Cotton Pickin

I have experienced my first cotton harvest. I had more pictures but cannot find them on the computer now. My non-native status was confirmed again when I asked someone if their cotton was cut. Ashley informed me you pick cotton, not cut it! My Grandpa Niehage used to sometimes call us little cotton pickers when we were little. Ashley informed me that would have been very racially inappropriate around here. Quite certain Grandpa was not trying to be inappropriate! I have seen the cotton fields blooming and the aftermath of the harvest but it was neat to see it all in action. Cotton lined the ditches and roads, we met or passed or saw in fields countless cotton trailers and cotton pickers (the combine for picking cotton). The gins ran all the time to process the cotton. Dust from the cotton was everywhere. Late in the evening you could see lights in fields with famers eager to get the crop in. The weather was in complete control. Different crop; same scenerios!!

Jonathan's class got to go to a cotton field on a field trip. He came home with a bag of cotton that he had picked. He learned that money is made from cotton so he had big plans to make lots of money with his cotton!! One evening we were outside and saw a church group go by on a cotton ride. I grew up going on hayrack rides. This was the same thing but in a cotton trailer half full of cotton. We drove the 4-wheelers out to a cotton field that used a new method of round cotton bales. Jonathan and I had fun climbing on them. Ashley had us smell the cotton. It was a unique smell. I believe the harvest if over now. The gins are still finishing all the processing. It was neat to see something that is so important in this area.