HOME

Patrick, Rose and I slogged in late last night. The rainy drive made for a slow drive. Oh well, books on cd make the drive much more bearable.

After we pulled in the driveway, we opened the windows. The smell of clean air and grass greeted us. The gentle sounds of whispering chickens and singing frogs and gurgling creek met us at the door. The clouds obscured view of the moon. Actually, I think there isn't much of a moon to see right now anyway.

Home.

Philip and I stayed up later than we should have catching up on the trip to NJ and the goings on here at home.

The dishwasher is broken again. The garden is full of weeds. Never would a person believe I had it all cleaned out last week.
There are stagnant pools of water here and there across the farm. The cherries are molding in the tree, it is so wet and warm. Maggie and our friend Krystin cleaned out the barn 2 days ago. Since the animals have been hanging out in the barn instead of the fields, it was hard to tell.

This morning I mucked out barn, we swept and raked, we washed down concrete. I moved all the animals into a new field since this wet weather is horrible for parasites. I gave them a big trough full of water and some Shaklee Basic H2. It is an organic cleaner we use. Joel Salatin recommends it as a gentle dewormer. We will try it.

I want to cry when I see how much the rain is impacting the farm right now. Then I am reminded that we need a wet season to help the earth repair herself. The constant rain may be impacting my short-term goals. Some things are not going to work this year as a result of all this rain.

However, the water tables are in desperate need of help. All this rain helps. Last year springs and ponds were drying up. Not to mention fields. This heavy rain fills them up. The hay we cannot cut is developing seed heads which will turn into new grass later on. The hay we did cut and will cut that is past the point of good use will be left to decompose on the fields, adding tilth and nutrients to the soil. The flooding streams and ponds pour nutrients out onto our garden and hay field also.

Perspective.

Everything is a matter of perspective. Can I get myself to see beyond this growing season, this year, this lifetime? Can I think about all the longterm benefits to the land we hope to leave better than we found it?

Occasionally.

In the meantime, we capture pounds of free fertilizer since those animals all decided to poop in the barn. We enjoy the cherries we do harvest. Throw the quickly rotting ones to the chickens. Organic cherry chicken food. Lucky birds. Whine a little, cry a little, then go on out to scoop some more poop.

I'll take it, the whole messy deal.

Home. So glad to be back. Being away for a bit does help put things into perspective. Hope I can remember to keep that perspective going.