Thursday, November 3, 2011

In them old cotton fields back home….

We love traveling the back roads any time of the year!

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But at the end of October….

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it’s Harvest Time!

We were in awe of the beautiful fields of cotton!

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One right after the other…

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with cotton ready to pick!

We stopped to take photos of these bales of cotton!

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How BIG is a bale? They were…

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taller than ME!

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And look up close at the beauty of the cotton balls!

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Don’t they look like they have already been spun?

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And how about this load of….

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PEANUTS!!!

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My Dad told me tales of picking cotton. His whole family would load up in the farm truck and go out in the fields and pick cotton. Now that was HARD work!

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Do you live in an area where cotton is grown?

Have you ever picked cotton?

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43 comments:

It's me said...

look so great all the cotton !!...enjoy your day darling...love from me...xxx...

Debbiedoos said...

That is so cool Diane! I have never seen a real cotton field. That is a cute pic of you near the bales..they are HUGE!

Happy@Home said...

We have cotton fields nearby and I think it is so neat to see them. I've never seen them in bales before. I'd love to have a branch of cotton for display purposes. Guess I'd better get to know a cotton farmer.
Like you, I love driving the country backroads. Less stress and such interesting things to see ... like cotton fields ;).

Dianne said...

Considering that my family is from Georgia, I've seen a lot of cotton in the fields, but I've never picked it. Have you ever had green peanuts right off the vine? They are really good... kind of sweet!

Trace4J said...

How cool. Thanks for taking me on your trip. I just love how all that cotton looks.
And the peanuts. yummm
Hugs Trace


www.grannytracescrapsandsquares.com

Grandma Yellow Hair said...

Yes they grow cotton here in my part of Texas. My granddad had fields of cotton and every time I tried to help pick any he showed me how to get back to the house. hahaha..He thought it would be hard on a city girl.
Love your pictures
Maggie

Caty said...

I LIKE PEANUTS, I LOVE THEM.

THANKS FOR SHOWING US FIELDS OF COTTON PHOTOS.

HAVE A GOOD DAY

CATY

~Laurie~ said...

So far from you - yet I live in peanut/cotton country also! The two big products here in West Texas. Before moving here last year, I had never seen either plant. I love seeing the cotton ready for harvest - they call it Texas snow :)

Cyndi said...

I'm originally from Louisiana and they don't grow a lot of cotton there anymore, but my dad is from Mississippi and they still grow plenty there. I loved walking out in the cotton fields when I was a kid. When the bolls are full and ready to pick, they are so beautiful! But picking it....No thank you...it's VERY hard work and is so hard on the back and hands!

Your photos are beautiful!

XOXO,

Cyndi

Barbara F. said...

Hi Diane, these photos are so beautiful, the blue sky is amazing!!! I don't think I have seen a cotton field nor a peanut farm. I would love to see both one day. xo

Anne said...

It really is neat how raw cotton looks just like the stuff we buy in the store... wonder if the raw stuff is soft enough to use as is? Interesting!

lilybets said...

I love peanuts!.I would have a big bale of peanuts at home !

Musings from Kim K. said...

I've never seen cotton fields in person. How amazing.

magda said...

Rural wonderful photos!
I love me to know the countryside.
I've seen him pick cotton, passing through the street.
And Greece has many fields of cotton. I heard that it is difficult to bear off.
Many greetings and kisses

Kaybe said...

I saw an arrangement using cotton bols. It was so cute. I like taking the back roads too. It was alot more interesting in the 60's & 70's though. No gps or gas stations so when you got lost....you really got lost.

Unknown said...

the cotton looks really soft and so pretty. My son, Ryan got a cotton seed from a neighbor and he grew a cotton plant..it actually grew great and got cotton balls on it. I have never seen a cotton bale before though. very big indeed. I love peanuts...especially on ice-cream with hot-fudge on top...
- KAT -

Vee said...

No, I never have and that's why I am getting an education right here. Thank you!

black eyed susans kitchen said...

This was absolutely fascinating to me!! Being a northern girl, I have never seen baled cotton before. This is absolutely great! Thank you for the education...love it!

Cindy said...

I've seen a few fields of cotton in Arizona, but not up close. It looks so neat! I tried growing some this summer, but only got one boll!

Marfi-topia said...

ive never seen a cotton field before!!!
thank you so much for sharing this.

Della said...

I have seen cotton growing, and had the chance to pick a cotton (pod?) when I was a little girl. It has been years since I've seen cotton. Thanks for stirring up some old memories for me!
Hugs, Della

The Polka Dot Closet said...

I am right here in Florida and I have never seen a cotton field! I would love to! Thanks for showing us!

Carol

Donna said...

