Turkey Tracks: Ailey Brings Her Parents To Maine

Turkey Tracks:  September 18, 2011

Ailey Brings Her Parents to Maine

At barely 10 months, Ailey got her parents organized for a September trip to her grandparents home in Camden, Maine–to celebrate her father’s birthday.  It was Ailey’s very first trip to Maine, if you don’t count last year when she came while still growing!

They all arrived on a rainy day that threw up a few possibilities of delay, but Ailey nixed those and they came in mostly on time:

After the 2-hour drive north with her parents and her Lovey, she right to Pop Pop, which pleased him enormously:

Ailey loved the two dogs around Pop Pop’s feet and belly laughed over and over in delight at their presence.  In fact, she is a happy baby who laughs a lot.

Ailey loved hiking and took her parents off to hike several times.  Here she is on the Rockerfeller property just above our house, property which they so graciously allow us to enjoy.

We loved Ailey’s purple hat!

Heading for the pond bridge:

And, into the woods without the hat:

Around the lower pond:

Ailey loved our chickens, and I think Bryan got some good shots.  If he sends me one or two, I’ll post them here.  Hint, hint.  Meanwhile, she’s got chickens on her pj’s:

Ailey came prepared for several kinds of activities.  Here are her dancing shoes:

Ailey wanted to see Hope’s Edge, the frogs there, the tire swing, and all the food.  She hadn’t expected to see Farmer Tom’s tractor:

Here she is with her parents at Hope Edge’s “front door.”

Ailey couldn’t quite take in the frogs in the little pond back of the shed.  And, Bryan’s weight on the tire swing made the limb groan with ominous cracking sounds.  So Ailey will have to grow into those pleasures at Hope’s Edge.  She did enjoy seeing all the animals (cows, sheep, chickens, horses, tiny ponies).  And she loved watching her mother cut and arrange some flowers from the cutting garden, which is fading away now.

Corinne with sluggish bees on the New Zealand zinnas:

Pop Pop, Bryan, and Ailey at the far end of the cutting rows.  Note the glitter shoes:

Corinne’s flower arrangement:

Pop Pop measuring out the copious amount of food we took home:

Here are out onions and garlic drying in the Hope’s Edge barn.  The onions are strung in layers up the rafters of the barn:

Here’s another view:

Ailey brought her parents to Maine, in part, to celebrate her Daddy’s birthday.  So we did just that!

Here’s his birthday dinner:

Baby lamb racks, La Ratte fingerling potaotes with baby white onions (our garden), green beans (Hope’s Edge), native golden chanterelle mushrooms (gift of Charlie and Joan Herrick of Northport), slow roasted saladette tomatoes, sweet/sour style (Hope’s Edge), dried French toast from breakfast, and fudgy, homemade chocolate cake made with local butter, our eggs, real cream, really good chocolate (Lovey).

All in all, we had a wonderful visit!