6-1-10

WEEDING BRASSICAS

CINDERELLI CINDERELLI

Showing animals love and respect makes the entire relationship stronger, happier, and healthier. It seems important to treat them with care and pet them regularly. When we milk the goats every morning, we pet them softly and talk with them. Sometimes they move around a bit agitatedly. Sometimes they kick their legs and we have to hold them still, but we never grab them with ill intent, even when we grab their horns. We always try to act tenderly, even if we must be firm. Animals seem to understand obedience, but it's important never to become a monster master, but rather to remain a kindhearted keeper. We've been spending lots of time with the goats in the morning milking them, and in the evening when we put the baby goats in a separate fenced area so the mama goats have milk for us in the morning. There are four milking goats, and they always get milked in the same order, and they know the routine. First Linda, then Tweety, third comes Daisy, and finally, Red. When we're calm around them, they seem to be calmer. If we get riled up and nervous, they sense it and they too get nervous and lash out. We milked them all alone this morning for the first time and it went smoothly. They know us and trust we won't hurt them and will milk them as quickly as possible and they seem to be alright with that.

Today the garden was momentarily dry enough for us to do some weeding. Growing in the garden is: tomatoes, potatoes, peas, beans, squash, lettuces, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, corn, strawberries, rhubarb, and plenty of herbs. Weeding is a satisfying job when you keep this in perspective: the weeds, currently leaching soil nutrients while stealing water and sunlight from the garden are transformed in the compost container to nutrients to feed the garden. Watching this cycle of life is eye opening. Turning waste into fuel is a remarkable process and is inspiring anyone can easily do it.

On another note, this trip is helping us re-learn communal living. Different WWOOF hosts have varied tremendously, and so has the comfort zone of communal life. Living here communally is working really well. Everyone voluntarily pitches in with cooking, cleaning, farm chores, and conversation without a hitch. Again, it's refreshing to share responsibility, and see that sometimes together we can accomplish more than individually. Conversation here with 8 of us is never dull, and always thought provoking. Meal time discussion has covered the oil spill in the Gulf Coast, and the flotilla disaster in the Middle East. Having different opinions at a table is important, whereas always surrounding yourself with like minded people rarely opens you to new perspectives.