Nice warm day so decided to go ahead and get the Christmas lights up at the gate. Love the look!

Our go-to handy man Glen started construction on an insulated office in the barn loft, initially for use by our resident artist Emily, but perhaps later a good location for other things.

I installed the wiring and boxes for plugs, lights and ceiling fan this past weekend and Glen has continued on with installing the insulation and drywall. Should be complete in the next week or so depending on timing.

When Chris called shortly after he went out relic hunting I could tell by his voice he had found something big. Me & Patrick drove over and found him kneeling in front of a whole cannon ball that was incredibly only about an inch below the surface. Chris picked it up (although it made me nervous) and you could see the fuse still in it. He could tell it was a confederate round by the way the fuse installs. I held it and the weight was impressive, can’t imagine that puppy hitting someone.

Chris said the ball likely came from Confederate A.P. Hill’s artillery in the cannon pits on the other side of Mine Run.

The mason Chris made a nice find of a Union staff officer gold plated button from the Excelsior Brigade. That brigade had just lost over half its members at the battle of Gettysburg in the summer before coming here to the Mine Run campaign. Chris polished up the button and gave it back to me along with a Confederate sniper bullet he found. Evidently what I originally was told were mounds from an old pipeline were actually trenches and artillery revetments at the highest point on the farm. The trench line goes back quite a distance.

Was completely suprised today when I was out in the barn yard and from across the yard comes 7 baby guinea keets sprinting to get to the rest of the flock in the bean field! I snapped the photo below then quickly tried to corral them before they got to the beans, where I never would have found them.

Turns out there were seven total and from the direction they were coming from I think they might have been hatched in the run-in shed. Perhaps the flock will be back up to full strength after all.

No trick or treaters braved the 1/2 mile driveway, which gave us a peaceful night to truly enjoy the Halloween spirit at home. We had our first fire of the season, the crackling logs casting a cozy glow over the living room. The warmth from the hearth made the evening perfect for Emily to focus on carving her masterpiece — a Snoopy pumpkin. She’s got quite the talent for it, with Snoopy’s iconic grin lighting up as the flames flickered nearby.

To add to the fun, we decided to pull out some of our favorite Halloween decorations. From spooky skeletons to whimsical witches, it all felt just right. But, we realized we could use a few fresh pieces to complete the ambiance for next year. That’s when I remembered AbracadabraNYC.com, the ultimate go-to for all things Halloween. Their selection of costumes and unique décor is unmatched, offering just the right mix of spooky and stylish. I’m already planning to order something from them to up our Halloween game for next year.

For now, though, we soaked in the simple pleasures: the warmth of the fire, the glow of the pumpkin, and the quiet joy of a peaceful Halloween night at home. Maybe next year, we’ll have a few more visitors brave enough to tackle the driveway, but for now, we’re more than content with our little family traditions.