May was just insanely busy. I already commented on that, so I won’t go into it again, but I might just expand on it some. Memorial Day weekend was spent in Sharon Springs – a small, semi-typical rural town in Upstate New York. I call it semi-typical, as it has regained a bit of notoriety due to the success of “The Fabulous Beekman Boys”, escaping the complete abandonment of many other small towns, once the highway passed them by.
“The Fabulous Beekman Boys” is a reality show centered around two gay Manhattanites who buy a farm as a weekend getaway and end up needing to make it into a profitable venture after the Great Recession of 2008 leave them jobless and near bankruptcy. Beekman1802.com tells their story far better than I can and offers their products for sale. If you haven’t had a chance to visit, do check it out. There is not only information on their products, but also their thoughts on city and farm life, gardening tips and recipes.
Their story is inspiring. They strive to live an honest, balanced, seasonal life, paying attention to family, friends, neighbors and the good things in life, but the successful end chapter has yet to be written. Following along makes us all feel like we can, even if we are never sure of the eventual success.
Sharon Springs hosted a village garden party over Memorial Day weekend. There were a variety of vendors there, selling farm products and garden tools, speakers on garden design and authors discussing their books on stone walls and gardening. One featured event was a tour of the Beekman Mansion grounds, including the vegetable and flower gardens as well as the barn full of goats. I was lucky enough to get a ticket. Some of what I saw:
The Manor is far less grand than the Beekman Farm, but it is my little piece of living well until I get to move to the country with goats and chickens of my own. It is just a nice reminded that everyone can life well, in their own way, be it simple or grand.
From the Manor 