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Mr_Yan

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Harvested black beans beets and carrots from my community garden. Beets and carrots came out to 20.6 pounds.

I have now pulled all the black beans from my 90 feet of experimental row. 1/3 shelled, 1/3 pods collected from the plants, 1/3 still on the plants sitting on my patio. I have a lot of work ahead of me but I can do this after dark watching a movie. This all comes from me wanting to know if I could grow a protein source.
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Shelled some about a third of the black beans total - have a little over half a gallon of black beans and estimate about a quart left to be shelled.

Installed two windows yesterday and two more today. That leaves three original windows in our living space, three original basement windows, and 8 original windows in the generally unused three-season / sun room. I have to finished the trim work around these replacement windows. We have the glass block to finish two more basement windows with only buying more mortar.
 
Mike

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
977
Location
Kentucky
Planting Zone
6b
Picked tons of peppers and pulled some weeds over the weekend. Weather was awesome all weekend so laid in the hammock several times too. :D
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Took today off to continue projects around the house. Really I need to finish my windows.

This weekend I have
  • removed the old storm window frames - required buying an oscillating saw
  • milled new moldings for around my new windows
  • installed new moldings
  • primed the new moldings
  • scraped the old glazing from the two remaining orignial windows
  • reglazed the windows - 14 panes while standing on a ladder - had to learn how
  • mowed the gardens at church
  • cleaned my gutters
  • started caulking the moldings around the windows but ran out of caulk
 
wolffman

wolffman

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Messages
1,148
Location
Texas, Gulf Coast
Planting Zone
9
We've had more rain in Aug/Sept than I've ever seen. Cotton farmers around here are in a world of hurt. Taking a couple days off work this week to hang out with an ole friend on the farm.
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Started big harvests at my community garden. 24.3 pounds of tomatoes, a 20 pound pumpkin, and several butternut squash. All told came to 78.4 pounds in one evening. I only harvested about a quarter of the squash up there before I ran out of light.

This year I have spent $290.50 (mostly on a fancy tool) and have harvested 358.1 pounds. So this has cost me 83 cents a pound to date.
 
Mike

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
977
Location
Kentucky
Planting Zone
6b
Picked about two baskets full of tomatoes and a few more giant jalapeno peppers over the weekend.
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Grilled burgers and summer squash for dinner. Beets in a dutch oven on the grill right now.

While grilling I dropped the lid of my weber kettle and it landded on the edge. Now it is really out of round. Maybe I can bang it back into shape. This kettle is only 16 years old. But this may give me another reason to buy a new grill that will better fit my family size - like a barrel grill with side fire box.
 
w_r_ranch

w_r_ranch

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6,479
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Thanks everyone. It's good to be home again & sleep in our normal bed... although it was good to get away & spend time with other people up in the mountains. They are really laid back & were quite patient while teaching us their version of Spanish.

First thing this morning hit the market & the butcher shop as we have little fresh stuff to eat. I started a pot of 'Carne Guisada' because it is relatively hands off while we start easing back into our normal life... I'm going to cut the grass this afternoon, as I like it somewhat shorter (3") than it currently is. Mrs Ranch is washing the bedding from yesterday... Then she made homemade flour tortillas while I was cutting the grass... Life is good.

Carne Guisada.jpg​
 
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w_r_ranch

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
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Messages
6,479
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Went to Walmart this morning & picked up a new Weber Kettle (Gold model). Our old one has finally developed a hole through the bottom after serving us well for 17 yrs... I will need to relocate the temperature gauge as it is installed in the wrong location for our use.

Trimmed the oak trees in the yard & then fertilized them for the winter.
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
@w_r_ranch
My weber is also 16 years old and showing its age. A week ago I opened the lid and burned my hand on the handle screw. When my hand burned I dropped the lid landing perfectly on the edge and giving it a slight taco shape. I was able to bend it back to shape but now the enamel is badly cracked and will start to rust soon.

We're quickly outgrowing a 22.5" weber kettle and I have been thinking about an offset fire box grill / smoker that would also allow me to either smoke or direct grill as I want. Unfortunately all the ones in my price range are now made in China.
 
w_r_ranch

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
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Messages
6,479
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Burned all the tree trimmings this morning.

Refilled the red bird feeders & cleaned their water trough. Mrs. Ranch also told me to put up a couple of hummingbird feeders as there are still some that are hanging around.

Mrs, Ranch was going to make a pumpkin pie for dessert, but I talked her into a 'Pear/Spice Burnt Cake' so she could relax today after cleaning the guest house. As a surprise for her, I did a cream cheese filling. When it was cool, I finished it with a caramel frosting sprinkled with pecans (I went a minute too long on the caramel though... sigh).

Burnt_Cake_100316.jpg

Burnt_Cake2_100316.jpg
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M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Starting Oct 1 work is requiring safety toe shoes so I had to go buy new boots. I've been saving for a while wanting a good pair of boots and I'm sick of disposable shoes. After work today I walked into the local shoe repair shop which also sells good boots and bought a pair of Thorogood boots.

I've worn a pair of Keen hiking boots for three years and they're not in great shape and can't be repaired.
 
w_r_ranch

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
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Messages
6,479
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Spent a long day on the tractor... Shredded the entire front pasture & along the road (since the county hasn't done it).
 
w_r_ranch

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
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Messages
6,479
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Made bread.

Ordered 16 LED light tubes to replace all the florescent tubes in the closets & laundry room. I'll remove the ballasts & rewire the fixtures when they arrive. 4-Pack of Hyperikon T8 LED Light Tube, 4ft, 18W (36W equivalent), 5000K

Burned the entire garden (I had sprayed it with RoundUp back in July as the weeds/grass got out of hand due to the heavy spring rains). I'll try to till it every couple of weeks after I amend the soil for the 2017 spring garden.
 
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