The Old Folks Home

[Hangtown Farms]

Ron, I think you're the only nut I know from California, but I sure have met a lot of nuts nationally on this thread.

well thank you lol

I can't remember how many times I've had to restart my asparagus beds.

In 2012, I spent more on water than a summer's worth of produce would have cost me at Whole Foods Market and I still couldn't keep it all alive.
Hindsight is 20/20.

Traditionally people plant toms here between April 15th and the end of the month. I almost always get them in much earlier. But then again, I'm the only one with tomatoes before Independence day.
It hit the 60s a couple days last week but back into teens and lower this week.
Long range forecast looks like we may be freeze free second half of March.

see and it gets much colder where you are than I get but unless you can cover them I can't plant them till mid May. We always have a late frost and the ground stays cool which is the worst part. They hate cold dirt.
1 thing you can do is cut the bottom off a milk jug and use it as a little green house. If you around around your house a lot. black plastic around the root area in the late afternoon and take it off in the am. This will help keep the soil warmer early in the season and not get so hot as to kill the good stuff in the soil. Only do this until night temps are above about 40 to 45

Heard this morning on national news that 3 storms are lined upto hit CA and bring much needed rain. Maybe a little at a time will improve the situation; sure better than one big down pour.

THe frustration of crops that take many years to mature is the long time to recover the numbers in the production lineup. Due to dought in 2012, the mid-west decreased the cattle population significantly-- THe beef prices are up because of that issue and the increase in grain prices. (I sure don't eat beef like I used to). The drought was so bad, they were trucking hay from the northeast, something never done before, and that sharply increased the prices of hay here. Which has not gone down since!

Earlier news reported many CA farmers are not planting as much acreage because of the lack of irrigation water. Love that CA is able to provide so much food to the rest of the US, but I am rethinking what my own bit of land can provide.

Until then, praying for a few small rain storms to reduce the drought situation in CA.

the funny thing with where Ron and I are ( he is in the valley and Im probably 45-50 miles east of him in the hills. Our climates are completely different . one thing in common though is we are between Super wet areas to the north and Deserts to the south which is why we get some years that are really wet and some that are super dry. Every year is always quite different

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I knew I'd forget someone.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

By the way, Ron was absolutely right (not that I ever doubted him).

I present their minor league baseball team:




'Nuff said.

 

[Pozees]

By the way, Ron was absolutely right (not that I ever doubted him).

I present their minor league baseball team:




'Nuff said.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

define nuts....

alternative lifestyles maybe

but I can thing of a few states below the mason dixon line that have their share of nuts too. - and perhaps one that borders SoCal

Speaking of nuts does this qualify?
http://www.newsmax.com/scitech/earth-sun-science-poll/2014/02/15/id/553010
http://www.livescience.com/43399-american-opinion-of-scientists.html
2200 Americans scored an average 6.5 out of 10 questions of the most basic science facts.


While I'm on the subject of science, here's something on chickens. I had read about cones and chicken vision before but this is interesting - to me at least.
http://www.livescience.com/43623-state-of-matter-found-chicken-eye.html

well thank you lol

see and it gets much colder where you are than I get but unless you can cover them I can't plant them till mid May. We always have a late frost and the ground stays cool which is the worst part. They hate cold dirt.
1 thing you can do is cut the bottom off a milk jug and use it as a little green house. If you around around your house a lot. black plastic around the root area in the late afternoon and take it off in the am. This will help keep the soil warmer early in the season and not get so hot as to kill the good stuff in the soil. Only do this until night temps are above about 40 to 45

the funny thing with where Ron and I are ( he is in the valley and Im probably 45-50 miles east of him in the hills. Our climates are completely different . one thing in common though is we are between Super wet areas to the north and Deserts to the south which is why we get some years that are really wet and some that are super dry. Every year is always quite different

I grow most vegetables in raised beds so they warm up much faster and I put down glass panels to heat areas too. If I get the stray late frost I use flower pots as cloches. I also use floating row cover more for cabbage moths but there's a little frost protection there too.
I have micro climates on 2 sides of my house. It's a tall long narrow brick building aligned north and south. The sun reflects off the wall till noon but the west side is lined with huge red oaks so very little light hits the ground. While the rainfall is the same, the temperature can be quite different and thereby the east side is much drier. I learned that the hard way when I lost half of my goji berries cause I failed to keep them watered. The garden didn't need watering so I figured the berries were fine. It's like a desert about 40 feet or more out from that side of the house.

