King Vincent's Chair

Full sun all day through. The temperature started around 49F, but climbed to 59-63F-- many a cold breeze.

The hospital visit went well last night-- my cousin is getting out tonight, either he'll be released or his mom plans to sneak him out. Gizzie met me for a midnight meal, which quickly turned to a night at 'The End' bar. A few hours of conversation in and the power for half the city cut out. Gizzie and I went out back with the bartenders and waitresses to smoke/drink in the backyard moonlight. Rather than close down they lit candles and cut the price of beer in half. The guitar man played a few extra sets and we got well oiled. It was a good evening.

Everyone was in fine spirits this morning. Newport and the foreman ran around calling friends to get ready for a big festival at the statehouse tomorrow-- it's a party/political rally calling for the legalization of a certain substance. The boss was in a considerable amount of pain today, the problems of age have reined him down to a limp. So we took care of everything as he sat down for once. Viking had the day off-- Gizzie was the man of the store for today. More problems with the cooler, the air outside was cooler than within-- so we opened everything up. I stocked up the store with tomatoes and packed everything together for today's market. The foreman, Newport and I sifted through all the red peppers we had stowed away (8 boxes, each holding 4 bushels). Newport and I swept out the back and got the CSA all set up for this afternoon, then it was off to business.

The foreman and I rode the tractor up the hill to cut broccoli. He didn't have a care in the world-- the festival was tomorrow and his girlfriend was coming to stay the weekend, all was well. So the foreman was unusually talkative-- he told me about all the articles on broccoli harvesting techniques he'd been reading and took me through the cabbage/brussel sprouts/tomatoes/squash pouring out every tidbit of knowledge he'd every collected. Apparently frosts are good for the sprouts and broccoli-- each one actually sweetens the taste of the veggie. We eyed over the sprouts again-- they're moving slowly, dangerously slow. Hopefully they'll pick up and squeeze out a harvest for us. Then we got to work cutting broccoli. Most of the first heads are gone now and there hasn't been enough time for the plants to through out new buds. We managed to get 3 bushels.

Lunch time.
I'd seen a video of a mariachi who made a coke bottle into a trumpet-- so I made one over lunch and entertained Gizzie by playing every tune we could think off. Bah was very impressed.

After lunch the wholesaler rang up-- they were coming for another haul of tomatoes. The foreman and I ran down to the barn, it was time again for shining/sorting with Old Rudolpho and family. We got 83 boxes filled and loaded up for the truck.

The boss came down and sent us on new jobs: cut 8 bushels of green peppers, 1 crate of basil, 2 crates of beets and hunt through the cucumbers. Newport was making tomato sauce and baking pies all through today, so the foreman and I took off for the forest field. Solid work.

We returned to the store some hours later-- I cleaned/boxed everything and spruced up the CSA produce. The foreman set out to mow down weeds on the hilltop and cut a few trial butternut squash. The boss was handling payroll so Newport/Gizzie/I had a few cigarettes and kicked around the store. Something must be in the air as people were crazy for tomatoes today-- I stacked up and moved 200lbs worth in 1 hour of CSA.

Paychecks and homeward bound. Poor Gizzie was stuck manning the store/CSA into the late night. I bought him a sympathy soda. Maybe I'll join him for a purging late night beer, but maybe not. I'm up early tomorrow helping the boss around the farm-- I'm plotting/hoping to ambush him about some tractor lessons. Wish me luck and

Take it easy.