March 03, 2005
Snowdays
I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the reality that it is still winter. It's been months and months of snow, yet it's showing no signs of going away yet. Lorenz has been putting in his time on the tractor - one day this week, he had to clear the driveway several times. The kids have benefitted, since they have had a number of unexpected holidays when the school buses are cancelled. 
Alas, I have the ability to work from home (and can afford to wait until the roads have been cleared and then go into work), so my goofing off is a bit more limited. Still, though, it's been nice, being snowed in a couple of times and looking out the window at Lorenz on the tractor. As long as "in" is applied to me and "out" to Lorenz. Note that I have not yet clamored to be taught how to clear the driveway or yard.
Tarrah is already done her employment at Greenfields, and I failed to get a decent picture of her. She's still going to work the occasional market for Lorenz, but now, she's busy planning her own farm season at Everdale. I wish she were staying at Greenfields. Lorenz is busy interviewing potential replacements - when I last talked to him, he hadn't made a final decision on some apprentices or the harvest coordinator or retail manager jobs.
Tarrah did stick around long enough to get to use the new root washer. Lorenz's first report on it sounded a bit underwhelmed - but I watched it in action the other day, and it does, indeed wash roots. Unfortunately, it has a habit of loosening its own bolts and starting to rattle too, so something will have to be done about that (and I don't think locktight is an option, since the thing needs to be dissassemblable for service). I'll tell the story of how the root washer works in pictures...
Clearly, the root washer does the job it is designed for. However, it takes a lot longer than I had thought it would (not that I'd thought it through that much...) - the vegetables are still pre-soaked, and then they agitate in the washer for at least 15 minutes. Obviously, the longer you leave them in, the cleaner they get. Lorenz notes that the brush could be stiffer, and he's not thrilled that the chain that drives the belt is a bit too long and thus slips (resulting in a horrid clanking noise) - so on his to do list is to remove a link and then lengthen the remaining chain to be just right.
While Lorenz focuses on root washers and the coming growing season on these snowy days, the kids are having a good time - what with school buses cancelled and being in possession of Glen Eden ski passes (courtesy of their grandmother at Christmas). 
Malcolm came home with a shiner the other day. He'd prefer for me to tell you he's an aspiring tough, but reality is - he's only started snowboarding this year, and thus control is not all that it could be, and there was an incident between a metal bar and Malcolm's face... After that, he stuck to playing his new board game, Gobblet, for a while. Gaille gave it to him for his 11th birthday a few weeks back - and it's surprisingly sophisticated. While Lorenz and Adrian were at hockey a few nights back, Malcolm and I got increasingly competitive, and we continued the matches over breakfast the next morning. Malcolm has now managed to beat both me and his father. But not as often as I beat him! (Lorenz is too chicken to play me).