A week in Minnesota

Hannah watering her flowers in the greenhouse: lilacs, lupines, statice, dahlias--all to be bouquets at this summer's market.

Last week I got to visit my dear organic-farming best friend Hannah, her beautiful, great-with-child sister Rebecca and dexterous brother-in-law Joe, in the rolling country of southeast Minnesota, about a half hour from Rochester. About thirty minutes after pulling up to the farm in Hannah's red '91 Tercel, I milked my very first cow, Frieda. :) Milking a cow is HARD, I learned. Hannah's about four times as fast as I am, but I think if I milked twice a day like she does, in a couple months, I could get the hang of it.

Hannah milking Frieda

tenacious Frieda

Hannah and I got to have lots of espresso-talks, just like old times, transplant baby flowers in the greenhouse, make butter from Frieda's milk (isn't that awesome??), check the maple trees for sap (which is actually just water--not sticky, like you think of it. And it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of delicious maple syrup!), feed her chickens, cook really good food, eat really good food, speculate about the new baby, and get to know her boyfriend and other friends a little. Such a delightful week.

Oh yeah, did I mention we watched Season 4 of LOST every night? Just like last time Hannah and I saw Becca and Joe at their farm in NY! :)

Back home, with Danny at the pool the day I got back, to be followed by a delicious shrimp and mushroom pasta he made me!