So you think you're a homesteader - part 18

So you think you're a homesteader? - Lessons from the MAYFLOWER... So you may have wondered, how did our friends on the MAYFLOWER celebrate their first Christmas in the new world?  They are at anchor in Plimouth harbor and have agreed upon a site for the colony and have sent work parties ashore to fell, buck, hew & saw timber for building. On Dec. 24th, 1620, one of the colonists named Solomon Prower dies. He is the 2nd colonist to die at Plimouth and is buried ashore. So how did they celebrate Christmas? - They didn't - these people were opposed to anything not specifically in the Bible and did not observe Saints days, Easter, Christmas etc. Instead they sent a party ashore to work timber and begin the first building, a 20 ft. X 20ft. Shelter and store house for their goods. Captain Jones & his crew were Church of England men and celebrated with a day off and extra beer ration. This is before molasses based Rum was available and the famous "Grog" is unknown to British sailors. Beer was getting pretty short but Master Jones allowed the colonists to have some on this day even though he had cut them off earlier to conserve the supply for the voyage home. I won't berate you with a lesson this time, I take this opportunity to wish you all a Joyous Christmas, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice or whatever you celebrate at this time of year. Be grateful for your blessings and look forward to more in the coming year.

- Unicoi Ludd

So you think you're a homesteader - part 17

So you think you're a homesteader? - Lessons fro the MAYFLOWER... Our last visit with the colonist's was Dec. 13, 1620 as the exploring party returned to MAYFLOWER to report on the potential settlement sites they've found. The colonist's are happy & excited at the prospect of finally getting off the ship and starting to build their new lives, but this happiness is dampened by the sad news for William Bradford of his wife's drowning and the death of James Chilton since they've been gone. On the 15th, the MAYFLOWER attempts to follow the Shallop to the new site but contrary winds force them to return to their old anchorage. The next day they try again and finally, after 102 days since leaving Plymouth, England they anchor a mile off shore in "Plimouth" harbor. For the next few days they look at the area and on the 20th decide by a voice vote on a site near "Jones River" which is just navigable by the Shallop at high water. Desperate to begin building their shelters, they are once again thwarted by the weather as storms and rain confine them to the ship. On Dec. 21, Richard Britteridge becomes the first colonist to die at Plimouth. The next day "Goodwife Allerton" is delivered of a still born son. Dec. 23 a party is able to go ashore and bury the dead and begin felling timber for construction materials. ----By now I hope you've seen just how hard these people struggled for their dream. They seem to be faced with obstacles at every step, in today's slang we would say "They can't catch a break". I know I've felt that way before and I bet you have too. If you think a "homestead lifestyle" is all sunshine & buttercups you've never done it. There's a reason the back to nature hippy communes aren't around - it's hard, it's fixing fences in a freezing rain, it's waking up to a fire in the chicken coop, it's splitting firewood with broken ribs, it's limping on a bad hip to get the chores done because the ATV won't start. It's all that and more and sometimes it's sunshine & buttercups. My advice, for whatever it may be worth is learn to relish the challenge of the tough times and take the time to really enjoy the sunshine & buttercups. Most of all, no matter what, keep plowing ahead because sitting around whining about how hard you've got it is pointless and really comparatively untrue.

- UNICOI LUDD

So you think you're a Homesteader Part 16

So you think you're a homesteader? Lessons from the MAYFLOWER - an unusual back to back post today because while the MAYFLOWER remains at anchor in Cape Cod, an exploring party is searching for a homesite- let's see what they're up to... December 6, 1620, 18 men including Miles Standish, Governor Carver, William Bradford & the incredibly lucky John Howland set out in the Shallop to find a site for the colony. A sailor named Robert Coppin has told them of a possible harbor he visited on a previous voyage, so they row & sail south. Exploring the coast on their way they are looking for some specific features, a safe harbor for ships, a river to allow access to the back country, fresh water, arable land suitable for farming & defendable high ground for their home site. On Friday Dec. 8 while exploring they are attacked by natives but no casualties are suffered. Later that evening a strong storm strikes the area and the Shallop suffers serious damage, it's mast broken in 3 pieces as well as the rudder. They are able to reach Clarke Island and spend a cold, wet Saturday & Sunday there, repairing the damage as well as possible. On Monday Dec. 11 they explore the area and decide that it is good enough for settlement. Not ideal though, the harbor is shallow and ships will have to anchor about a mile from shore. Plenty of fresh steams but no large inland river. On the plus side, the area has been cleared for agriculture by native peoples, burial grounds, decayed housing and un buried skeletal remains attest to a population swept away suddenly, seemingly by Devine providence for their benefit. Low hills provide defendable ground. Not ideal but after all the hardships & in desperate need they say "good enough" and return to the MAYFLOWER, arriving on Dec. 13th. What can we take from this aspect of the MAYFLOWER story ? When looking for land, you should have a specific list of desirable features that are important to you. Understand that the "perfect" site may not be available or affordable so keep an open mind on what is desirable and what is good enough. Looking for property can be fun & exciting but it can also be darn frustrating! If you're in the "looking for land" phase of homesteading, bear in mind that you should look for what it CAN BE, not just what it is right now.

