EAST TEXAS GREENING - BREAKFAST RADISH - SELF PRESERVATION - RAIN - SKIDBOOT

 

East Texas is greening. First hay mowing later next month and I am guessing that there will be two mowing seasons this year. Rain and sunshine produce here.

Temperatures warming. The late afternoons are perfect for these aching bones. Not quite a long hot shower, but warmth that noticeably soaks over time.

Not sure if I should apologize to readers about too much weekly writing of our daily living here. Not exciting, yet a perfect world for us. Older folks enjoy the simplicity of sitting, visiting and I for one, am amazed every morning as I head out to visit the garden. Quite often overnight will bring seed from just breaking the ground to full sprouting with an inch growth. A birthing.

It may not be rocket science, but there is a lot to learn to getting things to grow. Bugs enjoy what we are starting to grow. How to control? Watering? I tend to over-water. That can actually drown plants. I did not know that. I am getting better, but dry dirt sends me to the watering hose.

Perfect days are a lot of sun followed by a night of quick thunderstorms. Mother Nature seems to prefer her sun and her watering. I can see that in the freshness of the plants the morning after a good rain.

The food chain here is fresher all around too. It can be seen in the local markets and of course the weekend farmer's markets. Fruits, vegetables, eggs, chicken, pork, beef and baked goods. More choices of very good eats. Last cut of romaine test planting above, earlier in the season. There is sweetness and a freshness that is hard to put into words in the harvesting of garden fresh. 

Chicks are in brooding pens in feed stores. Their chirping cannot be missed walking in. They are begging to be scooped up and taken home. But they soon become a job, at least would be for me. Too late in life. But fresh eggs are worth the work. Fresh farm eggs are in the loop now.

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OLDER FOLKS

As a younger man I always saw the older people in a different light. Not negative nor sympathetic, but viewed in the end of years. I thought how limited they were, not able to get out and go fast like "us younger" people. They must be missing so much?

Today I realize they were looking at my youth and were rejoicing in not having to ever go through the learning experiences still ahead of me. If I was judging them, then they were, too, probably judging me. “Poor young man, has no clue what is ahead of him...the upsides, downsides, hours and hours of work and keeping everything and everyone running and fine tuned.” They had lived the learning curves still ahead of me at that time of my life. They had no desire to keep it up and for sure not to have go through all of that again.

I did not realize the quality of life in the later years that come from a rocking chair and chatting, a drop-dead nap in an old worn-out chair and owning the days as we chose. Leisurely running in 1^st or 2^nd gear and being able to pull over and stop the engine for a while, on a whim.

I did not see that life slowing down would brighter colors of smaller insignificant moments, the beauty of nature and the wonderment of the large world we all live in and time to talk with my wife. Slower living and learning at a pace where it can be more appreciated and enjoyed.

To my point. Blogging in these summer months ahead may focus a bit on these small 3 acres and the bigness of east Texas. The changing world around us and these past 5 years of worldly comments and opinion may pass me by for awhile. Well, unless the aliens land. I'll have to talk about that.

EAST TEXAS MACHINERY

Many a youngster have started from sitting on the fender of an old Ford tractor as their grandparents drove to work the fields, then to their first driving lessons, then to themselves driving farm equipment years before becoming teenagers. 

Everywhere here is a photo-rich environment. Old tractors with every kind of attachable implement still work the land. I am a big fan of what man has made to get jobs done. And it is not thrown away. Just set aside till a job arises calling for the tool needed. A PTO (power take off) and a three point hitch has changed many a landscape into food producing or building needs all over the world. Man and machine.

Ready to go to work!

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 CALLED A BREAKFAST RADISH

Everyday eats till they are all picked. I cannot take credit for these.

Neighbor brought them over as he cannot eat them as fast as they are coming on. His wife, my wife, do not/will not, have anything to do with a radish. So it is just the men eating. 

He has a great crop. Different species. Says he likes these the best as they do not get "punky/mushy" late in the growing season. 

Cleaned, washed and then dipped in salt sprinkled on a paper plate. Great crunch right out of the ground. A hint of heat and great flavor. I will do these later in the season for winter picking. 

Her shakes her head when I eat these. Maybe it is the crunch. Or the "wows" over and over. I told our neighbor that it is a good thing we cannot grow beer, have them come on like this and be the only two responsible for the consumption. 

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SELF PRESERVATION

I saw that a couple of my onions were going to seed. I knew that it was too early in their growth, not exactly why. Much like the pine trees that went dormant during this past winter hard freeze and then came out over-producing pine cones for future growth and species preservation, the onions were doing the same thing. 

Sensing a hard cold or experiencing too much sun and too little water, the plants go into seed early. The wanting or need to keep the species going is a corner-stone of Mother Nature's ways. Seeing this first hand is a good lesson. 

