KEEPING THE MAGIC

 

 

Thanksgiving is like the child who is always left behind. Tucked away in the midst of Halloween and Christmas, it has always had to fight to get its due attention. If recent years weren’t bad enough, this year it will be even worse because of the pandemic.

They are telling us not to gather for the holiday, to only be with your immediate household. Once again it is being stomped down and pushed aside. This holiday just can’t win.

What a shame that is because Thanksgiving is perhaps the most important holiday of all. No, not because we stuff ourselves until we are miserable, but rather because, like its namesake, it is a time to give thanks and remember our blessings.

Think about it, this holiday requires hardly any preparation except for cooking the meal which, we cooks revel in anyway. Halloween is the second most decorated holiday, only surpassed by Christmas. Many of those decorations double as harvest décor so are left up for Thanksgiving. There is no frenzy shopping, wrapping, writing tons of Christmas cards or many other tasks that we are taught need to be done every year for Christmas. It is really the no-stress holiday.

 

When I was growing up, no one ever thought of doing anything for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Now as Halloween decorations come down, Christmas goes up. I will admit that it makes sense since you already have everything out, the totes, ladders, tools, etc. But still, come on, at least don’t turn the lights on.

This year I have noticed a slightly different tone as holiday decorations are going up. Many people have made comments like “I just want something cheery and happy, something to look forward to.” Hence, the early decorations. Hallmark channel started running their Christmas movies even earlier this year  for this very reason.

Folks are already looking forward to New Year’s this year too, just to get 2020 behind them. But, can we at least pause and really consider Thanksgiving also? Yes, 2020 has been a bad year, but there is truth in the saying that “there is a little bad in the good and a little good in the bad.”

So, where is the good in this year? For starters, staying home this year has spurred creativity in many of us. Sometimes boredom can be a blessing. There is only so much television one can watch, so many video games one can play and (heaven forbid) only so much cooking and baking we can or should do.

So, this has been a time to discover other hidden interests. A friend has been posting creative painting videos on Facebook. I know of another one who has always wanted to try her hand at writing. Some bigger projects like learning to quilt also come to mind.

For guys that have never had the time to hunt or pursue things like woodworking, fly tying their own fishing lures, blacksmithing and a host of other projects that have been put on the back burner, this has been the time.

Many of these things have been put on the back burner because time has always been a limited commodity. These past few months have afforded us a window of opportunity to explore passions we have only dreamed about.

For many, this past year has been a glimpse of what retirement may look like. Yes, hopefully, we will be able to go and do things in a normal way again. The change associated with retirement is scary for many. I suppose in some twisted way, this can be a glimpse into the future. Some have found that they actually like being home and have also realized that life itself is too precious to put off retirement any longer. Still, others have found that they go stir crazy at home and are just not ready for this next chapter yet.

Also, in a twisted way, maybe we should be thankful this year for a new sense of family. We may not be able to physically gather, but this absence may just make us appreciate family even more. I am as guilty as anyone of spending time with family and going through the motions and really not “being” with them. We all have.

How many times has a family spent time “together” at a ballgame where each member is hanging out with others; a family is out to eat and every one of them is on their cell phones or a family has movie night where each one of them is watching a different one on their own devices.

Sad to say, lately with Zoom meetings and video chats, family is actually focusing on spending time together…sort of. It’s too bad that we can sometimes be closer to those we love when we are forced to be separated from them physically.

Perhaps this year, more so than any other year, Thanksgiving should hold an extra special place in our hearts. As a recent meme on social media reminds us, “There is always, always something to be thankful for.”

So, whatever our Thanksgiving looks like this year maybe it will help to focus on the blessings that we do have instead of what we don’t. Perhaps this year Thanksgiving will finally get its due and earn the respect that it deserves.

SO YOU WANT TO BE A GRAIN CART OPERATOR...OR NOT!

 

Change is inevitable. Some change is good, it all depends on your perspective. Either way, I got a big dose of it this year during harvest.

For the last few years, I have been helping Ron get the harvest in by pulling the wagons up to the bin and unloading. It got to be pretty much old hat, me and his 656 got along just fine. I never had an oops, well except when the bin got full and corn started spilling out. Of course, that wasn’t my fault because he did tell me to just keep unloading.

Well, this year my world changed in a big way…literally. He bought a 1000-bushel grain cart because it would make things easier…his words, not mine. In theory, he was right. There wouldn’t be as many trips up from the field and when you loaded a semi the driver wouldn’t have to wait to unload each wagon.

I have to admit that I was excited the day it arrived. I documented its coming to its new home with lots of pictures. Seeing it up close and personal was a real eye-opener. It was big. No, it was huge. No, that’s not right either. This new monster that came to live with us was GIGANTIC!

Ron reassured me though. “Don’t worry, you will never have to drive it.” Those were the most
reassuring words I have ever heard.

