Sunday morning, after breakfast at Casa Martig and watching the recorded Germany vs. Argentina World Cup match, Kurt, Erik, Silvia, and I went to "The Farm". We went to visit Becky and Raymond and see where the boys spent many summers while growing up.
Becky was both Kurt and Erik's kindergarten teacher, and the boys worked on the hay farm for Raymond while in high school. We had always heard wild stories from Kurt and Erik about the farm and it was great to put faces and settings with their tales while sharing some ice tea with our hosts. Becky and Raymond had just finished an addition on their house, so we got to hear all about the process and their interaction with Amish craftsmen. Their renovation trials were surprisingly similar and different to what we encounter in NYC.
Kurt and Erik used to help move bales from the fields to the barns and then into trucks when it was time to ship out. I can barely lift one bale. I don't know how they were ever able to move hundreds on a hot summer day.
It's like they never left!
The day we left Salem, Kurt took me to see his family's garden. His grandfather used to live on the land but has since passed, and his parents keep a sizable vegetable garden on the property. Now I know why Kurt and Erik are so thrilled to have a backyard in Brooklyn and actually grow some food they can use.
The Martigs grow tons of tomatoes, corn, lettuce, and other veggies. Mr. Martig goes out about every day to check their progress. They store some tools and supplies in a couple sheds on the property but have to lug water out there by hand!
A house used to stand on the property but has since fallen down. This bathtub was left in the ruins of the old house. I tried to brainstorm ways to get it back to New York. Not that I have anywhere to put it, but it would still be an awesome find!
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