Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 85 Entries. Tuesday, January 10 View Page I found this in my barn and no clue to what it is.   Tuesday, January 10 View Page Similar to the other pic but what the heck!   Friday, January 20 View Page I will be attempting to germinate a 13 year old classic seed this season so I'm going to try to get at least some of these older babies to pop. Every 2nd one will get a ga3 soak and all will be set in semi dry medium at 85 degrees. Lets see what happens.   Sunday, January 29 View Page :)   Tuesday, February 14 View Page My wife surprised me with this portable rain barrel/ water container. It will com in handy.   Tuesday, February 14 View Page Another angle, believe it or not, it holds 100 gallons. The plan is to build a platform by the barn and let the rain fill it up. I'm on town water and I don't want to use it if I don't have to.   Friday, February 17 View Page I keep a camera with me and take pics here and there that appeal to me. This one I took a few weeks ago from the car. The next pic was taken same day that shows how the climate here is all over the place.   Friday, February 17 View Page This is Tusket Falls in the fog taken from the car again. Lots of nice scenery here. The weather here is all over the place, most days come with some wind.   Friday, February 17 View Page Geraniums coming along nicely. 40 out of 50 came up, started about 6 weeks ago. Maverick variety, very hardy...colors are red, white, orange, pink and royal.   Monday, February 20 View Page These are the walls to what will be a hoop house. All the pallets came free from the dump as did all the wood to fasten them together.   Monday, February 20 View Page Guess what else came free from the dump? This hopper style window. It will form part of the rear wall of the hoophouse.   Monday, February 20 View Page This is the frame with some left over plexi-glass.   Monday, February 20 View Page This is the frame with the window attached. not pretty but it will allow for air flow on warm days.   Monday, February 20 View Page This long hardwood board, compliments of the dump, will be the front door of the hoophouse.   Monday, February 20 View Page I ripped it into three pieces. The first two for the vertical and the smaller one for the horizontal bracing.   Monday, February 20 View Page I wasn't going to get too elaborate, so I used a biscuit joiner with some PL Premium to attach the sides and bracing.   Monday, February 20 View Page Almost done, just the braces left.   Monday, February 20 View Page This is the front door which will be covered with plastic once installed. All that is left is the PVC tubing that will form the ribs of the hoop-house.   Monday, February 20 View Page I may have posted a pic of Cape Forchu before, but my wife took this one and I love it. I love this whole area and the people are awesome. Moved here 7 months ago and I couldn't be happier.   Saturday, February 25 View Page I love free stuff! This is the first of many loads to come. A storm a few months ago pushed the seaweed up near the road so it is already pretty dried out.   Thursday, March 9 View Page So far 23 are up, Mostly hot peppers   Thursday, March 9 View Page It's hard to see, but inside are 12 peat pots each with a few Chilean Glory Vine seeds. They are a bugger because they need bright light and 85-90 degree temps to germinate and they will take a month or so. It is crude but the light inside the cooler keeps the temp right around 90 degrees. Here is a link to what they look like, worth the effort. https://www.google.ca/search?q=chilean+glory+vine&rlz=1C1EODB_enCA578CA621&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiU-b2UlMrSAhUM74MKHQGnDqwQ_AUIBigB&biw=1280&bih=670#imgrc=lIQMz5VeogauEM:   Thursday, March 9 View Page My wife is being a REALLY good sport. Hopefully the wind won't shift before the mild weather.   Friday, March 10 View Page I live here, well actually 3 km from here and wind will be a problem. Close to the ocean and high elevation means wind protection. This will be a fun challenging year.   Wednesday, March 15 View Page No pic this time. 898 Knauss day 6-nothing. Constant 90 degree temps. The seed still looks fine, no signs of rot or decay, time will tell. i wouldn't normally go to these lengths but this is a special seed.   Sunday, March 19 View Page Day 10 and still no change on the 898 Knauss. Seed looks fine, no signs of mould or decay. I switched the original paper towel with a fresh batch. I really didn't get my hopes too high for a 2001 seed, but a 24 hr soak in Ga3 may stir something inside, I wait.   Sunday, March 19 View Page Had some left over GA3 so for fun I'm soaking 1- 1301 Eaton and 2- 626 Bosworth 05 seeds ( 1446 Eaton x 1260 Weir ) to see what happens. Forget the 24 hr soak, I'm going 3 days at 90 degrees at a concentration way higher than reccommended. . Worst case scenario, nothing happens. Best case, one pops and frankenseed is born. No idea what to do with Frank if he makes an appearance, let's see bwah ha ha cough,.   Saturday, March 25 View Page Hoop house almost done. Me and little buddy will be putting the plastic on tomorrow. It will be for tomatoes, peppers, onions and some other stuff the deer won't get a chance to eat.   