My Good Boys

Phil walked next door today to check on how the grass is growing. It looks nice and green from here, but will it be ready to graze soon? He had two little companions, Joe and Abraham, walking with him and keeping him company.

Jadon has been wishing for pizza. Yesterday he decided he would make some. I pulled out the ground beef this morning to thaw, and at about 5:30 he headed out to mill the flour and get started on the dough.

Sometime later he showed up with his ball of dough, wanting to see if he had kneaded it thoroughly enough. He remembered to oil the pans before he put down the crust. He used the stick blender to blend the chopped tomatoes to make the sauce.

He showed up, almost in tears, because the ground beef "was falling apart." I reminded him that pizza topping is supposed to be crumbly. His visible relief made me smile. Nothing like the panic of disaster fading to the knowledge that all is going well after all.

He made the pizzas extra cheesy, and we all ate with gratitude.

I was in fourth or fifth grade when I made dinner for my family for the first time. I made pizza pockets. Jadon is in good company.

Phil returned from next door as enthusiastic as I've ever seen him. "Do you remember the pasture walk we did about two years ago? Think night and day difference!"

Two years ago, we had seeded next door, but nothing much had come up. Last spring, the ground was more covered, but we turned the cows in when the grass was six inches tall or so. It looked lush, but it had no staying power.

Phil had last delivered hay next door about a month ago. The road was clearly visible, and any grass quite short yet.

Today, he said that the grass was up to his waist. The road, at best, had 6" of visible driving, and the rest was overgrown. "It looks like a pasture! There is great coverage, without earth showing." He plans to start grazing tomorrow, pleased with his increasing knowledge of grazing and grass.