Nuts

The Missus made me my favorite pie for my birthday - pecan. Her pecan pie is the absolute best. And I know my pie! Before I could take the picture she snatched a pecan out of the top, so there's a slight blemish photographically speaking, but nothing but perfection gastronomically speaking.

The other photo shows my "bumper" crop of filberts/hazelnuts. This is the first year the little bush really did anything. I had two bushes but the other one met an untimely death by mower. If I can remember to place the order next spring, I'm going to plant a couple of more. Maybe a couple of more fruit trees as well. I should have some persimmons ripened up pretty soon for some yummy persimmon bread. The grape vines are pretty much over grown with weeds but if I can salvage enough grapes for a pie, I'll be in hog heaven.

Today is Grandparents Day. As a proud grandparent of two young boys, I can say they have enriched my life immensely. I never knew my grandfather on my dad's side. He died a few years before I was born. My other grandfather I got to know rather well about the time I graduated from high school. After a few one on one conversations, I had a lot more respect and understanding for the man. Like many others, he got married, left the farm and headed North for work. He worked at the same place for the rest of his working days - just another working stiff trying to live a better life for himself and his family. He had heart trouble early on and didn't do much with us kids physically but he was always good to us. He had a big tree cut down in his front yard one time and the stump was about 4" above the yard. He took out his hearing aid, plugged in the transistor radio and tackled it with a 1" chisel and a hammer. I told him it was going to take him years to finish the job like that. He looked up with a smile and said "I hope so".