Corn - 2020

Oh my. I really haven't kept up with my blog have I? Over 4 months since my last post?

Of course, 2020 has been a complete and total disaster. Between the plague. The riots. And the circus that politics has become. Not to mention natural disasters - record hurricane season, late season snow (9 May!), early season snow (30 October!) and we even had an earthquake here off the coast of Massachusetts!

And...truth is, I've had not much of anything going on!

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But! I always try to keep track of...corn!

Corn was late this year. Spring was cold and wet. The first native (not local) corn was in the farm stands on 15 July.

This was from Northampton or Deerfield 15 July
It was very good corn actually. I never did try any corn from Connecticuit or New Jersey this year.

The first local corn in the farm stands on 25 July. Yes that's very late.

Local corn, 25 July (Arcadian Farms)
Arcadian Farms had the best of the local corn this year. It really wasn't a good year for corn and none of it was outstanding. The last of the corn was around 7 or 8 October. Yes very early. I was able to snag a few ears after but basically the locals just stopped picking because it wasn't worth the trouble.

Interestingly enough I did discover Charles River Farm near where I live. An honor system farm stand with a fairly wide selection of produce. They had corn regularly but it wasn't their own. They'd buy it every morning from the markets in the city and it usually came....from of all places...Quincy! The corn was always good and I'll be very happy to support them next season. I just love fresh summer produce!

I do rememeber however my very last ear of native corn this year was on 23 October from Calabrese Farms in Southwick, Massachusetts. I was driving by and I swear I thought I was seeing things but there, on a hill behind the farm stand, they still had corn!

Just *Amazing*!

So. Our President. The President of the United States of America. "Passed" a cognitive impairment test and it's just *amazing*. How on earth did you do that?!

Are we...like...supposed to ...um...not realize anyone that's not "cognitively impaired" can "pass" a "cognitive impairment" test?

This is not a "skills" test. It is not not an IQ test.

Ay yi yi. Our President. The President of the United States of America is bragging he "passed" passed an Alzheimer's test.

Seriously people. Anyone that doesn't have [pre] Alzheimer's can pass an Alzheimer's test.

It was a hard test. No. No. it's an easy test. Anyone not "cognitively impaired" should find it's easy.

Seriously. "What day of the week is this?" is not a hard question. I admit I'm having a hard time keeping track of what day of the week it is ...but..but ya...I really do know what day of the week it is without having to think very hard about it.

Stimulus!

Oh look! Donald Trump sent me a check!

I'm gonna vote for him!
Seriously! Out of touch much?

Weeks later I get a letter. Cue sinister music. From the IRS!

Nobody wants one of these!
Seriously? Nobody....nobody wants an "official business" letter from the IRS! Like. Oh crap! Maybe they didn't like that good faith estimate of 40 year old capital gains? Am I gonna lose my house? Am I going to end up in jail?!

Ha! No! It's a letter from the effin' White House! Telling me I got a stimulus check!

Seriously. W. T. F.
Ya. Go ahead and scare me half to death.

"Our great country". Ya. America is broken. It won't be fixed in my lifetime. It might never be fixed. The beginning of a failed nation? It's nobody's fault and it's everybody's fault. The Republicans broke America. But the Democrats let them do it.

I'm sorry. I don't usually share potentially controversial political opinion. But that letter really pissed me off.

Winter Says "Not So Fast"

Ya. That's snow.

9 May 2020
Ya. Second time in my lifetime we've had snow in May.

Just Stay Home

I think it's going on 6...maybe 7 weeks now we've been ordered to stay home/quarantine to minimize coronavirus transmission.

Anyone claiming their life hasn't been disrupted in some way is lying. Speaking for myself, I'm retired, I'm the quintessential introvert and I tend to be a homebody anyway. I hoard food by nature...I swear I won't miss any meals until the 4th of July.

I understand it's very challenging for many people. People have to work from where their jobs are such that they can do that. Not everyone likes that. I always hated working from home. Some people are seriously getting on each other's nerves. Others have lost their job and are threatened economically. But it's fair to say the impact on my life has been minimal. Mostly I've found my shopping habits have changed considerably. I don't stop at the supermarket "for a few things" anymore.

Certainly the biggest impact has been...the public library closing. It's looking like the public library network will be closed until July. Causing much anxiety. I think public libraries are jewels. I read 2 or 3, sometimes even 4 books a week. It's a comparatively trivial issue but it had me wringing my hands anyway.

The public library does loan ebooks! So. I sucked it up and got a Kindle!

Frankly I think it's a little expensive. But the technology is fairly mature and reliable. And it is a quality product. I'm halfway through my first book and I'm confident it was a good decision.

By the way...

He's still staring!

Snow Day?!

Woke up to this, Saturday morning, 18 April...

Seriously?
This is the second latest snowfall I can remember. The latest I've ever seen snow was 9 May 1977. That was pretty bad because the leaves were already out which made the snow covered branches very heavy. We had a foot of snow in some isolated spots.

I actually don't mind the snow so much. It's the cold I really hate. And this hasn't been much of a season. Can't really recall any below 0 weather. Certainly not for any length of time. Long underwear, quilted overalls, storm parka and sheepskin hat stayed in the closet for the entire season and that's usually the best indicator.

And I thought this was kind of pretty...

Happy Good Friday?

I don't know. I. Just. Don't. Know.

I'm a confirmed Methodist. Although I don't practice. I'm in my 60s and I don't ever remember anyone saying...Happy Good Friday?

Good Friday is not a happy day as far as I know.

Edited to add:

It's much to my parent's credit. After I was confirmed I was allowed to make up my own mind. And I did. I haven't been in a church in 50 years.

My mind was actually made up when I was 6 years old. Our church youth minister told me my cat wouldn't go to heaven because animals didn't go to heaven. It was that day. In that single moment. I remember it like I remember Kennedy's assassination. I decided they were all full of shit.

Be careful with what you say to little kids. They're not stupid.