tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-215574832024-03-13T12:49:08.549-07:00No New Tails To Tell<i>"It's all the same thing... no new tales to tell" - Love and Rockets</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-48062061683166269042023-11-04T23:08:00.001-07:002023-11-04T23:10:21.372-07:00Review: 2021 Subaru Ascent Premium<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKb6UX-BH8gFrl3hgjjn5qPOE74N58kzrhUvpTGmitsBqbTSPfngNgzv3Mqb1pjool5_v56NxYVtFcexxwx-pDUiRW85FrWj3JRmghGqjYskRuUafCO-WAYLEDkCZdvxt4FTZOjrLpL8MZH1O6HCWUKmzyyZgKppnkkeRsDPENJLnI-FBGjpD/s1000/ascent1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="1000" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFKb6UX-BH8gFrl3hgjjn5qPOE74N58kzrhUvpTGmitsBqbTSPfngNgzv3Mqb1pjool5_v56NxYVtFcexxwx-pDUiRW85FrWj3JRmghGqjYskRuUafCO-WAYLEDkCZdvxt4FTZOjrLpL8MZH1O6HCWUKmzyyZgKppnkkeRsDPENJLnI-FBGjpD/s320/ascent1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>During a fishing trip to the coast last week, I ran into Chad Foster. Some of my fellow fly anglers will recognize that name as the host of the popular "Fly Fishing America" which ran for eight seasons on national television. A native of Lafayette, Chad was a highly successful businessman while in his early 20s, and by age 33 took a step back to get involved with Special Olympics and later as an author and youth skills motivator.<br /><br />Chad had been fishing with a mutual friend, John Williams of Pack and Paddle. He noticed I was driving a Subaru Ascent and stated he was interested in an Ascent. He then had the distinction of being the 100th person to ask me about my vehicle. For that, he wins a Big Mac Meal from McDonalds. But maybe I'll send him a box of Plantation Pride pecans instead.<br /><br />Yes, everyone - I mean everyone - has asked me about my Ascent. So to avoid having to write up a detailed report every time someone asks, I'm simply going to post this and refer to this blog post.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29eYdaG48TlXrTNskij_UPbEnqJvYHxhjVEZHsWCExiwXu4mWOpE52BWajqeAz0LiD6E8r9KbYMBKNUpDTHjNlrJNtOHPUbMEBd1WgNgX-sOduf4WxAIApnfSJHf-Z-KANmZTkFMJ3WttVjSBeGVPp1brIQmXnC8WCZNJPScyp4MsJTU48ouf/s800/ascent2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="800" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj29eYdaG48TlXrTNskij_UPbEnqJvYHxhjVEZHsWCExiwXu4mWOpE52BWajqeAz0LiD6E8r9KbYMBKNUpDTHjNlrJNtOHPUbMEBd1WgNgX-sOduf4WxAIApnfSJHf-Z-KANmZTkFMJ3WttVjSBeGVPp1brIQmXnC8WCZNJPScyp4MsJTU48ouf/s320/ascent2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Subarus are popular. Especially with the outdoors crowd - and dog owners. We qualify as both. Two years ago, our daughter bought a Forester in the Base model. After driving and riding in it, my wife - in need of a new SUV - last summer bought a Forester in the Touring Edition. <br /><br />A couple of months later, I was looking to replace my Highlander which had 240,000 miles. My older son and his wife were looking to replace their minivan. I had just sold a property and with the cash, was able to buy both him and I each a late model used vehicle (I stopped buying new vehicles years ago). We were both looking at 3rd row seat SUVs, so I got a chance to test out several models.<br /><br />In the end, they chose a Ford Explorer. My choices were down to a Ford Explorer, Subaru Ascent, Toyota Highlander, and Honda Pilot. There was also a highly-rated Hyundai model, but I didn't care for the odd design. While I liked the Pilot, the cost of maintenance and some reliability issues bothered me. My current and previous vehicles where Highlanders, and I knew they had rock solid reliability. The Explorer and Ascent were longer than the Highlander, and had quite a bit more cargo room with the 3rd seat down than the Toyota.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMueLIZ069tH1RJYvOnTZ4VaWUh4uKtj4bkm8IU-IfxcxMxHv6cEWo_bCCPaZ0P96jSXEMbr_4eFgIErd5jd0lbiVSKfWhGjuvlpKUUkbodcIckNb89xsD3hGjgLCqHRxfLw3bv8fjvpMGPWGIKElBFJB153cftYiqSsjHL7x0SiseHsiH40z/s800/ascent3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMueLIZ069tH1RJYvOnTZ4VaWUh4uKtj4bkm8IU-IfxcxMxHv6cEWo_bCCPaZ0P96jSXEMbr_4eFgIErd5jd0lbiVSKfWhGjuvlpKUUkbodcIckNb89xsD3hGjgLCqHRxfLw3bv8fjvpMGPWGIKElBFJB153cftYiqSsjHL7x0SiseHsiH40z/s320/ascent3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It was close call between the Explorer and Ascent, but the "fun" of driving, the gas mileage, and the safety features sold me on the Ascent. <br /><br />After having driven this vehicle for a little over a year, and across several parts of the country, I feel I can give a very good assessment.<br /><br /><b>PROS:</b><br />- This is just a fun vehicle to drive. It feels more like the Forester than a "full size" SUV.<br />- Gas mileage. I get 24 mpg around town, 30-32 mpg on the highway.<br />- Cargo room. More spacious than my Highlanders were, I can hold a LOT of hiking and fishing gear.<br />- Safety features. This is Subaru's big selling pitch, and yes, it comes in handy at times.<br />- Full time four wheel drive standard. It's come in handy a few times already!<br /><br /><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEcoXMjP3FVl3v2tCkPS1X-fuWsPu96qKm3AsQEiKBNtF_lspwHCXRgNIq5e427Yi_ySiy263qyTpMrrlLED3ccUkM7xTN_yFWhYRcMRwIle95WkDXonRd-IjXMiCIQz6GTCE68AhqwpUIRcnX68QofrswR1Zp68-K6cR3m1S0prmfIbU_DMF/s800/ascent4.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="800" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEcoXMjP3FVl3v2tCkPS1X-fuWsPu96qKm3AsQEiKBNtF_lspwHCXRgNIq5e427Yi_ySiy263qyTpMrrlLED3ccUkM7xTN_yFWhYRcMRwIle95WkDXonRd-IjXMiCIQz6GTCE68AhqwpUIRcnX68QofrswR1Zp68-K6cR3m1S0prmfIbU_DMF/s320/ascent4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />CONS: </b><br />- The turbocharged 4-cylinder really has lots of pep, but sometimes it's a bit sluggish for the first 5 minutes if the engine is cold.<br />- The leg room in the back seat isn't as roomy as my Highlander was, even though the 3rd seat has more than the Highlander did. <br />- Some of the interior feels a bit "cheap". Turns out the "Premium" is just above the "Base" and below the "Limited" and "Touring". My wife's Forester Touring is much nicer inside.<br /><br /><b>Eyesight. </b>This is Subaru's top safety feature. The Ascent has the usual "modern" safety features like flashing when a car approaches on either side, or gets too close behind, or rear camera when backing up. Eyesight reads the road ahead. It gives alerts when the driver leaves the lane, or changes lanes without using the blinker, or when the vehicle in front starts moving. When using cruise control, the Ascent will slow down to a safe distance behind a slower vehicle. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjuFc1Mzw04q2A6Dceb6JVcFhEuEYd0syqu0PeEDvP1tk4tS5Z1mUM1GTQ7rJFqQ70x_jjnrWC5yOyr6ivZzGuSae4GEw8phaJBXLqYILK36SO_x5e9_Q0Nu4IwLqClL0b0yqgXj6_9YZFZeJx2BCoJKLe5hlauqLRWnFmoX9VAFeBOEo-aza/s800/ascent5.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="800" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjuFc1Mzw04q2A6Dceb6JVcFhEuEYd0syqu0PeEDvP1tk4tS5Z1mUM1GTQ7rJFqQ70x_jjnrWC5yOyr6ivZzGuSae4GEw8phaJBXLqYILK36SO_x5e9_Q0Nu4IwLqClL0b0yqgXj6_9YZFZeJx2BCoJKLe5hlauqLRWnFmoX9VAFeBOEo-aza/s320/ascent5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />But there's a kicker... there's also a "driver assist" feature to Eyesight. During the first couple of weeks, I noticed anytime I came into a curve that the vehicle would want to make the turn. I even tried it once, on a good country road with wide shoulders, and the vehicle turned by itself! It does get a bit annoying after a while, so I turned it off. But it might come in handy for those who don't pay attention to the road, lol. <br /><br />Safety features aside, I need an SUV to do the following: carry my kayak for long trips (instead of using my kayak trailer), have good cargo room, get good gas mileage, accomodate those times when I'm driving the grandkids (3rd row seat), have good reliability, and be a good purchase value (yes, I'm frugal).<br /><br />The Ascent hit all those requirements. It's what SUVs were intended to be... an outdoors vehicle. Not some luxury vehicle, or a fashionable transport for soccer moms. If there's one thing I could change, it would be to bring back the step bumper that SUVs once had.<p></p><p><i>To see more detail on the photos above, click on the photo. </i><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-45568286445481580682023-05-06T20:33:00.039-07:002023-11-04T21:05:20.627-07:002023 Spring Garden - May 6 update<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdsLXzsReSW2khgOml7S7nMZco66VO_CsKN4x19vujzTwtSVyHtep-Xpxsvm2hytBxkjbj6HRG1c41BypKbHV9nqxmqluu-_-5UERN3AAfUkvI-B9dDkEoPBCF-jgzbhcSuZOhWOl180DZqFIMtXp7TYhcxqBE85B1o0BincIdDBK5INpndls/s839/may23_garden.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="833" data-original-width="839" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdsLXzsReSW2khgOml7S7nMZco66VO_CsKN4x19vujzTwtSVyHtep-Xpxsvm2hytBxkjbj6HRG1c41BypKbHV9nqxmqluu-_-5UERN3AAfUkvI-B9dDkEoPBCF-jgzbhcSuZOhWOl180DZqFIMtXp7TYhcxqBE85B1o0BincIdDBK5INpndls/w298-h296/may23_garden.jpg" width="298" /></a></div><p>It's been a long time since my last post here. There have been several highs and several lows. <br /><br />Highs: my daughter got married, my younger son got married, a couple of my nephews got married, more grandchildren came into our lives, and LSU won a national championship in football with Joe Burrow winning the Heisman. I also won three kayak bass fishing tournaments including my 2nd consecutive"Bass on the Fly" world championship, as well as placed in five other kayak bass tournaments.<br /><br />Lows: I came down with Covid-induced pneumonia in August 2021 and spent 6 weeks in the hospital. My sister and I also lost our mother (not Covid related) who was as close to being a saint as anyone I've ever known. She was a pillar of the Cecilia community and St. Joseph Catholic Church. Our family truly appreciated the outpouring of love from so many folks who knew her.<br /><br />Since it's May, it's time for a garden update. This year here in the west Cenla area we had a late freeze so the plants didn't get into the ground until late March. But the plots have really become productive the last couple of years and growth has been nothing short of amazing. The secret? It's actually a few things:</p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I've gone from adding "topsoil" to strictly adding cow manure - 2 bags per plot. </li><li>Adding ag lime a month before planting. The lime unlocks the nutrients locked in the low pH soil.