Lima Bean Dreams

Today, I picked the lima beans. It was a heavy crop, and not being able to distinguish visally the beans from the plants, it was slow going.
Gary left to fix a lawn mower- some damsel in distress- there are many.
So, there I was, middle of a beautiful early fall afternoon. Brilliant sunshine, cool breeze, crickets and locust singing; when I was suddenly transformed.....
Merle Streep, left alone in an isolated farmstead...Robert Redford driving an old pick-up truck into the driveway, looking to photograph the local scene. ( Did I mention that I now had a beer in my bean basket, sipping from time to time and enjoying every sip?)
Anyway, the daydream went on, quite pleasureably, for some time, while I stayed transfixed on the task at hand. Ended with a sweated brow and a half bushel of limas, waiting to be shelled.
It's amazing, how a movie, not so moving at the time, but given the right stimuli, could come in such a powerful way making my work much more enjoyable than it should have been.
Goodnight, Bob!

Finding my way back

Since my last entry, I have had to buy a new computer(very traumatic)! And now I discover that this website has also changed its look and it navigation. But here I am, back at it again. Things are good here. The garden is coming in full force- corn, tomatoes, lima beans, kale, blackeyed peas, and with enough rain to finally push it along. The canning cupboard is almost full, and soon the freezer will be too.
The chickens are looking very much like little red hens, but no eggs yet.
The guineas are growing into full fledged adult birds, but have still not left the barn, as far as I know. They may sneak out into the field now that soybeans are tall enough to hide them, but never when I can see them, probably because they know that where I go, the black menace is not far behind.
No luck find a Jersey cow(calf) yet. And no fenced fields yet, but soon.
So many projects.....
The soap business is coming along- doing craft shows and having friends sell at work. I'm exploring new scents and colors- looks promising.
I had an appointment at John Hopkins last week. The Dr there reviewed all my records, stating that Dr Cryer had done a good job. My sight should not get any worse thanks to the surgery I had, but will not get any better. Apparently there is research out there on replacing the stuctures that I have lost, but its not here yet.
So i can't watch TV, drive, sew, or even thread a needle. But I can grow vegetables, flowers, chickens, and guineas, and make soap!
Life is good!