Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.

Henry David Thoreau

First Weeks in Virginia

September 26 to October 11, 2014
Greenfield Mountain Farm
Near Charlottesville, Virginia

 

This is the first of a few posts to whiz through our time in Virginia and get caught up to the present.

In addition to medical appointments and car repair and maintenance, we have gotten a few other things taken care of in our first days back in Virginia where we have familiar doctors, tried and true auto shops and well known stores.  It’s just easier to do everything here.  It messes less with our travel fun.

 

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Winnona took a trip up to the Crutchfield headquarters for a new weather band radio.  Hers quit working a while ago and try as we might with checking fuses, wiring and anything else David could think of, we could not resurrect it. 

And of course nothing can be fixed any more.  You just have to throw it away and buy another one.  What happened to all those little radio and vacuum cleaner and toaster repair shops?   I am rather ashamed that we are such a throw away society.  I have always wondered where we think “away” is.  Out of our personal sight I guess.   Your local landfill puts the run off of everything there into the underground water supply.  And if you have a well you drink it and if you have city water they “clean” it and fill it with chlorine.   It’s just amazing how little we care.

 

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Crutchfield was able to install another weather band radio.  I’m told it is lots better because it is more souped up electronically which to me just means to me more things to go wrong that we can’t fix.   They also removed and recycled the big old clunky front TV so we can put a much lighter flat screen in while we are here.  Notice the hole between the cabinets in the first picture and the old monster below.

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Our farmer friend Mike Cook spent some days sprucing up the farm.  We barter the haying with him since the farm no longer has horses and burros to keep it under control.  He gets the hay if he will cut it.  Win/Win.

 

Looking pretty shaggy here.

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So shaggy you can hardly see the blue dot that is Mike above.

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Actually the grasses were nearly as tall as the Tall Grass Prairie in Kansas.   We only have him cut it once rather than twice a year which does make for thicker taller grasses.

 

P1030647Looking toward the mountains

 

P1030650Looking toward the farm house there on the left.

 

 

Nearly finished fields.  The Blue Ridge in the background.

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All finished. It looks green and great out the living room bay window.

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Now we can see these guys coming back from the pond which needs its banks trimmed by scythe.
Don’t want Mike and his tractor to go swimming.

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We also discovered squatters had taken up residence under and over the porch.   It took a week but David finally evicted them all.  Looks like we’ll need some wire screening behind the lattice to keep future members of the G.Hog family from digging their way in.

 

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It is wonderful to enjoy the late blooming hydrangeas and roses.   I hadn’t thought to see them this late in the year.  Too soon the frost will nip them.

 

 

26 comments:

  1. I love seeing the farm. Fall is such a beautiful time of the year....if it only lasted till March :) Yep, you move out, the critters move on in. Enjoy this beautiful time of year!!

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  2. ah finally. . .the post I have been waiting for. . .you guys really have a beautiful place.

    Hoping you have gotten positive results from the doctor's visits by now. . .

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  3. I love pictures of your farm. Especially the Blue Ridge. We have fond memories of going over the Blue Ridge Parkway on our wedding trip 10+ years ago. I agree with you in wishing we had all our little fix it shops back. Especially the shoe shop where I can have shoes resoled or new heels or heel caps put on. We too are praying for good results from David's tests.

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  4. I just love seeing your beautiful home!

    I would so love to have acreage. I know, though, that as I get older I'll want less yard to take care of. When we eventually settle down it will be an interesting challenge to find the right size property to make me happy, but not kill me with the work of it!

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  5. Your home and land look so pastoral. Sounds like you've found the perfect partnership for getting some help in taking care of all that property! We're currently in Ashland settled in for a couple of months, helping our friends here with their huge property and gardens and staying on their beautiful land. It's a win-win situation. Hope you're finding some pleasure in being at home, even in the midst of all of the appointments. Hugs to you both.

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  6. Looks like the outside is shaping up nicely:) Love your little visitors:)

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  7. You do have such a lovely farm. Wish I could see it some day. Nice to have Mike barter and get the hay for a free cutting. Good for you for working that out!

