I am a creator, and I am lost. I get so overwhelmed with the daily happenings that I have not had time to even step into my craft room (yes, I am in tears). My crafts have been calling to me – LOUDLY! I know that they all miss me, too. I used to drift into my favorite room and get lost in there all day (sometimes several days – oops-haha).
I have my yarnie stuffs that can keep me busy, but they are all for Christmas gifts right now and not as enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE making stuff for loved ones for Christmas, but I have several other crafts I am longing for.
Card making
Beading & jewelry
Calligraphy
Drawing
Watercolor painting
Each of the above creativities pulls from my heart and soul. I put meticulous moments into all that I do with them. To me, they are my more creative endeavors.
Don’t get me wrong, I do love my yarnie creations, but they all start with a pattern. I say “start with” because I inevitably tweak almost every pattern I come across. I thank the original creators for their awesome ideas, but it’s in my nature to make adjustments that just work better to me or for me.
When I am in my craft room (fyi – no yarnie stuff in there at all – not allowed!), my imagination soars!!
Lately, too many things have kept me away:
First, it was massive rains – I mean flooding downpours.
Can’t mow when it’s that wet, so had to hold off on that (yep, that came back to bite me in the butt).
Then, a major heat wave. I am talking 100+ degrees – OUCH! This, of course, caused the weeds to run amok.
Heat wave plus weeds equals more gardening requirements.
Special watering routine that now takes about 5-6 hours per day.
Special weeding to keep the bindweed away from the veggies.
Special pest control – the grasshoppers and cabbage moths are out of control!
I do have things we have done and installed this year to help:
Special driplines everywhere we can.
Natural grasshopper killer – only interests them and no other bugs (my ladybugs, mantis, and lace wings are safe). We used to be able to order it online from a place in Montana (Planet Natural), but they changed hands, and with it, of course, went the good stuff. I did find a very similar item online, but it has to be ordered in the middle of winter because by spring, it’s sold out.
Light cover cloth to keep the cabbage moths at bay.
We also installed five new plots this year to better target garden areas instead of having to handle a massive area.
Even with all the upgrades and helpful items, much of my day is still shot. Noonish equals lunch and then the household chores: dishes, trash, setups for the next day, everyday day-to-day necessities. By now, it is late afternoon and relaxing before bed (a whole other disaster-trying actually to sleep). This is not the moment to try to pull out a creative mind. This is also the time the yarn projects get worked on. I can easily watch TV, relax, and work on a project without having to review the pattern continually. Once I have the pattern down, it’s stuck.
That is one thing about being a yarnie I am thankful for, no-brainer pattern work.
So, back to my original question: Are you a lost creator too? What do you do to survive?
I just realized it has been over a year since I last posted here – SHAME ON ME!
My world, in general, has been all messed up. Such is life! My problem is me.
I have to work hard to keep myself out of “funk,” and it’s a disaster when I fail. When I get my funk on, I get angry and deeply depressed and want to crawl off into a corner and disappear.
The world has become so messed up and angry, and I have allowed it to affect me in all the worst possible ways.
When you are someone who has depression, you have to watch yourself and the things around you all the time. Usually, when I start to feel like I want to crawl into a closet and hide, that’s a pretty good sign to stop myself and breathe. Deep breathing helps me a lot, but not always. My real go-to cure is my crafting.
I have several different crafts that I enjoy:
Knitting
Crochet
Handmade cards (love this!!)
Beading
Embroidery
Sewing (still working on this one, not my favorite, but getting better)
Painting (right now, the thrill is watercolors)
And, of course, gardening
I can’t concentrate on gardening during the wrong time of year. We used to have a vast greenhouse, so it was easy to carry it all year. The damn tornado took the roof (double-layer plastic) right off. A dear friend helped us to build it, and it was brilliant to have us use a 3-foot-deep cement and rebar base and then connect the metal ribs to that strong base. The base is still perfect, but it has been a struggle to buy a new cover. When we originally built it, no one would insure it (should have checked into that BEFORE construction – then start stashing). So, when the wind blew, so did the roof, and now, it has been a slow haul to save up enough to recover.
