In rereading an email I recently sent to a West Coast friend, I thought I would also post it below. It paints a nice picture of the seasonal changes underway in Tuscany and much of the excitement that has been rustling up at Spannocchia. Otherwise, this has been a crazy/sobering week in the "transformation room" butchering four pigs that I've been feeding since I arrived here in late August. And tomorrow Carrie is driving us interns two hours off-farm for a truffle hunt! Pictured left is the sweet little lamb we've adopted as our mascot. Sadly, her mother did not survive the birth, so we've been bottle feeding her for one month. Here she is, just two days old.
...Spannocchia is settling into fall. The figs are officially finished, but the walnuts are ready for cracking and the acorns are dropping in such volume that the pigs are actually skipping meals. We had a sort of animal anarchy the other weekend with horses, piglets and cows on the loose, plus two chickens went missing for a day. While chasing the huge Calvana cattle back, one of them actually leapt over a wall!
There was a wild boar hunt last week, which I helped butcher. And the first of the pigs (Crooked Face's siblings) will soon stock our freezers. The orphaned lamb is about to reintegrate with the flock, but none of us want to let her go. And the fruit on the persimmon tree is changing color every day. Wild crocus are blooming all over the place, like little yellow cups across the lawn. Which reminds me of our other big project - saffron cultivation. It's a different variety than wild crocus, but we planted the bulbs and expect blossoms in November. Because of how labor intensive it is to harvest the stamens, saffron is supposedly more expensive per pound than gold! So we're all keeping a close eye on that one.
The olive harvest should be just around the corner, and the grape harvest fell in late September this year, lasting four incredible days long. Of course, we began the same day the skies decided to open up and end the punishing drought. But we couldn't delay hand shearing the fruit, as our new wine making method required dry ice that was already fogging up the cantina. Luckily, it all worked out - 2007 is bottled and the vin santo grapes are dangling like a laundry line, coincidentally in the wash room... -sy
Suzie, I LOVED reading this description of your season there. You have such a beautiful way of writing.
It sounds like you are so in your element. I am so happy for you.
I talked to Christy for a few minutes yesterday and she told me you are thinking of farming school. That's wonderful. I can't wait to see what happens.
We are looking forward to having you back in Boston (if even for a short time).
I think I told you I'm pregnant. I told Christy yesterday. Things are going well. I am 4 months. Can you believe it? Moving along. :)
Anyway, enjoy every minute!
Love,
Amy
Posted by: Amy Douglas | October 15, 2007 at 10:04 AM
Hi Suzie and Christie,
Sis (Lois) sent me your blog site and said you might want to hear from the US. After reading your well written but cryptic report from Spannocchia, I was left with questions.
Walnuts - English, black or some other?
Do you think the chickens are hiding something or up to something sinister (like are they gay?)
Was it a Calvana that leapt over the moon (or do you think that was just talk?)
I'm worried about the vin santo grapes. Will they go from the laundry line to being pressed? (Ha! Ha!)
On another note, just for its being what it is. I had a wine Pannaroz from Spain. It was very good, but beyond my poor capabilities to discern as it was a Jumilla. That is Spanish for grape. So, I had a greap wine.
OK, I'm done. I don't know if you'll get this, and the humor is not all that great, but if you do know that your Aunt Lois was talking about you in the most complimentary of ways.
Sincerely,
Butch
Posted by: Butch Quickel | October 22, 2007 at 11:27 PM
Great blog Suzie. I've just been catching up on the past few enteries. How progresses the saffron crop?
Jess
Posted by: Jess | October 24, 2007 at 04:44 PM