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He caught Katie’s attention as we drove the back roads of the Skagit valley, and when their eyes locked she slammed on the brakes, caught in the moment despite her loving husband sitting by her side.  She was barely off the road before she had leaped out of the car, run to the fence, and had fallen all over herself in a frenzied passion.  This bold Romeo was a full 200 lbs of well marbled meat ambling cocksure over to my woman as I sat there helplessly in the passenger seat.  He stuck his nose through the fence, sniffed the air, and immediately began frothing at the mouth uncontrollably.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIn our last few weeks here meandering through the farmlands of western Washington, Katie has fallen head over heels for goats, sheep, and even the odd squirrel. But this was the first time I’d seen her swoon for a pig (the door’s open for snide comments here, everybody).

This morbidly obese, buck-toothed, perhaps rabid, and definitely horny swine was not the epitome of porcine beauty, but somehow it found a soft spot in Katie’s heart.  Fortunately, my undying love for bacon allowed me to look past his adulterous ambitions; revenge is best served hot in a flour tortilla with scrambled eggs and a healthy dousing of Melinda’s hot sauce.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERABut I didn’t come here today to talk about breakfast.  I came to talk about a farm.  Our new found agrarian surroundings have us thinking about our next steps and how we can incorporate more food growing, animal husbandry (no animal wifery, though, that’s gross!), and sustainable land management.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe winds are blowing us towards a few acres with a big garden, some fruit trees, and maybe some livestock some day.  We’re on the hunt for a few good acres, and our Jibe is heading towards a farm in the country, hunting game, fishing, and foraging wild foods.  Of course, I also hope to build a boat, and we have many new rivers to float and bays to sail, so a life rooted in the soil will always be balanced by days floating atop the water.

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