Thursday Night in the Patch

"Are you taking my picture?"  yes, my deer I am -- note, she was munching next to Dad's deer stand .... hummmmm might not be a wise idea ...

waves of geese were flying over to the sweet corn/silage fields tonight .. low and noisy

more geese and a heap of manure ...

Jake came to help pick tonight -- he managed to rustle thru the weeds, pee on the weeds and get lost in the weeds --- just like having a toddler along.

and yes, he his a pampered pooch -- ready for the trek home -- his mother and I have similar ATV's -- he gets confused when we are out and about at the same time .... she has a full windshield and a hard top, I have soft top (with holes) and 1/2 windshield.

I wasn't intending to find anything to pick -- the weather dude was wrong -- it only got to 92' ... but cloudy -- I picked an ATV load of melons -- sort of unloaded it -- then went back with the truck and stomped my way thru the squash and pumpkins and found some treats.  Eventually it will be squash weather -- (probably next week) -- If I don't get rain soon (like this weekend) I think the melon crop will be done -- I need RAIN, soon, really soon.

ahh Tuesday ...

bessie was loaded on Monday night -- picking for Tuesday Market .. yep, the pail has squash in it ... the box had watermelons and the floor had stuff .... the stuff that goes where I go ... deer repellent, pie tins and twist ties ....

ebay purchase #2 ... a mini charm pack of Marmalade ... 2 x 2 squares -- I see points on flying geese blocks ...

ebay purchase #1 -- 3" strips of pretty pastels (the camera operator goofed up the pix)

Mr. Red -- as in Red, the King of the cat house ... bugger has several lives -- loves the chair on the front porch -- loves chasing squirrels -- loves to sleep in Mom's wheels when I leave the windows down. 

Market was pretty darn hot today -- hope not to repeat that again.  Hot weather forecasted -- hope the vines and melons can hold out -- it's gonna be tough.  They are pretty beat up from the lack of rain.  12 more drops fell at lunch.   not enough.

Diva

Monday ....

  It's Monday and the LAST week of Summer.   How can that be?  I can actually count the number of times I've been out of town on both hands.  Lately, the busy-ness of life gets in the way of fun. 

  Hot weather in the forecast -- I'm hoping to sell out at Market tomorrow -- I'm assuming the weather dudes will be correct ... and if it does get that hot, I will not be able to hold "left overs" until Saturday -- they'll be chicken & deer food. 

  Saturday Market was a bust.  It rained .... not enough to make a difference in our drought conditions, but enough to keep our customers home. 

  I've been shopping via EBAY in anticipation of a crafty Labor Day Weekend.  The treasures arrive daily in the mail!  It makes me smile.  Package #2 of 4 arrived today. 

M

two in one day .... sorry

  Okay on my Monday Project List -- all was accomplished except sewing -- gotta work on that one.

  The produce is picked, packed, loaded and well ready to roll.  I've sweated off several pounds this afternoon -- my aging overweight self is not prepared for heavy lifting, walking and much bending in 93' weather -- not to mention the stiff wind.  It is good to be me.

  Thankfully there were no cameras around when said sweating was happening.  I'm off to the shower and the sewing machine. 

  Toodles
     Diva

This week on Daisy Lane

the "girls" like tomatoes, melons and old sweet corn -- now if we get a few more eggs ... only 3 this week .....

scarf #6 this summer -- I crochet at the Farmer's Market -- busy work while smoozing  -- I really like the colors of this one ..

The view on the morning commute to the office -- I generally do a "drive by" thru the patch and end up coming to town via the "upper route" ... anyway sunrise on the Broadway Ave Hill is generally pretty.  Today I actually had the camera ....

 

Happy Weekend -  I'll be picking, packing and sweating this afternoon ... sewing tonight and maybe tomorrow night.  The Bernina must miss me. 

Diva with camera ....

last of the cone flowers in the CRP

I actually bought scrapbooking paper similar to this .....

sunny & buffy in full battle - Hairy (black) & Muffy (calico - Mom) seem to care less

'tis the season of low flying geese -- the sound is awesome ....

Hupm Day

 oops I meant Hump Day ... typing is not my best skill.  and when I'm pooped out it's even worse. 

 made it to market yesterday -- yep, sat on a hunk of blacktop and hustled produce for 4 hours.  90' - it was hot, sticky and frankly, filthy dirty.  oh -- I forgot noisy -- that highway is noisy. 

 made it home, fed the livestock (well, 4 cats, 2 kittens, 4 chickens) unpacked and purged the market truck (repacked too), showered and crashed in bed -- only to wake up and remember the laundry in the washing machine. 

  we have a front loading washer and well, if you leave clothes in it wet -- they smell.  smell bad.....so ...

  one more nasty day and normal will reign.

M

Monday

  Yeppers -- back to work and the daily grind.  


