I joined Andy for a 9:30 breakfast of duck eggs and the banana bread I made for them (Lalanya has a wheat intolerance!). He told me all about the history of the colonies and their current politics. Around 11 we started planting some things from the greenhouse - squash, watermelon, marigolds, cosmos and an apple tree. Then Andy asked me if I wanted to drive around and get the tour. We drove through each of the 7 villages then ended up at the store where Lalanya was working. It is awesome! Packed with organic food, organic soap, organic tea, organic lotions, organic yarn and antiques. They told me to pick out whatever food I wanted. I shopped on the conservative side, and I can’t wait to go back for more. The food situation is a little confusing, and I’m still trying to figure it out. Basically, after breakfast we didn’t eat again until Lalanya got home and served us a cup of coffee at 5 p.m. which hit the spot, but did not fill me up! Then, at 7 Andy and Lalanya left to hang out with some friends, and they told me to help myself to whatever I wanted.THIS was the highlight of my day. I wandered through the garden and made myself a salad which I added to my quinoa. Then I chose some good-smelling herbs and made hot tea while I watched two bulls wrestle with their horns in the adjacent field. No wonder Andy and Lalanya work so hard, barely take vacations and tackle what seems like an endless list of upkeep - growing your own food is SO rewarding! Every day they walk the garden and show each other what changed, grew or joined the garden. I love how much they appreciate the earth and her ability to provide food and beauty and their genuine joy in doing hard work outside. I brought a bag of “food” from home to make a snack for the three of us, but now I’m embarrassed of it, and I know I won’t use it. Here, it is considered processed crap, which is totally legitimate next to the freshness of the food which is growing organically right outside my door.
The afternoon was spent pretty much just pulling a forest of weeds out from the raspberries that are growing along a fence. I am SUCH a slow mover, but it’s starting to look a lot better. Not for long, I’m sure, though. Those weeds pop up so quickly. An earth worm crawled into a hole in the toe of my Crocs. Now I’m sore and tired, and my left knee makes a popping sound when I go up the stairs. I took a hot shower, which felt absolutely wonderful. But I’m looking forward to the day when I have an opportunity to use the outdoor shower which is in the middle of the garden with a few sheets draped over it! Ethan - a boy who just graduated from high school and works for Andy about three days a week for $5/hr - and I talked about what’s wrong with his generation of men: Why do more women WWOOF? Why don’t more boys go on missions trips and get involved in churches? Why do they lead amazing women on then not marry them? I almost put on my feminist boots and started stomping around in them, but then Andy walked up and told a story about how their rooster finds worms in the dirt, pulls them out then calls for the hens to come and eat them. Now that’s a gentleman! Speaking of men, I also learned from Andy and Ethan that Amana hosts an annual beard competition. Sprinkling beard trimmings on plants keeps deer away. HILARIOUS.
Having chickens for neighbors is sweet. Their clucking noises are endearing as long as I remember to put my earplugs in tonight. This morning Andy told me how to feed them and to gather their eggs any time after 4 p.m. So while he dropped Ethan off I undertook the feeding and gathering of the eggs. The coop is dim, smelly and spacious (they spend most of their time outside), but it was awesome searching for their nests and picking up warm eggs from the saw dust. Two chickens wouldn’t get off their roosts, so I reached under them to grab the eggs they were sitting on. Amazing! I hard boiled a couple to keep for a snack.
Things to look forward to:
Showering in the outdoor shower
Exploring the Amana Colonies
Shopping at the basket shop down the road.
Spending Tuesday ALONE on the farm while Andy and Lalanya take their day off and run errands
Learning how to catch a chicken (which I’ve failed miserably at on two separate occasions today)
5 a.m. every morning and spending time with God
Trying to find chocolate at Henry’s (the store) - I’m craving it!
Learning how to rest
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