But then Jenifer boiled some for supper… They were awesome! We generally eat the cull vegetables, except for sweet corn, which we selfishly hoard and I think Rose Finn fingerlings might be added to the list.

We quit for lunch around 12:30 and it started to rain around 1:00. Not hard, just enough to make digging potatoes out of the question. So I took a nap after lunch and then went shopping…

The Thrill of Shopping

Shopping for me involves going to Lowe’s for lumber and hardware and Tractor Supply for pine shavings for the turkeys and the laying hen’s nest boxes.

I also got the thrill of going to Radio Shack, Office Max, and Wal-Mart looking for a USB to Ethernet adapter and vice-versa.

Ellie wanted a laptop and we told her we would match her 1/2 on the purchase. She made her half in 3 weeks selling flowers so we had to pony up for the other half and we went to Best Buy in Concord to take advantage of the state tax- free days this past weekend.

Wireless Farm

I also bought something I have been dreading, a wireless router.

Some of you may not know what I am talking about and, believe me, I am in your camp while others will consider me a luddite for having trouble hooking up a simple router.

The installation instructions were simple, remove the Ethernet cable from the back of the computer and plug it into the router… Our 7 year old computer does not have an Ethernet cable. It is a USB plug. Which led to the fruitless search for adapters at Radio Shack, Office Max, and Wal-Mart… I was told multiple times I needed to go to Best Buy… jeez.

The SE Farm Show is an impressive exposition. Literally millions of dollars worth of tractors, equipment, and supplies on display.

Not too much stuff geared towards small-scale ecological farming but there were a few gems.

I did not think about the clothing I put on Thursday morning, I just got dressed. A pair of brown duck Carhartt pants and a brown duck Carhartt jacket.

Farmers are portrayed as rugged and independent thinkers, but we all basically wear the same uniform. Carhartt clothing, blue jeans, and a free hat with a mini billboard on it promoting something.

That was the thought that was occurring to me as I continually lost my dad and brother in the crowd. They were both wearing Carhartt jackets, jeans, and a free hat; along with at least 75% of the rest of the crowd.

Old guys walking with canes and high school girls and boys trucked in on school buses, which I assume were FFA (Future Farmers of America) groups were all dressed the same.

It was an revealing glimpse. Less than 2% of the US population are farmers and apparently we all follow the same dress code