When I first started this blog it was a way to keep my CSA customers aware of what was happening on the farm and what they could expect in their baskets for the week. I have never professed to be an intellect about gardening. I can't spout off the Latin names of plants, nor quote verbatim the proper way to grow tomatoes. I don't know what is the best way to get rid of squash bugs. My own simple-minded observation is to do as their name suggests. Remove them from the plant and SQUASH them. And as for fire ants---pour.......well you figure it out.
But I can tell a good story and funny things do happen to us all the time and sometimes peoples' lives are just plain made for good story telling so I hope you don't mind me sharing with you.
As you know I have been on the road a lot lately. Good ole Wilma brought me home to the farm again the other night. It was well after dark when I arrived because the weather had been horrible over the canyon. Slow going, the rain the night before had frozen solid on the roads. Black ice covered with a couple inches of snow. I must be crazy I told myself as I started up the steep grade over Indian Canyon. Near the summit a semi truck was struggling to make the climb. His wheels were spinning and he wasn't going up, knowing if I stopped I would never be able to get going again, and fearing he may come sliding back and knocking me off the cliff I made the quick decision to go around him hoping someone didn't come the other direction..... it would be the end of me. I pulled around him, losing all traction and sliding within inches of his tires. By keeping the wheels spinning and turning, with the skid I zig-zagged back and forth and was able to finally get around him and into my own lane. I had passed a snow plow down at the bottom 30 miles back so I knew he was behind me and by the time I had slip-slided to the summit he was in my rear view mirror.. For those of you who travel in the snow know it is the down hill grade that is the most exhilarating, anything can happen. I pulled off and let the snow plow and another vehicle by me and began the adventure down the steep grade. Needless to say even fearless me was a bit concerned. The snow plow went down the grade sideways his back tires off the road throwing the sand/salt mixture off the road where it would be of no use. His blade hugging the road scraping off the snow, but only skimming across the ice. Every once in a while he would manage to get lined back up on the road. That day the scruffy faced, handsome man in the big orange truck was my knight in shinning armor. Why does it seem I always need to be rescued? It is tough on this independent gal.
Called Glen when I got to Spanish Fork, so he wouldn't worry, it was 1:00 p.m. The usual 2 and1/2 hour trip over the mountain had taken 4 hours.
"Thanks, Wilma, I knew you wouldn't let me down. You made that canyon easy." I told the old gal as we caught the freeway and headed for home. For those of you wondering who Wilma is, she is my trusty 17 year old vehicle. She is all heart and never lets me down.
Stopped in Cedar for a while to check on my daughter. We are lucky to have her. She is one of the 5% who live through a undiagnosed ruptured appendix. After 2 months of being deathly ill, she finally found a Doctor who just wouldn't say you're fine and send her home. The antibiotics seem to be clearing up the infection and she is feeling well.
By the time I got home it was well after dark. The wind was blowing and it was blasted cold. About 13 degrees the barometer read. I bundled up and checked the animals at the farm. Gathered the frozen eggs and drove up to the house. Parked the car in the driveway and left Wilma running so I could see by the lights how to make my way around to the back of the house to unlock the door. Burr it was cold, said that already, ran out to the car and grabbed my suitcase and the strawberries and grapes so they wouldn't freeze. Left the car running so I could see to make another trip with items that needed to be brought in--------------well, I got in the house and it was so cold I got busy and built a fire....... and then I had to run outside and turn the water on in the pumphouse and run back into the house to shut off the taps so the water wouldn't fill the sinks and run all over the floor. After all this was accomplished I decided that everything left in the car wouldn't be hurt by the freezing, windy weather.
I didn't go to the farm real early the next morning, I waited for daylight and the temperature to warm up before walking down to check on everyone. Well, it took quite a while to warm up above 20 degrees, and the wind was still howling, so it wasn't until about 10:00 a.m. before I ventured out to the farm. I walked around the gate and looked at Wilma sitting contently in the drive way. Her lights were on, looking at me, and she was humming. I had left her running all night! Silly me--forgetful me--- I immediately began to apologize to her about leaving her running all night and do you know what she said?
"Don't worry about it, I was frozen solid by the time I got us home last night. I had ice frozen everywhere from that blasted snow on the mountain. It was so cold, and the wind last night blew so hard my fenders were turning blue and besides........ I am not ready for winter. I finally got warm with my heater on all night and my engine running. You can leave me running all night anytime you want!"
Well, needless to say I was a bit embarrassed. Good thing I live out in the middle of nowhere, I think my absentmindedness will go undiscovered.
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