July

Summer on the farm is growing time. The new piglets, Laverne and Shirley, are enjoying their enclosure, complete with greenery, mud wallows, and a sturdy, shady shelter. (Click here to see a photo of the pig house being installed in the post “Twelve Ways to Use a Tractor.”) This morning as dog Rosie and I were passing by, the pigs were enjoying a delivery of leftovers from a local diner. Belgium waffles? Yum! Can you guess which is Laverne and which is Shirley?

We had quite a soggy spring, which slowed the growing season, but once the sun came out, the strawberries were very happy indeed! Not only did we gorge ourselves on the sweet delights, but we have a dozen bottles of canned jam that will take us through the winter. (I use a recipe that calls for grated Granny Smith apples for the pectin to thicken the jam. Delicious!) By the end of the month the strawberries have passed, but raspberries are coming on strong and the garlic is pulled. Elsa’s Flowers have popped up in the farm stand. Our wood stove, cold for the summer, makes a lovely flower stand. (We enjoy swimming with real loons in Squam Lake.) The compost pile is ready for replenishment. For Pete’s sake, peel off the fruit stickers!

Late winter brought lambs —best if they come before the busy sugaring season— and they’re enjoying gamboling in the green pastures. The lone rooster has finally got some hens to lord over. We’re hopeful that they won’t end up as bear snacks, a fate that regularly befalls Sandwich chickens. And wild turkeys are everywhere. A young buck tried to introduce himself to a turkey family in our meadow, including a dozen wee poults. Mom and Dad raised such a ruckus that the deer moved along, after posing for a picture.

The middle of summer is also time to look ahead and plan for winter. Canning is in full swing, and basement chest freezers are filling up with zucchini casseroles and fruit pies. It’s also time to restock firewood and hay. It’s hot work, but there’s always the lake for a cool dip. Happy summer everyone!