</li><li>Stocking earthworms into the garden. I learned at TOFGA that they can really transform a garden!</li><li>Eliminating plastic barrier. While it was breathable, it seemed to repel some water as my plants would wilt a bit after only a few days without water. Since eliminating the barrier, I don't have to water quite as often.</li></ul><p>In the photo, the plants up front on the first plot are Celebrity tomatos, the back plants on the first plot are Cherry 100 tomatos. The other side of the plots have bell peppers. The plants on the back end of the 2nd plot are Sweet Slice cucumbers and eggplant. The Celebrity tomatos would be taller - so would the bell peppers - but I learned a trick that trimming the top causes earlier maturation of fruit. On the bell peppers, it also causes multiple limbs to sprout which pays big production numbers in the Fall.<br /><br />As for the citrus and blueberries, the late freeze hurt both. The only variety with any berries are the Premieres. One of the Washington navels has a few oranges. Everything else - barren! The freeze also knocked out any fruit for the dozens of wild elderberries we have on our property. Oh well, maybe next year! <br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-44005909344499989052019-05-07T08:01:00.000-07:002019-05-07T08:01:44.774-07:002019 Spring Garden - May 6 update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrA8UbbuRr96HCyBcUomoKxymPVtWNc-CjHVygzSrJTYuaFY0F8HV-gYQOUL5dsNBgVENd7ZlQzzRiE5FoGY2GQ8nyp1Dhs4dlOAxSkDwrMiV13qKSqN71-WzH3Anl1LEwINR/s1600/2019_spring_garden_050619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="715" data-original-width="800" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrA8UbbuRr96HCyBcUomoKxymPVtWNc-CjHVygzSrJTYuaFY0F8HV-gYQOUL5dsNBgVENd7ZlQzzRiE5FoGY2GQ8nyp1Dhs4dlOAxSkDwrMiV13qKSqN71-WzH3Anl1LEwINR/s320/2019_spring_garden_050619.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's time for my annual Cinco de Mayo spring garden update. Here's how it goes: I have two square food gardening plots measuring 4x16 feet. Each year at this time, I take a photo of the TPC plot (tomato-pepper-cucumber) which alternates each year between the two plots. I then compare the current photo to past photos to determine the progress of the garden. <br /><br />If you look back at the post from May, 2018, you'll see that this year's crops lag behind those of last year. Last year we had record cold and much below normal temperatures that delayed the planting until late March. This year, we had a much milder winter, but it was a sustained cold. We had two nights of frost the first week of April. <br /><br />But it's rainfall, not temperatures that are the main culprit for this year's underperforming veggies. We've had 144 percent of normal preciptation so far in 2019. Great for ducks, crawfish and mosquitos. Not so great for gardens.<br /><br />According to multiple sources, too much rain and overcast skies can slow a plant's growth as well as leach nutrients from the soil. For that reason, I've taken to adding Jobe's Organic Fertilizer to the TPC plot in the last week. As poor as my plants look now compared to past years, they REALLY looked poor prior to adding the Jobes. It's made a big difference. <br /><br />Then last night, I added earthworms to the garden. While there's already a few in the beds, my experience is that adding worms greatly boosts plant and fruit production.<br /><br />Sadly, the weather prognosticators are predicing heavy rainfall over the next several days. Seems like we can't get a break here in Louisiana. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-16854369216128977772019-04-24T08:39:00.001-07:002023-11-04T20:39:58.533-07:00Easter Sunday 2019 - Beer Can Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Eg79QxkaIxVt7QTYoS9oSP0XDgOyAQ1YD_XzsZ67tOFqVR1brnQr_TTOVLu4n7ErW1vbYsX6FqPTJRAhi1aG6hV94vBG54wFtBLsAVfmHrngZ5eO9UkpkFgjjFag5hal1ySJ/s1600/beer_can_chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="800" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Eg79QxkaIxVt7QTYoS9oSP0XDgOyAQ1YD_XzsZ67tOFqVR1brnQr_TTOVLu4n7ErW1vbYsX6FqPTJRAhi1aG6hV94vBG54wFtBLsAVfmHrngZ5eO9UkpkFgjjFag5hal1ySJ/s400/beer_can_chicken.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
We had a big family gathering at the homestead for Easter Sunday. Two of our kids, all of my wife's siblings and their husbands and kids, her father, my sister and her husband, and my mother. <br /><br />My wife picked up a pork roast to cook in the oven, but she knew that wouldn't be enough meat for everyone. So she asked if I'd do a chicken on the grill. Well I decided to do two chickens. Better safe than sorry. Besides, when done right, there are never complaints about having beer can chicken (BCC) for leftovers.<br /><br />I've done BCC many times, so I thought it would be nice to share my method. Preparation begins with fresh-picked rosemary from our herb garden, mixed with Balsamic Vignerette salad dressing. The bird is saturated with this mix, then placed in a zip lock bag in the refrigerator for 24 hours.<br /><br />On early Sunday morning, I took the bird out and lightly washed off the rosemary, then rubbed the bird down with salt, cayenne pepper and a light dash of olive oil. <br /><br />I don't use beer cans, but rather a product called the "Chicken Tipper" made by a sheet metal shop in my hometown of Cecilia. The aluminum is much thicker and heavier than a beer can and can support a large chicken. I place the Tipper in a pan - with a little water in the pan - to help catch the drippings for gravy. The water insures that the drippings won't dry up.<br /><br />Inside the Tipper I add grape juice. Most recipes call for wine or beer, but I find that juice adds more flavor while not drying out the meat. There are many, many opinions on this, but that's my observation.<br /><br />I preheat the Akorn grill to 325 degrees, and set the temperature probe into the thickest part of the bird, with the alarm set for 165 degrees. Once the internal temperature is reached, I wait a few minutes to take off the grill. Then I place the bird in an aluminum pan and cover with aluminum foil. This was a technique I read about in one of the grilling forums. Seems to extend the "internal cooking" of the bird but without drying out the meat.<br /><br />The marinating and seasoning of the bird helps in the flavor. But anything you cook on an Akorn, Big Green Egg, Kamado or other domed charcoal grill will have that great smoky flavor that brings folks back for seconds. <br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-48037259528512000282018-05-07T09:14:00.000-07:002018-05-08T16:01:17.302-07:002018 Spring Garden - May 6 update<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi3ZwQ3h_P34WAhC-YVxdN9jGib8vIYy-6SA0ADbH4-4rrI8Dx0957JpL0j8kJPg-bi6CmK8Q3tm7E7C888_zNZpFhHsak-JW3BLcwCOHRTG8r64WC6leleiBOqdQF71pvpuf/s1600/2018_May6_garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="800" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYi3ZwQ3h_P34WAhC-YVxdN9jGib8vIYy-6SA0ADbH4-4rrI8Dx0957JpL0j8kJPg-bi6CmK8Q3tm7E7C888_zNZpFhHsak-JW3BLcwCOHRTG8r64WC6leleiBOqdQF71pvpuf/s320/2018_May6_garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2018 May 6 TPC plot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4XM6Pb30TdKw2zxBQrZ_K6Bf8ZbtVBpKOCfZsvrAZHBi9tJ2Pk5iF31K3vaSdCeUrIeEr1_arN6eTL2m681NiTGCEX9KxS2EEXEmc7YfmGx_2ybRcHVj8NY7gW6olx6MDqQB/s1600/2015_May5_garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="830" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR4XM6Pb30TdKw2zxBQrZ_K6Bf8ZbtVBpKOCfZsvrAZHBi9tJ2Pk5iF31K3vaSdCeUrIeEr1_arN6eTL2m681NiTGCEX9KxS2EEXEmc7YfmGx_2ybRcHVj8NY7gW6olx6MDqQB/s320/2015_May5_garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2015 May 5 TPC plot</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1711265047"></span><span id="goog_1711265048"></span>We've had an unusually cold and wet winter and early spring here in central Louisiana. In fact, the average daily temperature up until April 15th was 9 degrees below normal. Let's put it this way... during the Little Ice Age - which peaked in the 17th century - the average annual temperatures were only 2-3 degrees cooler than the 20th century!<br /><br />Before you start looking at igloos for your next home, realize that this was just an abnormality. Temperatures in late April moderated to near normal and the forecast for May looks to be slightly above normal. But just to give readers something to think about, check out these articles on why another ice age could be a possibility: <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/02/08/the-sun-is-growing-colder/" target="_blank">sun growing colder</a> and <a href="https://weather.com/news/news/2018-04-12-gulf-stream-slowing-climate-change-study" target="_blank">demise of the Gulf Stream</a>.<br /><br />How has this cold winter affected my spring garden? I looked back and found only one other photo for this time in May and that was from 3 years ago. Even so, it's quite telling. I knew my cucumber plants were extremely sluggish this Spring. They're in the 2018 photo. Behind the bell pepper plants on the left. So short they can't even be seen. Compare to those in the 2015 photo. <br /><br />Conversely, the tomatoes may be my best crop ever for this time of year. Plants are thick and full of small fruit. That's because I supplemented my garden bed with a bag of Azomite which I picked up at the Texas Organic Farmers and Growers Association (TOFGA) Conference. Azomite is a natural rock dust that contains over 70 minerals and trace elements. Research has shown that it benefits many plants, but especially tomatoes. Leaves are greener and fruit production higher. If this warm weather pattern continues, we should be eating tomatoes by Memorial Day... if not sooner!<br /><br />Cucumbers are a tropical vegetable. Even though we had no freezes or hard frost after I planted in mid-March, we had MANY nights were the temperature dipped into the upper 30s or low 40s. And many days where the high temperature never got above 70 degrees. According to guidelines, cucumbers shouldn't even be put into the ground until soil temperatures are at least 70 degrees. <br /><br />However, I believe that putting the cucumbers in early as I did has helped the plants establish a good root system. That's the thing about cukes - they can have a tough start, but if the root system is set, then the plants will grow rapidly and fruit heavily once conditions are right. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-64537435442830320072018-01-12T10:23:00.002-08:002023-11-04T20:42:04.504-07:00Kurt Loup's world-famous gumboWith another blast of frigid arctic air moving in for a full week I thought now would be a good time to share a gumbo recipe from my old friend, Kurt Loup. Over the last couple decades, it's made quite an impression on a whole lot of folks. Kurt used to make this gumbo for the first few years of the Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club's Paddlepalooza tournament. I also prepared it one year at the Little Mo Fly Fishing Fest and another year at the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) Southeastern Council expo. At the Southeastern event, I had folks taking french bread and scooping up the residues on the bottom of the pot!<br />
