Deluxestogie Grow Log 2023

[RoperLegacyWoods]

You will have to look that up. I just don't know. I am located only about 150 yards from the Eastern Continental Divide, at an elevation of 2070 feet above sea level. You're at about 860 feet. I have weathered mountain ridges scattered around me, while most of Indiana ranges mostly between 500 and 1000 feet, until you get to the Ohio River valley.

Bob

Makes sense. I think I’m making a pile of mistakes this year (which I half expected) so next year I’m going to just grow a couple virginias (instead of six varieties) and try again. And build a flue curing chamber this winter.

 

[deluxestogie]

We all learn new things every year of growing. Building a flue-cure chamber or a kiln is a satisfying, weekend project—once you buy the materials.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

This morning, four days after topping my porch-corner MD 609, which I had hoped would attract the hummingbirds, a sole hummingbird flew directly to the top of the topped plant. It briefly inspected the blossomless leafage, then came to hover about two feet from my face, disappointment in its tiny, hummingbird eyes. As I began to explain to it why I had topped the plant, it zoomed away.

Bob

 

[TigerTom]

This morning, four days after topping my porch-corner MD 609, which I had hoped would attract the hummingbirds, a sole hummingbird flew directly to the top of the topped plant. It briefly inspected the blossomless leafage, then came to hover about two feet from my face, disappointment in its tiny, hummingbird eyes. As I began to explain to it why I had topped the plant, it zoomed away.

Bob

Ok, now you have to tell that story from the hummingbird's point of view.

 

[deluxestogie]

I'm afraid that too much of the hummingbird's thoughts would be automatically chirped-out by the forum software.

Bob

EDIT: Seriously, this was definitely a hummingbird that was migrating through from further north, yet was clearly familiar with the tobacco blossoms near the porch steps from previous visits.

 

[deluxestogie]

Mushrooms at sunset:

Bob

 

[GreenDragon]

Mushrooms at sunset:

Bob

That’s awesome. Shows you have a healthy and diversified biome in your soil.

 

[deluxestogie]

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

This is my last tobacco plant.

Leaf tips are yellow on about ¾ of the plant, while the top leaves are well thickened and show heavy rugosity. Tomorrow will be another sunny day, up into the 70s. I plan to stalk cut it late tomorrow. Though a frost will probably occur in about 10 days, the interior of the shed is not likely to see frost or a freeze for at least a few weeks.

I have a single sucker stalk of Little Yellow that offered some hope of ripening its leaf after I topped it, but it still looks too immature to air-cure well in cooler shed temps. I'll check that tomorrow afternoon, and decide whether or not to bother with it. There is a lot of sucker-growth leafage among the other varieties, wherever I neglected to dig up the roots, but none of it would likely air-cure adequately.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I think my lawn tractor will only need to mow one more time this year.

Bob on his lawn tractor.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Déjà Vu

December 5, 2022:

Bob

Wednesday a week ago (18 OCT 2023), I noticed the unmistakable sound of my well pump switching on every 60 seconds. The sound is louder inside the house than out by the pump house. The pump would begin to hum loudly for 18 seconds, then cut off. Exactly 42 seconds after that, it would repeat the cycle—minute by minute, hour by hour, 24 hours a day. I still had water flowing when I turned on a tap.

I called the well and pump people, and somebody came out that evening. He determined that the backflow check valve had stopped working. "I will come out with the excavator tomorrow. I'll call you at 8:00 am to confirm that."

No call. No excavator. Nobody answering the phone at the well and pump company—until two days ago. "I'll be out with the excavator at 10:00 am tomorrow." Again, a no-show, and no phone answering all day. Yesterday evening, they finally said for sure, they would be out today.

Meanwhile, the sound of the pump switching on and off continually has disturbed my sleep for a week. Hurray! They actually did come out this morning, excavated the well head, pulled out the 110-foot hose, and replaced the little check valve at the end of it. [The actual replacing required about 10 minutes.]

October 26, 2023:

Once I had flushed out the pipes in my house, I attempted to do my laundry. Only a trickle of water would feed into the washing machine. After searching for assorted tools and gaskets, and repeatedly hoisting myself up onto my washing machine to reach the water intake in the back of it, I eventually (after multiple trials) got the crud completely cleared from the machine's water intake filter.

I may have difficulty sleeping tonight, in the eerie silence.

Bob

 

[GreenDragon]

Don’t worry. Now that the valve is fixed the bladder in the pressure tank will start leaking and the pump will begin running every few minutes again.

 

[deluxestogie]

The good news is that the 10 minute check valve replacement cost only $400.

Bob

 

[Plinsc]

Well, well, well, quite the ordeal wasn’t it!

 

[deluxestogie]

Just a prolonged, mini-aggravation.

Bob

 

[RoperLegacyWoods]

The good news is that the 10 minute check valve replacement cost only $400.

Bob

Been there. Recently. I feel your pain sir.

 

[DaleB]

I hate living in the city… until I don’t.

 

[CaptainAubrey]

I admit it. Their John Deere is bigger than mine.

Bob

I understand Bob. When I lived in Aubrey, TX I had a neighbor that farmed 600 acres of his own and probably a couple thousand more. All of his tractors were John Deere while most folks in the area had Massey Fergusons, probably because there was a dealership in Denton, TX. I asked him why he only used JD and he said "because they were tough and his Mexicans could not tear them up". In his fleet or herd of tractors he had a 4430 and a 4440. He actually paid me to go out and disc a field, mow, or run a seed drill with one of thesel. I would have done it just for fun as my tractor is only a MF165, no cab, no AC, no stereo.

Attention Wokeness Monitors: If you knew the man, you would know referring to his hands as Mexicans was not racist.

 

[deluxestogie]

I think it's worth noting that for the past 40 years, all lawn tractors sold in the US, regardless of brand or paint color, have been manufactured outside the US. The large, agricultural tractors are mostly still manufactured in the US. So I would say that the John Deere farm tractors are indeed durable, whereas most of their lawn tractors are poorly engineered, and challenging to maintain (without paying a fortune for the JD dealer to service them with non-standard, highly specialized tools). Kind of like trying to maintain an I-Phone.

Bob

 

[CaptainAubrey]

Yep, it is a sad state of affairs. While we try to curb pollution at great expense China smogs away. They also use cheap and slave labor to beat the heck out of our prices. They also make a lot of I-Phone tho Apple and others are finding cheaper labor in India, et al. The wife and I much prefer Motos over I-Thingies as Moto still lets you adjust the metering rod a bit and I think they offer comparable performance and more tweaking capability for a heck of a lot less money. But what do I know I only buy a new phone when I break one or lose it so it has been a few years. Don't understand my wife's friend's husband who has to buy the latest, shiniest thing going. I guess I am not much enamored with new features. If it makes phone calls and runs google maps navigation that is all I need. I also run navigation in the city (Dallas) even if only going 5 miles as on innumerable occasions it has steered my around trouble in real time.