Harvest Season

Yesterday was the first of September. That was a huge surprise to me. Time has again passed by at an incredible speed. This time of year is busy for so many people. Garden harvesting, canning and freezing the produce, and getting ready for winter are all very time consuming. Then you have state fairs, county fairs, and fiber fairs. So much to do.

So why is fall my favorite season. And did I say harvest was my favorite time? What was I thinking? But it really is, even with so much going on.

Sister Connie and I had a successful weekend at the Butterfield’s 43rd Annual Steam and Gas Engine Show. The threshing bee has hundreds of antique tractors displayed and paraded; antique cars and trucks; antique steam and gas engines; a pioneer town; displays and demonstrators; and of course good food. We were demonstrators this year, a first for me. Connie showed spinning on our Great, Great Grandmother’s wheel, weaving and knitting.

Connie showing a lady how to spin.

And I had a wonderful time, showing rug hooking and combing wool. And talking and talking and talking. (Thanks Renee, for making me get up in front of the public and talk. I can do it now with no fear.) I could not believe all the people we saw, talked to and helped with some of the crafts.

Our tables in the Engine House #1.

Then I have been canning and freezing all of our garden produce. Some of you may remember last year when I finally threw up my hands and said “NO MORE TOMOTOTES”. Well, we planted fewer plants this year and got as many or more tomatoes. So I came up with a salsa recipe that we love and have been canning that. Then Daughter Brook said she wanted to learn canning and wonder of wonders; she wants my marinara sauce and tomato sauce. So she gets to have it all: learning to can both using the rest of our tomatoes.

And I decided that I wanted to learn to make dill pickles. I had found a hand written recipe in a 1880s Peoples Home Recipe book that I was working on this spring in Rapid City. So I copied it, threw some cucumber seeds in the ground and waited impatiently to make pickles. Well, our cucumbers have hundreds of blooms, but I have only picked a few. They are not setting on. So I got some from other people and tried the recipe. Oh, that old recipe is good.

And finally, Hubby and I have been working on our gazebo floor. For those of you that don’t know; we took an old corn crib and moved it to our yard. We have been using it for a gazebo for about a year. But I wanted a floor in it. And when a friend redid his patio, we got the used cement “rocks”. This weekend was spent laying the floor. We just have to finish the edges with rock and grout. Then it will be an even better area to just sit and relax.

Almost finished.

Oh, I have to tell you…..we found another “treasure” in our grove. Hubby had been tripping over a curved piece of metal and finally decided it might be part of a metal wheel. So we dug it out. Most of it was buried 6-12 inches below the surface. We were so exited. It is a 54 inch iron wheel, probably from a buggy or a hay rake. We cleaned it up and painted it. Yes, it was originally red.

Our new addition.

Possibly an old International Harvester rake wheel.

And finally, I have decided to name my new wheel Belle. She is a beauty. And she is making short work of the BFL that I’ve had for about 2 years. I’m just about ready to dye two bobbins. I’ll let you know how that goes.