The Good Earth.

I feel like a city girl through-and-through.

But there's a part of me that connects to my Grandmother's Kansas farm roots and my own Cherokee blood, and makes me truly appreciate how generous the earth can be.
Three days in northwestern Massachusetts put me back in touch with that gratitude.

Here's what we ate for three days:


Breakfast of farm-fresh eggs, local goat's milk cheese, and vine ripened tomatoes from the garden in the backyard.
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The Gill Tavern. Gill, MA.
We started with a plate of locally-made cheese, and caprese with fresh basil and tomatoes.

For my entree I had a local grass-fed beef burger.
The menu notes that it's "from a 1/2 mile down the road." Amazing.

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Elmer's Store. Ashfield, MA.

In keeping with the liberal nature of Western Mass, the menu offers an "Obamalette" complete with "Universal Health Care."

My pancake.


Bunny's omelette.


A gorgeous Federalist-style house from the late 1700s, located across the street from Elmer's.
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We went to a grange fair, which is similar to a State Fair but on a much smaller scale.
Children are encouraged to grow produce and create crafts, and generally learn to be reliant on nature and themselves. Ribbons are rewarded for their hard efforts, and the results are indeed spectacular.

ENORMOUS cabbage heads and sunflower; I used my hand as a point of reference.
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And then there's the land itself.
Our friends own 220 acres at the top of a mountain which offers spectacular views in every season. Following 2 days of rainfall we found ourselves surrounded by fog.

That red object is a hummingbird feeder and we were lucky enough to see several hummingbirds arrive for a snack; they're beautiful to watch.


Our friends are growing a beautiful and hearty garden. We were able to eat their zucchini and tomatoes, and they're even growing a little pumpkin patch!


A walk in the woods on their property.


I LOVE Queen Anne's lace. Complex and delicate all at the same time.

Sunflowers from a neighbor's garden. So happy!


TIRE SWING! (This is a new addition to the property!) //
Singing the "Baby Shark" song with my little friends; this is a personal specialty.

Just what I needed.
Cxx.