.
.
…than seeing pure joy on the faces of two young girls as they collect their very first farm eggs.
‘wabbit season’
Each day our dogs enjoy stalking the many rabbits that have taken up residence on the farm. Last night Lola roused three baby bunnies from their nest. We heard a loud “squeak!” then a mad chase ensued with three ecstatic Great Danes in pursuit. One little bunny didn’t make it, but two escaped without harm. So naturally I asked Mike if we could keep one. And naturally he said no.
word of the day
chert (chûrt)
noun: A hard, brittle sedimentary rock consisting of microcrystalline quartz. It is often reddish-brown to green but can also occur in a variety of other colors, especially white, pink, brown, or black. Chert often contains impurities such as calcium, iron-oxide, or the remains of silica-rich organisms. It usually occurs as nodules in limestone and dolomite and has curved fractures.
Origin: 1670–80; origin uncertain
Related forms: chert·y, adjective
Used in a sentence: “Well, the road to your upper pasture is washed out. We gotta go get you a [dump truck-sized] load of chert.”
hummingbird heaven
The trumpet vine outside our kitchen window is a source of constant amazement, as we watch the hummingbirds come several times a day to drink its nectar. They hardly pay us any notice. After all, these little birds have been coming to this old vine for many years — long before we ever got here. It’s their vine. We’re merely spectators to this small glory.
making hay
Whan the sunne shinth make hay. Whiche is to say.
Take time whan time cometh, lest time steale away.
– Old English Proverb, 1546
It never gets old. We eagerly await late spring on the farm when the fields have grown tall and wild and it’s time to make the hay. Cut, fluff, cure. Fluff again if necessary, bale, stack and haul away. It’s always the same routine, and it’s always so much fun to watch. This year, Buster, who manages the fields, was especially excited about the quality of the grass, calling it a “really good yield,” which of course made Mike and me beam like proud parents.
