[CH] Open fields
Chad A Gard (gard@indy.net)
Mon, 30 Sep 2002 16:00:01 -0500
while I'm still recovering from the fields, I felt I needed to chime
in as well. It was much more fun this year, getting there when more
than just 2 people were left. I still wish I could have arrived
earlier - and will make all efforts to get there in time to pick and
cook on saturday instead of waiting 'till sunday next year. Alas, I
arrived only shortly before sunset, so had to hold off my own
pickin'...
There was so much incredible food, much of it I didn't even know who
made, so I'm not even going to try to mention it all. But, a few
notables that I'll remember for a long time...
The "tale of two chiles", a white and a red, over by CaJohn's setup
saturday night were especially memorable, if for no other reason than
because I was darn near starving and the horseraddish had frightened
me away from the other main table. Both chiles were wonderful, in
completely different ways. As was Cameron's - really, there wasn't
anything wrong with it at all! And it made a great desert chile
arround the camp fire.
Dannie's aged pirira powder was also great. I used it this afternoon
to help out a can of Trader Joe's chicken-noodle soup.
On the way back home, I stopped by Jim's landlord's market. They
actually have non-pasturized apple cider. Few places you can get
cider now'daze that hasn't been ruined by the pasturization process.
Alas, they had no carving-pumpkins, so I had to resort to picking up
a pumpkin at Home Depot of all places last night (need one for a date
tomorrow - don't ask).
Cameron and Alex's music was great. Nothin' like a beautiful sultry
woman singin da blues into the night arround a roaring fire. I even
got to whitness Dewi eating her first s'more from close proximity!
Cameron plays a mean blues harp - not exactly befitting the
stereotype of a Scottsman (hmmmm. Blues bagpipe... Might be
interesting....) but lots of fun! I was really hoping to have
stopped by home on my way to the fields to pick up some hand
percussion instruments to join in, but, alas, I barely got there
before sunset as it is (and it was only my 3rd time setting up the
new tent - not ready to try it in the dark yet). Hopefully next year
(in hindsight, I could have probably used a bucket or some spoons to
good effect, but I was sleep-deprived at the time).
Thanks especially to Russ for housing and bringing Dewi. She's even
more beautiful in person than the picture on her website, and even
more fun to talk to than to email. Hope you can come back (and bring
"the boys" too) next year! Also thanks to Russ for providing the
chicken and Alex for providing the stove so I could muster up some
lunch for the few late-staying diehards.
And, of course, mass quantities to Jim for hosting this incredible
event once again. Hopefully next year will provide a better harvest
- by the time I got to pickin' (granted, like I said, I started after
most the plants had been pretty thoroughly picked-over), it was
depressing how many of the peppers had dammage of some sort or
another, or simply were not yet ripe. A 10" rain defecit (followed
by a tornado, no less) will do that. Like I said before I left, if
you would like some help planting in the spring, I'm just an hour
away - let me know. I'd enjoy it, and it's the least I can do for
providing for flavor in my life through the dreary days of winter.
Hope to see many of y'all in Madison again in the spring - maybe a
few more campers next time?
--
Chad Gard, KB9WXQ
INCHASE: http://www.inchase.org Co-founder
INSWA: http://www.insw.org Unit #21