Saturday, April 8 View Page Soaking these today, only one "heavy" seed in the bunch. All the others are quality orange crosses. Only going with three plants so the strongest plants will be selected regardless of the cross.   Saturday, April 8 View Page I suppose it would help if I listed the crosses 890 Dill 1374 Engel 1143 Engel 781 Engel 218 Sandercock 444 House and for heavy 1910 Tobeck   Sunday, April 9 View Page About half a pick up worth of seaweed in the raised beds. Only 8 degrees outside but in the sun it is already above 25 degrees inside the hoop house.   Tuesday, April 11 View Page The soon to be butt ugliest cold frame ever. Hopefully the future home of the 1910 Tobeck.   Tuesday, April 11 View Page Another angle of the monstrosity. With the heavy winds we get here I'm going to need a little help getting established.   Thursday, April 13 View Page After only three days 2- 444 House, 1143 Engel, 781 Engel and one 1374 Engel pushing up but still above heat for one more day. Three 880 Dills, 2- 218 Sandercocks and one 1910 Tobeck have yet to make an appearance, but it's early. I entered the 150 square foot contest today which is great for one of the early risers.   Wednesday, April 19 View Page Looks like an all orange line up. Unfortunately my one and only 1910 Tobeck didnt want to make an appearance. It's all good though. The front runners are 890 Dill, 1374 Engel, 1143 Engel, 781 Engel and 444 House. The plan was to have at least one in the ground last week-end, but the unusual cold forecast made me wait another week.   Saturday, April 22 View Page 1374 Engel and 1143 Engel. If these plants could talk, well they would be ____ off. I just brought them in from 3 degrees C. They have been hardening all week and both in the ground tomorrow. The most robust continues, the weaker goes to the compost. The 1374 was a much nicer fruit, but the 1143 has the better genetics, IMO.   Monday, April 24 View Page 1374 Engel plant went in the ground today. Completely hardened off and ready to go.   Monday, April 24 View Page 9 degrees celcius outside but a comfy 26 degrees in the cold frame. The temperature on the left is inside my home. Later on the temp went up to 34 degrees in the coldframe. I went to check on it and no flagging, what a trooper.   Friday, April 28 View Page Had 13 yards of topsoil dropped off.   Friday, April 28 View Page What a mess, the soil is so saturated that not one, but two trucks had to come in to pull the first one out.   Friday, April 28 View Page And there they go.   Friday, May 5 View Page This will not help at all   Friday, May 5 View Page Works better with a picture.   Thursday, May 11 View Page 3 degrees overnight, oh the things we do.   Wednesday, May 17 View Page I don't know what this is. The plant was healthy, not too much sun and not too wet.   Friday, May 26 View Page This one is the 890 Dill-2012- 1290 Poirier (F) x 1016 Daletas (M). It is behind because of the cold wet Spring, but otherwise doing well. This will be my 150 Square foot contest entry.   Friday, May 26 View Page This baby is 444 House # 1- 575 Wolf x 359 Foss. I was originally going to let the 890 and 444 duke it out but I like the cross so much that it's going to outgrow the coldframe and keep going.   Friday, May 26 View Page This one is doing the best, 444 House # 2. Despite the weather this one keeps chugging along. I will definitely need to provide wind protection for it. I love this place but it is almost always windy.   Wednesday, June 14 View Page I think we have a little problem. These two were fighting it out to see who would be the 150 square foot entry. Looks like the one on the left ( 444 House ) is the winner. Bums me a little because the wilting plant is 890 Dill, ( 1290 Poirier x 1016 Daletas ) My other 444 House is the star of the patch and I'll post pics later. I suspect the 890 plant suffered from my ambitious start and succumbed to root rot because of the cold wet Spring.   Saturday, June 24 View Page One of my best magablooms so far.   Saturday, June 24 View Page I realize this has nothing to do with growing anything, BUT, I love this place. You can go and re-claim any wood you want . The work bench was made in a day all from the dump and there is over 100 board feet of pressurized 2 x 6 in the background all for free.   Saturday, June 24 View Page Another non pumpkin entry- I was able to build these swings, minus the hardware, for the kids for free   Tuesday, June 27 View Page Started first compost brew of the year. I used to brew 20 gallons but this is a 70 gallon batch.   Tuesday, June 27 View Page Looking good, my only issue is areation, but it's bubbling well enough. I just tripled the old recipe. After 24 hours a direct application. I used to add the 5 gallon brew to 20 gallons of warm water and apply. Now the entire brew will be gravity fed to the plants. The plan is a weekly application, we'll see.   Thursday, June 29 View Page Pollinated this beautiful 5 lober on the 444 # 1 House plant ( 575 Wolf x 364 Webster ) with a single male from my 890 Dill ( 1290 Poirier x 1016 Daletas ). It's only 10 feet out which concerns me, but this plant is something else. Waay ahead of the other plants treated the same so we'll see.   