Autumn in the country is a lot of fun, doggone it. The pumpkin patches are going full-tilt, hay bales and corn husk decorations are adorning winery and shop entrances, there was even a scarecrow contest in the town next door to us. Life just feels more festive out in these parts.
A couple weeks ago, Mr. W and I checked out another fall festivity in the area—the 33rd annual Los Olivos Day in the Country. There weren't pumpkins, but there were tractors. Truthfully, the tractors were the main reason we went. We kind of dream of being able to drive one around in the lower portion of our backyard. I'm now having a lovely vision of Mr. W doing some sort of number from Footloose that involves high kicks off the tractor and a sprig of wheat between his teeth...
Anyway... There we were admiring John Deere's fine craftsmanship when I told Mr. W to take my picture. I posed with a cheesecake grin, careful not to touch any of the machinery.
"You can sit on one if you like," a voice came from behind me.
I think what he really wanted to say was, "Little girl, you can pretend to drive one of these if you want." So of course, I leaped aboard and made Mr. W take more pictures of me fake-driving.
Totally fueled the tractor-owning fire.
After I got my fill, we wandered down the street to one of our favorite garden shops. Our main motivation wasn't just to check out their cute merchandise—but to steal see their chickens.
The girls didn't disappoint. They were quite social with each other and with us.
Some people dream of naming their future children. I dream of naming my future chickens. Are Farrah, Kate, and Jaclyn too weird for chicken names? Farmie's Angels?
As you can tell, the country air is having a spectacular effect on my brain.
Whilst we wait for the right time to buy chickens, we'll keep doing our best to grow other goodies in the garden. Since my last post on our miniature plot, the greens have gone crazy. We ate kale salads twice over the weekend and I accidentally picked some immature radishes while I was weeding, so I'm going to eat them this week. Beets and Brussels sprouts should be coming soon.
It's really exciting to think that someday in the not too distant future, we'll have planter boxes filled with all kinds of goodies. We won't even have to drive to the grocery store anymore.
Or maybe if we do, we'll just take the tractor.
That picture of the vegetables makes it look like we actually know what we're doing!
ReplyDeleteOne of us knows what he's doing and his name is you.
DeleteThis would have been a nice place to share my housewarming blow up tractor santa idea...
ReplyDeleteYes you can share that wherever you like - just don't buy it for us!
DeleteLove this!!
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to sound like a broken record - but you have to come up and visit!
DeleteHow fun! I have driven a real tractor twice and it is quite the experience. And I have driven lawn tractors, which are also quite fun. Mowing is probably in my top five favorite things to do outside, so I never pass up a chance to do it. I find it so meditative and relaxing.
ReplyDeleteEveryone I've ever known with chickens has named them and developed relationships with them. It seems no name is too good for a chicken.
I think a riding mower sounds pretty fun. Pushing a lawn mower? Not so much. Maybe I can get a trailer for the tractor and drive the chickens around the property for fun. :P
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