We had a good day at the stand today. Not our best ever but probably in the top ten. The melons and corn were doing good traffic but it's the tomatoes that are really rockin'. Seems lots of people haven't had a good 'mater in a while. It was windy and our stupid canning tomato sign fell over or we would've sold more cases of canning tomatoes too.
Just got through eating some delicious Abby's pizza paid for by our good friends Charley and June Smith as an appreciation for me taking care of their cats.
Today is dad's birthday. 71! Still tough and cantankerous as ever. My sister and mom conspired to get him an ice cream birthday cake from Dairy Queen (where sis works) and neither dad nor I suspected a thing. So when the pizza settles we'll have a delightful treat to enjoy for dessert.
I started picking this morning around 6:45 and have been running ever since so I'm pretty tired now, gonna go rest a bit.
Y'all be happy and well.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Hailstorm subsequence
Bad news.
The main field of tomatoes finally began ripening and we are facing a huge press of sunburned and yellow-shouldered tomatoes.
Everything was going fine, all looked well while the fruit was green. However, it turns out that the hailstorm pounded down and opened up our plants too much so we are seeing a huge incidence of basically ruined fruit. It isn't that it's inedible, just unmarketable. I'm afraid our dealings with Ray's Food Place are now going to be a mute issue. Nothing sadder than 15,000 pounds of useless fruit.
We'll still have enough for our stand, just barely but picking will suck. Gonna have to spend a lot of time searching and hunting for usable fruit.
Well, this too shall pass. Hope y'all are being happy and well.
The main field of tomatoes finally began ripening and we are facing a huge press of sunburned and yellow-shouldered tomatoes.
Everything was going fine, all looked well while the fruit was green. However, it turns out that the hailstorm pounded down and opened up our plants too much so we are seeing a huge incidence of basically ruined fruit. It isn't that it's inedible, just unmarketable. I'm afraid our dealings with Ray's Food Place are now going to be a mute issue. Nothing sadder than 15,000 pounds of useless fruit.
We'll still have enough for our stand, just barely but picking will suck. Gonna have to spend a lot of time searching and hunting for usable fruit.
Well, this too shall pass. Hope y'all are being happy and well.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Tomato scramble
They've started the chip-seal operation on our highway and contrary to my earlier post, I couldn't be happier. That's how busy it has been at the stand.
Tomatoes are selling like crazy. Seems a lot of people don't trust grocery store tomatoes after the salmonella scare. I've heard many customers say, "I haven't eaten a tomato in three months" or something equivalent.
So I'm really glad we've got extra or we'd be running out.
Melons are also a high point, I brought in a big pile of Crenshaw this morning and they taste so good you can almost hear the angles sing. Sampled a few bites out and every person who tried has bought one. Gotta Love It!
Y'all have a super day.
Tomatoes are selling like crazy. Seems a lot of people don't trust grocery store tomatoes after the salmonella scare. I've heard many customers say, "I haven't eaten a tomato in three months" or something equivalent.
So I'm really glad we've got extra or we'd be running out.
Melons are also a high point, I brought in a big pile of Crenshaw this morning and they taste so good you can almost hear the angles sing. Sampled a few bites out and every person who tried has bought one. Gotta Love It!
Y'all have a super day.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Singular
What fascinates me about great scientists like Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein? Asides from all the wonderful work they did in elucidating the nature of the universe, they also proved one important point: that it is possible for everyone on earth to be wrong but you.
What's the deal?
I'm fascinated with how coincidences and synchronicity are synergized by the internet and blogs in particular.
I can dwell here for a while and write up some casually thrown piece of reflection and if it offends someone, anyone, anywhere in the world, I hear from them the very next day.
But if I have a great idea, one that could solve a lot of problems for a lot of people, or a particularly useful service or product then it's swimming up a mountain when I try to get my message across.
My visitor numbers have dropped to about 65 people a week, so it isn't like I'm having this huge witness field to draw on. Why is there a dichotomy in what sort of data gets amplified and passed on? And what sort of person is selectively searching for the content of my website and then passing that on? Don't they have a life, a job, children to worry about? At least a pet goldfish to feed.
It's really weird.
I can dwell here for a while and write up some casually thrown piece of reflection and if it offends someone, anyone, anywhere in the world, I hear from them the very next day.
But if I have a great idea, one that could solve a lot of problems for a lot of people, or a particularly useful service or product then it's swimming up a mountain when I try to get my message across.
My visitor numbers have dropped to about 65 people a week, so it isn't like I'm having this huge witness field to draw on. Why is there a dichotomy in what sort of data gets amplified and passed on? And what sort of person is selectively searching for the content of my website and then passing that on? Don't they have a life, a job, children to worry about? At least a pet goldfish to feed.
