Spring Cleaning | The Tavern House

It's spring cleaning around The Tavern House (aka Uppie's Farm). The Tavern House is the name of our house. We didn't make it up. It's what people used to call the house. The Tavern House was built in 1725 as a private home. At some point, we think in the 1800's, it became a Tavern and stagecoach stop for travelers coming from Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia on their way to Cape May. At the end of our road, there was also a shipbuilding yard, which I can only guess also contributed patrons to a local tavern. On some of the old maps, it's referred to as The Hotel. At some point we know there was a fire, but how and when it became a residence again, we just don't know.

Clockwise: spigot, blueberry bush, raised beds, hosta

We often refer to it as Uppie's Farm. Uppie is my wife, or at least that's what she's know by to our nieces, grandchild, and a growing number of people. We've come to that point in our lives, where grown adult friends are starting to call us by our nicknames. It won't be long now till friends and family all start calling me Grandie. Uppie's Farm is how our nieces referred to our home when they lived in Switzerland. We had a big yard, chickens, pigs, a garden, so naturally they thought of it as her farm. I just live here.

Clockwise: Tavern House, Side Porch, Sconce, Mailbox, Front Porch, Hedgerow

Today is a nice Spring day. Not really nice, but the kind of day that's nice to work in the yard. Or at least it's a nice day for someone to work. I prefer to take pictures and write about it. So Jane hired a young guy who's cleaning out the gutters, clearing brush away, etc... He's no joke.

Jane got a new rain barrel for Mother's Day. It's here a bit early. I still need to hook it up, but being I'm about as handy as a one-armed violinist, I'll need to get one of our daughter's husbands over here to help.

Clockwise: Rain Barrel, Brass Spigot, Black and white, Intake

They're made out of old Whiskey barrels, refurbished, and then fitted out with intakes and a brass fixture. They're pretty actually. Ours is currently sitting by our back door. Not sure if it will be able to stay there or not.

Jane's hired man Paul, cleaned out the raised beds a few weeks ago and spread mulch, so the garden already looks pretty good. He also totally cleaned out the raspberry bushes, which were completely out of control. We replaced them with two blueberry bushes, which we're hopeful about. Jane also planted some leafy greens, which are just about the only thing you can put in the ground this time of year. Our perennial herbs look good but even they need to be controlled or they spread like weeds. As they say, the definition of a weed is any plant NOT growing where you want it to.

Clockwise: Romaine, Oregano, Black-Eyed Susan, Red Leaf Lettuce, Chives, Rosemary

Jane wanted to paint the living room this Spring, but it just may have to wait until the Fall. I think she's already over the idea of having someone in the house. She's moved on to other things in her mind.

Clockwise: Kitchen Window, Child's Boots, LR Window, Basket, Firewood, Pots/Pans

Admittedly, we're in between seasons. It might be nice our during the day, but that doesn't mean you don't want a warm fire blazing later than night. Although as the season has definitely changed, Jane cooks differently. Not because we have access to different kinds of fresh foods, but because things that might have been acceptable a few weeks ago, are now "winter foods." She claims that a lot of it is how much time she wants to spend cooking, rather than doing things outside.

A summer meal, is a meal without a lot of preparation. You want to spend as little time as possible, and you want cook inside as little as possible. Everything should either be raw, or able to throw on the grill outside. Winter meals can take all day, involve not only the oven, but every burner on the stovetop. What else are you going to do?

Final photo are a few from upstairs. Not everyone sees this area of our house, and Jane might not like showing a room she didn't inspect first, but I think they look great. Even the damn bathroom.

In a weeks we should have baby chicks, as we have a dozen or so in the incubator. Only problem is we don't know if the eggs are fertilized. Jane thinks our Rooster may be gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Clockwise: Master Bedroom, Upstairs Bathroom, Stairwell, Bedroom Floor, Bed