Our Trip to New York City

After a long bus journey on Thursday, August 8th we happily arrived in New York. Our first stop was Central Park, where we walked next to the lake and saw some small turtles in the water. After that we visited the famous Time Square.

On Friday, we took the ferry to Staten Island where we saw the Statue of Liberty and then New York (Manhattan) from a different view. Afterwards, we walked through Chinatown. It was very crowded and the traffic was really bad. Little Italy was great because it reminded us of the tiny towns in Italy.

Saturday was our very successful shopping day. In the morning we visited Top of the Rock on the Rockefeller Center. The view was breathtaking.

On the last day, Sunday, we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. Later on it was time to buy gifts for our boyfriends and family members. Our last stop was the Chelsea Market and after that we took a walk on the High Line.

On Monday we started our day with a delicious typical American breakfast at Andrew's Coffeeshop. We ordered Nutella french toast, pancakes, fried eggs, sausages and, of course, bacon. We enjoyed it a lot. And then our journey back home began.

— Jojo, Lisa and Hanni

Top of the Rock

Time Square

What a view!

The venomous, dreaded, frightful monster of the Japanese Maple Tree

The day started very normally.

Lisi and I weeded the Round About in front of Maggie’s house. It was very hot so we had to drink a lot of water. Lisi and i didn’t feel very well; in my mind it was because of the weather. Anyway, we worked until 11 a.m., then we started to cook lunch for our bosses, Dominga, the chair and Tucker.

After lunch the Landscape Committee planned the Round About at the barn. So basically, we wanted to drive with the plants to the Round About, but when i took the Japanese Maple to the truck, something stung me in my upper arm.

First i thought it was a bee or a wasp, but surprisingly it wasn’t. I looked for a nest and quickly i found something, but it had something like feeders or a fur. It was definitely not embedded in a nest. When we where guessing what it could be, Lisi said the word Caterpillar. Maggie started looking for furry Caterpillar on the Internet and she found a video and an article about that strange little animal called “Puss Caterpillar” and that guy is definitely not usually found in Maryland. When we read the article, i was shocked by the words “venomous”, “pain like you broke an arm” and “must go to the hospital".

But as we all know, not everything on the Internet is true. So what did we do? Maggie called some friends of hers and most didn’t know the animal, but then there was James Crawford the Native American gardener from Georgia. James knew it, because he also had been bitten by one and he said it was not that dangerous.

If i were to get red stripes on my arm, i should drive to the hospital immediately, but fortunately i didn’t. When a friend of Maggie’s, a nurse, called her back and said we shouldn’t worry, because it it’s not as dangerous as we thought, i was very soothed. Luckily, i cooled it immediately, so it didn’t hurt that much. This was what all treatments said to do — ice it.

After a few hours, Tucker came home and Maggie asked all of us, “So what should we do with the little monster? Should we kill it or save it?” Immediately i said: “ Of course we will save it.” Maggie was still not sure, but when Tucker agreed with me, she accepted the decision. As fast as i could i took the bucket with the Puss Caterpillar and put him outside on a tree and saved his valuable life.

Ps: Thanks Tucker for helping me save every life we can save ;).

-Sammy <3 08/14/19

Romantic Wedding

On Saturday we had our first romantic wedding at Woodlawn. After Jojo, Hanni and Lisa drove to New York we started the preparations for the special day for two lovers. 

We were setting up tables and chairs and weeded the whole area infront of the house, so everything looked beautiful. At 4:30 pm the Ceremony began. I couldn‘t imagine how wonderful it would be. At first glance I could see that they are very much in love. Afterwards was the Father-Bride-Dance and the Mother-Groom-Dance. Maggie cried because it was very emotinal. Accordingly everyone enjoyed the lemon herbed salmon, herb roasted potatoes and grilled asparagus. They had a wedding cake and a lot of cute and colourful cupcakes. 

It was a great experience to see an American wedding with so lovely people. 

I congratulate you for your marriage and wish you both a beautiful forever.

-Elisabeth Lindinger




Daytrip to Washington DC


Sunday we went to Washington DC. We got up very early in the morning which means we all slept the whole journey to the city.