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Here is Kurt's recipe for chicken and sausage. For a seafood version, see below. The base recipe is the same for either version. Makes about 1 1/2 gallons.<br />
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2 cups onion<br />
1 cup green bell peppers<br />
1/2 cup celery<br />
3 cups okra<br />
1 pod of garlic<br />
2 tablespoons oil<br />
1 1/2 cups dark roux (1 cup flour, 1/2 cup oil) or<br />
approximately 3-4 large tablespoons Savoie's roux<br />
1 bunch green onions<br />
2 tablespoons parsley<br />
8 bay leaves<br />
black pepper to taste<br />
2 tablespoons file'<br />
6 cups water or chicken stock<br />
3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes (if not using chicken stock)<br />
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning to taste<br />
1/2 pound andouille sausage<br />
1/2 smoked pork sausage<br />
2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken<br />
(3-4 pounds if with bones)<br />
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OR for the seafood version, substitute the last 3 ingredients above with...<br />
6-12 cracked and cleaned crabs depending on size<br />
2 lbs. peeled shrimp<br />
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Sauté first six ingredients until soft. Add roux, stirring until blended. Add stock and bring to a boil.When boiling, add remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Ca c'est bon!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-72716375009962807902017-05-29T21:51:00.001-07:002023-11-04T20:43:20.370-07:00Mother's Day brisket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFbZ2Vc3HdW7ZR6r8HZ-ZEFGKFl7qWKjC3Mud2O1LYmlhjMWhbcWDHYI6uf3gTSX6dbDXU8I_QGTNTku9-UCds7snmeL9VvmsdCiC4mqmgIx5G8T7JynLtC-KEsy_6yNL7-yN/s1600/brisk03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAFbZ2Vc3HdW7ZR6r8HZ-ZEFGKFl7qWKjC3Mud2O1LYmlhjMWhbcWDHYI6uf3gTSX6dbDXU8I_QGTNTku9-UCds7snmeL9VvmsdCiC4mqmgIx5G8T7JynLtC-KEsy_6yNL7-yN/s320/brisk03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
One of my resolutions for 2017 was to post more on food. In addition to our garden, and involvement with the local Farmers Market, Em and I do a lot of cooking and it seems a shame not to share.<br />
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This past weekend was not only Mother's Day, it was my daughter Cokie's Masters graduation from Southeastern (outstanding grad student in Health Sciences, Magna Cum Laude - Oh, Lawdy!) and my sister and BIL's anniversary. We decided to have a big celebration at my house.<br />
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The top two suggestions for entree were Shrimp & Grits and Brisket. Em said, "We can do both!". With one problem... Em's S&G are awesome, but in the 3 years I've owned my Akorn grill I've never done a slow meat cook of any kind.<br />
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So I went to the web and researched. There are several great forums, articles, and videos on cooking brisket. Enough to make it somewhat confusing. But what I learned was that I needed to make a few "modifications" to my grill.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-NyKcQRZal2TaE2bprvBs5xL1rDxJIDkJ5_WoHHMi8Rx_o9qmOCe2vTinzjtSKQkqeZ8ftoVJhHS81_EayVxMqrXNtIJCHj0uPoNMUeGyDL9fQfkeJCN2ERRDryngUMJhIki/s1600/brisk02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="700" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-NyKcQRZal2TaE2bprvBs5xL1rDxJIDkJ5_WoHHMi8Rx_o9qmOCe2vTinzjtSKQkqeZ8ftoVJhHS81_EayVxMqrXNtIJCHj0uPoNMUeGyDL9fQfkeJCN2ERRDryngUMJhIki/s320/brisk02.jpg" width="320" /></a>1) A thick pizza stone. This sits on a lower grate. A 14" round stone leaves about 2 inches of spacing between edge of stone and interior of pit. The stone not only deflects direct heat to the meat, but it also acts like a heat sink, stabilizing and holding heat in. <br />
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2) It was suggested to wrap the stone in heavy duty aluminum foil. More often than not, the stone breaks when close to flame. The foil keeps in one piece.<br />
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3) A dual-probe meat thermometer, for measuring meat temperature and one for grill temp. Turns out the cost of a remote unit was only slightly more than a regular unit, so I went with the remote set. A wise choice on my part!<br />
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4) A couple of cheap aluminum pans from the dollar store.<br />
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5. Wood chunks - NOT chips! Also, after reading much heated debate, I went with briquets over charcoal chunks. Again, a very wise decision!<br />
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When it comes to rubbings and coatings, I believe there are more options here than there are stars in the Milky Way. So I went "All out Stubbs" for no particular reason other than I love Stubbs products.<br />
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I bought a 12-pound packer and rubbed it down with half-half Stubbs Mopping Sauce and Stubbs Original. I then sprinkled Stubbs Beef Rub on the mixed sauce and rubbed it in a bit. I then wrapped up the brisket in Saran and stuck it in the fridge overnight.<br />
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The next evening about 7pm, I started my fire. Built a mound in the bottom of my Akorn using 7 pounds of briquets (which turned out to be 5 pounds more than I needed) and about 15 wood chunks (which was about twice what I needed). I then lit a small starter cube in the middle and let it burn a few coals hot. Then I placed the lower grate, the foiled pizza stone, a foil tray to catch drippings, and then the Akorn cast iron grate on which the brisket would sit. I also coated the iron grate with Pam Grill spray to prevent sticking.<br />
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When the temp got to 200, I put the brisket on and stuck the other probe into the thick end of the meat. On the Akorn, you have to be careful because the temp can overshoot your target. It requires "braking" the temp and making minor adjustments.<br />
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By about 8:30pm, everything was going great. The grill temp was a steady 230 degrees. It stayed that way until the very end! I went inside and fell asleep on the sofa watching a movie.<br />
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Earlier that night, a fox came into our yard and drove Belle crazy. Well about 4:00am, she goes crazy again and woke me up. I quickly checked my remote hoping I didn't miss anything. Turns out the interior was at 173, just 2 degrees short of my alarm.<br />
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So while I was up, I opened the grill (first time!) and saw this beautiful black piece of meat. I put it into another foil pan which had heavy duty aluminum foil in it, and wrapped the foil around the meat. Stuck the probe back into the thick part, put the pan on the grill, and set the new alarm temp to 200.<br />
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At 6:00am, Belle woke me up again, this time a deer. Doggone wildlife know something about brisket because when I looked at the remote, it was showing 196. So I pulled the pan off the grill, stuck it into an ice chest and let it sit inside for an hour. Then I put the pan into the top oven in my house, with no heat on, just letting it cool down albeit slowly.<br />
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The true test came when my brother-in-law showed up, the Barbecue King of Cecilia. I knew there was NO chance I could do as well as he could, just tried to make it palatable. He and his two sons (my nephews) each took a slice and tasted. "Whatever you did, document it. This is the best brisket I've had". Tears rolled from my eyes, lol. <br />
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Of course later my younger son TigerJake would show up, he who now lives in Texas. He samples the meat then tells me that there's a couple of Texas joints that do better. <br />
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All I know is that when my 85-year old mother can cut a slice of brisket using her fork, it's got to be tender!<br />
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A few post-cook observations:<br />
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1. There was this film on the inside of my Akorn. It looked like a shiny coating that was peeling off. Except the grill never had an inside coating, it's porcelain. I did some searching on the web and from what I gather, this could've been a by-product of too much wood/smoke at a low temp. I will say I've never seen so much smoke as came out that grill during this cook. Looked like I was burning diesel fuel.<br />
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2. The pizza stone cracked. But the foil kept it together. From what I've read, it doesn't matter how much it cracks. As long as it stays together in the foil, it can be reused infinite times. There is a type of pizza stone made from Corderite that doesn't crack. But it requires seasoning a couple times, and later, special cleaning. Otherwise, it can create a bad stink when heated! Will stick with the broken stone, lol.<br />
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3. I probably used too much wood. While it gave the meat a nice smoke taste, everything else stunk up smoke. Like I said, I'd never seen that much smoke - from anything!<br />
