As we prepare to celebrate the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, we are putting the finishing touches on the vegetable garden.

We are lucky to have a free source of horse manure, so yesterday we all helped empty 3 pickup loads of it. It was steaming!

Walking up the hill, I heard a strange squeaking sound and stopped to watch a snake trying to eat a frog that could not possibly fit in its throat. Walking down the hill later, I observed the frog in the same spot, with the snake nowhere to be found.

In the afternoon, Wade and I planted Yacon (Smallianthus sonchifolia), a traditional Andean tuber, and a Korean apios (Apios fortunei), or groundnut. These are just a few of the many perennial vegetables from around the world that we are growing here!

We harvested abundant ripe blueberries and black raspberries, which Ryan added to a mead, or honey wine that he was making. The other ingredients included Lavender-hibiscus-mint tea from Mountain Farm’s Lavender Festival and a jar of honey that was a gift from Elizabeth Gibbs at Firefly Farm. One jar is fermenting in our garden with the aid of wild yeasts.

Sean, Wade, and I drove down the road a short way to gather Elderflowers, which we used to create mead with honey, Elderflower essence and elderflower tea.

Just before bedtime, a few visitors arrived for a brief visit en route to set up the Green Path camp at the Rainbow Gathering.

It rained overnight, and today we awoke to a misty watercolor painting, which since has been dissolved through the hot warmth of the sun. Swimming Weather–we will head out soon to the swimming hole on the South Toe River, next to Green Toe Ground Farm.

There is no “typical” day here at Mountain Gardens, with each day unfolding in its unique lessons and opportunities.

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