Barn-Raising: Gillen's Farm Tour

Today, maybe inspired by his outfit (my cowboy boots and one of the worker's hats) Gillen was all about showing me the farm. I wish I'd had the good camera, but it had run out of battery. At least I had the old point and shoot. It was definitely a day to remember.

He showed me the giant worm farm that he and Nicolas recently created with cement bricks and a tin cover. He showed me that the Saw Tooth Oak trees that he planted last fall are finally taking root in their pots:

Here, while shooting my tour guide cowboy, my focus wandered to the left of his hat - do you see it? That eery black hole in the hoop house plastic? A barn cat created this hole while sliding down off of the hoop house roof after a sun bath.

Because really , what are all beds, hoop houses, toys, bath mats and walls for but to hold (and receive the spray of) cats. Yes, my nights are still punctuated by the hourly Fracas vaudeville show...But, back to the light of day, and the sweetness of spring.

For this next part of the tour, you must travel through time with me to the year 2013. Gillen is just months away from turning sixteen. In preparation for getting his learner's permit, he is practicing driving the farm truck - the Isuzu Pup. Gotta love a pup. Notice it isn't the "Isuzu kitten".

Here he is, in that speck of a truck in the distance, driving his trusting little brother over creek and dale to the back fields. To think, just ~~minutes ago~~ four short years ago, he was only eleven and couldn't have done this.

Thanks to the magic of time travel, all arrived safely and took a break at the creek.

There was much more water than usual. In the recent heavy rain and snow, one of the beaver dams was broken. Not only do we have a much more forcefully bubbling creek, the beaver pond (that had been expanding through the woods for many years) is much reduced. Gillen pointed out the break in the dam.

Behind farm-touring Jesse's hat (looking appropriately touristic with that label poking down) are the grasses of what used to be (and probably will be again) the water-covered wet lands.

We then travelled by truck (with me as a truly impressed passenger) to the farm's "rock beach" where we spent a few hours swimming, reading, catching crawfish and finding rocks. We have decided to do this a lot more often. It was so peaceful. With "the pup", it is such a quick, whinge-free journey. And maybe Gillen can teach me to shift (it's true, except for perspectives, I don't yet shift).