AG DAY

27 Marzo
Hi everyone from Kansas City! I spent Easter in St. Louis with my brother and his family and we had a wonderful easter dinner at Norma and Milton's (Jim's in-laws). We also built a deck for Jim's second oldest. Meanwhile, I did some serious shopping and bought enough white tea to last me the year and also, white socks, enough for 3 years!
I then flew to Kansas City where the Spring is a bit late in taking hold and the skies have been gray every day, a shame since i rented a convertible. Some words of encouragement for the residents here: I saw turkey vultures, flocks of blackbirds arriving and juncoes leaving-Spring has arrived!, even if it doesn't feel like it.
I have been feted grandly here by my friends Larry and Pam and Larry and Marcia (who also provided my 5 star lodging the past few nights). The food and wines were exceptional, as was the company!
I have finished my doing my taxes and get to pay the USA, and one last time also the state of Kansas, for the privilege of being a citizen here. Thanks for the good work, Len. It turns out your losses in another country don't count here. Too bad!
And now, on to "AG" day. Yesterday, I took a road trip to Waverly, one of the big apple and peach growing regions of the US and talked with my old high school friend Byron, about apple growing as Raffaele and I are trying to decide what to place on our 1/2 hectare below the old oak tree at the bottom of our property. I explained our soil type, climate and inability to use herbicides or pesticides as we are certified biological and Byron thought we might have some success with a little stand of apple trees. Now, we must decide between apples and olives and/or a pond for our low lying area, which looks barren without grapevines. Then, it was on to Wakenda to visit my friend Terry and we talked about tractors; how they work, maintenance, brands, etc. Finally, I was on to my home town of Carrollton, Missouri to visit the hospital where I worked as a 16 year old and it must be in the running for best little town hospital in the country! I took a tour with Jerry, the administrator and was truly impressed! He may come visit us at Nascondiglio di Bacco and we would love to host he and his wife.
I then visited Pete and Linda, great friends of my mom's before heading out to visit all my ancestors in the cemetery. I see the tree my Dad planted when I started in medical school has started to repair the damage it suffered in an ice storm years ago and as a newly avid tree climber, I couldn't resist that opportunity and cleared all the old dead branches out of the middle. I will include pix when I get back to Italy as I forgot my camera cable. I was encouraged to find 4 relatives who lived past 80; hope those are my genes.
I then completed the tour, returning to KC where I am spending the last 2 nights with Kevin and Erika. Tonight is the premier tasting of Jamon Iberico in KC and they have asked me to say a few words! More on that later
Finally, it is off to Denver tomorrow where a package from the consulate in Chicago awaits. I hope my visa is inside!
If you see me, don't be surprised if i am in Marketing Mode! I have to write off this trip, you know :)
dds