Tater Day

It was potato digging day at Cook'n by the Creek.  One row down, three to go.  It's a tedious job that the Mr. does.  I pick them up.  They will be spread out for a few days in the cool dark room in our basement and then back in the bags that allow air flow around them.  Normally we wait until the plant tops have completely whithered and turned brown.  This year we didn't, with all the rain, fog and humidity we don't want to chance the potatoes rotting in the ground.  We love our potatoes and enjoy them right up to March or April if lucky.  Today out of the 50 pounds dug only 3 got nicked.  They will be fried potatoes to go with our hamburgers tonight.  We also get to try the spicy sweet relish I canned this week.  Love it when there is just not enough room in the last canning jar, we have a sample!

Part of the row ready to be picked up for winter storage.

A few months ago one of our classmates relocated back to his roots, Shinglehouse.  We keep saying we really need to stop and welcome Wayne back to the community.  We hadn't until today, on my way home from PT (last session) Wayne was crossing Rt 44 from his garage to his house.  Great opportunity so I pulled in the driveway , rolled down my window (thought to myself he sure hasn't changed much) and said, "Wayne"?  Uh no, I'm Donny his younger brother!  First thing out of my mouth, "I didn't know he had a brother"!  Blah!  How could I have grown up with Wayne in my class and not known he had a brother?  I remember his older sister.  Ok, so here's my theory.  I was more aware of  kids 1, 2, 3 or 4 years older than me.  Younger, not so much.  Like many I was more impressed with the "big kids".  Donny was very friendly, enough so that talked for 45 minutes catching up on family and friends .  He is 10 years younger than me, just a kid ;)  Wayne, his wife and Donny sure have fixed their Aunt's house up and taking wonderful care of her.  They have mowed around the blueberry patch that makes for easy picking and still offer "pick your own" at a low price per pound.  It makes me happy to see a nice family move back "home".  As the conversation was winding down he was quite proud of his new purchases for country living, a walk behind rototiller and chain saw.  Heeehawwww he even had a camo cap on.  He told me about his garden and even offered me summer squash and cukes.  I told him thanks but we also are up to our eyeballs in garden veggies.  Then I laughed and asked, "where are your chickens"?  To my surprise they are planning on moving the old milk house, fencing it in and trying to decide where to buy and what kind.  That started a whole new conversation, chickens!  Of course I offered what I knew about them but told him to check different sites on line before buying. It's always best to gather as much info as possible.  As much as I like my chickens I try not to sound like a "know it all" on chickens or any subject.  When someone does that to me it's like yadayada shut your mouth.  Keep it short and sweet, otherwise I tend to drift off in my own thoughts with that blank look on my face.  Very short listening skills.  I'm sure many are the same way on not wanting to listen to a "long winded person".

We are not liking all the heavy humidity and heat.  Once the garden was tended it was pretty much a relax in the house day for us.  I quilted, Dick read and took a ride up to check out the food plot.  He was surprised at how fast it is growing.  Tomorrow if the weather predictions are wrong and it doesn't rain he will he running the cement slab for the pizza oven and I will be pressure washing the front porch floor to get it ready for painting it.  Times a ticking away, we have a few things left to do before the frosts and little white flakes start drifting down.

Soon I will miss picking bouquets of garden flowers.
The zinnias have so many different colored blossoms
this year.