~Exterior Design~

 

Rural Missouri Summer Drive

 

 

There are always surprises along the back roads of rural Missouri.

Stop by Summer Sundays at The Tablescaper’s

Mosaic Monday at Mary’s Dear Little Red House

Photos were taken in and nearby Cuivre River State Park, Missouri.

Saturday August 21, 2010.

~A Table Story~

 

The table, we ordered, was delivered Tuesday afternoon. 

Furniture maker, Jake, told us about a 100 year old barn, destroyed by one of Missouri’s infamous tornadoes, a couple of years ago.  He was given the old barn, for the clean up, after the storm.  Since then he has taken those old barn boards and beams and turned them into beautiful and useful pieces of furniture.

Jake, 31 years old, learned his craft from his father.

The legs on our table, were turned from lengths of the massive barn beams.  The top and sides are made of the barn siding boards.  The only new wood used is in the drawer.

The old barn wood is filled with holes, mars and scars from 100 years of good work on a Missouri farm.  This makes our table even more special.

When Jake, with J’s help, brought the table and benches into the condo, I was all smiles.  I absolutely love it. It is the perfect table for our lake place.  I know I can seat 6 around the table and may be able to squeeze a couple more places in, for 8.

Jake delivered another piece of furniture and loaded it into our truck.  We took it home last night and set it in the breakfast room.  I’ll tell you more about that piece, when we return home.

In the meantime, we are back at our lake place, where I set a humble table, to celebrate Susan’s 100th Tablescape Thursday.  It’s been awhile since I participated. 

Setting our new table is a wonderful way to celebrate 100 Tablescape Thursdays.

 

Thank you Jake!

~New Town~

 

We took a little impromptu day trip, Monday. 

For the past 15 or 20 years, J has taken the blood thinner Coumadin.  Most of the time things go smoothly.  The past month the numbers have been erratic and dosage adjustments have been made, followed by blood tests, in a week. Monday was the day for the latest blood work. 

As long as we were headed in a southerly direction, for the test, we decided to take a detour to New Town Saint Charles.

The homes at New Town are reminiscent of homes from another era.

 

 

 As we walked along looking at these pretty homes, most with a front porch, we saw lots of Limelight Hydrangea, like the one above.

 

 

 

 All the photos up to and including the one above, were taken at New Town Saint Charles.

J looking over tomatoes…

 We found a farm stand, on the road home, selling produce on the honor system. See the coffee can in the upper left photo?  That’s the “cash register”.

We found more tomatoes and new potatoes at another stand.  No green beans though.

This beautiful bed of Zinnia’s was near the second farm stand.

Cows and calves in a pasture along a gravel road. 

J and I lived in the back pasture, at the farm.

Some of you guessed the farm implements from the previous post. 

The two, in the first photo, are corn planters.  The large contraption, in the second photo, is a manure spreader.

More information about New Town Saint Charles can be found HERE.  All the homes and shops, at New Town, are new construction, beginning in 2003.