Monday, October 28, 2013

Brain sabbatical

The first rainstorm of the season is blowing out of here as we speak, leaving behind damp earth and wet leaves.  This morning I lit the pellet stove, and tonight we will feast on a kielbasa/kidney bean/tomato stew I like to make when it's like this outside.  These fall nights are when you truly appreciate a hearty meal, served in soft lighting with some quiet music on in the background.  It's a meal to wind down the day with, eaten in the season of winding down.

When I worked at the winery on Friday it was 86 degrees at mid-afternoon; this afternoon we didn't even break 60 degrees.  That's how it is in this area, you never know what you'll get.  To that end, today I worked on clearing out the pumpkin patch (I have more pumpkins than I know what to do with, a happy problem for me), marrying chicken coop waste with lawn clippings for compost, and general homestead clean up.  I did this in between weather events, ducking inside to work whenever the wind and rain would pick up and make working outdoors unpleasant.

This was a busy and, in some ways, difficult weekend at the winery -- I filled in for a sick coworker on Sunday, which just had to be the day our credit card software went down and we had to process all sales by hand.  Needles to say, today I was very happy to get back to the routine of moving compost, hoeing weeds and cleaning chicken coops.  

Sometimes the brain just needs a sabbatical.  From technology, from people, and even from beloved activities.  That's when the hands can take over and a day of simple manual labor is a joy.

2 comments:

  1. I just love this glimpse into your area. The complexities and diversity of your weather really intrigues me and gives me an appreciation for the terroir that makes wine grown there SO damn good. Pardon me but all my favorite wines are from your neighborhood. It's just funny because I had always imagined the weather was dry and brown 365. Sounds like you're having f a lovely week. A time to go, stealing your phrase, 'deep house'. So which of your herbs are you enjoying cooking with?!

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    1. Oh, I have been so bad about using my herbs this year! I am drying a bunch of Bay leaves from my plant as we speak, and of course I use chives on my potatoes, but the basil has gone mostly unused, along with the parsley. But the plants are fragrant and happy -- at least until it freezes! The grapes here definitely need a wet season, and it's coming...soon I hope! And speaking of wine, we are attending a wine tasting on Sunday night with friends, and I will let you know if I discover any new and wonderful Paso wines. Have a great weekend!

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