was literally falling or something!

This storm is hitting as far south as the Carolina's from what it said. Such descriptive adjectives as 'roaring' and 'blasting blizzard' trounces the Northeast...just when they were sure Spring was here to stay.

This is nothing new to us up here....same ol' same ol'...winds aren't too bad. I guess there's something comforting about the fact that we're used to snow... and lots of it!

So I found some comforting whites in my kitchen to reflect our white outdoors... and that's rather comforting, too!

So I sincerely hope you can all snuggle in and enjoy your snow storm...perhaps with a slice of homemade bread and those wonderful summer preserves...soft snuggy slippers....and don't forget the tea! : D

I think this might officially be called a blizzard...perhaps not. At any rate, it's a BIG snow storm...with howling non-stop winds...

After the plow truck came, our drift in front is at least 8 ft. tall now! And little Andrew has been digging snow tunnels...but it's filling up again fast!

As you can see, however, the ski troops are not deterred...

Yep, Caitlyn's down...but it's intentional this time! They plop down periodically to shovel snow into their mouths!

Up again and off they go! While I go in to warm my toes!! Am I the only smart one in this family or what...??

The first part of our pot pourri would be....pantaloons for Heather!! I finally have gotten around to sewing up pantaloons in her favorite fabric that she picked out a few weeks ago! Better late than never...

Now we just have Asheley left to 'pantaloon up'...but she hasn't picked out her fabric yet... whew!

We also met our friends from over in Plymouth at the Pinnacle this past week...for some slippin', slidin', sleddin', and skiing! What a workout...and what a blast!! : D

Our other tid-bit of pot pourri is that we're closing in on XC ski gear for the family! Yay! We found a super bargain from a guy in the U. Henry's (sort of like a locals Craig's List kinda thing) who happened to have various sized boots and skis in kid's sizes! So Heather's now outfitted...

Some little snow shoes for Asheley...

We moved Caitlyn up to some slightly longer skis...

So now Asheley can try this XC ski thing out, too!

Our son now is outfitted with some skis his size...hubby and I still have to do some swapping out...but we're definitely closing in on the snow equipment here!

This is called Criss-Cross Skiing here...which we all do on a regular basis!

However, Asheley somehow manages to work in her very own ski lift...with handsome lift operator, too....how does she do that..??

Finally, our winter pot pourri brings us to a gorgeous mid-winter sunset...taken by Heather...she LOVES capturing our beautiful sunsets...among many other things!

I've also just finished a book this week that I've been meaning to borrow from my friend, Karyn, for quite some time. Back in November, my homesteader friend, Heather, asked me if I'd heard of Joel Salatin. I hadn't, but turns out our other 2 homestead neighbors had a couple of his books. If only I'd gotten to it sooner!

It's a book written by our new hero entitled You Can Farm. Joel Salatin is a beyond organic farmer in VA that has opened many new vistas and ideas for the little homesteader...and those searching for sustainable ideas....as well as wholesome, responsible, clean food. He's got a great sense of humor and a truly deep appreciation for the land...and allowing animals to behave in ways that are natural for animals. As he says...pigs should be able to express their innate pig-ness, chickens their chicken-ness, and cows their cow-ness! It's not about purely pets or animal worship...he's quite practical...but he does do a very blunt job of describing what's going on with industrialized farming and food processing...even the 'organic' stuff!

His Polyface Farm is a multi-generational family owned endeavor that seeks the best for the animals, the best for the soil, the best for the family...and the best for the pocketbook, too! He's incredible...their farm family is incredible! I'll be reading his Family Friendly Farming this next week as soon as I can get my little hands on it from my friend, Sherry's, bookshelf! I'll be sharing more about all this on Green Pioneer soon. So have fun being totally encouraged and emboldened by Joel's plethora of ideas and wisdom! : D