Doesn’t seem possible does it? Two months away from the election, BUT, only 3 months away until Christmas. Sorry…ain’t no Happy Holidays bein wished round here! We do the MERRY CHRISTMAS THING!!

Before I get started this morning, let’s check out a few tongue in cheeks. Hopefully, by the time you get the jokes down ya, I’ll know what I was gonna get started postin on?? LOL!

Our good friend Gary, from LA, or “Lower Alabama,” sent us a few bout ole “Slick Willie.” I thought they were all pretty funny so let’s see.

Manufacturers announced today that they will be stocking America ‘s shelves this week with “Clinton Soup,” in honor of one of the nations’ distinguished men… It consists primarily of a weenie in hot water.

The Clinton revised judicial oath:…”I solemnly swear to tell the truth as I know it, the whole truth as I believe it to be, and nothing but what I think you need to know.”

Seems to me most of our politicians look at this oath similarly, huh?

I believe on many, many occasions we elect, and send officials to Washington that really ARE good people. Men AND women. The problem becomes a problem, ONCE, they get to DC. Seems to me a vast minority leave, IF they EVER leave, with many, IF any, morals or virtues among them.

Clinton will be recorded in history as the only President to do…Hanky Panky between the Bushes.”

Not bad, huh?

We’ll share one more this morning. This comes from another good friend, Diane…

A Harley biker is riding by the zoo in Washington, DC when he sees a little girl leaning into the lion’s cage. Suddenly, the lion grabs her by the collar of her jacket and tries to pull her inside to slaughter her, under the eyes of her screaming parents.

U.S. MARINE ASSAULTS AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND STEALS HIS LUNCH… and THAT pretty much sums up the media’s approach to the news these days…

Our garden is doing well in the greenhouse, but outside the greenhouse they’ve been catchin it. You know I had herbicide “drift” on the okra, killed quite a bit actually. I know Deb would have been on my case BAD over that. LOL!

For better than the last week we’ve been getting some good rain. I can’t believe I’m sayin this after how dry we’d been, but man, a break would be nice. The soil is beginning to get pretty saturated, and honestly we need a few days of…dryin out!

Once it does, I need to take a hoe and bust the middles just to stir the soil up some and help it to dry out a little.

They were talking, last I heard, about a 60% chance tomorrow, 50% Wed., and then droppin to 40%. All good chances for showers. I’ll say this though, the pond has come up a lot. It’s starting to look like a good pond again.

I set out about 50 onion sets today and have about another 30 to set out. I’ll probably do that tomorrow. Most are He Shi Ko, but there’s a few Crimson Forest as well. I like them both, but favor the He Shi Ko’s if given the option.

I strung the two rows of tomatoes in the greenhouse today, plus fertilized everything in the garden areas. After applying fertilize, I sprayed all the plants with Liquid Seven for bug control, got a shower then ran up town and got a haircut. Told em I wanted it short enough that when I got home, I wanted the dogs to bite me!

It’ll be a while for I need another one! Twelve bucks for a regular haircut? At that price I’m thinkin about letting it go to my shoulders for I get another one! LOL!

I’ll try and get a video or a couple pictures of the garden in the next day or so. Also I want to do a video for a reader who requested an update on the butter Deb and I canned a year ago. We’d have done it sooner but I couldn’t find a volunteer to put it in their mouth! LOL!

No, I just haven’t had anyone to help me to video it. I’m not smart enough to do it by myself, and just afraid the camera would be anywhere but where I needed it.

I read a quote the other day from Billy Graham. Actually, I bought a book of his quotes. This quote now is in regards to our youth. Once you read it, stop and ponder what its message is.

“In earlier periods of history, adolescence was virtually unknown… Today, the span between childhood and adulthood may extend over 10 years.

Deferred adulthood is synonymous with deferred responsibility.

I couldn’t agree more, and through this our Country’s future looks cloudy, I hate to say. Much of the reasoning for this statement is TOO much governmental control over our family’s lives today.

Punish your child…might see the jailhouse. (abuse)

Work your child…might see the jailhouse. (abuse again)

Even throughout school, our children are taught in many cases that wrong…is right. They’re taught agendas, and many times the remarks used by their “teachers” are anti-American, at least by majority standards.

Look at the teacher strikes in Chicago. How many hundreds of thousands of kids WERE or still are out of school? I don’t even know if it’s ended” Just ticks me off though! I literally can’t stand to read about it.

Does this have ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN? Not in the least! The union maybe? Ya reckon?

In our regard, Deb and I worked, and worked hard as youth. Our children did the same. Each of us have turned out pretty decently, and all know the value of the dollar, and the work ethic needed to “get ahead” in this world we live in.

Through these things, we learned that respect, honesty, your word being your bond or your integrity, or simply put…nobody owes you NOTHIN! You EARN it.

We still had times to enjoy ourselves, BUT, work came first…then enjoyment.

Morals, standards, virtues, etc. All going out the window.

Is it surprising? Of course not.

When you have the leaders of the free world making a mockery of the Country, its Laws, its Constitution, it’s Faith in God, literally just about everything we WERE founded upon…when it reaches this point, there just isn’t too much that DOES surprise me anymore!

