Friday, July 31, 2020

New essay up, and a few farm photos

My essay Stealing Light won third place in Streetlight Magazine’s creative nonfiction contest in the spring, and is featured this week HERE.


It has cooled down enough now that I actually went for a walk around the farm yesterday. As I was watching the bees, I looked down and noticed this friend on the plant behind me. 



Across the way, this caught my eye. If that’s not a portal to another place/time, I’m not sure what it is! Please note that I did not cross over and walk through it!



The most exciting find in Poplar Folly was this. Our first elderberries! 


I ended in the potager and picked the first tomatoes and some basil. Guess what we had for dinner? The annual summer favorite - penne pasta with tomatoes, basil, and Brie. It’s a wonderful and very simple dish that is only truly delicious when made with tomatoes still warm from the sun. These German Johnsons were my dad’s favorite, and I plant them most years in his honor and also because they are a perfect size and texture for slicing for the pasta and for sandwiches.



Of course as soon as we get relief from the heat, a hurricane seems to be heading our way early next week. Alas, I hope it is weak and goes out to sea. I’ll be ready for it either way.


2 comments:

Grey Horse Matters said...

Your essay was very good, congratulations on winning. The tomatoes look good we're still waiting for ours to ripen. Love fresh tomatoes. Is that little guy a salamander. Anyway, hope the hurricane goes out to sea.

billie said...

Thank you for reading and for the kind words! I think it’s a female anole. The males are the bright green with pink/red throats that they puff out. I need to check on today’s forecast for the hurricane and figure out what needs to be done to prepare. Hope your tomatoes come in soon and that the prove to be delicious!