Friends

Whenever friends ask about coming to the farm, I always make an effort to let them feel welcome to visit. As I always say, the place only gets animated when there are people around. It can get boring to garden all day, play with the dog, or bike by myself; visiting friends always give a respite to our othewise bucolic lifestyle.

And it's such a joy to dine alfresco! This Christmastime, we are blessed with sunshiny days  with an evenly cool breeze. Dining in the fern garden always starts early and lingers until twilight. We barbecued spareribs, had fresh salads, the yummiest desserts, and our own home-grown coffee.

Five Images



This and all photos in this entry are from Jay Santos





Another close friend, visiting from California was in the farm yesterday and I thought of sharing his photographs to lend new perspectives and fresh perceptions apart from my typical visuals. It's always a pleasure to see our place from somebody's eyes, especially if it is artistically and technically well done.

Jay is on a very brief, one-week visit and it flatters me no end that he made precious time to come visit us in Lipa. We have been friends since our teens and I guess we're wired similarly and have congruous long-term plans; so much that he wanted to see for himself what I've done so far.

A Fellow Blogger Visits

photo by Groovy Dulcet

It sweeps me off my feet that fellow blogger and loyal reader Groovy Dulcet came to the farm yesterday, all the way from New York, despite her short Philippine visit! She has been a friend from a long time ago, but we have not seen each other for more than twenty years. We found each other recently through Facebook and consequently discovered each other's blogs. Yet even though we live on opposite sides of our wide, wide world, we write and muse over pretty much the same things: gardening, slow food, home-made crafts... the whole caboodle!

photo by Groovy Dulcet

It's also only now I personally meet her adorable five-year old son Zach, who is gifted with a natural curiosity especially with tropical stuff that must look novel to a North American like him. From dried palápas to ripe balimbíng (right) which he gamely tasted (and liked!), he wandered around the farm and would excitedly point at another new discovery.

The highlight of the day was the lunch she brought: seafood pasta, a bottle of Shiraz and Fougasse bread (below) she herself baked! It smelled heavenly and is deliciously chewy and crusty at the same time. And because she especially baked it for her visit, she shaped her bread like a tropical leaf, touches me no end. Of course, time is always short whenever we are having a good time, though it gives us sufficient excuse to see each other again :)

photo by Groovy Dulcet