My last post was about how God works in our lives, and the day I had Sunday in regards to feelin kinda down and out was so inspiring in that sense. Honestly, everywhere I turned I was getting the very same message.

It truly was amazing to me how the frustration I had been feeling was literally crushed out by the messages I was getting from different people. Again, all were basically telling me the very same thing.

It was uncanny how all this came together and I felt I really needed to share that with you. I’ve never experienced anything like that before in my entire life, and I’ve been around a few years.

I have to emphasize once again that I’ve never been what you’d call a devout Christian. I’ve always believed in God, and through the experience I shared with Deb during her ordeal, it became very evident to me he was a very loving and caring God.

Once more, on more than one occasion while talking to Deb she’d make a statement to me and I’d ask, “Where did you hear that,” or “Who told you that?”

Her answer would be simply, “God told me,” or, “God showed me.”

Deb was rock solid in her commitment to God, and from her talks with me, there was absolutely no doubt that his commitment to her was rock solid as well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it to the day I die, “God walked with Debbie, and I saw with my own eyes he smiled on her daily!”

I believe that with all my heart.

I had seen all this joy in Deb, yet I could never put my finger on it. Sunday, I lived a little of this…the power of God. I tell you guys, it was amazing.

Now…let’s talk about the garden some.

First off…MAN, I’m getting a late start! LOL! Slow but sure…that’s me. I believe most everything will come off if we have pretty much a typical fall and winter. But again, you factor in my luck and this could get interesting! LOL!

What’s in the greenhouse I’m sure will be fine throughout the entire winter so we’re lookin good in that sense. This is also the reason I need to somehow find the time and the moola to get those other two set up as well.

I set out some eggplants today, and like our tomatoes we’ll put the overflow from the greenhouse grow area into the garden out front. That poor ole thing hasn’t been a producing garden in a while. It won’t know how to act!

I’ll take in our radishes tomorrow, and set out some more seeds. I juice these daily as well, so between that and a dern salad or two, they don’t stand much of a chance round here!

The beets are doin pretty good too, and looking through them today the beets are forming up well. You all know I’m a firm believer in the nutritional values of those guys. Still surprised though of how hard to find they are down here??

I set out about 30 or so He Shi Ko onions we’d grew off from seeds, and they’re doin well. I have about 60 more of them in seed trays getting close to bein set out as well. They’re a bunching onion if you guys haven’t tried them before, and I love em.

But, once again that’s not really a good recommendation comin from me…I LOVE everything when it comes to groceries! They are good though.

I also have set out about 20 of the Crimson Red bunching onions as well. They too are good, but I prefer the other. With these we also have maybe 30 more that are pretty close to being ready to set out. Won’t be long.

Let’s talk just a little, actually very little, about the okra I set out next to the greenhouse. Why do I want to just brush on this subject? Simple…thinkin I was bein very smart, and getting out of some work, I decided I’d herbicide around those little fellers.

Well, evidently while I was herbiciding “around them,” after about a week it became quite clear that not only had I herbicided “around them,” BUT also I’d herbicided between them, over them and ON them! Tore there rear-ends up!

Most of my okra will now come from the garden out front, and NO, I won’t be herbicided near them anytime soon, thank you! LOL!

The “maters” better look out though…I’m thinkin bout givin them a good fertilizin tomorrow or the next day! LOL! I figure if a little goes a long way, shoot, a handful or two around each plant outta make those suckers jump! What cha think??

In the next week or two I’ll set out some different lettuces, and that’ll pretty much finish me up. I MIGHT set a few greens out front too, but we’ll see.

All in all though, everything is doin pretty good, cept that dern okra, cause it for some reason just kept jumpin out in front of that dern spray nozzle. Craziest thing I ever seen!

I THOUGHT I kept hearin faint cries of “Banzai,” while I was sprayin it??

I hope the dern turkeys don’t get in there and eat some of those things. The herbicide do them like it did that okra, I’d be in BIG trouble they started havin thoughts on the art of…Kamikazee attacks!

Phew!
Anyway, here’s a video of how things are comin on.

Well, as “ole Bugs” used to say, “That’s all folks!”

