Friday, April 1, 2011

Farm Friday in Uganda

Goodness, I love Fridays! I love baking with my kids during the day and enjoying popcorn, smoothies, and a game or movie in the evening. Last week we put together a puzzle. Geeky, I know. But we all had fun! What Friday traditions do you have?

So, today I want to show you the planting progress we've made over the past week.

The maize has grown, and we're beginning to lay down the mulch covering:


On the other side of the path, lies the land that was just recently cleared. Virgin land. It's not ready to be planted by the tractor, so we used the only two oxen that remain (we sold the rest once we received the tractor in January), Big Ben and Valentine.  Can you tell who is who? :)


We implement as many no-till practices as possible, but this ground needed the plow just this once. See that large ant hill in the back? Yeah. Tractors can't really plant on that. By next season it will be down, along with the dozen (at least!) others like it.

As long as the ant hills remain, though, my kids will climb them!

AJ doesn't look so sure he can make it up like the big kids :)

my kids+1, kings and queen of the mountain


Back to the oxen, though: See Big Ben and Valentine at work.


Big Ben is the Big Man, if you will. The saying "strong as an ox" must have come from him! :) He's quite a naughty ox, though. Yesterday on my morning run I caught him eating our mangoes. Mangoes which, by the way, are getting bigger every day! 


And, in case you were wondering, we still have plenty of rain (and mud).


Of my three kids, Tai is definitely the one most in love with mud. He cannot walk by a mud puddle without trying it out. Today's mud puddle splash ended with him looking like this:


This last photo has nothing to do with Friday or the farm. It's from a few weeks ago, and I love it. 
So there. That's reason enough to post it :)


Okay then! Enjoy the weekend with your family... 





7 comments:

W-S Wanderings said...

I am wowed again by the marvel of your farm, your children, and your photos thereof. And that anthill is just...staggering.

There are some mud-lovers in this family too. Such a healthy connection with the earth. A sensory delight.

Our Fridays are often "Friday Fun Nights", which have consisted of rousing card games of late. I love how our Friday evenings regroup and reconnect us. A happy pause before the clamour of the weekend.

How the Sun Rose said...

I saw your link on WS Wanderings post for Farm Friday. I love your photos! The ones of the kids embody the freedom and joy of childhood :)

Rachel said...

New follower here. :D Enjoy looking/reading your blog. As a mother of several boys, how in the world do you get the clothes clean after a mud dip! LOL!

Those oxen look huge! What a project you are working on! Wow! You impress me.....

Rachel said...

P.S. Our Friday's are usually with my husband and I going out on a date. With all of The Native's we have running around (we've seven kids), a once a week mommy and daddy time is wanted/needed.

K said...

Found you at W-S. I think I'd probably hesitate to address Big Ben on the issue of the mangos - I mean, I think I'd hesitate to get into any kind of argument with him at all, seeing that it would not be at all difficult for him to make a point stick, if you catch my meaning.

Wow. What a place to live. And what a way to do it.

Shawn & Courtney said...

Wabi Sabi, card games sound like fun! I think my little ones will have to grow up a bit before we attempt that though... :)

luxiii, thank you! photography is such a joy for me, i love capturing those moments.

Shawn & Courtney said...

Rachel, SO glad you found us! :) As far as washing the muddy clothes goes, if you click on the International Life label in the right margin of the blog, you'll find a post called How We Live: Laundry. It's, um, different :)
A mom of 7, eh?! MY! What FUN! We plan to add more to our brood, but 7 is...well...amazing :).

K, Big Ben is intimidating, isn't he? When he gets loose (which is often), I stay out of his way! I'd rather have a thrashed banana plantation than try to move him :) (and thanks for stopping by!)

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