The sunflower

I had to put this picture up as this is an actual sunflower that the boys and their Dad planted! About 5 years ago, when we were in Clovis, CA...John had this great idea to start a garden using just seeds. No cheating, by buying little plants that were already started for you. So they planted carrots and potatoes (and some other vegetable, too that I can't remember). Boy, it was work. They got the dirt all ready, planted the seeds and then took popsicle sticks and tied a string from one end to the other to outline where the seeds are and I guess as a border. Well, weeks went by and FINALLY some life...then a few days go by and they commit suicide. We got nothing. It was funny. So the next year John decides to forget the seed thing and bought a bunch of little pepper plants. He bought so many because he did not trust his gardening skills and wanted to make sure we had at least some hot peppers. Well just the opposite happened. Those peppers grew like crazy, we couldn't get them to die! We had peppers galore. Velma took some and so did Lillian her best friend. They made tobasco out of it. The next year, we figured we were done with farming. Okay, sot that's not farming but still it was farming for beginners 101.

Fast forward to Utah. My mother in law is such the Mrs. Ingalls from Little House of the Prairie. The kids are convinced she can do and make anything. So she buys a bunch of these sunflower SEEDS for the kids to plant. Yes, they were so excited. NOT. But their Dad and all of them went out there and did what they did 5 years ago with the vegetables. Only this time, they actually grew. We had many sunflowers. Some 7 to 8 feet tall! The picture of this sunflower, was the type that we would cut and put in a vase for decoration. The BIG ones (darn, I wish Brian took picture of it), were actual sunflower with the seeds. We actually ate some. But because they were harvested pretty early due to cold weather, they weren't quite ready, so they went to the birds. It was fascinating. I have never actually seen sunflower seeds in a sunflower.

Gosh, I truly am learning so much here in Utah.

Next year, I'll have a picture of my own fresh milk straight from a cow! Just teasing. I hope my mother in law is not reading this...she just might go buy a cow. :)

Did I tell you I was Laura in Little House of the Prairie?