macro. micro.

When blogging I find myself, more often than not, having so much potential material everyday that it's rather difficult to sufficiently touch on the few daily points I do (let alone mentioning what's perpetually growing/dying in the fields we don't work in that particular day). ..and then there's all the stuff that happened the day before that I wasn't able to get to... ad infinitum. Then the issue is, "on what level do I focus (Personal? Entire farm? Field? Crop? Plant? Leaf? Seed? Pest?)?" Then what time frame? Last week? Today? Right now? Next year?!?
A little overwhelming at times.
As this seems to be more so the rule than the exception, I fear my posts have begun to stagnate. To wit... From my previous post:

Harvested cabbage, beets (W2 first picking, thinned) and summer squash in the morning.
E's friends helped again.
Johanna and Pam helped.
We ate tasty chocolate cake.
I cultivated the winter squash in A and the summer squash in F with the Farmall sweeps while the distribution bins were filled.
Stirrup hoed our failed cucumber bed in B.
Took an extended lunch.
Packed the van.
Cruised to the city and back. Enjoyable.

A foreshortened overview (yes, even the overview is foreshortened) of a full day's events in clipped prose that does not even begin to dig into the intricacies/specifics/processes/elation/frustration therein.
..except for maybe "We ate tasty chocolate cake." That I like as is. We did eat chocolate cake. It was, indeed, tasty. Nothing else needed.
Inversely, "...cultivated the winter squash in A...", doesn't even come CLOSE.
That process magnified to the next power??

....
Is it dry enough to cultivate?
Is it going to rain by the end of the day?
What method of cultivation will work best/most efficiently?
Hands? Hand tools? Tractor sweeps?
If tractor sweeps, then is the implement on the tractor?
If no, put it/them on.
With sweeps on stand beside the tractor and open the fuel valve.
Turn on your power switch, make sure you're in neutral, pull starter rod.
Choke if needed.
With tractor running drive to the field.
Make wide turn to line middle sweep with right side of squash at beginning of first row.
Into neutral. Brake on.
Adjust hydraulic tool arms to lower sweeps.
If a little too deep, inch them up until you THINK the depth is correct.
Adjust throttle. Clutch in. Shift to 2nd.
Inch tractor forward so sweeps start to dig in to the row.
Too deep? Too close to the plant base? Gonna tear leaves?
If all is good proceed.
Steer to 4-5ft in front of the tractor. DON'T hit the plant base.
Look behind you from time to time.
Adjust sweep depth according to how the row looks behind you.
If all is good sweep through the end of the row.
Lift sweeps with the hydraulic lever before leaving the row.
Determine which row (halfway down the field) you are going to next to maintain efficient travel patterns
Do next row following the above procedure.
At the end of the row do a three point turn and make a 2nd pass on the row.
After that go back to the initial row and make your 2nd pass on that one.
Wide turn to the row on the far side of the 2nd row you just did.
Repeat this for the entirety of the field.
....

..and yes, there are many further magnifications of those steps/processes.

As you can well imagine, I would do nothing but blog were I to adopt just the first level of detail as a rule. Balance is key then. No?

My ultimate concern in all of this?

Upon my second reading (a month from now... a year from now when I don't have the safety net of the apprenticeship) of the "clipped prose" posts, will I be able to recall (any of) those fine details?

Sure, some. Perhaps, all. Perhaps, none.

If "some" or "all" I'll have to remember to thank my past self. If "none" then I'll remember to not dwell on that "d'oh!!" moment and appreciate the adventure it offers.

So then, my post for today?

----------------------------

I had a "day off" today as a result of the 6 hours of work I put in on Sunday.
I worked at least half of the day. Just not good at resting.
I hand-cultivated the 3 Sisters Field this morning.
It looks great!
Everything's getting big. Especially the corn.

Pics? Indeed. Note to future self: Enjoy the adventure.

Before



After

















Dig.