Let the games begin ~ June 30, 2004

David Heiller

We are hosting a big family reunion this weekend. About 20 people will be here for a couple days.

I’m not sure what we’ll be doing for a lot of that time. My sisters were supposed to plan some activities, but last I heard they hadn’t put anything together.

Our homestead, the venue for
 a fun-filled family reunion

So as I^’ve been working around the farm the last few days, I^’ve come up with some creative games that I think everyone will enjoy. I^’m sharing them here in case you need them for a reunion of your own.

Move the Freezer. The chest freezer in the barn needs a new home in our basement. This simple game takes four strong adults to carry it to its new location.

Kill the Burdock. This is a healthy activity that appeals to the outdoorsman. Glen Jostad is the honorary chairman, since he is an authority on the subject. We will each be given a garden spade, which Glen will sharpen. Then we will walk back and forth on our six acre home site and use the spades to slice through the stalks of burdock plants, right below the soil. This is an effective way to kill burdock.

Move the Woodpile. Another fun outdoor activity! Just carry those pieces of wood from under the maple tree down to the fire pit. The person who can carry the most pieces in their arms gets a prize: a guaranteed spot in the Grass Seed Extravaganza.

Grass Seed Extravaganza. This is a game that involves a little of everything. First we will rake the ground around the house, removing any rocks we find. Then we will sprinkle grass seed over the ground. Then we will lightly rake over it again.

Fill the Gullies. This game is closely associated with the Grass Seed Extravaganza, because every time I plant grass seed, we get torrential rain, which causes gullies, and wouldn^’t it be fun to fill all those mean little gullies? Of course it would!

Saw the Kindling. This is a game for the older kids, like say age 30. It’s an exciting game, because you get to start up a 14-horse power Briggs and Stratton engine, slip a belt on the pulley, engage a 20-inch cordwood circle saw, and cut up a pile of scrap boards, creating a beautiful pile of kindling. And the winner gets to:

Stack the Kindling. Making a nice straight kindling pile is an art form as well as a satisfying activity. All are welcome to try.

Screw Down the Roof. In this fun game, you get to climb on the west lean-to of the barn, find all the loose nails, pull them out, and replace them with ring-shanked screws. It’s fun, and you get to use a cordless drill! Plus you can admire the scenery from up high. The winner gets to do the same thing on the east lean-to.

Move the Dirt Pile. That pile of black dirt by the side of the driveway is just waiting to be moved. It^’s easy–just grab a shovel, fill up a wheelbarrow, trudge on over to the garden (you can pretend you are a dump truck and make dump truck noises), dump the dirt, and go back for more. There are only nine yards of dirt, so it shouldn^’t take more than a day for this game.

This is just a start of my activity list for our family reunion. I’m sure more things will come to mind as the week progresses.

I^’m excited about our family reunion. It^’s always good to get together, renew old acquaintances–and play a few games!