The REAL NanBrook Farm

Headed South last month to take my mother home for a visit.  Many of you wonder where I came up with the name NanBrook Farm.  Well, here's the real NanBrook Farm!  Just a small farm house nestled in a grove of oaks established in 1936. My grandfather built this house from the trees he felled off this land.  He proudly owned 98 acres, which was a lot at that time. He had a small dairy at one time, only milking three cows!  The dairy barn is on the left.  Hurricane Katrina ripped off the side when she blew through.  There have been so many changes over the years.....................

There's a well stocked pond to the side of the house.  And another one across the road.  There once was a wonderful white fence around the pond and the banks were all cleared.  Now the entire farm has grown in pine trees.  Sad, but in a few years they will be ready for harvest and the land will be cleared once more. 

There's the old smokehouse and the pump house is on the left.  I never had the chance to taste the meat that was hung there to cure.  That was long before my time!   There used to be a large roll top barn behind the smokehouse.  It fell to the ground many years ago like a lot of things here on the farm.

There was also a 200 year old oak tree that stood in front of the dairy barn.  Katrina took her also.  

Thanks for taking this trip with me..............it was a bittersweet return.  But the memories were sweet.

The River is Calling..............

No matter how many years it has been since I have lived there, The Mississippi River always calls me home.  Nearly a mile wide here in the beautiful city of Natchez, it draws me in and calls me to dream and listen to the sounds of days long ago.  

 

Looking North on the levy, I patiently waited for a barge heading South.  No barges, boats or even a steamboat while I was dreaming and listening..........but the view is still breathtaking.

 

Once settled by 5 different nations, Natchez is, and still remains the capital of the South to all who have lived or visited here.  

Springtime in the Country Open House 2012

Springtime Fun here on the Farm!

         Loads of Spring Goodies

 all nestled in place!

                                      The Bunnies were waitin'
                           for all who came by!

          Hubby sure did a FANTASIC job on the porch and   walkway to the school! 

                    The weather was dreary but we still had a    wonderful day full of shoppers!

New Photo shot!

Here's my little cutie-pie!  Nearly 8 months old!  Where does time go!  His mommy has to keep him busy to keep his mind off teething!  Looks like a whole lot of fun to me!

We're Expanding!

Been after the farmer for several years for extra space in the shop, so we decided to officially close the school and use it for extra square footage!

The beginning of a porch!

Porch and walkway complete!

Now all we need is the roof!

Where Does Time Go?????

Seems we get so rushed and too involved in our lives that some things get put on the back burner!  Since I'm not the greatest "keeper" of the blog, I'll try and do better this year!  LOL  

Since I last wrote my life has been in total chaos!  With the birth of my first grandson (yay!) to my mother's illness, days go by as seconds instead of hours.  I haven't been behind the sewing machine in months.  Probably forgot how to even thread the needle! HA! 

Right now we are getting ready for our Annual Springtime in the Country Open House.  This year the event will be March 8th thru the 10th, and we are rushing around trying to prepare for that.  We are in the process of adding an extra 500 square feet of shopping space by building a covered walk and porch onto the school house.  So sorry to say school is temporarily closed and the ever growing shop will have enough space! 

My oldest daughter just turned 28 and my youngest will get his driver's license in another month, needless to say I feel very old!  Where does time go, huh?  

Here's a few shots from our recently updated "pre-Spring" shop!  Hope you enjoy!

 Smokey tending the fire as he looks over things in the shop!  Isn't he great!

 A cozy corner in the back room.  A great place to sit and chat with custome

New wall cubby and table!  Both are to die for! Child's make-do settle is made form an old shipping crate!

Hope everyone is enjoying the new year!  Please check back often as I plan on posting more and more as the months go by!  

There's a New Baby in Town!

Isn't he just a sweetie pie!  Born July 8th and weighed in at 9 pounds!  Of course I'm just a tad bit biased, 'cause he's my grandson!

GOT CORN?

How much corn can a farmer pick if a farmer could pick corn????? Well.........when he plants 1/2 an acre of it I guess we have a lot!  We're up to our eyeballs, earballs, and hairballs with corn!  For three solid days we have picked, shucked, silked, washed, boiled, cut and bagged corn till I'm all "corned" out!  LOL

But, with over 60 bags on the freezer, it sure will be a treat this winter!

A " FRIENDLY" VISIT!

What's the old saying about friends????  Well, anyways, here we are.  A cherished long time friend and a brand new treasured friend!  On the left, Judy Sutton, and on the right long time pal, Ann Kuehn.  Spent the day in FOUR counties shopping til we dropped!  From new furniture to braided rugs, we had a blast!  But isn't that what friends who love to shop do???  LOL   So glad these two share my passion for good country antiques and down and dirty primitives!  

For those of you who live in South Carolina, these gals along with two others have opened a new fun shop called Settlers Crossings Primitives in Ridge Spring, SC.  Totally worth your time!  I'm sure they have re-stocked since my large purchases a few weeks ago!

Sure wish ya'll could have been with us!  We had a blast! 

Springtime in the Country Open House

 

The weather was Fabulous!  Many THANKS for all of you who came out!

Now, How did we get that wagon in there????LOL 

If you're in the area, be sure and stop by!  We'd love to see you!

Here We "SNOW" Again!

 Man, just when we were thawing our from the first blast during the Christmas Holiday, here comes another one!  The shop sure looks cold and lonely!

Sooooo much snow, and soooo little time to play!  Well, it's back to work for me!  Enjoy your day!

A Wintry Day!

Well 7 inches of snow and now power for 15 hours makes one thankful for gas heat! Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

The Depot at Gibson Mill Commercial

Be sure and visit both of my booths at The Depot! 

Our New Babes Have Arrived!

Well, the day has come people for me to be mother again!  Only this time it's to 121,000 baby chicks! 

As you can see they arrived via school bus!

Just don't know how I am possibly going to name ALL those chicks!  Ahhhh....but some do have names already!

This is Walter.  Walter found me right off the bat and followed me the entire time I was in the house!  Isn't he sweet!

Here's my youngest, well, not so young anymore!  And such a sweetie! He's a future chicken farmer!  He's holding Frankie.  Frankie has the loudest "peeping" voice!

This is my youngest daughter, future pharmacist in May and newly married!  She's holding sweet little Dottie.  Can you tell where Dottie got her name????

Here's poor little Marigold, the runt of the entire flock.  She is sooooooo tiny and soooo yellow!  She may not make it through the night.....

Here's my sweetie chicken farmer......and he's not even fond of chicks!

And finally, the mother and keeper of the flocks.  I can tell you now, some of these little critters will have to come home with me!  

More pics as the 50 days continue......................

WE'RE EXPECTING!

Now that I've gotten your attention, it's CHICKS we're expecting!  LOL  After nearly a year of construction, the anticipation of newborn chicks is just around the corner!  140,000 of them!  Don't know if I can handle being a mom to all those babes! Here's what it looked like last year before the bulldozers came in.

And there ya have it!  FOUR huge houses all ready for the flock. Each house is 48 feet wide and 500 feet long.  Hmmmm....they would make GREAT storage for the shop!!!  LOL

Here's another view from road going in.

 
Looking down from the houses.  Will keep you  posted on the developing saga and post more pics after the chicks arrive!

Holiday Open House 2010

 Come on in......that fire won't warm you up!

 Otis is enjoying his duties!

 Ready or not, here you go!

 Couldn't do without all my Arnett's santas!

 Santa was here the night before and left something!

 Still haven't painted the old one room school.....

Here we all are!  Too bad we didn't have time to eat all that great food!