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

Dub

Finally, we have gotten the garden out front cleaned up. Talkin bout a jungle, this thing had become exactly that. Weeds were almost head high in spots, but yesterday we finished pullin those mutha’s up.

They had gotten so bad in spots that we’d have to take the grubbing hoe and bust the roots up some. But, besides possibly an hour or so this morning, we’re be ready to till the soil, and start planting it back the first of the week.

We’ll have a couple of spots in our irrigation lines to splice back, “that dern grubbing hoe,” but it won’t take 20 minutes to do that. We’ll run it some to make sure all our heads or jets are working properly and we’re back in business.

I’ll probably go with a couple rows of okra, and finish most of it out with 2-3 types of peas. Probably black-eyes, cream 40’s and zippers or purple hulls.

I wasn’t going to plant peas this fall but after thinking on it some, as we’ve got a BUNCH canned and put up, but so many of our family and friends like them, I thought, you know, they can come and pick em a dern mess or two then I don’t have to give them my peas already shelled and canned!

It’ll be interesting to me this go round cause I’ve never set out things like peas, okra, squash and such this late in the year before. I’m curious to see how everything does. I do normally plant my peas in August, but this is usually around the first week. We’ll see??

With this storm that’s brewing, and the course they think it may follow, at this point I’ve had a few reservations in regards to, hopefully for sure there’ll be no “big winds,” but simply the amount of rain that could be generated from it.

We’ve be getting rain steadily the past week or so, and we’re not inundated by any means, but with these types of storms capable of dropping bucketfuls on ya in their passing, I do have a little reservation in regards to going ahead and settin out my garden. BUT, no guts, no glory, huh?

Plus, I try and use the moon favorable times to set out the garden, and if I wait for the storm to pass then I’ll probably miss the good plantin dates this go round.

I’d like to hear from some of you guys in your own experiences about moon favorable dates. I know my Granddaddy Troy used to tell me all the time, “Use the moon, son. If you don’t, using peas as an example, you’ll have the prettiest big bushes, but they’ll produce few peas.”

I always liked to listen to these “old timers,” in regards to gardening, but honestly, I haven’t tried it on dates the moon wasn’t favorable before. You know, above ground producing crops go in on a growing moon, while underground crops go in on a declining moon. Again, I’m just kinda curious in your own experience on this.

After we finish the de-grassin in the garden, we’ll turn into planting the grow areas around the greenhouse. This we should have completed by tomorrow.

Oh, before I forget…I bought me some new britches! Yep, ole Dub in new britches! I gotta say it was out of necessity…ALL my old ones were fallin off me, literally. I swear, this juicing daily, getting some good exercise each morning, doin the gardenin, and watchin what I eat more closely is really paying off!

I’ve gone from a 44 waist, sounds crazy to me now that I’d let myself get into that kinda shape, to a 38. Look out 34, I’m headin your way. I weigh 255 now, down from 317. If I hit a 34 waist, this’ll be the first time I’ve worn that size britches, I believe, since pre-school. LOL!

Anyway, I feel great! One thing that helped to get me on this “health kick” is one of my trips to KFC…ya know, the chicken place. The FRIED chicken place.

I’m standin in line waitin to order, and once I get to the register I ordered a bucket. Now ya got to realize that I’m standin there by myself, just me, and the young lady takin my order asks, “Is this for HERE or to go, sir?” LOL!

Again though, what a difference in the way I feel now, versus then. It’s incredible!

Back to the grow areas. We’ll be settin some tomatoes, though I haven’t hardened them up yet, but I’ll be settin them out today to start letting them become accustomed to the full sun.

I will be planting some okra, squash, and cucumbers, and I have some eggplants and peppers that I’ll be hardening as well. These, like the tomatoes I’ll be planting in earnest next week sometime.

Well, that bout brings ya up to date on what’s goin on here at our place so, let’s end up with something to ponder on a minute or two…this from our ole buddy, Gary.

The Coyote Story

California :

The Governor of California is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A
coyote jumps out and attacks the Governor’s dog.

