September 20, 2012
Quote of the Week:
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
-Henry David Thoreau
Reflection from Norm
Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Day 2. Saturday, October 15
I awoke to the sound of laughter, no, hushed laughter, almost giggles. Now that is a great way to wake up! The night in our tent had been a rather restful one as our bodies had been cushioned with the Thermarest and our sleeping bags had been oh so cozy. We were all excited for whatever this beautiful day had to offer. First things first, I could hear Steffi already in the lake and I knew I had promised to join her. The water was clear, cold and exhilarating. This is something we do not get to do on the farm. After a few dives and subsequent screams, I exited while I could still feel my legs.
The pancakes with butter and chocolate chips warmed our stomachs as we prepared for our day’s adventure through several smaller lakes and portages. The 140 rod portage the previous day had left three of us spent, so we were happy for shorter ones today. The day was absolutely perfect. As Adriana said, “Every direction at all times looks like a postcard.” At noon we reached our destination, and lunch! We could here the waterfall but could not see it. Katie was immediately off and searching. We soon found it and delighted in putting our heads and bodies under the cascading water. We played like children in the rocks and water. We lingered and enjoyed our lunch and rested on the warm rocks before heading back to our campsite.
We ate our spaghetti and sat mesmerized by the campfire. Then we sat lined up on a log and each gave another a backrub after 2 days of canoeing (and many days of field work). Many groans and sighs later we walked down by the lake and listened to Steffi talk of the night sky. With joy in our heart and sleep in our eyes we once again retired to our respective tents.
The screams, the laughter, the beauty, the peace; the vitality that comes from connecting with the natural world. Sleep came easy this night.
Farmer Notes on this week’s delivery:
- Potatoes are Cascade, a good all purpose variety
- Turnips and radishes love the shorter days and cool nights
- Last of the leaf lettuce, more romaine yet to come
- Good crop of fennel, please read the ‘veg. of the week’ and recipes
- Winter squash is Sweet Dumpling. It is ready to eat but will store for months.
- Eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes are running on borrowed time as the first frost is eminent. We will be covering lots of beds for a cool Friday night.
- Plan to attend our Fall Gathering on Sunday, October 6th beginning at 2 p.m.
- Watermelon is a tad late but is awfully sweet and juicy
- Wash all of the produce before you eat it
