Harvest time

I don't have much news on the creative side. I have one painting in process right now for my friend Sharon, her and her husband have a precious new baby boy at home. The inspiration is frogs and lavender!

Last weekend my family was able to experience a little bit of the farming life. My folks are first time Hazelnut Farmers and as many of the relations and helpful friends that could turn out tried their hands at the fine art of Hazelnut harvesting. Let me tell you, it is a dirty job. After a full day of work one looks a lot like a chimney sweep.

Although repetitive, the harvesting really gives you the sense of accomplishment and my Aunt Irene (a nurse) remarked that it could be great therapy for obsessive/compulsive disorders. We may need to solicite outside the o/c clinic around harvest time next year. I think I may have a touch of it, because I sure found myself completely focused sitting in the back of the trailer in the tote with hazelnuts flying of the conveyer belt with no sense of time or place just total focus on getting all the sticks, twigs, rocks, broken nuts, husks out of the bin. Once the bin is filled and the fork lift is ready to take it away and replace with a new tote, you almost need to be forced to stop and made to climb out.

The best part was seeing my husband driving the tractor in farmer overalls and manuevering around the orchard. At one point, I was raking by myself far away from the machinary or people and all I could hear standing under the canopy of the orchard were the sounds of dropping hazelnuts around me. Very cool.