it's a peaceful time

each morning i arrive early at the garden, well before guests would wander over.  the fields are always still set up in a nice smoke, bathing in the mountain dew.  heirlooms, each with a unique story dating back hundreds of years, engulf me as i pace the rows.  anecdotes, ancient uses, and heritage breeds rattle through my mind like a rolodex.  the guests are curious, and have a lot to ask. 

i harvested some hot peppers for the preservation kitchen, and swapped out the soaked logs for dry ones over in the mushroom den—shitakes will bloom by Monday.  the weeding is minimal in the garden, mostly reserved for young seedlings and the perennial herbs.  the so called weeds, however, are put to use in various ways—whether it be in flower arrangements throughout the resort, or for a wildflower salad in a garden cooking demo. 

this is my last week in the garden, and after it’s done I’ll be rotating into the larder:  the butcher shop, the preservation kitchen, and the cheese making parlor.