On Feb 1st Bernie set 33 eggs. It is now the morning of the 25th. We have 31 hatched with one pipping.

Ladies and gents, we are at 91% on local eggs.

Hatch dates for the eggs set on March 1 will be very exciting.

Your adventure the last couple years has been amazing.
I don't remember but what was your hatch rate on the very first eggs you exported?

 

[ronott1]

By the way, Ron was absolutely right (not that I ever doubted him).

I present their minor league baseball team:




'Nuff said.

Sacramento has the River Cats for their minor league Team. A game between would be Nuts meeting at the River!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Heard from my daughter finally. She's in a bar with wi-fi having a fresh pineapple shake. She's in Don Det (4000 islands area of the Mekong River) Laos. She has a river bungalow with a deck over the river and a hammock. Here's the view from her deck at sunrise.




She said it's so nice and relaxing there, no ATMs, no cars and hammocks everywhere. All the bars and restaurants have mattresses and pillows on the ground with short tables. She spent all day yesterday kayaking to the largest waterfall in SE Asia. She was also fortunate to see some Laotian Irawaddy dolphins. There are only 6 left in the area and only 50 left of the Mekong subspecies.
The falls are Khone Phapheng. They stretch for 6 miles and are 69' high.



Every time she talks about the area she mentions how peaceful and laid back it is and that she hates to leave.
Tomorrow she's on a 12 hour bus ride to Cambodia.

 

[ronott1]

Heard from my daughter finally. She's in a bar with wi-fi having a fresh pineapple shake. She's in Don Det (4000 islands area of the Mekong River) Laos. She has a river bungalow with a deck over the river and a hammock. Here's the view from her deck at sunrise.




She said it's so nice and relaxing there, no ATMs, no cars and hammocks everywhere. All the bars and restaurants have mattresses and pillows on the ground with short tables. She spent all day yesterday kayaking to the largest waterfall in SE Asia. She was also fortunate to see some Laotian Irawaddy dolphins. There are only 6 left in the area and only 50 left in the Mekong.



Every time she talks about the area she mentions how peaceful and laid back it is and that she hates to leave.
Tomorrow she's on a 12 hour bus ride to Cambodia.

What a nice trip!

She must be having a great time too.

 

[chickadoodles]

Heard from my daughter finally. She's in a bar with wi-fi having a fresh pineapple shake. She's in Don Det (4000 islands area of the Mekong River) Laos. She has a river bungalow with a deck over the river and a hammock. Here's the view from her deck at sunrise.




She said it's so nice and relaxing there, no ATMs, no cars and hammocks everywhere. All the bars and restaurants have mattresses and pillows on the ground with short tables. She spent all day yesterday kayaking to the largest waterfall in SE Asia. She was also fortunate to see some Laotian Irawaddy dolphins. There are only 6 left in the area and only 50 left of the Mekong subspecies.
The falls are Khone Phapheng. They stretch for 6 miles and are 69' high.



Every time she talks about the area she mentions how peaceful and laid back it is and that she hates to leave.
Tomorrow she's on a 12 hour bus ride to Cambodia.

Beautiful places she is visiting! Love seeing all the pics thanks for sharing.

 

[kingfrodo]

Heard from my daughter finally. She's in a bar with wi-fi having a fresh pineapple shake. She's in Don Det (4000 islands area of the Mekong River) Laos. She has a river bungalow with a deck over the river and a hammock. Here's the view from her deck at sunrise.




She said it's so nice and relaxing there, no ATMs, no cars and hammocks everywhere. All the bars and restaurants have mattresses and pillows on the ground with short tables. She spent all day yesterday kayaking to the largest waterfall in SE Asia. She was also fortunate to see some Laotian Irawaddy dolphins. There are only 6 left in the area and only 50 left of the Mekong subspecies.
The falls are Khone Phapheng. They stretch for 6 miles and are 69' high.



Every time she talks about the area she mentions how peaceful and laid back it is and that she hates to leave.
Tomorrow she's on a 12 hour bus ride to Cambodia.

she is amazing! I only wish I had been that adventurous when I was younger.