Feeding goats organic grains last year, plenty was spilled in the yard and kicked around by chickens and washed around by rain. We decided to let the resulting grass grow to seed. Here are the results. I think. I'm really not certain what any of it is. I've labeled as best I can according to this USDA chart. But I've never seen a sheaf of cereal grain in my life. I tried to figure out the names of the native grasses. I failed but did learn about green sprangletop, which grows exclusively in Texas and Florida. I just like the name. Green Sprangletop. Please note that all these grasses grew to roughly the same height. I plonked them down thoughtlessly wonky for the picture. Also note: dogs, cats, and chickens apparently adore a good high stand of grass. Which quickly results in a no longer high stand of grass.

native grass,    barley and wheat,    oats,    native grass

Speaking of fun ecology, after some previous false starts, I'm getting the hang of fermentation. This is pretty much what it always looks like next to my kitchen sink these days: stuff fermenting along side fresh milk jars waiting to get washed. Currently we have a ginger bug, beet kvass, and carrot, beet, garlic, ginger salad all set abrew this morning while my family was asleep. I've tried fermentation before and it never really took. Mostly because it felt scary. Can you really eat this stuff? Aren't we supposed to avoid food that's alive? Take a look around. Our culture has been carefully demanding ever increasing spirals of death from our food, on every level. And that isn't working out very well. Time to change direction.

I've been inspired by our family's participation in the Wildlife of Your Home, current writing by Michael Pollen, Sandor Katz, a new love of kim chi, and not least WholisitcSquid who makes fermentation look like child's play.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a series of shots that illustrate 10 minutes on this Sunday morning. 

 We've borrowed a few goats to eat the brush off our septic field. Funnest ecology ever!

 We're calling this little boy Angel Baby because he's Angel's baby. He is distinctly not afraid of Jackson. 

 Angel is more concerned. Especially since Angel Baby fits through the fence easily. 

Nothing cuter than babies happening this morning. 

"O' Be Joyful"   Remind yourself as often as necessary...

A few shots I loved but couldn't include the other day: 

 R.E.M. Gardening At Night. Our Family Gardening With Cats.

I had several moles removed a few weeks ago and one of them turned out to be melanoma. Stage 0 - 0 non metatastic in situ. The melanoma never left the boundaries of the mole it was sitting on. Its been removed, the site has been dramatically excised and I may never have another one. But my newly increased risk factor, along with that of my children and my siblings, weights heavily on my mind.

This news scares the ever living bejeezzes out of me. Did I say, last year on this very blog, that the sun is a healthy good thing? So it is. However, you won't catch me basking anywhere ever again. I've bought hats and long dresses, and I cut the collar out one of my husband's old work shirts. I am now, officially, one of those old women who is always covered. It took me a few weeks to come to terms with my new fashion, in a pouty way. I had a lot of time to sit and think about it while the incision on my leg has been healing. Today I went grocery shopping, covered head to toe. Guess what? No one cared. It was fine. I am an old lady who moves in the world covered up. So Be It.

If you have a strange mole: GO TO A DERMATOLOGIST. Get it checked. A general practitioner looked at my mole a year ago and said it was fine. He was wrong. The dermatologist knew at a glance.

Today I bought some plants: an aloe, basil, thyme, and hyssop. My son turned my herb bed and we weeded together. Later the kids set the plants for me. Gardening in a long dress, long sleeves, and a hat felt just fine. I am so lucky and so grateful and so frightened all at the same time. Thank goodness my children have been protected from the sun their whole lives. Take Care <3