May your year ahead be filled with laughter, fat chickens and just the right amount of snow, with an early spring, with plenty of love, a summer of abundant garden produce, a good apple season, and a warm home.  May you always be able to find the good, and may you always steer through any rough spots with grace.  May you manage to find goodwill and grace towards all.

May 31 10 weeks

An obvious barred plymouth rock rooster, at three to four months (this one is a keeper).

The garden at the end of July

A basket of apples that my dehydrator will just hold once peeled, cored, and sliced.

Bean & Bantam all rights reserved

Sweet William in raspberry swirl glass

Our pumpkins (planted last month), backed with sunflowers.

These guys move so fast that it’s hard to get a sharp picture with no blur

Early ripe apples, the ones that fall off the tree in August and must be sorted carefully, the unmarked ones gathered.

One day’s harvest from the garden, from six or eight plants.

3-week plus barred rock rooster

November: First Fall hen in front, rooster in back