PIES, PICS AND PATIENCE ......with a little dab of Tractors and Chainsaws!

FIVE Homemade Pumpkin Pies..........my great grandmother's recipe.........In my 32years of marriage I've NEVER made 5 pies for any reason in one day.......heck in one month and possibly in one year!  Hence  the photo to document it really did occur!  and now that I have  the attention of some of you reading this..........I shall continue.....you know........as to WHY the PIE!  ........First let me just say that the aroma of these pies in my log cabin almost........I say almost makes me desire to continue this adventure in baking again........alas.........I return to reality.......and will at least say that these 5 pies went to a farm sale  and I made a 6th pie (for real) that I shared with Joe, Alan, Chelsea and Emily...........which I think they all enjoyed!  I have joined.............and semi "UN joined" a group of farm wives (do you sense why I might UN-join this group).................called The Mount Pleasant Women's Group....It stemmed from a United Church that many of the farm families attended until it's closure.......though knowing me, my history lesson could be incorrect here. Anyway....let me just say.....I meet the criteria to join this group ONLY because our log cabin is situated in the area these farms exist and have existed some for over 100 years!  NOT because I farm and certainly NOT because I can match their energy and love and talent for baking and organizing HUGE 'dos" as they refer to these experiences. They come together to serve at funerals, teas, wedding anniversaries and any other type of gathering, and putting the money made at these events towards charities in the Moose Jaw community.  I get tired just listening to all these women still do in a day (m65to80 years old. One is even 90!!!)  Being a farm wife is more than a full time job up here........ most had jobs outside the home on top of supporting their farming spouse.  They can ALL make pies in their sleep!  and darn good ones.  I don't attend the monthly meetings ( I tried) but I do offer to help at these food functions.  This farm sale was about 2 miles from my cabin.  Farmer retired and was selling ALL his large equipment along with anything else that was moveable on his land. The women anticipated feeding 500 plus people for lunch. (it didn't pan or is that pie out that way)    There was quite the system in cutting the pies............just so...and trust me I had NOTHING to do with the cutting part............I did put them onto the plates.........VERY carefully because I know I was being graded/watched! LOL.  I'd never seen so many pieces of pie (15 women were asked to bring 5 pies each and each cut into 6 pieces!!!) I won't do the math; I'd never seen so many cases of pop and boxes of premade burgers and hotdogs.........Joe asked if they served beer....I think he thought this was a Tailgate Party ..Not sure my Canadian friends know what that is..........but letme assure you they do know how to party....just not at a Farm Sale.......Joe  was  where else.......if not at work......up working on his log project....... but did ask me to purchase a good tractor at a good price if I saw one..........I was TOO busy with the pies and burgers to look over the tractors!..............I put in 6 hours at the 'food court'  and still had a 4 hour drive north to go to my "log cabin helpers course" ...put on my none other than Joe!    I enjoyed making burgers and hotdogs ON DEMAND..........another gal and I created quite the efficient system......I can now add "Farm Sale experienced" to my Resume!  

There was a heavy rain in the night but the Sun was brightly shining at 7:30 a.m. as I headed to the Sale with my 5 pies........did I say "HOMEMADE PIES"?????  Just in case I didn't.........they were HOMEMADE PIES!  And just when I think I might be entering an area of life that I just shouldn't enter because I know so little about it..............I"m met with the awareness that YES..........I CAN drive on muddy roads w/out sliding into the ditch.....add this to my Resume too .....this flat bed semi....."sem EE" as Canadians pronounce it had somehow ended up half in the ditch....blocking the ONLY entrance to this farm sale............I knew enough not to attempt going around it and sliding into the other side of the ditch.  I know these things being from the city.............ha!  . I just watched as three men got a long strap hooked to a tractor that was being sold in this sale and very easily got this semi back onto the road and down the road where the flat bed was lined with lots of junk with one FANCY item in each pile to get you to purchase the junk with the GEM  in it!  The mud was sure messy........... but by noon the sun had almost completely baked it dry!  

Lots of John Deere equipment and quite a few items I have NO clue the name of!  Everything sure was clean and shiny though.

This is the tractor that saved the day by pulling out the flatbed/semi blocking the road.  It appears I am parked e in a NO PARK ZONE but I"m just waiting for these two men to get OUT of my way so I can leave.............notice the line of vehicles that goes on down the road over 1/2 mile!  They would have had more except the sale was also online.............AND one of the reasons all our pies were NOT consumed! People couldn't get them from their computers at home/work! DArn it all.  I brought 2 of my own pies home to freeze........YAY I won't have to bake any time soon!

Pieces of pie for miles!!!!!  Pumpkin, apple, lemon , lots of Saskatoon Berry and flakey crusts to die for!  We sold the fork to the person and they came and got the piece of pie..(Brilliant EH?)  .otherwise it has been said people get a piece of pie or two w/out paying!  Imgine that ....

Huge Quonset where we set up the feeding 'troughs"  I had fun listening/watching the locals meet/greet and look at times at this tall gal handing out burgers as if to say "who in the world is SHE I've never seen HER before" I am glad I was a part of this event and I have a greater appreciation for this group of women who come together to help serve those in the farming community where they have lived most of their lives. They have worked hard their entire lives......I cannot even relate to this dedication to family, farming and community in these often severe weather conditions from drought, to flood and harsh long winters when there are days you cannot see out your window because of the blowing snow.  They have a bond I will never penetrate but I do feel they appreciate my presence as a worker at these functions AND it does help me practice baking!!!!

I headed up north which is a 4 hour drive direct from the Farm Sale.  The following day the boys were at it ALL DAY!

chiseling is an art form and chisels are NOT CHEAP tools either! ha! 

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHAINSAWS!!

And this boys and girls is a 'tight fit'.....I enjoyed seeing Joe just stand and take in the fact that this all came together nicely from scribe to placing the log :)

PINE BEETLE ACTION......THE LOGS ARE TREATED AND I GUESS THE BEETLES GO TO BEETLE HEAVEN

I think Joe could do this part ALL DAY!

  The placement of this log was trickier as Joe had to back the tractor into a rather tight area and make sure he didn't back up and take out the Out House .he built and erected ........OUT BACK! I have  learned how to help with this traveling swinging log placement and so far haven't been yelled at!  We are all concentrating so hard NOT to hurt each other there isn't room for yelling!  This task has to be done twice. You put the log onto the other log to measure/scribe and see how it wants to lay. Then you remove it and take it to an area where it is notched, and 'groomed' for the final fitting..........yes you do want it to fit like a shoe or a glove......these boys ARE getting better with every log!

Alan being rugged 6'7" and 30 yrs old chooses to work with the heavy end instead of using the physics of managing the lighter end.  I never took physics but when I helped after Alan left I opted to go with Physics! Not sure how they will manage this as the logs get higher on the structure..........I'm learning to watch and not ask too many questions.  This is HARD for me.  I do see the watching of the Robin building her nest a few weeks ago gave me the lesson in patience I needed to watch Joe do lots of hard manual work that I just am not able to help him with (and trust me........my help comes in NOT being in the way and asking many questions) I know this makes no sense but at the end of the day I'm as tired as Joe is and I have done NOTHING but be present...........present watching someone live a dream.........working on reaching  a goal...........and having it be between the father and the son..........a mother's dream !