The photos above are from my morning walk with the dogs ... they get pretty stoked to be out in the woods, so it's hard to take any picture besides one of them running away rapidly and excitedly. Bean goes on particularly epic adventures, and is always being spotted making these huge leaps or running daringly across a log spanning the creek or whatevs. It's good to see him so happy, anyway.

We put the meat birds out in the field in their chicken tractor yesterday, so between them and the pigs it's looking pretty farm-y out there. The chickens are still pretty repellent little creatures, but they look a lot nicer wandering around in the grass than they do huddling under the heat lamp in the garage. I know they need an enclosed space when they're little and can't physically handle being outside, but I still feel bad shutting them in. The pigs are doing really well and seem happy and comfortable. They have started to be a bit less lazy, and when we head out to check on the field and open the gate and stuff first thing in the morning, they recognize us and stand there grunting expectantly for their breakfast. They also follow you around when you go in to feed them or visit, and occasionally get so bold as to try and eat your pants, so I would say they're nicely settled in.

Devin found some morels in the yard a couple of days ago, so we stuck them in a stir fry along with farm asparagus, radishes, spinach, and some other non farm-y food. It was max delicious, and cool to be eating so much from the garden already. We've also been eating a buttload of rhubarb, which has been totes tasty.

I got out for a real bike ride for the first time the other day. Devin was working a full day, so I biked lunch down to him and hang out for a bit. It's weird to be on a cushy, fat tired bike instead of my old road bike, but I dig it. It's definitely a lot more relaxing to ride down country roads than fight commuter traffic and constantly be thinking "oh shit, one of these jerks in an SUV is totally gonna hit me today." All in all, I miss bike riding a lot less than I thought I would, so that's cool. I think biking is maybe a bit more empowering in a city, where you tend to be a lot more divorced from the necessities of life. Being able to take back responsibility for your transportation and not be indentured to the bus routes is a really big deal. I guess here not only is pretty much everything I do all day long good exercise and a fun way to be outside, but I also spend virtually all my time meeting my daily needs directly, instead of trading time for money and taking that roundabout route back to providing for myself. So, yeah, not pining for the bike quite as much as I thought I would, and that is rad.

And I should really stop typing and start weeding again, so I will get off the internet and back into the garden. Trying to get a bunch done today as Chad is coming this weekend and I'd like to take at least a half day off. I am totes stoked to have a visitor!