The Governor starts to intervene, but reflects upon the movie “Bambi” and
then realizes he should stop because the coyote is only doing what is
natural. In the process the Governor is bitten by the coyote.

He calls Animal Control. Animal Control captures the coyote and bills the
State $200 testing it for diseases and $500 for relocating it.

He calls a veterinarian. The vet collects the dead dog and bills the State
$200 testing it for diseases.

The Governor goes to hospital and spends $3,500 getting checked for diseases
from the coyote and on getting his bite wound bandaged.

The running trail gets shut down for 6 months while Fish & Game conducts a
$100,000 survey to make sure the area is now free of dangerous animals.

The Governor spends $50,000 in state funds implementing a “coyote awareness
program” for residents of the area.

The State Legislature spends $2 million to study how to better treat rabies
and how to permanently eradicate the disease throughout the world.

The Governor’s security agent is fired for not stopping the attack. The
State spends $150,000 to hire and train a new agent with additional special
training regarding the nature of coyotes.

PETA protests the coyote’s relocation and files a $5 million suit against
the State.

TEXAS :

The Governor of Texas is jogging with his dog along a nature trail. A coyote
jumps out and attacks his dog.

The Governor shoots the coyote with his State-issued pistol and keeps
jogging. The Governor has spent $0.50 on a .45 ACP hollow point cartridge and about $500 of his personal money on his gun.

The buzzards eat the dead coyote.

AND THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS WHY CALIFORNIA IS BROKE AND TEXAS IS NOT.

Then, last but not least we have a tongue in cheek from our ole buddy Bill, who LEFT California, and resettled in…ole Kaintuck…

A mother and her very young son were flying West-jet Airlines from Ottawa to Calgary. The little boy

who had been quietly looking out the window, turned to his mother and said, ‘If big dogs have baby

dogs, and big cats have baby cats, why don’t big airplanes have baby airplanes?’ The mother who

couldn’t think of an answer, told her son to go ask the flight attendant. So the boy walked down the aisle

and asked the flight attendant who was busy serving drinks.

She smiled and asked, ‘Did your Mom tell you to ask me?’ The boy ‘Yes, she did.’ ‘Well, then, you go and

tell your Mom that there are no baby airplanes because West-jet always pulls out on time. Have your

mom explain THAT to you.’

You guys all have a great day and God bless! Please remember 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

Well, as you’ve seen, I’ve been kind of on a tirade in regards to the fraud in the government programs, and the IRS. I’m sorry, but in today’s economy I find such wastefulness and complete unconcern by our elected leaders appalling! This statement being true in good times, or bad. Why…because it’s OUR money!

Here we are, the taxpayers or the funders of our Country’s economic system, faced with tremendous challenges of keeping our own family’s fed, a roof over our heads, and all the other costs we incur in our daily lives.

Yet, our elected officials have decided that what we do…is still not enough. Take, take, take from the producers to give to the non-producers, and even ILLEGALS, and further burden us with such total incompetency to even be accountable for the money’s we give them?? What have we come to at this point in our Country?

But, let’s change gears again and get back more on topic of what our site is about…gardening, canning, sharing a recipe or two, and just kinda having a good time. Jerking each other’s chains, and hopefully, many times you guys leaving with a smile on your face! I know through your e-mails you sure put one on our faces! Thanks!

I’ve got a meeting first thing this morning, so I’ll be short winded. Yeah, yeah, I know that’s hard to believe, BUT, I am capable of that…in a pinch! LOL! We’ll see though, won’t we?

Our first video is of the greenhouse again, and ole Deb pickin a few cucumbers. They’re Japanese cucumbers, which we’d never grown before, shoot, I might as well own up that I’d never even heard of them before!

But, we both love the taste, and even when they become very large they still are tender. Most times though we make pickles out of the larger ones. Same with our squash. If you’ve never eaten them, squash pickles are very, very good, and I personally prefer them over cucumber pickles anymore.

Here’s the video…

Ole Deb’s looking pretty good, huh? Honestly though, she’s doing good! The Good Lord smiles on my Deb, doesn’t he? Good night, we are so blessed!

