Corn Maze 101

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, on Tuesday I was a chaperone on my son's pumpkin patch field trip.  I also mentioned the corn maze.  

I need to elaborate on the corn maze.

Ariel view of the awesome maze.  I tracked down a farmer and asked how it was created.  

Here's the rundown.

1. Corn is planted in a criss cross X pattern.
2. Drawing of the maze is created on paper.
3. The farm actually has a surveyor working on the property who is able to translate the drawing into the field of corn.
4. GPS devices are used to map out the maze.
5. The appropriate corn stalks are then removed from the desired paths.  If done early enough in the season, this is an easy task.  If they wait too long, an ax needs to be used to cut down the stalks.  I got the impression the ax was used more often than not.

Maps were provided should you need them.  You need them.  It's very disorienting in that sea of 7-8 feet tall corn stalks.  We had a guide, a map and there were marked signs with John Deere Trivia to let you know you were on the right path.

I still got lost.

Lessons Learned from a Fall Field Trip.

Chaperoned my son's field trip to a pumpkin patch today.  And what a perfect day for the trip. Couldn't think of anything I would rather do then spend the beautiful fall day with my little guy and his classmates.

And of course, there was much to be learned today.

1. I learned that if you scratch a farm dog in exactly the right spot, he will pee all over an unsuspecting 6 year old.  Can I mention how relieved I was this child wasn't riding home with me?
   
2. Prickly burrs grow in pumpkin patches.  Something I wish we had learned before we let loose a group of 1st graders into a field to find a pumpkin.
   
3. Prickly burrs also grow in corn fields.  Again, something I wish I knew before I spent 15 minutes removing the burrs from the pumpkin expedition.
4. There is one strand of corn silk for each kernel on an ear of corn.  Did not know that. 
   
5. If there is one cat and one person with cat allergies on a 100+ acre farm, the cat will indeed find and stalk that one person.
   
6. This rule also applies to bees and children terrified of them.
7. I learned that the inside of a green pumpkin is orange, the inside of a white pumpkin is white.
   
8. Soybeans eaten directly out of the shell taste horrific.  Trust me, they need to be roasted first.
   
9. If you've watched or read "Children of the Corn", you'll find corn mazes a lot less charming and a lot more frightening.  Stupid, scary movie.
10. Speaking of children and corn, if you are responsible for 5 boys in a corn maze, chances are they will all choose different paths in the maze.  Some will even make a path of their own (at which point the map becomes completely useless).

No bee stings, no allergic reactions to soy nuts, all children returned safely home.

A very good day.

Leaf Letdown.

The weatherman is predicting snow this weekend.  

I hate the weatherman.

In any event, thought I'd scan the leaves one last time before the snow falls.  Walked around in the cold rainy 42 degree weather to collect them, probably ruined my scanner scanning them. Saw all kinds of beautiful trees and leaves during my frigid leaf collecting.  

Unfortunately, I did not choose to observe any of those leaves.

No, as you can see I managed to choose all the ugly brown ones or the ones that stay completely green.  Note to self: cross botany off list of back up career options.  

The top right leaf is beautiful, if I knew what kind of tree that was I would plant more of them. Bottom middle yellow leaf is pretty.  The tree it came from?  Not so much.  

All in all, leaf scan project was a total leaf letdown.

A Photo for My Future Self.

Four months from now, in the dead of winter, 

I am going to need a reminder of why I choose to live up north.

This photo of the view outside my kitchen window should help.

I like fall.  Fall is pretty.  Fall is good.  

Remember that, future self.  

It's Like Watching Paint Dry.

That's what I discovered from my weekly leaf scan project.  Fall leaves are beautiful, don't get me wrong.  I love to watch the trees changing color.  But on a weekly basis, at least at this point in the season, the individual leaves are boring with a capital B. 

Still a lot of green on those leaves.  No clue why the one scan is so freaking huge.  I guess I could lie and say I did it intentionally.

Like I said, it's about as exciting as watching paint dry.

A Different View, Week Two.

As promised, I scanned a fresh set of leaves from the backyard today.  First a reminder of what they looked like last week.

And scans from today.

I kept them in the same order as last week, replacing two duplicate leaves.  Third row, first image is from my magnolia tree.  First row, second image is a mystery leaf.  Absolutely no clue what kind of tree that is (frankly I don't remember what tree I got it from either, so this may be it's last appearance).

Many of the leaves are still green, but definitely a more yellowish green than last week.  And I'd love to know what's up with all the big dark spots.  I'm hoping that's normal.

Back with more scans next Wednesday.