-UNICOI LUDD

So you think you are a Homesteader Part 15

By Unicoi Ludd

So you think you're a homesteader? - Lessons from the MAYFLOWER..... Our last look at the colonist's was as they buried Edward Thompson, the 2nd passenger to die & the first to die in America. It's now December 5th 1620 and the pressure is on to find a site for their colony, the Shallop is repaired & preparations for an extended search for a site are under way when a young hooligan named Francis Billington decides to play around with his fathers "fowler" (shotgun) and accidentally discharges the weapon below deck. Near by are "many people" & a barrel of gunpowder, fortunately no one is hurt. Young Master Billington will prove to be quite a handful, but for now we'll leave him. The next day, Jasper More, a boy servant to Governor Carver, dies and is buried ashore. The exploration party also leaves this day determined to find a place to settle, the best map available to them was that of John Smith of the Jamestown colony and is pictured below. The next day, Dec. 7 , Dorothy Bradford, wife of William Bradford , who is away with the exploring party, falls overboard and drowns. Much speculation on Mrs. Bradford's death has been made, was it an accident or suicide ? Little is said about the incident and unlike the other deaths, no mention is made of her burial service even though her body was recovered. Who can say ? Certainly this was a rough time for everyone, a cold & bleak harbor, no place to settle, widespread illness and 2 deaths in as many days, fear & perhaps despair wouldn't be unusual. The next day, Dec. 8 Master James Chilton dies, the first head of household to die, and left behind a wife and 2 daughters. The effects of scurvy, exposure to cold & wet, respiratory infections and possibly leptospirosis are beginning the relentless harvest. Dec. 4 -8, 4 days & 4 dead out of 102 colonist's, almost a 4% mortality and they haven't even started a colony. Besides the obvious lesson of "don't let children play with guns", I'd like us to consider Dorothy Bradford. Not whether her death was accidental or suicide but rather the emotional state that we can all fall into. She had followed her husband on this extraordinary voyage, leaving her son behind in Leyden rather than risk his life. We've seen how difficult the voyage was, the setbacks, hardships and now arriving at the wrong destination. A cold and inhospitable land, illness affecting them all and now her husband gone and friends dying around her daily. Nothing about this dream of freedom is going as planed. For all our hopes & dreams, no matter how well you plan & prepare, sometimes nothing goes right. Whatever you're long term homesteader goals are, accept that things will go wrong, it's not the end of the world, don't let the setbacks & mistakes bring you down. Cuss, cry & get drunk if you want, but get up with the sun the next day and learn from your mistakes, adjust the plan and know that everyday is a new chance. Life will kick you enough, don't add to the problem by kicking yourself, learn, get better and don't give up.

So you think you are a Homesteader Part 14

So you think you're a homesteader? Lessons from the MAYFLOWER....late November- early December 1620, our friends the colonist's are still at anchor in Cape Cod completing repairs to the Shallop and exploring the immediate area. The weather has turned decidedly colder with 6+ inches of snow & the ground frozen a foot deep, Mistress White has been delivered of a son whom they name Peregrine- the 2nd child born since leaving England and the first in America. The ships Master Christopher Jones is pushing the colonist's to decide on a site so that he can return to England ASAP. Both colonist's & crew are suffering the effects of scurvy and the constant damp and cold is taking its toll on their health, the coughs are escalating into serious respiratory infections. Edward Thomson is the first to succumb and is buried ashore, with 2 births & 2 deaths among the colonist's this is the last time their numbers balance, from now on they will dwindle relentlessly as illness takes a truly horrific toll. They must find a site for their colony, build shelter for 100+ men, women & children and survive the New England winter. If they live through to spring they must clear ground, plant, tend & harvest crops before their slender store of provisions run out. They had a choice- they could have returned to England & Holland. They chose to get in an open sailboat and search for a home site. Here is an important lesson for those of you thinking of a simple, homesteader lifestyle- be sure you understand what you're getting yourself & your family into. The work doesn't stop when you get sick, when it's raining or snowing it's still got to get done. There are no "sick days" on a farm. I don't say this to discourage anyone it's just the reality. The rewards of independence are great but the responsibility is great as well. They had a choice- you've got a choice, no one can make it for you, be committed or don't get in the boat.

