Carols on The Farm

Here in my neck of the woods I am pretending to be a bit of a farmgirl. But I don't really know what I'm doing. Plus animal poop triggers my gagging reflex. Across the valley there is a Living Historical Farm, where people really do know how to farm...without machines...in petticoats.

Volunteers plow the fields with a horse-drawn spade, and long-skirted women bake stew and bread in the wood stove at the homestead. They put my bread making debacle to shame. A little while ago Rainbow Girl got to sing some Christmas songs at The Farm's Opera House.

When we went inside the Opera House, some old time singers were harmonizing the old Christmas tunes that I couldn't name. There was a gee-tar, violin, and four-part harmony all cozied up with western pine floors and victorian red walls.

This was the queen matron of the group, and she was feelin' it. So was I.

Back then...was life simpler? Sweeter? When you have to work 2 hours for a loaf of bread, do you pull up your petticoats and run whenever there's a gathering at the Opera House, or a barn dance? Did the women bring fresh pies for refreshment? Did pioneer boys try to steal kisses behind the curtain? Did the men still smell like "fertilizer"? Did the women blush when asked to dance?

Hey buddy! What's with the levis? You just ruined my memories of the long-forgotten past. Levis are 20th century. Get back in your homespun!

Oh well, in comes the crop from the 21st century...featuring Rainbow Girl.

If only Justin Hackworth had been there with his camera. Can you guess which shoes belong to Rainbow Girl?

Being a 21st century girl is worth it, but only if you have purple clogs. Thank you Grandma Cozy.

My beautiful little girl has got some pipes. She can carry a tune and...when no one is looking...and there's a song she really likes...and it's high and loud...

...she does the falsetto vibrato thing-ie with her voice. What is that called?

I know I'm being the proud mama here, so forgive me. But I've never been able to do that. And I always wanted to.

If they had waited just a couple of days, these horses would have been pulling a wagon with sleigh-runners...not old-fashioned handcrafted wooden spokes made by the carpenter named...

Heeey, wait a second. What's with the rubber wheels?

Oh well, back to the good life. Come on Rainbow Girl, let's hurry home to some hot cocoa bubbling in under 60 seconds, cooled off with a scoop of frozen cream. From a cow I didn't milk. In a freezer that doesn't need ice. Who would have imagined such things back on the farm!

Merry Christmas