Sun Hill Farm: Alarm Clock

My alarm clock is a small, plastic box that is oddly patterned after the same fake wood paneling found in cheap apartments from the early 80's. The lettering has worn mostly off from the "hour" and "Alarm" buttons. The ring- or oddly constructed "err, err" used to annoy me endlessly so that I became well in the habit to wake up minutes before it was due to go off, and get out of bed.

I play a game at night trying to determine the best time the alarm is to be set. This has become increasingly difficult since the hour button does not properly work in response to pushing it. I try to determine whether I should be up earlier or have the luxury of sleeping in a few extra minutes.For the last few weeks the hour digit has been set to five oclock- a Sunday luxury of sleeping in till 6:03 would cost me a few minutes of wearied patience trying to get the clock back to "5"

The first minute digit cannot be a set on a zero, five or four. Sevens and threes are preferable- but 3's can only be used for :03 past the top of the hour or :23 past the top. for example: 5:03 or 5:23.- never 5:43 7's are fine with 5:27. albeit an "eight" is a must if upon looking at the clock an eight comes to the mind. But 5:08 would never be acceptable. Sometimes I try to squeeze in a few extra minutes, and will come to a 9, for example 5:29- but 2 + 9 is 11 so 5:31 would be preferable, but I despise setting the clock to thirty past the hour so 5:41 would be the correct choice, then I would just have to wake up faster to make up for the 10 extra minutes. The teens are completely open to use- 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 16 17 18 19- Except for 14/15, 12 was my QB number and for good dreams that will not be remembered, 13 is for three, 16 is young, 17 is lost, 18 is strong, 19 forgotten.

The 6 and 5 on the hour digit are identical. Marianne recently purchased an alarm to replace this one. She bought a white, near replica- I couldn't use a white clock, and had to have it turned away from the bed for the first night. I used mine.

Farm:

Going well. Some lettuce, beets, kale for salad mix came up nicely, but the arugula did not. Not quite sure what I will do without that mass of arugula for the CSA.
We finished the hay this weekend. Had a blast with my grandfather. The baler kept acting up- so he was on the tractor more often than not. I ended up loading most of the trucks, which was more tiresome than I thought it would be. I had leg cramps this morning, and decidedly took an hour or so off before work for lunch and rest. Enjoyed the haying for several reasons- one the obvious of capturing energy from our new land, secondly with my grandfather, and the lost thoughts while working through a couple days- and Juicy fruit gum and a two dollar bag of nacho chips.
I had a gallon jug of water, a 5 stick pack of juicy fruit, and the bag of chips, intent upon the pleasure of treating myself to some small luxuries while taking care of the hay for the day. The jug of water was cold pleasure upon sitting in the truck between picking up bales, the salty chips enough fill for the stomach without becoming lethargic, and the gum an old unending childhood oral pleasure that I am actually to cheap to indulge into anymore. The only unfortunateness of the whole gum, chip, water experience amidst the hay was the inability to enjoy them all at the same time. Chips/Water were a fine combo, Gum/Water was ok, but took the mild skill of hiding the gum high into the pallate so as not to wash the flavor immediately away- but chip/gum simply was not compatible. I could not enjoy the crunchy, salty goodness of the chip with the sweet, mouthwatering juiciness of the gum. In all, this Romeo/Juliet fiasco ended with two sticks of very well enjoyed gum, and a bag of chips washed down with nearly the whole jug of water- we finished at 8:30 on Saturday- with custard and good company, and touched up the rest on Sunday for a good weekend.

I had a very nice patch of Peas, Vetch, Oats in the garden. Since the piece had dried out with this recent blast of nice weather, I decided now would be a good time to get it under and planted in rye. Our building application has been approved, so trying to get ahead on some things. I decided to just mow the piece with a DR mower I got from a neighbor, then harrow it with a couple passes, rye grass, then harrow once more. Worked beautifully. I thought of the Robert Frost poem with the lines,
"Before the leaves can mount again
To fill the trees with another shade,
They must go down past things coming up"

And thought of the thick mass of summer growth decaying into the garden plot. So I thought best of harrowing it instead of using the tiller to mix it evenly into the soil. I think upon reflection- the mowing should have sufficed, but the piece looks very fine now. Going to let rye grass grow through late spring, then till, buckwheat, then rye again. (some witch grass nearby, that I think a bit of cover crop/till will help hamper)

Pictures from the farm- Enjoy.

Grandpa's New Tractor- Massey 255. Truck came in handy again since it has a pindle. The tractors nice to have around- bigger so easier to pull me out of my grandmother's garden.