I often have commented in this space that I am no kind of a cook. I really am not. I don’t bake, I don’t invent new recipes, and I don’t get excited when the latest church cookbook shows up on the local market. The food preparation process is an anathema to me. Generally, if it doesn’t come in a box or a bag, I don’t buy it.

For those of you who do make things from scratch and enjoy ‘homegrown’ ingredients, I have an offer for you — walnuts. Yes, indeed, walnuts. It seems that I, who don’t even buy such things shelled AND bagged, have two walnut trees that produce an annual crop of nuts on the Marshall Auction property downtown. I don’t want them … ever.

So here is the deal. You may have all you want. First come, first served; whoever shows up to gather them gets them. The trees are back along the west border of the property, almost into what would be the alley, if there actually was an alley back there. Knock yourself out.

My lawn mowing guy told me today that he thinks I have a banner crop. He would probably appreciate them more if they were gone. I don’t think he wants them anymore than I do.

My grandmother had a huge old walnut tree. She harvested her crop every fall and sent a couple of gunnysacks of nuts to someone who had a machine to crack them for her. She spent the winter picking the nuts from the shells as she watched television in the evenings. I must admit, she did make wonderful cookies and cakes that featured her own walnuts. She was a much better homemaker than I.

Maybe this could be the basis of a great undertaking for a member of the school district’s entrepreneur class or the horticulture students. Or how about the Geezers at Food Mart? I know they could use a community service endeavor that would make them feel useful and needed. I might suggest that to them at their next recruitment meeting.

Or wait, maybe the senior citizens could abandon the peppernut project and just shell walnuts and sell them. What do you think?

I think that tomorrow you all ought to grab a gunnysack and head off to the warehouse lawn and get right after it!

— Susan Marshall