Picking up Black Walnuts

The day was sunny & warm and just a sweatshirt was all that was needed outside. Jimmy still can't rake leaves because he is still supposed to be resting. You can see in the picture that his neck is still swollen.

You just can't keep Jimmy from trying to do something, so we spent the afternoon picking up black walnuts and since he isn't allowed to bend over yet, he squatted down and tossed them into a wagon. It worked out pretty well and it kept him busy. The black walnuts are tough to crack, but he collects them for the squirrels and for himself. They have a much stronger flavor than English Walnuts and they also have to be hulled & then dried before you can eat them. A process that's very messy and time consuming. Hulling the walnuts stains your hands black and that black stain has to wear off, so it's not something you should do without wearing rubber gloves.

Jimmy taking a break with Petey

The leaves that fall from the Sycamore tree are gigantic leaves and those large leaves are why it provides us with lots of shade in the hot summer months. They're hard to suck up into the leaf blower because they're so large, so blowing them into rows and then mowing over them is the way to go. That way the mulched leaves also give the grass some nourishment. This is where Jimmy & I disagree. He'd rather rake them all up and haul them off, and I prefer to cut them into tiny little pieces with the lawn mower and just scatter them around. This year we're doing it my way just because I'm not the one who had surgery.

Tonight we're going to the 10th Annual Reunion & Dinner for the 100th Division, First & Third Brigade. Jimmy was in the Army and these are the people that he served with in the Reserves who were all activated together from Kentucky....a long time ago. I better stop here so I can brush the leaves out of my hair and get ready to go.