This Week's Project List: (this is for me not the rest of you)

Monday:
   Pick for Tuesday Market
   Sewing Room -- ready for the vac
   Laundry
   P & Z at 7:00 pm

Tuesday:
   8:30 am Meeting
   Normal stuff
   Laundry
   Market 2:00 ish
   6:00 NCHS Board Meeting

Wednesday:
  9:00 Meeting
  10:30 Meeting
  SEW SEW SEW

Thursday:
 8:30 Software Training
 Start Picking for Saturday
 SEW SEW SEW
 Purge Quilting Books

Friday:
  NO MEETINGS !!!
  Finish Picking for Market
  Load Truck .. neatly
 

ahhhhh the weekends busy busy busy

Saturday morning at the Market -- I managed to sell most of it .... and crochet 10" or so of my scarf (bag under chair holds needlework--something to keep hands busy)

new variety of butternut squash -- autumn glow  the vines and leaves have a yellow tint to them .... odd looking --

the fruit are actually pumpkin orange and fairly small -- I need to read up on them and get some more details ... please ignore the weeds

okay I couldn't cut and paste the picture from the catalog  --- here is the  LINK TO BURPEE'S CATALOG

Squash, Winter, Autumn Glow

Compact delicious butternut flavor.

Burpee Exclusive


This gorgeous gold-skinned squash also has variegated leaves, green spattered with yellow. Compact 4' vines produce meal sized 8" fruit with delicious butternut flavor and texture.

even more weeds ... they gots taller with the rain .... might chop some out -- but for now they are providing cover from the crows, deer and hopefully frost.  if the frost comes early

Friday Night on Daisy Lane

Dad helped me load --- he's not as neat and tidy as I am .... I'm hoping the tailgate stays locked

ummmm  going to be fun unloading in the morning ...  everything a Diva needs -- messy load, tent, 2x4's, step stool -- red truck ....

the only apple on the tree -- not sure why the deer haven't ate it yet ...

Dad, baby red, muffy and harry -- chow time  !

sunny and buffy (muffy's kittens) are still on the shy side and won't come out if they hear voices

2 hours to pick -- 1/2 hour to load -- I did poke around the squash end of the patch and found some treats -- a sampling of the plantings!  

Market Tomorrow !!!

aaaahhhhhhrrrrrrrrggggggg

  The post title was supposed to make me feel better.  Not sure if it worked.  The computer conversion is not happening as planned.  Better now than 10 hours ago.  At one point there were 3 geeks here at once.

  The really young one is quite amazing.  He speaks computer -- not English.  Handy kid to have on speed dial. 

   So as of now -- they (the 5 computers) are speaking to each other although not very efficiently -- and I do not have email at my desk -- yet .... but it should be here tomorrow.  Silence is golden.

   For attitude adjustment -- I walked the patch.  Always puts a smile on my face.  (insert smiley face).  Inch of rain last night ... the vines are sighing .... aaaaahhhhhhh   rain. 

   Thanks for reading my whining.  I'm female I whine.  Period.


Diva

well, it's good to be me

   So, I made it thru last nights primary election.  On to the big one in November.  For me (the non-politician politician) it's humbling, exciting and scary all at the same time.  Many thanks to my supporters and the campaign committee (the scrapping divas). 

   It was an extremely low voter turnout -- which is unfortunate -- we all need to exercise our right to vote and make our voice heard.  Since I turned 18 I know I've voted in every election (primary and general) -- it's good to be informed.

Results for Selected Contests in Nicollet County

County Commissioner District 1 4 precincts in contest. 4 of 4 precincts reported in County.

Nonpartisan Candidate Totals Pct Graph

TERRY GENELIN 110 22.00%

JAMES W GOLGART 46 9.20%

MARIE DRANTTEL 344 68.80%


 I am a lucky DIVA !!!  Maybe blessed is a more apt description!  Thanks !!!

M

picked, packed, ready ... busy Tuesday

   So, it is Tuesday ...

1.  Market Day -- this afternoon - at the hot, dirty and noisy downtown parking lot.  I have a crazy day so I coerced Uncle Ron to work the booth for me -- or at least thru 4:00 pm.  It is good to have retired relatives with time and available skills.

2.  Board Meeting Day -- yep, 2nd Tuesday of the month is Commissioner Meeting Day ... promises to be entertaining. 

3.  Primary Election Day -- so get out there and VOTE -- and if you are in MY district --- well, it goes without saying, I really appreciate your support. 

4.  Mow the lawn day --- yep, how to deal with the stress of the primary -- while the Uncle is manning my market booth -- I WILL GET THE OFFICE LAWN MOWED. 


   A bit of munching is happening in the patch.  Deer (damn deer) -- so after picking last night I sprayed.  Mom brought the truck up and drove while I loaded.  Okay -- she's supposed to be listening to me --- but while creeping along she's got the windows up and the air conditioning running.  Ditto the radio.   Hand signals weren't working very well either.   " I didn't want flies in the truck" was her statement.  Ugh.  She made it home with out losing anything. 

GO VOTE ....

M

It. Finally. Rained. All. Day. Long.

I took this Saturday afternoon -- my poor squash were wilting fast ... really fast

pretty awful looking

rain  -- it's a wonderful thing  - It's been raining all day long -- not a lot but it's dripping, dripping and soaking in ... I can hear the "aaah's" from the garden .

