The high point of our walk yesterday was a bunch of us had a sculpture lesson at the studio of artist Michael Magrath, a Michelangelo moment. Jennifer arranged this event for a birthday gift for her buddy Heather and we were included to amp up the fun. Playing with clay, yea. Check the pic, that is Michael on the right.
From left to right : Heather, Jennifer, My Rebecca, Felipe, Sherrie and Michael Magrath at his studio.
The herd just outside the kitchen window.
That was three hours and the old story how time flies. I could do that for another three years really, where do I sign up? He has weekly sessions that folks attend. Sounds like a good wintertime activity.
Today I am off to work to hammer some nails. Also, keeping the stand supplied with available produce. Friday is the big day to start corn sales, well hopefully. I think we have enough out there to sell for two to three weeks, if the raccoons don’t attack. I may sleep out there in my tent if I get too nervous about them.
Bird and rabbit hunting starts September first and am starting to think about that. That means a road trip to Eastern Washington to the Middle of Nowhere, my favorite place. My favorite location had a big wildfire two years ago, this time of year. Was back there once and am waiting on it to rebuild. Speaking of wildlife, the deer are here outside the kitchen window, mom and two fawns.
Just planning on an ordinary kind of day today but who knows right? We all know about plans. Thinking of you there, love, Felipe.
PFFelipe, For a banged up old Marine who spends a helluva lot of time in Sick Bay, you sure do some cool things when you’re off duty. Here’s your assignment, find out what Michelangelo said about how to sculpt. Then go back to your instructor there and get at it. We might all be surprised at what you can do with a hammer and chisel.
Still bummed about the yet un-revenged attack on my sweet corn patch. How many different plantings did you make if you’re planning on having multiple weeks of corn offerings? Our corn varieties have a maximum of 4 day window for their “perfection” stage. Either before or after that window is less than allowable to be called Iowa sweet corn. We want it on the plate within an hour after it leaves the stalk. Nobody talks then because it’s all eating sounds.
Cathy and I took some time off today to visit a fellow farmer and biker who was banged up seriously bad in a truck vs bicycle accident a month ago. It was really touch and go keeping him on the outside of the Pearly Gates for a while, but he’s come back a long way and we had a great visit. He’s former Iowa National Guard, but has a rawhide tough streak holding him together. You’d like him too.
More rain here today. The field corn is going to need scaffolding to hold it up with the size of the ears growing in it now. 😉
SF,
PFJ
PFJ ~ man you have three major topics in this one comment. We have to talk more often. But it is all happening around us and with us, for us, through us, that is the one overarching topic.
Yes, I will have to check in with Michelangelo. Read a fascinating historical novel about him and his work on the Sistine Chapel and dealing with the Pope and Martin Luther slipped in there for a while. I love all these old characters, that was probably my era really.
Yes and corn, one of our favorite topics PFJ! I have to open by saying that we here in the Pacific NW are not corn sophisticates. We know about things fishy mostly. Corn is more for those folks down south. So we are not overly critical really is the point. For example, my favorite corn is an ear that is a little past prime and I willingly trade tenderness for corniness. And cooking that over charcoal with the husk on is pretty much heaven for this banged up Marine. So the point is that I may be stretching the parameters of traditional perfect.
We have three phases of the crop this year with two early variety plantings and one late. So I think that I can stretch the time to two for sure and maybe three weeks if I can keep the water going to it. Then we collect the remaining early variety ears for drying and grinding. Well, this is counting chickens before the hatch if the dreaded raccoons get into it seriously. I am moving a tent out there so I can get eye to eye with them and fend off possible attack.
And your buddy who wrestled with a truck, bless him. Yes, buoy him up so he can have his sweet second chance at life. And more importantly have time to get reconciled with the big picture. Give me his first name if you will and I can put a rock on the pile for him here at Phil’s Camino.
OK, have to get my day rolling. Thanks for being such a friend Amigo, PFF.
Buenas Dias Amigo!
My farmer buddy’s name is Lanny Brinning. He’s 5 years my junior but just as ornery. We’d both be categorized as “outliers” in the rural sociologists spectrum. Our fellow farmers look a bit askance at farmers that enjoy riding bicycles for long distances when they have a perfectly good pick up truck setting in the driveway. When we visited him yesterday, we took him the cool Talleyrand Bike Club jersey that the corpsman had to cut off his beat up body at the accident site. All the club members had autographed it and it proudly put it up on his hospital room wall. Wish I could figure out how to put pictures on here so you could see it. The jersey was designed by my Cathy and daughters and is knock-em-out cool. It has the emblems of all the services on the back with the EGA prominently displayed on the center line (as it should be, of course)
Lots of stuff going on in the Conway case this summer. Will keep you posted. Taking off to Tulsa mid next month to spend time with best USMC buddy there for a couple of days. The ties that bind, ya know.
SF
PFJ
OK, PFJ ~ will be on this, prayers for Lanny. PFF.