ice and potatoes

Nora will use this blog to tell stories of her childhood on the farm and her urban adventures in preparation for the Farm to Fair project. 

Indianapolis was slammed with an epic ice storm this week; basically shutting down the city. I found Uncle Cletus's potato fork to be the best tool for chipping away at the ice.

It's hard to think of gardens and summer when you can't move two feet without falling down on the ice. I was thankful that I wasn't trying to keep livestock alive or worried about crops freezing.

I am unnaturally nostalgic about farm tools. I am always sure to buy a handled tool at family farm auctions, typically choosing the most worn and clearly repaired rake or shovel, often earning an eye-roll from the auctioneer. 

I love the clear and immediate connection of my hands wrapped around the same wooden handle that one of my relatives used. What did Great-Uncle Herman use the shovel for? Did Grandma Nora use it too? Did she ever imagine that she would have a namesake granddaughter using the same shovel in her backyard in Indianapolis. 

I know that ice removal was not the intended use of the potato fork, but the frigid task was made warmer with thoughts of my uncle and cousins using the tool in the summer heat. 

Do you have a favorite implement?