Slow Living Farm

Most of you know that I have been away from the farm for the past 3 weeks. My sister had an accident using her lathe and sustained a missile blow to her face and left eye – the missile was a kilo of mesquite.  When I got the message of her accident Wally helped me…

There are so many beautiful, rare visual experiences here.  I am not good about carrying a camara with me.  It’s just as well because when you are thinking “where’s my camara?”  you are not 100% in the moment of awe, so, I try to imprint these moments with all my senses, taking it in so…

We spent some time with our friends on Sunday afternoon. They recently adopted 3 children whose mother was killed by a hit and run driver.  The youngest, Leah, is a darling dumpling and she is foot-charmed by Wally’s tickley beard.  His overall pockets are just right for little hands to go searching for treasures.  Those…

So, this is my latest art project:   Origami thank-you cards for contributors to our spay and neuter clinics for area dogs and cats.  Most of my friends know that this is a project near and dear to us and our way of promoting inter-specie friendships.  Through donations and volunteers we fund and run monthly clinics…

People ask me what slow living is. Each day on the farm there are chores and they are the same every day. It would be easy and natural to resent doing the same thing each day unless you view it as practice towards something you desire to be good at. This is what slow living is teaching…

I had a perfect day today. This is what I made – a bold crocheted bag made with plastic raffia and lined with a Chanel scarf I never wear.    I was planning to be on a bus heading north to visit my mom, but strong wind broke a large window in the kitchen… can’t be without…

This week was full of summer activities. We attended two graduations for neighborhood kids. We are godparents to several children from different families. That equates to a lifetime of honors and responsibilities including first communions, quincenaras, weddings, new babies, graduations, sicknesses and funerals. The custom of padrinos and madrinas is very strong here. It is the way people…

With well over 100 varieties of fruit trees there is always fruit for the picking.  Today’s pick was guanabana, avocados, and a pineapple. I also picked passion fruit, juanitos and guava after I took this photo. In the evening I browse and munch while I walk with the dogs. They browse and munch too. As a…

Rickie Nichol is the 3rd of 4 children of Herman and Evelyne Black. Their dad passed away in 1981 and later Evelyne married Ken Fletcher, my dad. Ted and Rickie Nichol and their 2 sons, David and Matt, and their families live in the Tri-cities of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland, WA. They enjoy the semi-arid…