Rock & Roll Farm

Saturday! Feb 26 2005 // 7:32 am //

No rest for the wicked

Time is different on the farm. Saturday mornings I wake up genuinely surprised that the week has passed. It’s nice to be consumed by activity, by work that I love, so entirely. This morning two farm helpers left early, and not only did I miss their send-off but I missed milking. I haven’t milked in like a month because there’s always these guys around to do it with Richard. Since I don’t live in the house, I don’t hear him when he gets up. Most of the time living separate from everyone is a very, very good thing for me. But in this case, I’d like to be a little more connected to the action. I suppose I could just start getting up even earlier and waiting around. Oh goody. I’m supposed to be making pancakes for everyone right now, but nobody is going to be up for forty minutes.

Since my last post, I’ve been working exclusively on indoor projects. The map of the farm is completed, as well as individual maps of all the fields. The logo has been chosen. All this week I was in the workshop painting signs for various places around the farm. I’ve fallen in love with high gloss oil paint. I hope to have all the signs done by Tuesday so they can be mounted. Next Sunday we are having a group from Loyola University Chicago come for the week to work with us and other organizations in and around Ann Arbor. After the signs are done, I need to help clean and organize the new house for them to occupy.

The other guys around here have been doing a million things at once. So far, the coolest was when they raised the new timber frame distribution shed. It looks beautiful. Also, walls were attached to the packing shed, windows installed, and a 16x20 cooler moved-in, some engines were rebuilt, firewood was cut, hay was transported, and ten or twelve other things I’m sure.

We’ve been making the most of our rare moments of down time. Over Super Bowl weekend I traveled to Chicago with another farm worker. Most nights we watch movies and eat ice cream, pudding, or some other incredible and delicious fresh milk product. There’s been a surfing fixation for a while, even going so far as to teach the three year old to say “wicked” and “ripped.” Sledding and cross-country skiing gets squeezed in between projects, and I’ve been able to attend yoga class once a week. My knitting has dropped off considerably and been replaced by paper cutting. Although, I need to start knitting for the layette I’m collaborating on with Christine. Our friend, and former farm worker, is due in May!

The last two bits of news are the most exciting, for sure. Thursday I saw the second attempt at breeding the cow (who is now officially named Nutbrown, because none of us really felt like going head-to-head with a three year old). The vet came, put on an arm-length disposable plastic glove, stuck it in the cow along with a wand containing Guernsey semen, and then left. Breeding means more cows! Not quite as graphic, but just as exciting, the first seeds were planted this week. Leeks. They are in flats for now. Seeding means spring!

After I make these pancakes, I’ll upload some photos. Full moon sledding, sign painting, my birthday party, the logo, my new tattoo, the timber frame and a few other things.