Early Saturday morning two-thirds of the very unofficial Kutztown Walking Club faced the dawn through a veil of drizzle, the first precipitation we had felt in weeks. Soon, the drizzle turned into pelting monster raindrops, and at one point, as we turned a corner, we even felt a chill – something sincerely welcome after days of 90+-degree temperatures.
When we got to the end of our soggy jaunt, Laurel said she couldn’t remember having such a good time on a walk, It reminded her of being a kid, playing in the rain with absolute abandon. It reminded me of “Reilly Loop”, a 5.2-mile course Paul and I used to run in State College. Reilly Loop was named after Bill Reilly, a Penn State distance runner who competed in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. One day the final leg of our run ended in a deliciously soft rain, washing away our cares and our sweat, transporting us into a magical, otherworld experience. The memory of that run and rain became such a strong one that it resurfaced years later. In 1992 our son was born on my father Richard’s 70th birthday. Paul and I named the babe Richard Reilly Lynch.
Treasure each day and each memory, Laurie Lynch
Plants Loved It: If humans, who can walk in and out of air conditioning and drink cool water at will, appreciated Saturday’s rain, imagine how the plants felt! We recorded 2.5 inches in our water gauge and I swear several droopy-looking pepper plants actually came back to life.
Special Thanks: To Lenore for helping a farmwoman duel with weeds and worries on Sunday.
At Fleur-de-Lys Farm Market This Week: Poona Kheera and Pickles cucumbers, Verte et Blanc scallop (French heirloom from the 1800s), Zephyr, and Italiano Largo summer squash, German White garlic, rainbow chard, new potatoes, kale, eggs, honey, dill, basil, parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. (Apologies to S&G.)
In the News Last Week: Our friendly Cooperative Extension Director shared a July 8 Wall Street Journal article entitled “Fowl Fans See Golden Eggs in Catering to Pet-Chicken Market”. It seems that people have become so enamored with pet chickens that all sorts of businesses are cropping up – chicken diapers (so your chicken can live in the house), chicken saddles (to protect hens from frisky roosters), and even chicken costumes (stars and stripes for July 4 and Prince Charming and Cinderella for Halloween). Why, there is even a Chicken Whisperer who hosts a daily hour-long Internet radio show on raising backyard chickens. But the best quote came from the founder of the site BackYardChickens.com, Rob Ludlow, who said chickens “are the only backyard pet that can make you breakfast.” I have to remember that one.
Written on Slate: This space is usually reserved for favorite quotes that I’ve painted on slates and sell at the shop. This week’s is a little different. I found an old saying, but I just can’t figure out what it means. Maybe it is the residual heat on my brain or a mid-50s meltdown. I need some help. Here is the saying: “A hen doesn’t cackle before she lays the egg.” If you can see the wisdom better than I, please send it along.
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