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4. The remote thermometer is a must-have! Not having to open the pit but once during the cook was a blessing!<br />
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Can't wait to do this again. Next time I'll take more photos.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-20443621943162286562016-06-28T00:49:00.002-07:002023-11-04T20:44:12.717-07:00Maine: hiking, fishing, and feasting!Recently my wife and I joined up with 9 other members of the Louisiana Hiking Club in a "Destination Hike" trip to Acadia National Park in Maine. LHC does about 3 of these a year, in addition to their local hikes. This one was actually our Fall hike, moved up from the usual September time frame so that a pair of students could join in.<br />
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The actual number of hiking days was 8, but it takes 3 days to drive there and back, so it was a 2-week journey. Our friend "Mooi" joined us for the grueling road trip, tempered by the fact that we were traveling across some very scenic country. We also added one extra day to our trip in order for me to take a guided fishing trip.<br />
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<span id="goog_534811825"></span><span id="goog_534811826"></span><span id="goog_534811827"></span><span id="goog_534811828"></span>For Em and myself, it was our first time to this part of the country. Our introduction to Maine came with a surprise. At the welcome center, I saw a kiosk honoring famous residents of the state. One of those was a woman Olympic gold medalist. The instant I saw her face I thought to myself, "My god, that's Em!". Yes, she looked just like my wife about 10-15 years ago. Her maiden name is Benoit, my wife's grandmother was a Benoit. We may have to get ancestry.com involved, lol.<br />
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There are three aspects of our trip that left a lasting impression - the hiking, the food, and the fishing.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Hiking</b></span><br />
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We hiked 27 miles on this trip, but most of that was vertical. Mount Desert Island (pronounced "dessert") ranges from sea level to over 1,500 feet, but there are numerous mountains on the island over 1,000 feet that lie adjacent to coastal waters or near sea-level lakes. The trails range from easy (on the carriage roads) to strenous (hand crawling up or down large boulders). The toughest hikes were the most rewarding. The scenery is incredible and the range and beauty of plants amazing.<br />
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Em was our trail leader on nearly all the hikes. She scaled rocks like a mountain goat and was non-stop. We had to call for breaks because she wasn't, lol. Her other fault was getting us back a bit off from where we started. In other words, about a half-mile or mile away from the parking lot. At least for the first couple of hikes. It probably looked a bit strange for folks to see hikers walking along the side of a highway, lol. It earned her the nickname of "Fearless Leader" and the entire group the nickname of "Road Warriors".<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Food</b></span><br />
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Our tough - and sometimes wayward - day hauls were well rewarded in the evening. Dinner time offered some of Maine's finest - fresh boiled lobsters, lobster rolls, clam or seafood chowder, scallops, clams. Most of our meals were enjoyed with locally produced Blueberry or Ginger Ale soda. Dessert was also highly anticipated - the specialty of every restaurant is blueberry pie ala mode or Whoopie Pies. Unless they offer popovers.<br />
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Okay, so let's delve more into the lobsters, whoppie pies and popovers. A common sight on Mount Desert are the "lobster pounds". These can be enclosed restaurants or outside food stands, named so because they serve boiled lobsters, where you choose your own and pay by the pound. The crustaceans are boiled with corn, and then served with either salad or cole slaw. Now I'd eaten lobster before, but never this good! Dipping small pieces of the claws and tail into that dipping butter was a treat for the palate. A lobster roll is somewhat like a lobster po-boy. While they also have shrimp and crab, much of the seafood offerings are foreign to Louisianians - e.g., lobster, scallops, clams, haddock. It's all good too, even if it could benefit from some Tony Chacheres seasoning.<br />
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Nick Curcione once observed about Louisianians and our food - "Eating here is a contact sport!". In Maine, dessert is a contact sport! In addition to blueberry pie, another favorite is the whoppie pie. Whoppie pies have creamy interiors sandwiched by two cookie dough buns. Listening to folks up there, you'd think it was the greatest thing ever made. But I think it's diversionary... the real greatest treat of all time is popover. A popover is a like a cream puff exterior but minus the creme... it's hollow interior and flaky outside. Served with butter or jam, it's positively addictive! Unfortunately if you go to Mount Desert Island there's only 2 locations that now serve popovers - Jordan Pond House in ANP and the Common Good Kitchen in Southwest Harbor. The latter benefits the homeless and besides making the better popovers, they offer great live music.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;"><b>Fishing</b></span><br />
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We arrived in Bangor a day earlier than the rest of the group so that I could take a guided trip on the Penobscot River with Kevin McKay of Maine Fishing Adventures. This connection goes back 20 years. I was looking to transform my fly fishing "page" to a real website. Kevin had setup a website called "Maine Fly Fishing" with the domain www.maineflyfish.com. I basically got many ideas from his site for mine, thus "Louisiana Fly Fishing" and the domain www.laflyfish.com.<br />
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When I spoke to Kevin about this trip he only vaguely remembered me talking to him back then, but that was okay. I was impressed that he had continued to grow and improve his site, and that he had transformed his love of the sport into a part time guiding gig. He offered trips for large brook trout, landlocked salmon, and smallmouth. When I inquired about fishing the lower Penobscot, he responded, "Yes, we catch lots of smallies up to 20 inches or larger, and quite a few large chain pickerel as well.". WOW! Two of my favorite fly rod fish in one river? Sign me up!<br />
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The lower Penobscot is a clear, wide but shallow river (10 feet deep or less) with several channels, bars, tributaries, and filled with big boulders and logs. The entire width is ideal habitat for smallmouth, and there's just enough current to require some techical casting (e.g, reach-mend). By the time we started, the rain had ended and we didn't get another drop the rest of the day. But on the downside, a strong north wind shortly came up after launching and by noon, there were swells and whitecaps. Fortunately, by then we'd hit most of the main river spots and were able to shift to the side channels.<br />
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I'd brought my Redington Predator 6-weight short stick with a Galvan loaded with 7-weight line. Several of the flies we used were wind-resistant and because of the wind, I was having to work the Predator fairly hard to get a 50-foot cast (although I caught several fish within 20 feet of the boat). Kevin suggested I use his Scott Meridian 7-weight. The Meridian was awarded Best New Fly Rod of Show at ICAST/IFTD last July. I'd cast it at the show and was very impressed. But this was my first time to actually fish it. All I can say is that if I get the $895 to buy one, I certainly will. It was an absolute joy to fish this rod!<br />
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As for the flies. Because of conditions - cold, windy - it wasn't conducive to poppers. I really had hoped to get some bronzebacks on top, gives me reason to make a return trip, lol. The two best patterns were a woolybugger and a woolybugger-like fly that Kevin's son tied that had sili-legs for a tail. Both had a chartreuse tail. That's important because many times you don't feel a smallie hit a fly, or by the time you feel it, the fish has done it's taste test and gone bye-bye. So in the clear waters you watch the tail of your fly and if it disappears, you do a strip-strike. Sounds easy, but with a cold blustery wind my poor lizard blood wasn't adapting too well. So it took a few missed smallies to get into my groove.<br />
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By the end of the day I'd brought 31 smallmouth into the boat. The largest was 18 1/2, but most were in the 14-15 inch range. I'd also landed about 2 dozen chain pickeral. Kevin said that was the most any client had ever caught, deeming me the "Pickeral King" (It's a title I was more than happy to accept, lol). Truth is, I've had lots of practice since moving to the Alexandria area. Two other species landed were yellow perch and chubs - both the largest I'd ever caught. Things seem to grow bigger in Maine - smallies, perch, chubs, brookies, moose, popovers and those saltwater crawfish they call lobsters!<br />
