Monday, October 06, 2008

Monday Farm Photos

I no longer get to savor the deep reds of a New England fall, but I do love the colors of our farm's fall lettuces:
I have no idea what that odd, non-lettuce plant is. Probably a weed, yes, but I just wasn't sure enough to pull it. I see everything through a fairy tale lens and so that plant is a possible ugly duckling. Sad, I know. ; )

Over the past week, Gillen collected lots of Sawtooth Oak nuts from the school yard down the street. He also brought a few visiting unschooled city friends to the school to skateboard over the weekend:I had Alice Cooper and other old rockers' tunes about school going through my head as I watched them skateboarding on school property:But back to planting trees for the future...
Today he collected lots of pots in which to plant those Oak nuts. His long term plan is to transplant them into the back fields to attract more deer. He tells me that they won't be attracting deer for 5-7 more years. I am impressed by his patience.

I wish he only wanted to attract the deer so that I could name them and take pictures of them, but he is growing up in a rural southern town and has different influences than I did in Boston, and his own dreams. I'm keeping my mouth shut, and putting away my ignorant city girl ideas about hunting.
While he waits to be old enough to get his hunting certificate and big enough to ride the huge ATV that he wants to buy, I appreciate this moment - nurturing these seeds that will one day be Oaks.

8 comments:

GBK Gwyneth said...

You know, I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years. If me kids can call meat what it is (dead bird, etc), then I don't really have a big problem with them eating it (assuming it comes from a good source -- McDonalds doesn't sit well with me even if they call it what it REALLY is).

Angie said...

Red lettuce - my absolute favorite - and I think that looks like a volunteer cucurbit of some kind (squash, cucumber, watermelon?).

I would LOVE to take this photography trip with you and would gladly share my wine:) We need to plan a get-together where we can meet half-way!

Love the oak idea - what a great kid you have there.

laura said...

your lettuce is so beautiful!! my fall lettuce is slowly growing, we've had a little cold spell though, i hope it's going to be okay. i'm still learning about gardening though, this was my first year.

i love gillen's tree plans and his patience. and how you're letting go of your city girl ideas of wanting to just shoot pix!! that cracked me up. if he can feed your family by attracting more deer, isn't that amazing!!!? and ya know, i've been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years and i have no qualms about eating meat if i had to!!

love the skating at the school thoughts. i get the usual pink floyd 'we don't need no education' as a soundtrack here =)

jfrancis said...

I vote summer squash.

Beachbum said...

Hugs and misses. The northeast is very pretty, but those lettuces do give it a run for it's money! I am hoping to get my friend to help plant my balcony with a ton of it...since we can gro stuff pretty much all year round. Wish this not-so-green thumb luck!

Heather Jefferies said...

heh. send him north, I have some property he can clear. And I'll feed him and send him back too!

Jodi said...

beautiful lettuce and beautiful patience...to wait for trees to grow. No doubt we'll watch them grow too!

piscesgrrl said...

Well, talk about being involved in the process of meat-eating... he's taking that to its extreme! I think that's fascinating that he's planning like that and involved in the big picture of things.