As you know we live about a mile from a highway and I intended to drive the Free Green Dodge down my little road and to the big road and park it on the family land that borders the highway and sell my asparagus and plants. It is quite a busy little highway. (a car almost every five minutes or so) Legally I can only sell what I grow on the farm FROM the farm I grow it ON. I have to be very careful to be absolutely legal because I am a foreigner, and green card or not, foreigners get different treatment from the police here. They scare me a little. So parking it by the field at the end of our lane would have worked perfectly.
But very quietly, while the bees noisely collected the pollen from the apple blossoms, and I moved my stock about, and brushed Daisy, and watered my plants and picked my asparagus, construction men in their bright orange vests crept out from under their rocks yesterday, and without warning, firmly closed off the highway to the east of my country lane AND the highway to the west of my country lane. Ours is the only house on this lane. 
A mile on each side of my road is closed. To get OUT I have to go backwards and follow a convoluted grid of confusing and endlessly samey country roads. To get HERE anyone will be lost. There will be NO passing traffic on the highway let alone down my country road for most of the summer. No-one will see my fresh vegetables sign and no-one will see my Free Green Dodge truck laden with asparagus and tomatoes and beans and stowaway cats and .. Oh well.
God said No. Such is life. Back to the drawing board. I can let four of the asparagus beds go to fern (it actually is good for them) and just pick the rest for my regular people. I picked 8 pounds yesterday. John has taken most of that to work, his mates have been waiting for the asparagus season. But no selling from the Free Green Truck.
We cannot always determine or predict the turns in our life’s road. Unless you are in road construction then you can cut off other peoples roads with broad smiley unapologetic smiles. I can only drive South down another dusty gravel road. The bridge to the North is gone, fallen into the creek that is now a ditch, no point going in that direction. East and West are closed. So NO-ONE will be coming in THIS direction. 
Kupa and I will become like the faeries. People will think they saw us, but they won’t. They will say, what happened to that woman with the cows that did not match and the sheep that was forever pregnant. Did you ever hear again of that little foreign lady who lived out in the swamp with her dog and all those roosters and her fat pig that would pull a red wagon with a cat sat in it. Sure you heard about that I have the postcard somewhere. And that overgrown garden and the peacocks wild in the trees. You could barely see her house for all those flowers and trees, what she needed was a good lawn mower and a chainsaw.
What ever happened to her? Maybe we should hitch up that old nag and go over the broken fields and see if she is still there. I hear they cut off all her roads. And her husband has been driving in circles for years trying to find his way home. I saw him in the bar the other day. They say she just lives on asparagus and honey and eggs and cheese, waiting for the roads to be finished but that could be years, you know what those road-workers are like. What ever happened to her? Can you remember her name?
Good morning!
It is a calm overcast morning so far and quiet except for the deafening wild birds in my trees. So I guess it is not really quiet. Daisy and Queenie have finally made friends and are standing on the concrete yards waiting to be let out onto the grass. Mama is standing heftily with her head through her gate watching the kitchen doors. Hairy MacLairy is still sleeping. And four cats are lined up on the verandah watching for any sign of movement. I am starting even earlier today so I can get as much done as I can. Time is moving faster lately. TonTon can be heard shuffling at the French Doors, trying to get his nose around the handle to open the door and let everyone in.
Kupa was quiet and sweet all day yesterday. Eventually he allowed me close enough to put some feed on the ledge beside him and then he rose and delicately moved closer to eat. He was sitting on the edge of the nesting box or on his roost every time I checked. He is taking his time. He has a big pen but I think he is used to being in quite a small one as he spent all yesterday in his one wee corner looking out the window, ignoring the bowl of feed on the floor.
