Stay humble. Reject spam.

Days since Siri has properly transcribed a voice to text for me and actually saved me time versus typing : 598 I’m dropping Apple like a bad habit in 30 days. 

Today I decided not to work like a maniac and actually enjoy the space many weekends of weeding, raking and mowing have provided. Listening to metal in the back yard, having the occasional drink, smoked a fat, playing in the sprinkler with my dog to stay cool and listening to an audiobook in between check-ins on the Formula One weekend. The girls went hours away to the city to do some shopping and I’ve only had pants on for about half of the time they’ve been gone lol. Bare feet, balls out. Sorry neighbors. 

Should be cruising into fall with lots of food in the ground available for canning. At our next place I seriously need to get some protein production happening, be it meat birds, rabbits, chickens, or quail.  We could do some of that here, but I’m hesitant to build much that I am going to need to tear down and move later. It’s going to hurt enough leaving these awesome beds behind that have produced so well for three years.  I could move them but removing and hauling the soil plus touching up the ground where they have sat for some time might be too time-consuming come moving time, given that I will be doing such a move while still working 50 to 60 hour weeks.  The place we are looking at this weekend has enough pasture and corral space for likely two or three beef cattle, as long as I can buy enough hay for winter.  But for now, we make due on our little lot in the village. #gardenstr

After three years of growing beautiful tomato seedlings from seed I’ve finally recognized that regardless of pot size, tomatoes in open ground or very deep beds open to the earth will always outperform those in pots. They need way more legroom and temperature moderation in the root zone then even a very large pot can provide. Plus I’m certain that the actual connection to the Earth is part of the equation.  In year one, I got 80 pounds of tomatoes off seven plants that all reached almost 6 feet in height, in an open-bottomed 8’x4’ bed that currently holds my cucumber and squash trellises. This year the only tomato plant that is thriving is the one whose roots are free to go anywhere they like. The ones in pots, even very large 5 gallon containers, are visibly stressed the same as the ones in 3 gallon pots were last year. At first I thought it was a soil problem, but I’ve done everything right in that regard in these pots and they just don’t like it.  when these black pots get irradiated by sun all day, the temperature in the root zone can easily reach 80°F and it’s amazing how quickly they become root bound. I will still get some yield off of these but their big brother in the bed is going to put them to shame.  It’s all part of the process of working out the kinks in a small setting so that when we move to a space with some serious production capability, I’ll have figured many of these things out. On Sunday we are going to look at a nearly 6 acre partially forested place with animal corrals, fencing around the perimeter and loads of growing space. Lord willing, we will be building our vision for self sufficiency there. I just love growing things and doing these experiments a year at a time. #gardenstr #homesteading

He also restored my stepmom’s 1968 GTO much like this one that was straight off the showroom floor with only about 16,000 original miles on it. When I was born he had a brand new orange Hemi Cuda that he sold when I was less than two years old. That car today would be priceless. View quoted note →

#nostranglersandhunters