Around Glenn country there are many walnut orchards. After harvest, many of the orchard farmers have gleaners come in and pick the remaining few for one reason or another are left behind. My Aunt Louie knows of such an orchard. We went with her to glean some of the remaining few.
We, my mom, my aunt, my niece and nephew, picked several baskets full.
After picking them we went home and spread them out on a large old blanket in the sun to dry. A few days later we put them in a big basket in the shed. Knowing that in the afternoons ahead we would crack and shell them.
Last Monday the grandhchildren sat around a big red picnic table helping my mom crack and shell the walnuts.
When my mom went into the shed to gather some walnuts, she saw the a large chuck of them were missing, she thought maybe one of her sons had taken some home, shrugged her shoulders and set to the task ahead.
While cracking walnuts my mom told me that the boys had already taken some. I was silently relieved thinking, "less walnuts to crack", and did not give it another thought.
Until the next day when I went to take some walnuts from the shed and saw another fourth of them missing. Instantly I recalled the squirrels on the property and thought, "Varmints!" Then went and told of them to my mom.
Strong helpful five year old picking walnuts in an Easter basket.
My mother being the firecracker 77 year old that she is replied, "I am gonna find their hiding place and take my walnuts back, that'll show 'em whos boss."
I laughed imagining my mom hunting down the squirrel's cachet… I could so see her with her rake and shovel digging and scratching around the yard in the hunt for walnuts!
As sneaky and clever as the squirrels are, my mother is one fiesty teaser herself. She was on a mission and I counted the hours before she found their stash.
My mom standing outside the old barn milk house "shed" with a pair of ice skates. One never knows what one will find in her shed of treasures… walnuts are one thing, ice skates are another.
And guess where she found the walnuts?
A few here, a few there mixed in every knook and cranny of her garden, in every flower pot, bed and box, walnuts like big seeds buried by the squirrels for safe keeping food for the winter.
My mom has yet to unearth them… I think she is growing a soft spot for nature's ways.
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