I just need to remember to pull up my big girl panties and get on with it!
Right from 1-1-23, things got off to a horrible start. We had snow – not the typical dump and gone that we usually get in the plains of Colorado. No, it dumped and kept on dumping. Then the Wicket Wind Witch of the West started putting her two cents in, and drift-ola started. Of course, she had to create the worst drifts wherever we had to drive on our property: driveway, critter barns, trash bin sites.
I was down to my last year of payment on my car. I thought I had January, February, and then March, which would be the final. Nope! They called it all in at once in January, $900+ total. SURPRISE!
Water was backing up in the basement when we did the washing machine. Our thought was a plugged line in the house, so we rented a drain snake to no avail. Next was Del-Mar Septic Service. He came out quickly, considering they were way overbooked, but our drifts would soon aid in his overbooking. The last time we had the tank pumped, it was late summer, and the turn the big truck had to make by the barn was no problem. The drifts said no way, and the Wicked Wind Witch laughed. He didn’t just get stuck in a drift then back out – noooo – he was stuck from about 11 am until a 2nd truck showed up after 2 pm and pulled him loose (yes, we tried digging, boards, rags, nothing would unstick the truck on its own). He finally pumped our tank while the 2nd driver was nice and waited. I have to shout out a huge kudos to the company!! Even with all the madness that happened, they only billed us for what they originally quoted – woo hoo! We will be recommending them to all septic systems we know. Total $350.
Snow after snow after snow and not just a little, nope, it was bomb cyclone after blizzard after our most awful: a nor-easter. When the winds circle back around from the east, we ALWAYS get the worst storms. It doesn’t matter what time of year or what type of storm it is; it will be more intense and dangerous coming back from the east. This was definitely not our average start to a year.
Our drainage issue was not over. It started backing up into the basement again. BIG TIME!?! We called in our outstanding Plumber, and he realized (in only about 15 minutes) that we had a frozen line. (Side FYI: Scientists claimed that the earth’s inner core stopped rotating in 2009, and it was finally getting around to reversing. Apparently, this is a “thing” and can assist in our climate issues. WHO KNEW?!?) He referred us to a great couple of guys with a massive steamer truck. They came out, ran a like to our septic outside tap, and shoved it up our drain pipe. Then they turned up the heat and steam blasted our line for about an hour. Their snake hose also has a little rotary cutting wheel on the end where the water comes out so they can feel when it broke everything loose. Finally, CLEAR LINE – WOO HOO! Total for Plumber and truck: $650.
Our propane service showed up. The guy came and knocked on the door (unusual). When I answered, he asked, “ Do you have heat?” It surprised me a bit, but I answered yes. Then I asked why. He said the tank showed EMPTY. WHAT???? I usually check the guage on it a couple of times a year, especially in the late fall, but I had forgotten to do that. I also assumed we were still on the “keep full” program they offered several years ago. Apparently, the original owners sold this area to a local guy, and no one said a word. He had enough in his tank to fill us to 80%. Total $1200 (ouch again – and this was only the middle of March)
We got notice from our mortgage company that escrows had gone up again, and now we must pay an extra $150 monthly. (April)
My sister lost a crown on her tooth and had to get that fixed immediately. The total is $1000 (May now), and no, her insurance did not cover all of the expenses. This 1K was our portion.)
