We finally had frost out at the Ness farm, so on Wednesday we all went out with the intention of bringing in the squash, melons, cabbages, and root crops. It was chilly but sunny and seemed like a good day to do it.
Patti and I were about half way done with cutting cucurbits free of their vines when Claire came running up, all traumatized and crying. The kids had all been playing together, a stick had been launched into the air, and Claire, who had been laying on her back in the grass looking at the sky, had become where the stick had landed, bruising her face and breaking her earring. She wanted to leave NOW so we packed things up figuring we would get back out in the next couple of days. We did manage to get all of the squash and melons in which I was more concerned with in regards to cold than I was the rest of the harvest.
One of the melons in particular was extremely ripe, and filled the vehicle up with an incredible aroma which did directly indicate how wonderful it tasted. That was dessert that evening, enjoyed with great gusto by all.
But it did mean that we needed to get back out to harvest the beets, rutabagas, carrots and cabbages.
The forecasts went from fair, to not so fair. Thursday was soaking wet, but Friday looked ok and I talked to Frank about the Minnetonka garden. This was his last chance to get out there because he spends the end of October deer hunting, so he and I spend a few hours out there getting the tomato plants pulled, cages stacked, and we picked two last flats of tomatoes. We agreed, that by a wide margin, this was the best production year we have had from doing that garden together.
The Saturday forecast was not as good as Friday, and Sunday was looking worse, so Patti, the kids and I all went out to the Ness farm on Saturday. It started to rain and sleet on us as soon as we got into the car, and it had not stopped by the time we arrived. Thankfully the kids had brought some dolls along, we instructed them to not let Baby Vi get into the front seats, while Patti and I grabbed boxes, buckets, a pitchfork, and a knife.
Carrots, which had been really small just a few weeks ago, had sized up nicely.
The rutabagas did really well.
The rain and sleet let up for a moment and Claire came out to help. We were to the beets by then.
Just as we were finishing, a rainbow which became a double rainbow, appeared to the northeast of us.
Hard to make out the second band, but it is above the obvious one there.
Not a bad haul. Now we just have to deal with it. <grin>
We stopped at the orchard on the way home. Not to pick apples, but to trade a bushel of produce for a bunch of watermelons. Baby Vi nibbled at the rind on one all the way home while proclaiming it to be “num num”. <grin> Though, once home and settled she did seem to enjoy slices more than she had the rind.