The other video is of our juicing. We’d done a video of this before, but we felt it appropriate to show once more. This, juicing, is one thing we think ALL you guys need to at least consider.

Again, although Deb was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer 13 months ago, every blood test we do comes back perfect. She’s aced every one of them! We do another next week.

Anyway, several of our friends and family are now juicing, even some of our fellow YouTubers, and every bit of feedback we get all praise the benefits they’re seein from the juicing!

All speak of the energy they now have, and how well they feel as a whole. Most all speak of weight loss they’re experiencing as well. Personally, I’ve lost 50 pounds. Talk about feeling better, Phew, I’m like a new man!

I tell Deb I feel like the 6 million dollar man, and she says I ought too…that’s about what the juice has cost us! LOL!!

Juicing, when you juice the quantity and variety that we do each morning is fairly expensive. Actually when we started out it was costing about 100 bucks a week, and recently went to about 160-180 bucks a week. No kidding.

But, Deb’s health can have no cost put on it, and this is the reason for our greenhouse…year round vegetables in a climate controlled area. We of course, supplement our juicing with our other gardens as well.

A couple reasons for this…first off the cost of food today. I know you guys are all seeing this firsthand!

The second is the AMOUNT of fruits and veggies we juice each morning. The reason is because in Deb’s regard, we’re trying to build…a SUPER immune system, and we feel this is exactly what we are doing. It’s working for us.

Now juicing is not the only treatment she’s decided upon with her alternative cancer treatment, BUT, it is one of THE major players.

Our point though is that we feel juicing is so beneficial, you guys may just want to give it a try, healthy or not!

You would not have to juice anywhere near what Deb and I do, again, we do so many for a reason. But, research your fruits and veggies, see for yourself the nutritional value of each, then juice the ones you feel would benefit YOU, the most!

Here’s the video…

As you can see, Deb was having a little problem. Our juicer is beginning to…get tired. That dern thing is a workhorse though, and has been doing just what you just witnessed for over a year now! Plus, we’ll pick enough oranges, tangerines and grapefruit to juice about 4 gallons at a time…on top of what you see we do daily.

So, we love the type of juicer we use, and are very, very satisfied with the job it does, and the longevity of the machine.

By the way, there’s a brand new one under the stairway, still in the box. We’re going to order a new cutter blade though, and we both feel that will make our old one just like brand new. It has, we know, become dull from all the use it’s gotten!

We’d by this brand again, and again, and…well, you get the message!

Well, I’ve got to run!

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

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

Ole Deb and I are planning to go to sunrise service, swing back by the house to change clothes, then headin up to my Mom and Dad’s for dinner, no not supper dinner, lunch dinner! My Mama loves to cook, and dern if her first born son…don’t love to eat!

Anway, we spend most Easter’s up there with them, and most all the family attends. You know Mama’s, if they have their kids around, especially when they’re getting to cook for them too, then they’re right in the middle of their environment! Ya gotta love them Mama’s! I know I love mine!

Well, we’ve bout finished up in the greenhouse. We have a little room left, but that will soon be taken by three more rows of tomatoes, some celery, and a few bell pepper plants. After that, it’s waitin on it to come in.

The grow area is complete, all but the row and a half we’re savin for the black tomatoes. All our squash, peppers, onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, watermelons and cantaloupes are in the ground.

Good night a livin though, that dern topsoil we brought in is sproutin weeds, ALMOST as fast as Deb can talk. For those who don’t know Deb, she can bump them gums well. Actually, very, very well! LOL! So that ought to give ya a good idea as to how fast those little weeds are growin off.

That’s okay though…I got something for em! My hands, and my “hula hoe!” That’s a dirt bustin, aeratin, weed gettin, sucker. I’ll ATTEMPT to get Deb back behind that scoundrel again, but that hasn’t been workin out real well.

I take the derrn thing outta the shed, try and put it in her hands, and she takes a 9 mm. out of her back pocket…everytime! I ask her if she’d REALLY shoot me over the hula hoe, and she just grins and says, “Yeah, I’d shoot you, but not over the hula hoe.” Wonder what that means??

After that, let’s take a joke break…this from our buddy Wayne, in Alma, Georgia.

