Sunday, April 12, 2009


Easter is always a magical time for our family. Trying to figure out how that Easter bunny gets around without being seen is an all day affair for our kids. Being on a farm, it's pretty common to stumble across animal burrows in the ground. Of course you never see the animal cause he's scurried off further down into the lower chambers. So a rabbit hole is a curious thing. After all, Alice did tumble down into one. We've been keeping an eye on the same one in the garden for a couple of years now. But this year, Henry noticed a new hole in the ground on the other side of the garden fence... the grand entryway to our smorgasbord of tender lettuces. Henry and Hattie do what they always do when a guest is coming, in this case a rabbit, make handmade cards to give to the newcomer. They use words like" I love you Easter Bunny" written in scented magic marker all over. Henry stuck his card down the rabbit hole.
Later, the candy filled plastic Easter eggs entice them through the yard, across the creek, up the bank and through the garden gate. The card is gone and an egg dyeing kit is in it's place. Afterwards, Henry takes all the dyed eggs and stuffs them down the rabbit hole.
This picture of my family reminds me of a modern day WPA Walker Evans photo.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Planting Fingerling Potatoes




Despite the approaching freeze, we worked hard to plant some of the fingerling potatoes the UPS man brought yesterday. Interns Eva Brewer and Paul Oliver are helping Alex and I sheet mulch the walkways and plant taters every foot which then get covered in straw. It's a great system where as the potato vine grows and leaves out, we add more and more wheat straw to hill them up. Then you pull the straw back around 90 days later, you find clean little fingerlings ready to harvest. I'm loving this
no till method. I'm also crazy about this pic of Paul's dog Scout with Alex in the background. Wonder who is bossing who? Scout is the biggest baddest Chocolate Lab with a sweet heart. He makes our mixed breed Boxer Mickey look like a chihuahua.

Little Miss Unpredictable has played a good trick on us again. We thought is was a time of Spring Mayflowers and Dogwoods but Surprise Surprise! Just when you thought it was safe to go into the garden and plant.....mid twenty degree weather is in the forecast for us here in Downing Hollow and throughout the Midsouth. Tuck your plants in and make a pot of chili, it's gonna get cold! I hear laughter in the forest from all the cute little wood sprites....