Thursday, October 25, 2012

Cotton Harvest & Pumpkin Hollow...

Hi, everyone!
 
I can't believe how this week has flown by!
 I was going to come home from Vulture Fest and get SO much done...by Tuesday!
Typical, for me...;^)
A while back when I did the post on cotton and its pretty blossoms (click here for that post),
I promised I would do another post at harvest, so here it is...
~
Photobucket
~
About a month ago, the farmers started having their cotton fields defoliated.
Sprayed with chemicals by crop-duster...
(they look like stunt pilots in their bright yellow planes, with all their scary dives and climbs!)
This causes the leaves to dry up and fall off the plants,
 leaving just the brown stems and the cotton bolls...
It also causes distress for those who suffer with allergies and sinus problems...:^(

~
Photobucket
~
Pretty, fluffy bolls!
~
Photobucket
~
I found this pamphlet from 1953...she looks pretty pleased with the cotton, doesn't she?
~
Photobucket
~
And, this vintage (undated) post card...cotton used to be baled and wrapped in burlap.
~

Photobucket
~
The farmers in the fields near our house got theirs baled early...(I missed most of it) ~
They are still using rectangular bales.
They got them out of the fields quickly this year,
but some years they don't, and there is quite a bit of it wasted...
If it rains, it gets wet and muddy on the bottom, and when it is finally hauled to the gin,
there are big piles of cotton left where it had been sitting...
It looks like drifts of snow...
that never melts!
~
Photobucket
~
Lots of farmers, however, are switching to round bales...
The baler wraps them in plastic all around...much cleaner, less waste.
You can't tell, but these are BIG...probably 7-8ft in diameter.
I took these photos just south of Sikeston on our way to Pumpkin Hollow yesterday afternoon.
~
Photobucket
~
You can get a better idea of the scale in this photo.
The farmer is hauling a bale by tractor,
 lining them up neatly to be picked up later for ginning.
~
Photobucket
~
Here's the amazing machine that picks six rows of cotton at a time,
then forms it into a bale and wraps it in plastic...
~
Photobucket
~
Photobucket
~
Bales waiting to be ginned...this cotton gin is near Campbell, Missouri ~
I had to take two photos to get all the bales that were lined up!
~
Photobucket
~
This was just a weedy little cotton patch...but it looked so picturesque, with the faded red barn...
~
Photobucket
~
Now we've arrived at Pumpkin Hollow, in Piggott, Arkansas...this is the line-up of greeters!
It's about an hour away, and I knew we wouldn't have much time to look before sunset...
The sun so low in the sky made for some pleasing photos, though!
~

Photobucket
~
Pumpkins and more pumpkins...
~
Photobucket
~
They also have chickens and sweet baby goats...(you can see some way in the back)...
We just came for gourds, though, and didn't take the "Haunted Tour", so I didn't get baby goat photos...:^(
~
Photobucket
~
Photobucket
~
Photobucket
~
Photobucket
~
Isn't this just the wartiest pumpkin you've ever seen?
~
Photobucket
~
The gourds hang from arbors...so interesting!
~
Photobucket
~
They also had a pretty little fish pond...
I could have just sat on a rock and watched them...
~
Photobucket
~
Photobucket
~
Do you see the bees in the centers of these sunflowers??
I was afraid to get closer, lest I disturb them!
I really liked how the sun was shining though the petals...
they just glowed!
~

Photobucket
~
Weathered faces...
~
Photobucket
~
Here is what I came for, though...dried gourds, from last year...
Not so pretty now..but look at all that potential...hundreds and hundreds of Fairy Houses!
They need to sit out in the elements all winter in order to dry inside,
 and to let the waxy coating on the outside dry as well...
Then the gourds can be soaked in warm water and the outsides scrubbed clean.

Although they are only open in the fall for Halloween festivities and pumpkins,
the dried gourds are available year-round.
Well worth the trip if you are anywhere in the area!

Click here for their website...

Pumpkin Hollow 
671 CR 336
Piggott, Arkansas 72454
 
I'll be posting about Vulture Fest later this evening!
 
