ABOUT US

Honey loves her cousin/BFF/sorta sister, Maple, who has her own way of returning the affection!
All in the family...

Meet Mitty, who has come back to his original hangout after being pampered by Helen's mother for almost 10 years. His bad eye likely came from Sami, our sweet cat (below) who kept the family on all our toes for almost 19 years.
Howdy! We're Randy and Helen, originally from Fort Worth, Texas, but perfectly content to have called Ashe County home for over 27 years.
Randy retired from teaching and coaching in high school (primarily football) and has been a happy beekeeper, etc., etc., etc. for ten years. Helen hung up her special ed license many moons ago to be 'just' a mama (etc., etc., etc.) to their children, Matthew and Katie (and later, Jeffrey). Matthew and Katie somehow grew up, graduated from college, and got married, so Helen had to find other things to keep her busy. She managed. With the arrival of their first grandbaby, Clara, and her 'little' brother, James, the dust bunnies have had free reign for a little longer!
The Baldwin Zoo currently consists of Honey, a sweet, rowdy 'Staffy' who LOVES mountain romps, Maple, boxer granddog/Honey's BFF/unofficial adoptee, and Mitty the cat. Mitty originally hung around our house until Helen's mother decided she wanted to adopt him for her 80th birthday! They were great companions for each other until 'Nana' snagged her wings in February, 2022. So far, so good with the addition of another very spoiled furball. On the outside, the two ponds on the premises are home to goldfish/koi, catfish, blue gill, bass, and whatever else the #$%*$#& stealth pond invaders have left. And then there are the wild critters and honey bees!
Angels in the family...

Sami earned her wings in February, 2017. She would have been 19 on St. Patrick's Day!

Sami earned her wings in February, 2017. She would have been 19 on St. Patrick's Day!

Emmy was such a good sport. Good thing, as her mama (our daughter, Katie) is a photographer :)

Sami earned her wings in February, 2017. She would have been 19 on St. Patrick's Day!


This little guy was the inspiration for 'Angel Mountain!'

This is the fanciest marker in the cemetery. We couldn't imagine losing a baby; little did we know we'd find out.... In a bit of irony (or angel intervention), our first grandchild's name is Clara (after her paternal great-grandmother).
