Happily toiling in community garden
Tending a community garden proved harder — and more joyful — than expected, yielding friendship, shared meals, and the simple rewards of working the soil.
Embracing long-held end-of-summer traditions
For Eliza Blue, the county fair marks the end of summer and celebrates harvest, tradition and growth. She reflects on the summer that was for her brood.
Questionable decisions for the love of lambs
Eliza Blue adopts four orphaned lambs on top of the ones bred on her farm, making it an interesting, hectic and still-manageable lambing season.
Taking the time to appreciate the conveniences of modern life
Life slows on the ranch: animals graze, gardens grow, and water is hauled by hand—reminding us that true necessities haven't changed much over time.
Helping others is its own reward
A final harvest at the community garden brought potatoes, beets and joy, despite relentless mosquitoes.
What we save, saves us
Eliza Blue finds comfort and hope in the resilient little kitten she's been tasked with bottle feeding around the clock.
This quiet time of year on the ranch can still involve surprises
Eliza Blue's goat managed to give birth, clean and nurse her baby and have him up and bouncing around during the less than 24 hours everyone was gone.
The importance of quiet stories
Eliza Blue reflects on how the quality of quietness seems to define her musical work, spanning geographies, genres and art forms.
Embrace those who disagree
Eliza Blue considers viewpoints in line with her own and those that starkly contrast her values at the South Dakota Festival of the Book.
The milk sheep with no milk
Eliza Blue finds herself bottle feeding a lamb from an ewe with no milk, despite being a breed known for producing milk.
