The farmer takes a wife...

on a mini vacation. When you own a dairy farm, time off is rare. It is very difficult to find "relief milkers" in the Central Illinois area. In Wisconsin , where dairy is still quite large, there are groups that do nothing but relief milk for farmers.In our area dairy farmers get very little relief unless they have family involved in the business and fortunately for us, we do. Son Jason did 3 chore rotations for us which gave us almost 36 hrs off the farm.

We traveled a short distance, about two hours, down to Petersburg, Illinois. There we met two of my sisters and their husbands for an overnight stay at the Branson House Bed and Breakfast. http://www.bransonhousebnb.com/  A magnificent Victorian home which was warm, cozy and most importantly, did not have a single pig, cow or goat inside of it. The 6 of us ate supper together and then stayed up WAY past our bedtimes catching up on some hilarious movies. Death at a Funeral is a must see. What those people do with an unconscious,  gravitationally challenged man...oh my.

The best deal was the gut filling breakfast of blueberry pancakes and for the men, assorted MEATS, fresh fruit, and strong coffee. As the owner John told us, "We don't make wussy coffee here." The rooms were so cozy and the beds so comfortable, next time we go for more than one night.And speaking of night. Saturday night there was this eerie full moon draped in several layers of wafting clouds. Take one such moon and add it to 150 year old Victorian home and this is what you get.

On Sunday morning we  visited several antique stores which I love, yet they sadden me sometimes.

How did all those old family pictures get away from the families who once loved them ? The Aunt Bertha's, the Uncle Clydes, looking at me through stern expressions behind glass framed cages. They once hung in stately homes overlooking grand staircases made of oak and now they are hung from a stores' paneled walls looking down on a collection of red and white enamel ware pots and pans.Which made me wonder , what about the 7000 photos on my computer ? Where will they end up ? Who will love them like I do ?

Its time to collect a few more gesso and gilt frames and get those pics out of their cyber prison and onto some walls of our own. I'll do that on my next mini-vacation.