9/24/2009 We Be Potato Pickers

Another beautiful day dawned in Idaho.

I got to do something today I haven’t been able to do in a long time. Billee graciously offered the use of her washing machine and dryer. I gladly accepted the use of the washer but I bypassed her offer of the dryer in favor of her clothesline out back. Now you know its really got to mean something to you when you even take a picture of your clothes drying. Our sheets hung out for a long time so I’m looking forward to going to bed tonight! I was going to use the clothesline in the campground we were in prior to coming here but there was a dirt road next to them. Can you imagine what the clothes/sheets would have looked like if someone went tearing through?

After getting all the clothes washing caught up and Don and Bob came back from running errands, we sat out in the backyard for awhile before lunch. It was so nice to be outside in the sunshine. Don and I went out front at one point the with their daughter Cindy’s dog, Pea Head, so Don could throw something for the dog to retrieve.

And this went on throw after throw after throw.

Lets just say Don tired of this little game much sooner than Pea Head did. Just to explain his name…..his head seems to be too small for his body, hence, Pea Head.

When we returned to the back yard it was decided it was time for lunch. We had delicious roast beef sandwiches with leftover roast from the night before. Perfectly ripened tomatoes, crisp lettuce, good rolls and a side of cucumber salad rounded out our lunch. Hmm, Hmm, GOOD!

We ALL waddled back outside after cleaning up and enjoyed the autumn sunshine. Don had another errand to run so Bob took off with him, Billee was busy doing something in the house and took down and folded clothes. And enjoyed every minute of it!

When the guys returned we all loaded into the truck and took off for the Snake River. Their property runs along the river and we went down to check out the area for a possible wienie roast for dinner. From there we went to their daughter’s house to check out maybe having a cookout there. Cindy wasn’t home but her backyard was under water anyway so that was out of the question.

While there we did take advantage of the plums free for the pickin’. Plum trees line her driveway on one side and we just went to town picking these perfect purple plums.

We came away with grocery bag full of these sweet fruit. Of course if it hadn’t been “one for the bag, two for me” for Bob and Don we would have had a lot more. Only kidding Don…..

On the way back to the house we passed a potato farm which was being harvested. Don pulled in to ask if we could pick some of the potatoes that the machinery missed.

The farmers said, “No problem, help yourself.”

Don came back with a few potatoes in his bag and we filled it and much more by the time we left.

Now I don’t have pictures of us picking the potatoes because we were all so busy gathering these spuds. I just couldn’t get over how many potatoes are left in the fields.

Here’s our take…..

Trust me,,,,this is a LOT of potatoes!

We didn’t get to see them actually harvesting the field because they were waiting on the trucks to return. We’ll keep an eye out since the field is just across the street from Don and Billee’s.

After our potato pickin’ adventure our dinner plans changed once again. Since we had a late lunch anyway none of us really wanted anything really big so we decided to have just a baked potato. Bob picked his out of the bunch. All one and a half pounds of it!

So within two hours, we picked the potatoes from the field, baked them and ate them. Can you say FRESH! Oh my, they were soooo good!

It wasn’t long and Don said, “Snookie get your camera, the trucks are here”. So off he and I went.

The potatoes being dug up.

The next piece of machinery,,,,I don’t know what its called, Potato Picker Upper (?) comes along and scoops them and transfer them to the truck.

When the truck is filled it takes off.

As soon as the first one pulls out, there is another one waiting to take its place.

The first truck that just left covers its load with a tarp so as not lose any of its cargo.

I had never seen potatoes harvested before and I liked seeing it up close and personal and certainly made it all the more special seeing it with Don who explained the process to me as we watched. Thanks to my buddy, I really enjoyed this!

After dinner we went to back to Cindy’s house with Don and Billee to meet her and her sons. Her one son, Chris, the only one home at the time had a new puppy, a seven week old Jack Russell terrier that was so darn cute to watch. We stayed about an hour and a half and we headed back home.

I got to do something this evening that I hadn’t done in three years! I drove a car. I’ve driven a truck in that time period, but not a car. It felt so strange being so low to the ground.

Upon returning to Don and Billee’s we opted to head straight to our house. Not that we didn’t want to spend time with our wonderful hosts, but I had been thinking about those sun dried sheets all day and that’s where I wanted to be!

What a fun day this was!