Dear Curiosity Journal,
An increasingly diverse chorus of songbirds belt out their joyous melodies as we set out on the first asparagus harvest of the season. Rufus reports that he spotted Orioles, Meadowlarks, and Red-Breasted Grosbeaks throughout the day, but the Red-Winged Blackbirds are the most prominent aviary companion in the asparagus field. They nest nearby and are not pleased with us tromping through their territory, calling an alarm, and swooping stormily overhead. They are especially irate with Balio, who acts as a decoy as we harvest with our backs to the sky. Although they never make contact, it’s still a bit nerve-racking to have a keyed-up black bird plummet through the air in your general vicinity. We hike the horseshoe contour across the land, snapping crisp spears, making piles when our arms are full, and finding our usual rhythm of philosophical conversation and daydreaming of future plans for the farm, which softens the labor and quickens the task. Snacking on the first spears of the season lightens the load as well. Oh asparagus, I missed you!
~Joy
