Election Day 2012

 Finally, it's election day. This should put an end to the political ads , the finger pointing, and the rest of the name calling. Personally, I don't know why anyone would want the job. You're limited by Congress but also blamed by Congress for not "fixing things". You're judged by the public, mainly on hearsay, not facts. You receive advice from your Cabinet and military leaders. If this advice is misleading, you're the bad guy. Why would anyone want to be in that position? The thing that I find most disturbing is the finger pointing. This country didn't break in the last four years. It's been breaking slowly many years. In 2008, under Republican leadership, our economy tanked. There is no quick fix. In 1993, under Democratic leadership, NAFTA was ratified and jobs fled America like rats on a ship. Many common factory jobs don't exist here anymore and they didn't disappear in just the last 4 years. The cost of living in the USA forces wages higher so manufacturers look for cheaper ways to produce their product. Some go overseas and some go out of business. Technology has replaced as many jobs as anything else. Machines have replaced people in all aspects of life, even at home. Machines don't require breaks, days off, sick days, or vacations. Machines don't complain, they don't search for short cuts, and they don't sue their boss for their own careless stupidity. But , go ahead and blame the President because things aren't like you want them. Elect a new President because he says he'll make things better. I side with Ebenezer Scrooge and say " BAH HUM BUG". The system is maintained by the rich and for the rich, and they don't see any need for change. President Obama stands for and with the common man, the middle class, and the poor. I for one hope that the country stands with him today. He's not perfect, but he doesn't hide from his responsibility either. His religious beliefs have never interfered with his job. He can't change his parents and neither can we. We are what we were born. I don't see him as a black man, nor do I see him as a white man. I don't see him as Muslim or Christian. I see him as a human being trying to do a thankless job.

Still Growing

 Once again I've failed to keep up here. A week ago, on 10/12, Mother Nature lowered the boom on us. We hadn't had a frost yet, but on that night it went beyond frost. It dropped all the way down to 22 degrees. The growing season pretty much ended there. The covers that I had over the squash didn't save them. Nor did the covers save the peppers or the eggplant. It just got too cold. So now I'm left with the clean-up and prepping for next year. But wait a minute, I still have some of the garden still growing. The broccoli  and brussel sprouts are still producing. The swiss chard and celery are still producing. So aren't the carrots, fennel, and the beets. Let's not get in a big rush to dig up everything. As I rake the fallen leaves from my yard, I add them to the garden as mulch. Even though the grass doesn't need it, I mow the lawn twice a week to help grind up the leaves. I have also found a couple places to get composted manure, best of all, for free. I planted my garlic the other day and maybe tomorrow I can plant some spring flower bulbs. We have about 200 mixed bulbs to plant. We have daffodils, tulips, crocuses, and irises along with some others that I can't name. If I can get them planted and keep the squirrels away they should be pretty along the one side of the vegetable garden. Add a little color to things before the vegetables take center stage. I have to get started on the rest of my fall projects too. I need to get a small shed built using pallets. I will use this to house my lawn tractor and my garden tools. I going to use a clear plastic roof on this shed so that hopefully I can use it as a greenhouse in the spring. I'll have to see if the plastic holds on the roof. Time will tell. After that project is finished it will be time to re-model the tiller to be a tow behind the tractor model. Winter won't be that long after all. Before I know it, it will be time to get seeds started in the house and get ready to do it all again.

Baby its COLD outside

 I know it's October 9. I know 40 degrees isn't really cold. I know it's going to get worse. But I don't have to like it. There, that's off my mind. Now I can get down to business. Yesterday I worked on extending the growing season. I bought a roll of 6mil clear plastic and fashioned 2 greenhouses using the frame of an old tent that we have. Hopefully these will keep the frost off and hold some warmth in. They are quite low so I will have to lift them up in order to water and check the plants. I covered several pepper plants that are full of peppers and blossoms. I also covered the okra and eggplant for the same reason. Some of these plants are just starting to bare fruit while others just keep producing. The squash that I covered still has 11 squash growing and still has blossoms. We never get tired of fresh vegetables so the longer I keep them alive, the more fresh vegetables we can have. Since the middle of May when the peas ripened, we have had something out of the garden for supper every night, except for the few nights that we ate out. Tonight's garden addition to supper will be a garden salad. The last tomato from the garden and a head of iceberg lettuce from the garden will be the stars of the show

