Life at Littleleaf (photos of a new home).

 

We’ve named our homestead Littleleaf, come visit. Raspberries grow through the chilly autumn nights.

 

 

 

We bought chickens from a man named Dan; we haven’t named them yet. I visit them every day and hold each one for a couple of minutes. They don’t love me yet, but soon.

 

 

 

Last Sunday, we celebrated. We bought our first farm animals, and before that, we planted the greenhouse full of food. I harvested all the cherry tomatoes, which are still coming.

 

 

 

Homestead in the background, man in the foreground.

 

 

 

The day was warm. We inspected tools in the barn. Well, Misha did.

 

 

 

The sun sets earlier every day. The trees are the color of our chickens.

 

***

 

All photos by Misha. See more.

Things that are NEW (list).

 

Things that are NEW:

 

1. My dad no longer has a mustache. (My dad has had a mustache my entire life. My mom has literally never seen his upper lip before.)

 

2. We got CHICKENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Four ladies and a cock.

 

3. My parents live in Austin, TX. It’s true what they say: you can never go home again.

 

4. I quit a job after one day. Adios, youseguys!

 

5. I’m currently cooking a VAT of French onion soup. That is a lot of soup. (I’m using the word “vat” loosely here, considering I have no idea how much soup amounts to one. But trust me: soup for days.)

 

6. My closest friend lives over an hour away (insert sad emoticons here).

 

7. Almost every item of clothing that I’ve been wearing for the past THREE YEARS is packed away in a box labeled “Summer.”

 

8. I read a memoir. (I hate memoirs! Not this one though. Probably because I know the author. Also she is very, very skilled at describing food.).

 

9. THE LEAVES ARE CHANGING COLORS EVERY DAY IT IS SERIOUSLY A DYNAMIC EXPERIENCE TO WATCH.

 

10. I thought I was eating bacon the other day, but…it was ham. I ate ham, you guys. This is Really New.

 

Image hungry (photo; painting; list).

 

First harvest.

 

 

 

Many of the houses on our hill and on surrounding hills are huge estates. Acres and acres of lawn. One lone, beautiful building. Like something Hopper would paint, or has.

 

 

 

(Edward Hopper, “House by the Railroad,” 1925.)

 

In the belly

 

baguette in spicy olive oil

eggplant parmesan (homemade!)

gazpacho (homemade!)

English muffins (homemade!)

wild grape jam (made by Misha’s dad!)

fresh burrata

dark chocolate

 

 

 

On the table

 

pint of raspberries

plums

eggplants

apple chips

summer’s last cantaloupe

a tiny tower of sheep cheese

small, wussy avocadoes (we’re not in California anymore…)

black turtle beans

 

 

In the yard

 

calendula

hops

raspberries

cherry tomatoes

rose hips

three types of grapes

black apricot trees

various plum trees

apple trees

thyme

lime thyme (!)

acorns

horseradish

Jerusalem artichoke (l’chaim)