The saddest part? They’ve made a mockery of us too. The CITIZENS of this Country…you and I.

Until we finally get enough and start DEMANDING accountability, we can forget it ever getting any better. It’s past that. They’ve become too arrogant.

Vote wisely in November friends!

On that note let’s take a look at one other joke. This one from my Aunt Ann…

The Captain suggested perhaps it would help if the sailors would change underwear occasionally.

but don’t count on things smelling any better.

You guys have a great day, and God Bless you and yours! Be sure to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!
Dub

Well, the goal of getting everything in the greenhouse and grow areas ready for replantin is finally beginning to pay off for us. Good night a livin…I sure had a mess.

Time had been in short supply and I was “learnin the ropes” in how to be…a housewife! If I ever state that I’ve started “paintin up my toenails” some, please call 911 for me. I’d be in DESPERATE need of serious professional help! LOL!

You take into consideration my normal duties and chores, put into the equation the added chores of housecleanin, washin clothes and dishes, not to mention “secretarian” as well, and dad-gum, my dern plate got full in a hurry.

I already knew it before, but now I fully understand…that dern Deb was a workin Trojan!

As I’ve said prior, I was havin a hard time regulatin my time. I was busy as a “13 petered weasel” (sorry, I couldn’t resist the expression), but for the life of me I just wasn’t getting anything accomplished. I had 40-11 projects in progress yet couldn’t seem to finish even one.

Once more, thanks to two of our grandsons…I’m ahead of the game now. For how long remains to be seen? LOL!

The greenhouse is ready for plantin. Matter of fact I believe I have about 140 beets or so in the ground, some radishes, only 4 pepper plants (they’ll cover me up for my own use), and a few herbs. These are stevia, lemon basil, basil, oregano, and cilantro.

Gave up on my “white horehound.” Yep, it really is a herb, and that really is its name. When I purchased the seeds Deb thought I was crazy. Actually the only reason I bought them was it is supposed to be good for coughs.

Okay, okay, I’m lyin. I REALLY bought the seeds to just aggravate Deb. Still though, they are supposed to be good for coughs.

Deb used to tell me… “Dub, if they took your brain and put it on the sharp edge of a razor blade, it’d look like a BB rollin down a four-lane highway.” As you can see, she was always so full of compliments in my regard! LOL!

My tomato plants should be ready to set out the first of next week. I might even jump the gun and set the ones I’m putting in the greenhouse this weekend. We’ll see.

We’ve got squash, eggplants, and peppers, all getting close to being able to set them out. I’ll also set out okra and peas as well, but most, if not all of these two veggies will go into our garden out in front of the house…IF I get that dern thing cleaned up??

I think I will, but we’ll just have to see about that. I will definitely plant some more Japanese cucumbers for sure. Those things were actually very good and the size they grow to was amazing the first time around. Even when very large they stayed tender and had very few seeds.

Anyway, tomorrow we’ll take up our irrigation lines and till the grow area up pretty well. I’ve herbicided the weeds and grass on 3 different occasions so I’ve gotten a good kill on it prior to tillin. I”ve sprayed it so much on account of these areas being thrown away for so long while tending to my Deb. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

Our irrigation is unhooked and moved around very quickly so this won’t be any type of problem. As quick as we till the soil then lay out the beds we’ll chunk the irrigation back down and set everything back out.

Red and Corey will be here to help out and I’m lookin forward to their help. I’ve learned through the years that if you really need their help, just have them here on a Friday. The reasoning is very simple…they want their paycheck! Works out good for all of us! LOL!

In all honesty I’m lookin forward to getting everything back in the ground and startin up again. To me it is almost like therapy. It is very rewarding to watch all those little fellers grow off and the flavor of your own homegrown vegetables is second to none. Store-bought just cannot compare.

It’s something I really enjoy doin and I’m half good at doing it so, why not?

Ole Deb loved it too. My only regret is her not bein here to help out this go round, but, in regards to bein here with me, versus where she is now, I have to concede…that’s a no-brainer.

She’s missed by all that knew her, but I take consolation in the fact we’ll be together again one day…in the presence of God…

Man, I’ve pulled a couple things since her departure she would have been all over me about. The last of these was comin up to check my e-mails while heatin up a pot of coffee water. Now you have to understand, I drink instant, always have and probably always will.

Anyway, I had my water heatin and was gonna be upstairs for just a few seconds, at least that was my intent. With this bein the case, I was heatin up the water…ON HIGH! Got sidetracked, forgot I even had the water boilin…until I smelled a peculiar odor.

I lit off downstairs, ran to the stove and here sat the pot…on high, with not a drop of water in it. Looked like it had been that way…for AWHILE!

I snatched that scoundrel off the stove, ran it under some water in the sink…and blew the bottom off the pot! I swear…the bottom blew off the dern thing. I guess it was SO hot that once the cold water hit it…something had to give! LOL!

Well, I now boil coffee water while I’m down stairs with it…at least for now, anyway. LOL!

I’ll throw up a little video for you guys to take a look at if you’d like. There ain’t much too it besides just a little update, and maybe me jerkin your chain a time or two. Check it out if you’d like, if not, ta heck with ya. LOL!