But then, it is harvest, that special time of year when all rules and normalcy doesn’t apply. I think Ron was a little intimidated by it at first too. That soon changed after he and his son Rodney got familiar with it while harvesting soybeans.

The next thing I heard was, “It would really help me if you could learn to drive it just so you could bring it to the field when Rodney can’t be here.”

Well, that didn’t sound so bad. After all, I just had to think of it as this over-sized wagon that would just follow the tractor and the tractor was automatic with all the bells and whistles. Seriously, how bad could it be?

I never should have gotten in the cab that first time. How did it go from just taking it down to the field to dumping on the go?? I think this had been the plan all along. I had been bushwhacked!

At the end of that first row, with tears in my eyes, I almost screamed, “What are you doing!”

His answer, “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine, I can talk you right through it.” Famous…last…words!

He had purchased walkie talkies to make things go smoother. So, this was in the plan all along! I guess if I had to do this, that was a good idea since hand signals didn’t quite get it in the past. There were only two that I had mastered very well, “stop!” and “get your head out of your ……!”

Unfortunately for me, Ron was a big fan of AgTalk and he had been reading about other farmers and their grain cart operators. It was the general consensus that whatever happened it was the grain cart driver’s fault. If the cart was too close, if it was too far away, if grain got spilled, if the cat got run over, if the barn burned down, it was pretty much the grain cart operator’s fault. This was going to be an uphill battle all the way.

It started out bad and then got worse. First of all, the radios didn’t work like they should. They picked up the engine noise and, with me not hearing out of one ear anyway, it made for a bad situation. I would only catch a word here or there, not enough to know what he wanted. So, I stopped the tractor, ran over to the combine…like in the old days….climbed up and asked what he wanted. “Just stay in the tractor!” That made it clear as mud what he wanted!

So, I tried holding the radio to my good ear while driving. Well, that didn’t work so well. I did catch two words that time…radio and down. What’s a girl to do!

“Listen,” he said, “it’s pretty simple, just stay on the third row of corn from me and drive at 3.1, that will match my speed.”

Well, that would make things easier…not. Even following those orders, it was, “Get over, you’re too close, now you’re too far. Well, speed up, slow down.” I give up…until the next round.

It was no piece of cake turning that monster around either. He warned me not to turn too short and to be careful of the tractor tongue since there was a lot of weight on. I would turn around to catch him, but where was he? He had changed his mind and instead of coming back where he had been, he was taking more end rows off. Of course, that was the grain cart operator’s fault too.

I watched how slowly and carefully he would pull the full load over the uneven ground on its way to the barn. This was something else that I was never going to have to do until the second day and he told me to head up. I just knew that I was going to be the next poor soul on AgTalk pictured with an overturned load.

The one thing that I never did do was unload in the semi. Even with cameras, it was a little tricky for him and Rodney and I guess he really wanted all the grain in the truck with no “oopses.” Good for me!

I guess why this was so hard for me goes back to me being a right-brainer like most women are. Still, some women manage just fine, and even make it look easy. Monica is her husband Mark’s grain cart operator and does it with no effort at all. Rene became her husband Bruce’s operator this year and done it all from dumping on the go to dumping in the semis. Linda drove truck for her husband Byron and hauled the grain into the elevator.

In a way, I feel sorry for Ron. I will never be a Monica, a Rene, a Linda or any of the many other women out there that master this art. It’s not my thing. Me and his 7240 tractor, we got along fine. It is  just the big red thing behind that gives me fits.

In all fairness, the grain cart did make life easier and better…for him. He didn’t have to wait on me to get back with the wagons when he was at the far side of the field and the truck drivers didn’t have to wait to be loaded while jockeying four wagons. After all, during harvest every minute counts.

It’s all said and done this year and we made it through with no oops. I am grateful for that. Looking back, it could have been a lot worse, but then it could have gone a little smoother too. Rodney was able to help him finish shelling corn so they finished on a good note.

Lessons learned from this year will make next year go better. However, I am not stressed at all about next year because…I am now officially a RETIRED grain cart operator!

 

 

YES, YOU CAN HAVE YOUR FRESH HERBS IN WINTER

 

Where there’s a will, there’s always a way. The last couple of years I have found a passion in cooking with fresh herbs from the garden. I do dry many of them for use in the winter but there is just something about fresh that adds that extra punch of flavor to so many dishes.

I have tried over-wintering them in pots, followed all the instructions and they always fail to survive…even for a short period. I think a lot of the problem is watering, they are very finicky so it doesn’t take much to be a little too much or not enough water. Doing a little research, I have found there are two methods that takes the question of how much to water completely out of my hands.

