The Barn 2

[Since I'm not in Denmark, like some people we could mention, maybe I should relive my holiday to Virginia, by posting about it a bit more...]


Although the interior layout of 'the Barn' is fairly open plan, there were definite areas. A kitchen. Not quite suited to me, with my kitchen-obsessed ways. I'd definitely shift some bits and pieces around, but more than adequate for our needs.

Pretty much we were only all gathered for breakfast, and the dining area had more than enough space for all of us (8 of us at most) to gather around and eat porridge, or eggs, or porridge and eggs each day.
And on our final night I made a meal of feijoada (Brazilian black beans) and garlic rice and salsa for us all.


And there was a sitting area in front of the windows from the first post about the Barn, where we could open the windows and enjoy the spring air. (It was warm enough to do that now and then.) And even when it was too cold to open them, it was certainly spectacular.


In the farther corner was a heavy round table and more chairs. That became our 'library' area. Darrell had brought varying iron books with him, and they sat there for poking through.

Then, moving counter-clockwise in my memory, was a little writing desk, by yet another window. Darrell input some notes on the smelts there, using my laptop that we'd brought along on the expedition. (I did actually attempt to start some blog posts ahead of time, but got no further than one or two paragraphs! Maybe the "paper blog" from last time was more effective. You really can be far more impulsive with a pad of paper!)

Then there was a big stone fireplace, and another little cluster of comfy seating. We did talk about having a fire, but pretty much we weren't getting home till late, and the evenings we were there, we were watching smelt or iron related presentations.


Downstairs were more bedrooms and a tv area, opening out on to a deck at ground level.


Because the Barn is built on the mountain, the upstairs opens to the driveway at the back, and is a second story at the front. Downstairs opens onto a deck at ground level.

Next post will be some outside shots.
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Protective Colouring

Woad!

Well, Ladies and Gentlemen, the votes are in.
I seem to have woad! (After my confusion two years ago, of id'ing a young plant as weld, and then simply not really seeing it until it was unmistakeably blossoming woad, I haven't trusted myself.)

Now the question is, do I leave it there, in the Wendy-house garden, which is really not the most gardeny of gardens. Do I move it? try to find somewhere the little woads can flourish? And will I see a return of the calendula (which was wonderful) and the alkanet?

For all that woad is supposed to be invasive, I find that our yard tends to win out over most plants. Only thistles reign supreme!

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Yes, Virginia

There is a spring.
And it might even come to Wareham!

I have crocii bursting forth.


Even unexpected ones I can't remember planting. I know I did, but sometimes it takes a couple of years before I get any results. (Obviously I have to make a major effor to get some other colours established...)


Coltsfoot, one of the earliest and cheeriest signs of spring.


The early nubbins of rhubarb pushing up, which is also hopeful, since we keep trying to establish a rhubarb patch, and have trouble finding a place it will be happy...


And my eternal question, is this woad? I'll have to check back to last year's blogs. I know I wondered then. Did I eventually decide it was unexpected woad, transplanted from Karen's garden, along with the calendula and alkanet?



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The Barn

The place where we stayed in Virginia was pretty amazing. Newish neighbours of Lee and Elizabeth built this place from an old barn that was taken apart and moved. It's been laid out in a very open plan, barn-like, but because they have an extended family, there's lots of bedrooms, and it was a wonderful place to toss the ragbag group of wanderers.
The setting is unbelievable, and they've taken advantage of every ounce of it. All windows look out to something marvellous, even the door onto the driveway!

Road Trip!

Yup, in case all five of you wondered what had happened to me....
I was away for some of March, ten days down to Virginia, and when I got back I was immediately deep into production for the last show of the 2007/2008 season, Mesa, about a drive from Calgary, Alberta to Mesa, Arizona.

And I just wasn't ending up with the time to formulate stuff for the blog. Sorry. Mind you, I took about 150 pictures while I was gone, (and that was only when I'd suddenly think to do it), and there may be random pictures, and certainly comments, about the show. So now to get off my expansive butt and do something about it!

Of course, in the brain dead aftermath of opening the show, I'm not even quite certain where to start.
I'd taken a bunch of photos in Virginia, of spring. Because it does exist, and it was there while we were. Then we suddenly were having spring up here, and I thought oh well, I've been scooped!
But last night it snowed. (Blame Steve-o. He shaved his beard off. This exact same thing happened last year when he did that...)
It does mean that my 'spring' pics are still valid, though. Mind you, I think pics of spring are ALWAYS valid!

Anyway, in the spirit of true Random Thinking, let's just leap in and see where we go.
I'd noticed this morning as I was logging in to Google, that they were muttering about some new features they're developing, including 'post-dated blogs' of some sort, and thought it would be a handy thing. But then it occurred to me that I can even just write much of this up as drafts, and dole them out in doses, as opposed to swamping you all at once. It might also give me the chance to reread and edit and add to further stuff as I go, on the very slight off-hand chance of making sense. (Or would that just warp the universe for everyone?)

Besides, as I go, I need to organize the photos into some kind of coherent order, which is not the way I took them.

But let's start with a quick shot of something. (Photowise. Sun's not over the yardarm here yet...) Here's a picture of the view across the valley, probably from the living room of the house we were staying at. I never did fully master depth of field, with such an expanse to photograph!