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I also did some fishing on my own on Mount Desert. There are over a dozen lakes and small ponds, mostly stocked with brook and brown trout, landlocked salmon. Other species include chain pickeral, bass, and sunfish. There are several streams with wild brookies. I love how they nail dry flies and small popping bugs with abandon. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-62515624956255553622016-02-21T23:38:00.000-08:002016-06-28T00:00:33.738-07:00TOFGA 2016<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhascAgJLRAlv-E8XdkG8aOrnaxROvNvo0_kxGf7sIQ0eiK0sAnrBDqZhM1LuoDm4fJAyL-fs2vQLRYPxuGCeWTLgGSttTQYAEftP3Rr98xRx0hXGJtfLZ3OpzD_u0cSaQad1P6/s1600/tofga_p05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhascAgJLRAlv-E8XdkG8aOrnaxROvNvo0_kxGf7sIQ0eiK0sAnrBDqZhM1LuoDm4fJAyL-fs2vQLRYPxuGCeWTLgGSttTQYAEftP3Rr98xRx0hXGJtfLZ3OpzD_u0cSaQad1P6/s320/tofga_p05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZW-7dKEae3-l1WhagVivcspKxufVXxQc-BpA29MG4rnJFALCsD0YkokRyPCdKgqNM3S8H_F6i4dy6-T4P2CjxNfXPyXbT4aE3Xe-5l6IBFlk7AppKkTZGspxDxnuWvcRFHRQ/s1600/tofga_p02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZW-7dKEae3-l1WhagVivcspKxufVXxQc-BpA29MG4rnJFALCsD0YkokRyPCdKgqNM3S8H_F6i4dy6-T4P2CjxNfXPyXbT4aE3Xe-5l6IBFlk7AppKkTZGspxDxnuWvcRFHRQ/s320/tofga_p02.jpg" width="320" /></a>This past week I attended the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assocation annual convention at the Hilton Lakefront in Rockwall, Texas. As Em and I continue to deepen our roles in the local food and farmer markets initiative, it's been a desire to expand our involvement beyond just support to actually being contributors. That means converting part of our acreage to a small farm. I was interesting in learning what other small organic and/or sustainable farmers were doing to succeed. TOFGA Conference seemed like a great opportunity. <br />
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The conference provided a few surprises. First of all, there was great diversity among the attendees. Most were under 40, making me feel like the old man in the group. Almost half were women, and probably a third were minorities (Asian, Hispanic, African-American).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTSZC1ui3rYCYxAvaeJTqvQm-n2lqvevSyz-tNOpIoMsMJT3qSgiOZ_x7VkMbgvs4zUDjVPdgS3cIbdxvX_kk6FkuEB0trWkKY1UxNm1Qx5fr6ZOsbv0JLElrR77Y1ssPxF2U/s1600/tofga_p01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTSZC1ui3rYCYxAvaeJTqvQm-n2lqvevSyz-tNOpIoMsMJT3qSgiOZ_x7VkMbgvs4zUDjVPdgS3cIbdxvX_kk6FkuEB0trWkKY1UxNm1Qx5fr6ZOsbv0JLElrR77Y1ssPxF2U/s320/tofga_p01.jpg" width="320" /></a>I also came into this conference thinking that, with 4-5 acres under consideration, our potential farm might be very small potatoes (or other veggies or fruits). In one of the first sessions of the first day, a young urban farmer chronicled his success story leasing and planting on a whopping 1.5 acres! I got a kick when he stated that his friend Tim (who later gave a presentation) had a large farm - almost 6 acres. As you can surmise, organic farmers make the most out of every square yard. Another shock came in one session when the presenter asked the audience, "How many of you are actively farming?". Only about half raised their hands. Apparently many attendees are looking to lease a few acres to start their operation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SxKDvSWzHkbncDVgHM3wbk0sJgzAN08QcGvC-yMYL2HFaTmfBTI3Xgvhyphenhyphene77EjNhsEszdkXWK0L0dk7lj3mLY2qRmRSrcutBS_TYIVMvj9lURixw4bxfKlAGA1qlp-7czd1d/s1600/tofga_p04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8SxKDvSWzHkbncDVgHM3wbk0sJgzAN08QcGvC-yMYL2HFaTmfBTI3Xgvhyphenhyphene77EjNhsEszdkXWK0L0dk7lj3mLY2qRmRSrcutBS_TYIVMvj9lURixw4bxfKlAGA1qlp-7czd1d/s320/tofga_p04.jpg" width="320" /></a>I came away from TOFGA with a wealth of information. I'm already looking forward to 2017.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVxSBcgZqNy0-CSHG-rnUAItVonV8DNccd85m6ySFdpmC8JQ3PCrYVb4jkQRZlE-7EK8ppb65zhsDddLHr2JdL9-ptf7Xc2DCf9CcKbkGz9aRn3VmovstQeveuGbovc0LoegB/s1600/tofga_p03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzVxSBcgZqNy0-CSHG-rnUAItVonV8DNccd85m6ySFdpmC8JQ3PCrYVb4jkQRZlE-7EK8ppb65zhsDddLHr2JdL9-ptf7Xc2DCf9CcKbkGz9aRn3VmovstQeveuGbovc0LoegB/s400/tofga_p03.jpg" width="225" /></a>On a side note, the conference was held adjacent to The Harbor Rockwall, with several restaurants in the complex. Several of us were looking for lunch at a reasonable price and we found it at Dodie's Cajun Diner. I usually avoid Cajun food outside of south Louisiana, but this establishment was founded by a family from New Orleans. And the proof is in the taste! Their grilled shrimp monica and seafood gumbo was as good as home.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-17703862038202873702015-09-23T13:38:00.001-07:002023-11-04T20:45:31.921-07:00Wyoming in a different wayThis September marked my 20th trip to the "Golden Ring", an area described by Gordon Eastman as encompassing 300 miles in any direction of West Yellowstone, Montana. This area holds hundreds of rivers of all sizes, and the best fly angling for coldwater trout in North America.<br />
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But this trip was different. Fly fishing was not the prime directive; hiking was instead. My wife, former president of the Louisiana Hiking Club, had organized a group camping trip to the Tetons. We joined 22 other LHC members over the span of 12 days, for various hikes and other activities.<br />
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I was feeling okay about this trip until I went to see the movie "A Walk in the Woods". What a terrific film! Robert Redford and Nick Nolte had me laughing throughout. Leave it to Redford to make movies that inspire us to do outdoor-type things. First fly fishing, now hiking. I was ready to backpack the AT, but first came Tetons. We'd see how that went. <br />
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As for fishing... since I had agreed to serve as a hike leader, I knew my time on the water would be rare. Still, as the schedule came to fruition, it appeared that I'd have at least 3 days at the tail end of our trip to be on the water, with a half-day squeezed in on the first half.<br />
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My half-day turned out pretty decent, with a few 8-10 inch cuts taken on hoppers and stimulators. <br />
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As luck would have it, great weather the first week turned into nasty cold the second week. A big cold front also dumped 6 inches of rain on us, turning all the local streams to milk. It also affected our hikes... we ended up doing a couple days of sightseeing instead (not bad, actually, because I never get tired of visiting all the attractions in Yellowstone).<br />
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The cold weather also gave our club chefs a chance to cook up a chicken and andouille gumbo, and talk about good! For several days after, we had a big black bear coming around the group campsite trying to find our where that delicious smell came from! When folks ask if I lost any weight from hiking 30+ miles this trip, my response is "not much". Let's just say we ate very well this trip thanks to John Garrett, our Camp Commander in charge of cooking. Plus my insatiable apetite for buffalo burgers - morning, noon, and night!<br />
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On the third to last day of our trip, I did some fishing on Flat Creek, a couple small channels off the Snake River, and on the Hoback. Overcast, cold and sleeting at times, I was very disappointed I'd missed out on the hopper run. Small parachute BWOs did bring a few fish up, and I lost one really nice cutt on Flat Creek because I let the cold get to my head and wasn't paying attention.<br />
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On the second to last day, I hooked up with John and his BFF, Scout. John had done so much on this trip and really wanted to get away and do some fly fishing. He admitted to me that he needed help with a bunch of things, including casting. Also, Scout had been tethered to her leash for the duration of her time in the Park, and John was hoping his canine companion could get some exercise.<br />
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We picked a spot on the Snake. I gave him a few lessons and instructed him on setup and rigging for dry fly fishing. For most of the morning, I'd be guiding John rather than fishing myself. By afternoon, he'd picked up enough where the confidence juices were flowing! Especially after John landed finespotted 7 cutts on dry fly, with more than twice that many coming up to smack it. I finally got my line wet for an hour, with a predictable spot turning up a bunch of rises with 8 brought to the bank.<br />
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We then had lunch in Alpine at Yankee Doodle Restaurant (another buffalo burger for me - lol). Afterwards we fished the Greys River, one of my favorite streams in Wyoming. It was a tough afternoon, but I think by now high pressure had settled in and that always makes things difficult. We each had several rises, and I did manage to land 3 small cutts (7-8 inches).<br />
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The final day ended with the big fish I'd been hoping for. A nice 17-inch Snake River Finespotted Cutthroat trout came from under a log and snapped my Royal Trude. What a way to end a great trip!<br />
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As with any trip to this part of the country, the animal sightings and encounters complete the trip. Here's the final tally by myself:<br />
- 4 bears, including one grizzly (most bears I've seen on any trip!)<br />
- 6 moose... or is that meese?<br />
- dozens of buffalos<br />
- a couple dozen elk (they seemed to be short numbers this trip)<br />
- 4 red foxes<br />
- 1 bald eagle <br />
- loads of deer, ground squirrels, gray jays, chipmunks<br />
- hundreds... and I mean hundreds, of antelope. They must be immigrant lopes.<br />
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I took over 500 photos, and still haven't checked them all yet. In the meantime, here's a few that will give readers a feeling for the Golden Ring.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-70559961169108695762015-07-22T22:51:00.000-07:002015-07-23T22:59:02.211-07:00ICAST 2015 - Super Tuesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrgX1hctbSG8VzdecisLC44ZwefCf5-VQkB2ZH4YppTA7g9SY-F9IP1SE1iDU47XEsG8VCrSQOWAqGt4Kj7UaVZH5gRjbk4P4ZZo1IadZevcb3njq4X0jrVVakP4st9owgRvX/s1600/icast15p001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrgX1hctbSG8VzdecisLC44ZwefCf5-VQkB2ZH4YppTA7g9SY-F9IP1SE1iDU47XEsG8VCrSQOWAqGt4Kj7UaVZH5gRjbk4P4ZZo1IadZevcb3njq4X0jrVVakP4st9owgRvX/s320/icast15p001.jpg" width="320" /></a>New this year for ICAST-IFTD was "Super Tuesday". This included the first-ever On-the-Water Demo (OTWD), as well as a bass tournament, that took place at Lake Toho Marina in Kissimmee. There was also a golf tournament as well that morning. And later that evening a concert by country music star Eastin Corbin.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOQylsxhwYXLlvlDzJYyZq28gaxCsFwCHRRTdXVhcQmTB5P9gLgbTdCw0igmU3jbBcjoNmERfeYi6V7jDmo1Z-UvdRgoQ6hKD4r81cnnMGiiWaVZFalcOzQv9RjKelD7cr6K9/s1600/icast15p003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBOQylsxhwYXLlvlDzJYyZq28gaxCsFwCHRRTdXVhcQmTB5P9gLgbTdCw0igmU3jbBcjoNmERfeYi6V7jDmo1Z-UvdRgoQ6hKD4r81cnnMGiiWaVZFalcOzQv9RjKelD7cr6K9/s320/icast15p003.jpg" width="320" /></a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QVMrBJ2BaAc5MUH-8M8K98QHsV4ID-wyE2KSTti7cVpPpRo8bso2vexUaO6-hOHOo7ezsButKGNiXMm6Vm0N6DjMY8b7wOm3aLbLO4j3kKMGCgLFnTvN7figz38fQQq9q1PI/s1600/icast15p002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QVMrBJ2BaAc5MUH-8M8K98QHsV4ID-wyE2KSTti7cVpPpRo8bso2vexUaO6-hOHOo7ezsButKGNiXMm6Vm0N6DjMY8b7wOm3aLbLO4j3kKMGCgLFnTvN7figz38fQQq9q1PI/s320/icast15p002.jpg" width="320" /></a>I arrived at Toho around 10am, just in time for the winners of the bass tournament to be announced. The winning team had one member easily recognized by his University of Tennessee cap. As someone told me, "I thought he only fished private ponds.". lol<br />
