every chick deservers a mother
Thursday, another day to share fresh produce out of the garden with the neighborhood. Today we have new potatoes, spring onions, lettuces, garlic, snap peas, and more. If you live nearby, come to Bow Little Market. The market runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The pink poppies scent the air with a powder fresh fragrance. Under a blue sky, they wave their pink petals in the cool breeze. You can hear them singing, “Love me, love me, love me,” as they wave their petals.
Each loaf I bake is a chance to do better. This morning’s loaf came out very well with a nice crust, and a nice chew inside with plenty of holes. I increased the moisture content of the dough, using 500 grams of whole wheat flour and 450 grams of water, a 10 to 9 ration of flour to water.
Letting the dough rise for two days gives the yeast plenty of time to work its magic and turn the dough into a springy, elastic dough which bakes into a loaf with a good crunch on the outside, and a soft chew inside.
When you handle dough that’s risen for two days, with the occasional folding, you can feel that it is very much alive when you put it into the hot oven. You almost feel sorry for all the yeast cells that you are sending to their death. One minute, they are happily gorging and multiplying on the moist whole wheat flour. The next minute they are experiencing the fires of hell and releasing gas as they breathe their last breath.
Growing cabbage is so lush and beautiful. So is kohlrabi with its purple veins. So is corn salad. A rainy brings out the best in growing greens.
The steady rain turns the poppy flowers into humorous clowns. Poppies are the jokers of the flowers. If you want to laugh, have poppies in your garden.
Peace, it’s all we want.
Summer is an endless stream of flowers.
An endless stream of flowers and vigorously growing vegetation. The gobo 牛蒡 have made it an adventure to get into the hoop house. A few snips takes care of that.
The dogs are more interested in playing than admiring the flowers. Nature relieves stress, melts anger, grows happiness. All you have to do is let nature hold you in its loving arms.
The chickens like to rest under an eave when a shower wets their feathers. Other places they’ll scurry to in a downpour are the cedar and sequoia trees.
Yesterday was opening day at Bow Little Market. This is the second year we’ve had a farm stand, and I was pleased when a customer said she was glad we were back. She missed having eggs that didn’t have the names of the hens who laid them.
It was a great opening day, no rain, cool weather, plenty of smiling faces, and good company. It’s relaxed, friendly people who come to a farmers market.
Some of the garlic are almost ready. I pulled a few today to see how they are progressing. I’ll have some for Thursday’s Bow Little Market. In addition to garlic, I’ll have lettuce, arugula, gobo, magenta spreen, radishes, spring onions, oregano, thyme, sage, eggs, and possibly some new potatoes and raspberries.
Summer mornings paint the sky a cobalt blue. Each season has its own blue for the sky. As they head out to forage and play, I wonder what the chickens, with their spectacular color vision, think of this cobalt blue above their head.
Or what are their impressions of the pink poppies which are opening? Do they think, “How would I look in that shade?”
The evening sun makes the purple iris iridescent. Purple iris are the color of June.
In the evening sun the dogwood glow. Happiness is living in a summer garden.
