The Binker Files

Mt Abram Ascent

Big day for me, then these three steal the show by jumping in last minute, running the race with no training, and two of them are wearing flip flops!

2015

 When it is this cold out, this is where you'll find Arlo:

The walk to the lifts:

 

 

 

 

 

Levi turned 9! 

 At the Bill Koch cross country ski festival in Chittenden, Vermont:

Skinny ski jumping.

Silas is making ice cream here, pulling a plastic container full of ingredients, ice, and rock salt behind him as he skis.

 

 

 

 

Arlo turned 4!

  

  

Silas and Levi met at local celebrity.

A Spring-time sauna:

 

 

 Searching the pond for salamanders and frogs was a nightly ritual this spring.

 Our first farm harvest, 3 cups of maple syrup:

In April, we fostered a pregnant cat from the shelter. Roxy gave birth to four kittens in our bedroom closet on April 8th, that was a very big day.

 Marigold, Earl Gray, Kai & Leo:

 

 Silas built this remote-controlled plane:

 It was just Silas, Levi and me at fiddle camp this year. We got the best camping spot.

 

 

 

 Arlo's bouquet of farm flowers.

Our current poultry collection on the farm includes 9 Bourbon Red turkeys, 4 guinea hens, 22 laying hens and 25 Freedom Ranger meat birds. We built a 4 hoop houses and move them around the yard for fresh grass every couple of days.

 

 

 Silas and I gave mansion tours at the Norlands during their Civil Way rally.

 

Barn before:

After:

 

 Horseshoe Crab migration at Thomas Point Beach.

Silas and his special chicken, Pachycephalosaurus:

 This boy loves mushrooms.

 

Trenching to get electricity to the barn.

 On a visit to Scribners Mills, a 19th century sawmill and homestead:

Silas and Levi worked with a cooper to build their own apple barrel.

 

And Arlo made me a beautiful bracelet.

Volunteering at the Homeschool Day at Norlands.

 

 Our latest additions, two red wattle piglets, Piggy Wonky and Lafawnduh.

 We still manage to spend time on the beach.

 Arlo dug this treasure out of the sand:

Silas lost his last baby tooth at Scarborough Beach in August:

 

Getting ready for winter:

 

Slopeside Farm

Just days after returning home from our Airstream Adventure, we bought a new home. We had our eyes on this place for years. Everytime we drove home after a day of skiing at Mt Abram, we passed this old farmhouse tucked back off the road at the base of the mountain, and one of us would say "if that place ever goes up for sale, we are buying it". And about two weeks before our scheduled road trip, it went on the market. We looked at it and loved it, but we were committed to getting on the road, so we put off making an offer until we hit Wisconsin, when we received word that another offer was coming in. We spent the beter part of a day in a Walmart parking lot frantically putting together an offer and luckily ours was accepted.

Our first night in our new house:

 We set up our cookstove on Thanksgiving morning and then cooked dinner on it.

Then we settled in for a long, cold winter with lots of snow. We loved it. 

We hiked into the woods to cut down our Christmas tree.

Levi's holiday paper crafts:

We are within walking distance from the ski lifts at Mt Abram, so it was pretty exciting for us when the mountain opened for the season. What a winter we had!

Arlo likes skiing, but he also really likes snacks. After every run, he likes to visit the lodge for pizza, or hot chocolate, or skittles. When it was very cold, he wasn't so into skiing, but he found lots to do inside.

After so many years of tiny house living, it is such a treat to have two bathrooms!

2014 was a pretty amazing year for us, we all feel very fortunate.