Pinocchio, Snow White, and Superman are out for a stroll in town one Day.

As they walk, they come across a sign:

“Beauty contest for the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“I am entering” said Snow White.

After half an hour she comes out and they ask her, “Well, how’d ya do?

“First Place,” said Snow White.

They continue walking and they see a sign:

“Contest for the strongest man in the world.”

“I’m entering,” says Superman.

After half an hour he returns and they ask him, “How did you make out?”

“First Place,” answers Superman. “Did you ever doubt?”

They continue walking when they see a sign:

“Contest! Who is the greatest liar in the world?”

Pinocchio enters.

After half an hour he returns with tears in his eyes.

“What happened?” they asked.

“Who the he.. is Barack Obama?” asked Pinocchio.

Okay, let’s share a few greenhouse pictures of how things are doin.

This, from left to right, are eggplants, crookneck squash, and watermelons. Look at the weeds coming up, but again, this Monday those will be…history. The new dirt must have been full of them, but, we’ll work through this and have em under control. We’d been so busy getting everything set out, these had to wait.

From left to right, sweet peppers, lemon and straight-neck squash, onions, and cucumbers…and weeds!

Our tomatoes. The left will be our black tomatoes when they’re ready to set out. In the pic, there’s 121 already out.

These are some tomatoes in the greenhouse.

Japanese cucumbers in the stands, with peas for our juice behind them, then some lettuces on the far end.

There’s our volunteer tomatoes on the left. In the middle bed are some vegetables Deb has put into 6” pots to sell. We first have to set them outside on the benches you see in the 3rd. picture from the top. This is to harden them, or get them used to the sun after being raised in the greenhouse. It takes about a week.
If you remember, I killed about 50 plants by not doing this.

Well, we once more would like to wish you all a Happy Easter. Take care, and God Bless! Deb’s hollerin for me to tell ya’ll to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

We’ve gotten about three quarters of the grow area planted. Well, two thirds anyway. I believe I counted 101 tomato plants today, in the ground. There are seven different varieties in the ground, and two more hardening off to be planted.

We then have three different black tomatoes up, that are still in seed trays. Those are the Southern Nights, the Carbons, and the Sarah Black. Deb and I have never eaten a black tomato before, so we’re really looking forward to tryin those babies out!

By the time with finish settin out tomato plants, we’ll have in the neighborhood of around 170 in the grow area. Plus probably 35-40 will be in the greenhouse.

Deb’s convinced she’ll be able to sell the heck out of em, so…we’ll see, huh? I do know she’s having a good time with this so far, AND I haven’t killed anymore plants! There is something to that hardening your plants off after all!

We planted bout a half a row of onions, just yellow and Texas Red I believe, that we brought in from our other garden. We planted 14 lemon squash, 14 straight neck, and 17 crook necks. These are all in the grow areas beside the greenhouse.

We’ll be planting 4 types of sweet peppers, and two types of hot. We have some bell peppers in a seed tray. Watermelons and cantaloupes are in the ground, and just beginning to run a little.

Inside the greenhouse…good night a livin! It’s now about 2/3 full as well. Still some little plants yet, and we just planted 4 more types of lettuce to go along with our Romaine, Iceberg, and Black-Seeded Simpson. Honestly, even as hot as it is, they’re doing pretty dern good. These fresh salads are niceeee!

We just set out our second batch of radishes, and have 3 more beet types, and 3 types of carrots that are ready to go in the ground in the greenhouse too.

The end result will be lettuces, beets, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, onions, beans, peas, eggplants, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, mustard, collards, and arugula greens. All inside.

There’s not a lot of room for some of these things, but, it’ll supply us with juice supplies daily. Some of this, some of that, toss this in, and don’t forget that. It works for us.

Combine this with the cost savings, the freshness factor, the taste factor, the nutritional factor, AND the Deb’ll be doin most of the work factor, and shoot, I’m in hog heaven! LOL!

Thios is beginning to work out very well, and we’re trying to learn or pick up on something every day. We aren’t even scratching the surface good of just knowing a little about this type of gardening, but, it looks as if it can be very productive. We’ll keep you up to date.