After 2 hours we arrived in the popular city of Washington, DC. First of all we started our trip through the town at the White House. From there we moved ahead to the Washington Monument. Afterwards, we decided to go to the Botanical Garden. The garden was beautiful and there were lots of different plants from all over the world. Then we walked straight to the Capitol Building were we took a hundred pictures (as you can see one up here).

Next we continued our daytrip to visit the Museum of Natural History. There we saw skeletons from dinosaurs, different animals and a lot more. At about 5 o'clock in the evening we started our trip back home.

On the way home we got so hungry because of our 9 km walk that we stopped at McDonald's. We concluded there is really not a difference between the Austrian and the American McDonald's because they are both tasty.


When we arrived at Woodlawn we jumped in to the shower and went straight to bed.
-- Lisa Hammer 8/6/2019

The Trip to Ocean City

Hey guys, last Tuesday we started our trip to Ocean City very early in the morning. We drove in the car for about 4 hours. Most of us have never seen the Atlantic Ocean before - it was amazing. When we arrived at the Residence Inn Marriott Hotel, we changed our clothes and went to the beautiful swimming pool. But before we swam Jim and I, Sam, had a funny conversation with the woman at the reception. She is from Ireland and is working in the United States of America this summer, just as we do.


After a long day of chilling we went to the famous crab-restaurant which is called “Phillips Crab House”. We tried oysters and clams for the first time and they were delicious. As dessert, Hanni got a fake-20th-birthday-party. So, we and the waitresses sang for her and she got a chocolate cake. After this funny and great dinner we walked around in Ocean City and went to bed early to be fit for the next day.

We started our second day at 8am with breakfast in our hotel. Afterwards we went to the pool. We really enjoyed the warm water and the sunny weather. In the late afternoon we drove back to Woodlawn with lots of energy. It was the perfect start for our Internship in the US. 

— Sam and Lisi 8/5/19

First time crabbing

Yesterday we went on a boat at Charter Bays. At first we drove to an old lighthouse which was shutdown in the early ‘60s. Nowadays fishermen don’t need lighthouses because information is on their monitor on the boat.

Afterwards, Phil showed us how to crab and fish. He threw some cages in the water and the crabs went in because they smelled the dead fish inside. When crabs enter the cages, they can’t get out anymore.


After the boat trip, we steamed some crabs. We added salt, pepper, red pepper and bay seasoning to the crabs. After around 30 minutes they were done.

Phil showed us how to eat them because it’s not that easy. It was a great experience and we learned a lot. For example, an oyster can filter 50 gallons of water a day. A female crab can produce over a million eggs. An oyster only grows an inch per year.

Picking and eating crabs with Captain Phil Langley.

— Johanna Drack 07/27/19

Sticky rice :P

Today Eva and I had to cook lunch for Maggie, Jim, Tucker and ourselves, of course. We made curry with rice which is one of my favorite dishes. Turns out that Americans make rice with one cup of water and one cup of rice while in Austria we make it in relation 1:2. Because of that, the rice was a little sticky. Sorry about that :/

After lunch we were just cleaning the chairs for the wedding on Saturday. We also cleaned and refilled the bar with different sodas. Tomorrow Maggie will show us how to wallpaper. I am really looking forward to that because she always talks about wallpapering. :)

A few days ago, Maggie told us to read a chapter in a book named SlackWater. I had to read the chapter “Farming is a Business”, where James Norris talks about agriculture and other topics.

—Julia Haslinger, 07/15/2019

First day off (;

Today, our first day off `officially` began as mentioned by Hanni with the trip to Jubilee Farm, where we learned to fish at first in the living room and after that in a real pond nearby. As suspected, i had no luck with that and didn`t catch any fish despite being right beside the other girls. Nevermind, i didn`t take that to heart and was looking forward to the wine tasting with Maggie. We got 3 white wines, 2 rose wines, 2 red wines and a sparkling Moscato, which was the best wine we tasted this afternoon. As Maggie realized how much all of us liked this wine she mentioned that there are 2 more bottles in the cellar but that we are only allowed to drink one bottle per day haha ;)

During the wine tasting Jim, Jack, Tucker and Michael a vegan-vegetable-farmer joined us and we talked a lot about vegetables and farmer things. What a surprise. Moreover, we planned a vegetable barbecue Wednesday with Michael, where he will show us how to prepare and cook vegetables he grows. He is a certified chef. We are also looking forward to that and our beloved Moscato wine.

