Red Rooster Farm Update

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're free, free-ranging~ 

Photo by Wibke Anne, May 2012.

We planted the sunflowers along the fence without them knowing. A trick indeed because they know every square inch of our land. As soon as they see turned over ground, they march over and begin scratching up the dirt. They are quite resourceful.  We have fenced our gardens because chickens love tomatoes. The rooster sees them as an offering for his hens.  He snips them off the vines and offers them to his gals:" Darling, have I got a tomato for you." That's what we imagined  as we watched this courtship with our tomatoes. Made us crazy, watching them get our tomatoes before we had a chance to harvest them. That was the first year raising chickens. Since then we've wised up with net fencing, which works perfectly, but we're careful not to give them a taste of tomatoes. One taste and they would be eye-ing
our fences, trying to figure out the weak spot.

Are you a Strawberry Samaritan?

I'm hoping to have some time to pick strawberries. Maybe this weekend. Last year I missed the strawberry picking season completely.  All of our churches  have propped up their annual signs announcing their strawberry events, which is a perfect mix of faith and fruit desserts. Even the strawberry-- its trinity leaves and jeweled fruit is a metaphor for faith. I think about this when I'm in the fields picking for hours.  I'm looking forward to making strawberry jam using the less sugar recipes I discovered last year.  Have to call our local farms to see if it's time to pick. 

So this weekend will be a mix of work and work and work. Have  been enjoying my daily session with my writing project.  Have been meeting my page goals. Although, I've noticed a revision pattern. I seem to reread pages from day before and revise a bit before getting back into the story. It must be a way for me to regroup, especially after all the different work I'm doing right now, including editing. I mentioned this to Anne Panning the other day and she understood this practice, which was reassuring.  I happened to meet her on a Brockport sidewalk the other day and we had a stop-in-our-tracks chat.  She was wearing a wonderful pair of glasses that illuminated in the sun. Anne has such  fun with her style.  All of us who wear glasses understand how necessary they are, but glasses can be an interesting prop too and why not.  I'm in desperate need of a new pair. Will have to explore the new options.Besides accepting my compliment on her glasses, Anne mentioned that she's getting ready for the launch of her new novel Butter.  Good things are happening all around.