I’ve been very busy the last few days, pulling in more dry beans to shell out. I’m talking about 5-gallon buckets plumb full and several of them. Thank God, my knees have been slowly getting better, allowing me to both sit down on a camp stool to pick bush beans and to walk and stand next to the pole bean trellises to pick a long row. Mostly, I’m picking just the dry and leathery pods off the bushes/vines. But some like the Chippewa, have completely dried down so I pull the plants and pick the multitude of pods off, discarding the bushes behind me in the row.
Will finished patching up the cow yard fence so it’s all ready to hold the cattle in for winter. It’s always great to have yet another project finished! I was finally able to lend a hand as my knees were feeling better.
Will got the bearing in the haybine replaced then cut a big field. Yesterday, he went to another farm, planning on cutting all three big fields. Well, as they say, plans of mice and men … A different bearing came apart, the one on the end of the rollers this time. Fortunately, he has a parts haybine that has an okay bearing on it. But he also has a little bracket welding to do and is champing at the bit, wanting to get to cutting before rain starts again.
Yesterday I went out to check the corn in the Wolf Garden while I planned on picking more beans. Oh oh! The darned birds are at the sweet corn. So, I went back and grabbed paper lunch sacks, the stapler and a box of staples. I first tried just pulling the long leaf off each cob and slipping a bag over the ear and stapling it. Then I learned to be smarter. I sat in the golf cart, stapling several bags. Then I put them in my 5-gallon bucket. I went out and pulled off the big leaf on several ears, went back and got my bucket of bags and slipped one over each ear. I’ve learned that if I pull the bag down, then gently pull the ear down, away from the stalk a bit, the bag gets pinched between the ear and stalk, holding it firmly in place, even in a strong wind. The birds have never gotten through the bags to eat the corn.
I was working at this when I heard voices. Our friends, Matt and Jordan and the kids popped in to visit and quickly offered to help me bag corn ears. What a huge thank you I owe them!
I’ve got a partial bucket of Crawford beans to shell out this morning then I’m moving on to seeding out tomatoes. I’ve got lots waiting on the porch for me! It’s such a pretty day. Low 70’s with a blue sky and nice breeze carrying fall scents through the air. We’re so blessed to have this homestead! — Jackie
