strippin the cotton

Kanyon called me last night to come get Zeb because he stretches out all over the tractor and sleeps..

So while I was out there I took some pictures!

Kanyon, his dad, and his uncle all team up and strip (aka harvest) their cotton all together during harvest. Then they hire one more person to round out the team. So they have two people on the cotton strippers and two on the bowl buggies.. I'll explain what these all do sometime but for now here are some quick pictures of what harvest looks like!

 Kanyon on the bowl buggie following the stripper.

(a field that is already stripped)

 A module builder (I'll also explain this later)

Cotton ready to be stripped!

And after I took these pictures of Zeb.. I realized they resemble the pictures everyone's been taking of their kids in pumpkins patches... I'm okay with that.

More interested in a bug.

Chewing on the bug.

"What, woman!?"

"One more second of this and then I'm.."

".. huh, what?"

Stats

Name: Zeb
Mom's nicknames for me: Zebular, Zebidee, Zebani
Breed: Australian Shepherd, mate.
Age: 4 months old
Weight: about 35 lbs
Daily activities: Waking up early (but I sleep outside so that's ok) and running along the fence with the next door neighbor dog, riding in the truck with my paw on dad's shoulder, sleeping on the tractor, running and sliding through the mud in between the rows of cotton, playing a little but mostly laying in mom's lap when I get home cause I'm pooped. Repeat daily.

It's a dog's life.

Foodie

I am a foodie. I admit it.

I am not a foodie in the usual sense of the word, really only half of the usual definition.

What is the definition? I've come to understand it as someone that loves food and all it entails. NOT a glutton, though. Its someone who loves to make food, loves to read food blogs, and always appreciates a new and interesting recipe. And even the usual recipes.

The other half of the word usually entails being good at making new recipes. This one is not me.. yet. My dream has not been fulfilled.

ANYWAY, I say all this to tell you about the food that I and my friends who have volunteered to help are making for my Willow House party tonight!

Except for a couple items, all of the recipes come from Tasty Kitchen, a recipe-sharing website that Pioneer Woman created that I go to on a daily basis and am constantly impressed by not only the creativity but the amazing photography!

Here is what I made/am making this afternoon:

• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (I mentioned this yesterday)

• Sun Dried Tomato Spread (I'm using a mix I got at the Livestock Show but here is the same recipe) with Ciabatta bread and cheese and sliced avocado.

• Olives from the Market Street Olive Bar (I was going to make this with them but decided nah.. I'd made it before and didn't feel like going to the trouble but it is really good.)

• Kasha is making Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites for me!

• And Vaughn volunteered to make Fudge Revel Bars!

I'm not usually one to turn down help when one volunteers.. a warning to everyone :)

Recipes for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites, and Fudge Revel Bars can all be found on the Tasty Kitchen website (www.tastykitchen.com).

I'm definitely not eating dinner before this party tonight.. Is it wrong that I'm more excited about the food than the products the party is actually thrown for? Once again.. foodie.