Saturday, we held our first Tomato Tasting Festival at the Orr Center, up in Orr, Minnesota. Friday, we picked and labeled more than 40 different varieties of tomato. Some were barely getting ripe so we really had to hunt for enough tomatoes to take. Our garden is at least 3 weeks late this year and we didn’t know this would happen and we planned the festival several months ago.
And we didn’t know if anyone would really be interested. (We had visions of three or four people coming!) But boy, were we wrong! We had nearly forty people show up, all enthusiastic tomato tasters. Some came with notebooks and cameras and everyone was really serious about tasting all the different tomatoes, from cherries to beefsteak-types. Before we tasted tomatoes, I did a question and answer session, fielding lots of questions about tomatoes, from growing to seed saving. There was much interest in GMO crops and I tried to explain it all. Luckily, so far, there aren’t any GMO tomatoes, but I’m sure they’re working on them in some Frankenstein lab somewhere.
As soon as we were home from the tomato tasting, Will and David began clearing on David’s chosen cabin site up the Wolf Road (the old logging trail on the new 40 acres). We call it the Wolf Road as it is frequently traveled by wolves. I’m sure they have a den way back in the woods.
David asked if Will would man Old Yeller, our bulldozer. While David is able on a dozer, Will is a master. I think he could pick a pocket with it! Unfortunately, the cabin site had a “few” rocks. Boulders, actually. And Will and David rooted them out, one by one, and shoved them way back, out of the way. David joked, saying he was making a bunker around his cabin. Some of the boulders were nearly as big as the bulldozer. But while digging out the rocks, we found that the cabin site was located over sand and gravel, making a septic system possible in the future.
Then on Sunday, my oldest son, Bill, came up, bringing his Bobcat on tracks, along with a rented 16″ auger to finish leveling the cabin site and drill the holes for the Sona-Tubes, which will be filled with concrete, making the cabin’s piers. Grandkids Mason and Ava were really interested and Ava got busy throwing roots and sticks out of the way while Mason watched the process so he could learn how to do it. Yep, Bill did hit rocks down there. But, all in all, it went well but for one outcropping of ledgerock where a pier was going to be placed. David is going to have to drill and anchor a pier right to that rock. There is no moving it!
After Bill and the family left, Will and David went back out with a shovel and hand post hole digger to clean out the holes. (Some were not plumb as there were rocks so they had to straighten the holes
out.) Now, only four remain to work on. So we feel the day was very well spent!
David just has to wait until he can save enough money to buy cement but he desperately wants to get the piers done before the weather turns cold. That way, he can continue to work on the cabin during the winter, as he can afford materials. Just like we did when we built our house. — Jackie
All,
I AM tremendously proud of my family! Although some of us are quite a ways apart, we’re together in spirit anyway. And those of us who are closer really enjoy helping out each other with big projects.
Don,
It’s already bought and in the barn!! Your dad wouldn’t let David forget that. (But David DID graduate from Masonry at Mesabi Range College.)
then he may know what hickey bars are and what there used for the take a lot of practice but work good for bending rebar
Cindy,
Yes, we’ll have to haul tomatoes inside this year, should a freeze threaten. I much prefer to harvest ripe ones outside, but who knows what this goofy summer will end like?
Glad for David that he is paying as he goes. Smart man. Wishing him well during the process.
I love David’s new home site. Wonderful that he’ll be close to you. Love the tomato tasting idea too!
Such a beautiful site for a cabin! So will you haul all of your tomatoes inside if the weather turns too cold? This is one weird year of weather. We are going to be in the 80s this week!! Wow.
This is what family is all about! It truly warms my heart. Congratulations with the work you do together and the work you do toward making the earth a better place.
What great progress! David will have a wonderful cabin when all is done. I’m sure he is very thankful to have a master dozer operator to help out:)
Don’t forget the rebar brother lol from Alaska with warm weather
Our toms here in Iowa are about played out. The Roma’s provided us with 3 batches of salsa and twice I have taken 12 pounds or so to church for needy tomato eaters! Lol! All this from a couple of raised beds,really produced and about one more batch of salsa or dehydrating coming this week, maybe more!
Take care! My husband and I have followed you for years!
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I bet you’re so proud of your whole family. I love the way they all support each other.
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