We're too far north for it to grow here. I thought the cotton fields looked really funny when I first saw them in Alabama.

Prims and Annies said...

We live in South Ga in cotton and peanut country...all around us. Did you know that before the cotton is harvested the leaves must fall off... a defoliant is sprayed by a crop duster airplane..he puts on quite a show...he comes within inches of power lines...and the leaves fall off in about 2 weeks.

helen tilston said...

A wonderful post and thank you for showing the picture of you beside the bale of cotton. We saw cotton growing when in Virginia a few weeks ago an it is a beautiful crop and so much history attached to it.
In Ireland, bog cotton grows wild and it, too, has a beautiful look when photographed in the peat bogs.
Thanks for an entertaining and interesting post
Helen xx

Unknown said...

WOW! Awesome.... I love seeing things harvested... We do not have cotton here in Kentucky, but are one of the largest producers of corn, soy beans and wheat. Love to watch the farmers during harvest time. It is amazind and I am so in "awe" of them...

Kim@Snug Harbor said...

I saw cotton growing for the first time earlier this year. I'd like to see how they bale it like that tho.

Betsy said...

I have never actually seen a bale of cotton! I remember singing "jump down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton" when I was in school and now I can picture it! They are much bigger than I would have guessed. I love learning something new!

Anonymous said...

We don't live near cotton fields so these pictures were so interesting. You did a great job capturing the beauty!!

Bev said...

I have never seen pictures of a Cotton Field...never would imagine they have stacks of it like that...totally cool!!! thanks for sharing!!!!

Susanne said...

My sister-in-law picked cotton when she was a young girl. She said it was hard work and it makes your hands bleed. Thank goodness for modern technology and that someone had the smarts to make the equipment to make that job faster and less painful. Around here the farmers are now getting soy beans and corn off the fields. They are working day and night to beat the rain. Thanksgiving is around the corner. Have a great weekend :)

Danice G said...

Yes, I have picked cotton before. Here in Alabama we have a lot of cotton farms. Your photos are awesome. They remind me of Alabama :)

Ana said...

Oh my goodness...I have never even seen a cotton field before, I don't think. Wow, how simply amazing that a lot of the cotton products I use begin as such a cute little plant/flower? :-) Awesome pictures. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Hugs and Kisses,
♥Ana

JKW said...

Love this, I learned how tall a bale of cotton is, whew! Did not know that. But here in FL, I do know about boiled peanuts, the Best. Blessings, Janet

jeanne said...

Hi Diane, I have always been impressed by cotton growing. One time my cousin made us stop the car so she could pick a bit to take home. It is glorious stuff. The bale of cotton is huge. I have never seen cotton harvested. This is awesome.Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
XO, Jeanne

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful post!
I am so happy to have taken the time to read it.
I have never seen actual cotton on a plant, let alone entire fields of them! wow! what a marvel, what a wonder...I cannot get over the size of those cotton bails! Incredible!

Thanks so much for sharing. I felt as though you and I went out on a field trip together just now! and btw...I'm happy that you entered the book giveaway on my blog! Jamie Cat Callan is such a generous person!

ciao bella


Creative Carmelina

LindyLouMac said...

Hi my friend, back from my travels and trying to catch up with all my favourite bloggers. What a beautiful and informative post to welcome me back to your blog this evening, thankyou.

peggy said...

I have seen cotton fields in Southeast Missouri but never had I seen an actual bale. I had no idea they were that large. I have eaten peanuts that my grandfather grew in his garden when we lived in Kentucky. They are amazing plants. Thanks for joining me at my little primitive plot in Michigan. It's so nice to have a new friend.

Boo-Bah AKA Iris said...

I remember that when I was a little girl I was amazed at how cotton grew. It just seemed so magical to me.
You sure take beautiful photos.

Hugs
Iris

nancy huggins said...

My husband was raised in AL and he earned money to buy his class ring by picking cotton and also told me the story about one of his classmates that got bit...not once but twice by a rattlesnake picking cotton..Good thing they have the big machines to do it now :)
I do have some cotton from AL that I use sometimes in my prim crafts..Thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures..Oh and we do have some boiled peanuts in our freezer from AL..I love boiled peanuts

Catherine said...

Very interesting and very nice. Here we don't have cotton or peanuts. Have a nice weekend catherine

Sherry@Back2Vintage said...

Oh, yeah, there are plenty of cotton fields here in Mississippi. Mom said she picked cotton as a girl and it was awful on the hands. Thankfully I never had to pick cotton! Thanks for the photos!!!

Tammy said...

I grew up in the south and road past many cotton fields in a car, but never stopped and looked at one, nor saw bails like that. How interesting! I've never seen a truck load of peanuts like that either. Thanks for sharing more of your adventures with us :)