a day in easton

Like I don't go to Easton frequently.

Today I signed up for a rain barrel making workshop at Weyerbach Brewery. I remember my dad trying to have one when we moved into this house. It was a wooden booze barrel, open on the top. It filled easily with water, and algae and mosquitos. I gardened a lot then, but rain barrels weren't for me. They were gross. It lasted till the barrel rotted and broke apart.

I really don't grow my own veggies any more. Not sure why. Maybe it's because growing, or canning for one seems silly. In the summer I get veggies from friends and family, and shop the local farm markets and stands.

But I do grow, or attempt to grow, flowers. Watering my yard is a pain. It's long and skinny. If I connect several hoses together they become a tangled mess. Modern rain barrels are better than what my dad used, so I decided to give it a shot.

Since we were going to Easton, we went to the farm market. The oldest—or at least they say— in the country. Nice variety, although the one stand's produce looked like it was left over from last week. I had my sister with me and I left her pick out what I bought. I thought maybe then she'd cook it. Jury is still out on that one. Hoping.

Then we headed to the brewery for the workshop. The barrel was quite easy to make. {aside: Damn don't I look good in that first picture. Taking a picture at the correct angle is the key! On second thought no. I'm as wide as the barrel. I guess that's where "big as a barrel comes from?"} Installing it might be much harder. It has to be raised (so gravity helps empty it into your bucket), and the rain spout drains into it. 

I plan to use it at the garage. It's in the alley. The entrance to my garage is a small hill. They said to use cinder blocks but that won't work at my garage. It won't be level. I have to figure out how to make a box with the correct angles, and cut off the rain spout. Then fill it with stones, or broken flower pots or something. My other worry is that the angelic teens in the neighborhood might want to play tip the rain barrel one night when bored.

They told us since it's food grade plastic, nothing will stick to it, so don't think about painting it. They tried, it doesn't work. I know Sharpies work. That's how I marked the holes. If nothing else I'll decorate it with Sharpies!

On the way home we looked for more of the urban art. The one above is made from bikes which will be donated to the community center when the show is over. Again, this lights up a night. So it's probably a little more interesting then. We couldn't find 2 others. That leaves just the steps to go. We'll do that one day at lunch time. But not next week. Supposed to be humid and 100 degrees.

Our final stop was a Koehler's for corn. It's a beef farm. They raise corn to feed the cows. So they sell corn and a few other things. Of course they sell beef. (It's frozen). I like the idea of seeing a field of cows knowing that one of them might be for dinner. I get to ask the farmer all kinds of questions to. Can't do that with agri biz. Bonnie and I have talked about getting a half or quarter animal and splitting it. We never do it. It's probably a good thing. I don't cook beef very well. My sister is worse.

While I was there I took a picture of the new crop of calves. The white one is adorable. I think they liked me. They were mooing away.  Maybe the knew they wouldn't be dinner.