I am the blue ribbon winning DIVA ... it is good to be me. 

Yep, loaded and ready ..

bottom row -- left to right

desert kings -- charleston greys

middle row

million bucks, sangria, sweet favorite

top row

sweet favorite, charleston grey & crimson sweet

behind the stack are 4 more tubs -- sugar babies, yellow dolls & fordhooks ....

somewhere towards the front it my tent ... and a couple of 2 x 4's ...

Sunrise in the patch.

the last couple of weeks -- I've taken the field road up the patch on my way into the office (and yes I still go to work at 6:00am) ... I was a bit later this morning and tried to catch sunrise ...

and which rodent lives in this hole in the patch ... striped gopher I'm guessing .... another varmit that has little or no purpose

yep, another view of the weeds, the truck and the neighbors horse barn -- probably the most photographed barn this year.

geese coming in for breakfast in the combined cornfield..  noisy birds -- but fun.

lunch ?   look familiar -- although I think it was a coyote or a fox and not a deer ... deer and pretty dainty and tidy eaters -- this one was not ...

So, yesterday was a day to remember.  I was on the radio in the afternoon -- promoting Connecting Nicollet County -- a leadership program.  A good one.  Made it to the fair for the candidate forum and well, I'm not a very good public speaker -- but I think I got my point across --

Today is presenting awards to the Outstanding Senior Citizens  ... fun job.  Picking for Market and hopefully earning a living.  I also need to mow the office grass and pull some more weeds. 

Yes, it is good to be me.

and I'M THE BLUE RIBBON WINNER  on the watermelon I took to the fair ... after all DIVA's know who to grow them.  .....

Wednesday's ATV Tour

my favorite pink flannel pants....

stretch ... vines stretch ....

across the Valley -- it's a great place to live isn't it ....

cone flowers in the crp -- some of us are actually enrolling into the CRP program and not plowing it up ....

grow grow grow..

more crp cone flowers.

This Diva entered a watermelon in the open class veggies at the Nicollet County Fair ... I hope to be the "BIG" winner.  So for $3 -- I entered my whopper and got a free parking permit!  Methods to my madness.  Anyhow ... I'm hoping for PURPLE !!!

M

hump day .... TGIW !!

yep, been a wild and crazy week so far....

but, the best way to start out the day -- I walked the melon patch ... yep, dress clothes (well, my version of summer dress clothes) ... I hadn't been up there since Sunday night ... yep, I was having a case of "how's my garden" ....

bridal shower for Cyndi Lou last night ... I learned about too short dresses, great boobs, small feet, falling over or tripping -- princess dresses, and large snakes on the road --

it was a good time -- and no beverages were involved.

entry day for the fair ... .....


Diva

ahhhhhhhhh

Life without 90' + temperatures is just delightful.

Sunday was not a day of rest for this Diva -- my personal painting Diva arrived at the office at 10:00 and the work began -- paint is on the walls and while she painted.

I pulled / chopped / hacked / pleaded with the weeds surrounding the parking lot.  A whole pickup load.  It still looks pretty tough.  I will attempt to mow today and see what happens.  The grass is still brown but the weeds in the grass are green.  ummmm 

I started on the south side gardens -- ummmm might need to hire help for that project.   The grape vines have invaded.  Huge invasion.  It will be more than one truck load.

Busy week for this Diva.

M

Market .... Day 1

ha, thought you were getting market pic's ... well

orange sunshine -- it's got to be at least a foot across ...

carnival .. my personal favorite ...

it rained last night 1/2 inch here on Daisy Lane ( i was so pooped from picking in the heat -- I slept thru it )and after we got set up at Market -- it rained some more ... so it was wet and my camera batteries were dead (again) ... 'twas a good day at market -- not many leftovers for this Diva ... and it was good to get back into a routine. 

time, however is my enemy.  lots to do and so little time to do it in ...

and thankfully the hot weather left us ... we might actually not need the a/c this week ....

M

T minus 23 hours

   The picking and packing has begun.  23 hours to the start of my first market of the year.  I don't have much -- but it is fun to see and visit with our customers. 

   I started with the yellow dolls and the little baby flowers.   Picked 2 Fordhooks for a pick up order today.  Did a little taste testing too...must taste while picking.

  Truck is ready ... hopefully it will rain.   we NEED rain.  I just realized it was 4 weeks of 90' weather -- no wonder I'm tired and cranky. 

  TGIF -- See you at the Market.

M

2/10's is not enough

  rain to settle the dust.  it got dark, it rumbled, it blew and NOTHING fell from the sky.  dang it. 

  I had rode up to check the patch -- too hot to walk it last night, I stopped to visit the scrapping diva's and cool off and as it got darker -- I dashed home to shut the machine shed doors (should have left them open) ... and then took a nap (a 10 hour nap)  and NOT enough fell from the sky.

 sigh.  must be thankful for every drop.  must count blessings I already have.  more tomorrow? 

 getting ready for market this week -- the tubs are washed (and ready) ... the truck is kinda packed (tables/chair/tent/cash box/signs) .. we'll see !!!

toodles
Diva