Date Night - Faux Real Story Week

Starting the end of this week and through the next, as we approach the longest night of the year, I thought we could all gather around the virtual fire each day and I would tell you all a story.  

Well, not just a story.  A Faux Real Story!  These stories aren't fictional, but I've been told they are, nonetheless, somewhat entertaining.  So, sip on some hot chocolate, reach your hands out to warm them by the fire... and enjoy.

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How we did "Date Night" at GFF

Before the Genuine Faux Farm became such a big part of our lives, Tammy and I saw Friday as the gateway to the weekend, just as so many people do.  But, once we started this vegetable and poultry farm thing, Fridays just didn't mean the same thing they used to.

One early May 'farm date night'  in 2013 began with a wild flurry to get the truck loaded with vegetables, eggs and plants for our plant sale down at Hansen's Outlet in Cedar Falls.  We were also delivering egg orders and our Spring CSA shares to our Cedar Falls members.  While we were at it, we delivered a few other orders of lettuce and asparagus to a restaurant and a retail outlet.  Nearly everyone who placed orders showed up, many plants were purchased, and we were able to converse with many wonderful people.

After the sales and deliveries, we reloaded the truck and we managed to go somewhere for dinner (Rudy's anyone?).  But, we did so with the knowledge that rain was coming *and* we still had to prepare for the Waverly Farmers' Market the next morning.  We ate fairly quickly and rolled home, keeping a wary eye towards the clouds looming in the west.

Veggie cleaning by candlelight

While days in May are long, dark clouds in the west limited the amount of workable light.  Of course, starting the cleaning process at 9:15 PM probably was asking for some problems with available natural light regardless of the weather.  So, we grabbed a trouble light and an extension cord and hung it up in the cleaning area.  

That's when Tammy told me that she thought it was romantic to be cleaning veggies by "candlelight."

Ok, maybe she didn't think it was romantic.  I suspect there was some sarcasm at play here.  But, it was still part of our Date Night.

To make a long story less long, it started to rain at about 9:30 PM - and our cleaning area was outside.  It's moments like that where we are both amused and a bit irritated by the situation.  

It's better if we emphasize the amused part. 

Always more to it than that

This is, of course, the abbreviated version of Date Night.  I didn't mention the romantic interlude that consisted of putting the hens away and checking on the chicks in the brooder to make sure the temperatures were steady.  Then there was the heavy breathing that was a result of a dash out to the high tunnel to close it down just in case there was wind in those clouds.

We even touched hands once in a while as we passed containers and unpurchased plants out of the truck so we could clean the truck bed and then start REPACKING it for the next morning.

Perspective

Over time, we changed how we did things at the Genuine Faux Farm.  We removed farmers' markets (except for Spring plant sales) from our list, which provided us with a new perspective on weekends and, of course, Date Night.  That's not to say there weren't still plenty of opportunities to gaze lovingly into each other's eyes while our hands were thrust into icy water so we could get another thirty pounds of lettuce cleaned and packed for some reason or another.

In the present time, both Tammy and I have off-farm jobs.  My job generally does not require weekend work, and we have not recently cleaned veggies for a Saturday market late on a Friday night.  Yet, we still find our opportunities to spend time together.

Maybe we could clean the hen room out this weekend?  Does that count as a date?

That's me - ever the romantic.