Selle Valley Potpourri

Just look at those potatoes. 

I ate some of those potatoes.

I feel their pain. 

Yup, yesterday, while we were lamenting our bee stings,  my neighbor referred to the bees buzzing around our oak tree "meat-eating bees" cuz they're the kind which always want your picnic food. 

 I actually didn't know if they were yellow jackets or wasps.  All I knew is that twice in one week, they'd stung me for no reason, adding this year's sting total to four. 

In one case, I was just driving through with the lawnmower under the tree when one attacked me on my lower back.

A few days later, while headed to the house and walking near the oak tree, another stung me on the arm.

The past couple of days I've been observing the tree where a constant buzz can be heard and where pretty much anywhere you look, dozens of those "meat-eater bees" are flitting around the leaves and limbs. 

Still haven't figured out the attraction at the oak tree; Bill thinks it might be aphids, even though he couldn't see any as we stood looking and wondering yesterday. 

So, back to those potatoes.  

I've decided to call my rather severe lower back discomfort "potato pain."

The back went bad yesterday afternoon with one dig from the pitchfork. 

I always know right away when I'm doing something to aggravate my several-decades back problem. 

It's always a subtle hint, but once it happens, I know I'm in for some misery. 

Yesterday, however, the stars must have lined up to inflict a more severe than usual jolt of pain when I dug into the ground to grab a few of those potatoes. 

Still feeling it this morning, even after an Advil.

Hopefully, this edition will disappear in a few days. 

Was it worth it to dig those potatoes?

  You bet it was.

Last night we enjoyed our first full-fledged Selle Valley summer dinner:  new carrots, new potatoes, green garden beans, Wood's German sausage and Flour and Love's fresh-baked pretzel rolls from Michele and Sheena's bakery in Sunnyside. 

In full disclosure, I did add some sauerkraut as a side to the German sausage along with mustard and, of course, I smothered the veggies in butter and cheddar cheese.

With each bite, I did forget the potato pain.  Twas a lovely treat to savor so much fresh neighborhood food. 

Maybe I need to fix a couple of more similar meals to help that back pain go away. 

My trip through the Selle Valley to pick up the fresh bread was, as usual, a nice interlude to a day where we pretty much hung out here at home.  

The chimney folks had to postpone, so Bill spent the extra time doing some pumping maintenance on the travel trailer.

The trailer came back and is still parked next to the house where it has remained all summer.  Once again, it will be Annie's pad when she comes home tonight to spend several days. 

We are very grateful that she has able to spend so much time hanging out here where her pets, friends, family and  recreational opportunities provide her a break from solo apartment dwelling in Seattle.  

In other news, I saw this campaign image on Facebook yesterday and assured the candidate running for the Minnesota State Senate that I'd post it on the blog this morning. 

Gretchen once owned the Lovestead here in the Selle Valley.

Certainly an attribute to being a senator, right?

If you know people in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, encourage them to vote for Gretchen and to spread the word to other voters in that area.

She's a good person and a great, well-informed candidate.  

And, that's all folks.  Off to embrace another pleasant August day in our lovely Selle Valley.

Happy Wednesday.