These new days of warming temperatures and direct sun warmth and heat have thrown the onions into a panic. I have been watering, but not often enough. The onions are strong; best I have ever grown, but early seeding teaches me to better monitor their needs and what they require. 

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JUST ADD RAIN

Two nights of rain. The garden has exploded. This photo shows yellow squash, lemon leaves have doubled in size and the onions above are very happy. 

All the watering and over-watch and no results like Mother Nature. Maybe we should all stand out in the rain for an hour or so sometime. What have we got to lose?

Seriously!!

Ahhhhhhh.... Rain IS the reason. A little research.

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"IT'S NOT THE VIRUS....."

More from Selco and found on the Organic Prepper blog site.

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SHELVES FULLY STOCKED

During a recent trip to Tyler, TX, this past week, we stopped in at several major shopping stores and were pleasantly surprised at how well the stores have been re-stocked. Filled to the brim with everything, for the most part. 

Full circle ride from fully stocked, to shortages in all areas and now back to fully stocked. Not sure how this holds across the lands but comforting to know the country can still bounce back. C19, political landscape and media design/cooperation with fear mongering and working an agenda have taken a toll this past year. 

Within all of this, stocking up is still possible, good deals if you shop and plan. Bottom line, we are all in the after now. Trust our eyes and our guts in taking care of ourselves and our loved ones for more down times seemingly in the plan. 

Food prices rising. Have seen these stories across other blog sites.

"It can't happen to us? 

Appreciate the visit and have a blessed week.

Oh, ya got an extra couple minutes. Meet "Skidboot" and his owner. Your heart will thank you. God Bless folks in Texas.

TICKLE TONGUE, WILD PLUM - MISTLETOE - GETTING IN LINE

 EAST TEXAS TICKLE TONGUE TREE

(experimenting with font size in this week's blog)

Neighbors over to visit this past weekend and in the course of chatting outside they noticed we had a "Tickle Tongue Tree". They told stories of when they were younger, that they would slice off a part of the tree bark and touch it to their tongues. The 'tickle tongue" is likened to the tingling of a foot or leg that has fallen asleep and is awakening back to normal.

"All parts of the tree including the bark will numb the gums and tongue when chewed or sucked. Native Americans used prickly ash or tickle tongue tree as a painkiller. Native Americans chewed the bark for toothaches and drank berry tea for sore throats. The bark and berries are stimulants and have been used historically to treat digestive problems, rheumatism, skin diseases, nervous headaches, varicose veins and congestion. Prickly ash provides cover for wildlife and the blooms help to make a delicious honey."

URL Here

A short walk out back they also discovered we have a wild Plum Tree.

A small tree next to the back yard tree line. It is struggling to grow and survive. 

After the big rains today (Sunday last) I will trim around it and pull it from leaning into and around the tree behind it. Two stakes in the ground with a little tension to get it started and better on its own. Closer monitoring from now on.

All of a sudden the new season is upon us (along with daylight savings) and normal growth and sprouting of East Texas greenery has begun. 

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MISTLETOE 

My wife (Dallas original) pointed mistletoe out to me when we first arrived in east Texas. Clumps of growth in host trees. 

Our neighbors have a few trees where mistletoe has a foothold. I ask him if he and his wife came out from time to time to kiss under the tree. He made me laugh out loud. 

Point here, I never knew this before. Now, damn everywhere we look, Mistletoe has found homes.

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Bush Beans

They were just starting to poke their heads out Monday. 

I started them on damp paper towels for a few days and then set them in moist potting mix and under the Texas sun. Mother Nature!!

Sunday morning just before publishing.

All of these beans started out with the same exact environment to begin life. Bean genetics and mother nature? Lets see what another week in the Texas sun and rain will develop. Stay tuned.

MORNING BLT

Obviously over-sized and a challenge. First half of the sandwich was textbook BLT. So was the second half as it started to unravel.

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MY RADAR

Image from "My Radar App" this past Wednesday morning. Earlier that morning the approaching storm from the west was twice as wide and I expected it to last a few hours in passing. But by the time it make it to us it was no more than an hour. Quick moving and a good soaking.

Bright sun out later in the day and that has lasted through this weekend. 

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IF THIS IS WHAT GETTING OLD LOOKS LIKE

Both my wife and I missed Thursday this past week. We figured that out Friday morning. Her was confused as was I. 

I was getting ready to take the weekly garbage to the end of the driveway for pick up. And I was also thinking about our get-together pizza night scheduled for dinner, picking up her computer and our shopping schedule that day. But therein lied the blank look. I asked my wife what day it was. She said Friday and that was correct. 

I told her I was getting ready to take the garbage as always planned on garbage pick up day, Thursday. Confused. 

We looked at our phones, yep, Friday. So what happened to yesterday Thursday. And so it went over a bowl of sliced bananas in cream for breakfast.