Wednesday, July 5 View Page This morning I did the same as the previous post but reverse. Two males from the 444 House plant ( 575 Wolf x 364 Webster ) were used to pollinate a female on the 890 Dill plant ( 1290 Poirier x 1016 Daletas ). The 890 plant is quite small but I don't care. whatever it produces will be used as a cross for whatever the 444 House plant produces.   Friday, July 7 View Page 444 House # 1 doing great - 575 Wolf x 364 Webster. Despite the difficult start this plant is a trooper.   Friday, July 7 View Page 444 House ( 575 Wolf x 364 Webster ) x 890 Dill ( 1290 Poirier x 1016 Daletas ) 9 DAP. Nice shape, dealing with vine positioning.   Saturday, July 8 View Page There used to be an old chimenia here for fires at night. But me and the boy decided to upgrade.   Saturday, July 8 View Page He likes to work and eat so it's win win.   Saturday, July 8 View Page About a third way through.   Saturday, July 8 View Page Almost done for the day.   Saturday, July 8 View Page And about 85% done, only cosmetic stuff left. One day and 4 trips to Kent.   Sunday, July 9 View Page 890 Dill x 444 House for the 150 Square foot contest 4 DAP so it looks like it took. Although the position on the vine is TERRIBLE, I like the shape, so I will try to work around it.   Friday, July 14 View Page Day 3 and it looks like a winner. 444 House B ( 575 Wolf x 364 Webster ) x 890 Dill ( 1290 Poirier x 1016 Daletas ) . Nice big plant and vine position is near perfect.   Friday, July 14 View Page 150 square foot entry- Day 9 and pretty small. Don't care though because I like the shape and cross, reverse of previous pic.   Friday, July 14 View Page Day 15 and all in all I'm pleased. Nice shape and vine stress will be minimal. This is 444 House A x 890 Dill. Plant is chugging right along.   Friday, July 14 View Page Don't know what this fish is, anyone?   Wednesday, July 19 View Page Wonderful. Just found out that I'm being deployed to Muskrat Falls Labrador for a few weeks, departing Sunday. Should be back by middle of August but what will i find. My wife, God bless her, has promised to do her best. Oh, well, being an optimist, maybe I'll return to find a PB. Woo hoo!   Thursday, July 20 View Page The first three plants pollinated were beautiful females, Charlies Angels if you will. The 4th, well, lets call her Bosley.   Friday, July 21 View Page It's waaay too early to be resorting to these measures, but it is what it is. Almost overnight, my delicate rose is obviously juicing and now has the shoulders of a gymnast. Hope this holds, I would hate to cut the main after the fruit.   Tuesday, July 25 View Page No Pics this tme. Still working in Labrador, great people, great place. Not pumpkin friendly though. My beautiful wife is keeping things going, hope to be back mid August. https://www.google.ca/search?q=map+of+labrador+canada&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjttZuA6qXVAhUl7IMKHdeuDDIQsAQIMQ&biw=12 https://www.google.ca/search?q=map+of+labrador+canada&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjttZuA6qXVAhUl7IMKHdeuDDIQsAQIMQ&biw=12   Tuesday, August 15 View Page Good to be back. These sleds common, used for moving wood, pelts etc.   Tuesday, August 15 View Page This was responsible for a lot of resources being sent to a very remote area. One of seven turbine/ generators headed to Muskrat Falls. Over 300 km of mostly dirt road and nothing in between.   Tuesday, August 15 View Page This poor guy, I hear, was "re-located" to a better place. He spent every day on the road looking for food and hand outs.   Tuesday, August 15 View Page Oh yeah, pumpkins. My wife did a great job taking care of things. The photo makes the pumpkin look better than it actually does. Started out with four plants but due to my lack of preparation, the deer left me with this one and a much smaller one. It's all good though. The patch and garden overall has done quite well.   Sunday, September 3 View Page Not the biggest fruit in the world but she sure is purdy.   Sunday, September 3 View Page View from the other side. Cross is 444 House ( 575 Wolf x 364 Webster ) x 890 Dill ( 1290 Poirier x 1016 Daletas )   Thursday, September 14 View Page I think she has plateaued. Trying to get a few more pounds in and the weather has been great. The color is getting better.   Monday, September 18 View Page I'm really pleased with the color of my pumpkin, top left. A side by side comparison to the right is the 575 Wolf ( maternal grandmother ) which looks similar. Top right is the mother the 444 House. Bottom left is the pollinator 890 Dill. Bottom middle is the 1016 Daletas which is on both sides of my cross. And last but not least on bottom right is the paternal grandmother 1290 Poirier.   Monday, September 18 View Page This is a crude family tree, but the family members are all beauties, many HD award winners.   Thursday, October 19 View Page Well she never made it to a weigh off but I think it would have been a HDA contender. Good display pumpkin, I guess. The offspring should be lookers, the parents are hot.   Wednesday, December 6 View Page Finally got labels made and plan to get these mailed out very soon. Thanks to those who expressed interest.   Wednesday, December 6 View Page #@$%%#@ I just noticed- on the label it has the cross of the 444 House as 575 WILF! Supposed to be 575 Wolf, cripes!   Saturday, December 30 View Page This has become the new normal around here. It's been snowing on and off for almost a week now. Pretty, but I'm already over it.