Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide

I guess I'd better step it up with these postings as my cat, Zoe Faith Ripley Bates Ramone, has surpassed me in blog entries.  The Z. has always been quite clever, but I suspect she's been getting help from her nanny with the blogging.  She's been letting cyberspace know exactly what she thinks of me, Mike, the neighbors, and the furniture in the apartment in no uncertain terms.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: she's the most defiant pet I've ever had.

Weeks of rain finally gave way to intense sunshine this week with highs in the mid-80's.  This put my Skin Protection Plan to the test.  Back in college, there was riddle that went like this: "What's red and white and sits under a tree?"  The answer was "Laura Otolski".   Unfortunately, I cannot carry a tree around with me while I work here, so I must rely on sunblock and clothing to keep me safe.  Here's my typical gardening outfit on a sunny day:

• Base coat of Blue Lizard Sport Sunblock SPF 30 on face, neck, arms, and hands (originally created in Australia, this is a physical sunblock rather than a chemical one so it doesn't sting your eyes)
• Long sleeve cotton tee shirt in pastel color
• Long cotton twill pants in light stone color (the linen ones will come out later in the summer)
• Light-colored socks that cover my ankles 
• Wellies in the morning, switching to old sneakers or hiking boots by mid-day
• Light-colored, wide-brimmed hat (that I bought at EMS for kayaking on the Hudson River in the early 90's)
• Polarized, impact-resistant, wraparound Wiley X sunglasses (obtained through my favorite ophthalmologist, Darren Hathaway)

Cue the Barry White tunes cuz I'm lookin' hot!

I know what you're thinking, 'Laura's really got it goin' on in her farm gear.'  Of course, I could lie and tell you I'm bringin' style to fieldwork, but what's the use.  Redheads get the short end of the stick when it comes to fun in the sun.  It's no accident that I haven't included a photo of myself.  However, I was able to work in an open field for a few hours tossing freshly cut hay with a pitchfork to help it dry and not come away sunburned.  Sore muscles yes, sunburn no.  My fellow interns can't all say that.

You are getting very sleepy...

Earlier in the week, I was tasked with picking chamomile flowers with groups of 4th-graders and the other interns.  Later, as I was sitting in the shade sorting these small relatives of the daisy, a Sicilian grandmother came by and exclaimed, "Ahh, chamomilia!" I learned from her daughter that she had had a field of it back in her village in Italy and it would be picked for tea.  I too was picking it for tea, but also for a preparation that is applied to the compost piles.  People drink the tea for its calming effect, but the interns will tell you that just picking it makes you feel sedated after a while.

The tomato trellises by night

Today we celebrated the planting of the tomatoes and getting through 3 hot days by dipping into "the DQ Fund" and taking the pick-up a few miles down Chestnut Ridge Road for some frosty treats.  Our rather dirty clothes certainly set us apart from the crowd as the 5 of us waited in the line to place our orders at the Dairy Queen window, but nothing was coming between me and that root beer float.