Which Floor?

We're going for Pottery Barn appeal.  Our big room has a warm beigey white color (antique white, I think) as the walls and crisp linen white as the trim (the trim appears white white next to the walls).  We've painted the base of the island, the base of the computer cabinet and the window seat black (cushion is gone).  All the green trim is gone (all white now).  The cabinets are still the stained knotty pine with white knobs.  The island top is still oak, computer desk top still walnut.

Question:  Which floor color?  We're just trying to choose the best looking of the cheap options, not the most phenomenal of all the options.

A) American Classic Oak

 

B) American Cherry

 

C) Medway Park Merbau

D) Slatten

P.S.  I think we're going to get a little 4-6 seat dinette from Ikea that looks like this for a steal, and use a sisal area rug under it and another for the couch area.

How many horses?

Today we were able to visit the farm in Pennsylvania that supplies our raw milk and some of our meats and cheeses.  It was encouraging, for several reasons, the first of which being that we found basically what we expected to find in terms of farming models--a grass based farm raising dairy and beef cattle with an intensive grazing paradigm, as well as layers, broilers, and pork.  The family is Amish, and the farmer who is 39, has 7 children ranging in age from 2-15.  It was a picturesque little farm in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch country, with rolling hills and old stone buildings.  The family seemed to be well integrated into the workings of the farm, and the other animals included several horses, cats, dogs, and guinea pigs.  (The guinea pigs are a pet project of the children's.)  They have a nice garden plot for their own produce, and while they do have some modern amenities, the phone he uses for business is still out in a little shed with all of his business papers.  Sort of brings work to the level of one of those things you do in an outhouse :)  It was a beautiful, if crisp day spent outside, and we had lots of new ideas to discuss on the way home.

We're talking a lot about farming these days, making plans, and studying what others do.  Therefore, my three year old sponge has been thinking about how she'd like to participate.  Tonight in the car she asked, "Are we farming yet?"

"Not yet, honey." Dan replied.  "You'll know when we're farming because our house will be a lot smaller and our yard will be a lot bigger.  And there will be animals in it."
"Animals in it?  Can we have horses on our farm?"
"I don't know.  How many horses do you want?"
"Um, three horses."
"Why three horses?"
"Because... Because my... my how-old-is-me is three!"

Shoulda known :)

p.s. If you live in the Maryland/DC/NoVa area and would like information on raw milk, grassfed beef, and other clean foods produced on the farm, you can contact me directly.  The food police have been harassing our farmer despite the completely legal set up we use.  We are members of a group that leases the farm, and pays the farmer to produce foods for us from our farm.  So, the cost per gallon of milk is not to purchase the milk (we already own it) but to pay the farmer for keeping the cows, moving them twice daily, feeding them hay in the winter, milking them twice daily, bottling the milk, and packaging it for delivery.  We also pay a separate per pound delivery charge for the guy who actually delivers it to our neighborhood.  All these shenanigans are in place just to get around a government that is way too big, but that's another post.  This is the reason I've kept our farmer's name off of my site, but will happily share details if you'd like to join the club :)