Tamworth, Ho! The Commencement of Farm Transmissions
I drove for eight hours with an enormous suitcase in a Chevy Suburban the size of my first dorm room and arrived, unscathed, in Tamworth.
I drove through what is called “The Four Corners” and turned down Main Street. I thought I’d driven onto a movie set. There was no way this was real. White, steepled churches, banners for the Saturday Farmer’s Market, and a general store with benches outside? Give me a break.
But, hark! Tamworth, in all of it’s quaint American glory, is indeed real. I’m still pinching myself every once in a while. Four miles down a dirt road, and I pulled into the driveway of my new home. Rolling mountain peaks, stunning vistas, 8 acres of beautifully manicured lawn, two barns, a lodge, an historic farmhouse, and my house – the caretaker’s cottage. The enormity and the grandeur has yet to sink in. I am waiting, one of these days, to get hit with the splendour of this place and this farm and suddenly go into a coma or something of the sort. Luckily, though, this has not happened yet. I am busier (and happier) than I’ve ever been.
Every time I check one item off of my “To Do” list, I have eight more to add. Meeting contractors, meeting Tamworth-ians, cleaning, weeding, mapping, navigating the car to buy supplies, and remembering to feed myself betwixt such activities.
It has rained for weeks now, residents tell me. The sun has come out two times that I can recall. I retain faith however, in my neighbors who assure me, “It is NOT like this all the time. We promise!”
I have been busy exploring and cleaning both houses while getting the lay of the land and becoming acquainted with the contents of the barns, gardener’s shed, and workshop. I have been meeting excavators, landscapers, electricians, caretakers, carpenters, and satellite installations guys.
I will begin posting a series of vignettes from my first eventful week, culminating in the wonderful series of events that took place today (The Fourth of July!).
