Well look at what we have here:

How are you all doing, today? I'm well, thanks for asking. The farm season is over, only it isn't, not really, but it seems it is for me. Conclusions? Big paradigm-shifting existential thoughts? Sure, of course, but they're my conclusions, and my big paradigm-shifting existential thoughts; I earned them the hard way, and I haven't managed to completely work through how I feel about them(that blog will come in time, but that time isn't now). What I am willing to say? Support your local farmers, even if it's harder or more expensive to do so. Take care of them, and they'll take care of you. It's worth it.

Thanks to Christie and Kelly for giving me the opportunity, and for teaching me, and allowing me the opportunity to come to this place and have the experience I've had. I'll be forever grateful for that.

Enough soap boxery, this blog isn't about my preaching(or not only about that) it's about keeping you updated with my doings, and I've been remiss in doing that. So what has happened in the last few weeks? As I mentioned I went to Oregon with a whole crew of friends and acquaintances for Thanksgiving. It was a fantastic weekend. There was much cooking and eating, walking on the beach and in the woods, relaxing in the hot tub, and many, many games. It was a much needed rest, and the drive was as beautiful as the destination. I have no pictures from the trip, but Maggie loaned me a pair, and I loan them to you, now:

Let's see, what else have I been doing? Knitting(that's my new camera case, and a hat which I've only just begun):

Now that my season on the farm is done, I'm looking for something to occupy my time, but in the meantime I'm house-sitting, and dog-watching, in a lovely home, in town, which is certainly a pleasant change of pace. There's a kitchen:

My haven't I been busy?

And a wood-stove to keep me warm and toasty:

Not to mention Sitka and Skana to keep me well excercised:

And a whole massive stack of library books to read:


Killed some ducks and a chicken...for your edification, and future knowledge, in case it comes up. Cut the bird's throat, don't chop it's head off with a hatchet, trust me on this. Having done that, I've got legs curing for confit, and racks and feet and heads for making stock, and given what we all know about Aaron and esoteric preservation techniques, we can safely say that this pleases me, to no end. Also if you need a bird slaughtered and cleaned, I'm your man. Still slower than a professional, but I'm working on it. Another important part of this sort of farm work...it works best as a group effort; thanks to Shaelee for the opportunity, and to Maggie for arranging it, and doing her share of the work.

Went snow-shoeing up on the ridge, the other day, with Maggie. It was a gorgeous day, and as it often does in this place, everything was crisp and well-defined. It's hard to describe, and I'm unsure if it's a quality of the air, or the play of light and shadow, but it really is unlike anywhere I've ever been before, the mountains arrayed before you, the ever shifting light, the breeze, and in this case, the sound of the snow melting off the trees, each one a miniature rainstorm. It was both beautiful and humbling. I loved every minute of it. These pictures are also courtesy of Maggie, except for the one of me; I took that one:



So what's next for Aaron? That is the million dollar question, isn't it. I'm not sure, to give you a straight and simple answer, but my lack of clearly defined path, doesn't worry me in the least. I have a place here, for now at least, and friends and companions who are willing to do what they can to enable my journey. Just as many of you enabled me to reach this place(Mindy, Mike). That's how I'm spending my time these days, figuring out the next step; reading and writing, cooking and baking, and pausing, now and again, to look out the window at the mountains, and to smile, and to appreciate where I am, and what I'm doing.

Happy Thanksgiving(and the snowstorm of twenty-ten)

It's the day before Thanksgiving, I'm baking one loaf of bread, a long pie pumpkin and three heads of garlic, which will also be transformed into bread before the day is through. I'm off on a road trip, or will be in a few hours, and I'm jittery with excitement, and coffee, but mostly excitement.

It snowed here in Port Angeles on Sunday, an unseasonably early storm of impressive ferocity. We got somewhere between eight inches and a foot, on the farm there were drifts as high as three feet in some places, but I'm getting ahead of myself. On Sunday we went and saw the new Harry Potter movie. It was, as we all had to assume, quite dark. I love the animated tale of the three brother right in the middle of it; thought the animation was fantastic. I enjoyed it, but I have to say that it in no way compared with going sledding at the highschool with Maggie, and Jen and Nathan afterward. That was easily the highlight of my week, if not the month.

The day afterward, however, was back to farm life, and let me just tell you, farming in the snow? Even inside of the greenhouse...not ideal. We got it cleaned out, however, harvesting the last of the peppers and eggplants, and some green tomatoes that may or may not ripen off the vine. Yesterday we finished pulling up all the fencing, and cleaning it up as best we could, and then cleaned out the chicken coop. Ah, the glamorous and idyllic life of farm folk.

I've been getting some quality writing done, I think, and I've been enjoying my time immensely. Although living in a trailer during the snowstorm has taken some of the romance out of it, it was undeniably beautiful. Some pics from around the farm(it should be interesting to see what survives this, but I've learned not to underestimate the resilience of plants).


Chickens do not like the snow:
The display garden, lettuce?:

Leeks:

Parsnips:

Brassicas:

Asparagus:
Flax:

Raspberries and Blueberries:
Leaving the Athair's the morning of the storm:



Sometimes you find beauty in the most unexpected of places, like the skin of the greenhouse the morning after:

As for my Thanksgiving plans? A rented house on the Oregon coast, with some friends and some strangers. There will be much cooking, and celebrating, and, on my part at least, being thankful for what I have, for the opportunities I find myself with, for my friends and loved ones, and for all of you who care about me and my journey.

Thanks.

I am in Portland, and I am in love...

My view from the car window as I left Grandma and Saba's yesterday.

This place, this state, this city, are too cool for words. So I'll not even try. After a long day driving yesterday, I had a short one today, and now I'm going to relax, and go see what I can of this cool new place, and enjoy myself. Some pictures for your amusement.







A brief anecdote from yesterday, and then I'm off. I stopped to pump gas in LA, at the very end of Sunset Boulevard, which made me think of Miah. I pumped the gas, and saw that my total was exactly seventy five dollars. I thought to myself, that'll never happen again, only that afternoon, I pumped my gas, in the middle of the desert in the middle of the vast expanse that it California, and my total? That's right.