An Awesome Spider

First thing on getting up this morning I headed out to get my flower seeds in the ground before the "Flower" period stopped at 8am. Although I have studied (and love) biodynamic practices, and we have made compost using the preps, the only thing we do on a very regular basis is plant based on the calendar. Basically, certain days are favorable to root plants (onions, potatoes); some are better for leaf crops (lettuce, kale, chard); some are good for flowers (self-evident, but includes broccoli); some are good for fruit (obvious, but also vegetables like corn, squash, peas, beans).

Happily, a mother and son team in Germany compile the proper dates for this, and The North American Biodynamic Sowing and Planting Calendar is readily available. Based on my very limited experience, I don't think there's a more valuable $14 to spend on the garden.

As I went to plant, I walked down the road and was suddenly surprised when my feet sank down two inches or more. The two inches of rain the last two days has certainly made the ground soggy, but this quicksand-feel was because Phil had tilled there. What a difference!

Phil spent the morning butchering the lamb. For his birthday, he received a very helpful DVD set, The Gourmet Butcher. He had watched it to get a sense of what to do, and then had it running in the background: "find this tendon and cut through" was all very helpful. The sheep was so tiny, it was a ridiculously small amount of meat (a couple of ounces for the tenderloin), but he now can say that he has professionally butchered a dry-aged sheep, and that is one more experience he has mastered.

Jadon and I were picking strawberries this afternoon when he suddenly grew excited. "Mom, come see!" He had found a spider with its young on its back! So neat! When I complimented him on his keen eye, he said, "It would have been impossible not to see it! It's huge!"

As an example of Jadon's ever-increasing wit, I offer this: we are reading through I Kings right now, and Phil had finished explaining why Israel was Israel, and Judah was Judah. When Israel (Jacob) was dying, he blessed Joseph's sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and gave him his name (Genesis 48:16). Thus, when their descendants broke away from the house of David, the name "Israel" went with them.

Jadon said, with a twinkle in his eye, "And if they were from the North, they would have been called 'Bull Run,'" a reference to an idiosyncrasy in naming Civil War battles. The battle named "Manassas" by the Confederates was named "Bull Run" by the Union. So incredibly clever!

Some photos from the land today. First, I had neglected to heel in some elderberries I ordered earlier this year, and by the time I found them, they appeared entirely devoid of life. I heeled them in, then decided to plant them roughly, but nothing much had happened until I noticed today small signs of life in two twigs (out of 25: so not a great success rate, but, mathematically speaking, infinitely better than none!).

I have been amazed that the garlic has not shown signs of sending out their scapes. Today, though, I pulled the first few. Garlic is coming! I am ready!

The cows moved out of this section yesterday.

And moved into this section. They are happy to have ample greens.

It mellowed them enough that Toots let Abraham pet her. I love this photo: it shows Abraham's absolute earnestness and focus as he approaches the heifer.

By contrast, Isaiah and Toots shows his personality very well. The energy, absolute fearlessness and joy that he brings to the animals is amazing to see.

We found this broken flower on the ground. Looking up, we noticed other little orange flecks on tulip poplars. From thirty feet below, the orange bits look like discolored leaves.
tulip
Walking down the woodland road, so lush with spring growth. Phil said, "I wish everyone could come and see the photosynthesizing!"

On the neighbor's land, we were happy to see the lush forage now grown up, after a spring of perfect, an inch a week, rains. It shimmered in the light of the first sun we'd seen all week.

And it's taller up close than it looks from far away. Can you find Abraham?

As soon as it dries out a bit, Phil is ready to really hit the fencing, and get the cows over there.

And, finally, at least one cabbage has decided to start heading out. Hopefully more will soon follow.