—Eva Aschauer, July/14/2019

Just caught my first fish :)

Today was our free day. My day started at half past 6 with a little workout outside. After that I made breakfast for Jojo and Lisa. I prepared some yogurt with fruits for the girls. Maggie took us at 8 in the morning to Jubilee Farm where we went fishing. First of all, Maggie showed us how to use the fishing rods. We then went to a little fish pond near the farm where we could fish. Lisa threw the rod in the lake and a few minutes later she held the first fish in her hands. I had a rod which was a bit difficult (three feet longer!) but even I caught two fish. Surprisingly, Jojo caught 3 and Eva 0. It was so much fun. Tucker invited us to eat hamburgers and hot dogs with him and the brewer, Dan. It was such a hot day we were lucky to then cool down in the pool.

I had to read a chapter from a book called SlackWater by Anne Grulich. The chapter is about the special landscapes of Maryland and the cultural changes which people have dealt with.

— Johanna Heigl, 07|14|2019

Lisa and Tina in Washington, D.C. Before NYC

Notes from the tour to DC...


We arrived in DC at eleven o‘clock. The man at the lobby was very friendly but our chauffeur Chris was so to fast we couldn‘t say thanks to him. Can you tell Chris thanks for driving us to the hotel, please?   

After check-in we walked to the White House, Washington Monument and to the Capitol. In the afternoon we had dinner at Vapiano and then headed to H&M. 

DC is a very nice town to visit but there were a lot of tourists and the hot temperature was uncomfortable. 

Next stop, NYC!


Thanks for the great four weeks which we will never forget. We hope we see you soon in Austria.

All best
Lisa and Tina
 

The White House. Former First Lady Barbara Bush said it was the only old house she ever lived in where everything worked.

The Treasure from the Carpentry Shop taken from Brave Companions, Portraits in History, By David M. McCullough pg 118

Francis P. Valentine once went to the department's carpentry shop looking for some drawings. There he found one of the most remarkable treasures in the history of building art, a collection of original drawings. 

 The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest roadway bridges in the United States. Started in 1869 and completed fourteen years later in 1883, it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, spanning the East River.  It has become an icon of New York City and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972.

All those drawings were made by the man who designed the Brooklyn Bridge and the whole collection pertained to the now famous bridge.

After a long time someone was interested in the collection so it was installed in an exhibition at the Whitney's downtown gallery.  Surprisingly, two other museums wanted to have the collection, too, although some years before when Valentine shopped the collection no-one was interested.

The drawings didn't show just the bridge, they showed a log of details as well, for example, the geological strata through which the foundations were dug. Other paintings showed the sailing shop mast's height so it could be evaluated to be sure to pass beneath the bridge. 

For a long time historians have looked upon the Brooklyn Bridge as a kind of grand but solitary redemptive symbol.

From back to front Verena, Monika and me on the famous Brooklyn Bridge. 

OK, don't get nervous, there's plenty of steel under me. 

Now they must look also at the drawings and not only at the bridge.

 

--- Elisabeth Kumpfmüller 

 

PS Here's the start of the next story ... our trip to Niagra Falls.

 

 

Ocean City: Wide, White Sand, Carnival Beach!

Hi guys,

After we came back from Georgia and Florida and two days before we left the Jubilee Farm/Woodlawn Slack Farms odyssey, we ---  David, Chris (a friend), Elisabeth, Jana, Lisa, Tina, Verena & Monika --- made a day-trip to Ocean City. 

With two cars we started the 5 hour trip to the popular vacation place and at noon we arrived there. We were surprised by the heat, because during the drive it rained and was very cloudy.  

Here we are arriving to great SUN on the boardwalk and it is HOT! That's David in the middle.

The city has a beautiful long sand beach and a lot of nice small shops. And rides. 

The white sand seems endless.

