Category: Gardening

Growing days

Every week the corn grows a little bit…no, actually a lot taller. It’s really amazing. Last week the corn was shoulder height.

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And the garden beds looked good even after the frying mishap…

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This week the corn is taller than I am and the tassels have emerged.

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And the garden beds have grown tenfold! No wonder everything is bigger in the Amazon!

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Right now is the special time when the corn plant pollinates itself to produce the ear of corn that is valued so high. Right now is also one of the hottest weeks all summer. The corn plant should not under go much stress during the pollination period. Stress reduces the number of kernels an ear may have and therefore reduces the future yield. A heat index of 115 degrees Fahrenheit is not conducive to a happy and stress free plant. But so far, our corn plants look magnificent and healthy. All the green is really a site to see. But I will let you know how this week of extreme hotness goes for us and the corn.

Festivals, foreigners and not a whole lot of farming

I grew up in a community with traditions…traditions that date back to the late 1800’s. One of these traditions is the West St. Charles Church annual 4th of July picnic, the country church in the community where we live. The picnic entails a potluck, singing, a speaker who talks about something in regards to our freedom as a nation, and a load of games for young and old. Growing up, this event was very memorable, so coming back to it so many years later was a real treat. After the great food and speaker, the games commenced. There was the nail hammering contest…

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The bubble gum blowing contest…

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The buffalo chip tossing contest….
The water balloon tossing contest….
The sesame seed spitting contest…
The potato sack races….
And many more.

Noora, our exchange student from Finland got the real deal on her first day in Iowa. She enjoyed herself so much, she requested to have her picture taken like this…

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