By Unicoi Ludd

So you think you are a Homesteader Part 13

By Unicoi Ludd

So you think you're a homesteader? Lessons from the MAYFLOWER....The colonist great adventure has begun! They're at anchor in Cape Cod Bay, they've done some exploring of the area, but not yet found a site for settlement & begun repairing their "Shallop", the sail boat they'll need to continue searching. The Master of MAYFLOWER, The unsavory Christopher Jones is pressuring the colonist's to pick a site ASAP so he can return to England. It's a hectic time, some are working on the Shallop, some searching for a suitable site & others preparing tools & equipment for use. Although I can find no list of what the colonists brought to build their colony, later lists of recommended tools are available to give us a good idea. Hoes, broad & felling axes, Whip saws for making lumber, hammers & shovels are apparently stowed as the iron & steel parts only, because they now speak of "helving" these items. Probably in an effort to carry as much as possible in the limited cargo space, they have no handles, now they make handles ( helves) for their tools and "stock" to repair the Shallop from local timber. Imagine what a busy scene on the deck & beach! The weather has turned colder & the ships boat can't get close enough to the beach, so they have to wade ashore in the cold (c. 50 deg F) water and spend their nights in the unheated ship. Always cold, always damp and weakened by scurvy they begin to cough. William Bradford will later say that this was when many caught their death. Cold, wet & terribly ill they keep working. They may not have known it then, but this is no longer about colonizing a new land, religious freedom or a fresh start. It has become a brutal fight for mere survival. I let you draw whatever lesson you can this post, but ask that as you sit down in a warm, dry house to a kitchen and dining room overwhelmed by good food to take a moment and think about our friends on that cold & windy beach. Be thankful we don't have to face the trials they did. We keep warm today beside the fire they started. Have a happy Thankgiving Twisted folks ✌️

So you think you are a Homesteader Part 12

By Unicoi Ludd

So you think you're a homesteader ? Lessons from the MAYFLOWER-- When last we saw our friends,( I hope you have come to think of them as friends ) they were at anchor in Cape Cod Bay looking out at an unknown land. Having agreed to work together they set about the work of repairing their small sailboat, known as "the Shallop" and exploring the rather barren coast they're on. An armed party of colonist's under the command of Miles Standish and William Bradford go ashore to reconnoiter the area, planning to be gone a couple of days. While they scout the land they see a small party of natives and want to communicate with them. The natives, seeing a party of armed & armored strangers running toward them, not surprisingly run like hell into the woods ! While trying to track down the natives, the colonist's find a cache of corn buried in a large kettle and take it back to the ship. Wrong though it certainly was, let's not condemn them until we understand the situation. They were running short on provisions but were certainly not hungry at this point. They were a famously honest people, so casual theft doesn't explain their actions. So why did they steal the corn ? If you've ever tried to quit an addiction, drugs, alcohol, smoking or even just sugar, you know how overpowering the desire can be, how you behave in ways you never would normally. These people were in desperate need of fresh food, specifically vitamin C - you guessed it, they were ill with scurvy. A deficiency disease that was poorly understood at the time, it would be more than 100 years before citrus fruits and juices would be used to prevent this often fatal disease. Having been confined on the ship for 2 months their bodies were crying out for fresh food. Scurvy doesn't get better over night, it lowers red blood cell counts, causes bleeding of the gums and skin & leaves the sufferer open to infection. The horrible mortality that lies ahead is built on this foundation. So we can take 2 lessons here, one is to watch your diet. Living off your own produce is great, but understand what your body needs to function ( I'm looking at you vegetarians), #2- when you move to a new neighborhood, be careful how you meet the neighbors. Different parts of our country have different ways. Tread softly and learn. Or, as we say in the south- "We don't care how you do it up north" 😉