Home Sweet Home!

Long time, no see!

It's  been quite a while since I wrote on this blog. When we were building the house, we had almost daily reports. But now that we are settled in and living well, my daily posts have disappeared. I guess that is because I've been busy with my position. It seems I am always writing on the computer but it's always for my online classes and not for me. I guess I should remedy that.

To bring followers up today. I am in my third year as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Teacher Certification at the University of Maine at Augusta. I love this job by the way! Jon is still happily retired and growing acres of vegetables each summer. We freeze and store them for the winter and give the excess away to friends, neighbors, and family. Jon has a flock of ten hens who give us a bounty of eggs, which we also share. One can only eat so many omelets and make so many quiches!

It's the dead of winter right now and I am longing for some sun. Jon spend last week in Florida with his friend Ralph. I am somewhat jealous. However, the daughters and I are headed to Captiva Island for spring break for year two of Toes in the Sand. We are all very excited and anticipating a great week of sunning, running, and dining. The running will have to come along with the dining!

I ran 560 miles last year despite a couple of injuries that sidelined me for some weeks. This year I am starting out healthy and have run 68 miles so far this year.

I'll try to be more attentive to the blog from here on out.

Thanksgiving 2011

The footprints are mine from snowshoeing earlier in the day.

Front of house plowed.

Snow bank in front of my well garden

Thanksgiving dinner: prime rib, garlic mashed potatoes, squash, peas, popovers, pickles, and pumpkin pie.

And Hope got the ribs!

November bonfire

Ollie!

Jon builds a deck

October 2011

Atttic door

Blueberries

Future cranberries

Garlic

Hens taking over Ralph's shed

End of house...

almost done...

done!

Hamlet catching some rays.

Mottie doing the same.

Scraping the driveway 

October 2011

New 500 gallon gas tank installed.

One of Liberty Farm gardens rototilled. New bed of garlic on the right! A row of kale that escaped the frost.

Second Liberty Farm garden. Brussel sprouts left.

Vineyard with holes dug for posts.

Hen's have discovered the well garden.

Hens are loving their new free range status. Notice Hope in the background ignoring the hens? Who would have thought it possible??

Cheeky little things aren't they?

Sunset.

Using the grass clipping- which I spend all morning raking up - on the garlic bed.

Almost finished. Just a few more shingles, some stain and we're done!

September 2011

Shingling is finished on the back side of the house.

The last side. 

August at Liberty Farm

Work is progressing at Liberty Farm, on the house and on the grounds. Our gardens have yielded a lot this year and are still providing delicious vegetables. I've frozen vegetables and made pickles for the last couple of weeks.

Potato plants in the foreground; tomatoes in the middle and corn in the back.

Corn is almost ready to pick.

Beans and cucumbers.

Two sides of the house are completely finished.

Jay, the Houdini of chickens.

Back side of house awaits shingles.

Cats enjoying the sun. Hamlet particularly enjoys the canning jar boxes. Mottie likes them too but has to wait until Hamlet vacates them.

The dirt pile is gone.

Outdoor lights on either side of garage door.

Garage is finished (all except for paint. Drywall finished; lights all in; plumbing completed.

After a year of China Wash and Dry, this is heaven!

The bounty of Liberty Farm.

Jon is halfway up the back side of the house with shingles.

Doing a fine job!

Back door light.

Deck will come next. Deck lights already in.

Jon's stuff gathered and organized rather than being strewn from one end of the garage to the other. :>)