Our wonderful John Deere Lawn Tractor decided to pull nasties right when the rains finally ended (end of June). Then the drive belt decided to slip off right in the middle of mowing the big field – shit! The damn thing didn’t even have the decency to break, nope, it just slipped off the front drive wheel. OF COURSE, THE FRONT WHEEL – most complicated to get back on to. I tried, and tried, and tried again for all of July. I couldn’t get the damn nut to let go of the bolt. I watched several YouTube videos, which were helpful enough to make me understand what was going on but not enough to figure out how a woman of 60+ years old with six major joint surgeries and osteoarthritis could remove the stupid nut! Finally, I broke down and asked a dear friend if he had a minute and could come to take a look at it. It only took him about 10 minutes from start to finish to get that ugly little so-an-so belt back on and my beautiful JD back up and running. He did not charge (because he is a friend), but we paid in cookies for him and his family anyway. Total expenses for June were about $200 and July was about $500. The July thing was mainly because my grandson (now almost 15)was out to visit, and our food expenses always go up when he is out. This was extra because we felt it would be his last (yes, there were tears).
The GMC sensor went out. Then headlight bulb (s-we replace both at the same time). We had to use a mechanic for the sensor, so that was another $200+. Oh, and monsoons kicked in late August (WTF!?!). Sure, I didn’t have to do much watering this year, but I can’t get the weeds under control either. On August 21, we hit 100 degrees – OUCH. It’s not normal for out here either. It never ceases to amaze me that we can get tons of snow and rain, but the slightest winds during or after it will equal dry plants – go figure!
My sister’s job had a significant cutback in hours due to a lack of sales. That gave us 3-day weekends to get some bigger projects done together, but it also cost us about $100 per week loss. This went on for over a month.
I went in for my annual physical, and they called and said they found something in my blood draw. I needed to return to the hospital ASAP for a 2nd draw (YES, PANIC SETS IN). They also decided to do a bone density scan simultaneously – great. I’m glad I got my COVID shot because I came down with that right after the scan (blame it on the hospital – haha), but it was not as bad as the first time I had it in February 2020—good news: both tests came back ok. I was low on potassium, but that was my fault. I have had issues with that since my surgeries in 2014 and have been taking supplements. I ran out about two weeks before the blood draw, which caused a follow-up. Total loss this month, about $500.
Another lousy storm with HUGE hail came through. It took out the greenhouse door window (that was a bummer, but ok since the 2018 tornado took the roof and we have not had money to replace it yet) and then punched two considerable holes in our big gray shed roof. REALLY?!? It couldn’t have just hit the side of the barn and bounced – no – it had to punch holes in the roof the size of softballs. There is too much going on to get up there and fix it, so there is no idea of the cost of the damages yet. It’s just going to have to wait until spring 2024. The GMC went back into the shop one more time. This time, she won’t stay running, and if you are driving and stop (like to get gas), she won’t start back up again. WE FINALLY GOT A BREAK (November now), it was a faulty sensor (they initially replaced it several months ago), and it was all covered under warranty – WOO HOO!!! Oh, wait, I spoke too soon. During that last hail storm, the GMC windshield got a big smack on it – spider shoots immediately (just lucky it didn’t break through)… Oh well, there goes another $500+.
Overall, we ended the year with massive expenses and massive depression. 2023 SUCKED!
I love remembering things from my childhood. The best ones are the rare ones that a unique smell, sight, or sound recalls. This cart is just a prop for a local business, but it is exactly like one we had as kids with our horses:
We had a black and white spotted Welsh pony named Dolly. She was a brat. It was obvious that she had been abused by people somewhere in her life, but now she was with us, and ALL of our critters were spoiled rotten (even the ones we would eventually eat – eek-haha!). Well-fed. Plenty of pasture room to roam. Beautiful barn for housing everyone from the harsh Wisconsin winters (we were not far from Lake Michigan, and the winter winds off the lake are brutal). We worked all summer long to store enough food for our critters, ourselves, and some friends and relatives. We had some new neighbors move into the small home across the road, and they had three young boys – about our age.
Once we got to know them, they realized that we played like boys even though we were girls. Mud was a blast. Getting into stuff we were not supposed to was classic. Then there were our horses which was an instant draw for all kids.
The folks splurged on a 2-wheeled little cart (just like the pic above) for us to try to train Dolly to pull. Keep in mind, most of our training was self-taught. They got us a good harness, taught us the basics, and then we had at it. When the boys next door found out, they could not wait to get up on it.
