Gleaning

A sultry sun shone down on the crops below, onto plants dishevelled by constant rain and biting winds. The time had come as it did every year. Death to one plant so life could be given to another. Droplets of water fell to the earth as she passed the drenched leaves, leaving her dress clinging damply to her body. The crop was dying, its job done, having fed the family for many days but it was necessary and good husbandry that she utilise all that the plants had to offer. As each plant was torn from the ground, its tendrils resisting stubbornly, she pulled off any edible remains, tossing the dying parts into one bucket, the pods into another. Back breaking work indeed but she toiled on, fighting the desire to just clear the land as quickly as she could before the rains came again. She could not countenance wasting one morsel of precious food having spent many backbreaking hours nurturing the vines. Every few minutes she tramped to the edge of the field to add the contents of her heavily laden bucket to other dead and decaying plants forming a huge mound of sweet smelling organic matter which would help to make her small plot fertile for the next season. It seemed hours had passed by until the last of the plants was wrenched from its moorings but her work was not over as each old pod had to be stripped of its bounty. Tearing apart the outer covering revealed the glorious beauty of each green, lush, polished pea. Hour after hour she toiled until her task was done and she could relax in the knowledge that she could feed her family for another meal.

What do you think, Diane, budding author or what? I don't really think I've got it in me. :)

Translation

A sultry sun shone down on the crops below, onto plants dishevelled by constant rain and biting winds. (It was sunny so I thought I'd better clear the mange tout to give me room to plant the leeks.) The time had come as it did every year. Death to one plant so life could be given to another. (Can't leave dead plants lying around. The garden looked a bit of a mess.) Droplets of water fell to the earth as she passed the drenched leaves, (I should have done this later in the day because I got sopping wet!) leaving her dress clinging damply to her body. (!!!!!) The crop was dying, its job done, having fed the family for many days but it was necessary and good husbandry that she utilise all that the plants had to offer. (I don't have to buy it if I've grown it. I like to save my pennies.) As each plant was torn from the ground, it's tentrils resisting stubbornly, she pulled off any edible remains, tossing the dying parts into one bucket, the pods into another. Back breaking work indeed but she toiled on, fighting the desire to just clear the land as quickly as she could before the rains came again. She could not countenance wasting one morsel of precious food having spent many backbreaking hours nurturing the vines. (I planted it and I'll make sure we eat all of it - no waste here.) Every few minutes she tramped to the edge of the field to add the contents of her heavily laden bucket to other dead and decaying plants forming a huge mound of sweet smelling organic matter which would help to make her small plot fertile for the next season. (The bits without slugs and snails went in our compost bins, the ones with slugs and snails went to the great compost bin in the sky - the council recycling bin.) It seemed hours had passed by until the last of the plants was wrenched from its moorings (about 20 minutes) but her work was not over as each old pod had to be stripped of its bounty. Tearing apart the outer covering revealed the glorious beauty of each green, lush, polished pea. Hour after hour she toiled until her task was done (Actually this took a heck of a long time) and she could relax in the knowledge that she could feed her family for another meal.

Not much to show for all that work. I open froze them then tipped them into a take-away tub - just the one!

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