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We had some really impressive thunderstorms Saturday evening.  Perhaps in response, this woodpecker went looking for a safe and cozy spot.  He found one by making a hole about the size of a silver dollar in one of the pillars on the back porch. The storm also shook loose lots of tomatoes.

Do we relax on Labor Day?  Why, noooo – we do lots of yard work.  But we are not the only ones who keep busy. This highly energetic squirrel gathered two hickory nuts simultaneously. And this frog made a home in Sarah’s rosebush. But it was not all toil.  Jen’s dad came to visit, and […]

Sarah seemed to have a tolerably good time at the Dutchess County Fair this year.  We missed the fair last year because of a hurricane, but Sarah nevertheless won a blue ribbon.  This year, Sarah went twice, on Friday and Saturday. There were no ribbons for us this year, blue or otherwise.  Jen’s blackberry jam […]

This weekend we celebrated Jen’s birthday in high agrarian style.  Here’s Jen showing the tomato plants what’s what. Like most farmers, Jen and Sarah started the day with a hearty breakfast. Sarah received calls on this recently harvested cucumber. We dropped off our entries for the Dutchess County Fair, which starts on Tuesday.  Jen entered […]

Sarah snacked moodily on heirloom tomatoes before we departed from the farm this evening. We have a new — and vibrant — beehive in one of the maples in front of the cottage.  You can hear it buzzing from some distance away.  We consulted Ray Tousey, who sells honey at the Rhinebeck Farmers’ Market.  He said […]

We had a very relaxing summer vacation at the farm.  We had beautiful sunsets … … and beautiful moonsets. Jen made blackberry jam and other delicious things. We spent plenty of time with our resident hawks, who for some reason have nested very close to our bedroom window, rise early, and are quite agitated. Jen […]

It was the peak weekend for the Rose of Sharon, here shown in full bloom. Sarah’s babysitter Lauren visited for the weekend.  It was bittersweet, as she leaves us next Friday to begin a PhD program at the University of Virginia. It was nice to have an extra pair of hands for berry picking!  The […]

We had a hot and happy Independence Day at the farm.  Here, Jen goes off to gather lettuce for a July 4 salad.  Later we climbed Burger Hill to watch fireworks from the towns near the Hudson River. Sarah read about a book a day. It’s berry season.  We do not appear to have a […]

Jen put in a heroic effort in the garden this weekend.  Everything is ship-shape, and we should have a splendid summer, veggie-wise.  To the right of Jen (her left) you can see Sarah’s little rose bush in full bloom. Grandpa and B.J. visited the farm and indulged Sarah in a game of the aptly named […]

Jen and Sarah made good progress planting the garden today.  If the produce gods cooperate, we will have tomatoes (Brandywine (red and black), Paul Robeson (a brandywine variant with a very deep voice), Pineapple Hawaiian, Green Zebra and Aunt Ruby’s German Green, plus Sungold and Sweet 100 cherries), peppers (poblano and red), broccoli, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, […]