It isn't often that we get a weekend away with no cell phones or internet, but this last weekend we enjoyed a trip to Jamie's homestead in Marion, AL. Jamie was born in Marion in 1982 and remained on his family's dairy farm until his dad took a Job at Auburn University in 1987. His family has since stopped the dairy business and some now are catfish farmers and some retired. Jamie's Aunt Joyce and Uncle John are whom we were visiting this weekend and it is where we call home during hunting season. They allowed their children and Jamie to build a bunk house as Joyce calls it, the Hut as we call it, behind their home to house all of us during the winter months. Now for all your women who long to go to the hunting camp with their spouses (if there are those women) there is nothing spectacular about the Hut. It is simple and comfortable. No cable tv, no central heat or air, but we do have window units and hot water. Surprisingly this city girl loves it. We do have heat in our room and there is something about waking up to that chill in the air and then cooking breakfast while the men come in from hunting! There is never a dull moment when we are all together!
Here is the hut:
It sits up on a hill behind the main house.
This is our room! There are a total of five bedrooms in the hut.
The bathroom and the one room I used to be scared of. It is much better than camping! And the guys do a great job keeping it clean!
This weekend our main goal was to see Jamie's Uncle who had a heart attack back in August and to do some clean up on the roads between the green fields. Hunting takes a lot of work!
This is before the work day began. I think Jamie was surprised I had volunteered for manual labor!
Jamie started on the first road with his pole saw making quick work of limb removal. While Brady and I cleaned up limbs.
Jamie actually gave me a machete to use, I am not sure what he was thinking.
Proof that I can handle manual labor!
Jamie working in a tree stand.
I don't see how they climb these stands in the dark with guns and back packs. I could barely do it just holding a bag of zip ties.
The final stretch of road. I was on buggie duty at this point. As we were working the roads we came across one of the neatest/creepiest places in the farm. The grave yard! These head stones date back to the 1880s.
There are hundreds of graves and some tombs on this land. It is a little creepy but at the same time it amazes me that these are in the middle of the woods and have mostly remained untouched and undisturbed. There are a few that have suffered damage and decay.
After our grave yard visit we went to town and these two clowns just had to have their picture taken with the game warden truck.
Watching football with Uncle John at the nursing home!
On the way to town I saw this cotton field and asked if we could stop on the way home and pick a piece. Dispute growing up in Alabama I have never touched cotton in its natural state. It was hilarious when we pulled back up and they were cutting the field!
At the end of our long day we went to the clay pit for some target practice!
Less than thrilled about all my photo taking! But this was at the end of a long long day on the farm! The weekend was capped off with a short trip to Birmingham to surprise my niece at her last softball game of the season!
We also saw this cutie play fall ball! Here are some action shots:
Epic aunt fail my phone died during Carter's game!
And then the ride home. We had a wonderful weekend full of family!
B
I love your blog, Calley! Those blocks of cotton are modules. Your niece and nephew are cute too. :)
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