Photobucket

22 comments:

  1. what a wonderful post. i love cotton plants...and well, of course...the pumpkins!!! i loved it all!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dearest Anne,
    Wow, what a special post!!!
    It is very interesting to see the cotton field♡♡♡ And another GORGEOUS pictures, thank you very much for sharing these pictures☆☆☆
    Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy Harvest, Loved seeing the cotton and how they use the round bales now. I loved all your photos-thank you so much for sharing.
    Noreen

    ReplyDelete
  4. I remember the cotton bolls growing next to a rest stop on our way to Memphis from St. Louis, one summer - very interesting info - I didn't realize they could actually get them to drop their leaves to make picking easier! BEAUTIFUL photos, all, Anne - Happy Thursday - Tanya

    ReplyDelete
  5. They do big round bales of hay here too! I've never seen a cotton harvest though, and I admit I'd love to go play in the field for a bit. Oh, all those gourds and stuff! I wish I could visit!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Anne, I have a new found love for cotton, since I saw my first plants in NC a couple of weeks ago. So pretty. I'd love to see a field some day. And pumpkins, my most favorite thing in the world. Hope you are enjoying fall. xo

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love this post! The photos are just gorgeous. I've never seen cotton plants in person, and I've never seen the rolls and bales like that. The weathered faces picture is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pumpkin Hollow sounds like a good place to visit. However, chemicals being sprayed on the cotton plants causes me some concern.:( I am greatly concerned about what we are releasing into our ground water.
    Lulah is such a cutie!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Anne, Wow, I'm glad you shared more of the cotton process! It's truly amazing to see the beginning to end!
    The pumpkin and gourds patch you visited is really a nice place to take pictures! You took some really nice shots and such a lovely time of the day. Looks like you had a lot of gourds to choose from for your houses! YAY!!!
    I received the seeds today!!!
    Thank you!!! <3

    ReplyDelete
  10. I enjoyed the cotton harvest and the pictures at pumpkin hollow! What a wonderful occasion!

    ReplyDelete
  11. So many wonderful pictures here, Anne. It is so different there than here. Cotton isn't grown around here, but we have a lot of corn, wheat and soybean fields. Loved the photos of all the pumpkins and gourds too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a fun post Anne! I commented before on your other cotton post about my father. I remember when the cotton was ready to pick that it poked our fingers as we took turns plucking the little white balls of fluff. I wish I lived close enough to visit Pumpkin Hollow, I too would get lost in the gourds!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Wow, wow, and wow!
    Beautiful pictures.
    I sure would like to see those cotton fields one of these days; I think they're beautiful.

    Gee whiz... that is a lot of pumpkins, and gourds!

    Looks like a wonderful trip!!

    Looking forward to seeing your creativity in action on those gourds.

    Warm wishes..
    K.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Sweet post! Ive never imagined that is how you would pick cotton! Very interesting, and the round bales do make sense,but what a cool machine! :D
    The pumpkins are just lovely, have you seen the new pink ones they're doing for breast cancer? Its the gentlest light pink and I cant seem to find them anywhere! lol Dried up gourds would make for awesome decoration, Im with you on that! :)

    Hugs,

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great post and oh the pumpkins are wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  16. So pleased you shared these photo's with us...I wish I could visit pumpkin Hollow...how fun to be greeted by such a large group of welcomers. :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. In my email, this post came as part of the other post on the Vulture Fest. I had enjoyed scrolling my email for the entire big post - found out it's several posts when I came by to comment.
    Love the fall colors - beautiful sunflower and bees, warty pumpkins, cotton, gourd arbors and drying gourds (how neat is that?!) Enjoyed the post. Thanks. (Must've all been fun, both the fest and this trip)

    ReplyDelete
  18. I just started following your blog! How delightful, I popped over for the Halloween party, and was mezmorized by your writings and photos, I got lost after about 3 posts in.. lol! and remembered why I came to begin with. I love your name too! So cute:) I'll be back for the party:)

    ReplyDelete
  19. This is so cooool<3 I love the cotton. Its so pretttty!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh, I am late here...my Blogger connection has been acting up!
    What fun! Such gorgeous pumpkins...
    and it's fascinating to see the cotton...wow.
    On to catch up some more...
    Hugs to you, dear Anne!
    xoxo,
    - Irina

    ReplyDelete

I love your thoughts and comments, and I read each and every one! Sometimes life gets in the way, though, and it takes me a while to respond...Thank you for understanding! ♥...Time is precious, and the time you have taken here is truly appreciated!