I'm baaaaack!This photo was taken by my friend Maggie from Iowa. I like it because it looks as though I'm doing t'ai chi. In reality, I'm taking a photo of the band Grand Champeen while trying to shade my eyes with my free hand. Grand Champeen were pretty much the heroes of Twangfest X: Not only did they play a daytime outdoor set chock-full of their own catchy songs, but they also played covers until 5 AM at our end-of-festival afterparty.
I would also recommend that you make every effort to see the Dirtbombs. Imagine, if you will, a loud and bombastic punk-soul band with two drummers, two bass players, and a lead singer scratching (yes, as in hip-hop DJ scratching) on his guitar. I believe one of my friends referred to them as "godless killing machines." I may have temporarily set aside my no-dancing policy.
So while I was gone, a lot of things happened. Apparently it was 98 degrees--the poor s.o., left with double chores in that heat! Well, he managed to take care of everything admirably. The poultry are huge, the garden is junglelike, and the bees are as mean as ever and are producing mountains of brood and honey.
Today I have already eaten two Sungold tomatoes right off the vine. Some of the Tigerella tomatoes are also producing. There are two large basketfuls of cucumbers waiting to be pickled. I have harvested three zucchini and a scallop squash. The eggplants have started to set fruit, and the corn is earing up.
Before I left, I had just barely managed to wean myself off of coffee. I am now right back where I started. *sigh*
