It’s a lie, I tell you.
Before the sun even rises, it begins. Mourning doves are on
our roof cooing, the “hot weather bugs” are already tuning up in the trees
along the property line and at least one lovelorn bull south of town is calling
for his lady-loves. There are even a couple of roosters on the other side of town
who have a contest to see which one greets the dawn. And, once the kitchen
light goes on, our own animals add to what some mornings can only be described
as noise.
Nope. No quietness around here.
As day progresses, the sounds change. The hens continually comment
on the events of their day, and egg laying creates exultant outbursts. While
the sheep generally graze quietly, bedlam ensues when one gets left behind thus
causing it to believe it is the last ovine in existence and human intervention
is absolutely necessary. Woken from their slumber, the dogs feel the urge to comment on the activities of the neighborhood or tussle with one another. Then, man-made
noises join. There’s the particular whine of the tractor as it makes as its way
up the hill, the buzz of neighbor’s four-wheeler as he heads out to check
calves, and the distant hum of a haybine or harvester to let us know that the
season is progressing. On summer afternoons, there is an entire choir of
lawnmowers as the entire village hurries to mow ahead of the next
thunderstorm...
None of these sounds is particularly annoying or bad…(okay,
lost, screaming lambs are annoying)…but, these are the sounds of life.
We’ve become pretty adept at identifying all these sounds. That’s
one of the things our brains need to do…make sense of things. Which, to be
perfectly honest, is a real challenge in these weird and unsettling times and
perhaps why I’ve fixated on identifying all the things.
I can tell you that “squeee-eeeek ka-bang” is the opening (and
rapid closing) of the back gate. We should probably oil that, although I kind
of like knowing when someone enters the garden. The “someone” should
be human, but if there is a thunderstorm brewing somewhere in the lower 48, all
bets are off. I don’t know if Gus is that concerned for our safety or he is
just a big baby. (after numerous large dog romps through the garden, we
installed a latch on the gate that Gus doesn’t know how to open---much to his
dismay)
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| Gus trying to open the gate due to an impending storm |
Then there is a particular thunk, thunk that is a hen
getting the last tasty morsel out of the scrap bucket. A certain scraping noise
lets us know that one of the ewes scratching an itch against the metal gate. And
a rumble out of a clear blue sky is not thunder but a guardian-dog uttering displeasure,
generally at the other guardian dog for taking the prime napping location.
Definitely NOT quiet, country life or not.
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| I do NOT want to "wait for mama, Karma!" |
So, when the Boss asked “do you hear that?” I was not out of line demanding a little
specificity.
That was a dull thump, thumping. But, not one of the thumps
I could readily identify. It sounded like some weird kind of Morse code.
“Sounds like a woodpecker is on the barn” he said.
Come to think of it, that’s exactly what a woodpecker on the
barn would sound like! But, a woodpecker on the barn? Seriously?
Not a woodpecker in sight.
Throughout the week, we would hear the strange thumping, but
never saw anything.
Until one day it flew into the lawnmower shed and I actually
photographed it. But, that raised another question. It didn’t look like any of
the woodpeckers I was familiar with.
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| Hairy Woodpecker looks a lot like a Downy Woodpecker, only bigger |
And, I was off on a crash-course of woodpeckers. I had no
idea we had so many different kinds here on the hill.
Leading me to my next point…”quiet life in the country” does
not mean there is nothing to do, that it’s all about front-porch sittin’ and
taking it easy.
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| you never know who you might meet at sunrise |
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| the early morning light made this doe's ears look bright pink |
That’s a long way from the truth, too. Although, I will
admit to spending more than my fair share of time sitting (sidelined by chronic
pain/exhaustion) and spending valuable work time photographing and researching
the odd and random. But, oh! the things I have learned.
But this in some ways this is still a going venture…a
working farm after a fashion. So, there is always something that needs our attention.
In the past week, we’ve worked the lambs, hauled lambs,
picked up those same lambs (as meat), sold lambs (again, as meat) and next week
that cycle will begin again. Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, we will
start the process of making new lambs. Well, okay, OTIS will be taking care of
that for us. (much to his great pleasure, I am certain)
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| this is Otis... |
And, the garden…
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| working in the garden |
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| red pontiac potatoes |
Oh my!
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| corn pollen means fresh corn-on-the-cob is right around the corner! |
As we stepped back from Market production and attempted to down-size,
we knew there was a very real possibility that we would still grow far more
than two old people could eat. But, we like growing food. We’re good at growing
food. So, we planned specifically to have some to share, knowing that the Mission
or church ministries could always use the extras. We feel strongly about giving
back and helping others and have done so for years. Although, I’ve always
thought it was rude to tell of one’s attempts at philanthropy…it seems rather
crass and self-serving.
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| lettuce transplants |
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| hoophouse in the early morning |
However…
The pandemic changed everything. When in doubt…grow food…I
guess that’s our motto. Instead of really down-sizing, we added onions, sweet
potatoes, more, more…more. I do not know
why that response is so deeply ingrained in us. Sometimes I think we’re like
squirrels hoarding food for winter.
