Haying Time

The hot weather is setting in and everyone's trying to get done the major outdoor chores before things go dormant in summer's scorching heat. That means hay.

I've got things mowed in the vineyard (with a scythe) and am using the wild oat and vetch straw and hay to mulch the garden.

Today, while doing that, I rolled the Ape, turned it turtle, belly up. Very dramatic. Sort of. But it was so easy to flip back upright (with the help of my neighbor Giuglio who saw me fall) that I forgot to take a pic. Next time, I promise!

Now I understand why there are two doors on the small one person cab. It leaves an escape route no matter which way it tips.

Up, Up in the Air

That's me. First time in a balloon of any sort. Tethered, of course. But I'm the one with my hand on the throttle (and the "red line" for letting the hot air out during too rapid an accent). This was at the birthday party last night for balloonist Robert Etherington, who gives splendid hot air rides over the best part of Tuscany, the Unesco World Heritage designated Val D'Orcia.