Stardew Valley - The Flying Farmer

Winter, Sunday 27th - The Maiden Flight

So... you must be wondering. Why me, an eccentric lookin' farmer found his way into the bustling rural life of Stardew Valley, and became successful in the wine business? Why fate chose me out of many, many dozens of like-uns to choose the farmer life?

Well, I'd be darned to not tell ya otherwise. Tis be a story of my long and somewhat darkened history... and how I became known as the Flying Farmer. An alias that goes with me during my time out in the skies above that christened Pelican Town. For that, we need to go back... way back...

...back before I ever set foot in that valley.

It all started a long time ago, on a dusty ol' farm in the middle of the Ferngill Republic. Unlike much of the other strips of land owned by the agriculturally inclined, these be vast, beyond the eye can see and each plot is home to acres of pure golden wheat, buried carrots and vegetables. While this may be a bit of a painstakin' problem to those doin' it by hand but for us, it is a no brainer. Cos that is the home of the McSopwiths.

We were an ingenious lot; My great, great grandparents used to work in the garage... workin' on them cars and vehicles that drive about in the thick grey cities. Then, on one fateful day, one of my ancestors decided to peel off from fixin' with a spanner and oil changes and used his experience as a pilot from the old wars to pursue a new career.

He bought some ol' planes off his former army pals and retrofitted them with some of those sprayers, ya get from tractors and such, and that gave birth to the Cropduster. These wartime surpluses became the main tool for the future generations of skybound farmers. No longer were we in garages... but in the blue sky, covering acres of farmland, propellors buzzing us through the sky, the wind lashing against the lens of our glasses as we surveyed our home below.

For that, we bore the family motif: "Apprehende caelum, disce volare". With it, it formed our family's newfound purpose and together, our new business venture took off quite literally.

I was born somewhat into the more modern times of society. When my peers started to adopt closed cockpits to shield themselves from their work. The planes worked faster and were more efficient. I looked across as my father did his runs across the farms, swooshing a homemade plane toy around to copy his every move, mimicking the engine noises as I did. Man, was I such an airhead much like my dad.

My ma, on the other hand rather remained on the ground... rightly so since she was one who gave her loving husband a warm cottage pie and a glass of ale after a day's hard work. My granpappy would tell me stories atop his old rickety rockin' chair on the porch outside. How he used to shoot many bad guys in his old biplanes. I was intrigued by it all.

Then, when I grew old enough, my da' went up to me and asked.

"Son, it's about time the sky calls to ya... but since ye got no elder brothers or sisters, Imma have to teach ya the ancient ways."

My eyes grew when my dad announced my inevitable participation in cropdusting and was eager to get started. This began with the traditional means of learning how a plane works; The rudder, elevator and the other essential avionics that keeps her from kissing the ground. I underwent rigorous exams and tests to make sure my mind was sharp on the whole idea. The future of the McSopwiths laid firmly on my shoulders. As a teenager, I was more eager to take the physical side of the exams more than the writin' part of it but, since this was a massive responsibility, I had to brush all teenage hype aside and focus on me work.

When I finally proved to me pa that I had what it takes, it was time for my maiden voyage. I clambered into my dad's ol chestnut monoplane and was walked through the controls once more. After a firm revision, the glass canopy slammed shut over me and I donned the cyan headset with the microphone hovering over my mouth, ready to send and receive the essential communications from ground control (Which happens to be pa.) and off I went, pulling on the throttle, I got my dad's bird into the sky and a surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins as a great grimace of a smile whipped from ear to ear.

I was truly airborne, like many of my relatives before me. I could imagine myself in the silence of the air, looking down over the side to see the buildings and field shrinking in my wake. It was truly a joyous experience. But my trance was soon snapped through the crackle of my radio, lurching my focus back.

"Come in Robbie... can you hear me?"

"Yea, I am, papa. I am so happy to finally take off!"

"I saw it all from here son... you truly have the blood of yer ancestors in ya. But let's get back to showing me what I told ya, then spray an acre of land before ya... I need to know that my own flesh n blood has it in him.

Good luck kid!"

Eagerly, I was willing to show off my skills to my dad and performed admirably in his stead; By gently swerving the plane left 'n' right, climbin' and descendin'. Y'know the basic stuff then the all-important part of the flight; Spraying a field.

I could see the crops beyond the buzzing engine and kept my focus firm, I slowly dived just low enough and cruised over the acres of swaying maize and, at the touch of a button, a loud hiss emitted from beneath the fuselage and I looked over to see the clouds of pesticides being unleashed upon the countless invisible beasts below. It wasn't long till I realised that I had done my first cropdustin' job.

"Oh buddy, I almost shed a tear after seeing you taking good care of my baby. You are a McSopwith by heart, kiddo. Now bring her down and we'll have dinner. Yer Ma's baking yer favourite tart."

The warming welcome of a lush apple pie fills my mind. I love nothing more than the tart, moist texture of a homemade dish prepared with a mother's love. With dinner set on my mind, I brought the ol girl down, bouncing and careering over the dusty runway until she grinded to a halt. Watching as the rasping propellor went to a standstill before drawing the glass canopy back and taking off my headset. My smiling proud pa looking at me with a glisten in his eye and took me hand so I could get out and walk back to the farmhouse.

"How do you feel?" He asked me as we looked at each other.

"Like a bird... Pa, that was the most incredible experience I could ever have." I answered delightfully.

"Well, there be more flights for ya in the future. But for now, it's wheels down as we settle in for dinner."

The front door swung open and was greeted by the ever-justifying smell of apple pie being taken from Ma's oven. A rosy smile on her cheeks as she looks at us with pride.

"Ya both did a good job flying out there... especially you, Robbie. Here's yer favourite... for not crashing your old man's plane." She giggled and sets the delightful treat on the oak rich table. As I sat down and savoured each bite of the apple pie; I couldn't help but listen in to their conversation. That grin from my pa dropped noticeable as he looked at the mail, that came in this mornin'.

"Ugh...more letters from that company Joja..."

"What's wrong?" My ma butted in concerningly.

"They've been hounding us for the land... each week, they bump up the offer... sooner or later, I'll be writing them a 'friendly' feedback letter." He groaned.

Joja has become a major player in the business market. They had already driven other franchises out of town and looks like they've been encroaching on farmland in the hope of expanding their growing empire. Now, from my visits to the local towns, that dull blue and greyish eyesore of their JojaMarts play a painful reminder of the slow corporate takeover by this flourishing corporation and their endless offers of cheap, plentiful but questionable quality food seems enticing and were drawing customers from the local shops that used to own the high street. Every day, another is forced to close whenever a JojaMart opens their doors.

Lately, they became a growing problem to my Pa, who has been receiving barrages of letters asking him to sell up the land but, since we were the first here, I doubt the McSopwiths will be willing to budge. I paid no further heed to his frustrations and continued eating my pudding until dusk and I rested my weary head for the night... where I had this dream.

Valleys of rolling greet my eyes, pristine blue skies filled the upper hemisphere as small rolling clouds peppered the skyline. Then a loud crash, so loud that it snapped me out of my consciousness and ran out to investigate what had happened... and it was something that'd I remember for the rest of my life.