Let me start off this morning by letting you guys know that our good friend Bob passed away Friday morning about 5:00 am. It’s a hard loss, but we both know that Bob is in a much better place. What a great guy he was, and we’ll all miss him.

God Bless you Bob, we sure enjoyed your company buddy!

Also, Deb and I would like to thank you all for your prayers in Bob and Linda’s behalf, and please keep Linda in your prayers.

Okay, ya’ll know we’d put in a new grow area around our greenhouse. We planted cucumbers and Beefsteak tomatoes, and dern if I haven’t gone and killed our cucumbers, and I’m doin a pretty good job of killin the maters too!

I’m one of those people that when I get an idea, then I hit it “wide open.” It doesn’t matter what it is. I’m the same way with this little endeavor. “Wide open!” Wide open has worked very well for me most times through this life of mine, but there have been times that wide open bites me slap dab in my rear-end too. This just happens to be one of em! LOL!

We brought in all the new compost to grow in, but I hit a snag, and actually a couple of them. The first being our compost is still, “hot,” so the heat generated through our compost is keeping the soil temperatures a little too hot and this is burning the roots on these young plants. Lesson #1…slow down, Dub!

Secondly, we’ve never grown off plants in a greenhouse before. Shoot, I didn’t know you were supposed to “harden” them up some prior to stickin those little fellers out in the full sun??

Shoot, ever since I was just a young pup, I’ve either started my seeds out in the garden, or bought plant sets from the feed-store or wherever, and stuck them straight into the garden as well. FULL SUN, right off the bat! Suck it up, and get tough guys…I’m waitin on you guys to produce me some groceries, let’s get with it!

Well, this is not so when first bringin them out of the greenhouse…no, no! I’ve had some very good gardeners contact me and advise me of my mistakes. They’ve all been very positive on my behalf, and they caution me on this, help me to understand that, all in simple terms.

They’ve all been very supportive and very polite. They’ll say, “you’ll learn,” or “It’s just a bump in the road,” or, “you’ll laugh at this down the road aways.” WHAT they’re really saying to themselves is… “That dern Dub’s a nut!” LOL! I can’t say what Deb calls it!

This is pretty simple to understand if you’ll stop and think it out. An example of this is our greenhouse has a white poly roof. Why? Well, it’s to knock down some of this hot Florida sun. I believe it is a 50% knockdown factor.

Well, DUH Dub…might make sense to harden those little fellers up some before you go to digging holes and droppin plants in, wouldn’t a think? Well, after killin off about 50 new sets, that hardening up some is certainly startin to make a little sense to me! How’d a thunk??

Deb says I’m…a MASS MURDERER! LOL! Deb says a lot of things though, most of which I try to let go in one ear, and right back out the other!

So, lesson # 2 today is, slow down Dub!

“Hardening” the plants, for those that don’t already know, is simply setting them out in the sun a few hours a day to let them adjust to their new environment…or hardening them up some.

Now I don’t mind them hardening up some if that’s what needs to happen, shoot, I’m all for it. I DO know though, them muthas better start hardening up pretty dern quick, cause we got a BUNCH of those little fellers comin on!

So if they don’t harden up fast, then they’re going to have another problem…they’ll be root-bound next, and that’ll be a whole nother post!! LOL!

So, I just figured out there is even a lesson #3 in today’s post…SLOW DOWN DUB, SLOW DOWN some man!! LOL!

I will say this though…I must be of man of good character. Why? Cause it doesn’t matter if I screw up, using today as an example of this, why shoot, I’m laughin about it! What a fine quality this “character thing” must be!

Trouble is, I’m beginning to wonder if it truly is “character,” or the beginning of insanity, cause I do have a tendency to screw up every once in a while! I know one thing for sure…I won’t be askin Deb’s opinion of which SHE thinks it is! I already know the answer to that one! LOL!

So, I’ll be addin a little soil to our compost, hardening up our plants prior to settin em out in the full sun, and I just might give that slowin down some a fair shake…if I can find it in me to do it!
On that note, we’ll share our latest video with you guys, discussing some of all the above!

Well, it is obvious…I did it again!

Since I’ve been poking fun at myself this morning, let’s finish up with a couple jokes…

These come to us today from our good friend Diane. She’s tiltled them, “Holy Humor.”

During these serious and troubled times, people of all faiths should remember these four great religious truths:

1. Muslims do not recognize Jews as God’s Chosen People.

2. Jews do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah.

3. Protestants do not recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world.

4. Baptists do not recognize each other at the liquor store.

DID NOAH FISH?

A Sunday school teacher asked, “Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?”

“No,” replied Johnny. “How could he, with just two worms.”

BEING THANKFUL

A Rabbi said to a precocious six-year-old boy, “So your mother says your prayers for you each night? That’s very commendable. What does she say?” The little boy replied, “Thank God he’s in bed!”

