Butchering and Traveling

New chicks arrived on the farm and stole Jenny's heart away.

We had some fun one afternoon harvesting a fruit behind the kitchen. Biwa in Japanese. Some are calling it a loquat. Whatever you call them, they're delicious.

The participants went away for three days for a study tour. They visited local farms and learned how some farmers are making use of pig manure to provide gas for their stove and nutrients for their vegetables. So it was very quiet on the ARI campus. Kim was able to join us in the kitchen for a few days during breakfast and supper cooking. 

With so many Americans here at ARI, we decided to keep the 4th of July traditions. Fried things, fireworks, and fire-roasted smores! In talking with everyone we soon found out that there are many different traditions for the 4th and some Americans do not celebrate much at all. Jenny fried fish and potatoes for lunch and served it alongside a fresh coleslaw!

Kim was also able to assist in chicken butchering. I'll let her tell you about that and then we'll finish up with some pictures from our trip to Nikko. 

Kim's take on chicken butchering: 

Monday, as I was walking to morning stretches with Doug and Jenny I found out it was butchering day. Doug asked if I would like to join and I immediately said, "No." 

I thought about it for the first half of the morning and when it came time for our farm work meeting I decided to join the butchering. I feel like I came to ARI not only to visit Doug and Jenny, but to see what life is like at ARI and how it works. Butchering chickens is a part of the cycle that makes ARI work, and I felt like I needed to experience it. I was very nervous for the work, but it was not bad at all. Just hard work. I am really glad that I was able to be a part of it.

Just yesterday as Jenny, Kim, and I were walking around, the sun came out! Our bodies were  slightly shocked so we had to cool off by a creek. The skies have been blanketed in grey clouds all week. We've had rain showers daily. Now we are beginning to move into the real heat of the summer, when sweating is a round the clock activity. 

Last September, Jenny and I traveled to a mountain town called Nikko. We thought it was a very beautiful place so we decided to take a couple of days off and explore the area some more with Kim. Mainly we just walked and wandered through the moss covered pathways, forested mountains, and blue rolling creeks.