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There were dozens of exhibitor tents on the grounds, and several paddlecraft companies on the shoreline (and several boat companies at the marina). I came to ICAST with the plan of concentrating strictly to exhibitors with products related to fly fishing or kayak fishing, or which fly anglers or puddlers might have interest. Even so, it took all of four hours to check everything out. Well except for the new Wilderness Systems ATAK, which I ended up having to test out later. The crowd at the Wildy area was pretty thick until 1:00pm, and just as I though I might get a chance to paddle this boat, an advancing thunderstorm announced it's presence with a loud boom. It wasn't quite closing time (2pm), but everybody packed up in a hurry!<br />
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OTWD was a great idea and a big success according to several vendors. It especially was for two unheralded kayak companies that made a major splash with their new offerings. One of them won "Overall Best of Show". Many of the booths found potential customers that might've never seen them on the exhibition floor.<br />
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Rather than give a chronological detail of the products I saw and reviewed, I'll summarize them all into categories, with one post for each category. Stay tuned! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-16695005377850094712015-05-06T16:54:00.002-07:002023-11-04T21:08:07.253-07:002015 Spring Garden - May 5th update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had a late start this year, but the plants are catching up! Hard to believe when I compare to the pics from a month ago. Right now, I've got baby cucumbers, lots of small tomatos, a few small bell peppers. The west plot has been slow... the watermelons and cantelopes have just started their growth spurt in the last week and are climbing the vertical frame.<br />
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I put snap beans in the ground and they came up in a couple days and are taking off! I created five "rows" - at least a row in the SQFG idiom - and planted three. The remaining two will be put in some time next week. In this way, I should get four harvests of beans (each Contender plant produces 2 sets of fruit).<br />
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Someone asked about where I planted the bell peppers (between rows of cucumbers and tomatoes). Their concern was that they'd be crowded out by the vines and not get enough sun or even nutrients. In my experiences over the years, bell peppers do okay in the Spring but great in the Fall. If you can get them through the dog days of July and August. The cucumbers and tomatoes shade the peppers during the hottest days. While I had fair production in early summer, it was that Fall crop of peppers that was worth the wait. Based on the average market price for green and red peppers (I picked about a 60/40 mix), the garden produced enough peppers in the Fall alone to cover all the expenses involved over the year for the entire garden (all plants, fertilizer, manure, top soil, etc). That means that the hundreds of cucumbers, dozens of tomatoes, thousand or so cherry tomatoes, bushels of snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc, etc was all lagniappe!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-76591832053514996362015-05-04T13:36:00.001-07:002023-11-04T20:46:33.862-07:00The Fred Cormier Memorial Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My dad - or "Pop" as everyone in our family called him - was a man of many outdoor talents. He could hunt and fish like no one else could. He was often featured on the local outdoor shows, and a constant contender at the annual ALBC Top 6 Bass Tournament (fyi, the Super Bowl of Louisiana bass fishing). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqTxtIKQjfV_pb2_YK52dgv4SppWAsgJKJEyp6h9TdvpTivvLJjWv4-wWJmRnlHNAJL0Mcfi34e42Gpihh8afhDk8en1jlK9le4qYHGNtGffNfbce8OBe99ipzEBbJPPBOYmW/s1600/pops_garden2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqTxtIKQjfV_pb2_YK52dgv4SppWAsgJKJEyp6h9TdvpTivvLJjWv4-wWJmRnlHNAJL0Mcfi34e42Gpihh8afhDk8en1jlK9le4qYHGNtGffNfbce8OBe99ipzEBbJPPBOYmW/s320/pops_garden2.jpg" width="320" /></a>And when it came to gardening, he was a master at that also! Of course, his job was with the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, working with farmers, and with the folks at the LSU Extension Service. So he was always up to the latest research on vegetable varieties. He knew tomatoes and bell peppers better than they knew themselves, lol. And every other crop as well.<br />
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Even after he retired, he kept his finger on the pulse of Louisiana agriculture - including garden crops. Living on 2 acres afforded more than enough room to plant a wide variety. Even better, our home was on the bayou... the garden benefitted from the alluvial soils deposited over hundreds of years, back to when the Bayou Teche was the main artery for the Atchafalaya River.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0JDhZN_XgwaZg9WLS_ybA1Sg16fWBe1Pj6vzmSIndoJScIVQAbXHolgpc0-u7qjfzQzFf1ZkDfXUkLPSazqaz2TMv3Mqg3tTfCTjzti7GbogHp-AzOq5CYETdLOjkQlJied_/s1600/pops_garden1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0JDhZN_XgwaZg9WLS_ybA1Sg16fWBe1Pj6vzmSIndoJScIVQAbXHolgpc0-u7qjfzQzFf1ZkDfXUkLPSazqaz2TMv3Mqg3tTfCTjzti7GbogHp-AzOq5CYETdLOjkQlJied_/s320/pops_garden1.jpg" width="320" /></a>That deep, rich soil combined with a colossal garden produced more veggies than you'll find at a supermarket! During one season, it produced: tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, eggplant, zucchini, squash, cucumber, lima beans, snap beans, cowpeas, corn, cabbage, lettuce, Chinese cabbage, snap peas, carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, winter squash. I'm sure there's a few other veggies I missed... those are just the ones off the top of my head.<br />
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After Pop passed away, the family made an effort to continue the garden, albeit on a much smaller scale. However, it seems to be growing in size a bit. My nephews Steven and Ira, and Ira's wife Chrissy, have been instrumental in keeping it going. The results have been pretty amazing. The photos show 2 plots as of the first weekend in May. The zuchini and squash are coming in, the eggplant is ready, so are the snap beans. I'm not sure if it's the slightly warmer climate one hour south of Alexandria, or that rich soil, but just about everything is ahead of mine except the cucumbers. I'm guessing it's the latter.<br />
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Anywho, I'm so glad to see Pop's Memorial Garden is bringing fresh, organic produce to the family table once again. He's probably bragging to his friends in Heaven about his industrious grandchildren. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-8053104769695863852015-04-06T18:47:00.002-07:002015-04-06T18:49:29.397-07:002015 Spring Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Two weeks ago I put in my Spring garden. By "Spring", I mean those plants which will produce in late spring, summer, and as last year proved, into fall. I'm talking cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatos. As part of my rotational regiment, these went into the "east plot" (last year, they were planted in the "west plot"). Each of the two plots are 16x6 in size, bordered by 2x6 boards. The soil in each was dug out to 3 feet, then amended with a combination of compost (from my compost pile), manure and Miracle-Gro garden soil.<br />
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Yes, I'm a disciple of the late Mel Bartholomew - Dean of Square Foot Gardening. It works! <br />
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Plant progress has been slow. Even though the weather has been warm, perhaps the ground is still a bit cool. I'm not discouraged... last year this time it was only slightly more advanced. Then in April it really took off (but that was after I added the "secret ingredient"... I'll explain in a future post). At least 3 plants had to be replaced due to wind damage. We had a storm that came last week that produced 45 knot gusts!<br />
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The West Plot isn't empty. Half of it is currently in progress.... I'm experimenting with cantalope and watermelon grown on a vertical frame. Yes, another SQFG concept. I did this once before and it worked out pretty well. The key is to grow small melons like Sugar Baby. I think the standard melons would break off under their own weight (although I couldn't find a forum post to confirm that). Later the other half of the West Plot will be put to snap beans. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-62119340878478262302015-02-03T18:18:00.000-08:002015-04-06T18:19:15.802-07:002014 Flicks - The Final VerdictJust as I predicted - Hollywood saved it's best for last. It always does. The final 2 months of the year produced three of my favorites - "American Sniper", "The Theory of Everything" and "The Imitation Game". I loved each one of these movies! Unfortunately the local theatre showed "Birdman" only for two weeks and I missed out on that one, but from the trailers it looked appealing. So did "Grand Budapest Hotel"... hey, I'm a Wes Anderson fan! Add to that, "Heaven is for Real" and "Guardians of the Galaxy" and that's my best list.<br />
