Monday, September 3, 2012

A full day Sunday

What a day we had yesterday.  Whew!  Packed full of wonderfulness.
First, V took I15 to church so I could work on weeding some more in the garden.  Yeah, I skipped out of church to take advantage of the beautiful weather we were having, and because I knew that we had plans for the afternoon.
So, church over, we headed down to Mt Pleasant (about 60 miles away) to attend the Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Reunion.  They've stopped numbering them so I'm not sure what year this event is up to but I've been going since I was a child.  It is a festival of all things old having to do with farming and life in the midwest.  They have antique steam and gasoline tractors, farm machinery of all sorts: horse, steam and gasoline powered, a printing press, and vendors galore.  V got a couple of boxcars from his favorite train guy and I picked up two small pieces of pottery from a potter who was there doing demonstrations as well as selling her wares.  I got a small bowl and a garlic plate- more about those another time.  And I did stop at- get this "Judy's Quilt Shop" where there were ladies using treadle machines to piece wonderful quilts.  But, alas, they weren't able to help either in my quest for needles for my machine.
After wandering the reunion grounds and filling ourselves with delightful food, we traveled the 27 miles further south to my parents so spend a little time with them.  Dad had to show us the mutant corn stalk he found in the field.
 It's kind of hard to see but there are 11 ears on this stalk.  As Dad said:  I guess that's what you get when you start splicing genes.
 It's kind of a jumbled mess.
The one ear that had any corn on it is mostly empty due to the drought.
Mom and Dad also gifted us with some winter squash.  They harvested 25 butternut, 20 buttercup and who knows how many acorn squash and don't seem to think that they can eat all of those.
And the buttercup squash aren't keeping so we took several of those.  In fact, half of one of these will likely become chicken food soon as it is already getting soft.  We do have some winter squash of our own so we should be pretty well set. I've spotted several large Long Island Cheese out in the garden and the vines are still going strong.  So, if we have a long fall, we'll hopefully get a few.

I'll be posting again later about a new to me melon review.  Ooo, two posts in one day. I'm not sure I can stand the strain.  Ok, mostly I'm avoiding all the work I have to do.

6 comments:

  1. I often skin and cut up the winter squash and then use for raosting (oh, so good), and soups in the winter. That gives you an alternative to having to give them to the chicks. Just a thought.
    Hope you find your needles!
    Cheryl in IN

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    1. I've frozen pre-roasted squash before so may do that with a few of these. The one buttercup is already going soft so needs used ASAP and I'll probably give the chicks the soft side. I'm also pondering dehydrating it. I know the Native Americans dried it, why can't I?

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  2. What is Long Island Cheese.. I have never heard of that before.
    Our corn is still green on our property.. Some corn in the area is brown.. This drought was not good...
    ta ta for now from Iowa:)

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    1. Long Island cheese is a variety of winter squash. They are pale orange and a flat, round shape that looks like a wheel of cheese.
      The corn I've seen is so variable, even in the same field. Some looks not too bad, others is basically dead.

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  3. 11 ears on a stalk???? wow! Let us know if you are able to find those needles, I need to start looking too!

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    Replies
    1. Pretty wild, mutant corn, huh! I'll definitely post about finding needles. In fact, you may hear me hollering all the way out there.

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