Walnut Harvest

Pictured is a de-sticking machine that removes sticks from the rows of nuts. It replaces laborers who would use the rakes standing in front of it.

Walnut harvest has come early this year. With our son and daughter not able to help with harvest this year and not much success in hiring reliable workers this past summer we looked into buying another piece of equipment to get rid of the need for so much handwork.

We are now the owners of a de-sticking machine. For about the price of a new car we can now remove the sticks out of the rows of walnuts by machine instead of using labors with rakes.

The harvest process starts by shaking the nuts out of the trees with a machine that grabs onto the limbs and shakes the nuts loose. Nuts then fall to the ground with sticks, limbs and sometimes small branches, especially from the older trees. Next someone comes along the rows with a sweeper. It has a large head with a rotating drum fitted with fingers to scoot the nuts into rows. It usually takes three or four passes per row to end up with a row of nuts narrow enough to be picked up.

The next thing to do would usually be workers with rakes coming along and removing all the sticks and putting them into piles between the trees to be picked up later. But now, our new machine is next to go down the rows pulled by a tractor. It straddles the nut rows as the de-sticker picks the sticks out and dumps them into the bin at the back. When the bin is full it is taken to the burn pile where it dumps out like a regular dump truck would. This also saves from going back and picking up the piles of sticks later.

After the sticks are removed from the rows the pickup machine goes down each row picking up the nuts and dumping them into a cart pulled behind it. When the cart is full another worker is waiting to change the cart with an empty one and takes the full one to be unloaded onto an elevator that dumps them into a large truck.

When the truck is full it is taken to a huller to have any hulls still on the nuts removed and then they also dry the nuts. We do not have a huller or dryer so we have them done for us. From there they are trucked to our packer who sizes and grades the nuts, then sells them for us. Most of our nuts are sold in-shell to the overseas market. Those that do not make the grade go to a shelling plant to be shelled, packed and shipped to buyers.

That may be the end of harvest but the work for the walnut farmer is never done. Winter time is for pruning the trees and repairing equipment. Springtime brings the need for fertilizer and spraying for blight. Summertime we watch for and spray bugs, irrigate and mow weeds. Before we know it harvest time comes again. No time to be lazy here!

Lace vests

Pictured are two vests showing a front and back view, each made from an old lace antimacassar set.

Crocheted lace was a popular way to decorate 50 plus years ago. Doilies, table clothes and runners were used to protect tables and other furniture as well as to be decorative. They were also used as antimacassar sets, arm and headrest covers, on couches and chairs. Most were made with cotton crochet thread. White and ecru were the most popular colors used.

Lace was also crocheted onto bed linins and towels. Embroidery was also added to these items as well.

A lot of time was spent on making them as well as on the up keep of them. They had to be washed and ironed on a regular basis. Those that were well used also needed worn spots repaired.

As the pace of living life moved into the fast lane there was neither time to make them or keep them in nice condition. Today they may be seen mostly in museums or tucked away in boxes at the back of a closet or attic. Some lace items such as tablecloths are used on special occasions today but even that is a rare event.

We came across some well used ones recently. They had old stains so we tried several whitening agents but none were successful at removing all the stains. There were several sets of arm and headrest covers. After thinking about what we could use them for today the idea to make them into vests came up.

First we decided to dye them a dark green to hide the stains. We just followed the directions in the package for the dying process. After they had been dyed it became obvious that several had been repaired in the past with polyester thread that did not take up the dye. We removed all the old repairs and redid them with thread that matched the new color.

It takes one set of arm covers and one headrest to make a vest. The headrest becomes the vest back and the arm covers are the two front sides. The front sides are attached to the back at the shoulders and under the arms. When worn the shoulder seams fall to the back of the shoulder as seen in the picture above.

The front sides overlap the back about one inch starting at the outside shoulder and taper up to just the edges overlapping at the neck. The sides are only sewed together about two inches beginning at the bottom edge. We stitched them together by hand to hide the stitches.

It does not take long to stitch them together. The dying process, though not complicated, is what took most of the time for the two vests we made.

Other ideas to use old doilies include sewing smaller ones to articles of clothing as decoration accents to attaching them to throw pillows or quilts. Some have even framed a single doily behind glass to be displayed on the wall.

We are always looking for new ways to use old things. It is not only challenging but fun. The closet also has a little more room for another item waiting to be rediscovered!

Yo-yo Pumpkins and more

Pictured are pumpkins crafted for fall decorations.

Fall is around the corner. Pumpkins are traditionally used for both baked goods as well as decorations. We have made different crafts featuring pumpkins over the years. This year our new additions are yo-yo pumpkins, a TP pumpkin and a macramé pumpkin.

