Lynda Oden and her family have been running Oden’s Store since 1904 Oden’s Store and Antiques is chock full of treasures: depression glass, old tools, furniture from the turn of the last century, old doors, some junk, but all of it is interesting. It is the kind of place where you have to poke around… Read more
Chloe Tuttle
Pull Candy Recipe – Old Time Stewed Sugar My mother called this wonderful confection pull candy or stewed sugar. Some folks call it taffy. When she described a child’s pretty blond hair she would say it was the color of stewed sugar — a gorgeous translucent white color with a faint golden tint. Making this… Click to read more about Pull Candy
Holiday Recipes, old and new, from the innkeeper at Big Mill B&
We folks in eastern North Carolina celebrate our farm heritage Every year since 2003, we have a big Farm Heritage Fair at the Senator Bob Martin Ag Center in Williamston, NC. Sadly, this fair happens no more, but it was fun while it did. Our “old timers” who knew how to bale hay, make cracklins… Read more
What do you do with all those corks you’ve saved? Make a Cork Wreath. It isn’t difficult if you follow my directions and take it one step at a time. Here is how to make the perfect Cork Wreath. Cork wreaths are pretty any time of year, but folks like them for the holidays. I… Read more
Updated: 10/08/25 Every year on the first weekend in November, the Yankees and the Rebels fight the Battle of Fort Branch on the banks of the Roanoke River near Hamilton in eastern North Carolina. Reenactment is November 1 & 2, 2025 I took a video of the battle. That day everywhere I went several children… Click to learn about the bloody Battle of Ft. Branch
While waiting on the plane to carry me back to Big Mill B&B, I decided to dash off a quick blog post in honor of Vegetarian Awareness Month (October). I’ve been 95% vegetarian for decades, so it is second nature for me. But it can be quite a fun adventure to explore the tastes and… Read more
We all know that birds add beauty and intrigue to our garden; that’s exactly why we add bird feeders and houses to our yards in the first place, but the truth is that the benefits the feathered creatures bring go far beyond aesthetic appeal. Birds play a great role in preventing insects from eating and… Read more
It’s time to save seeds for next year’s flower garden. These datura or Devil’s Trumpet seed pods will dry out and turn brown. That is the time to harvest them. Georgia O’Keefe liked Devil’s Trumpet or Jimson weed as it is often called. ~~~~~~~~~~~ To everything there is a season. It’s late September and, like… Read more
The Sign Says it Best: “Blow horn for ferry.” See the tiny house across the river? That is the other ferry dock. The San Souci Cable Ferry crosses the Cashie River in eastern North Carolina near Windsor in Bertie County. Lest you ever try to tell anyone about this ferry, first — you must have… Read more