You guys wanna see a few pictures? You don’t?? Well, ya are anyway! LOL!

This is the tomatoes we have planted so far. From right to left…a row of Beefsteak, a row of Green Pineapple, a half a row of Homestead, with a half of Rutgers. Then a half a row of Mini-Orange, with a half of Fox Cherry. Then a half a row of Isis Candy.

You see our hardening bench on the right? It’s obvious, YOU CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

Tomatoes on the inside.

A few more.

Some of our lettuces. Onions behind them against the wall.

Our “volunteer tomatoes” that came up in our compost pile from our juicing remnants of each day. The first stake on the left is 6’. That’s radishes ready on the right front, and new radishes to the left that we just planted.

Our watermelons, and crook neck squash on the left. We planted it today.

Well guys, that’s about all that’s goin on, besides finishing up the micro-jet irrigation. That is REALLY working out too!

Let’s start headin out today with a little food for thought.

Diane sent this to us, and I thought it very well said. We better wake up my friends…evil people are taking away our freedoms and liberties. We have to start standing up for what’s right, instead of sitting on the sidelines.

“Fathom the hypocrisy of a government

must prove they are a citizen.”

Ben Stein

Thank you all for stopping back by to visit with us today. God Bless each and every one of you. God Bless America, Merry Christmas, Happy Easter, and…In God We Trust!

Deb says to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub and Deb

As you can tell from the title of today’s post, we’re at it again. Deb and I talked about this for the past couple of weeks and then made our decision to go ahead and add grow space on both sides of our greenhouse.

This will benefit us in a couple ways. First off, since we’ll have water to the greenhouse down the road a little ways, we’ll have water already right there. It’s nothing to run a few more lines and have water in our new grow space as well.

It also gives us space to come right directly outside the house and go right into the ground with many of our new vegetable plants. This is a plus, although we’ll utilize our regular garden as well. We decided to use it exclusively for peas, corn, beans, etc…possibly tomatoes too.

As I said earlier, Deb would like to set up some type of little stand and maybe sell a little of her produce she’s growing off, as well as some of our vegetable plants. This is all fine and good with me. This enables her to interact with people through the contact this will provide for her.

This is all good. She’s loving the greenhouse, and now really sees the benefits it provides for us both. It was her idea to start with because of the rise in fruits and vegetable cost in regards to her juicing. Man…it has gotten pretty costly in the past year or so.

Again, I went to the grocery store a couple weeks back, and literally was amazed at the cost today. You don’t think they’ll continue to rise?? Well, think again my friends…you only have to look at the fuel prices, and the direction they’re headed! $4.15 a gallon here, and expected to keep on truckin!

Speaking of trucking…those guys run on fuel. Higher cost at the pump means higher cost at the store. Any type of store! Hang on to your britches my friends…it’s gonna get worse before it gets better! Quickly…GET OUT AND VOTE this year, our entire way of life is on very, very shaky ground!

This election is, and I personally believe it truly is, the most important election that Deb and I have ever been involved in. If we’re to keep the rights and freedoms bestowed upon us through our Constitution, and our Founding Fathers… you better get out and vote! Your children and grandchildren need our help…vote the fact…not the hype!

But, back to topic. Through Deb selling a little of our produce, it’ll offset our cost some as well, plus give her “a little funny money!” But once more our main purpose of the greenhouse is to provide us both with good fresh product to juice each and every day.

You can’t get any better than picking it right off the vine, and going straight into the house with it. On top of all this…the taste is incomparable to store bought! Hands down.

Our regular garden again will be used for the things we really love to can and put up. Fresh peas and beans sure taste good during the months we can’t grow them. We’ve stopped growing either during our hottest months…too much water needed, too hot, and too many bugs! Then during winter, you can’t grow them either.

We’ve found it much easier on the plants and ourselves to plant an early crop in spring, then in August, set out our fall crop. This has been really working out well for us, and the production from this we’ve been very pleased with.