In the planning stage

 Everyday brings with it new adventures. Some things remain the same, while others are completely different. Things have been strained between my son and I, and I didn't know why until today. I thought he was mad at me, but instead it bothered him to see me when I wasn't doing well. So I guess I will just have to stay healthy. Sounds like a good plan to me. My garden for 2013 may not be as easy to fix. According to many articles I've read in the past week I will need to do a lot of prep work before I plant again. I will need to break down the heavy soil that I have by adding  mulch and compost to it. About 4 to 6 inches in depth should give me good soil to work with. Then keep adding another inch or so each year after. The clay soil here holds the water on the surface allowing mold and fungus to grow and infect the plants. It also takes longer for the soil temperature to rise and the temperature of the soil drops faster too. Plants have a hard time reaching their full potential when the soil is actually holding them back. By adding the mulch it will create a better growing environment. The soil will be more porous, allowing better drainage and a better root system. Because the soil will be drier, it will warm faster and hold the heat longer. This will deter the growth of fungus and allow the vegetables a better chance. By adding the compost and manure it will promote the growth of good bacteria. This good bacteria is needed to eat the bad bacteria that lives in the heavy clay soil.
 I'm planning on a bigger and better garden for 2013. And if I do a better job of planning and planting, I might be doing less work and getting a better harvest. My first task will be to make more space available for the garden. Overcrowding was a problem this year. The plants need room for air movement and sunlight, all the way down to the roots, especially tomatoes. No tomato leaves will touch the ground in 2013. I will be paying attention to air circulation to ensure a dry soil surface. I think I will plant everything in raised rows or hills to help control the moisture and air. Time will tell.
 

Fall has arrived

 With the arrival of fall comes new chores. As the garden is winding down, I can now add debris removal to my duty roster. The picking of vegetables has slowed down so I don't have as much processing to do. Now as some of the plants die, I find myself still quite busy in the garden removing dead plants and cleaning the area. Everyday I also learn that I could have done a better job in the garden overall. I have never looked at gardening as anything more than an edible hobby, until now. As a dairy farmer, my goal was to produce as much milk as my cows could, without using drugs as a production aid. To achieve higher production, I needed to do a better job of growing, harvesting, and processing quality feed for the cows. Now, looking back on this years garden, I realize that I should be using some of the knowledge that I have about growing a crop.Getting plants to grow isn't all that hard. Getting plants to grow and produce a larger crop will take knowing what that plant needs to get the maximum harvest. What are the plants nutritional needs? What diseases are they suseptable to? How much water and sun do they need? Before the seed goes into the ground in the spring of 2013, I will know the answers to these questions. I hope to increase my harvest without increasing the amount of labor. Do the same job better and enjoy it more. Learn to grow a garden without any chemical help. I need to learn how to control bugs using a natural repellant. These are the goals that I have set for my garden of 2013.
  Now I know that winter will not be dull, I know it will be a time of learning. The internet makes it easy to find the information so I will have no excuse for not learning what I want and need to know. It's time for me to become a gardener, not just someone who has a garden.

Garden Thoughts

 As I'm making tomato sauce I'm thinking about next years garden. It may seem silly but if I plan things now, while the mistakes I made this year are still visible, I may be able to do a better job next year. I know for sure that I will need more room. I really over-crowded this years space. I also have to do a better job of protecting my plants from bugs and disease. In the past, I always relied on chemicals, especially when I was farming. Now I know that these chemicals are killing us and polluting the earth. It's time to learn a newer and safer method for growing food. Others have done this so I'm sure that I can also learn. They say that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Well, I'm no puppy but I'll never be an "OLD" dog. This winter I will spend some time online doing research about new, safe ways to control issues in the garden. I used a baking soda and dish soap mixture this year for spotted leaf mildew. I was pleased with the results although things would have been better and the results better if I had started using it sooner. Everyday is a learning experience. We just have to be open minded and accept this new knowledge when it's presented. Then we need to learn how to use this new knowledge apply it to our own needs. Growing our own food is fun and we can control what goes into it. So the "no-brainer" for me is, grow it safer using more natural preventative methods to produce safer, healthier food. No chemical sprays. No chemical additives. I may not be 100% green but every bit helps.

Elaine's Birthday

 Today is Elaine's birthday.  The other day I asked her what she wanted for supper and what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday. She said she would like chicken baked with mushroom soup over it. I had planned on having chicken that night for supper so it was already thawed. We decided to have her birthday dinner on Monday night instead of tonight. Then she told me what kind of cake she wanted. She didn't want a homemade cake or pie. She didn't even want strawberry short cake. She wanted a store bought cake with lots of icing and roses.. So Monday night we had chicken and store bought birthday cake. Tonight we will have pizza and blueberry cobbler.
 The last 14 months have been a little rough. I wasn't doing well health wise and then Elaine started having problems too. We struggled through the fall and winter as my strength and stamina returned slowly. Then in late winter we learned, what we had feared, that Elaine had cancer and would need surgery. Now here we are, both of us have had another birthday. I'm feeling much better than I did a year ago and Elaine has had her surgery and recovered. And best of all, the surgeon was able to remove all of the cancer and Elaine is doing fine. Life is full of challenges and obstacles that we have to deal with. We know what we have dealt with in the past. The mystery is what the future holds for us.
  I know what's in store for today. I have okra to freeze, sauce to make, and a pizza and blueberry cobbler to bake. I better get started if I'm going to get this done.