Monday Farm Photos

I'm beginning with the end - the farmer's end, of Monday, when he returned home with something far better than a bouquet of roses. He brought me our first ever bunch of asparagus!!!

As for his expression - I leave it to you to decide. Is he looking at me with love as he hands me this fruit of his labors? Or, do you think he might just not appreciate his end-of-day, worn-out farmer "look" being photographed for my blog?

Yes, it was the latter, but luckily he can really laugh at himself, almost as well as the boys and I did. :) This may be my favorite photograph of him, ever.

Arugula:
Leeks Enough carrots to feed our entire county's rabbit population (not that they get any, I don't think ;):
Swiss Chard:

Despite being tired from visiting friends this weekend (and being sad about leaving them) we had a wonderful farm day. It was foggy. All the colors are so deep when it is overcast. I don't get hot, or swoon. I can pretend that we are in Wales. I really wouldn't mind ending up in a damp, cool-ish, green place somewhere in rural England.

Today, I am very happy right here, documenting the ongoing dramas at the farm and getting to eat freshly harvested Spring vegetables.

We are once again growing the heirloom Red Flint corn for a restaurant owner in Charleston. Last year, this project helped get us to Australia. Later - Jesse blogged about this as only he can.Unfortunately, Jesse is not stomping on wine grapes, just filling trays with soil.

Remember the opening scene of"Reservoir Dogs"? Here are Gillen's Reservoir Ducks, with just as much cool, dramatic swagger. Green Tea, Jet and Mae-Belle were herded by Gillen to a flooded area that has the perfect "pond" for their needs. The baby pool we'd been using developed too big of a leak. We hope that they can find their way back to their food. Ducks are... well, kind of challenged in the short-term memory department.

I wonder if Blaze, who has been missing for a few days, has lost her way home. I hope that's all it is. Gillen had been hoping that she and Jet would sit on these eggs. Today it was decided that we would go ahead and eat them. Duck egg omelets for breakfast tomorrow.
Jesse gave me a tour of the forts that were constructed a few weeks ago when the cousins were visiting. The style is both Asian and old-world and there is lots of space. There are cement blocks every few feet, thickly rising up several feet from where they are firmly planted in the ground. They were once part of the foundation for a house that was here more than a hundred years ago. I love the bamboo wall that they created, and the Azalea tree that they planted from a cutting. Definitely a peace-time fort.

Here, the anxious turkey breeder is watching Flamer sit on her eggs. To the side, one of the dads is gobbling a few warnings his way.Gillen is hoping for chicks in the next few days.