Winter squash
Squash storeroom
I was surprised last fall to find, after the frost wilted the leaves in the upland garden, a healthy crop of winter squash. It was a cold summer, not, I thought, conducive to squash production. We've eaten most of the butternuts, buttercups, acorns and Mandans. What's left, and I admit being a little tired of, are rouge vif d'etampes, the flattened squash that are a sort of French pumpkin, like the one Fairy Godmother used to make Cinderella's coach. The more oblong orange fruits are Snack Jack pumpkins. They are like a small sugar pumpkin, but have nearly shell-less seeds for toasting.
Actually, my rouge vif d'etampes might be hybrids because I planted them from saved seeds of a squash I bought at the Iowa City Farmers Market a few years ago. That one was redder. But in any case, these are tasty squashes for baking and pies, and very prolific.
They store well in an area that's dry, not too warm, but warmer than a potato cellar. Hence, these are resting on foam shipping materials on the basement library floor. Filed under books by authors whose names start with A.
It's time to start planning the 2010 garden.
Posted by: Molly Miron on 3/10/2010 at 10:48 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: news family garden
Thaw
It's melting
The spring thaw is well on its way. Paths Doug blew snow from to reach the hay store and woodpile are showing bare, albeit frozen, ground.The deck is clear, and as soon as the furniture is dry, I plan to sit outside in the strong afternoon sun.
The horses are starting to shed. The palomino is pale enough that she doesn't leave much evidence when she rolls in the snow. But the bay mare's rolling spots have brown hair, rather like large, dingy snow angels.
Of course, the thaw has its downside. The slush in the driveway is about 8 inches deep. It was passable when it was frozen, but Sunday and today I got the car stuck. Doug got me out so I could get to work today by shoving against the bumper with a prybar.
The icicles on the west side of the house have melted and the ice dams have broken up. I'm thankful for that. No leaks in the house.
It's getting to be time to think about starting garden seeds inside.
Of course, we wouldn't surprised if we have a few more deposits of snow.
Posted by: Molly Miron on 3/08/2010 at 10:14 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: news family weather
Logging Queen
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Ella Lindquist wearing her Logging Days Queen crosscut saw badge.
In 1986, the late Earle Dickinson and family had the happy thought of electing a Logging Days Queen to the annual Buena Vista Logging Days celebration. They chose Ella Lindquist as the first honoree because of her interest in Logging Days and her history as the daughter and wife of loggers. For many years, she helped organize the music and food for the winter festival.
As I was told the story, the Logging Days organizers' intent was to elect a new Queen every year, but that wasn't how Ella understood the title. A Queen is Queen for life, after all. On Feb. 21, Queen Ella gave up her reign. She died at age 99 years and eight months, but there has been no replacement. There might be another Logging Days Queen some day, but no one can take Ella's place.
The last time I saw her, she had dressed up in her customary stylish dress and picture hat, called a taxi from her assisted living home and arrived at the 2006 Jaycees Water Carnival Parade. She usually rode on the Buena Vista float, but BV didn't enter the parade that year. Undeterred, Ella hitched her walker over to a parade organizer and told her to find her a float. A Beltrami County deputy, who knew Ella, as did pretty much everybody, asked Michael Meuers if she could ride in the convertible he was driving to lead the way for the DFL candidates. Michael said he would be honored and helped Ella into the car. She gave the crowds her queenly parade wave and was greeted by shouts of "Ella! Ella!"
I know Ella had become very frail in the last years, so I'm glad I have that memory of her commandeering a parade car.
Posted by: Molly Miron on 3/02/2010 at 1:13 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: local news
Longer days
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Western woods
Our house is lined up as close as can be along north-south-east-west axes.The sky was clear when I snapped this photo of snowy evening woods on Feb. 21. Sub-zero cold greets us nearly every morning, but the longer days give hope for spring. It's less than a month until the spring equnox when the sun will set exactly outside our western windows. I'll have seeds started in paper pots and count the days until northern Minnesota actual spring, as opposed to calendar spring.
Posted by: Molly Miron on 2/25/2010 at 11:47 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Tags: news local
Radio Free Solway
106.7 FM
We listen almost exclusively to Minnesota Public Radio, both the news/talk channel and the music channel. We've been members since we moved to eastern South Dakota from Nova Scotia in 1979. Doug isn't sure about that date, but that's what our membership card reads. One of our kids joked that the tuning knob is Superglued to MPR.
We like the station and the National Public Radio features, but Doug, for one, hates the fundraising drives. Sometimes he tunes to KAXE Northern Community Radio out of Grand Rapids, but more often he broadcasts Radio Free Solway, 106.7 FM.He picks up non-fundraising NPR stations via computer and uses a Windows program to broadcast Columbus, Mo., Austin, Texas, Atlanta, Ga. etc. to our regular radios.
It's a little odd to hear the usual NPR personalities, such as Linda Wertheimer and Lynne Warfel-Holt, interspersed with southern weather forecasts and community news about the Columbus Jaycees Kids' Karnival.
Because the broadcast only reaches the confines of our house, Radio Free Solway doesn't violate any FCC codes.
We do make our MPR contributions once a year via Internet, and we wish the directors would quit sending us mail asking for more donations. Each of those solicitations subtracts from our contribution.
When fundraising is over, Radio Free Solway will go off the air for another few months.
Posted by: Molly Miron on 2/19/2010 at 9:31 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tags: news family radio
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