You guys have a great day and God bless you and yours. As always, please keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

We’ve had an occasion or two where we’ve caught 2 inches or better but we’d been so dry prior to our rains startin back up that in 30 minutes there’d be nary a puddle anywhere. Like I’d told ya’ll before, it had been so dry the dern trees were bribing the dogs!

Well, ole Devin our grandson is still hangin in here with me and that guy has sure been a help. Today Red and Corey came as well and we finally got everything pulled up in the greenhouse and fed to the cows. We then tilled the beds up good, and put down new soil to fill them back up like they should be.

I just came in from the greenhouse to throw up a post and dang if I’m not sittin here sweatin like an ole boar hog. I’d get my shower but Red and the guys went to pick up another pallet of Jungle Growth so I figured I’d do this while they were gone.

You know though, I was gonna wait to shower until I helped them unload and stack it, but if I’d go on and get my shower, shoot, I wouldn’t have to unload period.

Supervision…pretty good soundin word, huh? Especially if you’re the one supervision-in!

Let’s go back to Jungle Growth for a minute or two. I have to say that hands down, I prefer it to Miracle-Gro. In the video I’m putting up with this post I talk about it a little bit, but what happened was when we first built the greenhouse I was going to use Miracle-Gro garden soil all the way in our beds.

Anyway, we bought Lowes out of the Miracle-Gro they had on hand and the garden center manager suggested we try the Jungle Growth. So we bought some to finish up.

Our first two beds were Miracle-Gro, and our last bed was Jungle Growth exclusively. The difference in a week or so was literally phenomenal. The beds with Miracle-Gro were infested with weeds, yet the beds with Jungle Growth had none…zip narin! That’d be zero in “Yankee talk.”

I could not believe the infestation of weeds with the Miracle-Gro. I took pictures, did a video, and sent them to Miracle-Gro. They did reimburse my money, AFTER a couple of ANGRY episodes, so from that standpoint they did the right thing…in my opinion.

Here’s the first video. The weeds at this point were nothing to what they became as time went on.

Anyway, to this day I honestly believe I had gotten a run of soil from them that something must have happened to the soil. Now, whether it was someone not paying attention to what they were doing at the plant, a machine or quality control malfunction, I don’t know.

But being honest with you guys one more time, if they put the product out that we bought on a daily basis, they wouldn’t be in business long, I promise you. The beds that product is in is a continually ongoing weed problem. Not some, but a lot, a whole lot. I don’t know??

But, with the Jungle Growth, I’ll bet you we haven’t pulled over a dozen weeds…period. The difference is that great, plus, the vegetable plants did AT LEAST as good as the ones in Miracle-Gro. It’s night and day between the two products…at least from my experience.

Now, we found out this morning that Lowes will not be carrying Jungle Growth in the Orlando area. I have only one remark in that regard…WHY?? LOL!

For what it’s worth, I’m gonna call Lowes and try to get ahold of Jungle Growth as well. If their product comes off the shelf, man, I’ll be one disappointed sucker to say the least. We’ll see, but I bought an extra pallet of it just in case.

So, I’m hoping by next week sometime I’m settin some tomatoes, radishes, beets, squash, cucumbers and eggplants in the greenhouse. Before long it’ll be some lettuce varieties.

I’ll continue setting seeds and I hope we can get to the garden area out front before long. It’s one big dern mess too! Okra and peas out there to start, then I’ll kinda play it by ear.

Here’s our video we did earlier today. We just got the last of the Jungle Growth put up and I gotta say…the greenhouse is lookin good again. I’ll do another video fore long.

It’d be nice if Deb were here to share this with me, she absolutely loved piddlin in our gardens, but, if nothing else, I know she’s watchin down over me…my own very special angel.

I couldn’t close today without a little e-mail I got from ole Bill and Sandy, up Mobile way.

Senior Moment…

A Preacher was explaining that he must move on to a larger congregation that will pay him more.

Lord, keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth…

Well, that’ll bout do it from “our place,” so take care, and God Bless every one of you guys. Be sure to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart! Deb would be proud of us!

Dub and Deb

I’ve taken a little time here lately and I’m trying to get the green house and the grow areas beside it established once more. Man, they were a mess, but little by little it’s beginning to come around.

I’ve got the tomato stakes and twine down, I’ve herbicided the weeds that were so prominent in the grow areas, and will be tilling these areas up here in the next week or so. I’m waiting to insure a good kill.

We’ll then take up the watering system prior to tilling. This is simple enough by only taking off one hose clamp from the main line on each run. We’ll set the lines outside the areas to be tilled, then replace them once we’re done.

By then, the seedlings I’ve gotten started should be big enough to start setting out.

Last week we set over 400 tomatoes in seed trays and they’re all doing well. We planted Rutgers, homesteads, green pineapples, which I thought were very good from the ones we got. They have a good old tomato flavor, but taste much less acidic than other varieties, although I have yet to smell a pineapple aroma when slicing them.

This was supposed to be the case, which again I haven’t noticed, but who knows, at my age maybe my ole sniffer just ain’t what it used to be??

