Sincerely, Svet.: Week Two

Monday the rains were a fallin like CRAZY in Bluffton, GA so we got the day off from farm work. Although I enjoy working on the farm, the 7 AM text message bearing this news made me as gleeful as a schoolgirl on a snow day. (And speaking of school cancellations, because there are so many dirt roads in rural Georgia, kids got Monday AND Tuesday off from school because of the poor driving conditions. Glad the childhood joy continues on from geographic area to geographic area!! No child should be deprived of these happy, happy days.)

I slept in, listened to the rain fall on the tin roof, (its actually not a tin roof, but it sounded nice, right? Many of the roofs here are in fact metal and Annie speculates it's because it's not as cold here and thus roofting doesn't need as much insulation. Anyone know?) we went grocery shopping, read and read and read lots and we made BORSCHT.

Borscht is a Russian beet and cabbage soup--a staple of Russian cuisine that I grew up on. To the chagrin of my parents I didn't take the initiative to learn how to make it until uh...yesterday, because grandma is a gourmet cook specializing in Russian and Ukrainian cuisine--why must I spoil a good thing? But I called grandma for the recipe because I wanted Annie and my new friends to experience some Slavic cuisine. (Grandmas love when you ask them about recipes.)

The Evidence. With a dollop of yogurt.

I was really proud of myself after successfully making the soup with Annie K's assistance! I sent my whole family a picture text as proof, and I think I may finally be considered a respectable part of the family :)

Anyhow, today was a full day at the farm. The morning started cloudy and humid, and warm. Annie and I pruned Muscatine grape branches in the orchard, planted blueberries, weeded, fixed row cover on beds of vegetables that had blown off in the windy rain, and potted some soil in the greenhouse before lunch.

Anyhow, today was a full day at the farm. The morning started cloudy and humid, and warm. Annie and I pruned muscadine grape branches in the orchard, planted blueberries, weeded, fixed row cover on beds of vegetables that had blown off in the windy rain, and potted some soil in the greenhouse before lunch.

Annie planting blueberries today. What a babe.

Jesus rinsing with warm
water before they go into the machine
(He got the
day off from school!)

I also helped with weekly egg duty--and got a picture of all the eggs before they go through the egg washer machine contraption thingy...that might not be the proper term :D Aren't they beautiful? 650 hens, 4 - 5,000 eggs per week.
After lunch I noticed a gorgeous Southern Magnolia tree in the forest behind all the vegetables. It looks distinct among all of the other trees because of it's waxy leaves that look like they belong in a warmer climate. Annie knew the name of it. I am constantly amazed at how many plants she can identify--I didn't know she was a junior botanist :)

The rest of the day continued with mostly greenhouse tasks. I made my first potting soil mix using the recipe that is generally used. I wouldn't have thought of handling that last week. Everything was so foreign and strange then!

I came home and ate more borscht. Annie had this great idea of poaching an egg in the borscht while reheating on the stove. This is a very cool innovation--I'm talking it to the family table.

More soon.

I love eggs and borscht and rain,

Svet

While the borscht is cooking we're drinking pickled
beet juice cocktails, inspired by farm produce baby.

Annie keeps her hair short for practical pursposes
while she's walking. She's also a free bird.
Tatoo is temporarry, don't worry mom :)

PS: I went for a run on Sunday. Everything outside beamed. I was dumbfounded. Did I just walk into one of those picturesque Windows backgrounds?

Nope. Just Georgia for ya. Here's some shots from roads and areas close to the house. Which one's your favorite?