[CH] Home from the Fields

Alex Silbajoris (asilbajo@hotmail.com)
Mon, 08 Oct 2001 20:51:43 

Pods,

We made it home from the fields safe and sound, sunburned and sore.  This 
year the attendees witnesses the close of the season, as the plants and a 
hairy frost on them on Sunday morning.  (I shot a roll of film and asked to 
have it put on CD - "we'll have that on Wednesday...")

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting and re-meeting many correspondents, and I hope 
this event will happen again next year.  I picked only about 1/4 as much as 
I picked most years, partly because I had a smaller car

("In a car
  In a car
  In a small car
  In a small car
  In a car
  In a small car
  In a small car driving")

and partly because I didn't know how many people would be seeking how many 
peppers.   We brought along cooking gear and a 10x10 shade gazebo which, 
once I mercilessly beat it into position, looked kinda cool at night with a 
lantern in its roof.

As night fell and God eased central Indiana down the frozen-foods asile, I 
sat at the fire and chatted with about about 20-30 people.  I blinked once 
and there were about 8 people, sayng things like "Hey, you're alive!"  I got 
up and fired up the car, waiting for its windows to thaw while ever more 
fully appreciating hypothermia.

Earlier, CaJohn told me there would be a TV crew from WFYI, the public 
television station in Indianapolis, at 6:00 am.  Linda woke me at 5:15 
(inside, outside, nowhere is home) and I made my way past sneaky cops and 
malfunctioning traffic lights to the Waverly Inn, where at 6:08 there was 
one car sitting with its lights on.  I rolled up and asked, "Are you waiting 
for the film crew?" and they said "We are the film crew."  So I led them to 
the fields and stopped up by the barn.  CaJohn met us and showed them around 
- man, those poor boys did not look ready for the cold!

The crew filmed people waking up and making coffee, and I was convinced to 
take a dare and touch my tongue to a frozen habanero.  While they filmed 
John and others filming breakfast I made off-camera comments like "So, 
Emeril didn't make it?" and "What time is the nude run?"

Before the sun melted the frost, I shot 24 frames of film among the plants.  
They were quite pretty with fringes of frost around the leaves.  If these 
shots work out well, I will post them.  By the time the sun was warm, that 
foliage was withered.

Sunday developed into a beautiful day.  By the time Linda and I came back 
from checking out of the hotel, almost everyone was already gone.  (A 
general rule here is, the farther they have to go, the earlier they leave.)  
I picked a bucket of various chiles, and I'm still considering just how I 
will use each type.  CaJohn and others were handing out bottles of various 
sauces, so I made sure to leave some Second-Hand Scovilles in Mr. Snader's 
mailbox at the office we share.

Linda and I luxuriated in a warm sunny private orchard and left only with 
great reluctance.  It was dark again before I crossed back into Ohio, and 
about 10:00 before we got to the little school in Shawnee Hills - for my 
weekly janitorial work that I still had facing me!

By 2:00 I was home again, 20 hours after meting the film crew.

I'm still sitting back and savoring the recollections of the event - the 
people, the food, the scenery.  Thanks to all who participated!  Now I'm 
sitting back in my cubicle, staring at gray fabric partitions and thinking 
of gardens.  I brought along Electric Ladyland at least, to remind me of 
Rael.  "Have Hendrix, will pick."

- A


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