106. August- The Dog Days of Summer

We looked up the dog days of summer yesterday. It has nothing to do with dogs laying around in the heat. Apparently it refers to to the days of the Greeks and Romans when the star system Sirius (not the satellite radio), appeared alongside the sun in the Northern Hemisphere, usually in the months of July and August, believed to cause the hottest days of the year.

And so here we are, finding ourselves fully in the dog days of summer. The days are full, yet not busy. Spontaneous. We saw friends most days this week, still revelling in not taking that for granted. Are delighting in eating blueberries and watermelon and spend more hours outside than in.

I’ve decided to attempt a monthly check-in type post. We’ll see how long it lasts, as a bookmark of the months, allowing it to ebb and flow as it will, still trying to find a new rhthym of writing after 100 days consecutively. The banks of that river was very narrow, and so I had lots of structure, now without any, I’m needing to find my own. And, I just spent a whole afternoon writing and reflecting on the extraordinary ordinariness of life and so, it doesn’t get more ordinary than this. I get really excited by big ideas (ask Blake, we had a very philisophical conversation about the bias of logic at midnight a few nights ago), and was reminded by a friend a few days ago, “my job is quantity, Spirit’s promised job is quality.” So I’m wanting to keep my side of the bargain.

So here goes. The first (and maybe last) monthly check in. Who knows? I surrender.

Life on the Farm Right Now:

We’ve entered the liminal space on the farm. The crops are starting to turn. All urgent spring and summer duties are done, most of the bales have been made, we have at least double if not more than last year, which is good, because we only had five leftover bales at the end of the winter. Harvest is assumed to be later this year, because of the last spring, so we have a lull here for everyone to enjoy summer.

At home, the girls are busy riding horses every day with lots of new, and sometimes painful experiences. The pigs are growing, the two bottle baby calves are happy to have the company of the horses and let us know when we’re late to feed, and the chickens are happily nosing in the grass, excited for treats of bread and noodles, in between egg laying.

We’ve had a few tastes of garden potatoes, zucchini and just a few cucumbers and carrots. The beans will be ready soon, along with more cucs.

A Few Recent Screen Shots:

I am a notorious screen shotter, often taking time to come back and journal those that still feel powerful, but not always. Sometimes they just get deleted, so perhaps I might record some of them here.

Currently Reading:

I’ve decided to return to the public library. We are saturated with books, and reading on a timeline does me good. We order it and it shows up at our local branch, just like Amazon, but better. The only problem is, I like to write in books, and underline, and star and circle, so I’m finding it a bit tedious to sticky note and then come back.

This week, I read, “The Flower Can Always Be Changing,” by Shawna Lemay. A short book of essays, I loved it and filled my journal with notes.

I also finished, “A Circle of Quiet,” by Madeleine L’Engle and am finishing “Walking on Water – Reflections on Faith and Art,” by Madeleine L’Engle ( the author of A Wrinkle in Time), I preferred the first book.

Baking:

I made this lemon square for Blake’s birthday last week and it was a hit.

Other Notes:

We’re trying out this cool idea for fly control in the yard this year. Bugs for Bugs sends live parasites every few weeks. They prey on fly larvae, and we sprinkle it around the breeding areas in the yard … we’ll see how it works. Ella did ask for us to bring out the fly tapes that hang all over the house this time of year last week, so that’s a sure sign we’re heading into fall.

The most exciting new thing on the farm this year for me, is our rain barrel, I’m seriously so thrilled with collecting the water and using it for watering and for the chickens.

Oh! And this kelp fertlizer I’ve been using on my flowers, and herbs, and who knows if that’s why their growing so well this year, or it’s just the season, because I definitely don’t have a green thumb.

Recent Sky Pictures:

Because there always is.