lessons learned

Among the many dangers on the farm--from scuffle hoes and harvest knives to paper wasps and squash disease--it's the quiet, steady threat of the sun that worries me the most. I wear a Texas-sized hat and go through sunscreen like a Hummer does gas, but even so, the C word is often on my mind. It didn't help my confidence when Morning Edition reported yesterday that skin cancers among young adults have tripled in the last ten years.

If I could, though, I might offer the following bit of advice: If, on your way home from work, you feel a suspicious lump on your rump, before turning around and driving straight to Mass General to have what must be a giant cancer removed, stop at home to make sure it isn't just a cherry tomato that found its way into your shorts.