Chapter 5 ~ An Unexpected Visit
Our Second Year at Baggebo Homestead, September 2024
Our Second Year at Baggebo Homestead is a cozy and heartwarming book in 12 chapters for everyone that enjoys reading about a simple, slow and seasonal way of life.
You can find previous chapters of the second book, or find chapters from the first book here.
With the month of September came the fog. It laid low on the meadow in the early morning. Throughout the morning it would crawl up the hill and when the sun finally rose, we would be covered in the mist. Only by afternoon would we once again feel the sun shine our faces.
“Herluf, we can not wait any longer to fire up the masonry oven,” I said one morning as we watched the fog approach us. It had just gone over the brook and was making its way up the hill.
“I know,” he said. “I’ll start working on the oven door tonight after work. It needs a new rope to hold the glass in place. The grate in the bottom of the oven needs to be changed out as well. Last winter it almost melted away.”
Our very first winter in our 100 year old farmhouse had been the coldest winter in memory and we only had the masonry oven to keep us warm. Back then, we had fired up all the firewood, until we had no more.
“I know you wanted to get the last of the firewood under cover,” I said to him.
“I’ll do that afterwards. I’ll get it all done.”
Herluf barely finished his sentence before a knock was heard on the door. He opened it, and I went to get the child who was calling out for me.
“Are you the new owner?” said the man to Herluf. He was dressed in black and had a solemn look on his face.
“Well, yes, I guess you could say that,” Herluf said. “We moved in just over a year ago.”
“Have you had your chimneys checked?”
“Well, no-one has been by yet. No-one but you.”
“You need to get them checked immediately,” the man said, still standing right outside our new front door.
Herluf moved aside. “You are free to take a look at them then.”
When he came indoors, it was like a shadow had entered our home. He went straight upstairs where the two chimneys stood, and Herluf walked, with heavy steps, up the stairs behind him.