Jeffie (the youngest of the three boys) ran up to the cart all excited and was not paying attention to what he was grabbing ahold of to try to get up. He placed his hand on the wheel instead of the seat, then pony leached forward (because she was a brat – remember?); his hand slipped in between the spokes and got caught on the edge of the seat, thus breaking his arm.
We ran him back home at once, and his folks took him to the doctor. He came home with a cast that had to stay on most of the summer. It never slowed down his wanting to get on the wagon, ride a horse, or just play with us.
The best part of remembering this story now is that no attorneys, lawsuits, courts, or any of the nowadays B.S. usually happens. It was just kids playing, and it was an ACCIDENT! Yes, accidents really did happen back then. Apparently, there is no such thing as an accident anymore?!? Our parents even offered to pay the doctor bill, but the neighbors would not hear of it – “they were just being kids.”, was their reply.
Isn’t it funny, the things you thought were long forgotten, then a simple something like seeing a cart can bring them all back?
Colorado weather can be very different than most places. We never know what is coming over the mountains or which way it is going to flow. I have built up a pretty good sense of when to plant our starts and when to put in seeds, but not this year. It’s been a mess in more ways than one.
I am used to wet Marches, wild weather ups-and-downs in April, and then “get-it-in” Mays. This year has been snow, winds, wet and wet, and WET. I swear I am back in Wisconsin, and I didn’t know I was planning on a move?
IT’S GREEN!
Yes, Colorado does get green in the spring, but it is usually the fields, gardens, and lawns that get irrigation that the green appears. This year I am hard-pressed to find a non-green spot. We are supposed to be a higher altitude, arid, and much drier area – WHAT HAPPENED? I blame it on climate change since that has been messing up tons of places over the last several years. It’s either that or Mother Nature is really pissed off at us now. Even our poor crop farmers have had a hell of a time just trying to plant their typical fields. Everything is mud! FYI, tractors and mud do NOT mix.
Since our greenhouse lost its cover from the tornado, the plots have been susceptible to the weather, and right now, it’s a forest. We even have a ground cover base under all our plots, but the grasses and weeds have gotten too much rain support to slow down. Now the wonderful world of weather is telling us to expect close to 90degrees this Saturday. SATURDAY? With 80s in between. Great. Put some majorly intense sun and heat onto those already crazy weeds and grasses, and it will be time to dig out mazes to find the plots.
Oh, and part of my job during all this moisture was to figure out where all the leaks are in our buildings, then try to plug them – hahaha. It was easy to see where it was leaking, but not so easy to find a dry day to get out (or on top) and fix them. Now that we will have drier weather, I have become a hurry up and get it done Lady. Sure. Two fake knees, 1-1/2 fake shoulders, one fake foot, ½ an index finger, and osteoarthritis up the wazoo – YOU GO GIRL! Not! If anyone tries to tell me that my joints don’t feel the changes in the weather, I will pop them in the nose.
This old body got used to the dry, arid, comfortability of our beautiful Colorado. Now every step I take and every move I make has a corresponding snap, crackle, or pop to it. Oh, and let’s not discuss the getting down and trying to get back up again situation (yes, my dear friends who have seen me do this in action, you may laugh hysterically now), shall we.
So Wisconsin, you can have your floody spring back. I want my dryer Colorado and I am not willing to compromise!
I am leaving you in this post with a perfect picture that my cousin sent me. It totally sums up this spring for me:
I realize that everything last year was off whack, but I thought I could count on somethings remaining normal. Nope.
Our seed catalogs usually start showing up around October or November. I understand that anything that had to do with the mail was going to be late. What I was not expecting was for our catalogs to already be out of seeds?
How can this be? We just started getting the catalogs in late December. I assumed that most other garden lovers were also going to have delays. Apparently, there are a bunch of sneaky-snakes out there that didn’t wait for their catalogs; they just went right to their favorite websites and ordered ahead – grr!
