Friday, June 11, 2010

Egg of a different color


On the way to collecting todays eggs, Bill stepped over what he thought was a splat of chicken poop on the ground. On further examination, he found a treasure. We'd heard there had been Indians here, now we had proof : a beautiful arrowhead made of stone. To see it in the field and hold it in our hands gave me a feeling of belonging to a long history of people that used this piece of land. We are like pearls on a necklace, each holding its place. I'd love to know the reason this arrowhead landed right here, 100 ft away from the lakebed. A missed hunting shot, or a hit and a meal for his family? We'll never know, but I get to hold it in MY hand now, in this place of time. In 2010, chickens peck and squabble, and lay their daily eggs where a hunting party once hid in the palmettos.


On another note. Check out my daughter's new blog. She's got a knack for writing and an artists eye. I never know what to expect next. You'll find it at http://www.beautifuleverafters.blogspot.com/

Monday, June 7, 2010

Summer fruits!





Hot days and loads of rain have coaxed the wild blackberries to hang heavy with beaded fruit. My ankles are scratched and my fingers smart with new barbs, but oh how sweet it is to fill a bucket with gleanings from the field. The best place we've found is in front of the studio. The mosquitoes buzz there too. Tonight I covered my legs with Skin So Soft, Catherine picked garden mint and rubbed it on her shins. We felt protected in our cloud of scent for only about 15 minutes but here is a picture of our bounty. Maybe more picking tomorrow.

That's not the only thing new at the farm. Eva, the pound puppy, joined us a week ago and is already having a great time with Jonny showing her the routine of being a farm dog. In true puppy fashion, she pulled a wet paintbrush across her body and across the carpet, waited to get into the house to pee, and ate a whole chicken foot out of the compost. She's a keeper!

Last but not least, my first try at a garden is yielding lots of zucchini! We've been stuffing and sauteing, and giving it away. It's still coming in. They grow stealthily, and creep to great sizes when you're not looking.