Harvesting

It's been hard to keep up with a record of our busy days here.  We are learning that the work in  summertime is constant.

Two weeks ago Paul got his first cutting of hay in.  Before starting he studied the equipment manuals for three days and greased up a few of his favorite T-shirts getting them all in working order, this kind of mechanical work is very new to him.  Some neighbors, friends and experienced farmers were skeptical but with the help of a few hands from church he go the job done.

Everyone helped where they could, but mostly the little ones were in the way.  

All the while the older boys were building strong muscles.

Meanwhile I've been working on the first harvests in the garden.  It has been very warm so the garlic is already ready.  The night before leaving for our cross country trip I'm quickly digging up rows of it and setting it out on make shift drying racks in the garage.

I did not get it all in, and I don't know what will become of the ready garlic that was left in the soil but we brought it what we could and it was over two huge basketfuls.

The kids are already dressed in the family reunion t-shirts because they are excited and ready for our family gathering in Utah.  I on the other hand am almost in tears wondering what I will return home to in the garden in two weeks.  I've already had a few bad dreams about bolting cabbage and hoping enough good friends come by and harvest what they can.

Sometimes it is hard to give my full attention to garden work but I'm trying not to beat myself up over it.  While I was working on garlic the two younger boys decided to thin the carrots on their own.  Here they show off their pickings with what they gathered from the nesting boxes, Henry found an egg and George collected a golf ball.  Later in the evening when I was tucking Henry in bed I discovered he was saving his carrots under his pillow "in case he got hungry in the night".  Good thing he did not stash the egg there also.

The blueberries are just about ready.  I think we'll miss the full harvest of them so I encouraged our farm sitter to take what he could but requested one freezer bag for our family to enjoy upon our return.

We've also been harvesting piles of kale, swiss chard, bok choy, napa cabbage, lettuce, turnips and beets.  It's been a joy to collect a portion of our meals straight from the garden.  But it has also been a lot of work so although I wish to snap artsy photos for all to share the joy, I just simply forget.

But the reality of the scene below had to be captured and shared.  A fresh picked turnip, still dusted with soil and with a bite taken out of it, was found laying in the play room among random junk and toys.  We all are finding our own way of enjoying it, the harvest, may it continue when we return.