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November 3, 2009 "An Enthusiasm for the Day"
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Greetings Friends of the Farm,   

  So much going on. Fall, wearing spring’s attire, stays with us still. Thank goodness, as the last thing we want right now is a freeze....Everything is just too good! And after the horrid summer, we love this “correction!”

  Early this morning, with the “traditional” counting of time upon us once more, we embraced the sparkling day as the sun arrived. A week ago, if Andrea showed up in my kitchen at 6:30 AM, I would ask her, “Como puedes ver? Todavía es la noche!”

  Of course, I would be reading the morning comics and really wouldn’t want to be bothered, since not much farming can take place in total darkness. And the fragrance of her laundry detergent is always a bit more than I like to sniff so early in the day. When I complain about it, she starchly tells me it is the same brand as that used by Cousin Claire. Ha! I don’t think so. Cousin Claire uses only “no-fragrance” products, as do I. When I tell Andrea that, she dismisses the aroma assessment by pointing out that she cannot stand the fragrance of the detergent used by the Marias.  Well, anything to competitively get the soil stains out of your clothes I guess. But I’d rather wear “clean” stains that do not smell like chemicals. In their minds, for that reason, La Seño (short for señora) is rather peculiar, and permanently stained.

  Actually, I’d rather just enjoy the comics, but these days, I’ve got to read fast, as we start work earlier.

  This morning we began with great enthusiasm -- almost euphoria. A smiling Don Lupe was eager to get the rest of the bok choi planted in the front field and anticipates planting more lettuce. Andrea hurried to get all the different radish varieties harvested, as well as the cherry tomatoes, and the Marias set off to cut salad mixes. They are all happy that we’ll have a full work week thanks to the sunshine. Heavy rain makes many of our tasks troublesome or impossible.

  Steven finished planting the first part of the leek crop as I postponed harvesting the Satsuma oranges; I wanted to get started cultivating the soil in the growing beds. The last rain we had was a forceful one, pasting young leaves to the ground and creating hard surfaces on the beds. This crust and the resulting proliferation of small weeds needs curtailment.
  And what a joy it was to see how various crops are responding to first, the rains, and now the sunshine!  I liberated one bed of Succulent Spinach from crusty soil and weeds, and began at the back of the field on the next one. Bermuda had encroached in its signature greedy fashion there, so my energy ran out before it was done. The good news is that by Saturday we will have baskets of baby Succulent Spinach, perfect for salads -- and paired with the Satsumas and Pure Luck’s feta cheese -- oh my!

  Kale is also growing well now, so we may have lots of it by Saturday, and broccoli is heading up. There is at least one that caught my eye as I was looking for worms (farming is romantic you know), hoping not to find any. But it is the only head of good size. By Saturday, however, with this sunshine, I bet we’ll have many more!

  And the chicks, dust bathing, and lounging in the sun slanting into their pen and adjoining run, are now seven weeks old, the age of a breasty, styrofoamed, grocery store chicken. Their bodies still fit in one of my hands, but they are growing fast. (All they do is eat and peep.) The run gives them much more room, and the perches are equivalent to a second story. But at night, they are fairly crowded as they must sleep in the pen that Larry made, lest predators come to have their way with them. Of course, even as darkness approaches, some of the chicks want to sleep in the run, on the perches or piled up together in a corner. But this would be unsafe, as any raccoon worth his mask would be able to pry his way in and snatch them all.

  So, in an alarming fashion that by now they are used to, I rattle the wire on the run pen and urge them to go to their bedroom. Up the slanting ramp they hurry -- worrying as if I’ve turned into a raccoon -- and soon they are all eating, drinking and arguing about where they will sleep.

  In a few days, in the darkness of night, we will move them to the Hen House’s nocturnal perches. They don’t know to be excited yet, but that first morning, when they wake up on the perches and see the unlimited freedom of their half of the Hen House, stretching out right in front of them, I can guarantee you that they will be filled with complete euphoria. Even more enthusiasm than we humans are experiencing these mornings....

  And their joy, as they fly off the perch in the biggest flight that they have yet taken, will be shared by all of us watching. It will be a special moment. As special as seeing the first broccoli head....No, even more....

  Carol Ann 

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