Where did the Time go?

 If you are wondering why there have been no posts since April, when we began to prepare for planting, I will do what I can to explain...or should I just show pictures of what we have been doing for the last 6 months? Pics it is!

We decided to simplify our lives (yes, can you believe it?) by farming on a smaller plot of land. We had been over-achievers for 3 years by farming on 2 acres. It was too much for us (me, Farmer Jeff and one other very part time person) to farm and maintain that much land/plants.

Tiger, our feral kitty, that has decided he now enjoys being pet, is hunting for gophers and voles. Go Tiger!

Not the normal cash crop grown in Mendocino or Humboldt Counties, rather our tomatoes in the "Green" greenhouse.

This is the first evidence we had that the bees had returned. (What you are seeing is pollen on the "porch")

Tomatoes were late this year. Really late. Our first ripe tomatoes were one month late, around August 15th. We made our traditional first summer pasta with our tomatoes, wild arugula, goat cheese and whole grain pasta. TOTALLY delicious!

We fell in love with Padrones last year and planted even more this year. We ate them every night we were home this summer! We also tried planting shishito peppers, a Japanese-style frying pepper. They were prolific! We will grow them again.

Once we had our first summer pasta, ZinFarmerChef Jeff fired up (literally!) the wood burning oven and made  pizzas for us. He was very proud this was a totally home made pizza: he made the crust, grew the tomatoes and basil from seed and made the mozzarella. So amazed by all that he does! ..and yes, the pizza was AMAZING!

Fear not, we are still in love with our chickens! The girls have gotten bolder and now come up on the back deck. The cats inside the house run...those birds are too big! The dogs start barking and when we shush them, they just wander off and go back to sleep! Spoiled Babies!

Our beloved Elder Statesman, Callebaut.