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Popcorn Ready at Last

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Back in June I planted some popcorn. I planted it later than I wanted but the turkeys, and then the crows, had pulled up all of the sweet corn. I was playing it safe. I hung some old CD’s to blow in the wind and that kept the fowl away. At the end of September (the 22nd) my daughter and I picked it and shucked it. It has been hanging to dry since then.

I tried to pop some last month but it did not work well. It was not dry enough. Today I tried again, heating about ten kernels in hot oil. Every one popped. My son helped me peel the seeds from the cobs. He stripped a few of the mini cobs before declaring “I think I’m done doing this now.” I love his honesty.  I picked up the ones he scattered across the counter.

We did not get too much, just over half a jarful, but it is enough for several batches this fall and (if it lasts) winter.  Here are some visuals of the process this afternoon:

What they looked like before removing the kernels

What they looked like before removing the kernels

Naked cobs

Naked cobs

Off the cob

Off the cob

Storage vessel until time for popping arrives

Storage vessel until time for popping arrives

Tractor Riding (and Other Stuff)

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Yesterday I noted all the things I was hoping to get done today.  I pretty much got to all of the things on that list.  I spent about three hours mowing this morning, with frost on the grass.  It was wet.  I didn’t get stuck but I did have to move slowly at times.  Plus, I stacked a bunch of wood, got the snow stakes in the ground, made that banana bread and even did some garden maintenance (read, digging up weeds).

Here is evidence of the brushhogging:

Mowing the North End of the Field

In the Driver's Seat

The Rig With Brush-Hogging in Progress

The Rig With Brush-Hogging in Progress

The banana bread, by the way, was top notch.  It did not make it through the day.

Getting Stuff Done on a Saturday

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I felt like I didn’t get enough done today but I did get something done.  Here is a list:

  1. I gathered the trash and recycling and took it to the dump, including the vinyl inflatable pool that has been sitting outside the garage for a year now, deflated and filled with sand;  yeah, that was good purchase.
  2. I took my son to the dump and convinced him to be happy about not taking the always-offered lollipop because he had had so much Halloween candy lately.  That may have been the biggest accomplishment of the day.
  3. I purchased some snow stakes to line the driveway.  Our old fiberglass stakes are pretty shredded and are nasty splinterizers.  We need to get the new ones in as the ground has been considering freezing lately.  At least I got the first part of that one done.
  4. I rolled about on the floor with my kids and laughed quite a bit.
  5. I made lunch for my son while my wife and daughter were out for a hike–he even ate most of it, including a large peeled carrot.
  6. I hung laundry on the clothesline and then folded a huge pile of it in the late afternoon.
  7. I washed a whole mess of dishes.
  8. I took out and stirred the compost, although I was sad to see it is not cooking as much as it had been in the warmer weather.
  9. I brushogged for two hours.  Last night my brother-in-law dropped off his tractor and I had a grand time mowing the field.  I got only part of it done (it will take 8-10 hours to get to it all) but the kids each rode for a while (I also purchased an additional set of ear protectors at the hardware store) and they had fun bouncing about on my lap.  I only got stuck once but got out with the bucket in but a minute.

Tomorrow I will get out on the tractor some more, hopefully make some banana bread, and start stacking the firewood.  We may get the snow stakes in as well but that may have to wait until we get the tractor out of here.  Oh, and I was hoping to go for a run.  If only I got more done today, I would have less to do tomorrow.  But here we are.  I’ll just have another piece of candy and everything will be fine.

Bats in the House

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My wife found a bat in the basement today.  It was pretty dead.  Dessicated, you might say.  My guess is that it hibernated over the winter, didn’t make it out, then fell from the floor joists where it had taken its nap.  Bummer.

This summer we had bats in the house a couple of times.  Once, I was putting my daughter to bed when a bat landed on the windowsill.  Luckily I was able to quickly wrap it in a blanket and take it outside before it freaked her out too much.  She was curious about it more than she was scared.  Phew.

The second time a bat was in our room as we went up to bed.  That one took a little longer to corner.  I finally got it into the bathroom but it was doing laps around my head.  Eventually it landed in the shower and I scooped it up in a blanket again.  Maybe it was the same bat.

Stupid bat.

I am hoping we don’t have any bats setting up shop in the basement for the winter right now.  How the heck would we find them?  Is there a bat expert we can contact who would know how to find bats in the basement?  A basement hibernating bat expert?

Our basement would be a great place for a bat to spend the winter.  It is dark and warm and gets hardly any visitors.  And there are plenty of cozy nooks in which to curl up and sleep.  Plus, the owners of the house wouldn’t be able to find a bat down there if they tried.

Who’s stupid now?