Country Girl

Sometimes I wonder what people think when they find out that I grew up in Maine. Do they think that I was raised by loggers or perhaps lobstermen? Maybe they think I was raised on a farm. None of the above are true. My parents professions would allow them to work anywhere; teacher, engineer, occupational health, plumber/electrician (yes, I have four parents :)). Oh no, did I ruin your grand illusions of my Maine-life? Well before you start feeling sorry for me, let me fill you in on my families' lives outside of work. Because, after all, Maine is Vacationland. 

We spend a lot of time outdoors. We hike, bike, fish, swim, canoe, kayak and think of beaching as a sport. I consider myself extremely lucky that my parents still live in Maine and even luckier that they live on/near the coast. When my New York City friends were choosing beach houses on the Jersey Shore or on Fire Island, I saved my dough for plane tickets home. They say that home is where your heart is. I haven't been a resident of Maine in over ten years, but I still call it home. 

If you're one of my regular readers, you'll recall that I have often compared North Carolina to Maine. It's a little hard to put words to it. I've mentioned that the landscape is similar, although the climate is much more mild/warm. I suppose the pace of life is also very similar, especially when contrasting it to New York City. Pride and passion also come to mind. North Carolinians, and particularly the people of the Triangle (Trianglians?), are very passionate about their history and culture especially when it comes to the rich farmlands of the area. 

I think that the contentment and passion of the people here in North Carolina is contagious, but perhaps more so for me because it is so familiar. A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of getting up close and personal with some of those people on the annual Piedmont Farm Tour. The weekend-long event is hosted by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Alliance (CFSA). A $25 button (proceeds go to CFSA) gives your carload full access to over 40 farms in the Piedmont region. Unfortunately the tour fell on Blue Devil Weekend (which meant I was pretty busy) and the weekend where we had those terrible tornadoes, but that didn't stop us from heading out to Chapel Hill Creamery that Sunday. Here are some pictures that we snapped on our visit: 

Jersey Cows

Mom and I with a Jersey Girl

Massive horses, I couldn't believe how BIG they were!