“When are we going to have our big bonfire?” Helen asked.
“You’ve worked hard and done a real good job,” Father said, looking pleased at the surprisingly large area now neatly cleared. “That pile of brush will make quite a Fourth of July celebration, even if it is October with snow on the ground.”
“There isn’t any snow on the ground, Father.” Peggy Jean was puzzled.
“There could be, any day now, for winter often comes early up here in northern Minnesota. It will be best to wait until it does, and until the ground freezes, before we have our big fire. In these forested areas the soil is made up of many layers of fallen leaves and dead trees that have gone back into the soil. Unless the ground is frozen, smoldering fire can creep through this humus and sometimes bursts into flame again — and even quite a distance away! Forest fires have started that way. It pays to be mighty careful with fires. Never forget that, girls!”
The girls looked at the big woods all around them. How dreadful a forest fire would be! The maples were turning red, and the aspen and birch were now glowing shades of yellow and gold against the dark green of the pine and spruce. They knew a forest fire would quickly turn all this living beauty into charred sticks and stumps and destroy all the wildlife that made their homes in the big woods around them.
At supper that night, Father had something interesting to suggest. “How would you all like to go picking hazelnuts tomorrow? I know where we could pick a few sacks in no time, if the squirrels and chipmunks haven’t beaten us to them. Long about Christmastime, some hazelnuts’ll taste mighty good!”
So it was that they all climbed into the flivver and were on their way in good time the next day. For about five miles, they drove through big woods until they came to an area where the trees were much smaller and more scattered. The open spaces were filled with what Father called hazel brush.
“See these clusters? They are green now, but are turning a bit brown, so it’s good we got the jump on the squirrels — they would’ve been at them in no time. They’ll feel funny to your fingers, sort of fuzzy and sticky, but don’t let that bother you. After we take them home, we’ll let them dry until they’re good and crisp. Then when we peel back this outside, the round nut inside will be about the size of an acorn. When you crack and eat them — well, then you’ll know why the squirrels and chipmunks like them so well!”
“Don’t scatter out of sight,” Mother called, as the girls began running eagerly into the brush with their bags. “Stay close to one another. It would be easy to get lost.”
“Yes, and we might even scare up a bear, you know!” Father said, grinning teasingly at their startled faces.
“It’s not likely, although they do like nuts real well.” He added, “If there was one here abouts before we arrived, he’s gone looking for his dinner far away by now.”
“How do you know, Daddy?” Helen wanted to know.
“The noise we made arriving would have scared him away,” Father explained. “Most animals hear, see and smell us long before we even know that they are around. Unless you are very quiet in the woods and the wind is blowing toward you so they cannot smell you, you won’t see much wildlife. As a rule they are more afraid of us than we are of them. Let’s get to picking now, and see who fills his sack first. When it’s full, come empty it into one of these big burlap sacks by the car.”
“When you hear the car horn blow, that will be time for lunch. Let’s all be watching for a nice shady spot where we can enjoy our picnic,” Mother suggested.
What fun it was! The girls helped each other by bending the bushes down so they could reach the curious clusters, like small green bundles. When they stopped for lunch, they found they had filled several large burlap sacks.
“We’ll just pick a little longer,” Father decided. “We’ve got almost enough, don’t you think, Mother?”
“I think so, but don’t forget we’ll enjoy them in fudge and cookies besides eating them as they are. And, of course, we’ll be a bigger family at Christmastime.”
“Who’s coming?” the girls chorused eagerly.
“We’re expecting Aunt Jean! She’s planning to come from Philadelphia on the train,” Mother explained, “and she will spend at least a week with us.”
“Company’s coming! Company’s coming!” the girls shouted with pleasure as they chased each other and rolled in the grass in their excitement. Aunt Jean was Father’s oldest sister. What fun it would be to have such special company at Christmastime.
Father was finishing his last sandwich, and between bites he managed to say, “Soon as the snow comes we’ll cut the trees. It will be easier then to skid them out with the horses. Mr. Brooks up the way has promised to turn them into lumber for us in his saw mill. As soon as spring comes and the weather is fit for building, we’ll make good progress on that house. Yessir! Sue and Bob will be our near neighbors by summer!”
When they returned home, Father brought a ladder and carried the sacks of nuts up onto the flat roof of the porch where he spread them out to dry in the sun.
“After they’ve been in the sun for several weeks, the husks will turn brown and dry. Then we’ll shuck them and hang the nuts to dry more in the attic till long about Christmas,” he explained to the girls.
It was beginning to sound more and more interesting! How could they ever wait two whole months for it to come?