Never Curse The Rain

“Never curse the rain.”  Words my father used when my brothers and I complained that what we had planned we couldn’t do because of the rain.

 Our western Waushara County farm was sandy and droughty.  It always was in need of a good rain to raise any crops at all.  Some years the rains came regularly and our hay, oat, corn, and cash crop of potatoes did reasonably well.  But too many years the rains did not come regularly.  During the dust-bowl years of the Great Depression the rains came not at all.

I have always been one to welcome rain, celebrate it and let others know how important it is.  This last week stretched my long-held belief to near, but not quite, the breaking point.  From last Tuesday evening to Thursday morning, it rained seven inches at my farm—which is but two miles from where I grew up.  A small pond had emerged on the west side of my garden.  My un-paved driveway had puddles and little patches of mud where they had never been.  Water ran under my shed door and soaked the dirt floor—not really a problem as it soon disappeared.

Somewhat ironical, my recently completed filming of another public television documentary—you guessed it--is titled “Never Curse The Rain.”  The show is based on my new book with that same title to be published by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press.  Both the TV show and the book will be available in March 2017.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Welcome the rain.  All living creatures depend on it.

Workshop: Writing From Your Life:  Offered at The Clearing, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 28.  Call 920-854-4088 to learn more and to register.

Upcoming Events:

September 29, Whitewater Library, 6:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

October 1, 9-5,”How to tell your personal story.” Writing  Workshop, Edgerton, Masonic Lodge.  Call 608-884-3367 for further information.

October 2, Mystery to Me Book Store, Madison. 2:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

October 6-7, Heartland Book Forum, Minneapolis.

October 15, 7:00 p.m. Wisconsin Writer’s Association, Riverwalk Hotel, 123 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Neenah, WI Keynote speech.

October 28, 9-4.  Writing from your life—writing workshop at the Clearing in Door County (see above for details)

November 3, 6:30.  Rock Springs Public Library, 6:30.

November 5, 11:00 a.m. Patterson Memorial Library, Wild Rose, Roshara Journal

November 10, 7:00 p.m. Menomonie Falls Public Library. One-Room Schools

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them): 

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:

 Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)

 Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)

 The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Jerry’s newest books, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Barns of Wisconsin

I wrote the first edition of Barns of Wisconsin in 1977, soon 40 years ago. It has been available ever since.  Most recently, working with my son, Steve, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press published a third revised edition with Steve’s photos and much of the original material plus some updating.

I remember back in 1976, when I first worked on the book.  My publisher then, not WHSP was concerned that few people would be interested in a book about barns, even if it contained beautiful pictures.  We soon discovered that people were interested, and continue to be interested today.

With these words I tried to capture the reason why so many people continue to love the old barns:

“The barns of Wisconsin are history books in red paint, sociology with gable roofs, theology with lightning rods.  In many ways, barns are Wisconsin agriculture nailed together in buildings with cupolas on the top.  Here is where both life and death on the farm often occurred simultaneously; here is where farm boys and girls learned about responsibility; and where many a farmer began and ended  his day 365 days a year for his entire life.”

If interested in buying the book, stop by your local bookstore, or check my website, www.jerryapps.com  where you can also buy it.

Come  by the Albertson Library in Albany, WI Tuesday evening (9-20) (7:00 p.m.), where I’ll be showing pictures and talking about Wisconsin barns.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Save an old barn and you save a piece of history.

Workshop: Writing From Your Life:  Offered at The Clearing, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 28.  Call 920-854-4088 to learn more and to register.

Upcoming Events:

September 20, Albertson Memorial Library, 200 N. Water Street, Albany, WI.  7:00 p.m. Barns of Wisconsin.

September 21, Stonefield Village, Casville, WI. 11:00 a.m. Telling Your Story: Why it's important and how to do it.

September 29, Whitewater Library, 6:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

October 1, 9-5,”How to tell your personal story.” Writing  Workshop, Edgerton, Masonic Lodge.  Call 608-884-3367 for further information.

October 2, Mystery to Me Book Store, Madison. 2:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

October 6-7, Heartland Book Forum, Minneapolis.

October 15, 7:00 p.m. Wisconsin Writer’s Association, Riverwalk Hotel, 123 E. Wisconsin Avenue, Neenah, WI Keynote speech.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them): 

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:

 Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)

 Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)

 The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Jerry’s newest books, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

The White Cedar Teaching Award

Ruth and I have just returned from The Clearing Folk School near Ellison Bay, Door County where, at their annual awards picnic, I was honored to receive the Clearing’s 2016 White Cedar Teaching Award.  I have taught life story writing there for 27 years, with another workshop scheduled for October 28 (see below for details).  I was truly surprised and pleased to receive the award.

The award presentation included this information about why the teaching award was named after the white cedar tree:

The white cedar, or arborvitae, which means tree of life, is a remarkable tree.  At the Clearing, and along the entire span of the Niagara Escarpment—over 600 miles—white cedar grows on and in what appears to be solid limestone, gaining a toehold where it can, harvesting moisture when it can, defying the laws of both gravity and gardening.  It does so into great age, often several hundred years, occasionally over a thousand years.  The white cedars that grow along the Niagara Escarpment, including those at the Clearing, are the oldest trees in eastern North America—a remarkable feat considering the challenging environment in which they grow.

