I just fired off a letter to the fellow who owns the land across the road. I’m hoping that he’ll respond to my query about his property. Only time will tell. How strange, to have written a letter—most people now call others on their cellphones and send one another emails. I was reminded, as I wrote this letter, of the good old days, when I routinely wrote long and lengthy missives to friends.

Today, overcast. Now it’s raining again. I ended up taking care of small things around here. I gave up on sifting compost, instead I spread it on the upper quadrant. Good stuff, brown and fluffy. But damp. Would have been a bitch to sift. I’m not going to get down on myself for lacking follow through – the bigger plan, that is to turn compost with a

The lower greenhouse

tractor, will soon be a reality. And it was my idea. I also cleaned up my study and picked peas. We’ve had two frosts, so it was time.

As I worked, I got to thinking. Most people, after putting ten years into a place like this, would kick back, put some Absorbine Jr. on their aching backs, and call it good. They’d then opt to spend time on their porches, the ones, like us, they built. Not us. I don’t think that either one of us has sat down on a porch chair for more than fifteen minutes. And it’s not looking like either one of us is going to do this any time soon.

For here we are, considering taking on an additional ten acres, ten acres that may require more work than our current 2.5 acres. And there were no junked cars on our property, not buildings that needed to be demolished. Once again I have stars in my eyes and seeing another chunk of land anew.

And Pete? This morning he was talking about wanting a really big raspberry patch. This is a good sign. In the meantime, we are both still busting butt here. I’m doing the garden harvest, and of course tending to the animals, each of which has its own individual wants and needs.

I’m going to suggest to Pete that next spring, I take on the smaller greenhouse project. The tomatoes – yields were low because we didn’t cut the suckers. I was too all over the place to tend to them. I subscribe to the goat theory of gardening. Goats browse, but range far, thus doing little good unless they’re contained. I too, as a gardener, need to be contained.

The sun’s now setting a lot earlier. Time to move on to indoor things, like roast some kale.

Next: 277. 09/13/12: Four Number One Riding Horses