We also set a few of the black or purple varieties such as Southern nights, carbon, and the Sara Black’s. These types were the last I set out the first go round, but then when Deb took a turn for the worse I neglected them, along with everything else.

The end result was I didn’t get the opportunity to try these baby’s out. Hopefully this time around I’ll change that. Then I’ll make the decision to keep these in the garden or not. I’ve got a neighbor that has grown the Southern nights before and he says they’re great.

I believe him, but ole Willie is a lot like me….you call it food, and I call it GOOD! So, with this being said…I better wait and decide for myself. LOL!

I haven’t set any beefsteaks yet, but I will. Good night they produced some very, very large tomatoes, but I was having a bit of a problem with disease.

I can’t put this all off on this variety because honestly, they, like everything else didn’t get a fair shake from a care standpoint simply on account of our situation. I will plant some more of these, but will get the others established first.

As far as the cherry tomatoes go we reseeded the black cherry, I liked these, the mini-orange which produced abundantly, the fox cherry, another good producer, and the Reisentraube, which is a German tomato.

I think the name has something to do with grapes, and that’s just what the tomatoes look like when producing…bunches of grapes. These tomatoes are prolific producers as well, and as far as their taste…I love them. They have an EXCELLENT taste!

I’ve never been a big, big fan of cherry tomatoes in the past and our reasoning for planting the different varieties was to eat them of course, but also to give us a blend of several different tomato flavors, if you will, in using them for straight tomato juice or soups, and from what we did get to do this way, we loved it.

I’ve continued to juice daily, and I swap out with the juice Deb and I use to share which is a multiple variety of different fruits and vegetables. I drink a 44 oz. glass of this each morning, then throughout the day I might have a 16 oz. glass of tomato juice. I’ll usually drink a couple of these…

One variety of cherry tomato I did not replant was the Isis candy. I was really, really looking forward to trying out these because I’d heard so much about their taste. The problem we had with these were they produced hardly any tomatoes.

We were very disappointed in this tomato and again, I refused to set any more out. I might try them once more later, just not right now. They grew big, beautiful bushes, but no tomatoes. That’s kinda like your wife fixing fried chicken and mashed potatoes…with NO gravy. We just can’t set back and abide such as that! LOL!

We also set seeds for beets and radishes and both are doing extremely well. Them muthas are shooting up everywhere. We planted the Detroit dark red beet, the Lutz, the Bulls blood and, are ya ready for this Judi and Brian…Golden beets.

The germination of these has been fantastic, and for all you that have never grown them before…you have a nice little surprise.

The seeds are actually like little capsules, or there’s more than one seed per seed, if you get what I mean, so each seed holder you plant in, usually provides you with two, to three, or maybe even possibly four little plants. I like that.

Beets are very beneficial for you, and Deb and I kinda got started using beets a little late in the game.

First, we’d never grown them before, shoot, we’d never seen ANYBODY grow them before, plus, down here, finding them in your supermarket is like…pulling teeth. It almost never happens.

We did grow over a hundred of them and the dern things turned out nice. I still have MAYBE a half a dozen left. So, even though I’ve replanted them, I’m going to have a lull between what I’ve got left and when the new beets start coming in. Once in a GREAT while, you can find them at Wal-Mart, but that’s few and far between, and the ONLY place down here that Deb did find some.

I just seeded eggplants and peppers too, but they’ve not started germinating yet.

For peppers we planted sweet chocolate, emerald giant, tequila sunrise, sigaretta de bagamo, and corbachi. These are all sweet peppers. For hot peppers I only planted Anaheim, and corne de chevre. I’m considering possibly a few more hot peppers…we’ll see.

Last night I saved the seeds, actually quite a few, from several corne de chevre’s, sweet chocolates, and the tequila sunrise. Today or tomorrow I’ll save seeds from the others. It’s very easy to do. You guys are probably thinking to yourselves…if Dub’s doing it, it HAS to be uncomplicated!

For eggplants, we planted Florida Market, Ukrainian Beauty, and the Listada de Gandia. All three did very well for us the first go round, which is exactly why all three are going in the ground this time as well. If it ain’t broke…don’t fix it!

Well, there’s my update on what’s happenin here at this place. We’ve been very busy, but not a lot of it in the garden.

There’s been way too much closure to deal with, but it’s almost been done now. I’ll be very glad to get it all behind me, but thinking now that it’ll be kinda sad too, after all…it is closure.

Mentally now I’m much, much better, but still have moments from time to time. Getting fewer though. It’s amazing sometimes what triggers them. I may be just walkin around the yard, maybe mowing even, and BAM, I think about Deb and that’s all it took.

I’m staying much too busy in the house to suit me as well…I like it outside! But, I’ve had to create a new filing system, etc. so this takes time as well. Getting closer on the house end to though.

Anyway, I guess I’m just saying sorry for not posting more, but this all has been one big adjustment. Again though…I’m seein daylight now, and that’s a good thing.

Thank you guys all once more for all your prayers and support in Deb’s regard. They all meant so much to us both.