What is with garden planners? Holy crap! There are hundreds of them out there on the internet and material world.
Some are free to sign up for their email.
Some cost minimal.
Some go as far as making them a whole book.
I currently have five different ones that I have saved, bought, downloaded, and/or created. One of my first goals this new 2021 year is to get something that actually works – AND HELPS – me. The last 6-10 years have had one terrible omen after another. I refuse to listen to them anymore. This year WILL be a winner in our gardens, and I will figure out how. Come hell or high-water or tornado!
On a side note, I just realized that the movie “I Robot” is supposed to be what the year 2035 looks like. This is now less than 15 years away. Between that and the film “Runaway”, I have decided that there will NEVER be robots tending my gardens. At least not while I am still alive.
Happy Gardening!
(Many thanks to some very talented – and funny – cartoonists!)
The very first day of the brand new year, and we get a fox! Damn!
We just got a new batch of chickens from a dear friend for my sister’s birthday. It’s the first time we have had a flock in the last five years. Things just seemed to be one issue after another, so there was never time to spend on a new batch-o-birds.
They came over on 12/27/20 with twelve birds, eleven hens, and a rooster. It’s a beautiful colorful mix of babes. Just to hear them clucking around, and the rooster crowing again filled us with hope for the new year.
Usually, when you have any newbie animals, it takes time for them to acclimate before providing anything; but these girls were up for the change and gave us our first two fresh eggs the very first day. Woohoo – an excellent sign for a new year, right? Wrong.
This morning at 4 a.m., my sister hears the rooster going nuts in the barn. She grabs a flashlight, throws on her slippers (note, we still have some snow on the ground), and runs out there to find our rooster dismembered. Proof positive of a fox in the henhouse. JERK! We have not even had them a full week.
AND IT’S THE VERY FIRST DAY OF A NEW YEAR – REALLY?!?
I just finished a nice post on my other blog (https://lifelessonslived.com/ ) about how I will simplify things this year to get more done, and then this happens. We spend a month shearing and prepping our chicken coup in hopes of finally getting newbies in 2021.
New wire.
New roofing.
New bedding.
Clean up and fixed all nesting boxes.
Shearing up any/all holes, gaps, or possible access spots.
All this, and yet the fox won. I was not even sure we still had them near us since we have not had anything for them to pick-off in years?
We are farmer/gardeners at heart; it’s how we grew up. We believe in live and let live, and everything happens for a reason – HOWEVER – this one’s got me baffled. Why us? Why the first day of a new year? Why in less than a week?
I never believed in trapping before, and it would be hard with all our barn cats, but I am seriously debating it now! The monsters have tons of rabbits, pigeons, prairie dogs, and rats around here to get food – STAY AWAY FROM OUR CHICKENS.
Happy New Year to us; we get to spend the day figuring out how the beastie got in and shear it up before it (they?) comes back again.
I wonder if it will ever stop? I know that the state (or county) put a sign on east-bound I-76 just before our exit that states “services next exit “, but it is wrong-sort of.
Yes, there are the services listed, however; when you get to the bottom of the off-ramp (which just happens to be right by our little farm), there is nothing to tell anyone just where to go for those services. It is another three miles to those services. Oh, and at the bottom of the off ramp, there is nothing telling them which direction to turn!
This has been a problem for us since the day we moved onto the farm (over 20 years ago now). I swear, everybody and their brother has to ask us something – or for something:
“Can you tell me where such-and-such is?”
“I ran out of gas, do you by chance have any to help me get to a gas station?”
“Can you tell me where the nearest gas station is?”
Those three questions are the most asked, but we also have some real beauties that have happened:
An elderly couple in a big, beautiful Caddy pulled into our driveway. The man got out and rang our doorbell. “I am sorry to bother you,” he said, “ but my wife really needs to use a bathroom. Could she possibly use yours?” Yes, we said yes.
