Secret Life of a Bee

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Our Second Day on the Island

Friday after breakfast Mom and Dad headed to the grocery store to pick up some things Laura needed at the farm. We headed to some thrift stores in Swanton. One was for children and it was the most awesome thrift store I was in. It was two floors! Anyone with kids knows how fast they out grow clothes and toys and gear. And Scampers had it all!!! They had a rack of seconds Vermont T shirts and I bought Baylor and Connor John Moose shirts. Baylor picked out a Thomas pull toy that was $4.00. We went into the grown up store and it had more kids stuff and more t-shirts but for adults. At $6.00 a shirt, I bought myself, Lori, and Mom and Dad a shirt. They had a showcase full of new, small toys that were mainly John Deere and assorted vehicles. That will come into play on Saturday.

On the way to the farm we stopped at a county store, or crunchy store as Baylor calls them. We found a Good Night Vermont book for Baylor. We have Good Night Atlanta and Philadelphia also. I was happy to find the Vermont one. We bought VT coffee mugs because we seem to be short on mugs that are not Christmas themed. Everyone makes comments on them too. So they can have Christmas mugs and we will sip our coffee from our moose mugs!

Behind the crunchy store we spied tractors and walked back to see it. While we were back there another tractor came out of the apple orchard with full apple crates. Baylor and I asked them what they were going to do with the apples.

The guy showed us the apple washer/sorter machine and how it works. First it washes the apples and then they roll over several wires grids that sorts the apples by size. We could not stay around to see them start it up but it was fun to see and they were very nice to talk to.

It is also a cider press and they had cider donuts. I picked up a pack for Laura because she loves them. We do too and I have only ever found them once down here.

We headed to the farm and it was a buzz of activity. Mom and Dad were working on the apples and pears for the crisps for dessert on Friday. I was put to work on making the crisp part. Lori was even put to work. I could hear Jamie telling her what to do and I started to get worried when I heard it was slicing cabbage. Lori does not do well around sharp objects and food. I was waiting for the screech of when she sliced off a finger! I sent Mom in to supervise and Lori was very good at handing off the pieces that got too small and Mom chopped them up with a knife.

Josh was put to work making signs for the beverages and signs for the road it pointing the directions.

Baylor was a dirt mover, which he does very well and with little supervision.

Mom was fiddling with the crisps and spreading out the topping before they went into the oven.

Amelia was working on balloons and road signs for directions to the farm.

Mabel and Baylor were farming.

Laura and a few girl friends worked on the flowers. She ordered them direct from a wholesaler and they can from south America. Fedex delivered them to the farm. They were beautiful!

The tent was set up by mid afternoon and more people were showing up all the time. Axel was trying out the dance floor.

Jamie did to food for the Friday night Taco Fest. He had prepared pork, chicken and beans and all the sides except for cheese because the grater on the farm was about 3 inches tall!

More people showing up.

This is Ida, Mabel's cousin. Her dad is Nick, one of Jamie's best friends.

Laura's dad Joe and my parents.

Daisy, Baylor, and I at dinner.

Laura and a friend.

Party tent with lots of fairy lights.

Jamie annoucing dinner was ready.

Nick taking to Laura and a friend.

I cannot remember his name but he had quite the dance moves!

Jan, Laura's sister, Laura and her mom Carol.

My little man was usually in the dirt.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Our first day on the island

We left for Swanton, VT on Wednesday after I got home from work. Lori had the car packed and they were sitting in the minivan in the driveway when I pulled in. Apparently, Baylor wanted to watch his new TV in the car. He recently discovered TV with Bob the Builder and Thomas. Thankfully that is all he wants to watch. We stopped in Wilkes Barre for dinner at Red Robin. We took Baylor on several walking laps around the place to work off some energy. We headed for Oneonta, NY for the night. It is a good half way point for the trip to VT. The drive was easy and we arrived around 11 pm. Lori had told them we would be a late check in but when we got there, they had booked out all the rooms to displaced Vermonters and the Utility workers heading to VT. Southern Vermont was hit pretty hard by hurricane Irene rains. The hotel told us about another hotel in town that had rooms. We headed there along with the two other people checking in behind us. We drove downtown and found it almost on Main St. It appeared to be well kept from the outside but we were pretty disappointed and almost frightened when we got inside. The room appeared 'clean' but did not 'feel' clean. I went to open the window to get some air and nearly cut my hand on broken glass. The interior window pane was broken out and the edges were still in the frame. No one went barefoot in that room. The drawer to my night stand was duct taped on both sides. The drywall was dingy and stained in many places. We did not have the energy to find somewhere else. We slept, woke up early, brushed out teeth and got out of there. We ate at Neptune Diner as usual. They have fish tanks on one end of the restaurant and we took several walks down there. The utility workers were having breakfast there also so Baylor watched them leaving in their trucks. He enjoyed both of those things.

We got on the road after a stop at Hannaford, because I love going in grocery stores in other states! Baylor and I went in and Lori went for gas and coffee. So on the road again we went. I made small gift bags for Baylor to open when he was bored or if I needed him to behave. He pulled out the skid steer loader and excavator on his first two bags. He put them to use at our first rest stop. We let him play for about 20 minutes and then took a walk to see the big trucks in the parking lot.

We arrived at the hotel around 2, checked in, and unloaded the car. We headed to the island and farm where the wedding was being held. The island is Isle La Mott and the farm is called Turner Farm. They rent it out for vacations and events. It was a beautiful home and location. Baylor was happy to find dirt to play in. He had pulled out a wind up caterpillar toy from the gift bags. He loved hiding it in the plants on the step.

This is part of the back of the house. Where the flag is is a breeze way and storage area. Through the door and on the other side of the screen porch is the kitchen. They set up the porch as a prep area and had brought in an extra chest freezer and refrigerator.

Baylor helped to move the bottled water off the porch and into a living room. He did so good and was so strong!! Jamie and Laura actually came down the weekend before, in the thick of Irene's rain, and had every room packed with beverages and decor items. I don't know how they did it all.

Several of Jamie's friends were camping on the farm. We are not camping people and stayed at the hotel. Josh and his family were the first to arrive. Jamie went to high school with his brother Nick and lived with there family for many months, but that is another story.

Laure was completely stressed out with all the preparation and planning. But I like this photo of her making the herb butter for the wedding dinner out on the sun porch.

This is the dining room although no one was eating there. They had candles for Friday dinner and the wedding dinner and they were different. There was a lot of glassware on that table!

Josh and his wife Amelia have a daughter, Mabel, who is 7 months younger than Baylor. I loved how Baylor was so gentle with playing ball with her. He rolled the ball to her so slowly.

This is Jake and Dad working on some small risers for the beverages. For some reason Dad really hung out with Jake for most of the time, like a new son.

The front yard looked out onto Lake Champlain and we could see NY state on the other side. The small deck lead to steps which took you down to the water. There was a small pier. Baylor hated me being down there for some reason and was crying for me to get out of the water and come back up. I never got him on the deck again the rest of the weekend.

Jamie was pretty busy setting up but took some time to play with his nephew. Baylor was happy to throw the Frisbee with him.

The front of the house was the so beautiful the windows in the second floor were about 6 inches off the bed room floors. There is no attic, the rooms were built in that space. The rooms were an eclectic mix of old farmhouse antiques, old quilts, and quirky items from days gone by.

The side door must have been the main door at one point. There was an old door bell in it that is in photos below. The add on room on the left is a bath room. There was a bedroom on the right down stairs and then is was the living room were they put the water earlier.