Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 94 Entries. Thursday, January 13 View Page Happy New Year... this sums it up. I still breathe. Thursday, January 13 View Page No I didn't take a one way express into a black hole. Just felt like it at times. Thursday, January 13 View Page The first night of our auction and the day after was such a good start... despite the fact the garbage disposal gave it up and all the neighbors started burning wood and causing us allergies... Thursday, January 13 View Page Of course just when everything seems great; good seeds and good goings and great people all around-helping, bidding, donating.... Thursday, January 13 View Page Real life is what happens to the best of plans.... Thursday, January 13 View Page And all those luscious seeds.... Thursday, January 13 View Page With good intentions and generous bids... paid even. Thursday, January 13 View Page Things looked very good then... Thursday, January 13 View Page The whole thing went that way, sigh. Thursday, January 13 View Page Wish I'd had him around. The next month from 10 Jan was long and took many twists and turns. Bless Sue and Curt for taking the front line. Thursday, January 13 View Page You name it it acted up, gave up, balked, broke, or misbehaved. Thursday, January 13 View Page I mean everything chimed in. Thursday, January 13 View Page I only include this because it's worth more than my car Thursday, January 13 View Page Less gory, but x2 Thursday, January 13 View Page Paperwork reared it's head too several times and mostly very expensively. Thursday, January 13 View Page Not to be outdone, harddrive failure. SATA's are much worse than EIDE if they fry the electronics. Thursday, January 13 View Page Health... Thursday, January 13 View Page Cold, see previous why in the house was the place to be. Thursday, January 13 View Page This was taken at 2 am, -2f plus windchill plus dewpoint. It doesn't look like it, that is the porch light reflecting off the siding to backlight. I remember colder but after 3.5 months of bronchitis; add two zeros. Thursday, January 13 View Page So, what about the 'kins? The seeds? The auction? They all going to wither on the vine? Thursday, January 13 View Page Is it all fluff on the breeze? Poof? Thursday, January 13 View Page Emails are going ???? and what about the snailmail? Thursday, January 13 View Page Do we have to mount up the cavalry and go find the answer? Thursday, January 13 View Page Where could she be hiding, in the trackless wastes? Thursday, January 13 View Page What fate would be the truth? Thursday, January 13 View Page Crated and shipped to nether regions? Thursday, January 13 View Page Is the few scraps bull... or... Thursday, January 13 View Page ...a great slipup... Thursday, January 13 View Page ..the night has a thousand eyes, and the internet is vast... Thursday, January 13 View Page So before wishing additives to my bathtub... Thursday, January 13 View Page ...despite tribulations... Thursday, January 13 View Page ...doing what I had to do... Thursday, January 13 View Page ...and before someone takes a contract out on me...and warms up the grill 'cause I'm deadmeat... Thursday, January 13 View Page I can't say it enough. Or, Thank You, to Curt and Sue. You two are more than solid gold. Thursday, January 13 View Page Mail has come in, I have received all the seeds offered. Thank you! And the treasurer received checks, and I have some to hand to her. And still have stuff to chase down but that's not anyone's fault but ME. Thursday, January 13 View Page Now, as for.... Thursday, January 13 View Page Seeds and Lots... Thursday, January 13 View Page The dream is alive and it's gonna happen. Thursday, January 13 View Page Planning season can commence! Thursday, January 13 View Page I decided to do a mega page diary entry in the style of a few others (though mine may be a bit poorly strung together, no simians, no tutu's or spandex and no dancing) Thursday, January 13 View Page The egg was laid, wiped off, and hopefully things can get back on track. Thanks everyone that emailed me privately, I did get them... as to the forwards.... Thursday, January 13 View Page about not really replying, but when the energy went so far, and no honest answer (and the schedule liking me wanted a firm answer I knew would be kept) could be really fielded. Sorry. Thursday, January 13 View Page Here's the