Thomas and Toad Are Friends

The other day when we were exploring outdoors, we found a toad crouching in the cool shadows of the woodshed. What a beautiful chap he was, with yellow eyes and speckled warts, and we just had to introduce ourselves. We played with him long enough for a photo shoot, and then we returned him to his dark quarters. Luckily, Thomas's cousins, Reese and Jackson were here to get some toad time too.

Farm to Family

About six months ago, when Thomas was beginning to wean from me, I started doing research on the health benefits of raw milk, especially for children. Combining that research with the observation of how healthy my mother, father, aunts, and uncles--who were all raised on raw milk--are, I decided to forgo pasteurized milk altogether and switch Thomas directly over to raw milk, or "the magic elixer," as Lance calls it. Although I have always wanted my own Jersey cow, I concluded that now was not the time to take on such a responsibility at Walnut Grove, especially since my mother has drawn the line at milking a cow. ("I'll feed the chickens, goats, and horses, when you're away, but I'm NOT milking a cow!") Okay, fair deal. So, I found a local "milk group," who gets raw milk from a small family farm in Abingdon Virginia--the Templeton Family Farm. Since it is technically illegal to sell raw milk in TN or VA, members of the milk group buy shares in the cow herd and pay the Templetons to board, feed, and milk the herd. They store the milk at their farm, and we pick it up once a week. Recently, on one of my pick up days, Thomas and I scheduled a tour of the farm and a "meet and greet" with the cows. His friend, Anna, and her mother, Inge, tagged along for the adventure.

And for those of you who are wondering...Thomas LOVES raw milk, and he has not shown even the slightest signs of having digestive complications from it. As soon as he started drinking it, he weaned completely from me. Needless to say, I cannot compete with a Jersey cow!

(Heading to meet the cows)

(Look, a cow!)

(The herd, including Stumpy, Meadow, and Bessie)

(Thomas and the cows)

(Thomas and the rock that was more interesting than the cows)

(The calves, including Lily and Thunderbolt)

(Cotton, the watch dog)

(Ribeye, the bull calf, who may or may not stay "intact")

(Pumpkin, the barn cat)

(Rodeo, the pony)

(Solomon, the bunny)

Hike with "Aunt" Betsy

Last summer, my friend Betsy (who used to teach with me at ETSU), called me up and said, "Wanna go on a hike?" Excited to get Thomas into the wilderness, I said, "Sure!" So, we packed up and drove to the trailhead of Laurel Falls in Hampton, TN. Starting out, we both thought that the trail was smooth enough to accommodate a stroller and that the round-trip distance was around 3 miles. After walking about 100 yards on the trail, it was clear that no stroller was going to make it far across the bumpy, rocky, ground, so we turned around. At this point, I decided that I could carry Thomas, who was 9 months old and about 20 pounds at the time, for three miles. (Lord, women trekked cross-country with kids hanging all over them in the "olden days," right?) So, turning to my inner woodland Indian, I stuffed a couple of extra diapers in my purse, settled Thomas on my hip, and we headed out again. About a mile in, we saw the trail sign: "Laurel Falls 2 miles." Um, 2 miles? Yep. We re-evaluated. Could I carry Thomas SIX MILES? I was determined. Hail, pioneer woman! We kept going, over boulder, bridge, and lob-lolly, keeping Thomas amused with various hiking sticks, until we came to our prize...a beautiful waterfall tucked into the Appalachian Mountains. We sat, we snacked (on meager rations), and we dipped Thomas's toes into the chilly water. Then, we trekked back to the car, and we made it back without succumbing to de-hydration, exhaustion, or wild animal. Pocohantas! Oregon Trail Wife! English Teachers!

Afterwards, Betsy and I agreed that we should make a hike to Laurel Falls a yearly tradition.

And we did.

Last week, we hiked the trail again, with our friend Bridget's (another English teacher) kids Leah and Samuel tagging along. This time, though, we were less ambitious and more prepared. I lugged Thomas on my back in the invaluable "Deuter" child backpack; we packed plenty of food and water; and we decided to cut the hike in half. So, about 1.5 miles in, we found a comfortable spot by the creek and made our "camp." Thomas and Samuel spent some quality time splashing around in the creek, throwing rocks and sand, and sitting quietly in the current, contemplating life according to boys; while Leah, Betsy, and I talked about Harry Potter, Twilight, and how to understand life according to boys.

I'm already getting excited about next year...

Pictures from last year's hike...

Pictures from this year's hike...