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Another movie I wanted to see but didn't was "A Walk Among the Tombstones". Liam Neeson movies are a coin flip - some good, some bad. But from trailers this looked like positive.<br />
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I did see part of "Boyhood" and I'm thinking it got raves for it's very different approach. But it put me to sleep. Another movie I saw - "God is Not Dead" - was filmed in Louisiana. Like the vast majority of movies made in part with our tax dollars, it was not good. At least it didn't suck like "Benjamin Button", "Dukes of Hazzard" or "Shark Night 3D". The state legislature needs to make changes to the film credit program. Have the script reviewed by a panel before any scenes are shot. If I was on such panel, there might've been three movies EVER made with the tax credits.<br />
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But I digress... the end of the year restored my faith in Hollywood. What little there is! Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-32051956372188167302014-10-15T15:57:00.003-07:002014-10-15T15:57:41.173-07:00Garden update - 10/15/2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well the summer plot is still going strong. I expected such from the sweet peppers... if they survive the summer heat, the plants have more production in the fall. Well, all the plants survived and we're picking bells daily. The surprise has been the cucumbers. Hard to believe... a couple of the plants are still producing, albeit no longer on a daily basis.<br />
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The fall plot is going great. All the broccoli and cauliflower plants continue to grow briskly and there's beaucoup snap pea vines climbing up on the six metal wire frames. No fruit showing yet, but it's still early. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-64481429468938973982014-09-19T21:45:00.001-07:002014-09-19T21:50:13.261-07:00Tennessee SmallmouthOur vacation this year was a trip to North Carolina, in part to visit our older son and his wife (who live in Raleigh) and to meet her parents who had flown in from El Salvador. The other part was to take in the scenery of the Applachian mountains, as well as do some hiking and fly fishing.<br />
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During our return, we planned a one-day fly fishing trip with Josh Pfeiffer. Josh and his wife Ashley run Frontier Anglers, a fly fishing guide and outfitter service out of Maryville, TN. Josh grew up in the Smoky Mountains, fishing and hunting. These days he guides for trout and smallmouth bass on the Holston River, smallmouth on the French Broad River, and during the winter months, for trout in the park.<br />
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Lisa and I had smallmouth on the brain. Based on generation schedules, the Holston looked like the best bet. Josh took us to his launch spot with his compadre, Ronnie, who runs shuttles. Ronnie is quite the character, a true river man. Fly fishing from a raft was a new experience for me, but as the day progressed, I came to enjoy it. <br />
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It was a slow start as the smallies repeatedly struck at, but short of ate, Lisa's swimming minnow. However, every now and then one found the hook and made Lisa a happy, happy woman!<br />
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Meanwhile, my popper went largely ignored. I told Josh that maybe a Fluff Butt would work, and he laughed, then inquired, "What's that?". Didn't take long for the Butt to do it's job. On the first cast, I felt the fly line go tight, and set the hook hard. Some denizen below gave a hard-charging performance and a serious bend to my 6-weight Redington Predator rod. A couple feet below the surface I recognized it as a 'killer gobbule'.<br />
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After landing it, I had to explain to Josh what a gobbule was (bream) and then what a killer gobbule was (river bream).<br />
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For the next 20 minutes, most of what came to the boat via the Fluff Butt were killer gobbules. Josh suggested trying a cicada pattern to avoid the sunfish. He was wrong... there's no avoiding those gobbules! These sunfish definitely fit their byname... they were big and thick and the fight was as hard as any sunfish I've ever caught.<br />
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Mixed in those gobbules was a smallie here and there. Nothing larger than 12 inches. At least Lisa was still catching a few.<br />
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<br />
By late morning, Josh was starting to lament that the bite was slow, and there was no doubt in our minds he was right. We could see these fish examining our flies, even taking nips, and then swimming away. In some cases, we'd sightcast to a smallie only to have our offering completely ignored.<br />
<br />
But that all changed when he tied on a Stealth Goober to my leader.<br />
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<br />
From that time, to when we took out just before sunset, the SG didn't get 5 minutes of rest! Most were 12 inches or under but occasionally a bigger one would eat. And when it did, you knew it. As my friend Jeff Guerin likes to say of bigger smallies, "it's like fighting a wet cat"! I even established a personal best, with a 17-incher. <br />
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<br />
<br />
Lisa and I truly enjoyed our float trip, and our guide. A good guide isn't just someone who puts you on fish, or helps you catch them. They are well prepared, well mannered, good conservationlists, know a lot about the area, and in Les Miles terminology, have a want for you to catch fish. If you're looking to fish smallmouth (or trout) in east Tennessee, check out Frontier Anglers, website <a href="http://www.frontieranglerstn.com/">www.frontieranglerstn.com</a>.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-53178815589789630452014-09-18T21:33:00.001-07:002023-11-04T20:48:07.967-07:00Wildwood: home-grown wood-fired pizza!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Being a fast-food junkie doesn't mean I accept mediocrity. A list of my favorite FF joints includes good stuff like Paneras and Schlotzkys (soups and sandwiches), Five Guys (burgers), Canes and Chick-Fil-A (chicken), and Eddies barbecue.<br />
<br />
Of course, can't forget the pizza! Here in the Alexandria area, BJ's off Jackson Extension and Johnny's in Pineville offer pretty good pizza compared to the national brands.<br />
<br />
But my new favorite spot - Wildwood Pizza - offers something totally unique. It's located in the center at the corner of Texas Street and Jackson, in the old location of Spirits (which moved to a larger building on Texas Street). <i>Wildwood Pizza is a locally owned establishment that uses home-grown ingredients from area farmers and producers.</i> The pizza comes in one size, 12 inches, for $8.50. You choose the sauce, meat and veggies to add from a plethora of choices (up to 4 meats/veggies at no extra cost). Our you can choose from the house specialities. The pizza is then baked in a brick oven, and delivered to your table.<br />
<br />
The pizza was delicious, albeit just a tad overdone. Fresh, organic ingredients do make a difference!<br />
<br />
Check out their website at <a href="http://www.wildwood-pizza.com/">www.wildwood-pizza.com</a>. Based on the growing crowds at lunch, the word is out. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-26662207995375835172014-08-03T19:05:00.001-07:002023-11-04T21:10:06.305-07:002014 Garden - August 3rd update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOJ03i105ki4K4eeSgiweyaCn3hfHQimN9zXJFBNCbDUlrg6sRQP_z70cQA_TBjVpN1RLVa5ktqL5hXq6gRwfVWIEckJ8eHVZe2inokQK-HmpPkBWKkqR_e2oTqcEeXusa_wL/s1600/august_garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOJ03i105ki4K4eeSgiweyaCn3hfHQimN9zXJFBNCbDUlrg6sRQP_z70cQA_TBjVpN1RLVa5ktqL5hXq6gRwfVWIEckJ8eHVZe2inokQK-HmpPkBWKkqR_e2oTqcEeXusa_wL/s1600/august_garden.jpg" height="244" width="320" /></a></div>
In all the years I grew a garden in Baton Rouge, we never had cucumbers in August. The plants would die and wilt off by July. Here's my daughter's boyfriend with just a couple of the half-dozen we picked this morning. Note the size. This variety is Sweet Slice, a burpless cucumber that is the best tasting there is. Even when they're this large!<br />
<br />
We pick cucumbers every day. Sometimes a couple, sometimes as many as 8. Buried under the cucumbers are bell peppers. The shade the cucumbers provide has allowed the peppers to stay very healthy even thru the dry spells. <br />
<br />
The tomatos are doing well also, even though the larger fruit varieties are struggling from stinkbug infestation. Somehow the stinkbugs avoid the cherry tomatos (which are my favorite). So the daily pick of small toms continues to be outstanding.<br />
<br />
At some point I'll have to terminate the cucumbers so the bell peppers can begin their autumn surge of growth and production. But I'm certainly in no rush!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-87706549735108155892014-07-02T23:51:00.000-07:002014-08-03T18:26:01.317-07:00Best of 2014 so farBeing a movie buff, I find 2014 a major disappointment. Here we are at the midpoint of the year, and unlike the last recent years, I can think of only a handful of movies possibly worthy of seeing a second time. The short list includes "Captain America 2", "Heaven Is For Real", "Malificent" and "Edge of Tomorrow". We did see "The Monuments Men" early in the year, and that was outstanding. But according to Metacritics the release date for that film was in 2013.<br />
<br />
Granted that's my opinion. Some will like movies I don't, just I like some movies others will not. And in fairness, I've only seen a small portion of films released so far. But judging from the plots, as well as plethora of negative reviews posted on Metacritics, most of the movies this year just plain suck. I'm wondering if the problem in Hollywood is too much medical marijuana or too little! <br />
<br />
Now I realize that Hollywood saves it's best for last.There's still hope. Even this month, the list looks very promising:<br />
<ul>
<li> "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes". The reboot with Mark Wahlberg was okay, but the first sequel with James Franco was outstanding. Hope the trend continues.</li>