One way is to build a hydroponic indoor herb garden and the other is a self-watering herb garden. Of course, the first method is soilless while the second one uses a good potting soil. The hydroponic herb garden is a little more sophisticated while the second one is pretty simplistic. There are merits to both ways:

HYDROPONIC INDOOR HERB GARDEN

The method described here is from Epic Gardening. For around $80 in materials, you can build your own mini hydroponic indoor herb garden that holds eight pots. This may sound like a lot of money for eight plants, but considering just one herb, such as basil, this process would save $50 per year for someone who bought basil year-round.

Materials you will need include:

*Container of some sort. A tote from the dollar store works great. Just keep in mind that you may want to spray paint it if you buy an opaque one since any light that gets in will encourage algae growth and too much algae will interfere with the plants’ root systems by blocking the amount of nutrients they can absorb. Too much light will warm the water and stunt the plants.

*Air Stone. This will evenly distribute the small bubbles of air. Air bubbles oxygenate the water so that the roots that will be setting in water all the time get enough oxygen and don’t drown and wilt.

*Air Pump. This will oxygenate the nutrient mixture. You don’t need a large one, opt for the smallest and cheapest.

*Airline tubing. Use this to connect the pump to the air stone. Black works best because it will discourage algae buildup. Aquarium supply stores carry these.

*Airline holders. Also found at aquarium supply stores, these hold the tubing down so that the air stone stays at the bottom of the reservoir.

*pH testing kit. Crucial since herbs are not able to absorb nutrients at optimum levels when they are not at the correct pH balance. Most tap water is between 7.0 and 8.0 and herbs like it somewhere between 6.0 and 6.5.

*Hydroponic nutrients. Nutrients need to be mixed with water in the right amounts. General Hydroponic Floral Gro is a good starter one.

*Two-inch net pots. These are what will hold the plants.

*Hydroponic Growing Medium. These are like expanded clay pellets and give the roots something to hold onto when they are first starting.

*Plants. Either buy seeds or seedlings.

To begin, wash and dry the tote and paint it if applicable. Place a net pot parallel to the top of the container and mark where the bottom is. This will be the water line. Place a piece of tape from there to the bottom and use this for the water level gauge.

Next space out where the net pots will be on the lid and drill holes to set them in. Drill an eighth-inch hole in the side of the tote just below the top edge and feed the water line through this hole. After using suction cups to secure it to the top and bottom, connect it to the air stone at the bottom.

Now, you are ready to fill the tote with water to the water line and test its pH with the kit. If the pH is too high, add a few drops of General Hydroponics pH down; likewise if it is too low, add a few drops of General Hydroponics pH up and then retest until it is in the 6.0 to 6.5 range.

Next, mix your nutrients. General Hydroponics Flora Gro is a good one. Mix one quarter teaspoon per gallon for seeds and one tablespoon per gallon for plants. Then, add a little growing media to the net pots and add plants, washing all the dirt off.

Place the container where it gets as much natural light as possible, at least six hours per day. Keep the water level constant and pinch off any buds that appear. Your herbs should flourish.

 

SELF-WATERING HERB GARDEN

This simple idea comes from the website, “Dawn, I think we could be friends.”

If you want to use potting soil instead of going hydroponic, this method is for you. Cut as many 2-liter pop bottles in half for as many pots as you want, making sure they are clean. Then drill a quarter-inch hole in the cap. Make a wick by tying five or six strands of cotton string together, tying a knot about two inches from one end. Then insert the wick through the hole, with the knot on the underside of the bottle.

Add water to the base of the bottle and then insert the top part with the cap down into the bottom part. Fill the top part with potting soil one-third full. Spread the strands of the wick and keep filling, stopping about an inch from the top. It will typically hold about two cups. Then add seeds and cover.

As the seeds grow, the roots find their way to the wick so the top doesn’t have to be wet for them to get all the hydration that is needed. If the plants are getting too much moisture, cut a couple strands of wick off; likewise, if not enough moisture, add a couple strands. Typically, three inches of water in the bottom will water the plant for up to two weeks.

The self-watering herb garden is by far the easiest to make and use. With either method, herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano, chives, sage, mint, tarragon, marjoram and many others lend themselves well to growing indoors, as well as some greens. Basil is a good one to learn with as it is a fast grower.

Always use good soil and maintain correct moisture levels. This may take a little trial and error to get it right. Never make the mistake of letting herbs bloom because that leads to bitterness. Even if you don’t use all you cut, make sure and trim back often, just above a set of growing leaves. Many people trim the bottom leaves. This is a mistake as these are the solar panels for the herb’s growth. Instead, trim the tender leaves at the top.

I am going to expand this second idea to include other plants besides herbs. I always have trouble keeping the correct moisture level.

There is nothing that adds that extra zing to dishes like herbs and fresh insures that I will always have on hand what I need. A bonus is that the kitchen should smell delightful from their aroma. Yes, I can cook fresh all winter…with just a little effort!