Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Rural scene in northern Italy

The falce (FAHL-cheh) or scythe, is a tool that men and women, young and old alike, are often seen using in an overgrown field. Gas-powered weed whackers are used too, and can be heard echoing all across the valley, but it's the falce that makes quite the idyllic farming scene as workers swish the blades through tall grass. The cut grass are usually heaped into mounds and I've never discovered what became of them afterwards, but while driving home one day we saw this person on the side of the road. I don't know how the heck he did it...it wasn't secured in a net or anything...but all you could see was this pile of grass on two legs.

The weatherman predicted thunderstorms yesterday and today but all we're getting are clouds, occasional drizzles and sporadic bursts of sunshine. If it continues like this I'll be one happy gardener. Everything is growing really well in the new terraced box frames and I'm out there pinching suckers off the tomato plants almost daily. I took these photos just this morning.

Today's high: 22°C / 72°F

4 comments:

K and S said...

wow everything looks good and healthy! that is interesting about the cut grass!

tom | tall clover farm said...

Rowena, funny you should mention a scythe. My 88 year old neighbor swears by them (hers is from Norway)and yesterday I felt like the biggest laziest slug using a weed whacker while she was swinging her scythe in a relatively effortless manner (for one who is 88 years young). She had the thing so sharp I could have shaved with it. Time I listened to my elders. ;-)

Rowena said...

Kat - those scythes look wicked dangerous but it's really neat seeing a line of farmers razing down a field.

Tom - if my grandfather was still with us I'm sure he'd go for the scythe. I still remember him cutting the lawn with a push-style lawn cutter and those blades were sharp!

michael&kristine said...

Wonderful garden. We grow the Baker Creek Cherry Tomatoes as well and they are wonderful. I love the pictures of your dog, so cute.