<li>"A Most Wanted Man". I thought the world of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Hopefully his last was his best. Even if it's just average PSH, it'll be worthy.</li>
<li>"Guardians of the Galaxy". It's Marvel, so it can't be bad. Stan Lee won't permit it.</li>
</ul>
Later this year are other promising flicks: "The November Man", "The Hunger Games: MockingJay", "Exodus", "Hobbit 3", "Grace of Monaco" and "Unbroken". There's also a couple of comedies that probably won't get good reviews, but the kind that leave me in stitches: "Birdman" and "Dumb and Dumber To". Again, great movies aren't always about great stories and great performances. Sometimes we just want to be (well) entertained. <br />
<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-89939240050887194172014-05-13T22:19:00.000-07:002014-07-31T22:30:36.531-07:00My wicked garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At one point this Spring, I was tempted to follow the words of a Stone Temple Pilots song and burn my wicked garden to the ground. But patience, some TLC, and a few replants later, and the thing took off. And I mean took off!<br />
<br />
When we moved to Cotile from Baton Rouge, one of my first priorities was putting in a garden. And fruit trees. After two decades of nurturing, my BR garden had ascended to crowning achievements - loads of tomatos, bell peppers, cucumbers, okra, snap peas, chinese cabbage, broccolli, cauliflower, cantalope, and much more. All from a limited space thanks to the wisdom shown me by Mel Bartholomew, a.k.a., the Square Foot Gardener.<br />
<br />
In March, I setup the Cotile garden. Two plots of 12-foot by 6-foot, framed by 2x6 weather-resistant boards screwed together. Each plot was dug 2 feet deep, surface vegetation removed, then mixed with a combination of composted cow manure, peat moss, and Miracle-Gro topsoil. The MG topsoil contained fertilizer with iron.<br />
<br />
The plants included 5 cucumbers (Sweet Slice), 3 cherry tomatos (Sweet 100), 3 large tomatos (Better Boy, Sunmaster, Celebrity), and 6 bell peppers (California Wonder, Golden Bell, King Arthur, Aristotle). Thanks to SFG, all those plants were able to fit in Plot #1. So I left Plot #2 empty, with the idea of filling in with hot weather options like okra and beans at a later date.<br />
<br />
Normally my Spring garden was planted in early March. Perhaps the change in latitude, or altitude, or the Polar Vortex of 2014 was to blame, but cold weather persisted and the plants didn't get in until the end of March. <br />
<br />
The weather wasn't entirely to blame. For whatever reason, a few plants didn't survive. Others struggled. I watered them with Miracle-Gro solution a couple times and it still seemed like the garden might go wicked any day! Thoughts of despair ran thru my head - the soil is bad, it'll take years to rebuild what I had in The BR, should I have even planted a garden. Then within one week, the plants exploded. In fact, there's loads of tiny tomatos and small cucumbers and lots of flowers on the peppers. Can't wait for the results! <br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-63535654672031437332014-04-24T21:19:00.000-07:002014-07-31T21:23:04.170-07:00Like a mini-Callaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite places to visit is Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia. Even before the Federation of Fly Fishers Southeastern Council held a trio of their "conclaves" there, I'd made visits there to enjoy the flora. The 6,500 acre gardens contain nearly every plant native to the southeastern United States. And yes, I also went to enjoy the world-class fly fishing for giant bass and coppernose bluegill. <br />
<br />
Callaway is spectacular in the spring. Everything is in bloom, and the vast array of colors and scents overwhelm the senses. When Lisa and I decided to look for a home in the country, the Kisatchie area was appealing because of it's diversity of wildlife and plant life. Looking over the landscape this morning, everything was in bloom, both the "transplants" and the "natives". They haven't added a "smell widget" to Blogger yet. Too bad. It's a wonderful aroma that fills the air today. Thank God I'm not allergic to flowers!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-1524972699192597642013-02-26T22:00:00.000-08:002017-11-27T22:02:46.769-08:00Glenda's Cajun and Creole Kitchen<div class="entry-content">
I spent this past weekend in Cecilia, attending the Acadiana
Conclave and banquet on Saturday, and time with my parents on Sunday.
For Sunday lunch, my mom suggested we get plate lunches from Glenda's
Cajun and Creole Kitchen in Poche Bridge.<br />
<br />
Although Poche's gets a
ton of publicity - and rightfully so - this little gem of a cafe is not
to be overlooked by any means. It certainly wasn't by Anthony
Bourdain, who has visited Glendas and loves all their home-cooked food.<br />
<br />
The
Sunday plate lunches included choice of pork roast, BBQ chicken, ribs,
sausage, and something else (can't remember), along with 3 sides. For
$8. I ordered a pork roast with rice dressing for my parents to split,
and one for myself. That single box of food provided three (3) meals!
Was it good? Cher, make a bulldog break his chains!<br />
<br />
They're
only open from 11am to 2pm on weekdays and Sundays, but during Lent
they're open until 8pm on Fridays. I saw the catfish plate and it looked
awesome. The greater Lafayette area has MANY great places to eat, and
now I've found yet another.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-62508763756633476812011-10-10T22:11:00.000-07:002017-11-27T22:11:56.372-08:00Marilyn's Place - as good as advertisedOver the past three years, I've become acquainted to
Shreveport-Bossier dining in my many trips to the metro area. Early on
it was by trial and error, some good, some not so good. But as Cokie
explored her new surroundings and made friends with local students at
her college, every dining experience soon after was a gem!<br />
<br />
Still,
there are new restaurants popping up all the time, so for advise on
those I turn to the Eatery Review forum on Jeff Guerin's site at <a href="http://www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com/">www.littlemissouriflyfishing.com</a><br />
<br />
In
the spring, Jeff wrote about a new place called Good Eats, and soon
after Cokie reported she and her friends were making regular trips
there.<br />
<br />
Last month, Jeff found another new spot - Marilynns Place on Fern. He pointed out that this was New Orleans food gone north... and just as good!<br />
<br />
Saturday
night we were thinking Imperial Cathay (awesome Chinese food) but the
crowd was thick. So I said "Let's go try this place that Jeff
recommended". First, we drove within a block and missed it, then didn't
find it again until 15 minutes later. It's a converted gas station so
it will fool you!<br />
<br />
Jeff nailed it. Everything
he said about the shrimp poboy was right on. The gumbo looked awesome,
when I saw some young lady with it at their table. But when I ordered a
cup (yes, they'll sell you a cup even if it's not on the menu) they had
run out. So instead they offered a few substitutes. I said "I'll take
the bread pudding". They gave me 4 slices of bread pudding - one for
each of us (no extra cost). The bread pudding was delicious on it's
own, but it comes HOT in a chocolate sauce to die for. I'm still
thinking about that pudding...<br />
<br />
Cokie ordered the crawfish etouffee. She said it wasn't as good as Moms, but close. Since nothing is as good as Moms, that's a high recommendation!<br />
<br />
The
menu is all "New Orleans" and Cajun style food. The owner lived in The
Big Easy at one time and fell in love with the ambience and the food.
Marilyns has personality and the music that plays fits it just right.
You won't be disappointed.<br />
<br />
Oh... and they serve beignets! Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21557483.post-89590992832086022652010-11-30T22:19:00.000-08:002017-11-27T22:38:09.610-08:00Catch's skimmer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EHOexI1O_RJkPwSf4xL774mXT2PHYG2WfhyphenhyphenxVVVpogr6P_Wgl9_jLCZ1v7wRIuIyFCqd3wCNPX3_GeATEIi4NTT6ZExDRyhj4qqTCQSo-vexfoS6dvWszr1Ix_iGF7oXA21h/s1600/eastman_skimmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="278" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EHOexI1O_RJkPwSf4xL774mXT2PHYG2WfhyphenhyphenxVVVpogr6P_Wgl9_jLCZ1v7wRIuIyFCqd3wCNPX3_GeATEIi4NTT6ZExDRyhj4qqTCQSo-vexfoS6dvWszr1Ix_iGF7oXA21h/s200/eastman_skimmer.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
Twice a year, the Red Stick Fly Fishers hold a marsh outing they refer to as "Catch-and-Eat", one in the Spring and one in the Fall. Attendees fish Friday and Saturday. Everyone is asked to contribute a small portion of their catch (redfish, speckled trout, etc.) to a Saturday night fish fry. In addition to fresh fish, we enjoy fresh shrimp, fried okra, fried eggplant, french fries and onion rings. Check your cholestoral before you make this trip!<br />
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We usually have 3 cooks serving 20+ folks. Getting food cooked both quick and properly done isn't too big a challenge when you have a 14-quart black iron pot. But getting the food out of the pot can be. For that reason, a good skimmer is important. Several folks have seen mine and inquired about my pro-quality skimmer. <br />
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Here's a link to the Eastman Outdoors webpage that has specs:<br />
<a href="http://www.eastmanoutdoors.com/stainless-steel-skimmer">http://www.eastmanoutdoors.com/stainless-steel-skimmer</a><br />
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I received it for Christmas last year, and no kidding, it's probably the best present I've had in several years!<br />
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Last Saturday, we had a small army of relatives that gathered at my in-laws house for a seafood feast. The combination of this skimmer, along with my black iron pot and
propane burner, and I was able to fry enough fish, shrimp and crawfish for everyone in less than an hour!<br />
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The Eastman Skimmer used to be sold at
Bass Pro. But apparently they've gone to a cheaper model (but not
cheaper in price). However, Gander Mountain carries it now. Makes an
excellent Christmas gift.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com