The Walnut Experience!

We went to the Great Grandparent's house today to let the girls meet their Uncle Tim, my brother and to pick tomatoes! When we got there the wind had knocked down a bunch of Grandpa Floyd's walnuts! The girls were so excited to get to help pick them up that Grandma Judy gave them the baskets that she had for them to pick tomatoes with and they started filling them up with the walnuts! It was very exciting because they were easy to find and in no time they had a large amount collected! Even Collin enjoyed putting them in (and out) of the basket!
Grandpa Floyd showed the tool that he uses to pick up the walnuts and how to use it! Lydia and Drew decided they could pick them up easier with their hands! Then when they had a bunch Grandpa showed them how he puts them into the sorting machine and how it gets rid of the leaves and hulls and then goes onto a conveyor belt to be sorted by condition! After they are sorted they are taken to a bunch of table that are set out so that the air can circulate around the nuts and help them dry out. After they have dried they are put into a trailer and taken to the plant that will buy them. It was fun for the kids to get to see where walnuts come from!
After we picked tomatoes, Grandma Judy served brownies and ice cream!!! MMMMMMM!!! That was a great treat! After playing in the toy drawer for awhile and spending time with Uncle Tim it was time to take Drew and Collin home. Riley didn't get to go with us because she was in school...we missed her. :-(