less gruesome of the two after snitching. This one can be normally seen and it's going to be okay even if it goes silver and I tan. That's why I had the fur standin earlier... Thursday, January 13 View Page Off the meds and onto the normal stuff like caffiene. Good to be back and I won't even try to read the boards so much time has passed. Thursday, January 13 View Page And. Where are the lots? Here is the packaging progressing. Weather permitting so I can wander freely; almost all the lots are tucked in bubbles waiting a trip and a few need a stamp yet, to head on out of here to the postoffice. Thursday, January 13 View Page Wish I had one of these in my backyard but at least we can all look forward to riding off into the sunset. Sorry for being such a stranger the last month, at least there was no death in my immediate family, no big C... and thank you everyone for your kindness, concern, support, donations... there is no one better than the members of the Pumpkin Growing Community! Yes this is the end of the pics and I expect to continue to sort out and get the email under control next. Deb aka Okiegal aka P&T Grower Club. Website next! Tuesday, June 7 View Page About what this year has been summed up. I am not growing any pumpkins this year, as I am still under it but finally they have a diagnosis and treatment, with luck I get off antibiotics in two weeks and the stuff wasn't a resistant strain... and I have about two more years to go. My Suffering Better Half decided to grow tomatoes so he has put in a garden. I wish him luck. Tuesday, June 7 View Page Regrouping... It'll be strange not growing this year; but. Meds, diet, and look forward to the next two years. Maybe next year I'll be back on my feet enough to pick weeds. Can't wait. Tuesday, June 7 View Page Near end of April, I dumped a glass pie plate edge on, the plate didn't even chip, but. The pain caused a snap stress migraine that almost blacked me out. This was the next day. All I could think of was the patch sign I made Tina (The Cooks, Frank and Tina Finders)... Toe-mah-tOH...! Tuesday, June 7 View Page The good, two weeks later I farmsat for a friend and took care of her mamakitty with two 8 day old little purrs. Water her plants, tend their critters and look after the place. Tuesday, June 7 View Page May 14th, we had a (after frost date) snap frost, then several days later this, the second of two hailstorms that dumped nickel sized hail. I found some wedges that looked like candycorn from silver dollar sized ones that had broken before landing. This is about 5 min after the hail quit, the cloud that dumped it. Then by May 30th, we had our first 100f day with 6% humidity and sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts to 55. Summer is here! Tuesday, June 7 View Page One other sign that summer has about arrived, I pruned out 20' of mostly dead rose canes. This one in particular has the most beautiful smelly roses, it's a climber, and it can knock you over with the scent. It also demands ... yeah. We have an agreement, I trim you, water you, and you bloom. Tuesday, June 7 View Page A few hours after the hailstorm... the fish did much better than the lilies. Old pond mung and water change water, really does perk up stuff, very gentle and great fertilizer. Tuesday, June 7 View Page The Plant Giveaway. P&T Grower Club always gives out plants during Santa Fe Trail Daze (the week of and the first weekend in June) to help kick off the growing season and plug the weighoffs. There's a few stories with it this year... Tuesday, June 7 View Page The Boise City Garden Club disbanded end of 2010, P&T Grower Club was handing out plants with them, so this year we took over their site too. This is the City Hall City Council Chambers... Only one person asked about the flowers (the Garden Club always had a 'flower show' and at this time in the year finding something more than dandelions blooming is hard) Wednesday, June 8 View Page More plants. With the new dates and location set for both weighoffs and a bigger first prize for the tomatoes... interest is running strong this year, which is good. It should be a most interesting summer as everyone tries to grow a big big tomato... and yes, one new pumpkin grower recruited too. Should be an interesting if challenging year. Wednesday, June 8 View Page On Friday June 3rd as the Plant Giveaway was being set up, it started raining