Chats on the Farmhouse Porch: Day Tripping

It is a perfect morning for a chat on our porch. It's actually a bit chilly, so bring a sweater. By mid-morning you'll be able to take the sweater off. The sun is out. We had a bit of rain yesterday - that's three days in a row! The plants are green - no crunchy grass. The birds are happy and we have a new crop of baby bunnies - much to Tucker's delight. He was led on a merry chase this morning as the bunny took a wrong turn. But, have no fear, soft hearts, the bunny just ran a bit faster and made it to safe haven. I think I could hear the other bunnies chanting, "All-ee, all-ee, outs in free!" I'm sure they were doing high-fives under the tractor!

Patrice has some questions to get our conversations going. Feel free to join in the chat, either as comments on my post or on your own blog.

1. Do you exercise?
2. What's your favorite type of party or get together?
3. What's your favorite kind of melon?
4. Do you ever go to a farmers' market?
5. Would you prefer a series of day trips, or a week's vacation?

1. I'd like to be able to say, "Oh, yes, I take Tucker for walks all of the time." But the truth is, I've taken Tucker for a walk only three times in the last 8-10 days. I guess it's my "summer resolution"! But it hasn't become a hard a fast routine yet. I need to exercise. Since the horses have gone I have gained at least 10 pounds. I'm not kidding! So, like Patrice, up until now my exercise was doing things around the yard - gardening and horse care. Now that's not enough. We also pulled the bikes out of the deep depths of the garage and hope to begin riding them again. We have an incredible system of trails nearby, and can walk and ride for miles. I will say that Tucker's loving it! I wish some of you were nearby and could join us! That would make the walks so much more fun.

Here's a satellite view of one of the trails.

Although I can't easily walk to the trails from my house,

once I get there I can walk for miles and miles....

2. My favorite type of party or get together? Hmm, that all depends on whether I'm giving it or going! I don't 'do' a lot of parties, either way. I'm not sure why. I enjoy hosting parties more than going - I guess I'm a bit shy. I like get togethers where there is something to do; a book to discuss or a sewing project, for example. We really need to have a party in our new home so the neighbors can see what we've done. But, we keep saying, wait until we finish this... or that, and it never happens. Oh! I  just had a fabulous idea! We should host a "Tom Sawyer" party! The next chore on our list is painting the picket fence. I could get the fence scraped, then invite friends.... nawwww, I'm thinking they might not enjoy the spirit of the party! What would you think if you were invited to my 'Tom Sawyer' party?

3. My favorite kind of melon is a cantaloupe. I don't care for honeydews or watermelon. It's very strange, but I used to be allergic to cantaloupe. My mouth and throat would itch and swell - but I would still eat a bit, now and then. Now I no longer have that reaction. I had some other food allergies that have gone away as well. Hooray! Do you have any food allergies?

4. Now that we live close to town we go to the Farmer's Market almost every Sunday. This week, for the first time, we took Tucker with us. I think he suffered sensory overload! He loved seeing everything. His head was swiveling left and right - so much to see; so much to smell; so many pats from people! We found a vendor who makes the most delicious jams with honey. We had to go back and buy another jar this Sunday. What about you? What's your favorite thing to buy at a Farmer's Market?

5. Patrice asks if we prefer a series of day trips or a week's vacation. Awww, Patrice, can't I do both?! I am generally a homebody, and having the horses underscored the need to be home. I like the concept of traveling, but usually within a day or so, I'm wishing I was home. I really need to take more day trips around here. We are within a reasonable drive of beautiful mountain parks - and we just haven't gone. So, I guess I'll say that day trips are favored over longer stays.
We just got our camper out of storage. We haven't used it in over 3 years. We will be heading out, and of course, I'll be blogging about it. Hey, with the camper I will be able to do both! I'll be on a vacation, and we can take day trips from the home base of the camper!! I can have my cake, and eat it too. No, wait... no cake. Not until I've lost some weight!

Thanks for coming by the porch. You can visit others who are chatting by going to Everyday Rurality.
How would you respond to Patrice's questions?