A New Year, a New Plan, a New Journey...of sorts...

A new propensity for using too many ellipses...well I suppose that's not something new, actually. I know it's been too long in between updates, but I've been waiting until I had some news about my plans, and I've gotten the response I've been waiting for, and know what I'll be doing this coming season. You want to know what that will be? We'll get to that, in good time. First, however, an update on what I've been doing, the holidays, and general goings on.

As most of you know I spent Christmas in California, seeing the whole family, and enjoying the bright sunshine, and blue skies, and...wait, it wasn't like that at all. In fact, it was like David and I brought the PacNorWe with us; so that we could share with our families what we've been experiencing. Despite the rain and the gray skies, La Jolla was as wonderful as it always is, and I got the chance to do many of the things I had hoped to do, and some others that I hadn't anticipated being able to.

California in the rain...:




and the sunshine:

Spent several days checking out the museums, as I always love to do when visiting Saba and Grandma Pooh. There were countless wonderful meals. Both at our grandparent's home, and out at restaurants. There wasn't nearly enough time for walking on the beach, but I did have the chance to do a little knitting while sitting atop the bluffs in downtown La Jolla.

Mostly the time I spent in California was nice for the simple reason of being able to see and spend time with so many of my loved ones who I don't get to see nearly enough of. If you were there, rest assured that we did not get to spend as much time together as I'd have liked. Even something as simple as an afternoon walk, whether full of conversation or mostly silent can be an outing to remember if you're with someone special, and all of my time during this too short vacation was spent with people who are special to me. My favorite place in La Jolla(maybe on the planet)?:

The journey back from California was an interesting one. I rode the smallest plane I've ever been on to Los Angeles, where I had a substantial layover, and where I met a pair of farm folk who were also on their way back from San Diego to the peninsula where they live and work at Nash's. I spent another night at the Green Tortoise in Seattle, and began an epic public transportation journey early the next morning. A view from the ferry:

Four buses and a ferry ride later and I made it back to Port Angeles in more or less one piece. It took a while, but cost almost nothing, and it gave me the chance to do some knitting. Being away from internet left me to my own devices as far as knitting projects went, so I devised a pattern, which actually resulted in a hat(which while too small for most heads) I think is really cool.

The Walzes returned safely from their trip to Minnesota, and I've been staying with Maggie and the Athairs since. I'm finding it challenging to find a place to live, since I'm only going to be here for a month or so before I take a trip eastward to do some visiting and learning before I start in on my new experience.

I spent New Year's Eve in Port Townsend, contra dancing. It was a relaxing low-key way to spend the holiday, and got to spend some time with some other really special people, who have become an important part of my life.

I have spent most of my time in the last weeks researching opportunities for the coming season, and found a few that suited my needs and desires for a position. It wasn't until the new year, however, that I found the perfect posting. It fit every one of the points for a place to spend the coming season living and learning. To ignore my impulse to make it seem like a mystery, I've been accepted by Jim Rueff and Linda Davis, who run Solstice Farm and Bed and Breakfast. You might have heard me mention them in connection with the FIELD internship program. This is an innovative learning program for aspiring young farm folk, and is an especially perfect opportunity for me given my desire to learn about agri-tourism. I went on a visit to the farm last week, and spent an afternoon with Linda and their interns flipping sheep, trimming hooves, and assisting in any way I could. It was great to spend an afternoon with them, and I'll freely admit that I spent the rest of the week, grinning like an idiot with excitement at the prospect of being able to learn from them, and the other farmers and teachers involved with the FIELD program.

I've been waiting to write a blog all this time, but find it hard to convey how excited I was when I opened my e-mail this morning from Jim informing me that he and Linda were willing to take me on for the season. This internship program is very different from how I spent the last season, it's more formal, and although much of the learning is experiential, it is doubtlessly going to be incredibly educational for me. I'll have the opportunity to learn from a number of different farmers, and I'll have the chance to learn about many of the business aspects of the small scale agriculture industry that I didn't have the opportunity to learn last year. Not to mention the fact that in addition to being a master gardener Linda is a passionate teacher of building, and will give me the chance to do some of the sorts of construction that I'm very interested in learning.