Please take care, God Bless, and always, always…keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

Anyway…

Our garden or what’s left from our garden… ain’t much! It was thrown away as you all know, but that’s fixing to change. I shot a video of it this morning and once I took a look at it I was like, “MAN, it’s going to be awhile before you can relax again!” LOL!

I bet ole Deb’s crackin up…dern her time!

I tell you though, our friends have been eatin pretty good, but now even they have evidently had their fill. Honestly though, you’re scrapping for what you’re getting. But thankfully, very little has gone to waste, and then the cows got that. Things find a way of working themselves out.

We’ve got some peppers we’re drying on the bush. Our grandson Devin is coming back this coming weekend and he wants to take the seeds and replant them. I’m just happy to know that he’s taken an interest in gardening and will help him all I can.

I figure 10-15 minutes with me, he’ll bout know everything I can offer him. I never did say I was very bright, huh?

I’ve got a meeting to attend tomorrow, then will be going to pick out a headstone for Debbie Wed. or Thurs. I wanted to make sure I got it right. I think I have.

After that, we’ll be planting seeds once more to get started again. They’ll be tomatoes, beets, radishes, peppers, and probably some more cucumbers.

We’ll be starting okra for sure and some onion sets. Then prior to the full moon in August, we’ll plant our peas. Deb and I came to the conclusion that our peas always did better in the fall. We found there to be less bugs, and our pea crop ALWAYS just seemed to make more peas than they did in the spring.

Another project I’d like to do is plant about a quarter to half an acre of some different varieties of blueberries. We’ve always wanted to do this, but just never seemed to get around to it.

One other thing I’d like to plant, is again, about a quarter to a half acre of peaches. There’s a couple new varieties that are supposed to do very well here in Florida now, and I’d love to try some. The Florida peach was always SO small that people seldom tried growing them. That is supposed to have changed. I’ll look into that a little more.

Most of you guys know that Deb and I had purchased two more greenhouses and had put them under our equipment shed. I’d like to get those up and running as well, but in time. Both these houses are 30 feet wide by 72 feet long, so they’re considerably larger than the one we’ve been using. It is 18 feet wide by 60 feet long.

I’d like to get these set up as you come through our gate, but back against the wood line. This way you’ll be able to see them from the road, but they’ll be back about 300 feet off the road.

I’d really like to retail sell our vegetables and fruit right here on the place. That would work out great for me. It’d give me a ton of things to do, plus generate income for me right here. Deb and I had talked about keeping our paving business for about 3 more years, then letting our son Mark buy it out.

That’s still in my plan…we’ll see.

I do believe though, that our land here will sustain myself easily once I can get this all off the ground. All it takes is time…and money. Time’s not a problem, the flipside to time…IS! LOL!!

This will work though. The few times that Deb and I opened the gate to sell a few plants, the produce wasn’t coming in yet, was actually a surprise to us. People responded. Then, we just couldn’t keep things going with Deb’s ordeal, but the people were calling, “We’re coming by, plus, we’ve told all our friends, BUT, the gate’s never open.”

I had to tell them that Deb was having a few problems, but eventually we’d be open again. They all were very understanding, and promised to keep checking back with us, and some still are.
So, I know this will work for me, but just take a little time. I love doing it, and Deb did too. It was going to be our little niche together.

We had been raised around farming, and agriculture in general, as children growing up, and as we’d grown older, we realized that we’d like to be doing some of the very same things when we… “check-out” from this world! Deb did…I’d like to do the same thing when it’s my time!

You guys take care, and God Bless! Please…keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

As you see by today’s title, Deb’s Garden, then it has to be obvious to you all just exactly who wears the britches in this household…and it ain’t me! Basically I’m just “the hired help,” and also she claims on her tax return that I’m…sub-contract labor.

By this she has no tax liability on my account, but this in itself, ALMOST throws me in another tax bracket in regards to my taxes. But by her only paying me $3.50 a day, no not per hour, but a day, I just barely stay under going into another tax bracket.

Her philosophy to me is simply, “Look Dub, I’m really doin you a favor here. If I paid you more, you’d end up paying more taxes, right? On top of this, I keep a roof over your head, let you borrow my vehicle IF, you need to go to town, and I cook your meals and wash your dern clothes. Ya got a pretty good thing going on here, so my advice to you is very simple…DON”T MESS UP A GOOD THING! Comprende?? I thought you might…cause I KNOW the judge would!”

Hence…IT IS, Deb’s garden, on top of everything else around here too! Marriage…isn’t it grand?? LOL!

The garden is doing very well, and my only complaint so far is…where’s the dern rain? Good night it’s been dry. Our pond is about 8 feet below where it should be, and may possibly be 10 feet. I believe it’s the lowest I’ve seen it before.

You know, I just got to thinkin, everything else around here is Deb’s to hear her tell it, so I wonder if she’s gone and took the water outta the pond too? I sure wouldn’t put it past her!

No, the greenhouse is doing great, the grow areas around the greenhouse are doing fine, and in our garden out in front of the house, what we’ve got in there so far, is doing good too! We’re blessed in all sorts of ways. The Good Lord does provide!

