“I’ve seen an odd ant as weather warms up, but this guy makes the place out to be a temple of doom,” Kyle tells me. Kyle works on the farm and oversees Tibbets house, the old center hall with the field stone foundation across the street. The Airbnb guest never spoke with us once. […]
Worth It.
Every year I forget. I think, when the cafe closes, life will slow down. I’ll have time to work on my novel. I’ll have time to work on the interview transcripts I have of Mom and Dad talking about how and why we’ve done things on the farm. I’ll have time to rest. I’ll have […]
How the Sausage Gets Made
No. This is not pornography. This is artificial insemination. Winter is a time of intimacies….and not just for humans. This week we separated the rams from the ewes, their breeding cycle complete. And we’ve been monitoring the pigs for when they come into heat so that we can artificially inseminate them. In January, my […]
The Walk
Mom and Dad sent a text around last week, reminding us that we need to be at the farm at 6:30 this morning to load the turkeys. Dad wanted to meet in person on Sunday morning to go over winter changes and, again, to discuss loading the turkeys. He reiterated that he wants everyone at […]
Pop Pop’s Love
He doesn’t take his granddaughters to Disney, he doesn’t take them fishing. He doesn’t buy them baubles. But every afternoon and every morning he goes to the barn with them and stands patiently as they learn to work with their livestock. He shows them when to be firm, he makes sure there is time for […]
Every Lovely Mess
“Are you the architect of this experience?” I look over my shoulder for the person to whom my guest is referring, perhaps a man in a crisp shirt with a roll of blueprints under his arm. But it’s closing time. The cafe has emptied out for the day. He gestures at my chef’s coat. “This […]