what possessed me to choose this template? god it's ugly. for reporting about living in in such a beautiful place, its' not doing much to visually back up the written word. course i could also follow up with my promise to download pictures as well.

want to know a secret?

living in the country does not mean your life moves at a slower pace. Perhaps, in fact, the opposite. I have more options for my time, many of which are more fulfilling than downloading photos and then getting frustrated trying to figure out how to do a decent layout on the blog. For example- picking apples!!

In the soon-to-be-ours orchard, we are benefitting greatly from this bumper crop apple year. All around Maine the orchards are busting with fruit. According to a local orchardist, this can be attributed to the the fact that this year was the driest June in about 3-4 years. Less rainy days meant more active bees and therefore more pollination. Interesting, and rather common sense. Not that i knew it, but it makes perfect sense on that logical level that is how nature works (usually).

But back to the actual apples. No doubt that they are organic- blight and bumps and bruises- but tasty! crisp and tart! whoever planted that orchard came from my line of thinking- there are several varieties planted, and then a couple of pear trees down at the bottom. Bitty things; kevin and the kids collected only about a dozen or so but they were in great condition and super yummy. Next weekend we'll haul a bunch to a harvest party at my friend Jen's and mix them in with whatever other folks bring and do a big cider press.

In other ridge news, tomorrow is D-day for the meat birds. We have a 10 am appt. at the butcher. I called yesterday to get directions and ask how they recommended i transport them. I figured a box or a dog crate or something, but wanted to check to see if they had a better idea. The woman who answered the phone was great, agreed that a dog crate or box would be fine, or i could go there early and pick up a few of their poultry crates and borrow them. Whatever you do, she said, they dont' want them in burlap sacks.

seriously!? who brings their chickens to be slaughtered in burlap sacks!? They aren't dead yet, people! Sometimes i have to shake my head...

Needless, i wont' be doing that.

It is time for them, though. They are fat. They waddle; honest-to-god waddle and not very far because their legs cant' really sustain the heft. Poor dears. They were bred for one thing only. It's a bit sad, really, to see an animal that is so clearly intended for one purpose trying to live out some existence otherwise. I think next time we might get birds that dont' appear to be so destined for the freezer.

Then again, maybe i'll make that call after a taste test...