Bedlam Farm Blog Journal by Jon Katz

29 April

Chronicles Of Zip: Photos Of The Day. Zip Is Always There…

by Jon Katz

Zip, the master of timing, always finds a way to steal the spotlight. Whether stocking firewood or a simple photo shoot, he’s always the center of attention, the camera’s friend.

I’ve been taking pictures for a long time; I’ve never had an animal as photogenic as Zip.

This morning, we celebrated letting the animals out to graze for the first time since last October. Suddenly, Zip showed up, walking on the pasture fence and getting into my face while I pointed the camera at something else.

He is a ham, a movie cat.

I see Zip is sensitive to heat; he loves to doze in the shade.

Zip knows how to get attention. While the other animals were out grazing, he was dancing on top of the fence posts, showing off and finding a way to get into the picture. He has a promising future ahead of him as a movie cat.

29 April

Video: Grass Day! Our Happy Animals Can Graze Again! Big Day At Bedam Farm

by Jon Katz

This is one of the biggest days at Bedlam Farm, when the donkeys and sheep can go out into our pastures and have some fresh green grass. Due to the warm weather and earlier rains, our grass is sweet and green.

We limit the time they go out and eat; they can get sick from overeating all at once after six or seven months of eating hay.

We brought them in after they fanned out and grazed for several hours. We’ll make the switch slowly and gradually. Then, we won’t have to get up so early in the summer.

It’s an important day for us; it reminds us of why we are here and love to be here. It brings us great joy to see them rush out onto the green grass, which is their nature and destiny.

We both love seeing the animals out grazing contentedly; it demonstrates why we love the farm and care for our animals.

Maria did her Monday morning video walking out to the grass with them. I was out, too, in my bathrobe and made a cameo appearance to take my photos.

The shots of me singing to Zip were embarrassing enough that I asked her not to take a video of me half-dressed as well. As I often say, I was raised in New England…we didn’t walk around half-dressed there. The prude still lives in me, fortunately, not in my wife.

I understand why so many people move South for the warmth; winters can wear you out here. And I don’t tell others what to do, a social media disease.

But the seasons give flavor and depth to life, as a day like today shows. I would dry up like a prune in Florida for the summer, but the farm engages and lifts me.

I started on my new medicine,  Ozempic, today. I need to drink a lot of water and ensure my food portions are small.

I’m starting with a very low dose for a month to see what kinds of side effects there are, but I’ve been on similar medicine for nearly a year – Mounjaro, and I doubt there will be much of a difference.

 

 

 

 

 

29 April

Pantry Support: For $5.26 Can Bring Precious Cranberry Juice To Three Large Families

by Jon Katz

For $5.69, we can send two large bottles of the precious and hard-to-get Happy Belly Juice Cocktail, 64. fl. ounces pack of 2. This is Sarah’s pick of the day for the children and families of the Cambridge Food Pantry.

Cranberry Juice is one of the healthiest breakfast juices for children (and adults). However, all kinds of juices are getting too expensive for the Cambridge Pantry to buy or obtain, so they only have a little sometimes and none now. This is one of the things that the children and families who come to the pantry for help love.

$5.26 goes a long way regarding Cranberry Juice, and since this is an Amazon brand, the price is low— it’s an excellent time to take advantage of that. It feels like every nonprofit in America is seeking funds that are needed; this help goes directly to children.

This is where the Army of Good comes into play. We specialize in getting the food pantry items they rarely get or consistently need more. We can’t meet all of their needs, but we can pick our targets and make a real difference to these food-deprived parents and their children.

(Above, Cranberry Juice)

$5.69 is a small price for getting a very healthy juice into the hands and homes of the people who are food deprived, sadly, a growing number.

I asked Sarah if there was a second choice today (there is so much need), and they said yes, they have also run out of salad dressing; the pantry is seeking Kraft Thousand Island Salad Dress, 16 0z. Bottles, Pack of 6.

Salad dressing is critical for getting children to eat their salads, which is, in turn, essential for their health. However, the pantry is also out of stock now.

I took the weekend off of Pantry food support; we all needed to breathe. But I’m back into it today with a whole heart. Your help has changed the dynamic of the pantry and enriched the diets and love people who could use a hand.

If you’ve been to the supermarket lately, you know why the pantry is so important, even in the most prosperous country in the world.

It’s important to point out how hard the community’s people are working to keep the Pantry stocked, functioning, and able to meet the growing demand for food help. I love this photo of 4th and 5th graders working hard to ensure food reaches their needy classmates.

These children inspire me. Hungry children are an issue that can still draw our divided country together.

 

29 April

Three Morning Flowers, A New Idea. Testing The Equipment…

by Jon Katz

I’m taking many flower photos right now; the most colorful ones come from the iPhone (below), and the softest and most artistic ones come from the Leica. The brightness and sharpest work well in the morning as we get up to work. I’m enjoying figuring out what the cameras and lenses do differently and experimenting with all of them.

Here are a few to brighten my morning and, hopefully, yours.

I don’t know what most of these flowers are, the red below is a rose.

 

 

28 April

Flower Art, Outdoors At Last: Signing Off, Sunday, April 28, 2024. Hearts Can Bloom Too…

by Jon Katz

This time of year, countless flowers begin to bloom.

I’m leavning that my heart can also bloom and two things have made that happen – love and flowers.

They just open something inside of me when I photograph them they are ever beautiful and spiritual to me.

They help to open up my heart, and my heart helps me to open up to the world.

Love is always possible, I wish I could convey that to others.

I was afraid of it, and when I stopped being afraid of it, I found it. Love is essential in life, and I learned that if in the past I suffered because of love, I could learn to love again, and have. Thanks to a lot of things, but flowers are one of the most important. Hearts can bloom too.

See you in the morning.

 

Shot in sunlight with my Leica SLR. Good night, see you tomorrow.

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