While enjoying our Friday night cocktails one comfortable summer evening, we watched a Motorcyclist come down the off-ramp. A pretty standard practice there as tons of Cyclists have done it in the past and continue to do so today. This one was a bit different. He got off the bike (which was not small by a long shot), pulled out his cane, and proceeded to step back to stretch his legs. That’s when it happened. Just as he stepped clear of the motorcycle, it fell over. He tried to catch it but it was obviously more than he could possibly handle. We got up from our comfortable porch chairs, walked across the highway over to him at the off ramp, and proceeded to lift his motorcycle back up for him. He thanked us endlessly and even offered us money (we declined) and said he was just on his way back to Denver from Sturgis (he went to the bike rally up there) and just needed a bit of a break. We kindly suggested he may want to look into getting a tric (tricycle motorcycle). We all had a nice laugh and he went on his way.
It should also be noted that I am a mom that became a very light sleeper when I had my child. I have never been able to sleep long or sound for a full eight-hours after I had her possibly because she was born with a disability, possibly just because it is a mom thing? This last Friday proved, once again, that it is a very good thing.
It was around 11:30 p.m. Friday night, and the dogs started barking weirdly. They have several types of bark, but there is one that signals there is something really strange outside. This bark was one of those types.
They woke me and I went to the windows to see what was up. Then I saw the vehicle lights which were aimed at our vehicles. Definitely not a good sign!
There are several reasons people with vehicles are in front of our home in the middle of the night:
Gotta pee. This is by-far the biggest reason.
Dog has got to pee.
Check directions. Since the road signs do not clearly tell drivers where to go, they will drive by several times, stop, review maps or GPS and then figure it out.
Change drivers because the current one is starting to drift off.
But, I have to say, this one was a first:
As I was walking toward the widow where our vehicles are parked, I could see the top of someone’s head bobbing toward our door. The window was open because the night was cool and I leaned over and yelled out, “What do you want?” The poor kid jumped a foot! (Ok, I have to be honest and say that this made me laugh-internally- even though I was mad for the middle of the night disturbance.) He then proceeded to apologize profusely for the intrusion, but he/they had a bad flat tire. He asked if I had a jack. My first reflex action was “NO!!” I told him there was a garage just on the other side of the overpass and he could go there. (I knew full well that they were not open after 5p.m. any day, so the kid(s) would have to wait till morning. Serves them right for bugging me in the middle of the night!) After several more minutes of begging, offering the $20 he had for my trouble, and swearing he was not up to something bad; the mom in me gave in. I told him to pull in by my car and I went out to help. The tire was shredded so they must have been riding on it for a while. I got the jack out of my car, they proceeded to replace the tire and then the little fart offered the $20 again. I said no and then he asked if it was OK to give me a hug? He was going to visit he grandparents and I remined him of them. I caved in and then wished them a safe trip. Through all of this my sister, who fell asleep on the couch, did not budge – JERK!
I shared the story with my sister and we both laughed. Then she said was that she was proud I tried to not help them as we have sworn to each other to quit doing it. We have had too many bad experiences with strangers in the last 10 years and are trying to quit being so nice. The problem is, we were not raised that way. Our parents raised us with do unto others and help those that cannot help themselvesgrowing up so its embedded in our D.N.A.
I guess that with the state of things in the U.S. right now, maybe this little act of kindness is good thing and possibly even appreciated? A jack? In the middle of the night? Man, I have gotten soft!
Short, squatty, dumpy, frumpy, snarky, gimpy, and yuck. Yep, those little buggers in me are at it again. First, it was the extreme heat that got them rumbling. Then came the smoke from the Colorado fires. Next was the smoke from the California fires. Roll them all together, and my seven dwarfs strike again!
It’s been hard enough trying to keep the gardens going with the sun trying to bake them to a crisp, but the lack of rain has made it worse. We are lucky and have our own well (we had it tested when we moved in – great water and a very full stash – yea!), but we still try to collect all the rainwater we can get our hands-on. This year the tank fills have been few-and-far-between.
