It's a beautiful rain-washed, sun-blessed morning. The bees are just waking up in their new hive and starting to venture out to the orchard trees. I was up while the dew was still heavy, scything the grass and some over-enthusiastic brambles in the orchard. The smooth wood and swinging blade of the scythe made me feel honest and strong and humble and good. (In times of ocean-spilled oil, these well-designed human-powered tools are a great comfort.)

There are new chicks in the brooder box in the barn, feathering out nicely and hopping and chirruping about. Outside the open door, I hear two sleepy sunbathing hens, grumbling peacefully to themselves. The cows are in their new paddock, knee-high in grass and clover. Piglets are out at the edge of the woods in their "summer place," happily gobbling up the organic veggie scraps and day-old doughnuts we get from a local restaurant.

Outside the realm of livestock, the swallowtail butterflies are coming out. Yesterday I saw at least seven of them, swooping and fluttering about. Songbirds are calling to each other and crickets are chirping their own wee songs. Above it all, the trees have mostly leafed out, providing dappled shade to match the warming sun.

Time to go play in the dirt!

--Cuilionn