Good Morning, Sandy

We're starting to get hammered, so I thought I'd get a post up before we lose power.

Saturday we had an open house and a halloween party.  We had some re-enactor and sidesaddle people show up, along with some work colleagues.  Now, I really take Halloween seriously, and finally I'm living in a house that is crying out to made into a haunted house, so naturally I tricked it out:

I added cobwebs everywhere...this

is the front hall.

...and the stairs...

...the landing...

One of the several serving tables

my kitchen 

I put this creepy lady behind the living room door

so you didn't see her staring at you until you turned

around; note the little mouse on the chair rail.

I threw together this little skeleton

cake, which was a challenge since

my cake stuff is all in storage and I

had to make do with what was to

hand.  It's devil's food (which I found

appropriate) with butter cream cheese

filling.



We even used Owen for pony rides!  Occasionally a child grew nervous and clamped down and squeaked, which only made Owen piaffe.  If only that kid knew what he was accomplishing!

And something I didn't have to work on...this is a grave that has been on the farm property since 1894.  It contains the body of Edith Gittings, a little baby that died at the age of three months and is buried on top of a very steep hill, back in the woods and rather far from the main house.  Her's is the only grave we know of on the property.  I wonder why she wasn't buried in a church yard or consecrated ground and why she is all alone out there on the hill top.  We take the care of her grave very seriously and check on her regularly.  Interestingly, once some of the children at the party heard that there was a grave they insisted on visiting her.  It's not an easy hike, but my sister took them out bushwacking to see the site.  The children suggested they say a prayer for her, and they all knelt down and recited a blessing in french.  Children can amaze me.

The horses are all tucked into their stalls, with heavy rugs on, knee deep shavings, and a half bale of hay each in case we can't make it out to the barn before tomorrow.  Several parts of the driveway are already under water.  My sidesaddles, however, are safely inside.  Naturally, when Barb Thelan arrived at my party I had to drag her over to see my newest saddle first thing.  I've made some superficial changes to it, which I'll post at some point.  Currently I have a few more pressing things on my mind...such as 90 mph winds.  But I feel really safe here at Cold Saturday, sitting within 2 ft thick stone walls.  I rode out Hurricane Agnes back in the day here and I'm sure we'll be fine this time, tho' we are having to strategically place buckets around to catch the 10 inches of rain being dumped on us.  This house has stood firm since 1740, and curled up here on the couch with the cats I'm barely aware of the storm outside.  I know we'll lose some fencing, some of the driveway, and possibly the bridge, but everything that counts is hunkered down under cover.