A lot to tell you

Greetings everyone .
We haven't been on here for a while and we have much to tell you. We would like to start by thanking Shelly & Dave for selling us their ice box, we are finally ready to make the transition to "unplugged" food preservation. We have a "block" of  ice in the ice box to test what temperatures we can get. There are two more buckets of water in our electric freezer getting ready for tomorrow (Sunday) and we now have to go through the fridge and empty/clean it out in preparation for moving it out and moving the ice box in. There cubic in the ice box is smaller that the fridge which means ... we must be careful about what we put into it.

We had a day off today, something which doesn't happen often. We stopped at a few antique shops on the way to get the ice box and finally picked up an authentic candle mould (yay, we can pour candles now as well as dip them), a masher tool, two creamers and put a down payment on a doctor's buggy. It needs work, but we have a year before we'll need to use it.

When we arrived home with our possessions, we realized we would need to map out a paddock for the horses and we have done so. All that's needed now are some posts, some rails, a shelter, water trough and a manger.

We also did a little more planting, and put cut grass around the plants to help retain water. We will need a lot of the grass cutting for this and fortunately, our lawns are very good producers. The weather we've had so far has made for quick growing grass and a lot of harvesting for me. I'm still gathering materials for a hay loft and will be storing grass (hay as I call it) for bedding the birds and perhaps a little bit of feed should we need it.
Margaret here...in our travels when we meet people and tell them what we are doing, the first thing they say to us is "I bet it is hard to get used to " and truthfully we tell them .."no it is not"
Now we understand that this is the summer and winter might bring us challenges we had not thought about, I am thinking laundry might be a challenge. And frozen fingers hanging laundry in the winter. But we will deal with that as it comes. most people think what we are doing is cool. Which is fun to hear. Although it is funny watching their faces change when they think about no tv ...they kind of get this panic look ...
Our gardens are growing wonderfully and today we lucked out by finding more squash plants for 50 cents a container...we are going to have lots and lots of every kind of squash imaginable ...I am sure we will have lots to share. Our brussel sprouts are getting huge, and we have cucumbers ...too small to eat yet but won't be long.
Our potato plants are just beautiful and flowering , my lovely husband is so excited about all of our potato plants and how well they have done this year. It is proving to be a good growing year indeed.
Ken mentioned our buggy ,,wow are we excited to have found it . We have lots of plans and will keep you informed .Hopefully we can figure out how to post photos on here to show everyone . Well that is all for now. I need to take my lovely husband upstairs and beat his butt in scrabble so I will say good night to you all for now.
Nope this life is not hard at all, it is quiet,peaceful,time spent talking and sharing, gardening and enjoying life ..

Some days chickens, some days eggs

Greetings. We are posting today because we'll be away this weekend ay an event in Guelph called Fairy Fest which is a fund raiser for the local hospital. There's a lot of activity here, what with packing for the festival, daily chores and whatnot.

Speaking of chores, Margaret was in London today and found a couple of metal chicken feeders by the side of the road. I don't know if these are period or not, but they are in very good shape, made of sheet steel and have all their bits. Together they hold a complete bag of feed so feeding the birds will be a simpler task (I hope) in the future. Just a check on the feeders every day and fill them as needed.

We didn't get many eggs this morning because the local chapter of four footed bandits supped on them last night. They made their entrance through a broken window in the coop, didn't bother the birds, just ate the eggs. Said window has now been replaced and should discourage a repeat of the nocturnal egg raid.

I've been trying to maqke hay here and not having much luck. Between the rain and my time away I can't get much headway and this bothers me because we'll need the hay for the winter. I'll just have to get on the job and get the hay raked, dried and loaded or I'll lose it.

I've noticed something which also bothers me. I've worked on farms a great deal, especially as a younger man and I find myself thinking of the farming methods I'm used to. I then try to reverse engineer them to something I think would've been used in Victorian times. To complete the task, I research the methods on the net and ... much to my dismay, I'm frequently wrong in my assumptions.

What this means is that I must obtain a copy of some Victorian farming books and read them to familiarize myself with the methods then in use. Everything was done by hand or used horse or steam power to ease the labour. On this farm in 1865, I doubt there was a steam engine around, so horse power and human power were the two energy sources available. I think I'm going to be much stronger before this experiment is completed.

Margaret here ...as you have read Ken and I are heading to Guelph for the weekend for Fairy fest. Wonderful event that raises money for the Guelph General hospital's pediatric department. I have a food booth, so by sunday evening I will be tired. But happy as I love this event and love watching the happy faces on the children dressed up in their beautiful dresses and fairy wings...Very Victorian in fact, as the Victorians has a fascination with fairies.
It has been a busy week around here. And the weather has been some days really warm and some cooler. So my kitchen has been way too hot or just right with the cook stove going . But summer or winter there is nothing so wonderful than the smell of wood smoke as you stand outside in the breeze.
I am researching laundry soap recipes and will post something on here when I come up with something I like . Someone has asked us to post photos and as soon as we can get a camera to work we will.
We will also be adding more details regarding our Christmas weekend. To be fair we would like to be able to choose who will be joining us at least 4-6 months in advance in order to give our guests a chance to make or purchase the appropriate clothing and such. We are striving for an absolutely authentic Christmas weekend. Any how we will be back on here as soon as we are able .Have a lovely weekend and thank you for your support .
Margaret & Ken

This week and laundry

I can certainly understand why the invention of modern washing equipment was so liberating to women of the 19th century. My week has been all about laundry and when and if the weather would cooperate and let me finally finish. But oh how lovely it is to be hanging clothes, listening to the birds,smelling the outside ...and hoping the rain holds off for a while. Not the first time I have hung laundry but for some reason this past couple of weeks it has meant something more to me ..I think we have lost this art of appreciating what we do for each other. Of understanding weather, of smelling our world. I can say our world inside smells like wood smoke and cooking and outside ...well it smells like it should , breezy, flowery, fresh, sometimes earthy but always real and good...I thoroughly enjoyed my week this week...regardless of the mountain of laundry and the threat of rain.