If you have been following me, you know I am an old-ish fart that has had too many major surgeries for such a young age. Getting around now is nothing like getting around in my twenties. Simple things like oh say, breathing, can be a challenge on a regular hot day. Throw in smoke clouds so thick they block out the sun to an orange type of glow, and it becomes a battle.
Everything is being “spot” watered now. I only use the sprinkler once a week in select areas. The spot (hand) watering takes me about 3-4 times longer than my regular watering system. The normal system takes me about 4-5 hours. Currently, I start at about 5:00 a.m. and do not finish until around noon. It is also hard on our well-pump, and that baby is only six years old. I can feel her pain!
The final straw was this morning. Working about my regular watering routine, I reached the greenhouse area. We still don’t have a roof (thank you Colorado winds from hell, oh, and the tornado of 2018), but the plots are doing great. This is the one place I actually laid out drip lines, AND THEY WORK! I turn on the water line to this area, make sure my splitters are watering all my beautiful veggies first, and then proceed to wander the plot rows to see how everyone is doing. (Yes – every ”one” as I talk to them all just like I talk to humans.)
I watch closely for anybody starting to turn color. My method is to clear them out a bit so I can keep an eye on them every day. When they get to just the right color, I nab them for our dinner table. (If tons are coming in at once, they become canned, dried, or frozen foods) I had a beauty of a tomato coming in. Yesterday it was just about ready, but nope, I waited one more day. I squatted down to pluck my perfect tomato (oh, by the way, it is about the size of a softball), and my fingers were covered in tomato guts-YUCK!! DAMN MICE!!!
We have farm cats all over the place, and I have yet to see them catch a single mouse. The greenhouse is wide open, so they can come and go as they please. They please to take a dump in there on occasion, but can’t seem to catch a mouse? So, I wandered back to the house and got a trap. It is set with peanut butter (favorite mouse food, in case you didn’t know) and sitting right now just under my poor beautiful tomato. I swear, if I catch that stinking mouse, I will dangle it by the cat’s noses then feed it to the dogs!
Maybe I need to buy some rubber snakes to set in my tomato bushes? Then I can scare off the mice and myself when my old-ish age makes me forget that I placed them there.
Farm kids find the simplest ways to entertain themselves. Making hay is hard work, but building forts while putting that hay up in our barn was tons of fun. (There were only regular small bales back then and, sad to say, there are very few places that still make them today.) Rolling down our steep hills was also a form of great joy, and then there was the Milkweed plant.
It is a weed, so, as such, most farmers would destroy them in favor of their paying crop. We played with ours, which, I think, made our father a bit mad. If you broke open the stem, it produced a milky substance that was very sticky (just try to mess with the plant without getting sticky!?! Can’t happen.), but our favorite part was the pods.
It is a strong and pretty plant that produces a heavy bushy type of flower during the summer and is best known as the perfect food for the Monarch butterflies. Then as the summer ends and fall begins, they grow these pods. The pods are filled with tons of little brown seeds, and each seed is attached to a very light and feathery stem. This is where dad would get mad.
We would break open the pods and purposefully pull out all the seeds on their feathers and throw them up into the air. We would pretend they were little fairies floating all around us. Pretty obvious why dad didn’t like it, but also pretty sure Mom Nature loved us for it.
It is a perfect read, especially since I have never looked at them as a veggie, but they needed to add the joy that it can bring to little kids as one of its best benefits.
On a side note, I need to thank our neighbors. They own big fields of paying crops (including crops that go into cow bellies) but have never stopped to ask us to get rid of them. The plant was not originally on our farm. The first one showed up in our front yard about five years ago, and my sister and I protected it. No, we did not pop open the pod and watch the fairies dance (but it was a thought); it did that all on its own. We just encouraged it to grow and enjoyed watching it feed our honeybees, butterflies, and other beneficial bugs.
HELBERG FARM STORIES 