about 6:30 pm and kept coming back for more. About 8:30-9:00 the fire department had all the trucks out and were washing and polishing them for the parade the next day (though they were having a natural rinse) then came in round of rain #2 and one really strong gust of wind that howled for about 5 minutes. When I drove home near dark... the west half of town had power out. This is why. Our treasurer had her enclosed carport fly, hit the old boiler shed for the laundry, then bounce off her trailer roof. Wednesday, June 8 View Page I had heard the fire department get called away, but not exactly what or why. She was sitting just to the right of that window, heard the bump, and turned around to see the roof rafters on her bed a few feet away. Half the bedroom roof came off. The bathroom at the end was still intact except for that beam that rammed through... Wednesday, June 8 View Page She is fine, thank everything! Even more, she had another house in town to move into. This had been her father's place and she had moved there a few years ago when he passed on. Wednesday, June 8 View Page This was where the enclosed but open on this side carport had been. We would put our scale in here to shelter it from weather and wind during the weighoff. Just right of the green part and left of the blue part is our flopped over tallyboard. The building to the right is where the scale is stored between times. Wednesday, June 8 View Page We have a few days this week of gathering together to help her finish moving, and work on a few things at her new residence to get it right. That's what friends and growers do. I will be taking care of her garden (watering and dawn and dusk weeding as I'm not supposed to be in the sun) for the next few weeks while she gets settled. Oh, she's growing a squash too. :) Did I mention it's wonderful she's alright? Well it is! Wednesday, June 8 View Page So... dreaming of blooms and getting this. The Tomato Weighoff Wednesday September 14th, 3-6 pm, First Prize $500... Five State Cimarron Weighoff, Saturday September 17th, 9am until we're done (come heck, high water, hail, winds N tornados, grass fires, or no pumpkins) First Prize $500, we have a Squash Class, First Prize $300... Punkin Chunkin, Team Inertia from Arvada Colorado (centrifugal slinger) demoing if the gremlins don't bite, Thurs, Fri, Sat. All at the Cimarron County Free Fair (flinging nearby) The only way to GROW is up! Friday, July 15 View Page Says it all. June was our second hottest June ever recorded and July is just as blistering. Rest of state is fighting an uphill battle, we have been in the top level of drought in this area for over a month and a few weeks ago the entire county hit the top notch. And my folks flooded to the eaves in Minot, three blocks west of the Broadway Bridge. Hope there's something to weigh in Sept, pumpkins or tomatoes, anywhere. Wednesday, July 27 View Page It doesn't get better. There is one AG vine left in the county that I know of; and it's pretty pathetic. Our pumpkin wieghoff may be for any pumpkin at all... There is one giant cantalope vine (33 Moore) still going and doubt it will set anything. Tomatoes are between pathetic and a few blooms starting to show. And we have a couple of months to go. Fireant bite is sidelining me, trust me tomorrow at dawn I am going to be feeding them lots of Amdro. Hurts about as much as if I'd broken the little toe an inch south of where the bite happened. Hoping everyone else isn't frying or swimming. Wednesday, July 27 View Page Sent to me by a friend as a 'Texas Rain Gauge'. Problem with that model is it either blows off the railing or melts in the sun.... Good luck and good growing! May you land a bunch of new PB's. Monday, August 15 View Page At least tomatoes are happening. This one needs a sling soon I hope. We had two hornworms that in one night got some leaves on four plants. They WILL fluoresce under blacklight/uv flashlight if its really good and dark and you are patient and know what you're looking for. That and look for the frass. They were small and in a week the plants don't even look it.... Monday, August 15 View Page At least tomatoes are happening. This one needs a sling soon I hope. We had two hornworms that in one night got some leaves on four plants. They WILL fluoresce under blacklight/uv flashlight if its really good and dark and you are patient and know what you're looking