At first we went along the boardwalk on the beach, stopped at some shops to go in or buy one or another snack. Then David decided to get some braids. But Verena and I went into the Ocean. That was really funny, because the waves were quite big and so sometimes they overturned us. And the cold water was really refreshing on this hot day. 

Surfing the crashing waves which will carry you in to the sand beach. 

 Elisabeth was looking for a sweater as a souvenir, Tina, Lisa, Jana and Klara were just looking around. Here's what you see from the shops:

View of the boardwalk and beach from the shops. 

 

On our way home, we made a stop in Annapolis and had dinner in the Thai Restaurant Lemongrass. All in all it was a great day, with a (too) long car-trip, good food, nice weather and a beautiful place.

 

 

--- Monika Friedl

Sharkie and the 2 Vocal Fries!....

Here I am today, ready to retire to the garden. So much to do, so little time...

My mother looks like a small innocent little Dutch girl. Don't be fooled. She's a dancing maven, just like the others below. I'll send her dancing diva photos once I get her permission (yes, I'm ever the obedient daughter).  TRUST ME, if you're 96.5 and dancing, you're doing JUST FINE!

So as I'm trying to work hard at my desk today, my mother (c. 1922) issues a phone call interruptus and then I get a video from my niece Maggie, c. 1989, vocal fry 2012) showing what I was afraid of: the rest of the family has gone mad (Katie, c. 1994, vocal fry 2016).

First watch Martha and the Vandellas Ed Sullivan 1965:

Then see if you don't think these 3 are maybe going to make it on to the stage. Take it away, fam: SHARKIE AND THE 2 VOCAL FRIES: U. Sharkie, M.O. Macleay and K.L. Macleay. SHARKIE AND THE TWO VOCAL FRIES!!!!

Where the hell is my sister, Missaroonis?

--- AM (Aunt Maggie c. 1953, Chem PhD, VF [Vocal Fry] & TM [Total Meltdown] 1981/2/3, respectively. 1984 - Present, Like JM Barrie, still searching for Neverland.

Mark Twain, Summary of The Mysterious Stranger

I have been reading a lot.

This summary is about the story “The Mysterious Stranger”, written by Mark Twain.

It takes place in the Middle Ages in a town in Austria called Eseldorf. The book deals with the story of three boys, Seppi Wohlmeyer, Nikolaus Bauman and Theodor Fischer, narrated from the point of view of the latter.

Mark Twain, America's first man of letters and humorist.

One day they are sitting in their favorite place in the woods, when a youth strolling comes toward them and starts talking to the boys. He commands magic power and introduces himself as the nephew of the devil.

Yes, Mark Twain could talk to anyone. 

In the first moment the boys are scared of the stranger, whose name is Satan, but he assures them that his uncle is the only one in his family who has ever sinned. As Satan is able to tell a lot of great stories and can apparently do a lot of wonderful things, they stay with him.

After his appearance, strange things start to happen in Eseldorf.  The priest Father Peter finds a lot of money and an old woman's cat helps her find a fortune.

At the time of the story, many people are accused of being witches, and so are some of the people Satan helped.  Folks are very suspicious about things they can’t explain. Satan tries to help them, but not all of them. When the boys ask him for his reasons why, he tells them how he thinks about the human race, which is not necessarily consistent or generous. One time Satan tells Theodor that he has to change something in the future for two people, one of them being their good friend Nikolaus. Further he explains his reasons and why he sometimes has to do things that are not good fortune.

The occasion Satan changed in Nikolaus’s life was that he should die twelve days later. Satan argued that if he were not to intercede, Nikolaus would have a terrible life.

Theodor has to accept this and is only allowed to tell Seppi. Together they spend their time with Nikolaus on his last days, but with a bad feeling.

After NIkolaus's funeral some more things happen, leading back to Satan’s work. Satan makes himself unpopular with the people, often laughing about the stuff humans do.

"What are the folks up to now?"

With other things he seems to help the people, but often those things are not so obviously his work. After a while his visits to Theodor get more and more infrequent, as Satan "has a lot to do in other universes."

One day he sees Theodor and is off forever.

 

 

 --- Verena Loderbauer