Ken here, I have been treated to a thoroughly Victorian meal, complete with a botanical theme. At least 15 different plants graced the table (if not more) and a fine array of sweet and savoury delights in a room lit by close to 30 candles. We went for a stroll after supper and the light from the dining room was warm and homey as any I've ever seen. My wife Margaret certainly makes the atmosphere as close to Victorian as can be. Well done I say.

We are toying with idea of having guests in our home over Christmas weekend for a true Victorian experience. We are looking for feedback and welcome your comments in this regard. Whom ever spends the Christmas weekend with us will need to be in full Victorian garb and need to want to experience the Victorian Age in total. This means park your car at the back of the driveway, lock your cell phones, laptops and all other modern electronic gizmos in the trunk and be ready to talk about the events of Upper Canada in 1865, ie: the debate about Confederation, the happenings in Toronto, London and England. The Queen and her mourning status after the death of Albert. In other words, no hockey, no TV, nothing from the 20th or 21st century shall be discussed. Our guests should read up and research Victorian parlour games of 1865 Upper Canada.

What does everyone think? We welcome your comments.

My husband mentioned our botanical supper ...The Victorians took great care in their meals and how they were presented.Food was real and beautifully presented.Meal time was formal by todays standards ...but it was relaxed, unhurried, and real. This is a wonderful time of the year for mealtimes as we have fresh everything coming up in the gardens. Fresh greens were eaten at every meal, I am sure savored especially because of the knowledge that they would not have access to these fresh delights all winter long. We have lost the joy of seasonal eating, of dandilion salads very early in the spring before the leaves turn bitter, of making the flowers into wine or jelly to last the rest of the year...of beer as we have so recently discovered. We have forgotten the smells and the bursts of flavor of our first strawberries,raspberries and gooseberries...with todays all year round tastless wooden fruits we have forgotten these joys and the need to savor them to their fullest before they are gone for another year..And I think many of us have forgotten the art of really planning and putting by for what we will need in the future and especially for the long winter...This year is really reminding us of these gifts !!
See you soon...

Well that was a hot one

Wow that was a super hot day today. I am imagining what summer would have been like here 150 years ago, with many layers of petticoats. It was hot from first thing this morning as the "summer kitchen" woodstove is not hooked up to a chimney yet, so the "inside kitchen" woodstove was pumping out heat like crazy.
Good day for gathering small wood pieces as the grounds have finally "mostly" dried up. And so has the fallen branches . So my mission this week is to gather as much small wood as possible. I need it to light the wood stove in the morning. Lights much faster and gets up to heat better if started with very small wood. I must admit I am still using newspaper to light the fire because I have not collected enough grass to use as a lighter source. We are using much of the cut grass to put around the vegetable plants that are up and growing. Will keep in the moisture and hopefully cut down on the weed growth. I have heard this will be a dry summer this year. So best be prepared. We had a look at the cherry trees and wow if we are lucky to get to them before the birds we will have a wonderful crop.Grape vines look to be full too...so I am excited about that. I will follow an age old irish tradition of canning the cherries in whiskey...for Christmas....Yeah!!! that's it ...for Christmas.
I will make pickled grapes and grape jelly and hopefully some cordial.
Gardens are doing wonderfully, we have growing to date, potatoes..lots and lots, spinich,corn,beets,cucumbers,watermelon,cantelope,radishes,an assortment of squash,including summer squash(zucchini) and pumpkins, brussel sprouts,spinich,peas,beans(green),a variety of onions,lettuce,egg plant,.

Ken here, I have been experimenting with hay making. Very small scale as yet but all raked and windrowed by hand. I shall have to get a sythe and stone in order to do a complete cycle of haymaking. We plan to use the hay we make to bed the chickens this winter. Hopefully we get enough to do the job. Like Margaret said, it was very hot today. I suspect that by August we'll look at this as being chilly, but for now it seems very hot and sticky.

Margaret here again..
I started this by commenting on what i imagine it would have been like 150 years ago in this heat. I have participated in many Civ war era re enactments ..dressed in the expected 7 layers , have strolled and shopped.Visited and sipped cool drinks. Worn lovely hats and carried parasols to keep me cool. And at the end of the day have driven home in an air conditioned car...
This may prove to be a very long hot summer for us ....I had better learn some period cool drink recipes ...fast
Talk to you soon...thanks for listening

Another day .

I want to Thank everyone for their support and comments first of all.It is cool that you are keeping up with our project.
Another day here at the farm(actually I am at the library waiting to go to Rotary) Good day for drying as it is windly like crazy today. Even the chickens did not want to venture out .But it is warm and wonderful out there, and, did I mention windy? I am sure by the time I hung all of the clothes the first ones ones on  the line were already dry. Lots more wood brought into the house...wood seems to be the catch word these days. When Ken gets home we will do more I am sure. He has been away for the past couple of days at work.
I discovered I "can" thread a needle by candle light almost as good as by regular light. So got some sewing done. Better to do these things in the day light ,but I do not seem to sleep well when the boy is away. What is lovely starting this project during these spring summer months is the long days afford me to get lots done and be really tired by the time the light leaves. Winter I am sure will be different.Seems to be it for now folks   Will be back in a couple of days...see you soon
Any questions so far??