for. That and look for the frass. They were small and in a week the plants don't even look it.... Monday, August 15 View Page Healthy mater plant. This is a non competition 'Mexico' that has four posts and needs five, and I am standing up very straight beside the post, my eyes are the 5' line... Monday, August 15 View Page The Mexico with other tomato plants. This is six of the eleven planted, the far left one on the back row is a competition plant. The others are offscreen to the right. Growing conditions are more brutal than ever this year, a neighbor's tree is helping with some 2-5 pm filtered shade. Along with a heavy coating of Virginia Creeper on the chainlink fence as a windbreak. Monday, August 15 View Page Another competition set. Having some hope for our weighoffs in Sept. Monday, August 15 View Page Sunset west of town at a friend's place (my pumpkin babe from 2008 diary) on Saturday. Monday, August 22 View Page As of Sunday the 21st. One of a few that need a sling. It might ripen too early for the weighoff but man, considering our weather this is great! This is a beefsteak type mixed breed. Sunday, September 4 View Page The P&T Grower Club got our own NTEP certifiable trade scale for the smaller produce. Tomatoes to the .01 pound. This year our weighoff is going to be hotly contested and I am betting on some big ties. Only thing ripe now here is yellow pear tomatoes, got the first ones 31 Aug. That is VERY late to be getting tomatoes here for the START of the season. Sunday, September 4 View Page Such as it is, this is on the 'eater' brandywine plant. Had it been trained for greatness and the other sets thinned, this might have been a couple pounder, but at least it's enough to break a few PB's here. Something is taking a plant out on the other end so it has to be cut down tomorrow, but. There are at least eaters here..... weighoff is in 10 days (posted on 4th, weighoff 14th) Tuesday, September 13 View Page Left three are off same plant, and it is SMOTHERED in big fruit, these are the biggest. I'm cloning that one. One in middle was hidden on the HUGE 'Mexico' plant. Two on right are from the plant in front of the threesome on the left and that one has plenty too. These are EATERS... the competition plants, maybe 5-6 oz and turning color already. Weighoff is in morning so I went out and documented the crop with camera then went near dark and cut these for weighoff and fair entries. I think they are all over a pound each. I shudder to think what the Brandywine (left three) would have done trimmed down to competition instead of eater. You also don't want to know the water bill for keeping them cool and happy.... and at $1900 an ounce I think they're all solid gold by now. Saturday, September 17 View Page The Trials and Tribulations of Wiz and Biz in Okiedokieland. Not a high point; during to-scale inspection Biz's pumpkin was rolled over, and.... it was not smelly, mostly not manky and was still gaining weight. Saturday, September 17 View Page As for this traitorous pumpkin's fate? Um.... Saturday, September 17 View Page Says it all. Maybe not a 170' tower and a hapless pickup under it, but. Crowd loved it. Saturday, September 17 View Page Then came more monkeyshines... Wiz and a Greenie. A first at the Five State Cimarron Weighoff. The class has an entry! Saturday, September 17 View Page Well worth it. Meet the 258* Grande 11 Saturday, September 17 View Page Hoorah. Meet the 627.5 Grande 11 Saturday, September 17 View Page Hoorah. Meet the 627.5 Grande 11 Saturday, September 17 View Page Just when you thought that man in the RMGVG tee was an imposter, this happens.... Saturday, September 17 View Page And just when you think it can't get any worse... It may not have been orange but it was a very attractive pumpkin overall, nice skin and shape and even the bottom looked good. Red pail is the 'bucket of bragging rights' due a winner; the tiara goes with almost everything.... Saturday, September 17 View Page Beauty and the Wiz. May never happen again, a full set of premium weighoff plaques! [more to come about the rest of the week, another weighoff, Wiz&Biz and a team of chunkers that teach pumpkins to fly...] Wednesday, October 5 View Page At least there are tomatoes in this land. I will be taking plants out this weekend, a couple, and finishing up the harvesting. I have probably two more batches like this to go.... Monday, October 