Here we stand, like an Adam and an Eve, waterfalls, Garden of Eden.
Two fools in love, so beautiful and strong.
Birds in the trees smiling upon them.
--Talking Heads, (Nothing But) Flowers
On the Farm We love all the seasons but fall is our favorite, warm days and cold nights with no bugs. It's nature's new year; a time of change and new beginnings.
The garden has just a few hardy vegetables left (collards, kale, carrots and leeks.) We canned jam, dilly beans and pickles and stored squash, pumpkins and rutabagas in the root cellar. As the garden disappears, the animals come in from the pastures after six months of living on grass. They return to the barn for hay, grain and warmth.
The kids like to think about all the things we grow or make on the farm, from yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs to bread, jam, maple candies and soap, and we like to pass by so many items at the grocery store knowing we have it at home. We have had enough extras to put up a sign at the end of our road advertising the sale of our surplus goods and have enjoyed meeting neighbors and friends over these encounters.
This is our two year anniversary at the farm. We have so much to be thankful for. Sharing the farm with family and friends has provided us with great joy. Without you all we would be lonely in this world. We are thankful for the land, the animals, the fruits and the vegetables and the nourishment they provide.
When you grow and make your own food you develop a deeper appreciation for what you are eating. When you light the fire in your own woodstove you develop a deeper appreciation of its warmth. The daily rituals and rhythms of farm life invite us into the present moment.
Some wonderful moments we'd like to share with you are: finding our missing miniature horse after she wandered away for twenty-four hours; one of our chickens, Plum, roosting in a tree apart from the flock in the coop no matter how foul the weather; our female Great Pyrenees Dog, Panda, with two whole, unbroken eggs in her mouth looking at us with a rueful face; four kittens and their mother sleeping on top of one of our dogs for warmth; and recently being without electricity and all its distractions for three days.
Wishing you love and peace now and in the New Year.
In The Kitchen Good Granola
Mix: 2 c oatmeal, 2/3 c wheat germ, 1 c raisins, 1 c sunflower seeds, 1 c powdered milk, 2 t cinnamon.
Add: 4 T honey, 4 T oil, 2 t vanilla.
Spread on cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 min.
Max at the summit of Penobscot Mountain, Acadia National Park
Haley with her award-winning Jersey at the Blue Hill Fair
Dan, Emily and Ruby at Mike DeLuca'Äôs wedding (That's as dressed up as we get!)
Max in full Halloween garb
Laddy chillin'
Kid Watch
Haley 10 years 3 months
Laddy 8 years 10 months
Max 6 years 8 months
Ruby 2 years 4 months
