Seeding the prairie and more!

It was a busy long weekend here at Five Oaks. Terry and I kicked off the holiday with a Wednesday date night to the testicle festival in Union. He read in the newspaper about not one, but three turkey testicle festivals in the area. The one in Huntley has been running for over 30 years. Why had we never heard of it? I had wanted to see Clausen’s Tavern in Union since September when I learned that it is the oldest continuously operating bar in McHenry County. Thus, it seemed like fate when Clausen’s Tavern was hosting its first testicle festival. The festival itself was going to be in a “heated tent” next to the tavern. I bundled up because it was a wicked cold night.

We got there about 5:30, and the tent was packed. We paid $10 each (the event was a fundraiser for the Fire Department) at the door. One young woman put a beer bracelet on our left arm, sadly without checking my i.d. Another young woman handed each of us a ticket and said, “This ticket will get you two testicles.” I could not repress a smile—no one has ever said that to me before—and the girl giggled.

We went over to the makeshift steam table where the fried turkey testicles were being served. We each got a small one and a large one. We made our way to the only empty table and sat down. It didn’t take long to figure out why no one was sitting there. It was in a very, very chilly corner of the tent. I picked up the smaller of the testicles and removed a stringy structure that might have been a long, thin fragment of fried breading or part of the vas deferens. I didn’t feel like taking a chance. And I ate the testicle. It tasted like fried chicken. I let Terry have the other one because I’ve had to limit my intake of fried food lately. Poor me.

We didn’t stay long. We walked briefly through the tavern, admiring the vintage woodwork and stamped tin ceiling. And then we went home. I can now cross eating turkey testicles off my bucket list. Of course, I’ll have to put it on the list first.

Two servings of turkey testicles

Thursday and Friday were low-key, relaxing days devoted to preparing and/or eating food. Circumstances prevented us from traveling this year. While I missed getting together with the extended family, it was nice to be home. This is the first time in 8 or 9 years that I’ve gotten to have turkey leftovers.

We cut our Christmas tree from our own land for the second time on Saturday. Terry had enough to share this year. My folks decided to put up a real tree again for the first time in a hundred years. Pat and Nancy came out also. Terry marked the trees he thought were ready to go—eight in all—and we made our selections. Pat cut down her tree first and then got on a roll and did them all.

Pat cuts the tree while Terry keeps the trunk position so the saw wouldn't bind

Group shot with all three trees (left to right, Terry with our Frasier fir, Pat, concolor fir, Nancy, Hilda, Frasier fir, Dad)

Sunday was warm enough to melt the top ½ inch of soil. Terry and I took the opportunity to seed the prairie. I started at noon dividing up the seed by weight. I knew that if we just went out there and started spreading, we would end up with all the seeds in one corner. I divided the short sedge meadow seeds into 6 parts and the more expensive prairie mix into 10 parts. That way we would end up with all the seeds in one corner of 16 quadrats. I added an equal amount, by weight, of oats that I got at Farm and Fleet to act as nurse grass. I didn’t know quite what to expect when I opened the box. The seeds were divided into large and small. I weighed the bags, divided by 6 or 10, and weighed the aliquots into old yogurt containers.

Weighing out the seeds

The small seeds were really small. I can understand why this seed is so expensive. It would not be easy to harvest and clean seeds that are hardly bigger than a dust speck.

Tiny seeds with quarter for size reference

After the seeds were divided, all that remained was to pace off the quadrats and spread the seed. We used Terry’s collection of broken arrows that he saved from his days as camp ranger to mark the corners. And then we scattered the seeds as best we could. I can only speak for myself when I say I did a crappy job. The grass seeds were light and spread easily in the light breeze. I have no idea where the other seeds went. I know that I always ran out before I got to the last arrow.

Terry sows seed

We were done seeding at 2:30. Terry drove the Gator back and forth over the seed to try to make good contact between the seeds and the soil. 

Terry drives over the seeds

Nothing to do now but wait for two years to see what happens. Next year, we will keep the area mowed to 4 to 6” to keep any weeds from setting seed. The prairie seeds will spend the time developing deep roots. We hope. In two years, we’ll know if we were successful.

Sunday night, Hilda found an egg that looked just like a water balloon It was one of those eggs that didn’t calcify well. The shell was very soft. But we’ve seen soft shells before. The unique feature of this one was that it didn’t close off on one end.

Water balloon egg

Pat and Nancy were the first to get their tree decorated. We’re holding off until after the cleaning ladies come tomorrow.

Pat and Nancy's decorated tree