{"id":20431,"date":"2013-11-02T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2013-11-02T14:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/?p=20431"},"modified":"2013-10-20T20:57:38","modified_gmt":"2013-10-21T02:57:38","slug":"notes-to-myself-about-picking-dry-tepary-beans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyimprovisations.com\/notes-to-myself-about-picking-dry-tepary-beans\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes to Myself About Picking Dry Tepary Beans"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"My<\/a>
My tangled mess of tepary beans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have spent<\/strong> several hours over the last couple of days picking dry pods of black tepary beans. It has been both satisfying and frustrating. I am getting a good harvest, now with 2 full trays of pods and still half of the row to pick. I planted a longer row this year. But I got carried away with my interplanting and I forgot how labor intensive harvest was for these beans last year. (But they make good burrito beans!)<\/a><\/span> I have a bad memory in the spring. So, the delicate tepary bean plants that looked so exquisite mixed with the jalape\u00f1os and petunias for the summer are a mess to untangle during harvest. Was it worth it? Let’s just say I have some different plans already for next year.<\/p>\n

As I was<\/strong> harvesting, I was thinking of what I would say if a friend called and asked what I was doing. “Oh, I’m just struggling for survival, trying to pick enough beans to feed the fam for the winter. And you?”<\/em> It is incongruous that I’d be talking on my iPhone while crawling in the dirt looking for every last beige pod. But that’s what life is like for us gardeners in the modern world. During this time of self-imposed menial work, I saw a large, fuzzy black spider crawl scamper out of the bean bushes and pass about one inch from my toes. I moved slightly and kept picking. If that happened in the house I’d probably scream, but out here, I’m in its territory and I see an ugly insect every few seconds. (click on any photo to enlarge)<\/span><\/p>\n

While I was doing<\/strong> the bean picker’s interpretive dance (which is a fluid combination of squats, ballet positions, and odd movements to keep muscles from spasming)<\/em> I was trying to think what could make this easier. A tractor would, unfortunately, be overkill. Here is what I told myself:<\/p>\n