Now okra is one that we will grow a couple rows of during the summer heat…it loves it. The dern stuff last year bout drove Deb crazy! It produced right up until almost the first frost, and probably would have, but I looked out one day…and Deb was pullin it outta the ground and givin it to the cows! Bye-bye okra! LOL!

Peas…that woman would rather shell peas than eat, and she is VERY good at it. You put em down in front of her and you can just walk off! You come back and she’s whipped em, or is about to! She amazes the guys that work with us…se can turn em out! She’s also fast in regards to pickin the dern things! I own up quick…that I married “above me!”

In the new grow area, I once again dug out existing soil to a depth of 8 to 10 inches, replaced that with compost material, and now will put up some sort of retaining wall of another 8 to 10 inches in height. Not quite sure how yet, maybe lumber, maybe block, as I’m still kicking that part around some??

We have some of each here on the place, but probably not enough of either, so it maybe a block-lumber combo?? Who knows? Money is entering into the equation some as well, so this will be a make it look best we can for now, then down the road we’ll fix it the way we want it. Ya do what ya gotta do!

To the ones who haven’t already…grow a garden. It is a very worthwhile project for your kids and yourself, number one. The freshness of your product is much fresher than you could hope to get from your neighborhood market. The taste is much better, and you know what you’re growing it in, and what you’re using in regards to pests or disease.

It doesn’t take a lot of room to grow a lot of vegetables. Google up lasagna gardens, square foot gardening, raised bed gardening, or even container gardening. It’s amazing what people are doing vegetable wise, in very little area.

So if you have a mental block that in order to grow your own produce, you NEED a lot of room, that’s simply not the case. Seeds cost very, very little. Sure, there’s some work involved, but the benefits of good quality family time, good nutritious food, good healthy outdoor activity, and the reward of simply watching your vegetables grow off are all positive! Simply put…it’s good for you!

One other BIG reason is cost. Once more, food prices are going to continue to rise. Fuel is but one example. Do in your heart what you feel you need to do in regards to your own family. We have.
Well, here’s a couple pictures in regards to our new grow space. We hope you enjoy them.

The first is of the compost material we’re using. We have a good friend who makes this. I had forgotten about David doing this when we put in our beds for the greenhouse. I was talking to Mom, and she asked, “Why didn’t you call David?” Thank God for Mama’s!

The second and third pictures are of one side of the greenhouse, front and back. It shows the depth of the beds.

The next shows the two Cabbage Palms we dug up, and transplanted. They were on each side of the greenhouse, one on each side.

The last shows the backhoe. It is sitting where one of the palms used to be. I was concerned during high winds, one of the fronds blowing off…right through the vinyl top of the greenhouse!

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

Well…the beds are in the greenhouse! At least I believe they are. As of now this is what we’ve decided on, BUT, you know me…this could change at any minute! For example…

We started out going to have 4 beds…there are now 3?? We were going to have 4 three foot bed widths, with two of them 50 feet long, and two 40 feet long. Not anymore! LOL!

We ended up having one three foot bed width, 50 feet long, one 5 foot width, 44 feet long, and one 4 foot bed width, 30 feet long. What made me change things around? I don’t know, just seemed like the thing to do? PLUS, it just aggravated ole Deb to no end! I love it!! LOL!

No, after getting in the greenhouse, and laying it out, it just made better sense to me, I know, I know, sense not being one of my stronger points… “GOOD sense, anyway!” So, we just fa-naggled things some. Is fanaggled even a word? If not…it is now!

Once I saw the 3 foot width of our first bed I got to thinkin, instead of havin 4 of these, why don’t we make just three beds, with the middle bein 5 foot wide, and the last bein 4 foot wide. You want to know my reasoning? You sure?

Okay then, by havin the middle bed 5 foot wide, we’ll have more room for the vegetables to grow off. Tomatoes come to mind as they are a larger plant. Although this is a wider bed, we do have a walkway on both sides of this particular row.

This bein the case, the walk on both sides allows us to set plants, work the soil, and harvest the veggies… from both sides. Ease of work, and we can reach the area from either side…only a 2-1/2 foot reach either way. So, to me, this made perfectly good sense. The “key words” here…to me. LOL!