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  8. Must be great to end a vacation going on vacation. Your farm would be a "vacation destination" for most of us. :)

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  9. Lovely farm. Glad you are back so you can take care of things. Hugs to you both.

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  10. I don't know why your whole post didn't show up when I first read. Sounds like a win-win situation with Mike, and it answered my question on the other post. It appears the height of leaf changing is still ahead of you. I'm anxious to see the pictures as the trees turn.

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    1. That was me. Nancy I don't know how that happened.

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  11. Virginia is gorgeous in the fall, but I love it in the springtime too.

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  12. Having the same problem with a DVD/VHS Combo player that the DVD side stopped working. Apparently, that entire concept is totally antiquated, so once they get through laughing at the fact that we even own one of these, we are promptly told to buy a new one (IF we can find one) as that's cheaper than trying to repair. I don't want a new one - 50% of this one still works! Love seeing the pictures of the farm. Hope to hear about any hiking you've done since back in Virginia.

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  13. Your property looks great but it must be a lot of work to keep it up. You've obviously been staying busy!

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  14. Beautiful farm you have there, what a great place to come home to.

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  15. You have your own little magical place on that farm. Hope you feel some comfort from it while you're there. I also know how much work a place like that is, so glad to see you did a bit of bartering. That was definitely a win/win!

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  16. I know you can't wait to get to warmer weather. However, the view out your livingroom window sure is lovely:o))

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  17. We have to meet you on the farm one of these days, it is such a beautiful place. No wonder you've kept it after you hit the road. :c)

    I am looking forward to your TV replacement. My clunky Sony isn't long for the world, the picture now has a slight slant to the right. At least your TV was recycled, some nice bits of gold and silver are in there.

    Your radio replacement did come out nice, I didn't think of Crutchfield doing an installation. Great idea! To replace mine, it will take a lot more work because on my Journey there is no flip up dash, just a few million screws and pieces to remove to open it up. I wonder why Winnebago doesn't carry great ideas through all their models? :c(

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  18. You live in such a gorgeous place.

    I'm sure the deer must find hay piles perplexing.

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  19. Wild critters will always find a way to use your space:)

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  20. You are making me miss our place in Indiana!......and my llamas. I still get teary eyed when I think about them. Last night as I went to sleep, I was recalling each of them and their different personalities. Sometimes, I wish we had kept our sticks and bricks to return to when we wanted.

    We had a groundhog that just drove us batty. He made his home under the hot tub on the deck.....grrrrr.

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  21. I remember the paint job last year...just the prettiest shade of green. Groundogs can sure make havoc but a mama with her babies back home made for daily entertainment...love when they stand up and wave :)

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  22. My dad had two "extra" garages of stuff when I was a teenager. I asked him one day why he didn't just throw it all away. He said "Where do you think 'away' is?" Fun to see his words come off the screen this morning, yet sad that all these years later no one has figured out how to solve our "away" problem. Sending the grass home in a hay bale with Mike every year is certainly a great arrangement for everyone. I love to watch a tractor working in the field........it's hypnotic sometimes. Wonderful pics of the farm - it really does feel like a "destination" spot with all the beauty wrapped around you there.

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  23. The farm looks nice and I love your view. I miss the Blue Ridge mountains, and we've only been gone a few days.

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  24. Agree how frustrating that Nothing can be repaired anymore, only replaced. We unfortunately live in a "throw away" society never thinking of where 'away' is.
    I love the tall grasses at the farm I suppose it's more practical to have it baled. And what a wonderful trade for that.
    Your late flowers are stunning.
    Although you cut your travels early I'll bet it's nice to be back on the farm.
    Hope all is going well.

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  25. A gorgeous place for sure!! The grasses are pretty, just look how majestic it is all mowed; I like the look of the bales in the field. Lovely late flowers! Those bloomed ... why not mine? Glad so much is getting done...nice work Crutchfield and Dad for the G. Hog relocation!

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