Where we farm there is a pump house near the road. The pump house is near one of the big walk-in coolers and washing and packing area, “the Pack Out” as we call it. Outside the pump house is a perpetual pond from over exuberent well water that just can’t wait to be put to use. Whenever we are near or around the pack out the children do put it to use.

On very hot days it is hard to keep the clothes on and the mud off.

Even Mavis enjoys playing in the water or just sitting and watching.

I have to remind myself when the children are crazy dirty and soaking wet and we still have boxes to deliver and food to cook and I told them not to get dirty that this is why we are doing what we are doing. So that our children will have clean water to play in, good food to eat, parents that are present though sometimes exasperated,

a close connection to wildlife, and the interest in it and so much more that I feel I lost as a child and hope to reclaim with my children. Every time he is near the pond Two looks for his friend the frog, (I am not sure how many of them there are or if the same unlucky frog is getting all the attention). Since Avril has discovered that she likes frogs as well there have been a few disagreements which sometimes leads me to say the strangest things like, “Don’t run with the frog.” Our farm manager overheard me today and said, “that’s something you don’t hear every day,” and I guess I hope to have more opportunity say that and similar crazy things for years to come.