Friday, July 29, 2011

California Free Range Friday (with a Culebrense slant)

The Larry, Elijah, Buffy and MJ be

Yesterday, planting strawberries about wore me out. After this morning's planting, which went a fair bit faster, I'm still sore, but feel a lot better. Elijah and Larry pulled ahead of me, but that was okay, Because we're done, leaving me to fantasize that I'd whip through the next bed in record time and feel like going dancing afterward. Sure.

All I know is, bless the farmers of the world, and I'm really glad I'm not a migrant worker. We got good pay for planting, plus not having to go in debt to the company store just to have a roof and a simple meal. Thanks, Larry and Janet! Yes, Life is good. And so are the strawberries!

 The plants to the left are raspberries. 
These strawberries will be ready next year.

Planting strawberries is dirty work

While I was, eventually, catching up with online things in the afternoon, I got a wonderful treat in my email from Teresa, who is Holy the Firm with my cat. If you can leave your animals with someone who treats them better than you do, you're as lucky as me.

 Why does Cwim like to drink from the rain bucket? 
Why is it silly to ask why a cat does anything?

And then, because she knows that even with the powerful and beautiful views around me here, there is still one view I love the best. Thanks, T - you are as beautiful as my view!


After I'd recovered my walking feet (and ankles and knees...the hardest part in planting strawberries), I decided to try baking some bread. While I had, technically, the same ingredients I use on Culebra, the rye flour I got at an outside market was home ground (from their own rye!) and the yeast from the health food store was really different as well. Plus an altitude about oh...1497 feet higher than mine. But it all went well! And I'm going to go have some in a few minutes. Next comes the rosemary bread experiment, now that I know I'm not going to screw up the recipe

Oh, the recipe. Well. If I tell you, I'd have to...not sell you bread! But it's super simple and if you want the recipe, I'll give it to you. If you don't live on Culebra. Just kidding. Ha ha ha. Ha.

 Extra big loaf of rye bread

 Just going into dusk view from the porch where I sleep. And read. And chat. 
And listen to home made music with Elijah and Buffy playing.
It's like that, and it is all good.

Some tiger lilies - some things feed you without ever being consumed

Yesterday we got the herb bed planted. The plants were already started and it just needed some more fill. Two good bags of soil, some 'duff' from around the madrone trees, and some good sifted compost from the compost pile and those plants are HAPPY! I want to get some rosemary started from one of Janet's plants...

Have a feed your head Friday! Do something fruitful.

4 comments:

  1. Where the hell are you? Strawberries are well past season, chica. LOL!

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  2. Here, they are just finishing out, along with the raspberries. But the blueberries are almost ready!!

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  3. MJ,

    The altitude is gumming up the mental order, here. Remember? Planting, harvesting - young'ns. Baking, hotsauce making, spoiling the progeny - us'ns. Ya can't dispense wisdom from a chiropractor's table!

    xoxox
    doug

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  4. Love you too! All done with that, feel great today and $ in my pocket, glad I did it, glad it's done! But good advice; I'll be more gentle to myself now.

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