A Supermoon Solstice

Change is in the air for me, that’s for sure. The Supermoon/Solstice was on Saturday and ever since I’ve had boundless energy to plan this next new phase of my life. 

June was not my best month, as anyone I’ve talked to during this span of time will attest.

I’ve come to see that I am just not up to the pace and demands of this farm. Honestly the decision wasn’t that hard to make and I was exceedingly relieved as soon as I had made it.

There are things here I can see myself missing. Our pigs are somewhat endearing.

More importantly though I have learned an immense amount in a very short time. I suppose that’s one of the positives of a workload of this sort. I now know that I am capable of a lot physically, but also that having one aspect, like farming, consume my life is not something that makes me happy and fulfilled.

Some triumphs of this time though, just to put a positive spin on things:

First sourdough starter and bread

First chicken slaughter and whole chicken cooked

Hundreds of wheelbarrows of compost hauled

First moped purchased (and sold last weekend!)

Woodcarving lesson

Veggies grown and eaten

Power tool introduction and simple carpentry

I’ve learned a lot from the people I’ve lived with of course and about myself, as a worker, a team member and a woman. I am a person who loves solitude though, and I think that, more than anything, has been the nail in the coffin of this experience.

Not enough time alone or for myself, intense schedule and demands, not enough sleep; I think that about sums it up.

I am taking so much back down South with me though. I have found that I love taking care of animals. On a small scale, perhaps for domestic use. I especially love chickens, ones that we don’t kill after ten weeks.

Next up I’m heading back to Tennessee for as long as it takes me to register the new car and then I’m back to Georgia!

I feel ready to start exploring my options for the land that we own near Washington and I’m also really ready to immerse myself in a community in which I intend to stay for some time.

My last two farm blog posts are below:

http://frithfarm.blogspot.com/2013/06/virtual-farm-tour.html

http://frithfarm.blogspot.com/2013/06/chicken-processing.html

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The Maine Attraction

Hello All! It’s me, Liz’s friend Kyle.

Us.

She agreed to let me take over her blog for the weekend to give her devoted readers an outsider’s perspective of her life here at Frith Farm.

Liz attempting to steal the computer from me with flour on her hands. Classic.

A surprise to no one, the moment I arrived Liz was baking bread. She introduced me to the charming Frith Farm showing me around the property and getting a look at all the chickens, pigs, sheep, produce, and (most importantly) kittens.  Frith Farm is really gorgeous, and I was exhausted just hearing about all of the chores that need to be done to keep it running.

We then set out to accomplish our main task for the weekend: buying Liz a car. Luckily, Liz had done quite a bit of research on what she was looking for, and I was only there to reassure her about what she actually wanted.

Show me the Car Fox.

Our first dealership was a total bust, so we made our way to Bill Dodge Kia where the delightful Ryan gave us plenty of options. As some of you may know, buying a car can be quite exhausting, so in the midst of looking we took a break for food at the only place that could satiate our needs.

CRACKER BARREL!

She made me wait to eat until she took a picture. That’s why I look like I’m going to murder someone.

After refueling, we returned to find a number of cars Ryan had selected for us. After careful consideration and some deft negotiating skills on Liz’s part, she finally made her choice.

Liz’s new car! Meet… well it doesn’t have a name yet, so feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section.

The day ended with a drive around Portland (which is on the ocean, who knew?), dinner at Whole Foods, a desperate search for cookies ending in cake and milkshakes, and then fantastic bonfire at Frith.

This city boy did not pack properly for farm life, so I had to steal some pants from Liz for the bonfire.

Liz “toasts” the fire.

Having accomplished our main goal for the weekend, our Sunday was a bit more relaxed.

Liz let me brush her hair. True friendship.

My attempt at a braid. I promise I have other skills.

We rode bikes in the rain and in true Liz-and-Kyle fashion, we set out for Portland’s best bakery, Scratch Bakery. This is where I would insert pictures of the delicious baked goods we bought, but unfortunately those items were devoured too quickly to be photographed.

We made our way to Crescent Beach State Park, which was filled with children who didn’t seem to mind wading in freezing cold water.

Liz and I partaking in our favorite outdoor activity: reading!

We later headed into downtown Portland, which is umm… quaint. We drove around, taking in as much of Maine as we possibly could, ending our day with Mexican at Bebe’s Burritos in Saco (pronounced appropriately enough like “taco”).

