Paul & Diane Boykin

There are several fun things to do around Watkinsville and Oconee Co this October.

First of all, there is an historical walking ghost tour around Watkinsville where ghost stories and legends are told about many sites in town. Currently, they are held Friday and Saturday evenings at 6:45 and 8:00 p.m. for the month of October. If you have a group, they can arrange a tour any evening. If things go well, this may turn into a year 'round event. For more information, call 404-242-6340. (The tour might not be appropriate for children under 10 years).

Also, Washington Farms, usually known for their strawberries in the Spring, has again opened their Corn Maze for the month of October. They also have a pumpkin patch which draws many school tours, a petting zoo, cow train, pig races and hayrides. The hours are 6-11 pm on Tuesdays, 3-11 pm on Fridays and 9 am - 11pm on Saturdays. The admission to the corn maze is $8.00. More information is available at www.WashingtonFarms.net or706-769-0627.

There was a great video about how the Washingtons create the corn maze in today's Athens Banner Herald. It's really fascinating! The link is:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1902589436?bclid=0&bctid=43409934001

The Athens Area Association of Realtors' Sponsored Family Fun Day is coming up this Saturday, October 10, 2009. It's free and open to the public and is to bring awareness to the GA Firefighters Burn Foundation. Bring your kids and have a great time!

Sadly, the tomatoes are about finished and the eggplant and peppers are still hanging on.

"Farmer Paul" is busy today plowing our back 40 for the fall garden. Here in Oconee Co. GA, we are able to plant a fall garden, some of which generally survives the winter. Already, we have planted broccoli, collards, spinach, lettuce and onions. Some of the spinach and lettuce washed in the recent heavy rains and he'll replant them along with some Swiss chard.

The broccoli does better here in the fall than the spring as it likes cool weather. Some years it doesn't really cool off until November, so the broccoli tends to be a little strong. It is most happy when it has a little frost. Then some years we have an early hard freeze, which ruins it as well. In a perfect year we have large broccoli yields with a great flavor.

Unless we have unusually cold weather, the lettuce and spinach will stop growing in the winter but survive and then take off in the early spring. Swiss chard will grow all winter and sometimes remain to grow again the next fall, but we usually need the space for summer crops and plow it up.

I'm still trying to figure out how to have good fresh lettuce AND homegrown tomatoes at the same time!

These are some of the Radiator Charlie's Mortgage Lifter tomatoes that Paul grew last year. They way overlap a piece of bread when you make a tomato sandwich or BLT.

This misty morning we stopped by the Clarke-Oconee Cattlemen sponsored Youth Livestock Show held at Heritage Park in Oconee Co. Participants were from several surrounding counties.

Lamb Show

My girls grew up showing Holstein cattle, and believe me, there is a lot of work involved in getting one ready to show like this Holstein heifer is.

They must be trained to lead and set their feet, washed, clipped, brushed, tails combed, hoofs polished before they are ready to show.

There is a somewhat different approach to preparing the beef animals. Besides halter breaking,

their hair is fluffed to make them look as muscular and "beefy" as possible.

This showman is doing a good job preparing his beef heifer.

These market hogs are resting up for their class later in the day.

There was also a poultry show. This young man was showing me his chicken. (Pardon me, I can't remember the chicken breeds).

This chicken seemed to be posing for me.

Getting a little snack before being judged.

This breed of chicken had a French name - sorry I can't remember

These 4-H and FFA members learn a lot from exhibiting their animals. They work hard to feed and care for them, training and preparing them for the shows. They make friends from all around the state and sometimes country while on the show circuit. A number of them have their own businesses breeding, raising and growing out livestock.

The Clarke-Oconee Cattlemen's Assoc. sponsor this small local show, to enable the exhibitors to be ready for the larger county, state and national fairs where they will soon be showing.

It's been awhile since my girls have shown, but this morning I sure had "show fever" again.

The 14 annual Bogart Fall Festival will be held Saturday on Main Street in Bogart. Beginning with the openiing ceremony at 9:00 a.m. there will be a Celebrate Bogart Parade.

From 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. there will be art and crafts and food vendors offering items for sale. The Bogart Citizen of the Year and Little Miss and Mr. Bogart will be announced at noon.

There will also be a classic car show and a number of entertainment events will be provided. In addition, there are a number of activities for children including pony rides, petting zoo, moon walk, train rides and lots more. Don't miss it!