Monday, September 05, 2016 – Nathan & Valerie Leave for home, Horse Chestnuts

The day has come when we had to say goodbye to Nathan & Valerie. They left this morning at 9:30 to drive to St. Louis to catch their flight home. It has been a pleasure to have them visit for the Labor Day weekend.  Not only a pleasure but doubly so since we weren’t expecting them to bring our oldest granddaughter, Samantha, with them.  And, once again, Sis. Johnson was crying as she had to said goodbye to her family. We are already looking forward to their return next July when they will bring the rest of the children.

For the past few days I’ve noticed very large nuts on the ground under the tree in our front yard.  I found out the tree is a “Horse Chestnut” tree and the nuts are called “Horse Chestnuts.” For the past couple of days I’ve been humming the Christmas favorite, “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” But alas, it’s not to be, these chestnuts aren’t the kind you can eat.

 

“Sweet Chestnuts” are the kind you roast over an open fire. It turns out that “Horse Chestnuts” are not eatable. In fact they are very toxic. Even the squirrels know they can’t be eaten.