A Summer Holiday Season!

Christmas has come and gone on the farm, with minor fuss. We had a small group for our usual Polish Christmas Eve celebration, almost not enough for our bottle of vodka (which I insisted on us finishing; not the smartest move). The weather was lovely all week, and stayed sunny through the entire Christmas weekend, so on Christmas Day we got up, had raspberry scones and jam, then abandoned our presents to go hike on Mt. Arthur, picnic, and go to the beach. I'm never quite sure about Christmas in summer, but when its like this, I'm certainly not going to complain. Can you spot the santa hat?

Note: I didn't want to drown this poor website with photos, but I've added more Christmas photos here just in case you want to see more!

Life has been busy since I got back. I've dug up a bucket of potatoes, wrangled the cube of raspberries into submission (there are paths! They are now accessible!), set down paths, built trellises from bamboo, weeded quite extensively. Its amazing, though, no matter how many hours I spend in the garden there is always more to do. Part of that, I suppose, is living on a farm so there's always weeds from the pasture just waiting to get in. Its also fairly young soil. But really, that's also what gardens are like. Nature tends towards entropy, so there's always maintenance to be done. Not that I'm complaining; I love being outside, and the work is incredibly satisfying. I just feel like the days are slipping away into the soil, and somehow certain things never get done - like grad school applications. Hmm.

Probably the most satisfying part of the garden currently is finally harvesting and eating what we planted, like the crazy black radishes., or the stunning rhubarb pictured. There's something incredibly elegant about rhubarb in its stalk form, so sleek and shiny that almost no dirt dares cling to it. Of course, then I had to chop it up to make a rhubarb and honey compote (totally delicious and worth it), but that's the life of a vegetable. Its also amazing how abundant things can be; like the raspberries that have suddenly exploded into life with the addition of sun (in the lovely weather we've been having) and air from the paths I've dug. Summer, my friends, is a glorious time to be alive with a garden. And now its time to sleep, so that I can get up and do it again in the morning. My best Christmas and New Years wishes to all, and to all a good night.