But, this middle bed is where we’ll grow most of our tomatoes.

Now, the first bed we put in, the 3’x50’ is going to be used for mostly juice materials for us. Oh sure, we’ll eat them as well, but this will be insurin Deb plenty of juice vegetables. At this point in our lives, this is a priority.

We’ll be growin them ourselves, we’ll KNOW what has been put on them, they’ll be able to ripen on the vine to insure the good taste, and not harvested early to be shipped cross-country. It’ll be much more economical for us versus buying from the store, AND they’ll ALL be FRESH, right from the plant directly into our home!

We’ll still utilize our outdoor garden of course, but the greenhouse will allow us to grow more variety year round. This is JUST what the Doctor ordered…Dr. Deb! As usual, I’m stuck playin…second fiddle!

We also intended upon taking the existing soil down to a depth of 12 inches, then using 2×10’s as our containing wall, then filling this up with another 9-1/2 to 10 inches of good soil. This bein an average “good soil” depth of between 20 to 22 inches, but also utilizing some of the existing soil (maybe a third), along with the garden soil we’d be purchasing. WRONG!

Once more, if I decided to put in a fish farm…they drown! I don’t know what it is with me AND, my projects?? Somehow, someway, they just seem to…go over budget?? Sounds like the government, huh? Oh, BUT there is one BIG difference…it’s my dern money I’m spendin, NOT somebody else’s!!

Well, after digging the trench, removing the existin soil from the 3×50, takin a good look at the existing soil, which had a lot of rocks, blocks, and even glass, I decided to NOT use it. It made a great pad, but for gardening…it was the pits!

Live and learn, that’s my motto. Accordin to Deb though, in regards to my projects, she claims I’m doin an AWFUL lot of livin, but very little LEARNIN! To which I reply, “You know, you just might be on to something here, DEAR…how long we been married now??”

Once I say this I’ve learned to…DUCK!

Regardless of my not bein too bright in my “planning stages” of a project, it still is what it is. Cain’t stop now. So, once I realized I couldn’t, nor shouldn’t utilize ANY of the existing soil, I got to makin some changes pretty rapidly.

First off, bed number 2 and 3 immediately were excavated to a depth of 8 inches…not 12. Then, the use of 2×10’s became very quickly…2×6’s! LOL! If, I’d of continued with my original plan, we were “poor house” bound, NOW! So, being the “flexible guy” I am, we changed it around, but still used about 500 bags of material!

One reason for so many bags was we’d bought them out of the 2 cubic feet bags, and had to end up using 1 cubic foot bags. We mixed Miracle Grow Garden Soil along with Black Cow, I’m guessing about a 3 to 1 ratio.

We bought them out of the Miracle Grow Garden Soil, so in our last bed, we had to use Jungle Growth with the Black Cow. Honestly though, the store we bought the soil from did work with us pretty well, and worked with us on the price, which we appreciated very much.

I’ve got a video we’ll share with you guys today, that talks about the Jungle Growth Soil some. On the back of their bags is a picture of gorillas, and the need to save them. During the video I tell, and show this, but also add that if you guys buy any of the Jungle Growth for yourselves, you actually WON’T be savin the go-rillers…cause I already did!! LOL!

The last bed we built is a 4 footer in width, and this too allows a little more grow room for the plants, plus will still allow us to work the bed easily. This project is still learnin as we go, and I’m sure we’ll continue to tweak it from time to time. But eventually we’ll end up with a very nice greenhouse set up, that will wind up bein just what we anticipated it to be!

The 4 foot bed width as I mentioned earlier is only 30 feet long. This can allow us to grow some vegetables in front of this bed using bags or containers…just a thought we had. Also, we have to consider a few tables or benches to grow our seedlings off, storage, ect….

Once more, we’re still makin decisions on how best to do this, with the space available to us. Deb considers this on my part to be…dangerous! There she goes again! LOL!

Anyway, here’s the video… “We HAVE…Saved the Go-rillers!”

Well, this will bout wind us down for today, and we thank ya’ll for visitin with us once again! You guys are great! God Bless you and yours, and as Deb says, “Keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!”

Dub and Deb