June 22

Opening day.

There is more green now in the rows of the farm, as lettuce is ready to be picked, the tomatoes are mid-calf high and barely flowering, the peppers and eggplant are filling in nicely, and the leeks have finally seemed to come into their own.

I walked down to the lower portion of the front field, past the small stand of birch that guards the unused cultivator which has been fallow for several years. Here the rows descend slightly toward the north wall, where Scott’s bees reside, busy now with frequent comings and goings of workers bringing pollen to the hives from all corners of the field. These rows contain peas this year, greens and sugar snaps mostly, and they also are assuredly ready for picking, even though the white blossoms predominate within.

I bent down to the first two sugar snap plants and picked five pods, placed them in my pocket, and proceeded up the diagonal two track that bisects the upper and lower fields, making my way back toward the store. Midway up the tractor sounds became noticeable from across the divide to the west and south in the field planted with corn this year. Someone, either Fred or Larry, was out cultivating between the rows.

I stopped at the garage (which also serves as the store), though no one was about at this hour of the morning, and I stayed just long enough to write a note and leave two quarters. The note read,

“Sold on this opening day, five sugar snaps to Eric Howe for the sum of fifty cents.”