But, again…we were planning on sharing, so lots
of food would be okay. Although, I am truly disheartened to learn the pandemic
didn’t necessarily bring out the best of folks. As the situation has worsened,
contributions have diminished, some ministries have been shuttered and there is
a lack of care and concern for the safety and well-being of others that is
horrifying. And, here’s the thing…true human need is only going to get more
pronounced in the coming months. In the US, our government (particularly our
president and his administration) has failed us all miserably and is bent on pursuing and
promoting themselves and their agenda through racism and misogyny…otherwise
known as hatred. Pure, cold hatred has become part and parcel of our world, no
one seems to take any measure to cloak it in any way anymore. They just don’t
care…they don’t give a damn about those in need… These are truly disturbing
times.
And, things are about to get real bad…
But, you didn’t come here to hear me opine on the mess of
the world today.
So…onward…
The garden is definitely keeping us engaged, busy and finding creative ways to deal with the abundance.
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| onion relish this got me thinking about hotdogs and potato salad and off on another research project WHAT did I do with that LAMB hotdog recipe? |
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| the onion harvest |
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| putting the onions out to dry before storage |
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| I didn't hold out much hope for the peaches first we had a late frost then the fig beetles arrived |
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| but, again abundance! canned peaches, frozen peaches... we had enough for pie and crumble and even peach preserves |
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| the last of the peaches turned into an upside-down cake |
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| I am so happy every time I look at all the little jars of peaches (there are a lot more) |
We’ve not only picked veggies, we canne
In my last post, I mentioned the plague of potato beetles…
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| it wasn't enough that they ate the potatoes... they moved into the tomato patch |
Honestly, it was like the biblical hordes of locust. They
were everywhere, leaving a trail of eaten destruction behind them. After 3
different attempts at potato beetle eradication that even included an emergency
Sunday trip to Lowe’s, we got the bugs under control. Sort of. But, the plants
were stunted from the attack. Of course that meant that the weeds took over and
we had to set out on a priority weeding venture. Whew! What a mess! Then the
warm weather and the near daily rains meant that the weeds rejuvenated and
somehow the bugs revived…this is no longer fun or funny. But, finally, after a
little more bug eradication, some tilling and hilling, those fall ‘taters are
looking pretty good. I don’t think we’ve ever put so much effort into a late
crop of potatoes. Or, perhaps any crop. These will provide our seedstock for
next year as well as food for those in need. At this point, I certainly hope it
was worth the effort!
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| after the rains |
Then, as we were headed out the other day, the Boss was just
sitting there looking rather bewildered when I climbed back in the truck after
latching the gate. “Hey, what’s that in the tree? See that caterpillar?” We had
noticed leaf damage but blamed it on the marauding deer. Because, the deer eat
EVERYTHING. But, this was different…
Oh. My. God.
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| catalpa leaf damage |
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| the culprit Catalpa Sphinx moth caterpillar |
There wasn’t just one caterpillar, there were hundreds! (no
exaggeration at all) We had no idea what they were, so, off to investigate once
more. (gotta remember…this is keeping our brains sharp)
Catalpa Sphinx. Did you know there is a moth
whose “babies” feed solely on the catalpa tree? Since the moth is nocturnal, few
people are aware of it. We certainly were not.
Now, I realize the catalpa tree is not going to provide sustenance
for anyone (except the caterpillars). But, I raised that tree from a seed and
feel rather protective of it. Plus, it looks pretty up there at the top of the
lane. And, in this weird time of loss and uncertainty, keeping something,
anything, the same has become increasingly important.
So. New project. Save the catalpa tree from the marauding caterpillars.
But, the constant threat of thunderstorms may keep the spray from having any effect.
And, the zucchini need picking, the okra should be weeded and something has
been tunneling in the hoophouse…
Good lord. It’s always something.
Just as we were starting to work on some of those things, I
heard another unidentified sound.
Ding…ding…ding…
Nope. Not the icecream truck or the Avon lady (oh, wait,
that would be ding-dong). There was the
woodpecker again. This time, he was pecking at little bugs on the underside of
the metal barn roof!
So much for a quiet life in the country!
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| he's back! |
If only we could get him to eat the catalpa sphinx
caterpillars!
And, that’s how it’s been going around here.
That was supposed to be the end of this post…
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| common wood-nymph butterfly |
It is far too easy to get all caught up in our funny little life on our funny little farm. We quickly get caught up in our own cares and concerns. A natural reaction to the pandemic is to become far more insular and isolated, narrowing our focus considerably. But, real people are facing real crises in the world, and we shouldn’t get so distracted that we fail to see the issues and find some way to help. And, the pain and suffering and issues of the world have weighed heavily on my heart and mind of late.
The late John Lewis made it his life's work to make the world a better, more equitable place. And, he did it with love and peace not hatred and violence. Last time I left you with one of his better known quotes. This time, I'll leave you with the last piece he ever wrote, posted in the New York Times the day of his funeral. You can read it HERE
Or, you can listen to Morgan Freeman read John Lewis’ words
here. (have some tissues handy)
“Though I
may not be here with you, I urge you to answer the highest calling of your
heart and stand up for what you truly believe. In my life I have done all I
can to demonstrate that the way of peace, the way of love and nonviolence is
the more excellent way. Now it is your turn to let freedom ring.
When
historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them
say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last
and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war.
So I say to
you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and
the power of everlasting love be your guide.” -John Lewis
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| dewy spiderweb at sunrise |
I’m still trying to find the “highest calling of my heart” and figure out how to “stand up for what I truly believe”…but, thanks for reading and taking part in this journey with me.
Have a Happy Sunday!
I hope you’ll come back and “visit” again soon.
