'Tis The Season

 While i truly appreciate "amber waves of grain,"  there is something about an undulating pasture of fresh-cut hay that just brings a tear to my eye.

Of course, i am waxing poetic today...catch me on Tuesday night and ask me how i feel about it then. 

Baling Monday morning, raining Tuesday evening.

Fortunately, The Krew is willing to let me abuse them yet again, and  are scheduled to head this way Tuesday morning to haul and stack with us.  With luck, Susan and ol' Blue will be here as well, so this portends to be quite a party.  (Gonna cook somethin' good, guys, and am on the way to the store right now to get the stuff to make ice cream...how does Earl Grey/Cherry sound?  Chocolate/Cayenne?  What the heck...how about both!!)

I was walking the field this morning, admiring yesterday's cutting as it dried in the warm sunshine, when i saw a pile of white fluff on a berm and thought, "Oh no, did i loose a Bob?   Did someone get caught in the blades?"

I headed that way in dread, thinking i was fixin' to walk up to a sad sight, but when i got up to it, there was a very pleasant surprise!.

Every time somebody gets puny around here, one of Susan, Dear Susan's first questions is "Do you have some dandelion?"

As hard as it may be to believe, we don't have dandelions around here. Plenty of buttercup (which are poisonous,) but no dandelion.

Which is a real shame, because dandelion isn't a weed, it is an amazing herb, starting with it's detoxification and antibacterial properties, therapeutic uses for skin conditions, not to mention its circulatory and joint health benefits.  The list goes on and on.  It truly is a phenomenal gift that we have been given, and we spend all kinds of time, money and chemicals trying to eradicate it.

But i digress.

Last year, i gathered a bunch of puffballs, and scattered my hope into the wind.

This year, my hopes bloomed rather profusely, but remained hidden behind the tall grasses that nourish our endeavors.  They have been quietly manifesting themselves beyond my knowledge and vision.  Perhaps there is a lesson there.

Told you i was waxing poetic today.

I did a little happy dance and sent as many of the seeds as i could to the wind.

Am now anxiously looking forward to years of happy harvests!!

(Hey!! I've got it...how about a vanilla bean base with shaved chocolate, toasted coconut, and some of that almond butter we made last week?  Gotta go, got ice cream to freeze!)