Two big changes are coming up!!!
My family seems to thrive on change.
First, this weekend my son Natty will be marrying Kate Grey. Kate’s son Lucas and their baby Max will be witnesses. We will all be heading to Isle of Palms to witness the nuptials on the beach. The couple will strip off their wedding togs and jump into the ocean wearing cleverly concealed bathing suits once they are wed. I hope they don’t think the wedding guests will follow suit. I have no confidence in my swimming ability. Last time I was in a body of water I nearly drowned in waist deep water in Lake Lure. I had flipped off an inner tube and (as is frequently the case) I didn’t know which end was up. I had to be plucked out of the murky lake by daughter-in-law Cheryl Davis.
I will provide some photos next week! Also, you need to know that the shop will be open as usual. Our good friend Carolyn has come to the rescue.
The other news concerns my daughter Abby. Like me, she is urban, meaning she is more comfortable on a sidewalk than a forest trail. Almost one year ago she moved out of her New York City apartment to Black Mountain. Thanks to Jackie Tatelman she found the perfect house very close to ours. She bristled, though, when her new neighbor took one look at her and accused her of being a “City Girl.” She is determined to prove Tammy wrong.
Since then she has grown her farm family. First came our granddog, Olive. She is a rescue from Brother Wolf who may or may not be a Plott Hound. She is the farm supervisor who watches out for bears and greets visitors. Next came chickens, and her five acres are dotted with them. She has roughly sixty chickens and several roosters depending on whether Olive has managed to protect the flock from foxes, hawks, and other predators. When she first watched helplessly as a fox grabbed a hen, her chicken-enabler Alex reassured her that more chickens will hatch soon to replace the victims. Indeed, the flock continues to grow. (Anyone want some chickens???)
Now she has added two sheep to the pasture. Olive and the sheep have become friends and can be seen romping up and down the fence that separates them. The sheep’s job is to keep the pasture grass trimmed. I have no idea what’s next on Abby’s farm, but this morning I did see a black cow who had escaped from the Brown’s farm walking up North Fork Right Fork in her direction.
Needless to say, Abby has lots of eggs. The chickens are completely free-range and healthy. They are happy chickens. I will begin selling eggs from this happy flock in the shop next week. They will be priced at $4 a dozen. So come by and get you some! These eggs are delicious.