SAY A PRAYER

Little Johnny and his family were having Sunday dinner at his Grandmother’s house. Everyone was seated around the table as the food was being served. When Little Johnny received his plate, he started eating right away. “Johnny! Please wait until we say our prayer,” said his mother.

“I don’t need to,” the boy replied. “Of course, you do “his mother insisted. “We always say a prayer before eating at our house.” “That’s at our house.” Johnny explained. “But this is Grandma’s house and she knows how to cook.

You guys have a great day, and God Bless! Deb says to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

First off, Deb had another blood test this past Wed. Ya wanna guess the results?? PERFECT, once again! I sure have me a wonderful gal, huh? That little woman has stayed positive throughout this whole ordeal and I’ll say it once again, she is so inspiring to be around, and in the toughness department, I’m running a far distant second place! God is smiling on her! We’re ecstatic over this latest news! April 1st will be our one year anniversary of finding out Deb has this mess.

Secondly, let me apologize to you guys as it’s been a few days since a post…sorry. We’ve been concentrating on finishing this up, the grow space, and by the time the guys leave Deb and I have to work the greenhouse some. Watering mainly, but trying to do a little seedling transplants too.

Been getting in around 6:30 or 7:00, and I’ve been going to bed by 8:30 or 9. Deb calls me…a “titty-baby!” Dern her time! LOL!

Today and tomorrow we’ll be transplanting exclusively. Hopefully we’ll have most everything from our first grow either in the beds or into 4” pots to continue to grow off.

Well, we did complete the grow space around the greenhouse yesterday. Deb gave her thumbs up which to all the rest of us was a sign…we made out okay. The term, “If Mama’s happy, everybody’s happy,” is very true.

We ended up with a 27’x68’ on the eastside, a 16’x68’ on the westside, and an 8’x18’ on the southside. This gives us considerably more gardening space, and it’s all right next to the greenhouse. We hope in the next couple weeks to have the water system in, and the power run to boot. That puts the finish on everything as far as any type of construction.

We put our compost in mostly at about 12 inches in depth, but there are areas it goes down to around 18 and even 24 in spots. I got carried away on the cut out depth, but in the same breath, we had plenty and I didn’t spend much time at all in really getting it precise, obviously. LOL!

We were pushed for time and we just wanted to “git er done!” Now that’s exactly what it is, done…AND Deb’s happy!

I stated earlier we’ll be potting seedlings this weekend, and there’s even some we’ll be putting into our beds. I believe us to be 2-3 weeks off from planting tomato and pepper plants in earnest. Our “volunteer tomatoes” from our compost pile that we set in the greenhouse are doing just great. Got a tomato or two beginning to ripen…yes sir!

We’re really enjoying this and can’t wait to get everything in its place and growin off! This was done once more simply to keep us in plenty of juicing materials year round. The cost of buying them from the marketplace is really beginning to be a burden. Man, food prices keep going up, don’t they?

This will let us continue to do what we’ve been doing, but at a fraction of the cost, and I mean that quite literally! 25-30 tomato seeds for $2.50?? How can you possibly go wrong with no more cost factor than that?

Say you end up with a buck apiece in them…which you won’t nearly spend, but even at that, how many tomatoes will just one plant supply you with? Think about it. This isn’t even touching on the health and nutrition benefits, or the taste benefits of picking them right outside your door and eatin them muthas.

You also have to consider the benefits as well from just being outside working in your garden from a health standpoint, and the pleasure derived from watchin them first break the soil as seedlings. Then on to planting them in the garden, then watching the growth and production of the fresh vegetables they’ll be giving you in return for your love and caring for them. It is a rewarding experience.

We have a few pictures for you guys today of the progress we’ve made. You wanna take a peek? C’mon then, we’ll check it out!

The first is of the grow space on the westside of the G.H. It is the 27’x68’.

The next is of the eastside. It is 16’x68.

This is a shot from across the yard, and shows the area in front of the greenhouse too. Those are strawberries in the containers in front of the G.H.

Here’s our volunteer tomatoes, followed by a shot of some Japanese cucumbers under their cages. Then you can see some peas growing too. These peas we’ll use strictly for our juicing.

Here’s a couple shots of our tomatoes we’d already potted into 4” pots. The first is a rack of Beefsteak, and Mini-Orange which you can’t see.

The second shot is another rack and a half across the greenhouse. It has Green Pineapple, Homestead, Fox Cherry, and Isis Candy.

Each rack is 24 inches wide and 10 feet in length. They’re mounted above our planting benches. Each rack when full can hold 110 4” pots.

We’ll finish up with a shot of our Japanese cucumbers, these are fixing to be planted in our new grow area outside the G.H., and last is of a shot of our watermelons, and two cantelope. The watermelon are Georgia Rattlesnake, Jubilee, and Sugar Baby.

