Life progresses apace, friends and loved ones. I started a new job last week, harvesting two days a week at Red Dog, which is just around the corner from Solstice. That's right, boys and girls, I'm now getting paid for to do that which I've been doing for free. Part of the time, at least. It's a really cool operation, Karyn and her crew grow really beautiful and delicious produce, and they have quality control standards as high as I've ever seen. I'm learning a lot, just being around her and her crew(even though I spend most of my time picking strawberries). She runs a really successful operation, and it's great to see someone my age making her farm work, and still managing to treat everyone involved fairly. Cool stuff.
At Solstice we've pretty much finished planting the garden, and although I'm continuing to put fall and winter crops in anywhere I can find some empty row space, we've reached the point where we're mostly going to be maintaining what we've already done in the coming months.
We had to put down one of our pigs, Shorty, he was sick with an infection of some sort, and none of the treatments we tried managed to get him healthy again. It's sad, but it's also a fact of nature that not every animal makes it to maturity.
The goats are doing well, and This Goat and That Goat are getting quite fat. It's almost time for them to be weaned, and we're all pretty excited at the prospect of no longer having to bottle feed every day.
The new interns have integrated into the community at large, and we're all getting along well. We're learning a lot, and working hard, and even managing to have a lot of fun in our spare time. Not that I've got a whole lot of that with the new gig on top of all the work I was doing before. Recent classes have included climate variability and food security and soil science. This month we've got classes on fiber(wool FTW) and at the end of the month we're taking a class of pickles and jams from a master preserver.
I've been baking always, as is usual, and with a new group of coworkers to endear myself to I've been pulling out all my best treats. On the savory front I've made rabbit confit, from one of the other interns, Tassie's bunnies, which were her independent learning project; I also just finished cooking up a bunch of corned lamb's tongues. I think we've had a potluck at least every other week all season long.
As much as I love watching the food in the garden grow I was reminded how satisfying I find working with the animals the other morning when we treated the new lamb's hooves, and wormed them, prior to separating them from their mothers for weaning. I spent the morning kneeling in poop, and administering shots, and squirting wormer down the mouths of calm and accepting animals, and it was a joyous way to spend a day.
The newest batch of layers, Rhode Island Reds, are maturing quickly, and are starting to look like little chickens instead of like tiny feathered dinosaurs. Olivia, at Spring Rain is raising turkeys for her independent project, and if you've ever thought baby chicks are cute it's only because you haven't seen baby turkeys.
Not sure how much else I have to share. I'm still writing, and still knitting(working on three projects right now), and I've actually been working on a hide from the last slaughter. Kay at Spring Rain has been learning to cure hides, and tan leather just as a personal interest, and one of the things that all of the interns are really excited to be able to do is share our knowledge and our passions with one another. What could be better than that? Bread baking classes anyone?
What was that? You want some pictures? I guess I'll see what I can come up with.
Asparagus, garlic scapes, salad greens and a fried egg? Don't mind if I do:
Asparagus Volunteers:
Dilly scapes, first pickles of the year:
Sheep at sunset:
My lettuce, and potato bins in the background, and a preview of the intern row on the garden(these pics taken a few weeks ago, I'll get some updated shots with stuff actually growing for next time):
Last knitting project? First pair of socks...guys let me tell you if you ever have the chance to rock a pair of handmade wool socks, I reccomend it unreservedly:
Hope y'all found something to enjoy in that. I enjoyed sitting and writing it; since it gave me a chance to reflect on the last few weeks, and to think of you all. Working on having my bike sent out here, so I have an alternative to driving the beast of the van. Thinking ahead to what i might do next. Not coming up with any definite answers, but I definitely have some tentative plans. I've got a pretty big birthday coming up, and the thought of it is both exciting and not really. I've been claiming thirty within days of turning twenty nine, but the reality of it is another thing. I look forward to the day, and I look forward to the day when I next get to see you all, so I can tell you how much you all mean to me in person, instead of as a group by way of a blog entry.Love you guys, hope you're enjoying life as much as I am, and are keeping busy and productive and are making new friends and learning a lot. I know I am, and it makes all the difference in the world.
