Prairie Winds Farm

What a weekend to be without my camera! David better come back from Europe with some excellent photos...

On Saturday, Jess and I went to local farming guru Charlotte's Praire Winds Farm, just south of town. This is a sustainable farm and nature retreat -- Charlotte has sleigh rides in the winter, prairie walks, spinning events, etc. She also does historical spinning re-enactments. It was an AMAZING experience I wish I had gone there earlier. And I wish I had my camera!!!

We drove up the long dirt driveway, passing by a flock of sheep and a herd of horses and ponies, up to the house where we were greated by happy farm dogs. We were invited in and immediately served a delicious slice of pumpkin pie, followed by a little tour of Charlotte's spinning wheels. Dominating the living room (which had a series of enormous glass windows overlooking a beautiful prairie) was a larger than life walking wheel Charlotte had just bought. The wheel must have been at least 3 feet in diameter, and I got to try it out. You pretty much walk back and forth with the fleece in your hands, the spinning and winding happening as you move towards and away from the wheel. I'm not sure about all the engineering dynamics of this -- like how does the wheel spin if Jess isn't standing there giving it a whirl for me? But I'm sure Charlotte will have it figured out in time for her demonstration this week.

After the wheel fun, we went for a tour of the farm. It was extremely necessary to tuck our pant legs into our high rubber boots, as there was much deep mud and animal "discharge" to wade through. Many times during the tour we were warned: "Be very careful, you definitely do NOT want to fall down here!" We visited the sheep first (which Jess & I had to "herd" towards Charlotte so she could get a pre-sheared picture of one for someone who had bought a fleece from her), a turkey (really bumpy head), horses, ponies, a windmill-powered well, a pregnant goat (I felt her bulging (smelly) belly), and chickens. Oh and peacocks. Bunnies, too. Charlotte and her daughter showed me how to collect eggs from the chicken house (and they were delicious for breakfast the next morning!) And Jess and I bought a whole fleece -- it's still on the sheep though, I think they are being sheared this week.

So this post would have been a WHOLE lot more interesting if I had my camera. But you can use your imagination and just know that I had one of the best days ever!