It's been a beautiful day today - sunny and record high temperatures in the 60s - calm and routine, except for the news that the family staying here will be leaving on Tuesday and one or two more part-time twenty-something apprentice-types will arrive. Pretty much everything about my life here is completely different than it was before I came, which has been a welcomed and much-needed shock to my system. (Warning: Tangent...) Don't get me wrong, I adore my friends in Seattle, and miss the city and my life there terribly at times, but I just felt stuck. I somehow wasn't able to complete projects or move forward anymore, and even though I've been starved for free energy and time so far, I have been able to focus really well when I do have time to myself. And once the remaining produce is harvested - probably within the next month - I most certainly will have more time for personal projects. Yay! (End Tangent.) Anyway, I'd have to say the most difficult thing for me to get used to here has been the revolving door of boarders:

A&A (I will use abbreviations to protect the innocent), a lovely apprentice couple, had been running the farm for the past few months when I first arrived, which was an impressive amount of work for two relatively unexperienced twenty-somethings to take on by themselves, it being harvest season. A's brother R arrived shortly before I did as part-time help. The owner, S, travels quite a bit and has been gone more than not since I've been here. Then the R family (couple with a 7-year-old son and twenty-something daughter) arrived about a month ago, about the same time A&A left. S's lady-friend and four of her children have visited two weekends, including last. R was supposed to leave a week ago, but was delayed by a missing car key, and just left yesterday. (Last weekend there were twelve people staying here.) And now S is out of town again, and the R family is leaving Tuesday, when T and perhaps another will arrive. Got all that? I didn't think so. Luckily everyone coming and going has been kind and considerate, and I now consider them friends. But all of this adjusting to sharing a kitchen and/or home with so many different personalities, especially with some kids thrown in the mix, and especially when your home is also your workplace, and especially when you've been living alone for several years, has been, well - an adjustment - to say the least. I am getting used to it though. And there is plenty of space to get lost around the property - I went for a lovely hike along the arroyo on my day off.

One great thing about all these people is help with the harvest, or with other chores around the farm so that I can focus on harvesting. Last week was arugula and bunching onions. This week will be daikon radishes and maybe collard greens.

And tomorrow is Halloween!  Pumpkins and squash have been carved, treats are being made, and we'll be bobbing for apples and roasting marshmallows for s'mores outside. Yum!