Back to Nature

Summer is here, and all this time we're spending outside is bringing our family together in new ways. After watching the city workers pick up our trash a few days ago, Maddox started asking questions about where the garbage goes once it leaves our house. After a thorough explanation of landfills, breakdown of trash over time, and all of those other important matters that my four year-old evidently thinks about, we decided we needed to become a family that recycles. Frankly, we don't have a lot of extra kitchen space to store our recycled paper, plastic and aluminum, but after a trip to Target for some cute bins, we made it all work. There. We are helping the earth.

Yesterday, we had a grand time at the farm that supplies our summertime harvest share. The owners invited all shareholders to a cookout. Lamb sausage was the main course, (um, yum) and everyone brought a side or dessert. Let's just say that the majority of people who purchase a farm share can cook REALLY well, so dinner was wonderful. We took a tour of the gardens, saw the chickens that supply our weekly eggs, and even got to check out the week-old piglets. The weather was perfect and we had a fantastic night.

Finally, this morning Maddy discovered an injured baby bird on the ground below one of our big trees in the backyard. After keeping an eye out for a while, we guessed that Mommy Bird wasn't returning and began to try and take care of this poor little thing. Gerald, as Maddox has named him, has been getting water from an eye dropper throughout the day along with some birdseed. Cross your fingers that he makes it through the night! I think I may have a heartbroken kiddo if not!

How is your family getting back to nature this summer?


Mad and I outside our garden in the backyard . . . just kidding. . . this is the garden at Retreat Farm! :)


Little vegetable lesson from Daddy.



Nothing liked a fresh-picked strawberry!




Maddy and Gerald. Graham caught her having a full on conversation with him before dinner!