Our life at the New Bedlam Farm just evolves, and in so many ways, our back porch is the tapestry, a living documentary of our life here. The back porch is never the same, it changes constantly. Maria and I envisioned it as a quiet spot for us, a respite from a busy life, and it is, but not in the way we thought.

First the barn cats took over the chairs, then the chickens, then the new garden sprouted it up, then it became a staging area for the fabrics Maria uses in her art and needs to dry, and now, I see big Sunflowers popping up in my photo. Earlier this week there were four dead mice, and usually Minnie and Flo are circling on or under the chairs.

The chickens are the herald’s of the farm, they are officious and ubiquitous, they love to hang out outside the kitchen window, sending the presence of food inside. I see them as joining the dogs and donkeys as official greeters for the Open House, which begins tomorrow.