I woke up to an ethereal mist hanging in the forest. The dampness made the earth smell particularly fresh and alive.
Gradually the sun burnt off the mist. I was due to help with the gardening. There is a lovely, cultivated square under the grapefruit, lemon and orange trees that needed weeding. I pulled open the gate and walked into an olfactory delight - the scent of lemon mint mixed with grass and the damp earth.
I started extracting weeds from around the wonderful and abundant mint, and from around the strawberries. You can imagine how surprised I was to be told that in California, mint is A WEED. Yes, the stuff we actually pay for in supermarkets is a WEED here. I took it quite well, and trying to look nonchalant, explained that in the UK, STRAWBERRIES ARE WEEDS. We have such problems, they get everywhere and destroy all the other plants.......
I don't think anyone believed me.
Another surprise was that the chickens in the run next to us became rather excited about us weeding - chickens in America EAT WEEDS. As this included copious quantities of mint, I suspect that the next omelette anyone makes will have a strange after-taste. I think maybe that OREGANO should be redesignated a weed to stop this becoming a problem.
While we are on the subject of eggs, I have noticed that the shells are much harder to crack. I went to break an egg on the side of a bowl, it took so many bashes to open up, I felt like I should have been better equipped with a hammer.
I have been told this is because they particularly love their chickens here, and look after them very nicely.
Now, who's for mint tea?
Gradually the sun burnt off the mist. I was due to help with the gardening. There is a lovely, cultivated square under the grapefruit, lemon and orange trees that needed weeding. I pulled open the gate and walked into an olfactory delight - the scent of lemon mint mixed with grass and the damp earth.
I started extracting weeds from around the wonderful and abundant mint, and from around the strawberries. You can imagine how surprised I was to be told that in California, mint is A WEED. Yes, the stuff we actually pay for in supermarkets is a WEED here. I took it quite well, and trying to look nonchalant, explained that in the UK, STRAWBERRIES ARE WEEDS. We have such problems, they get everywhere and destroy all the other plants.......
I don't think anyone believed me.
Another surprise was that the chickens in the run next to us became rather excited about us weeding - chickens in America EAT WEEDS. As this included copious quantities of mint, I suspect that the next omelette anyone makes will have a strange after-taste. I think maybe that OREGANO should be redesignated a weed to stop this becoming a problem.
While we are on the subject of eggs, I have noticed that the shells are much harder to crack. I went to break an egg on the side of a bowl, it took so many bashes to open up, I felt like I should have been better equipped with a hammer.
I have been told this is because they particularly love their chickens here, and look after them very nicely.
Now, who's for mint tea?
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