The Alandrea Country Living Journal — Volume 1, Issue 3 — October 2026
From the Front Porch
Dear Friends,
Well, October didn’t start quite as planned. We got rained out of the October 4 market, and as much as we enjoy seeing everyone, books and rain just don’t mix!
We were sorry to miss it. One of the best parts of market days is getting to talk with you—hearing what you’ve been baking, which books your children are enjoying, or simply catching up. Hopefully we’ll have better weather for the next one.
In the meantime, there’s plenty happening here. We have five new ducks, a puppy who seems bigger every morning, and a pool that Alain isn’t quite ready to say goodbye to. We’ve also added something new to our vanilla collection that we’re excited for you to try.
So here’s a little catch-up from our home to yours. We’re glad you’re here.
Andrea & Alain
Around the Homestead
How is it October already? September and the whole summer seemed to go by in a flash. We do welcome the cooler air, though, especially when there’s work to do outside.
Andrea has been busy planting and getting our newly established flower gardens ready for winter. There’s still plenty to do, but it’s exciting to think about what might be coming up and blooming next April. Right now, some of that requires a little imagination!
We’ve also been working on dry wells and rain gardens, thinking ahead to the spring rains. These are the kinds of projects that come with starting on raw land. Before you can sit back and enjoy everything, there’s a lot of groundwork to get through.
We always figured it would take a good five years to get things established. We remind ourselves of that when we look around and see everything we still want to do. It’s a slow process, but we’re getting there.
And then there are the bugs. The stink bugs, Asian beetles, and lanternflies have arrived, and wow, they are persistent little buggers! Apparently, they like it here, too.
We also added five new ladies to the duck flock in September. Everyone likes the duck eggs so much that we decided we’d better have a few more ducks to help keep up. We’re looking forward to more eggs next spring, but for now, we’re enjoying getting acquainted with the newcomers.
Meet our five new ladies on YouTube
Duke, Toby & Maverick’s Corner
Duke: Apparently, this is a three-dog column now. Nobody consulted me about the name change.
Toby: We have a puppy, Duke! His name belongs up there with ours.
Duke: His name is fine. It’s the rest of him that won’t sit still.
Maverick: Hi! I’m Maverick! I’m just over three months old, and I weigh almost 30 pounds!
Toby: He’s growing like a weed. Every time I turn around, there’s more puppy.
Maverick: More of me to play with!
Duke: That seems to be his position on everything.
Toby: The house has been a little crazy since Maverick arrived, but I finally have a new playmate. Someone who understands that there’s almost always time for another round of playing.
Maverick: Almost? When isn’t there time?
Duke: When I’m resting.
Maverick: Oh. Is that what “leave me be” means?
Duke: We’re making progress.
Toby: He’s still learning how things work around here. He may be getting big, but he’s very much a puppy.
Maverick: There’s a lot to learn! I’m getting settled, though. I have Toby to play with and Duke to—
Duke: Admire quietly from a comfortable distance.
Toby: Don’t let Duke fool you. We’re all getting along. Everyone’s just finding their place.
Duke: Mine is wherever I can get a little peace and quiet.
Maverick: I’ll help you find it!
Duke: And that, friends, is how things are going.
Until next month,
Duke, Toby & Maverick
On the Bookshelf
Alain has been busy writing, too, and Maverick has officially made his way into the books. Apparently, joining the household and taking over part of the journal wasn’t enough!
With Maverick joining Duke and Toby, the series name has changed a little. You’ll now find their stories under Brothers Forever. It seems fitting for these three, even if Duke might occasionally request a little time off from brotherly duties.
The series now includes 28 books, with All the Little Wonders and Learning to Be Brave among the titles to look for. If you’ve been following the boys’ stories, we’re excited for you to see Maverick become part of their world on the page, too.
Find All the Little Wonders on Amazon
Find Learning to Be Brave on Amazon
Browse the Brothers Forever series on Amazon
And the dogs aren’t the only ones with stories to tell. Carla Caterpillar and Norman the Snail are waiting to meet you in our Tales from the Garden series.
Explore Tales from the Garden on Amazon
You can browse our books at the markets, where we’re always happy to help you choose one, or visit the Alandrea Country Living Shop from home.
Thank you to everyone who has brought one of Alain’s books into your home or given one as a gift. It means so much to us to know these stories are being shared.
The World of Vanilla
This month we’re featuring our Sri Lankan vanilla extract, made with Sri Lankan beans and Bacardi Superior White Rum.
We describe this one as “Bright & Elegant.” It has floral notes with hints of date, sugarcane, and cocoa. If you enjoy making custards, white cakes, or fruit tarts, this is a lovely one to try. It also pairs well with white chocolate, tropical fruits, orange zest, and cardamom.
A little in a custard or mascarpone cream would be a delicious place to start. You don’t have to make anything complicated to get to know a different vanilla.
We’ve also added vanilla bean paste! We’ve been looking forward to sharing this with you.
Our paste is made in small batches with vanilla beans, agave, our vodka-based Madagascar vanilla extract, and a touch of xanthan gum to thicken it. It has those pretty little vanilla bean flecks that look so nice in ice cream, whipped cream, custard, and frosting.
If you’ve wondered about the difference between paste and extract, the paste is thicker and brings the bean flecks along with the flavor. Extract is liquid and usually doesn’t have the seeds. Both work beautifully in baking.
The paste is also lovely in breakfast foods such as yogurt, oatmeal, pancakes, and French toast. Or try a little in your coffee or hot chocolate.
Our vanilla bean paste is $15 for a 4 oz jar. Come take a look at an upcoming market, or visit our Alandrea Country Living Shop.
Behind the Camera
We have two drone photos of the property to share with you, one from 2025 and one from 2026. It’s always interesting to see this place from above, especially after spending so much time looking at whatever project is right in front of us.
Looking at these views together gives us a chance to appreciate how things are taking shape. We can get so caught up in what still needs doing that we forget what it looked like when we started.
And on the days when progress feels slow, a look back might be just what we need.
Alandrea in 2025
Alandrea in 2026
A Few Favorite Moments
It’s time to start closing up the pool. Alain is sad that his playground is closing for the winter, and honestly, we’ve had so much fun in it this year that it’s hard to put summer away.
Before we do, we wanted to share some of our favorite pool moments with you. Looking through them is a good reminder of how much we enjoyed it.
We’ll welcome the cooler weather. We just reserve the right to miss the pool!
Watch a favorite pool moment
Watch more summer pool fun
Where We’ll Be
We still have a few opportunities to see you before we move indoors for the winter markets.
October 10 — Nelson Farmers Market
October 17 — Lovingston Fall Festival
October 31 — Nelson Farmers Market
Then it’s time for the indoor winter markets:
November 7 — RVCC (Rockfish Valley Community Center) Winter Market
November 14 — Rockfish Gallery & Gifts Holiday Market
Come say hello, browse the books, and take a look at our vanilla extracts and new vanilla bean paste. We always enjoy seeing you.
Can’t make it out in person? You can find us at the Alandrea Country Living Shop.
Until Next Month
That’s the news from here. We’ll be keeping busy with the gardens, the animals, and whatever project works its way to the top of the list. Maverick will no doubt find a few things to add.
Thank you for reading and keeping up with us. We hope to see some of you at the markets this month. Until then, enjoy the cooler days, and we’ll have more to share in November.
Best,
Andrea & Alain
Alandrea Country Living