We reconstructed Thursday and what we had done. All seemed real. But why the 24 hour delay on prepping garbage pick up. Well hell, it just did not happen although that task had parked in some corner of our brains, but delayed a full day. Not good. 

I told her we need more posted notes. She said to put it in our phones for weekly reminder notifications. Very sad, but I did. 

So next Wednesday and every Wednesday hence forth I will get some notification to get the garbage to the curb. I fear that this is still no guarantee of future days lost as we age. 

GUT LEVEL FEELINGS OF A COMING WORLD OF HURT 

This past week of green screen biden and his publicly calling Putin "a killer" is more than troubling.

The barbed wire circle of decision making in DC is way in over their heads. "****ery" with inside our borders is one thing, but there are things in all lives that we just do not mess with. I believe Putin is one of those things. Green screen is way in over his head. Holds true for all his decision making. 

Another world war? Seems more and more possible. Beyond imagination. Green screen is a toy that Putin can play with to include the whole DC Sshow. My guess is Putin will play these folks like an old fiddle for his own entertainment. Not for long though.

And the triple fall/face plant walking up the stairs of AF1. I find watching the video very sad. For the man and for this country.  

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I am seeing floating stories that the price of food is going to go through the roof. Sounds plausible.  

Best put in a few more bags of rice and canned meat. 

Planting more garden. 

This coming problem is something we can all do something about today. Whole chickens still under a dollar a pound and an average cost of a loaf of bread is $2.50.

Canning, hot bathing, and dehydrating this summer. 

I thought that blogging about "The After" was a one tiered concept. Today it appears there are more "after levels" inside youmeandtheater. 

AND FINALLY;

Awake at 03:00, wallowed till quarter to four and then moved quietly out of the bedroom. Her stays in bed another half hour, too, wallowing and then follows. 

Both of our computers have been gone through now and both running mirror software backing up on external drives daily. We have installed Dissenter Browser (based on Brave) and Duckduckgo as our entry portal to the net. Seems to be working wonderfully and getting reports of how many adds have been blocked and no tracking every net move etc. Good enough!!

I do my best thinking in the quiet of the morning. Peaceful here in east Texas. Just far enough away from the city and big city, yet not out in banjo land. There are hundreds of back roads, pastures, rolling hills and scenery to last us the rest of our lives. Her and I even have found time as of late to discuss a few day road trips for fun. Remember fun?

I have often said here I enjoy people watching and in these current days of radical change, this behavior yields wonderful moments of entertainment for me. Gives way to long talks of all things we find harder and harder to understand. But there is learning taking place in the watching of people out and about. 

While on the road to the bigger city for shopping at our local global market this weekend, I noticed a line of people inside the store. Older folk. Most mask wearing. General appearance of aging, some ailing. Many were peering over the shoulders of others as they filled out paper work. A dozen or so and the line was getting longer. So I asked! 

"The Vaccine." There it was. Nondescript worker bees handing out forms, offering advice and half dressed in unbuttoned medical garb. 

Our "local" global shopping market was giving the shot. 

And it is here at this point in this weeks blog where I sit at the edge of the rabbit hole. Do I drop down and let go of what I think about all of this or do I circle one more time and let you get on with other blogging? I so want to drop into the rabbit hole. 

Suffice it to say I knew it was just a matter of time before the offerings of this medical device would be available along with vegetables, clothing, sporting goods and a deli counter. One-stop shopping. 

The young gal re-stocking the shelves might well take her break and then be called to help in the jabbing line. Distribute medical advice and another cure all government programs to any shopper wishing that product. 

I responded to the answer to my question of why people were standing in line with an oh; "we have ours thank you." My wife looked at me, smiled and told me I was a bad man. I am not. Quite often though best to just move on.  

But within all of this, witnessing the lining up of so many folks for medical treatment from volunteers at our local shopping center just overwhelms my ability to grasp. I do not know how else to qualify all of this and the times we live in. 

Getting on the government buses and rail cars is not out of the question for a large portion of the American population. No questions asked. None. Nada. The promised ride to health and happiness, colorfully written on the side banners seems more than enough. 

It's an opinion. 

Could C19 preventatives be as simple as this?

A doctor's opinion shared-

Vitamin C   2,000 mg  1X Daily

Vitamin D3 5,000 IU   1x-2x Daily

Zinc      100mg          1x Daily

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Worked the garden this weekend. Tomato plants along with most everything else hitting the stands. We get two plantings here now. A few weeks after the first round is planted, we plant another round. Harvest time doubles I am told. But nothing grows unless I plant. 

Thanks for visit. You know the drill. Heads up. Ask a lot of questions this coming week. Seek ideas and other opinions. Ponder. Wonder. Read. Skill sets for all.

Have a blessed week.