March 3, 2009 - Of Little Rewards

03/03/2009 – Of Little Rewards
Right, I got defeated by my first attempt to an organic gardening. Today I witnessed the weeds almost knee high after copious rain during this season combined with hot days. Of the first patch, I have arugula that went uneaten. I have not developed a taste for it. Maybe because I cannot get more than a few leaves or because I saw caterpillars populating them. The cucumber and beans vines were attacked by either a bacteria or a fungi. They are blossoming now. It’s going to be a few weeks before I see any fruit. The radish and the carrots don’t have edible roots. I had sowed them a day before heavy rain. Some corn are almost 3 feet high, but they didn’t developed well in the main patch. Also covered with weeds. The most surprising of all is that my “high tech” planters didn’t sprout a single seed I sowed in the gardening classrom!
My little rewards though come from young cilantro leaves to season guacamole made with our own avocado, green onions and lime. My parsley got harvested with less than 2 inches to season a Middle Eastern baked pocket called esfiha. A Margherita pizza and spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce took the bottom leaves of sweet basil. Today, I got a few strigs of rosemary to top my garlic rosemary flat bread.
On the animal side, my three Guinea Hens are growing taller and slowly changing their feathers to a bright speckled against velvety black. When they changed all feathers, I shall release them to go on their own. (But I am hoping they stay near the house). I almost bought a few more chicks today. They were only about 7 days old. My last experience with baby chicks were not too happy. I heard (from the salesman) that it’s going to be a while until new baby Guineas come to market as the laying season is over. Let’s see. I need to build a chicken coup first. I also wanted quails, but I didn’t see any today. Only rabbits. These, I am not going to get. Too many “hunters” (dogs with no sense of ownership) on the farm.
03/09/2009Besides the young frail leaves that I get to harvest, the satisfaction of seeing my Guineas growing bigger safely, and after rescuing two kittens from possible blindness and treating two healthy puppies, my other little reward comes from the times that I am outside to hang kitchen towels and I feel the fresh scent of homemade soap. Or when I come back with dirty hands to wash my hands with this soap and see dark lather coming through my fingers, or yet, I shine my pots using soap bar and steel w