Life In The Clouds

Young corn plants, end of May last year. (photo by Phil Volker)

A rather foggy early morning here at Raven Ranch. Just like that I hear a raven calling, right on cue, like they are reading this over my shoulder. There has been a lot of bird activity around the trail with the feeders full and the hawthorn berries ready. Everybody that should be here is here. Well no, I haven’t seen any waxwings yet though.

Henriette is coming this afternoon to talk and walk. I made corn salad for her which it is one of her favorites. There is lots of frozen corn to be had close by and it will be served up whenever possible. And corn salad is one of my favorite ways.

I am thinking about the corn for the coming season. I need to make some changes and try some new things there. Farmer John had some ideas for me when he was here last year about crop rotation. And I want to try planting New Zealand White clover with the corn to act as a green mulch and help suppress weed growth. Striving for a better way.

There are just a few more days of darkness before the 21st or 22nd whenever the solstice is. But it always takes me at least a week after that for me to start to notice a change in the length of the day. But then it really starts to be an evident and important thing. Next the late winter flowers will be strutting their stuff. And that is the start of it all.

One of the items on my list for today is to find our manger scene and get it set up. OK, I can do that.

setting up the manger loves, Felipé.