Good morning. I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
102 responses to “They have closed my road”
Hang on, Kupa, soon you’ll be discovering there’s such a great world to discover. Not eating sure speaks volumes…he was busily adapting and assimilating! I’ll be glad when he has a mate.
well he is eating now and drinking his water and wandering about today, so that is better.. c
Yes, you said he accepted some of your offerings. He’ll catch on soon and try to run the show! 😀
A lot of people have GPS nowadays, couldn’t they find you the back way? Do you have a CSA in your area? Maybe you could get around the selling from the farm, on the farm, rule if you were a CSA and had a delivery/pick up point closer to town? We have a new cottage food law here that I’m using to sell breads, cookies, squares, and cakes from my home. It has to be a transaction at my home, but that includes receiving a cheque by mail to my home address! That way I could deliver the goodies wherever customers wanted. It’s a slow process and customers might not be willing to go thru all that for a loaf of bread. I’m thinking of having a big bake sale at the house, just like a garage sale. Advertise on Twitter/FB/bloggy and flyers! Paint huge signs to put out, balloons to attract the eyes of hungry people 🙂 Could you make arrow signs for fence posts to direct your customers to the farm? A bunch of farmers here have regular weekly farm stands, once you get the word out people will flock to you!
hmm that sounds like a good idea for your baking.. we are working on a pick up point down in the village so I should be able to get the asparagus out somehow.. c
Has he shouted ‘Neil’ yet?
Darn the road closure. Viv is right though: the workers may buy your sparrows grass 🙂
No he is nice and quiet actually, but very alert and so gorgeous.. c
Oh C that is such a shame. Hope you find an alternative plan.
I am wroking on one, we can’t be giving up that easily! c
Love the bee on the apple blossom shots. I think the least those road construction workers could do is sell some of your asparagus for you. Maybe a little box with a sign just before their blockade to soften the blow of the road being closed? Not fair, not fair at all.
exactly, maybe i will go down when they are having their break and hawk some off! johns mates love it! c
that’s terrible… I do hope you find a creative way to get out there again… not happy about this news 😦
Ah well.. a door closes and a window opens .. something like that, i just have to SEE the window opening! morning mimo.. c
Be careful C, please. I know these two guys from New Zealand that got deported. So sad. Oh wait, that was an episode of Flight of the Conchords.
Oh yeah i know those guys, they used to drive my dads tractor!! Oh no.. that was superman.. c
Mysteries of road work – no one will ever solve them! But I do think some signs in different spots might be a real possibility.(Paint a picture of the old green truck on it – start branding recognition now…besides, that truck will attract attention itself.) And the pick up point isn’t a bad idea.
(sounds like all your fans are putting on their thinking cap for this one!)
The 2 paragraphs under the peacock’s bed sound like the plot for a fairy tale or children’s book. Enjoyed peeking in on you and your farmy
morning mouse! yes we have a few ideas that i am going to pursue.. good ideas for sure.. Bless the blogworld! c
I cut some asparagus the other day! Got a couple servings out of it. Some went to fern already! Waiting on some more.
Yes go sell some to the workers…just dress properly…no show, like to the train crew! 🙂
I am sorry about the roads closing..
and the pictures of Kupa are great
he is really quite beautiful
but a little unsure I think of where he is
You will have him eatig out of your hand soon
though for he will feel the heatlanguage you speak
with such clarity….
Thank for a wonderful day in your life, even if the roads closed
hopefully it will open soon?
Take Care…
)0(
maryrose
I can hear that you have a very philosophical approach to the seasons of all things, so you’ll find a way to benefit from the unplanned road closure…but I feel disappointment for the people who will indeed miss out on what you have to share. Very interesting to learn about how it is you can (or can’t) sell your produce! I’m completely ignorant of these restrictions. Are there no traditional “farmer’s markets” that invite local farm produce to be sold? Perhaps the restrictions and financial implications don’t make that profitable, but I just didn’t know there were rules. Silly me…of course there would be! Debra
Oh no! I cannot believe it. Even if they do not follow your blog to know what wonderful things you had in store for everyone, they do know you live there. It seems very inconsiderate (mean, even) to cut off your own access.
It is sad to think of what Kupa’s previous conditions might have been. Life has taken a bright turn for him.
One day Kupa will realize he rules the roost. 🙂 I’m sure his environment is much different from what he is used to, and all those siblings and such. I’m sorry to hear they’ve closed your road, but enjoyed your humor as you speculated how it looks from the outside world. Good morning!
Sorry to hear you’ve been closed off Celi!
Oh what bad luck about the closed road. But I’m sure there will be another way. All that tasty asparagus must surely find its way to those people who would love to have it. Maybe they will have to drive to find you, and make it an adventure trail (with illustrated map). At least Kupa looks happy and is looking very elegant.