We tried to grow corn last year. But after about $40 dollars worth of city water, a million weeds pulled, and all our hopes and dreams riding on the possibility of those golden kernels ready for harvest, my husband and I plucked two, pitiful cobs from the garden that went straight into the compost. Sigh. And since Costco sells organic corn for $4.99 a bag, we decided to go the modern route this year.
But, a friend of mine had an incredibly successful crop and with baby number five on the way, she felt a little overwhelmed by the crates of fresh picked corn on her back porch, so in a moment of near insanity, a few of us girls volunteered to join her in a corn shucking day. The kids loved it. While we tugged off the husks, filling a Red Rider wagon (my husband just reminded me that was a gun not a wagon. I suppose they are more commonly known as Radio Flyers. oops :D) to the brim, one lucky boy got to haul it away. Where it went each trip, I have no idea, but that's the nature of four-year-olds and we'll take whatever help we can get :) Even the littlest kids joined in and with the mommies seated in white rocking chairs, surrounded by homemade cinnamon rolls and hot coffee, the work was rather pleasurable--and the sleeping cat--no that's not a country calendar your looking at.
You know its organic corn--straight off the stalks--no chemicals involved, when the kids are huddled around the glass jar of corn worms, begging to be the one to dump it into the chicken coop. Now, for a former city girl, this would have normally made me squirm, but since I have been inducted into the world of country living--dirt under my fingernails, camo in my closet and all--this did not bother me as much as I expected. Although I must admit, I am deathly afraid of bugs. Rattlesnake...who cares? Crouching tiger...walk in the park. But pair me against a mosquito eater, and I'm pale as a ghost, screaming my head off--arms flailing. My husband thinks its funny.
So while my friends were not afraid to simply pluck the worms from the corn, I, in my citified way, gently tapped the corn cob against the jar. Plunk. Worm removed. No touching required. (I guess some things never change.)
Many hands make quick work and in no time, we hauled the corn into the kitchen and after slicing it off the cobs, blanched it and packed the ready-to-freeze corn into gallon bags. Its amazing how time flies when there's work to be done. We said our goodbyes and while still finding corn kernels stuck to the oddest places, I tucked my tired toddlers (with dirt caked to their Carhartt overalls) into the car and it was back down the dusty road, headed for home. Another day. Another project.
Happy Homesteading! And Happy Harvest!
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2 comments:
Why can't I see the cat? Sounds like a fun day. :)
haha! Yes, I was taking a picture of the cat sleeping by the rocking chair and my camera decided to be dead. This was the only shot I got with my camera phone. That tends to be my luck with technology :)
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