Well, here’s a few pictures for you guys to let you in on what’s going on…

Okay, this first picture is of, left to right, sweet peppers, squash (lemon and straight-neck), onions, and cucumbers. We’re getting squash pretty much daily now, and I’ll probably put up some squash pickles this weekend, or the first of the week. We’ve also been eatin some onions out of…Deb’s garden! LOL!

The next picture is of our tomatoes. If you notice, we cut the suckers and lower limbs off. Thanks for the tip Miz Sandy and Mr. Bill, from Mobile!

Inside the greenhouse now, check out our beets comin up between our okra sets. Beets are really, really good for you! Ours aren’t quite ready, but, they’re getting there! We planted Bulls Blood, Detroit Dark Red, Lutz Salad, and Golden.

Check out the height of those volunteer tomatoes. A couple are now bumpin the top of the greenhouse at the low end.

There’s the cucumbers. They’re the Japanese cucumbers. They get 22-26 inches long, but thin. We love the taste, and they’re supposed to be excellent pickling cucumbers…we’ll soon see! If you look closely, you can see some hanging off the vines. We’re fixing to have to tie more string across the rafters and let them run towards the center of the greenhouse.

There’s a close-up showing the cucumbers.

From left to right, watermelons, squash (crook and straight-neck) eggplants, and far left is hot peppers.

Another view of our tomatoes, again Sandy, we removed the suckers. And lower limbs. The cows ate good! I believe they’d of enjoyed us just pullin the whole dern plants up and chunkin em over the fence to them!

The missing spaces, a row and a half, will have black tomatoes planted in them by next week.

Here’s the garden out front, we’re planting a little as we go out there. Got irrigation to it too, now! YES!! The pictures out here were a little fuzzy, but you can see what we’ve done. Check out that water runnin!

This is a partial row of tomatoes, with eggplants finishing the row on the left, then squash and peppers in the right-hand row.

This is two full rows of tomatoes.

Last is a picture of the greenhouse from the other garden…

We hope you guys enjoyed the photos!

Please take care, and God Bless. I’m relaying a message from Deb for you to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

This is Dub…from Deb’s garden, out!

Dub and Deb

The wind though blew the squash around pretty good. We lost two, just broke em off at the ground, but surprisingly we have maybe 3-4 more that need a couple broken stems cut out, and I believe the rest weathered pretty well.

Watching those things blow around brought back memories of my killing those 50 + plants to get our growin season off to a great start! LOL!

I was talking to our good friends, Bill and Sandy, from Mobile Alabama, who by the way are… “Auburn Tiger” fans (hee-hee-hee Sandy), and she’d sent us some pictures of what’s goin on gardenin wise up in their “neck of the woods.”

Their garden was looking great, and I believe Sandy said they’d just brought in 50# of potatoes! They, like us, love piddlin around in a garden.

Both these guys have green thumbs. The proof in the pudding of their having green thumbs was evidenced to me last year. I called them in January, it was about 15 degrees out up there and I ask, “Sandy, where’s Bill?” Her answer, “Oh…he’s out in the garden pickin some tomatoes.”

“???? 15 degrees and Bill’s in the garden picking fresh tomatoes???”

Sandy’s like, “Yeah, he’s been a little disappointed with em though…he don’t think they’ve done quite right.”

“Okay…”

I have to tell you guys, although I hate to, they’re actually Alabama Crimson Tide fans. Gotcha Sandy! Roll Tide!

Anyway, I’ve got about three videos for you guys to look at if you’d like. One is our other garden we’d just prepped for planting, and one is of the greenhouse and grow area. Honestly, all these plants are doing well. We’re pleased.

The last video, which in reality will be the first was sent to us by a friend, this being Wayne, from Alma, Georgia.

Wayne’s a sport-model in his own right, and that scoundrel grows some great blueberries, but he’s pretty stingy with the dern things.

L:ast year as an example he told Debbie and I he’d send us down some blueberries by my brother, and he did. TWO! When I called he told me, “Shoot, that’s one apiece!” LOL!

Here Wayne’s video…

Not a bad idea actually, huh? If I still drank, I’d be takin a ride up to Ace Hardware!

The next is of our garden are we just prepped, followed by the grow area. Hope you enjoy them!

You guys all have a great day, and God Bless! Deb’s hollerin for ya’ll to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

So far, so good with the garden. After getting off to a flying start this year by immediately killing about 50 +plants, we’re going along pretty good now.

If you didn’t know, well, we’d put up a greenhouse, and started most of our plants from seed. We wanted to use all heirloom varieties mainly on account of Deb’s juicing, or, our juicing. By doing so we’d have no genetically altered seeds, but in essence, basically the food God provided for us, and in Deb’s regard we felt this vital.

Quickly, while going through a Sports Illustrated” the other day, I read something that floored me, really. There was a little write up on cancer, and it claimed that in the US, 1 out of every 2 men would contract cancer in their lifetime. ONE out of every TWO! Half!

I found that just incredible?? What’s up with that?

In women’s regard…1 out of every 3. Still, 33% of women in the US today will contract cancer. Why is becoming so rampant? Is this our diets? Is it from most produce today being genetically altered? Is it what is being applied to the crops for insect control?

