This smiling fellow came and worked a couple hours with me today to get ready for next week. Definitely a bright spot in a longish day. He even said he didn't mind having his picture taken. Another bright spot is the empty desk in my office. It has taken me three days (well 15 minutes at a time snuck in here and there) to clear up the mess of papers (mostly useless now but a few VERY important items) from the summer.
The last bright spot is a mixed bag. I came home so that we could eat early and go up to the livestock auction in Greencastle, PA. Just Joe and I, driving up the road, driving back down the road. Very pleasant. But what a show is the auction! We left after the plants, produce, eggs and miscellaneous, before any animals were sold. One box of duckies had holes large enough that periodically a duckling escaped and excited the baby pig who was also very entertaining without ducky companions. Someone had brought a huge fishtank with a hen and chicks. Every time someone walked by, the peepees would run for cover under their mother's wings. A little kid fell off a riser. And so on and so forth for quite the show.
The bad (good?) news is that we returned with $50 worth of produce, including 100 ears of corn, about 15 pounds of green beans, three watermelons, a bushel of grapes (for wine making), several cantaloupes, about 3/4 bushel of gourds (70 cents for the box, how could you resist?), too many green and red peppers to count. Plus plus plus much more. All in good shape, etc. But the bad news is that it must all be dealt with. And Joe must work both Saturday and Sunday. There is already a bushel of sickle pears on the counter ready for canning (NOW). What could we have been thinking????
That is positively disastrous - going to a fresh food auction! One thing - you can't help bidding and then get carried away, secondly, there are hours of preparation and preserving to do! Love the stories of the chickens, ducklings and piglets!
A great fun story, auctions are the same the world over and everyone great entertainment. Power to your elbow for the canning/bottling..... I particularly like the sound of the grapes for wine!
Great shot.