Summer is here in her full furry, the fourth has come, and gone, our little finches have nested and raised another brood, the babes flying away from their nest this very week. Somehow, the cool rainy days of spring, that teased us relentlessly with hopes of sunshine and warmer weather, are only a faint memory as the prickling heat of summer beats down on our shoulders. This week we’ve received some much needed rain and a break from the smothering heat we’ve been facing, and the entire farm is appreciating the cool air. Our gardens are overflowing with growth, showing hints of the bounty that will be upon us soon. We dropped the first round of meat chickens off at the processor this morning and we can’t wait to get a nice pastured chicken back on the dinner table. The boys have been enjoying catching lightning bugs, making bonfires, and of course continuing to perfect their many construction sites throughout the day. Summertime means late nights, sweltering days, fans humming, tan lines, dirty feet, and meals enjoyed on the patio and swing. In the garden the garlic has been harvested and replaced with buckwheat seed, the peas have hit their peak, the kale bolted and seed has been collected and stored for fall plantings. The broccoli is cut, but the topless plants remain as a trap for cabbage worms until the cabbage is harvested. New raspberry plants and grape vines have been planted, the window boxes are full and blooming, the humming birds buzz between flowers, and the boys sunflower fort is coming along. It’s hard to believe we’re already at the beginning of the fall planting season, starting seedlings again in the basement so they can be moved out when cooler weather comes. The pastures are filled with Queen Anne’s lace and blue cornflowers, and the sheep are all quite plump from months of fresh green grass always beneath their feet. The chickens haven been laying more eggs than we can use, and a fresh littler of kittens mew under the laundry room step. Clothes are out drying on the line, and the boys are always snacking in the garden on strawberries before breakfast. The kitchen is filled with fresh smoothies to chase away with heat, homemade ice cream, peach and berry baked oatmeal, sourdough einkorn loaves, and lots of Thai basil dinners. Dandelion, pineapple weed, chamomile, roses, oregano, thyme, lemon balm, mint, and clover have all been harvested and dried for teas and put away for winter. We made rose water and jewel weed tea cubes for fighting poison ivy. The kombucha is fermenting along with our first batch of beet kvass. Fresh mint water kept in the fridge, daily cappuccinos made for the boys drizzled with local honey. While most of the country does summer reading programs, there aren’t nearly as many books read right now around here. The boys are too busy digging holes, inspecting birds nests, driving tractors, and raiding the garden. They are learning to do laundry, to help in the kitchen, to pull weeds, and know flower names. Come winter we’ll snuggle back in to our stories but for now we’re enjoying our nature poems at meal time and a book or two before bed. So much has happened in these last few weeks, each thing so small and trivial they would hardly be noticed by outsiders, but it’s what makes our life at home so special. Each little thing is a sign of summer, of life on the farm, of a slower pace, yet bursting at the seams with activity.
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