Farm Capers

It was a beautiful day at the farm; except for these ugly guys, and their brothers and sisters. Really, nothing like they looked and acted as poults and not half as cute as even the adult Muscovy ducks. I am impressed with how quickly their faces turn a horrible shade of blue and how alive their feathers become when I enter their pen.

We helped Nicolas and his gang put up two more high tunnels. Well, we held down some of the plastic for a short while and were then told to go play, but I sensed that we were vitally important for that windy period of time.And then I got to take pictures. It was a perfect day for it. The barely blossoming plum trees were conducting the clouds.The tractor posed through the tire swing. We brought home lots of Kale and ate it cold as a salad - mixed with 2 tbls. braggs (your can also use soy sauce), 2 tbls. olive oil, 1 tbls. apple cider vinegar, sea salt and garlic powder. It takes lots of massaging to tenderize the leaves. I love the subtle highlights on the Swiss Chard:Jesse played restaurant, picking and washing lots of greens and baby turnips and then plating them up:As well as admiring his place between the sun and the earth.Gillen and his friend Aaron (who is out of school for the week) started work on a new fort.There were some territorial wars for a bit when Jesse decided to build a fort forty or so feet away from Gillen's property. We sat in the woods and talked about it for a while and finally they came up with a solution. It's amazing, with so much land to share that they still feel conflict over boundaries. Is this just human nature?

I quietly wondered why they didn't just want to renovate the old fort, which is filled with beautiful bamboo. Jesse hung out there for a while before following the scent of men who have moved on to "bigger and better" real estate.Gillen's lack of neighborly spirit with Jesse was probably partly due to frustration over not being given the green light to drive the farm truck alone with friend Aaron to the back fields. He is a good driver but not quite ready, at eleven, to show off his off-road shifting abilities to anyone but us. Though I'm afraid that Nicolas doesn't agree.

Because I was there, he was reduced to playing Top Gear (a favorite tv show, that we're watching as I type) in the Radio Flyer.I hope this is the beginning of a new season of Monday Farm Photos, with more vegetables next time. I promise.