pignano (part 2)

so, its taken me some time to figure out Pignano and i learn new things about this place every couple of hours. the farm has animals (horses, donkeys, chickens for eggs, pigs for prosciutto), vegetables (lots and lots: green beans, onions, celery, garlic, tomatoes, chard, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkins, etc etc etc), wheat, beans, buckwheat, and more. in addition to that, they operate a school, a high end villa/hotel, and a business that makes herbal creams/oils/sprays.

highlights:
-horseback riding (jessalee and nancy, i forgot to take a picture of myself but i thought of you the whole time. im going again this weekend)
-community meals, usually outdoors and with all food from the farm
-collecting eggs from the chickens. one time, this morning (feels like a week ago), i was feeding the chickens and they were following me everywhere and all up in my space. one of them jumped in my bucket of feed. i was so frustrated with it, and it wouldn't get out. i tried everything (i dropped the bucket, i kicked it a little bit, i clapped my hands near it, i yelled "move, stupid chicken") and eventually i realized how much out-loud talking i had been doing to the chickens, and wondering if anyone was awake and listening to me....by myself in the chicken yard at 7am, kicking at the chickens to get them out of my way and yelling "move, chickens" and 'get away, chickens' like it was helping anything at all. i've had similar experiences with the donkeys, although generally i like them more.
-cutting zucchini flowers (an italian delicacy... which we had as part of dinner. Ranineri said he could sell them for 1 euro each).
-consuming the last swiss chocolate bar i had left hidden in my backpack yesterday (my secret birthday), while finishing my book on a hammock in the afternoon.

downsides:
-i hate the teepee. i have to hike about 10 minutes into the woods, in the complete dark, to sleep there. and the woods (500 acres) are home to wild boars that i can hear moving around near me and i have to clap to keep them at bay. which reminds me of skunks in New Hampshire...which makes me wonder if the clapping is actually useful.

still, i was doing alright until last night, when we had an ant infestation and a bug the size of my fist was ON MY PILLOW when i went to lay down. i didn't sleep the whole night (and before that we'd be going to bed after midnight and waking up at 5:30), and today almost anything not completely positive caused me to burst into tears. i insisted on moving into an enclosed tent tonight, and i refuse to feel like i'm being high maintenance about it.

ok, enough complaining. the day times couldn't be lovelier here, so i'm going to focus my energy on making the night times work. or ill just learn what i can in a week and then run back crying to Alessia's house.