High Meadow, Parts 1 and 2

We made our semi-annual trip to the east coast recently so that we could spend some time with Christina's side of the family.  This trip coincided with a statistics workshop Steve got a grant to participate in, so we had some convoluted (but economical!) travel plans.  We all flew in to Hartford, CT, and then we got a rental car and drove Steve to his week-long workshop in Amherst, MA, and then Christina and the girls drove on to NY.

Our first stop was to see Grandpa and Grandma Mary at High Meadow.  We went back later in the week with Steve, so we'll show both trips here.  If you asked the girls what they were excited about for this trip it was going to see Grandpa's chickens and picking eggs!  They told everyone about it.  When we got there, we hit two snafus.  First - Christina neglected to pack chicken-visiting-appropriate-footwear.  We solved that problem by tying plastic bags on the girls' feet (classy solution, no?).

 

Clara and Elena got themselves ready, headed into the coop, and...

 All of the hens were laying chickens (sometimes two to a nesting box!).  With all of them so busy we couldn't get any eggs, which was a bummer. Grandpa and Grandma Mary gave the girls some already-collected eggs, and we made a plan to try again the next time we came over.

Then we headed off to visit the cows.

And to check in on the vineyard, now complete with roses, blueberries, asparagus, and a lone sunflower.

It was a great, quiet time to tour High Meadow.  When we went back the next week it was for Grandpa's birthday, and almost all of the aunts/uncles/cousins were there, too! (this photo and the next by Laura)

 It was great watching the little cousins all running around together, and they had so much fun.

Very early in the visit our girls went straight back to the chicken coop.

And this time, success was theirs!

Such proud girls, with some of the eggs they collected.

We all ate birthday lunch at a long table overlooking the scenery.  Here Clara sits by her "best friend" Grace.

Then Grandpa took each family around the property in a trailer with his tractor.

These are the Christmas trees Christina and her sisters planted seven (or more!) years ago!

Steve and the girls had some good exploring time later in the afternoon.

Steve may have been acting as a pony here - it was a little hard to tell.  Clara was clearly delighted, though!

Sweet snuggles in the meadow.

And a Clara joins in!

Birthday pies for the birthday Grandpa, and lots of kids and grandkids around to sing.  We were very glad that we got to be there for this celebration, and are sorry we don't get to sing a few more happy birthdays with this crew every year!