Hello All!
I'm here on Lummi Island, WA (about 2 hours North of Seattle, closest to Bellingham) and just arrived two days ago on Saturday the 14th. It was rainy the whole weekend, and apparently this is the coldest, rainiest season ever recorded. Luckily, it was dry and somewhat sunny for my first day today. My day started at 8 AM, and I was working with the head farmer, Anna. First order of business - hunting for slugs! Us Arizonians rarely even see these guys, but with all the moisture here they are everywhere. I will start my days hunting for these brown and black squishy blobs of slime. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as I thought. I only found a few, but with a trained eye, eventually I'll have a cupful to feed the chickens. As cruel as it sounds, it was kinda fun to toss the slugs to the young chickens. They LOVE them and cluck with anticipation, literally crawling over one another for this daily treat. I adore the chickens already. They are so pretty - dark brown, tan, black and white stripes, and mottled. They are very entertaining when they run, especially when they flap their wings at the same time, for no apparent reason. Surprisingly they are attentive to us (though I'm sure it is because they think we have food) and gentle. It was fun learning to collect eggs today, but tomorrow will be the real test when I have to reach under the actual hen and take her eggs. They sometimes peck, but I can pet them first in hopes of calming them. Wish me luck!
Besides slug hunting and egg collecting, I also worked in the greenhouse. Anna and I planted seeds:varieties of beets and kale. We transplanted tomatillo seedlings into larger pots, and planted tomato plants in the ground. It may not sound like much, but I spent long periods of time kneeling and bent over, and my lower back is definitely protesting at the moment! Gotta learn Yoga or something :) I got an hour for lunch, and ended my day about 5:15. Hard to believe that the outdoors is my "office!" Playing in the dirt, nurturing life, and caring for chickens is turning out to be a very satisfying way to spend my day. It is incredibly beautiful here, serene, and I truly feel like I'm exactly where I should be...the only thing that would make it perfect is if John were here with me. Maybe someday we can create this kind of life!
I was just thinking today how crazy it is that I am here. I am in awe of this opportunity. I have a wonderful husband that supports me completely, and without him this wouldn't be possible. Thank you sweetheart! :) The people I work with are very nice, funny, generous, and laid-back. We all seem to click very well, and share many of the same views, especially a passion for food! I'm having a great time already and it's only my first day! I couldn't have asked for a better internship. :)
It's great to see you settling in and getting right to work. It seems like such an awesome experience!
ReplyDeleteI was looking at Nettle's Farm's website and they say that they eat the hens that no longer lay eggs. Are you going to have to do the dirty work for that at some point? I used to have a few chickens (about 10) and they were awesome. Each of which had a name and they were known as the Chicklesons. Anyways, I got really attached to them and couldn't think of killing them. Although I understand that is part of the deal it's still hard to think about.
I'm really looking forward to your blogging about this experience! Keep it up!
We've been doing lots of yard work and some planting too, and I can definitely relate to the back pain! I recommend incorporating a little "squatting" instead of just bending at the waist if you can, and make your legs and glutes do more of the work - it might help.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, it sounds like you're having fun with chickens and slugs - those chickens do sound beautiful! - and that you'll get to eat lots of fresh, delicious food! Thanks for blogging, and congrats on taking a chance on this new and interesting experience!
Awww. You're welcome babe! I'm happy to work a couple extra hours so you can have this experience :)
ReplyDeleteBig E ~ thanks for reading! :) Luckily, we have too many hens to name because yes, they will be slaughtered in July. Their egg production decreases, but their meat is still good. They live a very good life here, free to roam a large section of the farm eating grass, bugs and grain.
ReplyDeleteTiffany ~ thanks for reading too! Thanks for the advice, I am using all sorts of positions to make the work as comfortable as possible. I'm already feeling better than Monday so I hope that means my body is adjusting quickly!
John B ~ best hubby ever ;)
YAY for you!!! I got 5 chickens this spring (egg layers) and had a great time coming up with names. I visited WA before I moved from Yuma to Phoenix and really enjoyed my time in the lush and trendy state!
ReplyDeleteYou'd be proud of us: we joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) and I picked up our first basket of goodies this afternoon: kale, romaine, strawberry-rhubarb-pineapple jam and a small dill plant!
Looking forward to reading more!