Grow Again

We wolfed down waffles and went to work under a cool cloud cover. We pulled the beets and rutabaga and found some surprise potatoes. We harvest tiny brussel sprouts -- our first attempt.

We chopped in the collards that fed us all winter and left enough to keep us going until they bolt. Bolting is happening everywhere. The plants respond to the warm sun with intricate floral displays. Their taste is gone to the flower, so we bunch for bouquets.

The dark green plant matter that has fed us for the winter folds back into the black soil and we smile and watch. It will put nutrients back into the soil so this generous grid of ground will stay mineral rich as we prepare it for spring seeds and starts.

We all work. It takes all day. The food needs a home, the soil needs hoeing. It takes Hannah to help with Ocala -- even for a split second. It takes all of us to love it and care for it. We don't do it well all the time. As a matter of fact, the kids and I managed to loose our tomato starts to neglect. We didn't do enough other starts, and we forget to plant and water. We leave out tools and can't find them. But we keep going.  My sweet friend recently said that success is failing and trying again. So, we try again and plow again and grow again.