It's really weird.
Tiredness revelation
The last 24 hours have been lessons in the revelations provided by exhaustion. When I am tired from too much work all sorts of long simmering angers and resentments come to the fore. None of these are irrational or untrue, just expressions of events which went unanswered.
I think that when I am tired, those events which have drawn time, energy, money etc. from me which has not been returned or balanced come to the fore. My weakened state makes my mind dwell on those events which resonate with that state.
A small revelation, but that is all the awareness I have left to share.
Be well.
I think that when I am tired, those events which have drawn time, energy, money etc. from me which has not been returned or balanced come to the fore. My weakened state makes my mind dwell on those events which resonate with that state.
A small revelation, but that is all the awareness I have left to share.
Be well.
Bright, bright sun shiny day
A lovely morning to you, world.
Gotta head out in a minute and pick stuff, just wanted to take a moment to support the world with a little positive reinforcement.
So everybody: Be happy, you deserve it.
Gotta head out in a minute and pick stuff, just wanted to take a moment to support the world with a little positive reinforcement.
So everybody: Be happy, you deserve it.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Workin'
Sorry, no time to blog. Very tired. Gotta get up early and strip the pinks and reds from the tomato field as there is a 70% chance of showers tomorrow evening.
Y'all be well now, ya hear?
Y'all be well now, ya hear?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Cantaloupe!!!
Cantaloupe!
Cantaloupe!
Cantaloupe!
And some other melons too...
Switched over to the Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday schedule. Lots of sweet peaches coming in from Meyer's Orchard (bless 'em for growing such a fine peach.) and now the delightful cantaloupes have begun to tan up and smell good.
Sadly the cornfields are barren in the aftermath of June's hailstorm. Next good corn picking will be near the end of the month.
Lots of good ripe tomatoes starting to show up. Should be able to put out the TOMATOES sign Wednesday.
Hope y'all are being happy.
Cantaloupe!
Cantaloupe!
And some other melons too...
Switched over to the Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday schedule. Lots of sweet peaches coming in from Meyer's Orchard (bless 'em for growing such a fine peach.) and now the delightful cantaloupes have begun to tan up and smell good.
Sadly the cornfields are barren in the aftermath of June's hailstorm. Next good corn picking will be near the end of the month.
Lots of good ripe tomatoes starting to show up. Should be able to put out the TOMATOES sign Wednesday.
Hope y'all are being happy.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Struggle burrito
Struggle wrapped in challenge and liberally sauced with frustration.
In early spring we had a 2 week illness (probably influenza) then late rains and a June 14 frost which stressed the corn and tomatoes. Then we had the June 28 hailstorm. Now the Oregon Department of Transportation has us in its cross-hairs again. They are getting ready to chip-seal the road in front of our sales stand.
Apparently I must've pissed off someone who works there or some middle-manager's wife or something because last year they totally screwed my September sales by sending out several crews to cut trees and then "repair" the shoulders of the road. Neither of which needed to be done in the remotest manner but certainly prevented many customers from driving our way. The shoulder work was particularly stupid because it was done during a rainy spell and completely dissipated before a month was out. This chip-seal is a similar proposition; a fine waste of taxpayers money. Plus it could've been done ay any other time.
Between this and the steadily decaying character of the new customers who have been coming in, the option of selling wholesale to a grocery store chain is getting to look better and better. Especially considering that I can get almost the same price I do selling to the public.
I wish I could say "anyways, it's been a nice day" but it is hot and humid and smoky.
The tomatoes and melons are starting to ripen though, so I remain upbeat and will wish anyone reading this a most wonderful moment of happiness.
In early spring we had a 2 week illness (probably influenza) then late rains and a June 14 frost which stressed the corn and tomatoes. Then we had the June 28 hailstorm. Now the Oregon Department of Transportation has us in its cross-hairs again. They are getting ready to chip-seal the road in front of our sales stand.
Apparently I must've pissed off someone who works there or some middle-manager's wife or something because last year they totally screwed my September sales by sending out several crews to cut trees and then "repair" the shoulders of the road. Neither of which needed to be done in the remotest manner but certainly prevented many customers from driving our way. The shoulder work was particularly stupid because it was done during a rainy spell and completely dissipated before a month was out. This chip-seal is a similar proposition; a fine waste of taxpayers money. Plus it could've been done ay any other time.
Between this and the steadily decaying character of the new customers who have been coming in, the option of selling wholesale to a grocery store chain is getting to look better and better. Especially considering that I can get almost the same price I do selling to the public.
I wish I could say "anyways, it's been a nice day" but it is hot and humid and smoky.
The tomatoes and melons are starting to ripen though, so I remain upbeat and will wish anyone reading this a most wonderful moment of happiness.
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