[T]Ears Of Joy

It's sweet corn season and this lovely part of the planet grows the best in the world!

Each year, the locals watch the long rows of sweet corn rise in the fields. (They grow lots of cow corn 'round these here parts, too.) Hoping for the right mix of heat, sun, and rain. Hoping that the bees will be plentiful enough to pollinate all the silks so the cobs are nice and full of kernels. Hoping that this year's harvest will be better than the last.

We wait. We wait for Calhoun's Produce Barn to swing its doors wide and welcome the masses. Neighbors keep each other posted, and when it opens, news spreads like wildfire. "Corn's ready!" People come from far and wide for the deliciousness of the corn.

We've become corn snobs, turning up our noses at the early spring crops that hit the local supermarkets from Florida. Sure, we occasionally buy a few ears, only to confirm for ourselves that we've got the inside track on where to get the best.

My first couple of ears this year were so incredible that they literally brought tears to my eyes. So sweet and tasty that no butter is needed and one is tempted to eat it for breakfast. Corny, I know, but true.