How about our poultry? You guys taken a look at the size of chickens lately? Hard to find a small fryer these days, or have you noticed? Is this from growth hormones? I don’t know, but I am asking…help me out somebody.

Anyway, as a whole, we’re just trying to eat a little healthier, but I did find those numbers literally staggering!

Back to my killing our first plants…we didn’t have any idea that if you’d started them from seed in a greenhouse, you had to harden them up prior to setting them in the garden in full sun. This is just setting them out in the sun for a few hours a day until they harden, or toughen up to the elements, for about a week. Once that’s done, everything works out great!

By my not knowing this, I set that first bunch straight out of the greenhouse into the garden, and killed the dern things…graveyard dead!

We have been prepping our garden out front the last couple days, and we’re pretty much ready to get started setting out some plants there now as well.

I tilled it in yesterday, both directions, and man, the soil is really looking pretty good. We’re anxious to see how it grows things off this year. We’d added cow manure and leaves over the entire garden area a couple, three months back. We let it set for about 3 weeks then tilled it in.

We then put out more oak leaves over the entire area again, and after building our grow areas around the greenhouse we put about ¾ of a semi load of compost we had leftover in it as well. This and the leaves are what I tilled in yesterday. Honestly, it’s starting to look pretty rich now.

We’ll be planting tomatoes, peppers, and okra for sure, but probably a couple other things too. We almost decided on peas too, but backed off that. We do so well with planting our peas in August, we’ll just keep planting them then!

We’ll also run irrigation to it after planting. The irrigation around the grow areas beside, and in the greenhouse, has just absolutely RUINED me. No more hose draggin if I can help it! LOL!

I’ll share some pictures of how the greenhouse is coming along, and the grow areas too. The vegetables in both are now really taking off! Everything outside when we set the plants in their hole, we added ½ teaspoon bone meal, and then filled the hole up with Jungle Growth garden soil.

Evidently it was just what the doctor ordered getting the plants started off, as again, everything looks good!

I went out earlier to check things out, plus we’d had a pretty good couple of showers, and good night, it doesn’t matter how much water you put to your plants…NOTHING works as well as rainwater! It all just looked…so alive, after the showers!

Anyway, how bout a laugh before we take a look at the garden? This comes from my sister-in-law Patricia, but just plain ole Patty to us!

God Loves Drunks Too

A man and his wife were awakened at 3:00 am by a loud pounding on the door.

“Over here on the swing,” replied the drunk.

Here’s our watermelons on the right, our squash in the center, and eggplants on the left.

Cucumbers on the right, onions to the left, squash further left, and sweet peppers on the far left. Many of the onions we grew from seed.

Our tomatoes. Some are now on their third tie.

Red-seeded Simpson on the bottom left, iceberg in the center, and Romaine up top. Okra top right, beets scattered through it, and sweet peppers.

Japanese cucumbers…headed into the rafters.

The volunteer tomatoes headed into the rafters as well.

Another view of the tomatoes in the grow area.

Melons, squash, and eggplants again.

Melons, squash and eggplants taken from upstairs porch.

We hope you guys enjoyed the pictures! Take care and God Bless! Deb says to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

Well, the greenhouse and grow area are really beginning to take shape. I got everything hoed, fertilized, and really, it’s startin to look pretty good. I guess it does anyway. Deb hasn’t complained about anything yet, so that’s always a good thing, and a pretty good gauge that you’re sittin alright in her book.

Poor ole thing. She doesn’t like to offend anyone, her bein so shy and all! LOL! That woman ain’t much bigger than a full grown skeeter, but she’ll get on me like white on rice! Whoever said that dynamite comes in small packages nailed it when it comes to her!

She reminds me of a dern ant. You guys ever watched one? Those little things CAN WORK! Then to sit back and see what they can tote, is amazing! She’s the very same. If that woman weighed 150 pounds, I swear she could take over the world if she set her mind to it. I thank the Good Lord fairly often that he made her no bigger than he did.

Anyway, you guys don’t want to hear about my troubles, do you? LOL!

We staked a few tomato plants in the greenhouse today. This was a couple rows in the middle bed. We’d already staked the ones in the beds with the volunteer tomatoes 2-3 days ago. Next week, we’ll be staking a couple three rows in the grow area.

I believe I’ve bout got that “hardening thing” down pat. The bench we made to get them out in the sun is working great, and we ran micro-jet to it as well. Man…this micro-jet has really made watering a breeze!

We’ve got over a couple hundred plants hardened off, put into 6” pots and ready to sell. Most are different varieties of tomatoes, but there are some eggplants, squash, and peppers as well. Matter of fact, this afternoon I made Deb a sign…vegetable plants for sale.

We’ll set it out by the road tomorrow and let em come in and get a few. I caught the cows in the back pasture, so I shot down there and shut the gate. This allows us to leave the main gate open for traffic to get to the house and they don’t have to jack with opening or closing a dern gate.

Once I put the cows in the back pasture, I took the sign and set it out by the road just for the heck of it. Didn’t say anything to Deb. This was about 5 in the afternoon. It wasn’t 15 minutes I’d sold 20 bucks worth of plants.

