Before I Was Sick

Scrolling through my most recent cell phone pictures, I was reminded that I did lots of fun and colorful things lately, but I have not taken the time to savor these things because I've been sick.  Sick with a sore throat like I haven't had since I was a kid.  One of those bad ones, where I will voluntarily gargle any strange concoction that is suggested to me on the chance it might offer some relief.  I even considered sucking garlic cloves like some folks online suggest.  I didn't actually do it, not because I was unwilling, but because it seemed like so much effort to actually peel a piece of garlic.  I didn't think I had enough energy to accomplish it.  It was hard to remember that I ever had enough strength to peel a garlic clove, much less do all the things my cell phone pictures indicate I did in the days before I was sick.  

Did I really take walks in the woods with my nieces and watch them climb trees and balance on logs?  I actually stood up the whole time?! And didn't have to nap on the couch with a cup of hot tea?  It looks like an amazing sunny day.  Even better than watching two complete seasons of Ugly Betty, which I know I did in the past four days but also can't remember.  

Looking at my photos, the fun we had learning to balance on fallen trees is coming back to me.  We even discovered our very own secret hide out, which even though we promised never to reveal the location of, was immediately bragged about and shown off so that I'm convinced we could never really hide out there should there be the real bear and tiger attack that we practiced for.  

Tree climbing was one of those fun games where Aunt Rain realizes that once a four year old  niece climbs out of reach, there's really nothing keeping her from going as high as she wants, other than pleading.  It's times like these that I wish for some adult supervision.      

But, since we were Indian Warrior Princesses, with our hair decorated in chicken feathers, we had all the confidence and skill of Pocahontas, and tree climbing, log balancing, tiger fighting, stealth walking, and tee pee building came quite naturally.  

We discussed our animal totems too.  Meet Tigra and Giraffe.  It's not my place to question a person's totem, but you would think warrior princess in Kentucky would have more local wildlife influence.  After we talked casually about what Native Americans might have been doing, had they walked through our woods a long time ago, my youngest niece asked "But they aren't real, are they?"  Who, Native Americans?  When I said yes, they are real, but there aren't as many now, and none here, that lead to "Where did they go?"  I have to admit, I faltered for moment.  How to answer that in an honest and succinct way that will hold the attention of a four year old without being traumatic?  

The photographic evidence indicates that before I was sick, I was admiring my onion plants, which have pushed up their thin scraggly stems and still have the tiny black seed dangling from the top of the plant.  I think it's past time they go in the ground.  The seem so puny it's hard to imagine they could ever be strong enough to stand up to the wind.  

This is no normal carton of eggs - these are Easter eggs!  I put these eggs from Joe's chickens in the incubator last week, and if I manage to get some to hatch, then there will be baby chicks just in time for Easter.  Perfectly planned, if I do say so myself!  Unfortunately, while I was sick and away from the office I didn't replenish the water in the incubator and today when I finally managed to drag my weakened bio-hazard body to work it was dry.  I don't know how long it was dry, or how low the humidity got, but it may have ruined the batch.  

One of these things is not like the others.  One of these things is not the same.  Remember that song and game from Sesame Street?  Can you see Mount Egg in the back corner?  What a whopper!  I did not put this monster in the incubator.  I would be frightened to see what might hatch from an egg this big.  

That giant egg from one of mom's chickens must be more than twice as big as the others.  That poor, poor hen.  

This is what I was doing the day I got sick.  I remember it like it was just last Sunday....wait, it was just last Sunday.  It was a perfect day.  Cool, but sunny and I was planting seeds in the new garden beds out at the farm house, and then all of a sudden I just lost all my energy and I knew I was coming down with something.  By the time we left I had a fever and I'm only now beginning to feel like I may return to the land of the living.  But, before I succumbed to this germ, I was planting things at the farm even though I know that without a fence to keep out the wildlife, and without me there to water things, it's a risk.  But, I enjoy going though the motions of gardening just as much as eating the food, so I'm willing to take the risk.  I planted radishes, garlic, and turnips in this bed.  I thought maybe the rabbits and deer wouldn't like radish and turnips so much, so maybe they will be safe.  

This is what the bed looked like when I pulled off the carpet.  Not bad huh?  No tilling required.  All the sod was dead, and I only had to chop a few yellow weeds from the soil.  This garden is not going to win any beauty contests this year, but over time I think I can improve the aesthetics substantially.  Right now, just getting rid of the sod is the biggest step.  I also planted an entire bed with seeds from a paper bag marked "Kale? 2012" in my hand writing.  Who knows what I will grow, if anything.  Isn't it exciting?