July-Sun Chasers
June, which was defined by a week-long heat wave, came to a close and the kids and I ran away to Lake Huron. As the rule-following farmers would have you believe, we are meant to make hay while the sun shines and to leave summer vacationing to the laymen. Whether it's being first generation farmers or just general renegades, we refute that regulation.
In fact, as humans, we are meant to find water when the sun bears down on us. We are required by our recreational spirits to revel in the rays of those sublime summer days that come along. And we did our part to capture the majesty of the sun in our memory bank, floating in inflatable tubes in one of the Greatest of lakes there is. If we hadn't made the choice to venture to Michigan's thumb, we would have missed the spectacle of quite literally swimming in the sun as it melted into the lake, suffusing the surface with a smattering of sunlit sparkles. How many others experienced their own incredible version of the sun setting that same night, believing they had it all to themselves?
All the while, Rich sent us photos of the one and only sun over our fields, which reminded me that we are not so far apart. How warm is the sun, our lifeforce which makes us one people, all seeking its rising and setting...marvelling at its profound beauty and at its power to sustain life? We are not so different at our core. May we shed the outer layers more often, and dig deep to unearth what we are inside: beings born of the elements, basing their lives around the glowing orb in our sky. I'm not sure which interpretation of warmth I'm more grateful to the sun for giving us: that which kisses our skin (and that of the tomatoes' too), or the intimacy it evokes as we as a people collect to watch it rise and fall.
Rich's sunset photo reminded me that we were missing the summer firefly shows in our fields at home, accompanied by the duet of cricket and frog. Truly, the splendors of vivacious summer are unfolding wherever you are in the northern hemisphere. And so it's a fallacy that there is somewhere else you need to be, or you're missing out. A better sunset than where you are doesn't exist. It's just that being away is inherently novel enough to encourage you to be there to say goodnight to the sun.
Good night sun. From the shores of Huron to the fields of Brookville, day is done.
News From the Farm:
-High Time at Market: Tomatoes and peppers join the menu this month...potatoes and onions too. The Oakwood Farmers Market has been phenomal this season and we thank you market goers for that (in addition to the awesome line up of consistent vendors). 9-noon every Saturday, rain or shine.
-Big Reveal Next Week: Finally, the news I've alluded to is coming to your inbox. This coming weekend...just making it official this week :).
-DLM Garden Boxes: If you live locally, consider signing up for Dorothy Lane Market's garden box subscription. We just confirmed our first veggie item which will come in a box alongside other local goods to those who participate in the program. Each week, you'll get a different smattering of locally-grown goodness to enjoy at home.
-The Dogs are Pulling Weight: Rich took on training our two sister dogs to their gps-tracked, wireless fence collar system. Though still adolescents, they are enjoying their new roles and freedom to safeguard the fields from deer. We confirmed Peg and Roux's breeds as being largely cattledog and beagle. Beagles tend to follow their noses to a fault, staying on a trail until they are far from home. During their early years here, we are reinforcing their understanding of our property's boundaries with this system. And we have seen promising success with deer traffic reduction :). (If you read the last journal entry, you should know that after a full two weeks of sleeping in the field, Rich has moved back into the house. That is a true testament to the deer reduction)
Thank you for reading :).
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