*written on may 4th, 2014
Spring is in full force. The endless coastal trails resemble the wild, foreign jungles we dream of so often. Miners lettuce and stinging nettle dance around my ankles as I skip down the pathways, only to be rinsed off by the fiercely chilly Pacific. Upwelling has a way of making the ocean incredibly bittersweet. The visibility peaks; making the sight of the teal, turquoise surf irresistible. “Taking the plunge” however, ain’t as sweet as she looks. The cold penetrates into the core of my bones, slowly turning me into a neoprene popsicle from the inside out. Each duck dive delivers visions of Hawaiian tubes (that I’ve only seen in pictures), imagining myself skin to skin with the warm surf thousands of miles away. However, after I’ve made it outside the break, grey whale spouts and milky sunsets erase the idea of ever leaving the fantastic place I’ve made into my home. Washed up sailor jellies cover the lonely coastline, mixed in with sand dollars and redwood debris. When the swell drops, the search beneath the surface begins. When the visibility prevails, abalone and other mollusks hide within the rocks. On a good day the reef looks seemingly tropical, with countless marine species living happily and flourishing.
On land, the farm is going off. Seeding, harvesting, and maintenance projects only provide me with endless metaphors for life and fantastic epiphanies. More often than not, I imagine time-lapse photography because of how incredibly fast things seem to grow. Snap peas, strawberries, spinach, broccoli and turnips are just a few of my recent favorites. The new norm of little rain and higher temperatures has made for early harvests with many different varieties. Cold north winds howl throughout the afternoon. I’ll sinch my hoodie tight around my face, only making my eyes and nose visible (quite an awesome look). After an honest days work, we pack up our bags full of extra produce. After dropping off goodie bags around town for friends, I arrive home with a table spread of vegetables and berries. Life is bountiful and I am so thankful in this moment.
It’s Monday morning and I’m off to start studying for the day, however, I couldn’t help putting down these happy thoughts.