P’s Pumpkins

P planted a packet of pumpkin seeds near his sweet corn this summer.  He had such fun with this… choosing the packet of seeds (Mammoth), watching & watering, hauling to the house, and sharing with our friend.

They are HUGE.  Trust me.

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Plot Tour

This year the company that hosted our corn, soybean, and cover crops plots hosted a tour with dinner as well.  Phil had a lot of work getting the fields ready (and just having a plot is more work than one’s normal field) but he enjoys this so much.  The company brought in the canopy tents, did the advertising, and brought the food!

Brand and variety signs along the corn.

Proud parents enjoy the party.

Huge cooker for boneless pork chop sandwiches.

Corn anyone?  Bright & golden down the straight rows.

Soybeans and corn.

Soybean plot.

Cover crop plot.   (we really had hoped for rain before the plot to help these fledglings along.  In the end, they did well.)

Our cover crops are planted into the ground where we had harvested wheat in July and we let the straw stubble (after baling) remain.  It all provides nutrients to the soil.

The chief.

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Plottin’

The company that sponsors our field plots also arranged for a plot tour near JP’s U.  So Phil planned to go, driving himself w/o the hassle and time frame of the bus.  And then JP could come have free supper.  So I joined in, too.

We took his bass & amp, some engineering paper, some adapter he ordered, and a whole batch of PB-Oatmeal-ChChip cookies!   🙂

Actually, after getting to the plot, Phil stayed and I went to JP’s with the delivery.  Then he & I submitted to a big-box store that I rarely visit but is his only choice for 1 item on my list (seriously NOT related to my sister as I only had 1 item on my list but we’ll see if this is noticed… *cough* ) and for the several items on his list.  Well, all on his list but the plain ol’ school folders he wanted.  We both agreed it was worth it to pay $0.20 more PER folder to have it plain from the U’s bookstore than to have pink, purple, and snazzy folders!  I didn’t even like them!  *shiver*

Back to his room for a bit, all the others were at classes, while he put food away, fixed his adapter to his HAM radio and the antenna w/ new window holders, and I borrowed the free internet.  Very soon, it was time to meet Phil for supper.  Really sooner than we realized.

JP rode his motorcycle to the plot and we got there just as the drone, remote controlled, hover-thingie, that takes photos of your fields…. LANDED!  But we both saw it in the sky a bit as we pulled in.

After a brief, Q & A in the tent, we had supper.

It was great to see JP even tho he had only completed 2 days of classes, it is always good to hear live & in-person and yes, to get some momma hugs.  🙂

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Beginning Cover Crops

Phil put out a cover crop plot this year.  He did last year just for fun but this one has backing and is part of a plot tour this fall.  Rain would really help at this point.  On Friday night we had a storm go through and netted 3/10ths of an inch of rain and hail.  Not sure how these little guys faired.

These photos are from the last week of August.  All are planted into where the wheat was harvested in July so that is the golden stubble you see.

Australian Winter Peas

Australian Winter Peas

Our long dark shadows

Hairy Vetch

Red or Crimson Clover (I can’t remember)

Radishes

Buckwheat

Cereal Rye

I thought I’d get a view of our place from the west…. guess the trees are too big!

Actually regular soybeans. They won’t produce a crop but still add nutrients and just having something green helps the biological life in the soil.

With kudos to my SL friends, there is a sample of Sunn Hemp out there someplace!  😉  Not in a photo up-close though.

Phil has 10 different cover crops in the plot.  Some are single samples and some are mixtures such as rye & radishes together.   The plot postcard (5×7) for our corn, soybean, and new cover crop advertisement came out last week.  Sorta cool!!  The front has his name spelled correctly for the address; wrong for his plot.      I know you know where to come and whom to contact if you are interested.

B&B not included in invite.  😉

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Moving Early

For the fall semester, JP decided to move in the day before the new & transfer students came to avoid the crowds and to be able to get his books, parking passes, etc without the lines.  (I haven’t figured out the reasoning of closing the Textbook Center on Sat & Sunday of move-in weekend but then being open on Monday (Labor Day).  Last year, he was in line 1/2 hr before it opened and still waited another hour in line!  :p )

I didn’t haul around my camera and just used my phone camera so really… I don’t have much to show you.   I did enjoy the keeping of the desk chair in the AC’d room while they brought up the loads.   He moves w/ nearly all rubbermaid boxes and a wheeled cart so not too many trips.

They bunked the beds and I made JP’s… he is on top.  That is fun… probably more like funny but I didn’t fall off.   Rearranged to make room for the futon and brought that up.

Futon donated by dear sister…. has been apart for 1 month at home… but is now back together correctly!  🙂

Yes, lousy photo but the cover is clean, on, the frame is put back together, and it sits just right!

The view down the hallway, he is near the beginning so that is easier all year and especially with moving!   Back in his same room but with new roommates that he knows already.   Lots of friends were already there when he moved in but his roommate and other suite-mate were to arrive yesterday.   We met one suite-mate and he is kind and plays a variety of guitars!  I heard some ukulele and it was wonderful!  (Better than what I heard growing up…. ahem!)

While they found a parking place for his truck and soon the motorcycle arrived in one of these little spaces, I viewed band practice.  Ugh — oh, the memories… HOT and HUMID, drippy August band.   😦

Time to say goodbye.   I’m the only one that cried.  🙂   He is a great student and has a bundle of friends/family there.  He enjoys most classes and is in some campus and local clubs.  You’re a good man, JP! (especially putting up with photos with mom…)  ♥

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