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The Aardsma Weekly
August 10, 2008
Writer: Rachel Aardsma
Corn and Tomatoes
Even though it seems that it can't possibly be mid August already, we are all happy that the garden is coming to a close. There are still, of course, plenty of hours spent harvesting, weeding, etc. But things are slowing down a little.
Currently we have sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and new potatoes, both red and white. With only these five items, you'd think things would be pretty calm in the garden. They aren't, really.
The potatoes are really the big crop right now. Beka and I dig them by hand using special pitchforks designed for the task. Caleb and Timmy 'pick up' for us--a fairly easy job involving picking up the potatoes we unearth and putting them into a bucket or crate! Digging potatoes is tough work, so we take a ten minute break after each crate or bucket is filled up. We finished digging the red potatoes and now have seven rows of white potatoes to dig. We, of course, have the incentive of a trip to the Dairy Queen when the potatoes are all dug to keep us moving at a pretty brisk pace!
Beka tries to have us dig at least one row per day. First thing each morning we head out to get some good digging done before the August sun makes its presence more than known! Digging potatoes can be mildly fun. We like to talk a lot. (That's one of the good things about digging potatoes. You can talk all you like.) Each year the most popular topic is the annual upcoming trip. This year we are heading up to Canada for a week to visit Mom's relatives. It has been about twenty-five years since Mom has seen all of her family, and so most of us kids don't know them. We are really looking forward to this chance to get away for a week, to meet relatives, go to a few fun places, and just spend time together! (Of course, spending time together is the last thing most of us want to do after two long days in the car.)
Matthew and Dad installing the very last piece of drainage tile. Photo by me.
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Our third and last patch of corn is almost picked out. I am glad, as corn is a lot of work to pick and clean. Beka is the main picker, while Timmy, Caleb, or I carry corn up and down the rows. Then we all work together to remove the outer layer of shucks, break off the tops of the ears, and place the cleaned ears in one dozen bags. Here again is an excellent opportunity for conversation!
Our tomatoes are selling very well this year. We have never before had people buying our tomatoes before they are fully ripe! Our tomatoes are a little late, so that may explain things.
It has been 'interesting' to have a puppy in the garden. Farley loves being out in the garden with us as we work. He tears around, having a grand time and getting into all sorts of trouble. He especially like playing in and eating dirt and mud. Buddy also liked to eat dirt when he was a puppy, but he wasn't the enthusiastic vacuum that Farley is. Farley likes getting into the thick of things. He is sure to show up at the most inopportune moments. He is always gnawing on a stray potato, dragging weeds around, eating grass, or playing I-can-beat-you-up-bet-you-can't-beat-me-up with Buddy.
Buddy and Farley tackling each other. Photo by me.
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I can't discuss pets in relation to the garden without bringing my new cat Jack into the picture. Jack continues to faithfully follow me around as I work in the garden. He has been out of commission lately, though, as a result of being neutered. I surprised myself by how much I missed him. He never does anything but find a comfortable spot in the shade and watch me work, but he is there. And I like having him there. He'll be up-and-at-'em again soon, though.
Our farm is currently full of animals 'fattening themselves up for the freezer', as Mom puts it. Matthew has (finally) made an appointment to get our two huge steers done up. In two or three weeks we will have more beef than we can ever eat! We also have three pigs who are getting bigger and bigger every day. We make mostly sausage out of the pork. Other animals getting bigger by the day include the turkeys. Our Christmas and Thanksgiving turkeys are busy roaming all over our farm, eating bugs and scattered grain and anything else they can find. I really have to say turkeys are the dumbest animals I have ever seen. They just can't figure out the whole fence idea! They will spend hours, literally, going back and forth before the same three feet of fence, somehow expecting an opening to magically appear. It isn't until somebody goes around and herds them towards the gate that they get back inside the property.