The White Cedar Award is given to those Clearing instructors who have been devoted to teaching, devoted to their students and devoted to the Clearing for many years.  Just as the white cedar represents the best of the Clearing’s natural landscape, those instructors who receive the White Cedar Award represent the best of the Clearing’s human and cultural Landscape.

I’ve found The Clearing Folk School one of the finest places I’ve known as a place to teach and to learn.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  When you think you are getting old, think of the age of many white cedars.

Workshop: Writing From Your Life:  Offered at The Clearing, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 28.  Call 920-854-4088 to learn more and to register.

Upcoming Events:

September 15, Midwest Master Gardeners, Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells.  Dinner Speaker, Whisper and Shadows.

September 18, 1-5, Markesan Heritage Days, Markesan, WI. Speaking at 2:00 p.m.  Books will be available.

September 20, Albertson Memorial Library, Albany, WI.  7:00 p.m. Barns of Wisconsin.

September 21, Stonefield Village, Casville, WI. 11:00 a.m. Telling Your Story: Why important and how to do it.

September 29, Whitewater Library, 6:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

October 2, Mystery to Me Book Store, Madison. 2:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them): 

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:

 Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)

 Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)

 The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Jerry’s newest books, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835

Labor Day Garden Grades

            With schools starting for the fall term, it seemed appropriate to assign some grades to my vegetable garden on this Labor Day Weekend.  Different from the last couple of summers, we’ve had lots of rain and plenty of heat and sunshine.  But similar to past summers, some things did well and some didn’t do well at all.  Here are the grades:

Tomatoes: “A+” Wow.  What a tomato crop this season and they are not finished yet.  I’ve loosely kept track.  We’ve picked at least three  to four bushels so far this summer.  In recent weeks, late blight took out a few of the plants, but those remaining kept chugging along.  Lots of tomato soup, tomato juice, and salsa already on the cellar shelves.

Potatoes: “A+”  Good potato year; they like lots of rain.  We’ve dug about six bushels.

Green beans: “A”  We continue to pick them.  Wonderfully tasty.

Early sweet corn: “D”  Small ears, not many of them. Poor crop.

Late sweet corn: “A”  I planted it on the Fourth of July, after I harvested the peas.  It came along quickly, and yesterday we ate some of the first of this late crop.  Some of it blew half way over from one of our frequent rain storms, but it straightened out and did well.

Early Peas: “B”  Average crop, but oh so good eaten fresh.

Carrots: “F”  Poor crop this year.  Must try something different next year. Different variety.? New approach to planting?

Peppers: “F-“  Nothing.  Not one green pepper, not even a little scraggly one.  Need a different variety?

Onions: “C”  Good crop but nothing to brag about.

Cabbage: “A”  Excellent crop.  Lots of good coleslaw.  Even a batch of sauerkraut that Natasha is brewing.

Swiss chard: “A”  Still harvesting it.  Doing great.  Beautiful plants.

Leaf Lettuce: “A”  Finally harvested the last of it.

Broccoli: “A”  Even with the hot weather it hasn’t given up.

Cucumbers: “A”  I Picked several cukes again yesterday.  I grow the long, slicer types.  Not the stubby pickling varieties.

Squash and Pumpkins:  “Incomplete.”  They are still growing and look to be an average or maybe a little above average crop.

Zucchini:  “No grade.”  I’ve been heard to say that if you can’t grow zucchini you’d best turn to basket weaving.  Every week another armful of zucchini.  Ruth makes loaf after loaf of zucchini, which she freezes.  She also makes some really tasty zucchini muffins with raisins.

Sunflowers: “A”  Ten feet tall with huge  heads.  I have a long row alongside the south end of the garden.  They add a splash of yellow to the garden.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Oh, the mysteries and joys of vegetable gardening.

Workshop: Writing From Your Life:  Offered at The Clearing, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on October 28.  Call 920-854-4088 to learn more and to register.

Upcoming Events:

September 8, 7:00 p.m.  McMillan Memorial Library, Wisconsin Rapids. Workshop on memoir writing. Participants should have a copy of TELLING YOUR STORY as it will be used in the workshop. Book will be available for sale the evening of the workshop.

September 15, Midwest Master Gardeners, Chula Vista Resort, Wisconsin Dells.  Dinner Speaker, Whisper and Shadows.

September 18, 1-5, Markesan Heritage Days, Markesan, WI. Speaking at 2:00 p.m.  Books will be available.

September 20, Albertson Memorial Library, Albany, WI.  7:00 p.m. Barns of Wisconsin.

September 21, Stonefield Village, Casville, WI. 11:00 a.m. Telling Your Story: Why it's important and how to do it.

September 29, Whitewater Library, 6:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

October 2, Mystery to Me Book Store, Madison. 2:00 p.m. Roshara Journal.

Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them): 

The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:

 Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)

 Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old Farm books.)

 The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and Shadows.)

Also available are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin Agriculture: A History.

Jerry’s newest books, Roshara Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.

Contact the library for prices and special package deals.

Patterson Memorial Library

500 Division Street

Wild Rose, WI 54984
barnard@wildroselibrary.org
www.wildroselibrary.org
920-622-3835