Beatrice Le

Anthem for the day: Take Me Home, Country Roads

Doesn’t plowing the fields, constructing furniture from scrap material, pruning the orchard, and feeding the chickens sound fun? 

These are exactly the miscellaneous tasks I pictured in my head when I planned to visit my aunt’s little farm. Living a quaint little farm life for a week sounded like a fun little get away… a mini oasis. 

Let us fast forward to day 1 of the visit: I planned to stay for a week to help my aunt finish some farm tasks. With my mom and brother having Memorial Day off of work, they were equally eager to help out for a day. This eagerness was quickly replaced with enthusiasm as we pulled up into the driveway. The iconic chickens were clucking away in their pen as we unloaded our things from our car in preparation of the day getting started. 

Mini Silk Road

Enthusiasm was quickly replaced with utter astonishment as my brother and I were tasked to trim leaves from chopped branches. Not just from any plant but from a mulberry tree. And do you know what organism likes, shall I say LOVE, mulberry leaves? Silk worms!

Yes. Squishy little worms about the size of a paperclip roaming around a box, in search of fresh mulberry leaves.

The sheer amount of silkworms housed in a cardboard box left my brother and I curious. 

My brother quickly became comfortable handling the worms. It was only after the worms were involuntarily placed on my hands, legs, and even head that I realized their vicious appearance did not match their squishy adorableness. 

Some fun quotes and facts I learned from this experience: 

• “3 of these worms have more calcium than a chicken egg” – Aunt
• Silk worms do not move to the sound of Drake’s voice at max iPhone volume. I guess they don’t vibe with Passion Fruit. 
• Silk worms DEVOUR mulberry leaves!
• Their poop looks like broken mechanical pencil lead. This treasured poop, prized for their medicinal properties, can be used to stuff pillows. 
• They remind me of giant tardigrades. 

Leaves on branches became delightful bedding for these worms and sticks. The conclusion of this task led us to a trip down memory lane and shopping spree. 

Fashion Week From my Childhood Closet

One of the beauties that I felt was taken for granted was my aunt’s preservation of clothes from the past. As I am getting older, I realized I gravitate towards 2000s styles – the thick shirt material and bold color choices. 

My mom and I rummaged through clothes from youngling Bea and my mom’s 20s (before she was pregnant with me) and decided if we should take any pieces from the collection home.

The bin emptying from the clothes placed on the floor was a sign to head outside and do some outdoor gardening work!

As everyone was getting ready, I captured some beautiful flowers around the property. 

This Gym Bod was Put to Shame

My first grueling task of the day: moving over a 100 cinder blocks across the property. From the moment my garden gloves gripped the coarse concrete blocks, I instantly broke a sweat. The lack of heavy weights in my workout routine showed as I waddled 15 yards to deliver each block. 

This humbling experience made me appreciate the value of labor. I felt like superman with each cinder delivery, with the delicateness of Cinderella. 

The struggle on this princess’s face was rescued by a new task: an orchid bench!

Orchids

My aunt wanted a bench to display her rare orchids. Utilizing the cinder blocks and discarded wooden slabs, I creatively brought my aunt’s vision to life. I used the  cinderblocks as the base to prop up the wooded slabs, and voila! A bench for orchids!

In order for the bench to be considered an orchid bench, it needed orchids! 

I put my houseplant skills to the test and transplanted orchids into a mixture of orchid bark, perlite, charcoal, and potting soil. By using my knife-sawing skills and green thumb, I was able to alleviate the root-bounded conditions of the orchid plants. 

Many pots of transplanted orchids and belts of the chorus from the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” later, it was dinnertime. By this time, my garden gloves were in literal shreds, my nails were caked with dirt, my shoes had Avena barbata (slender wild oat) displayed like croc decals, and tiny orchid bark splinters were embedded in my legs. 

The conclusion of the day left a lasting impression, both humbling and unforgettable. Although the week wrapped up sooner than anticipated, it only fuels my excitement for future plans and the opportunity to create even more cherished memories on my aunt’s farm!