We are now entirely finished the drainage project, and our farm has regained its normal appearance. So, everything is running smoothly and the way it should. Our farm really has benefited from the drainage already. However, we haven't had rain ever since we installed it, by some crazy coincidence, so we haven't had a chance to properly test it yet. Oh well. Fall is coming and we'll get some rain soon.
The Weekly Bible Verse
Psalm 102:25: In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
A Day In My Week
Thursday, August 7, 2008: After an hour-long walk with Beka and Mom, I head out to dig potatoes with Beka. We do this for most of the morning, coming in to help make lunch. I make BLT sandwiches...my favorite!
I spend my afternoon reading, writing, playing with the dogs, relaxing with Jack, and making an anniversary card (shhh, it's a secret!). As a very pleasant surprise, my best friend calls and we spend nearly an hour talking before she has to go. Then, I head over to Beka's room and spend another hour completing a computer project--a movie of our vacation last year.
After supper (I forgot about supper accidentally--I was in my room reading), Dad, Beka, Timmy, Caleb, and I spend two hours cleaning up from the drainage project. Dad lets us off a little early, and Mom and Dad leave on a bike-ride. Timmy, Caleb, and Matthew want to see the finished computer project, so I load it onto Mom's computer and show them. When Mom and Dad return from their ride, they want to see it too. It is late by this time and I head to my room with good intentions to write a Weekly article. But...it doesn't happen. Instead I listen to music and fool around with my cat, who has fun ripping a plastic bag containing catnip into sixty pieces. It is nearing ten when I finally climb into bed, exhausted.
Bits and Pieces
Things haven't been super busy lately. Beka and I continue working in the evening with Dad and the boys. We are definitely looking forward to going back to our old schedule! That should happen soon...hopefully.
This has been a rather momentous week for me, as I made my biggest purchase yet with my own money. I bought a new video camera. It cost five hundred dollars, a lot for me, but fortunately I had it all saved up in my bank account. I felt a little scared, spending most of my life savings! I'll be spending everything else in my account later on this week when I purchase video editing software I plan to use with the camera. I can't wait to get all my new high-tech stuff in the mail! I hawk our mailbox just for letters, so I'll be twice as fast in getting out to the box when I have two very important parcels on the way!
Caleb helps Mom make applesauce. Photo by Mom.
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School starts for us very soon. We are starting a little early this year, since we will be gone for a week come fall. I'm not sure when exactly we are starting, but we have all of our school supplies, and my computer is all ready for me. I think all Mom has to do is set up the calendars. Then we can start.
Most of us have been doing a little school 'just for fun' on rainy afternoons and slow mornings. I've finished a unit of English so far, and I tried to do one lesson of Spanish. My keyboard wouldn't cooperate. I had to make it bilingual for my Spanish course, but it didn't work. Dad has to help me with that later. Or maybe I can get Matthew to help me. He had a lot of trouble setting his up too. And speaking of Spanish (no pun intended), I think our family will have to put up with three Spanish kids in the house all winter. Beka, who's already done a few lessons (her keyboard worked), can already spout a few sentences. I know about six words.
Caleb and Dad enjoy a game of chess together. Photo by Mom.
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Having a puppy around sure is an adventure! We've all gained a new appreciation for Buddy. Compared to Farley, he is a very well behaved dog. Farley has, I am afraid, captured the hearts of all of us. I've noticed he likes Beka better then me, but do not tell her I said that. It is, of course, a long-standing debate around here who Farley likes best. I saw this morning that he made a headlong rush for Beka first thing, bounding over to me only after he had gotten his hug from her. But I won't complain. She's responsible when Farley starts dragging laundry around, not me.
A Word About The Weather
Another hot week! We had two cool(er) days. Working in the evenings is nice because it isn't (or isn't supposed to be) as hot then. We need rain as we are in the midst of a dry spell.
A Word Of Wisdom
Don't juggle hot popcorn balls. Caleb can tell you it isn't wise. He ended up burning his nose. (Probably the first nose in U.S. history to be burnt by popcorn balls, or in the history of this family anyway.)
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