A FAMILY FOR OLD MILL FARM

Illustrated by Niki Daly
Published by Clarion, 2007

About A FAMILY FOR OLD MILL FARM

Some books are more autobiographical than others. This book is based upon the three years my husband and I spent looking for our place in the country. Our friendly real estate agent, Steve Eusades, was VERY patient. Every few weeks he would telephone to tell us about yet another house or farm that was available. At the time, we were living in downtown Ann Arbor and wanted more property. Finally, we found it!

Our farm was a run-down place that needed a great deal of repair. The barn doors were all broken or off their runners, drainage pipes were broken, the lawn had not been mowed in at least three years, there were dead trees that needed to be felled, and the house—a rental property—needed a lot of maintenance and renovation. However, at almost 13 acres and just minutes from downtown where we both worked . . . it was perfect! As the Realtor in the story says: “It just needs some paint . . . a roof . . . a board or two.” And did it!

It was a lot of work, but we learned how to do most of it ourselves. After many years, it is a remarkable place to live. (NOTE: my book THE HOUSE IN THE MEADOW is also based upon much of what we learned while working on our home.)

Twenty-two years have passed since we first moved in. We love our woods, our hills, our meadows, our pond, and our barn all tumbled with hay. We especially love sharing our farm with the “wild” animals that brighten our days here — many more than could fit into the book. There are bluebirds, finches, owls, hawks, swallows, ducks, geese, wild turkeys, kingfishers, frogs, turtles, bats, rabbits, raccoons, possums, minks, skunks, foxes, snakes, woodchucks, squirrels, chipmunks, coyotes, deer and laughing grandchildren . . . just to mention a few of them. When you add to that mixture the domesticated animals we’ve welcomed over the years like sheep, dogs, and lapfuls of cats . . . you can understand why our old farm is nothing less than perfect!

Please, enjoy my story of one family’s search for the perfect place to live: A FAMILY FOR OLD MILL FARM!

S. C.
June, 2007.

• A FAMILY FOR OLD MILL FARM Activity Guide