80 Years and 800 Miles

My grandparents, better known as Meme and Papa, came up to see us in North Dakota last weekend! Papa has been chompin' at the bit to get up here and see sugar beet harvest since meeting Garret. So, a few days ago, they packed up their motorhome, trailered their pickup and started the journey up here!  We met them in Fargo, and made our way to the NE corner of the state, to Garret's family's farm. This was our sunset on the way up, taken by stretching my arms across the car and out the drivers' side window while cruising at 75 mph, hanging on to my camera for dear life. Not recommended, but worth it. :) An opened-up sugar beet field! Just look at those luscious leaves! I'm not sure who was more excited - Papa to see the beets or Garret to show them to him! These two men have been talking non-stop about this trip! Papa asked the very same thing I asked upon entering my first beet field, "Well, let's pull one out so we can see it!" Lots bigger than most "beets" you think of, right?! It was at this moment that Papa caught me taking his picture. I had managed to trail behind and go unnoticed until now. He laughs and says to Garret, "I sure hope this makes her a lot of money someday!" That's my Papa, ever the farmer-businessman! After hearing about The Farm Progress Show, I think he's hoping The Climate Corporation uses his picture next. ;) But I really just wanted to document his trip up here, because he's pretty cool, you know. I'll want to remember this trip forever. Papa may be 81 years old, but don't tell him that. He drove 800+ miles to spend a couple of days learning about a totally different kind of agriculture. Different types of equipment. Different soils. Different crops. Different processes. You name it. We even toured the brand-new ethanol plant Garret works at - another 190 miles away! If you could've watched him think, heard his (many) questions, you'd know his spirit and passion for farming surpasses many folks still in the thick of it. And at the end of the day, I'm so, so proud to be his granddaughter. (Yes, he did take the sugar beet home with him!)