No specific pattern is needed to make things from yo-yos. We used round plastic lids from the kitchen in graduated sizes as patterns to achieve the pumpkins pictured above. Our largest ones have seven yo-yos down to the smallest having only three. The finished shape does not need to be perfectly round as real pumpkins are not all perfectly rounded. For the stems we used twigs from trees in our yard. The yo-yos and stems are all glued together with hot glue. Craft glue can also be used to put them together.

After cutting circles of fabric a running stitch is sewed around the outer edge and pulled together to gather the fabric in the center. If the fabric tends to fray the edge can be turned under but the end result will be a smaller yo-yo.

We used cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics. Light weight fabric is best. Thicker fabric will leave a larger hole in the center as it cannot be gathered as tightly.

To find the colors we wanted we looked in our collection of fabric and came up with the ones pictured above. Fabric can also be used from clothing no longer being worn. We came up with three different patterned fabrics in shades of orange. Also we made one with white fabric as real pumpkins come in white.

More details on making yo-yos are in our blog on the yo-yo angel craft we made in April. Also posted is a picture of other items we have made from yo-yos.

Making items from yo-yos is a good project that is easy for all ages. They are good for clubs and after-school groups looking for inexpensive craft projects.

Another easy to make pumpkin is the TP pumpkin. It is made from an 18-inch fabric square gathered up around a roll of toilet paper and poked into the center of the roll. A stick is used for the stem and a green floral wire is curled for extra decoration. This is a regular size TP roll. A larger roll will need a larger square of fabric.

The macramé pumpkin is made from a wire clothes hanger bent to make the desired shape with floral wire to make the lines for the inside ribs. The wire frame is not flat so it gives more of a three dimensional look. We then knotted orange macramé cord around the wires of the pumpkin shape and green was woven on the stem. Again we have no pattern as we made it up as we went. Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes so creating pumpkin decorations can reflect that fact.

Other pumpkins crafts we have made in the past include pumpkin shapes cut from wood. Then they are painted and embellished with wood and silk leaves, wire stems and raffia bows. Also we quilted wall hangings with the precut pumpkin shapes ironed on with fusible web and accented with fabric paint and other embellishments.

When decorating we try to use what we have around us as apposed to buying preassembled decorations. Being creative is fun and is something the whole family can participate in.

Nutrition

Pictured is produce being enjoyed at the Love house this week.

There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yes, it is true! A rainbow of vegetables, from white onions, yellow squash, orange pumpkins, red tomatoes, purple eggplant, green beans, blueberries and more. The gold is good health.

Good nutrition is something that is talked about a lot, but from what we see not many take action to achieve it. There are many good books full of facts. Many speakers talk about the do’s and don’ts of healthy eating. But the larger fact is fast food industry; the quick and easy pre-packaged meals and junk food are all doing big business.

Healthy eating is not something that is hard to do but it does take a conscious effort to do it right. No books, charts or graphs are needed to achieve it. A few simple guidelines are all that are needed along with a goal to live a healthy lifestyle.

The ideal way to have the best quality food is to grow or raise it yourself. If that is not possible the next best is the farmers market and local fruit stands, butcher shop and mill. The closer to home the food sources are the fresher it is and it is usually better in quality also.

For those who shop in the supermarket, the easy way to select healthy food is to stick to the outer isles of the grocery section. That primarily includes the fruits and vegetable section, the dairy products and meats. The only other main section to visit is the baking section.

Fruits and vegetables come in all colors. The different colors indicate the vitamins and minerals in them. We don’t need to know the specific vitamins and minerals in each one. The best is to use as many different ones as possible. The more variety eaten the more balanced the diet. Every color group is important.

Herbs and spices are also important for good nutrition. They are used to flavor our food, but they have important nutritional value also. Again we don’t need to know exactly what nutrients are in each, but to use as wide a variety as possible. That way we get the benefit of things good for our health as well as a wide variety of taste choices.

Protein is necessary in a good diet. Most people get it from eating meat. Other good sources come from beans, nuts, eggs and dairy products. Nuts make great snacks and our favorite recipes to season them were posted at this blog site in April.

Fiber is just as important. It is primarily found in whole grains and nuts as well as some fruits and vegetables. We prefer to start most days with pancakes made with ground rice and oatmeal. Our recipe is still available at our blog sight at the address listed below. It was in our first blog in March.

Other choices can be a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins or a bowl of rice sweetened with honey or maple syrup in the morning. For lunch or dinner rice can be seasoned with garlic, pepper, ginger or a personal favorite spice.

If good health is the goal, the rules to remember are to obtain fresh and local grown or raised food, making sure to have a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and protein. It is easy to do, but will not happen with out serious intent. Meals do not have to be elaborate or difficult to prepare. Again we made suggestions in our column about quick and easy meals in April. It is also on this blog site.

Tehama County, California is a great area to find a good variety of foods that are not only good for us but taste good. We are very fortunate.