Once upon a time, about two hundred years ago, a young man named Harmonious Hornbaker rolled into a tiny town in Bourbon County, Kentucky. He was a drifter, a farm hand, who traveled from one field to the next picking up farming skills until he felt the urge to move on. Harmonious started his search for work at the single watering hole in town. There he was introduced to the one thing that might make him stay in one place - corn liquor. 'Mony had to find out more about this sweet, smooth spirit.
He began hauling grain and shuffling jars of shine for a local man. Soon Harmonious absorbed whiskey secrets and secured the love of the man's daughter Leah. He ran off with both to a little plot of land on the waters of Brush Creek.
The Hornbakers settled there to homestead. Leah and Mony raised vegetables and nine children among the hills of Kentucky. In the back of the animal barn, they ran bourbon too, from their very own corn.
Eventually, Harmonious felt the urge to travel 'round again and moved the Hornbakers to Preble County, Ohio, just over the Ohio river. One daughter, Rachel Hornbaker, married and raised a son named David. David begat Goldie, who mothered Esther, who raised Donald, whose son Mitch is the father of Rachel Tayse Baillieul, the proprietress of this site.
When we purchased our new home, we searched for a name that encompassed the the vintage appeal of our homesteading activities and our goals to be sustainable, diverse, and earth-friendly. Around the same time, my aunt introduced us to Harmonious Hornbaker, a real relative eight generations back. We found the name for our little place on the earth and our virtual home: Harmonious Homestead.
We know little more about Harmonious than his purchase of land in Bourbon County and census records that fill in the generations. In lieu of facts, I wove a tale of how I imagine his life. I wish I had a moonshining, gentleman farmer in the family and perhaps I did.
Of course, Harmonious also describes a way of life we hope to achieve, an intertwined song between ourselves, our history, and our environment. Harmonious is the melodic noise of our barking hounds, pans clanking on the stove, and family and friends gathering around the table. Harmonious is the goal of existing in dynamic kinship with all that surrounds us.
Thanks for encouraging us during the transition from Hounds In The Kitchen to Harmonious Homestead. We hope to share many more adventures with you in the future.
PS. Are you a Facebook fan? We'll be transitioning there too. Like Harmonious Homestead please.