10 View Page Brief P&T Grower Club notes... The Great Postmortem meeting was held, officially it is now 2012 growing season. Open Club meeting Saturday October 17th, 10ish at the Dairy Queen Meeting Room, Boise City. Topics will include fall cleanup and prep, fundraiser ideas, off season (now through March) schedule, and tenative growing season (March through Sept) schedule. Tenative prize structure for 2012 (The Tomato Weighoff AND Five State Cimarron Weighoff) $1000 1st, $750 2nd, $500 3rd, $250 4th, $100 5th, $75 6th, $50 7th, $25 8th, $10 9th and $5 10th; Senior Division $250 1st, $100 2nd, $75 3rd, $50 4th, and $25 5th; Junior Division Five State Cimarron to also have: $300/200/100 Squash Class; $100/75/50/25/10 Watermelon Class; $100/75/50/25/10 'Any Other Pumpkin' Class Additional premiums for Cimarron County Free Fair to be revised and expanded. Will we have the Chunkers come down again? Without the seed auction we will need ideas for fundraising! Sponsors, we need sponsors. Officers election in March. Do we want Teeshirts? Shall we discontinue husband/wife separate entries even though fair allows it? Thank you to Janie Smith, for storing the big scale. It has been moved to elsewhere for this winter. Tuesday, October 11 View Page P&T Grower Club has a URL, (three to be exact) and website to come. http://www.pandtgrowerclub.com , .org , .info ... first two have 'parked pages' ...entering the digital age. Pic, a 1.16# Brandywine meeting a grape tomato megabloom baby that was on the next plate over at the Cimarron County Free Fair. Friday, October 28 View Page Last snow, morning of 14 May... first snow of fall, 27 October. We rarely get moisture at our last hurrah frost, and this is really strange to get moisture at our first fall nip. Shortest span between snows we've had here ever. Picture was taken about 5 hours after sunrise, it was totally white as the sun came up. At least it soaks in then. Friday, October 28 View Page Scored 13 of these, 8 have the 'cages'. I found out that I could load one IN my little pickup IF I took the tank/jug out of the cage then load each piece and nestle the tank inside the cage. The cage just fits between the wheelwells with it loaded 'narrow' side in on side, and the tank shoved in 'flat' will nestle and let me close the tailgate just barely. When I got it to behind the shop, I could unload both and put them back together on their sides then tip it back up. I still have 12 to move, 7 with cages and 5 without. 275 gallons each. Yes, I can't wait until spring now, weehooo! They housed a liquid white wax concrete sealent, used to put on concrete to let it slow cure in very dry conditions. Looks like it will be inert enough, going to grab a sludge sample and submit a junk seed sproutie to it to doublecheck that it's safe. 275 gallons each... Tuesday, November 22 View Page The name was removed to protect the guilty on the caption. But I couldn't quit laughing.... [From October 2011 Reader's Digest] Tuesday, November 22 View Page My yardboys gifted me with a freshly dead treerat. The mighty hunter (Copernicus or Cuss-cuss) got a bite on his left ear for all of his work and I've been having to take care of that. It was indeed dead because I bagged it right after this and disposed of it. That is a size 10 womens or 8d mens size shoe partly in the picture. (no Paul F. I didn't stew it-either the treerat or the shoe) Wednesday, December 14 View Page I seen your diary, Wiz, #663 and #664, bravo and thank you for growing some of those dangerous 'ammoKins'! And we have already invited Inertia II to come down again to our county fair, 13-15 September; and have a guaranteed field for them to chunk in. So despite what they edited on Punkin Chunkin 2011, Inertia II are still at it and going to defend their title in 2012. And come here to Boise City to practice up again! The picture is Greg Wolfe's daughter and her son/his grandson sitting on a parked and turned off ATV. Aiden so looked like he was driving and talking to the crew in that picture... Saturday, December 24 View Page Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Looking forward to a real 2012 season with new PB's! [Our version of a white holiday on 20 Dec, 3.4" by Weather Channel, guessed 7" by ankle measurement and 12" reported by local newspaper. After shovelling it, I'll say 12". We still have most of this which is what is amazing.]