Well guys, that about does it for today! We sure appreciate you stopping back in, and you all have a great weekend, okay? God Bless you and Deb says to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

Well, Deb and I had a little surprise about a week ago. We had a greenhouse delivered to our place, and man are we looking forward to having it set up! This will really be used a lot, especially in regards to keeping a few vegetables going year round and supplying us with fresh juice even during winter.

We have a buddy, Billy, who has worked around the nursery business here in Central Florida for many, many years. He’s built them, maintained them, shoot, there ain’t too much of anything Billy can’t do period!

So, he’s been looking for us a GOOD, used greenhouse, and the scoundrel came up with one for us. I originally wanted a 24’x60’ or so, and Bill said go ahead and get a 30’x100’, if he could get one run down. I thought this might be a little overkill for our needs, but as Billy says, “You’ll ALWAYS use the space, SO, if I can find one you ought to go ahead and take the extra space…you will use it.”

Well, I got to thinking that if a greenhouse is anything like a barn, you can’t ever have too much space, so I told him to go ahead on!

He couldn’t find one that size, so I told him just to see what he could find pretty quick, because we need to get it up. A couple days later he calls and says, “I have a 16’x60’, ya want it?” I asked him why it wasn’t here yet, he laughed and said I’ll have her to you just directly…and he sure did! My ole buddy, Billy…what a guy he is!

Deb and I both are ecstatic over this, and the 16×60 is much more what we had in mind originally, so the size made no difference to us in the least. We are just happy to have it here on the place, and we’re kinda “bitin at the bit” to get it completed and producing!

We’ll probably put it up sometime between the 11th or 12th of December and Christmas. Deb and I are leaving next week for 10-14 days, then once we’re back, she and our two boys and their families go to N. Florida for her families “early Christmas.” THEN, we’ll try and put it up.

Also from about mid-November until about the second week of Jan. is our slowest time of the year in regards to our paving business. So, this will supply a little work for the guys on the crew as well.

We’ve also got a friend in Virginia, Bobby, and he’s just built his second, or will soon be completing it. That dern guy has some of the prettiest tomatoes growing I’ve ever seen…RIGHT NOW! Bobby is a great gardener and very knowledgeable in this.

He’s a good Christian, and shares his produce with any and all. In these tough times he realizes there are some not quite as fortunate as he is, so if need be, he’ll pass out what not needed by his own family. This is a good example of friend helping friend, and neighbor helping out neighbor. All throughout my lifetime I’ve always felt this as… “THE American Way!”

Sadly, our government has decided it’s THEY who should take care of us, instead of OUR taking care of us! I’m no scholar, but it’s quite evident that they SURE ARE making a mess of things, and have NO concern whatsoever in regards to what they’re doing to our Country.

If we’re not real careful, we’ll soon be known as “we the peasants,” instead of “we the people.” Total control is where we’re headed, and if we don’t pay close attention, they’ll legislate our freedoms and Constitutional rights right on out the door. At that point I can only imagine the number of people saying…”What happened?”

Anyway…

You guys know that Deb and I can most of the vegetables that come from our garden. We love the convenience of poppin open jars of peas, or greens, or tomatoes for example during the months when we can’t get them, BUT, our biggest reasoning, far and away for gardening as much as we do, and putting up what we can was simply…the economy!

We have never for one minute considered being a burden on anyone. With this being said, once we saw the economy headed South, we went into a much more self-resilient mode, and went right into doing whatever we could possibly do to insure if times got really, really bad, we could at least put some food on the table for family and friends.

This comes from the goodness of our hearts, just like I stated earlier, friend helping friend…True Americans don’t have to be made to help, we do it because…we want to! Always have, if you take a look back in history.

So, as you’ve heard me state on our site numerous times… today, food is literally an investment, and a dern good one at that! Deb and I both feel that in these times, there is no investment better than…FOOD!

Food prices are increasing daily, and I wouldn’t look for that to be changing any time soon. All we’ve done down here at ole Dub and Deb’s is simply made our family and friends aware that if times get tougher, we’ll at least be able to lay down at night…with something in their belly!

As I’ve also stated several times in the past, if our economy takes off for the good again, we’ll just eat the food we’ve put back anyway! On top of this, what we’ll be eating will be considerably cheaper than we could replace it at today’s inflated pricing! So, with this being the case, how could this not be a win-win situation? Honestly, I don’t see any possible way it wouldn’t be, how bout you?

So once more, if at all possible, buy a little extra each week. As a good friend of ours likes to say, “The sun don’t shine EVERYDAY!”

In closing today, I’d like to show you guys a video of our greenhouse. It’s not put up, and is literally stacked in our barn for now, BUT, it IS here, and it’s ours!

You guys take care, and God Bless you and yours. As my wife Deb likes to say, “Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!”

I gotta tell you too, that in regards to her statement about smiling…she practices what she preaches! I rarely see ole Deb anymore without a big ole smile on that pretty face of hers! There’s no question that I indeed did marry “above me!” Some of us just have all the luck, huh? LOL!

Dub and Deb