About 6:30 I went and took the sign down, turned the cows back out and locked the gate for the night. I’ll move them back in the morning, then reset the sign, and we’re open for business once again. We’re havin a ball! Deb is anyway!

An example…Deb was in the house when I’d sold that lady the plants. By the way, this lady, Fran, was really an interesting lady to speak with. She was a nurse too, so we did have a few things to talk about. The juicing, and some of Deb’s alternatives she does (no Sandy and Mississippi, NOT that one, LOL!).

Anyway, after I’d made the sale, I went inside. Deb goes, “Dub honey, everything alright?” I’m like, “Yeah, why?” She goes, “Are you sure ya don’t have anything to tell me?” I’m like, “NO, why?”

She then says, “Well, I could be mistaken, but I really don’t think I am, BUT…didn’t I hear a distinct, Cha-Ching out there in the greenhouse?” So, I coughed up the 20 bucks! I swear, women can SMELL money, can’t they? LOL!

Maybe tomorrow I can send her up town and POSSIBLY pocket me a dollar or two, huh? I doubt it though!

Well guys, I’m tired, dirty, hungry, fixin to get a shower, eat some supper…AND BROKE! So I’ll close out for now!

If you’d like to watch it, here’s a video of the greenhouse and grow area. Check it out, things are indeed movin right along!

Also, you were goin to send me some pictures last week of your garden Sandy…what’s up with that? LOL! We would love to see how its comin along though for sure!

Plus before I forget…Hey Mississippi, how’s Tennessee? We hope you, D-Lo, and all the rest of the gang are havin a great time! Enjoy yourself Sandra, you deserve it!

Here’s wishing you all the very best, and God Bless you and yours! “Ole Tightwad” says to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

Well, we FINALLY got a little time to start on the greenhouse, and spent the last day and a half working on it. It goes up very easily, BUT, we have no plans to go by, oh shoot, we sure did…they were a scratched out system of notes…on the back of…a matchbox!! LOL!!

They might as well of been written in hieroglyphics in regards to my being able to figure them out! We’ve never put one up before, so as far as myself, or the crew, we didn’t have a clue! Luckily though, my ole buddy, Billy, has done this for years, and to that joker…this is a snap!

Honestly, I don’t know if he’s been down here enjoyin the company while helpin us out, or he’s just enjoyin bein around a bunch a dummies?? LOL!

He keeps sayin, “C’mon guys, it’s just like putting a puzzle together!” We’re like… “We cain’t even spell puzzle, Billy!”

This reminds me of a “blonde joke,” but it’s very pertinent in regards to our greenhouse building, AND those dern blondes (all ya’ll blondes know I’m just pickin on you, right?).

Here goes…

Two blondes go to town and get em a picture puzzle. After spending a year or better, day and night in its completion, one looks over at the other one and says, “Can you believe how well we’ve done with this?”

The other blonde goes, “Yeah, it’s really pretty, and it’s been great spending time with you doin it, but is there really a reason why you’re so ecstatic over its completion?”

To which the other blonde says, “Duh, are you kiddin me?? We did it in 12 to 13 months, the box it came in clearly states…2 to 4 years!”

Well, that’s us!

So, ole Billy is the cog that’s makin this wheel turn, no doubt! You gotta watch him though, he’ll sure have you doin something that MAY not be quite “just right,” then the dern guy starts laughin and asking you what in the world you’re doing??

We may possibly finish the frame today, we’ll just have to see how it goes. Billy won’t be here today, BUT, I think he’s got us to the point when he comes back, it’ll at least be…right side up! LOL!
Actually it is pretty simple, but…so are we! LOL! No, now we do have an understanding of how it goes together, and today should be productive. Time will tell, huh?

You guys know that the main reason for the greenhouse is to keep Deb and I in fresh juice. We have become firm believers in the benefits of this. So by having the greenhouse, this will enable us to keep fresh vegetables, and a few fruits comin in year round.

All jokes aside, to keep Deb in fresh juice, it costs us around $110 to $120 dollars…a week! That’s quite a lot, but when lookin at Deb and how well she’s doin, it ain’t nothing but a thang! You cain’t put a price on your health…not in my book anyway!

Here’s a shot of what we juice daily. Some days we add more, some days a little less…but normally 20 to 25 different fruits and vegetables, daily…

When I’d first met ole Deb, I PROBABLY wouldn’t have dropped that kind a money on her, weekly, but shoot, through the years…dang if she ain’t kinda “grown on me!” LOL!

Plus, when we get this mess whipped, she’ll pay me back…WITH INTEREST!! LOL!

On top of this, we both love piddlin around growin things. We both can’t wait to get this thing up, and operating.

Here’s a few more pictures…the first is of the turkey’s havin breakfast. Yeah, as bad as I hate to admit it, they ARE on an entitlement program! LOL!

The next pictures are of the greenhouse construction. It is comin along pretty good. It’s a 18’x60’. The last picture is of the little girl…Cheyenne. She normally helps me feed up in the mornings, but it was low 40’s this morning, and she’s like…go ahead! I’ll watch ya!

Here’s a video we did…

You guys have a great day, and God Bless! Deb says to tell ya’ll… “Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb