urban farming and five finger discounts

i recently robbed a produce wearhouse.

its got to be one of the most exciting afternoons i've had in awhile.
(free fresh ginger root! free pineapples! rhubarb! kiwi! blood oranges!)
this week i've made: beef curry, tabbouleh, cucumber salad, fruit salad, salsa, gazpacho.

nearly every evening this week has been spent trying to save or savor as much of it as possible. i made close to 2 quarts of salsa the other night—my entire house smells of cilantro and fresh tomatoes.

i absolutely love red onions. its the colors. the bright and varied colors of fruits and vegetables that draw me in. i have an absolutely gorgeous fruit salad at home: strawberries, kiwi, apricots, pineapple and blood oranges—and absolute rainbow.

the chickens have been spoiled rotten with fabulous salads.
(thank god for food processors—makes shredding a snap.)
this week they've eaten bananas, broccoli, carrots, barley, chickpeas, lentils, pineapple, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, lettuce, mustard greens and peas. this weekend: apples, celery, cauliflower.

i am semi-seriously considering picking up a couple more chickens. but even as i type that i know its ridiculous and in the end, reason might win out on this one. another day, another time, another chicken.

my house hunting has proven productive and i am beginning the process of buying what i hope will be my first home. i still look—a little worried i'll find something i like better.
a little worried that i am getting in over my head. but—who isn't?

but, if i'm getting in a little over my head, this is a good house to take that chance on. i think it is a good compromise of location, quality, price, potential and backyard for me.

knowing i'm leaving, i've done little in my yard that i currently inhabit.
i spend my time brainstorming how to abscond with some plants that aren't really mine (peonies, lily of the valley, lavender, bulbs) and how to abscond with the plants that are mine (veggies, perennials, herbs) when the time comes.i should have gardened at my grandparents, boo.

the nice thing about the new house, come fall i can plant early spring seeds. i've never been anywhere long enough to see the fruits of such a labor. my last visit to portland i got to see my forget-me-not seeds and floxgloves coming up—things i'd planted for my enjoyment last spring but planted too late. this year i can plant early like a smart gardener!

there is a lot of backtracking that needs to happen at my current residence. projects finished or undone (the fence and gate need to go, the bedroom walls need serious tlc. i'm frustrated that i was bullheaded enough to continue my project when the future was so uncertain—but if that's not me to a T, then i don't know what is. passionately delusional.

thankfully its the weekend. i can get my ducks (chickens?) in a row.
pig out on fruit and vegetables. homestead like its 1807.