Thursday, September 22, 2016

Last Wednesday, it was 98 degrees.  Today, it is 74 degrees, what a shock!!!  And the winds are blowing.
I feel change too, don't you?  I feel like working on the slipcover for a wing back chair I have in the garage.  I feel like baking and making soup.  On Pinterest, I am looking up making flower arrangements inside of pumpkins.  My mind is pondering what we did this season and questioning what we will do next year.
My flower gardens are still looking fabulous, they don't know yet it is fall. I think I had enough flowers this year to give everyone in town an arrangement.  My business delimenia in 2016 season is that I didn't do well in selling them as fast as they produced.  I never made it to the local farmer's markets.  I never made it to our local florist shops to sell any to them.  My main focus was social media and making myself known to be available for flower bouquets, wholesale or retail.  It has been somewhat difficult transitioning from selling produce to selling flowers.  We did both through special orders and our roadside stand.  It has positive and negatives, when it is hot, I can't put flowers out.  Lots to think about this fall before I purchase new seeds and re-plan our gardens.

I AM ON ETSY!!! Finally got my head together to figure out how to sell some of my hand made items and also expect to post several antique pieces of silverware and collectables in the near future.  I made these bright and cheerful star pin cushions, some jute crochet baskets, mason jar cozies.  Check them out on Etsy. My name is "WindmillfarmGoods".
My newest project is a crocheted child's poncho made from small granny squares.
We pulled out several fruit trees and ate the last of our watermelons in the same day.  That always makes me sad, but a few were old and diseased.  Two had been hit by the travel trailer going by because they had gotten so large and limbs were broken off.  One tree has to go because it is now blocking access into Frank's back shop area.  It seems so weird to see our side orchard look so bare.  But because we live in a magical place where the soil is almost perfect, water is available and temperatures almost perfect for growing anything, after re-planting, in no time we will be picking fruit again.





Our farm continued to provide produce, dried fruits, flowers for several Teacher's Appreciation events since school went back into session.  These projects are so exciting to do because people so appreciate being treated to fresh fruits and vegetables by their school PTO.
My fall and winter class schedule is posted and I am working on the up coming cooking class, Learn To Make Stromboli-October 6th, 6-8pm.  

I started using the "Boost" option through face book and have found it bringing in more "likes" to our Windmill Farm page and so far, my classes are full.  I need to know or learn more about that feature so I plan on talking to a fellow flower farmer who turned me on to using it for an open house-flower field event she was having. Love these Facebook group pages-discussions.
Wishing you all a happy first day of fall today!!!  From our Windmill Farm to your home.

Friday, September 9, 2016

Collections of Antique Pond Model Yacht Racing Boats

Mine sitting in my office
It all started about, I would guess 20+ years ago.  On the cover of the Pottery Barn catalog, there was a photo of a wooden sail boat sitting on top of a table in front of a window.  I remember it vividly.  It was so beautiful, so unique. If I remember, they came in 2 sizes, large and small.  Our house had 16' ceiling with large rooms, so everything had to be big!!! I bought it for Frank as a gift, even though it was so terribly expensive.
He loved it!!! And it started a conversation about wooden sail boats and their history.  We wanted to know as much as possible about them and were they toys or what?  Since I was born in Rhode Island and lived in Connecticut, we always had activities that involved the water.  Most of my relatives had small fishing/clamming boats on "ponds", either inlets from the ocean mixed with fresh and sea water; or fresh water ponds.  So when we took vacations back east, we would look for small pond boats.

via google
In the late 1880s - 1940s, the pond boats or model yacht racing as they were called, were a very popular sport.  
via google

via google
Most cities had a central "pond" area where people would walk, take carriage rides, play with their families.  Children and adults would bring their wooden boats/model yachts to sail in the ponds.
via google
Many of the boats were purchased or made to resemble the popular yachting boats at the time.  The yachts would race and the winning yaults would be made in miniature for adults and children.  The contests of model yacht sailing was in the skill of positioning the sails and rutter to move the fastest and to a specific point. Just like sailing, you need to know about winds and water.
We have always been avid "antiquing" people where we would plan vacations and travel around great antiquing spots.  Or if we just happen to be places, we would seek out antique shops.  And we lived in a antique mecca area, the Gold Rush towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City.  We always had at least 5+ antique stores downtown for more than 20 years.
My favorites happen to be ones that were not manufactured but made by either the child's father or by the person, himself.  The more stained the canvas or cotton sails were, the more I liked them.  It showed that the boats were used. Many would have stars on the top of the sail with the sailing vessel's number-or the full sized sail boats numbers. Same with the coloring of the boats.
So one new purchase for a birthday or holiday, led to a many year collection of mainly old ones.  Ebay was one of my favorite places to look, many years ago, because people didn't always know or care what they were, just wooden boats.  

Back East, sometimes you would see a Pond Boat that was over 5' tall, these boats came in various sizes.  See the photos of various sizes in a mariner museum above.
Here are some of our collection.
Small size probably for children
This one is hand made and has a flat bottom.
 
 A few of our boats needed some repairs of the masts or needed a stand.

This last boat was given to us a year or so ago by our UPS delivery guy.  We have becomes friends with him since Frank orders all his repair parts for the farm via Amazon!!!  He always noticed our pond boats in the windows.  He had attended a winery with his family and won this boat in a drawing.  He didn't really care about it and it was still in the box.  He thought we would like it so gave it to us.  The sail has the logo of the winery.  Of course, that bugs Frank and he wants me to make a sail to replace it.  Maybe some day.
PS-If you mind dust, then you shouldn't collect these boats.  They require dusting of the sails and all the riggings
post card via google

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