A written postcard from my second farm...

(I wrote this as a writing practice exercise when I was sat on the porch one evening, trying to capture everything about a moment in time...)

My ears buzz with the melodies of a sweet french accented voice, her gentle guitar strums punctuated by gentle drumming beats. Conversation intersperses the songs, flitting between french and english with
frequency and ease. Lilac scents the air, and the birdsong in the distance is singing a song unfamiliar to my ears. Hummingbirds buzz by, only feet from where I sit, bouncing between the aromatic lilac bush and the sugar water feeders placed to entice their presence. They squabble and chase each other, a hive of activity in the mid evening stillness.

My feet rest on the grey painted boards of the porch fence that encloses the farmhouse, the planks rigid against the arch of my foot. I lift my eyes to the view before me. Trees dominate the scene, stretching across valleys and mountains alike like one giant rolling carpet. Different shades of green provide texture and depth to the view, drawing my eyes to wander over every nook and corner of the scene. The buildings that punctuate the trees are an alien sight, the unfamiliar shaped barns and wooden painted farmhouses reminding me that this place is foreign to me.

The sky threatens rain; grey clouds line up on top of grey clouds. A light spray falls on my cheeks like pin pricks of coldness in the evening air. The wind cools, sending a shiver through me and causing goose pimples to rise up my arms. The mosquitos venture out, seeking a path through the layers that guard my bare skin, and I draw my sleeves down over my hands to protect myself from the onslaught.

There is no indication of the world that lies beyond these hills; a rough road and electricity pylon acting as the sole reminders that we are connected to the outside world. Time moves slowly here. I rock back in the chair drinking in the beauty of this place and this moment. I close my eyes, trying to bottle this deep in some part of my brain, wishing to keep it with me long after I leave.