Tractor parade

We drove down to Meadow with the grandparents to the Threshing Bee/Tractor Parade on Sunday. It was an opportunity to see the land where Grandpa spent "the dirty thirties." The house was no longer standing, but there was an old building where Grandpa said he slept during the summer. We saw the stone foundation of his grade school, and the quarter of land that his uncle bought for $80 in 1936. He enjoyed the day and our company. We stopped at The Sugar Shack to get ice cream on the way home.

I had to shake my head over the lack of "farm safety" during the parade. Check out the little girl in the loader. Each tractor had about three kids hanging on the back, standing on the bar behind the driver.

There was an antique dealer selling the cutest little cut glass salt and pepper shakers. She had old-fashioned cooking utensils, pottery, jewelry, and linens. To me, the prices seemed very reasonable. I didn't buy anything, but enjoyed looking. The farmer pointed out an old barber chair (not for sale) that was the same kind as one we saw on American Restoration last night. That one was bought for $500 and after restoration, sold for $6,500. Who knows what is in the old buildings on the farmsteads nearby?

This has been a busy time in the garden. The farmer is doing something new this year. He dehydrated the seedless grapes to make raisins. They come out of the dehydrator warm and a little crispy on the outside, and full of flavor.

The black beans were a request from Rhonda.

we added some to a batch of salsa. Delicious.

This year's wine has been started, both white and red. We have really enjoyed the finished product from the past two years.

The watermelons are a lovely apricot color inside, and very juicy. We have picked the apples, but haven't done anything with them yet. I made a peach/raspberry cobbler out of the last of the Colorado peaches and fresh-picked berries.

The insects and bees are all over the raspberry patch. At night, we can hear the raccoons chattering as they raid the grapevines. They should be fat by winter.

I am slowly improving at the health record, but I still find it frustrating. Instead of saying just what I want, it gives me snippets of canned text. I learned more this week about the pharmacy (e-prescribing) and ordering lab and xray. Because the hospital is on a different computer program, the lab and xray live in a different world, and until the programmers can build a patch, the results don't automatically come into the record.

I feel like the doctor has taken the place of medical records and transcription, without a bump in pay and only frustration at the finished product. Once upon a time, the whole note could read: Sore throat and fever. Strep screen positive. IM Penicillin 600,000 Units. Now it prints out four pages long, but doesn't convey any more real information. Sigh.

In the quilting world, I am trying to restore Mom's clamshell quilt (some pieces of satin have frayed badly) and then will send it to a longarm quilter. The quilting should stabilize the fabric, and hold it in place. Hopefully, it will be stronger and more useable. I did take off the bright pink border, and will do a simple one, so the focus is on the quilt itself. I will put a label on the back to record the information she had on her border. I promise pictures when it is done. It will likely be next summer, but I think it is worth the effort.

We are going to a threshing bee in Meadow today. The farmer says it it time to get ready. He is right.

Cute Chicks

Don't these city chicks look cute in their hen house in Aunt D's backyard? They are paying attention to the noisy dog over the back fence. I had a good visit. The scenic spot below is the view as you cross the bridge before heading up the trail to where we scattered Mom's ashes. It was a pretty spot.

Chris tied a few flies out of the hens' feathers and a little fuzzy hair from Sophie, the yellow lab. He works quickly, and it reminds me of quilting with the creative use of hands and materials.

Garden harvest is overwhelming. Melon, yellow watermelon, grapes, apples, cucumbers, zuchinni, black beans, onions. There is literally no more room in the freezer. We are thinking of building a cold storage space or buying a second refridgerator. Road trip to Fargo tomorrow to share the harvest with Rhonda and to visit M. at UND.