introspection

Why is it that on some days one's voice feels/sounds so uncomfortably foreign coming from their own throat that they find it much easier to remain silent for most of the day?

Yeah. Rarely. But sometimes.

It was a quiet day. Reflective. Though we surely worked.

Lettuce needed to be harvested. Otherwise we would have lost a few hundred feet by Friday. Strange how fast some varieties bolt... even though the temperature has been relatively moderate for mid-August, i.e. Mottistone, always quick to bolt.
Straight from Lettuce to Swiss Chard in Y. This younger bed has not developed as many brown spots on the stems that the bed in W1 did. An easier/faster harvest. And surely more aesthetically pleasing. (nts: when harvested properly, one bed of chard can regenerate. lasting the better part of the whole season. impressive. space efficient)
From Chard we moved to Leeks. I love processing these guys.
Pull from the ground and stack in piles going one direction.
After all is pulled, sit next to a pile.
Pick one up, hold plant w/ root pointing right.
With razor sharp harvesting knife, cut off bottom 1/4" of plant with swift motion.
Pull off 1 or 2 outer leaves to clean.
Chop one side of leaves at diagonal.
Spin and do the same to the other side.

When you've done it enough times and perhaps have achieved a modicum of speed, the rhythm that develops is completely hypnotic.

After Leeks we cultivated the harvested Chard bed, then picked Beans until lunch.

In our off time (as we took a couple hours in light of our evening work party) I cruised and picked up a couple bales of wood shavings.... THEN??
Yep, cleaned the chicken coop. My singularly least favorite farm chore. Gloves, breather mask, powdered "droppings." Sheesh...
Finished right @ 4:30 and though I was greeted by D for our work party prep time, I insisted on (read: asked politely) showering the layer of "chicken" off me. Felt much better when done.

For the work party, two things:
1. We harvested a bed of carrots (which yielded about 493lbs). Most cool.
2. Nobody showed. That is until Judy (thanks!) showed a half hour before the wine portion of the evening.

This time we did up a little fire at the corner of what was the melon field.
Salsa. Chips. Trail Mix .. and wine.

Wine, idle chatter and warmth from the fire. A perfect end to the day

Heading to the Dutchess Co. Fair tomorrow. Should be a hoot!!!

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Dig.