Friday, September 28, 2012

GCHA Pickle Festival 2012

This was the GCHA   The Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association's, Pickle Festival of 2012, our 33rd. annual Pickle event.
We offered pickles, jams, and jellies, with salsa and other jarred goods brought in from Pennsylvania.

Horman's  Gourmet Pickles of Glen Cove featured "pickles  fresh from the barrel." The Horman family are third generation Long Island picklers.
The historic Gardiner Barn getting ready for the day.
Tomatoes hand picked on the farm.
Under the GCHA's tend, we offered " hand held pickles," New Dill, Garlic Dill, And Kosher Dill.
Here, trustee Rick, dispenses Pickle flavored Pop Corn.

Divine Brine with culinary delights of pickles and chutneys.
Our friends from The American Legion post 2144 Greenlawn  came out.
We had a display of vintage restored cars and trucks. This is a 1956 Ford Crown Victoria.
We had working team engines,
restored antiques cars,

a restored English sports car,
a El Camino,
and the restored truck, the Alco.
We offered a free corn maze and free hay rides for the kids.
 Our ladies mad home baked goodies.

 We brought in huge apple, pumpkin and cherry pies specially created for the festival.
 They went quickly.
 We had a holiday decorations booth.
Miss Judy and Miss Belle ran the collectibles.
We had new this year, Pickle tee shirts modeled by Master Nick, the driver of the hay rides and Miss Belle.
The crowds kept coming,
and coming,

and coming.
Children were photographed in the historic Lollipop Train all day.
Live music was performed by the Snappy Even band.




New this year we had a roasted corn vendor from St. James, with really fabulous roasted Long Island corn that they grew on their farm.
Everyone was happy that t he day was successful, and grabbed a kiss under the pickle sign.
 If you are interested in becoming a volunteer and helping out at next year's pickle festival contact:

http://huntington.patch.com/articles/33rd-annual-pickle-festival-held-at-john-gardiner-barn?ncid=newsltuspatc00000001#video-11463641        
Watch the Patch Video




Sunday, September 16, 2012

Late Summer Bugs in the Jarvis Garden

Praying Mantis, so named because of the gesture of its arms , or Preying Mantis also know as because of its predatory nature.  Love seeing these in the garden.

A Monarch feeding on the leaves of the Asclepias,  or Milkweed.
Butterfly bushes attract many, many "bugs."
As do the Phlox in the late summer garden.
My yellow butterfly bush seems to out grow in size and flowers, its brothers in purple, and is  more attractive to the garden bugs.

Monarch butterfly on a perennial Ageratum bloom.  I always think of these plants as "back to school flowers," because they always seem to bloom the first week of school, right after Labor Day.
I guess that I will have more Monarchs next year!



A large Bumble Bee on a Sedum just beginning to show color.