Our first annual memorial day work weekend at Worlds End.

I am moved beyond words by the enthusiasm, strength and stamina of this crew. Thanks to them we have the start of an elderberry orchard, an enormous garden, sheet-mulched future flower beds, a bigger and better compost system, bee hives...
And we have new beautiful people in our fold. 

I will be posting more details from this weekend when I get back to base camp. (I type this from my downtown Cobleskill McDonalds-cum-internet-office drinking watery coffee.) For now I just wanted to express my gratitude to the crew for moving mountains at the farm this weekend.

Life is generous.

over and out

week in review;
fell in love with Sonoma county and it's roses. 
cessna flight to farm.
did some farm stuff.
back to city.
made weddings.
hoarded iris.
teaching.

wounded.
living off coffee and antibiotics.
heading back to farm.


BTW: one of our pree-mo freelancers and dear friend Eddie is stuck in Portland for a while looking for work.
he's good as a backup floral assistant, farm hand, etc.
epine06@hotmail.com

California Pronto!

Whenia not make a da weddings i a make a da emailings and tzen i a make a da dinner and opening da wine and talk about da soil structure

Whenia not make a da weddings or talk about da soil structure i a take a da meetings with a da clients at da country clubs and get in da trouble for dressing in da jeans
scusi!

Whenia not washada dog ina da bathtub after she makea love to carcass ofa dead raccoon, then ia use da internet to learn about da rabis. itsa not a joke a
mama mia!

When i not a doa dis tings i make a airplane travel with the professor to da sunny shine state to make flower classes for da students and i take a da picture of flowers that grow by the road like a precious diamonds. You look at me instagramo!

****
WE ADDED A CLASS AND THERE ARE SPOTS LEFT! ALSO WE GIVE A CLASS AWAY AS A PRIZE!!!

Happy Saturday
The girls are downstairs in the studio getting wedding stuff together, I am taking a minute to sit down and collect myself.

This morning I miss my Nea, crazy crazy girl.
These pictures are from 2 weeks ago. We were leaving the farm to come back to the city and we stopped at one of my favorite places; The George Landis Arboretum.



The dog and I were both worn out from farm stuff but to take a walk through the crabapple grove didn't seem like work. It didn't seem like it would take too much effort. I said to Nea; "I'll SEE YOU at the ARBORETUM?" and her ears perked. Shes such a good old girl; up for anything. Up for trouble especially.

A place like this stands in sharp contrast to the city gardens I've been stomping around the last few years. At the BBG the other day I watched a security gaurd yell at a woman who was settling down in the grass amidst the lilac grove. NO LYING ON THE GRASS!! Of course it makes sense, thousands of people have to be able to enjoy the gardens on any given day, rules alleviate the stresses of so much traffic.






So at the arboretum I winced in horror as the dog tried to climb up a crabapple tree - in my delerium I forgot where we were and anticipated a scolding from onlookers. But we were of course all alone in the gardens. The two of us slowing down. Watching the old trees bloom, the craggly lilacs set in their hillside without enough pruning. Unkept in the best way.

update

 

 

I'm sorry I've been slow with updates. I write too many things in my mind. They get built up too much like jokes that are not really funny, and then I put off actually writing anything down. I have to write things down because they are happening so fast.

We came back into the city for some events this weekend. Between meetings this afternoon, I run to the store for something to eat. At the checkout I realize I have a basket full of prepared foods. Fuck it! I love sodium!
In the express lane - the 15 items or less lane - I watch a man in an LL bean rain jacket and clogs unpack his basket; Selzer, broccoli. Walnuts, lentils. Onions, lotion, Lara bars (5). It goes on. Christ, sorbet, of course. This line is taking forever and I start counting his items as he takes them out of the basket. My eyebrows jump at 18. I am surprised at my irritability and also this seemingly rational, healthy man's inability to follow simple supermarket rules. I want to lean in close to him and whisper "Twenty-eight."

I want to shout TWENTY EIGHT!!!!!!!! twentyeighttwentyeighttwentyeightttttt.

Things are a little, intense.

Eric and I eat a rotiserrie chicken with our fingers tonight. We're in good spirits for a change. Many of our nights living at the farm have been peppered with productive conversations like:

Why are you so cranky?
I'm not cranky, you're cranky.


You're being really fucking annoying right now.
You're being annoying.


I'm going to go hang myself in the barn now.
I'm going to go compost myself.


Remember to cut yourself up into little pieces!!!

Which is not to say that we're not having a great time, we are! I'm learning so much. Like the other day when Sanford Horton (renowned tractor pull champion of the capitol region) stopped by to discuss plowing our large field. We were talking about grain drilling some buckwheat seed as a cover crop when I said "And what if we plant the seed and then it doesn't rain?" My question hung in the air while he stared straight at me for a second too long before answering...."Well if we could control the weather a lot of people would be doing this."
"Good answer Sandy! I was testing you! Can I offer you a glass of pinot gris?"

This spring has been a schizophrenic season for my mind. In all seriousness I have so many fantastic new people in my life who are making this farm (which by the way we're renaming "Shot in the Dark Farm") come to life. Bob, Ivan, Sanford, CERISE and SONYA!, Agnes, Thor, Glenn, not to mention all the great farmers who have lent me their time and knowledge offering invaluable advice and demonstrating kind patience for my endless questions.

I cut three buckets of tulips, fritillaria, and narcissus yesterday before we drove back to Brooklyn. It wasn't that big of deal, but thinking back on it I realize it was a sort of milestone for Saipua. Lucky brides be getting some pretty things from Worlds End this weekend. I'll try to take some pictures, and see you on the other side.

I am alive and well and have been living in Esperance with small internet connection.
Things have been different than I expected, and I am working to adjust.
We need a tractor.