I took the greyhound and i would nearly have been better off walking, it took over 6 hours to cover 75miles but i have escaped the city and swapped it for the country location of love apple farm.
Yes, the humble tomato, however you choose to say it, is here in force. Cynthia and her band of helpers and volunteers specialize in tomatoes and grow vegetables for a local restaurant. That is to say a two michelin star establishment supplying fine dining to the uberrich of silicon valley so they don't put up with bugs on their greens. I am here to learn what i can, help out and enjoy the Californian autumn for a couple of weeks.
It is great to get up at 7am to help with the harvest, before the heat of the day kicks in, picking the best of the best from nearly 200 different crops all neatly laid out in their raised beds and have it all ready for when 'chef' calls by at lunchtime to inspect and collect. There are hens of every flavour imaginable, supposedly busy laying eggs for 'chef' too but they are sulking at present, producing only 7 eggs a day from 70 birds. Light brown, dark brown, blue, gray, speckled and even white.
I have spent my spare time chilling, reading books and exploring the local village, Ben Lomond,a short way outside Santa Cruz, usually with one of the dogs. How great it is to stop for a while, catch up with myself and have a wonderful garden to help out in. Maybe a week isn't going to be long enough after all.
...this sounds idyllic!!
ReplyDeletex Moi
Still all sounding great. Haven't read for a couple of weeks. The last time I did I told Simon you would be having a Tales of the City pilgrimage but he had no idea what I was talking about. I would love to go back to SF (went when I was 15, not the same as an adult experience). Nothing happening here except financial doom and gloom. x Alex, Simon and Emma x
ReplyDeleteIf you see Mouse, bring him back for me to play with!
ReplyDeletelil bro X
Love your new photo! you look very well and very sexy no wonder the nightlife in san fran is 'something else'. Your blog is a wonderful distraction to the economic meltdown going on here it really is unprecedented...
ReplyDeleteNot a great time to start a new job in a bank, I hear you cry, well I have started at Lloyds and the people are lovely such a far cry from that lovely scottish bank (my exit agreement forbids me to mention them by name). I have to admit to feeling a little smug at leaving on such 'good terms' and have fantisised sending my ex psycho boss a post card asking him how it feels to work in a post office (it will be nationalised this week) particularly since the shares he has carefully accumulated over 30 years service (working 20hours a day) now amount to about £12.50.
Clearly, I still have to work through my closure issues...
The sun is shining here today and the leaves are changing colour. I am in London working on a report (I know!) and T is in Lower Mill looking at ducks.
Can't wait to see you in November, and wonder if you have any Christmas plans? No need to commit just yet but think everyone in the UK will be staying at home eating turnips and burning furniture.
Much love jac xxx
Thank you Jac for making me laugh out loud after a long long day at work!!!!!!
ReplyDeletex Moi
eating turnips and burning furniture!!!!
ReplyDeletei feel that you are trying to warn me about my planned imminent return. Should i stay in california and join the estimated 12 million other illegal immigrants already in residence? OR do you need help breaking up the furniture to burn?
Mouse, unfortunately, is not available to travel to the UK. If he had been, it would have been with me!
love to you all
SAM xx
guess i must be logged in as Cynthia today!!!!
ReplyDeletehow did that happen?
Hhmmm the party yesterday was most excellent, i should write about it a bit later on.
not only sexier but do you now have an alter-ego? Is it Sin-thia day or night time???? all of your travels sound fab compared to blighty. Maybe we all join you for your next jaunt? When do you expect to be back in London ? Tan x x x
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