At Solstice they have sheep and chickens. They raised pigs for the first time last year, and will be doing so again this year. They have a beehive, but are planning on installing another(I'm excited at the prospect of this, and not just for honey related reasons; bees are incredible and fascinating creatures, and I'm looking forward to learning more about them). The farm is thirty three acres, and they grow as much of the feed for their flock as is possible to do. This focus on the stewardship of their land, and the care and thought they put into their operation are apparent even from the short time I was able to spend with them. As far as the bed and breakfast, located in the home they built for themselves after years on planning, the only thing I can really say about it, is that it's stunning. It's simply a beautiful home, and I feel truly lucky to be a part of their lives for the coming season.

What else has been going on in my life? Cooking Ethiopian food, for feasting purposes.:

Making summer and nori rolls:



So. After a long time contemplating, living my life here on the west coast for the better part of year, and spending all of my time, working on the farm, with farm folk, and parkies, and fantastic former hippies, artists, makers of all stripes, and other left coast types, can I say I've changed much? That's a hard question to answer. I don't think that I have, not really. What has happened is that this place has focused many of the aspects of my personality that were already present, and revealed some that were concealed from view, but had been there all along. We all know I'm a food person, I think it's a massively important part of life. It connects us all as human beings, we cannot do without it. It bridges cultures and unites us, it nourishes us body and soul, and it as important a thing to dedicate one's self to as exists. not to mention it simply being a way to appreciate and enjoy being alive.

I'm fully well aware of the fact that some of you don't understand my passion for this, and that's ok. I'll not try and convince you otherwise, but I will say this much: I'm excited about my life, and my prospects for the future, and while I have no doubt that to be a success will involve a lifetime of hard work...in what field would it not? I don't know exactly where this is leading. Someplace like Rockhouse? Where we spent so many enjoyable hours as children, where some of my happiest memories can be found. I'm not sure. I do know that I have no desire to be a market farmer, to grow vegetables and fruits solely for the purpose of selling them is not enough for me, but perhaps to be able to share my passion for food, and for the way that it unites us and sustains us will play a part of whatever I choose to do after I've learned what I came all this way for. To teach others, especially young people, the next generation, the importance of supporting those who support us on such a basic level is of utmost importance.

Is Aaron a farmer?

Not yet.

Is it dark where you're at?

Because apparently, this far north? It gets dark, right early, and it's only November, I shudder to think what it will be like in January. Despite that, I have to say this place is incredible. Even on a gray drizzly day, perhaps especially on a gray and drizzly day, this place has a beauty...you know what? I'll shut up and let the pictures speak for themselves.

From my trip up to Hurricane Ridge today.




It's not really that snowy; in fact, those are pictures of every square inch of snow there was.

What kind of Mushrooms are these? I don't know. They looked delicious, however. Also on the mushroom front...pickled chanterelles:




I've not been doing a great deal, you know, the usual:

Knitting and crocheting:

Baking(roasted potato fendu and peanut butter cookies):


Also in the kitchen, the controlled spoiling of foods, the powers of fermentation...cider in the process of hardening, and milk in the process of seperating, that I might use the whey in further fermentation projects, and the curds in the name of cheese:

Farmering, which this week mostly involved planting garlic:



Also harvested the last of the apples, this week:

Pink pearl...yeah:

I've been doing really well, but I'll freely admit that the early darkness can be a little wearing. It's fine as long as I have my friends, but when they're not around it can be a little...frustrating.

I'm enjoying the opportunity to work market on Saturdays. I'm getting to know my regular customers, and my fellow vendors, and it makes for a nice change of pace from working on the farm. We are rapidly approaching the time when farm work become very difficult due to the weather, but despite that fact we seem to all be in good spirits.

I like the story I'm writing for NanoWriMo, I think it will probably turn out to be a novella, actually around fifty thousand words when it's complete. I hit the halfway mark today, right on track. All I can say is that it's a good thing I'm not trying to do this in July. That would have broken me. I've got a lot of stories to edit once this is done, and I'm giving serious consideration to taking another crack at rewriting my first novel, given the experience I've just had, I feel like I could write it a more authentic voice, and I have an idea of how to fix the ending, but all of that will have to wait until December at the earliest. A preview:

That's my life, these days. Hanging out with Maggie, and the kids down the street at the Lazy J, who, after an incredibly productive summer, are quite justifiably exhausted. I'm doing my best to reward them all with cookies, and my company, although whether that last qualifies as a reward is up for debate.

