An evening stroll around the property is a common occurrence three seasons out of the year; common at least before this year. But last night James felt up to the task and so we headed out the door with a very excited dog, a drink in my hand and a walking stick in his. Our pace might have been even slower than usual, but it felt wonderfully normal, which does both of us good.

Our oncologist had said that these new treatment drugs tend to have an immediate impact, with small but steady improvement happening quickly. Being able to walk to and from the garden confirmed her experience and made us even more optimistic about the days and weeks to come.

We hadn’t walked far when we both spotted an unusual leaf on a sapling just off the driveway. James reminded me of the app I have that identifies plant life (“Seek”) and it very quickly identified our t-shirt shaped leaves as those of a tulip tree. It had been years since I had been up close to a tulip tree and I was so excited about finding one on our property! We talked about clearing some brush out from around it so it might stand out a little more and have more room to grow. We made a note to do more investigating and planning later on.

As we walked by the pasture, we talked about our mixed feelings about rehoming the cows. We know they are beyond my capabilities and will eventually be beyond James’ and we want to make sure they go to a place like ours – to be enjoyed and loved. We have a farm of exactly that sort that is interested and wants them closer to the end of the year, which is closer to when we might be ready to see them go – if we can ever be ready for such a thing. We briefly mentioned talking with the girls across the street who are amazing breeders of all kinds of beautiful creatures, to see if they might be interested in using the pastures. But that’s a conversation for another day far down the road.

As we turned the corner we found ourselves in mulberry heaven. The trees are abundant with fruit and it is ripe and ready to be picked – if we wanted to. We have never been big mulberry fans – James even tasted a couple again just to be sure we weren’t wrong on our previous impressions – so we just marvel at all the berries and keep right on walking. It won’t be too long, however, until the black raspberries are ready and those we do get excited about.

The garden needed some water so while we ran the sprinklers, we both wandered up and down the rows checking in on all the veggies. Our June-bearing strawberry plants have all but called it quits for the year. There were just enough for a small snack, not enough to carry back to the house. Peas are coming along nicely. I can’t really explain why I love growing peas so much; there isn’t much bang for your buck, but I love to see them climb and grow and I love to sit in the yard and shell them when they are ready.

I had a few flowers starting to bloom, so I cut a few to take to the house. I trimmed off the blooms on the rhubarb, picked three stalks of asparagus and wondered once again what the strange gourd is growing in the asparagus patch. The leaves don’t look quite like our pumpkin or zucchini leaves, so we will just have to wait and see what blooms! There was basil galore to pick; my second harvest already. I got excited about using the new dehydrator that Jacob got me to dry the basil.

Before leaving to head back to the house, I stopped to cut some wild daisies growing near the pond. Soon there will be Queen Anne’s lace growing there, but for now, we still had lots of daisies to enjoy. I added those to my fresh cut flowers from the garden, the blooms reminding me of the wildflower arrangements my sister had for her wedding thirty years ago. This time walking past the mulberry trees we spotted elderflowers growing nearby. They were gorgeous and huge and really captivated our attention.

On our return trip up the drive to the house, we stopped by the orchard and admired all the peaches we have growing – a first for us for sure. We have maybe a dozen apples on one tree so we will just have to see what becomes of them. But the biggest excitement of the night was when James spotted one ripe tart cherry on my little Charlie Brown style cherry tree. I’m not sure how the birds hadn’t spotted it already, but after cheering wildly for our first ever cherry and taking a celebratory picture, I plucked it right off the tree and ate it. I didn’t even offer to share it with James, which was incredibly rude and selfish of me. I would never have done that with the peaches or apples, but the little cherry tree was something I had wanted and so the first ripe fruit seemed rightfully mine. Hopefully he won’t hold a grudge.

James was ready for a seat when we returned to the house, but we were both impressed with his ability to go all the way down to the garden and back. I collected six eggs from the coop, gently taking Della out of the nesting box once again – my silly, broody hen.

It was no small thing to walk with my husband tonight. It is no small thing to stroll hand in hand looking at all the things we have built from dreams and created with love and forged together. From the house to the barn to the coop to the garden and every thing along the way, we love our creatures and our property. Back at the house, I arranged the flowers on the counter, knowing how fleeting their beauty is. The basil is in the new dehydrator and the eggs are in the fridge. Charlotte will be ready to go out hunting soon and Trudy and The Mister are both ready to sleep. A beautiful walk completed, it’s time for bed.

Goodnight, Someday Farm.