I had a fantastic time visiting Liz at Frith Farm, and I was so happy to see all the wonderful works she’s been doing here. Now it’s off to bed as we both have wake up at 4Am (me for a flight, and her for chores), but I’ll leave with probably my favorite thing about Frith Farm: KITTENS.

I really did almost steal these two little guys.

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Away…

“Away” is what Mainers call people who aren’t from Maine, as in “those people are from away.” Just a little insider Maine knowledge for you, relevant only because I was away from the farm this weekend and I stayed at a place owned by native Mainers!

Encouraged by my continual state of exhaustion here, I searched Airbnb to find a place close to where my woodworking class was this past Saturday in Brunswick. I found the above guesthouse/cabin north of Bath right on the water, owned by a very friendly and welcoming couple.

The weekend was good. I’m glad I went, though I’m still exhausted, in part because riding a scooter 60 miles is not anything like driving a car for 60 miles. There are just so many potholes and there’s the wind and the continual fear that my 27 year-old moped will decide that today is her last.

Above you’ll see two friends who apprentice at a farm in Brunswick gamely trying to fit my scooter in the back of their Subaru Outback. It fit, but not with enough room for me in the car as well!

I got to hang out with them some this weekend and it was great to spend time with some girls for a change.

I was also inspired to buy a car. Soon. I will be buying a car soon.

I’ve also realized that “outdoors” to me isn’t a blanket kind of term. I think that I enjoy spending time outdoors, in woods. Surrounded by trees.

I did that a lot this weekend. Whether on the coast by the cabin I was staying at, above.

Or at a great local state park called Wolfe’s Neck. June 16th is Maine Day, and being a Maine resident (!) I got in for free!

I took my journal, a library book and a picnic lunch and spent some time walking the trails and just being.

I also think I’m on to something with this woodcarving. It’s kind of taken me by surprise how much I enjoyed it, the idea of it and carving in practice.

My first lesson had me doing the beginning of a spoon with extra work and some tools for me to do some homework!

I really appreciated all the encouragement I’ve gotten this past week. Today I am determined to stick it out here and I hope that that determination can see me through the next six months!

http://frithfarm.blogspot.com/2013/06/eating-on-farm.html

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Exhaustion Sets In

If you’ve talked to me in the past seven days, chances are I was crying for at least half of the conversation.

It’s been one of those weeks. I’ve never done well with sleep deprivation and I’ve never been one to keep my emotions to myself. Put the two together and you get a lot of tears.

Fortunately, awful weeks end and things get better when they can’t get any worse.

I’ve got myself a dulcimer on the way so I’ll be learning to play that shortly.

I decided that I need a weekend away from the farm, so I’ll be staying in an Airbnb guest house this weekend and that should be just what I need. Also this weekend I’ve signed myself up for my first woodcarving lesson and I’m really looking forward to that.

And there are always kittens.

Who play with grass and jump all over everything with their curiosity.

I’m thinking about adopting one. But that seems like a life decision best left for a more stable emotional state!

For now I’ll just pretend that this one is mine.

Frith blog:

http://frithfarm.blogspot.com/2013/06/csa-begins-baby-animals.html

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Two Months In

It’s been two months guys. As I type this, it’s Monday evening, 7:16pm.

Will’s at the kitchen sink, washing 165 eggs. Daniel’s in his kitchen cooking our weekly communal supper. Ribs of some kind I think.

Josh is on the couch researching flights to India for his next adventure after this season is through.

I’m sitting next to a bouquet of chive flowers, a deep purple iris and the first poppy from our garden. It’s delicately pink with petals like tissue paper.

This place feels like home. Josh and I did some yoga in the barn this past weekend and it was one of those really cool experiences that I didn’t know I had always wanted. It was super hot on Sunday, but there was a great breeze going through the barn and you could hear the wind in the trees and the chickens making their usual racket. It was just nice.

It’s a similar feeling to the first time I ate one of our turnips. This turnip is basically the best thing I’ve ever eaten and somehow tastes like a honeydew inside.

Turnips and yoga in the barn, two experiences I could never have imagined for myself one year ago.

June of 2012 saw me leading an orientation for Russian high school students about to embark on a year of school in the States. Then I was a teacher. Now I’m sort of a farmer.

It has been such a bumpy ride from there to here. And here isn’t all butterflies and rainbows, although we see our fair share of both of those, but all in all, this place is exactly where I want to be at this moment in time.

I’m very very glad I can say that.

Enjoy June and summer everyone!

And here’s the link to the Frith blog:

http://frithfarm.blogspot.com/2013/05/chores-carpentry-skills.html

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