I've made my reservations for Christmas in California, and since I'm not driving I guess I won't be able to haul a tree a thousand miles for aesthetic reasons, but it just made more sense to fly. Truly excited to see everyone again, and to celebrate with Grandma Pooh and Saba. Sunshine might be nice, as well.

I've got preliminary plans for Thanksgiving that I'm totally jazzed about More on that when I know for certain what's going on, or I might just leave y'all in suspense, and share after the fact...let it suffice to say you needn't worry I'll be alone and depressive on the holiday.

I hope you all have big plans as well, and I hope you're enjoying your lives, and if you want to talk, feel free to call or e-mail, and if you have, and I haven't gotten back to to you yet, I promise I'm working on it, but the allure of the yarn is becoming hard for me to resist. Not sure what that's all about. Love you guys. Miss you, and hopefully I'll get to see at least some of you, soon.

Remember, remember, the fifth of November...

Anyone have a big exciting Guy Fawkes bonfire? We did, but only incidentally. It was a gray and rainy Saturday, and farmer Kelly took the opportunity to set the burn pile alight. I was working market, however, and so I missed the festivities. It's November, which means it's NanoWriMo time again. I think the story I've started is probably more of a novella than a full-fledged novel, but that's just fine. I've been writing everyday, but my output has been severely reduced over the summer, and now I'm finding it really challenging to find the time to write seventeen hundred words a day, but I'm managing(even after starting over after two days and having to make up the page count, because I'm a stickler).

On the farm we've been continuing the same program we've been on. We're taking in the last of summer crops; we took in the flax and field corn this past week. The corn didn't do great, but we've gotten enough to make cornmeal for the farm, and I think that was really our intention. The sunflowers didn't make it. They went moldy before they finished maturing, and were consigned to the compost on the same day I harvested the corn. Tant pis.

Flax, wheat, and corn:



I've been as busy as ever. Contra dancing, knitting and crocheting, reading, both fiction and some seminal farming books, cooking, baking, and pickling, and yoga. Yesterday, Maggie and I went hiking in the Elwha, which is really beautiful. The mountains are just beginning to show signs of snow at the peaks, and the deciduous trees and ferns make an incredible contrast with teh vibrantly green moss and Doug Firs. There has been a great deal of reading aloud, including, but not limited to, a read aloud children's book group, which was a great deal of fun. I read several Just So Stories, and some poems from Where The Sidewalk Ends. That was the sort of book club I can get behind.

What else am I reading, you say? Why these:

The beginning of my first knitting project:

I'll post more pics of my handiwork when I've finished.

On a recent Monday off(Hooray November) I spent some time walking through the outdoor sculpture garden in PA. I took some pics, which I present without commentary:


That one's my favorite(What? Oh yeah, no commentary. I did say that. Fine. I retract my previous statement.).

Some pics of some recent bakes; I've been doing even more bread than usual the last few weeks. Ciabatta al Funghi:

Roasted Beet Bread:

Perhaps the simplest, but most delicious loaf I've made since I came to the PacNorWe. A pain au levain:

These are bay laurel cuttings that Kelly took from a job, and is rooting next to the greenhouse. The day he put these in the ground, the wind carried the scent of them over to the wash station where Kay and I were cleaning produce, and all day long we'd get a whiff, and wind up smiling like schoolkids. It was fantastic. If you've never had the chance to smell real fresh bay, not California bay, but the Mediterranean variety, seek it out. It's a whole other thing.

Bodie and Willow, Newfoundland and Pony, from next door:


Some shots from around town and the farm, which make me smile; just looking at them is enough to make me smell woodsmoke:





It's easy enough for me to remember to be thankful for where I am. In considering what I'm to do once the farm season is over for well and for good, I've been thinking about the logistics of returning to Georgia long enough to grab my bike, and drive across the southern edge of the country, but haven;t quite worked out the details of what that trip would entail(aside from wool and waterproofs). It's all still theoretical, but the more I consider it, the more I like the idea. It would give me the chance to visit with everyone, and catch up, and it would be an experience unlike anything else, I'm sure. I hope you guys are all doing as well as I am. I really miss you, and wish we had the chance to talk more often(i.e. at all), but I know we're all busy. I love you, and hope you're all looking forward to the holidays; I can't wait to see some of you in California for Christmas. I just want to know, who's bringing the tree?