a trip to CLARK Missouri

Last week while on our mini-vacation we met up with Ms. Tammy and PW from Flat Creek Farm. The two blacksmith's had plenty to gab about while we two bloggers kept up with their pace.

Visiting Mennonite country was a delight. I failed miserably at taking pictures, I was just so intrigued with the huge houses, the school yards full of bare footed children at play, the lack of electrical lines, and their wares for sale, to be taking pictures.

One of our first stops was the produce auction. Here you can see their carts lined up to go under the pavilion to be auctioned off.

Cart after cart full of the most perfect produce.

I know I didn't get a picture of it all, but there were white pumpkins, egg plants, hardy mums, pumpkins, fresh picked apples, and so much more.

We went to two Mennonite furniture shops. This child's chair almost came home with me. If only we had room to take it. It was selling for $95, what a steal!

This  quarter sawn oak TV cabinet really wanted to ride home with me. This is just what I want when our 16 year old big screen television dies.

We found a bakery selling fried hand pies. Tammy and I each bought five, in five different flavors. You think either one of us took a picture of them?  Heck no, we consumed them! There were blackberry, cherry cheese, peach cream, coconut cream, and black raspberry ones. The second bakery (Yes we found another bakery) had apples ones. We saw every kind of pie you could imagine rhubarb, rhubarb strawberry, pecan, and many more including my favorite of raisin.

We passed several saw mills, stopped at a scratch, ding, and dent store, (where I found a big box of my favorite Red Rose tea bags), saw huge gardens still full of tomatoes vines that were loaded, and I even noticed most houses had ice houses.

We toured the area for several hours. We then went to Ms. Tammy's house where she made a pot of good dark roast coffee which we enjoyed with our fried pies. It was a fun filled afternoon with good friends.

We left late afternoon, bidding each other goodbye, knowing we would be seeing them the next morning at the blacksmith meeting in Shelbyville, MO.

Saturday, we met at a fellow blacksmith's shop. It was the Blacksmith Association of Missouri's meeting day. I just had to snap a picture of the adorable out house beside his shop!

Parting ways once again, Ms. Tammy gave me a dozen of her colorful eggs.  No dye would be needed on Easter with these guys! 

They are true soldiers, they stand at attention at all times!

Before breakfast, I was reading Karen's blog at This Old House 2, and she talked about the true way to scramble eggs. Let me tell these eggs were the best ever! It would be like comparing generic white bread to Wonder bread. You wonder how you ever lived without them.

Ms. Tammy also gave me a bottle of the homemade vanilla she made with directions from Down on the farm. Today I used it for the first time and I am addicted to it now. Thanks to my friends, Ms. Tammy, Down on the farm and this old house 2, this post is complete.

Thanks Ms. Tammy and PW for showing us all the sights of Clark, MO!