The Bluegrass Bunch

[Randy]

I would still like to see the tobacco growing firsthand, but that's never going to happen. I view with suspicion any farmer that tells me he is nothing but a dumb farmer. The very fact he is a farmer tells me that he is a resourceful person. My neighbor across the road is a retired farmer and he loves to goad me into discussions and play the devil's advocate. His daughter just laughs at us.

 

[prettylady]

My husband was born and raised on the farm. I truly have a respect for the life that farmers have had to endure over the years. His family also grew tobacco here in SC but they grew cigarette tobacco and it's harvested differently than the burley tobacco.

We have always in the past grown light and dark tobacco Dale...have always harvested both the same... I have never known any other way...
Peggy

 

[lynpenny]

I didn't come from tobacco country but wheat country. It just is a matter of what grows well in your area. We worked really hard at planting and harvesting time. I had never worked on a farm until I was married. I learned a lot about crops and all since then. I prefer the old "organic" methods the old man used. His nephew used all the newer methods and had better crop return but I noticed it took more and more each year to keep up with what he took out of the ground where the old man seemed to go on forever.
I'm really glad we are retired from that now. It was a real stress on the husband every year. Now he notices no rain but doesn't really stress like he used to.

 

[Randy]

I have two friends that are farmers and there are times when I think I worry more about the weather for them than they do themselves. One of them told me though that there is no point in worrying about something you cannot change.

 

[Dale]

Our farmers are fortunate in the region we live in SC. We can grow cotton, wheat, soy beans and tobacco. My husband never farmed since he left home when he went in military service during the Vietnam War. He has 3 rain gauges and worries about the rain as if he had acres of crops in the fields.

 

[Crabbergirl]

My closest neighbor I just love. He was just awarded the 6 Million Mile Man award ( at 80 years old) for having driven 6 million miles without and accident. He was a farmer before he started his driving career. He is a great guy and has always helped me however he "was" stricktly chemical. I watched his garden decline as we plant together and he loves to buy me seeds. This year he has actually started applying some of my organic methods, I kind of shot myself in the foot here as he is keeping his grass clippings But the point I was trying to make is that he has taken from his land until it no longer is self sustaining. He could not figure out how I got great crops with out fertilizer.He has started a compost pile and is not tilling his land 4 times a year. I feel I have had a positive impact on him as he is from time to time asking me about building his soil back.

 

[lynpenny]

crabber it is so good that you have taught him something. I have a small compost pile in the back yard. I am going to dig down to the bottom and get me some nice soil for my flower bed this fall before I put the leaves in it. last year we just mowed the leaves and I missed them in the compost pile. back to composting them for me.

 

[Randy]

Without amending, our soil here is heavy clay. But I have been working my garden long enough that the soil is great. Most of the credit goes to the horses though. We only have one horse now, but he actually provides plenty of the needed amendments.

 

[KyGal]

Checkin in....

PL my Step Daughter and her hubby grew tobacco for Phillip Morris a few years ago but the State Stepped in a Bought out their alotment....
I think her Father-in-law still grows some for himself now...uncertain as I dont have any contact with her sence me and her Dad Divorced.

tied up my tomatoes today...its lookin like we are in for more Rain I am so sick of it right now...lol

We used to tend 2 1/2 acers when I was married, Now I get to grow a few things here and their like tomatoes, Cucumbers, Beans lettuce, onions and a few other small things.....

 

[Dale]

I downsized my garden this year and for that I am thankful. It's stressful enough with our smaller garden this year. We have had an abundance of rain this spring. With today being the last day of spring maybe drier weather will soon be on the horizon.

 

[Mainegal]

I sure hope we have drier weather for awhile after this last storm goes though that is suppose to start tonight. I've had enough rain for awhile. I couldn't mow outside the cellar door as it's too wet, I don't think i have ever seen tobacco growing or how it's hung up to dry

 

[Randy]

I don't remember the time of year I was down there, but I think it was in '88 orm '89. I had gone down to Clarksville, Tenn. for a sales meeting (TRANE Co.). Several of us drove around for awhile on a break in the schedule and we at least got over the line into KY to look around a bit. It must have been in the spring because everything seemed so pretty.

 

[Mainegal]

I talked with Nat on facebook yesterday and she got back from India in May but has been busy. Told her to get over here and check in as ppl have been asking about her

 

[Randy]

I can imagine she would be busy after being away from home that long. I told MF one time that I don't mind travelling as long as I can get home to bed that night.

 

[KyGal]

Stopping in...

rain Fianlly stopped long enough to get all the grass cut and trimmed...
my tomatoes are about the size of golf balls now...

what did she go to India for???

Shinny where are you girl?

PL Love the pics!

Randy in the fall after all the leaves have fallen KY is UGLY! lol

to anyone that I missed.........HOWDY!

I'll try to get in here tomarrow and gabb some with yall....

Love ya!
Rhonda aka KyGal!

 

[Mainegal]

KYGAL
She had to go to India to train them on how to do her job, they are transferring her job over there.
Yeah Shiney where are you????
Hope everyone is doing well, it's not raining here at the moment but will be again this afternoon.

 

[Randy]

Oh, I think just about every place is prettier in the spring. You also have to factor in that we are coming out of a winter and out attitudes are improved greatly when we see the days get longer and the sun coming out more often. Makes you appreciate those "zippity-do-dah" days.

 

[shinekeeper]

Sorry I've been MIA...not in India, just busy. Workin' too much. Stressin' too much. Wish I could come up with something that I could sell for $1 to a million people....should be easy, shouldn't it?

Rode my bike for the first time in ages tonight. No dogs chased me. There have been black bear sightings near me...that is probably what will come after me next.

I have dug a new pond. The pre-form just didn't appeal to me so I used some more of my roofing rubber to line one. No fish jet, except a spitting fish fountain. Flower beds are filling in but don't seem as pretty to me this season. I spend all my time outside and inside is a mess.

Cohen is a month old and weighs 10 lb. 4 oz...looks like a piglet. I babysat Saturday night. I told him all kinds of things, but he just laid there and stared at me and had little to say. Janey is a different story. She is 13 months old and says everything you do. She sings. She scratches under her arms and "Ooo-ooh-AAHhhs" like a monkey. She tells us when she poops. Ask if she wants something and it's either "NO" or a very exaggerated nod of the head. She walks and nods like a bobblehead. She is a real Baby Einstein...I am amazed by her vocabulary. And...poor little girl...she has my sense of humor. She will jabber something, look at us and then just crack up!. Nolan is in Utah til August visiting his mother. Janey picks his picture up each day, says "Bubba" and kisses it.

My mom and dad are fine. I gave Dad a fancy mole trap for Father's Day. Perfect gift for a gadget guy. He probably won't go in the house for days now.

Seth and AJ still have jobs although many at their places of employment have been laid off. I am thankful for this. Seth actually was the one who had to tell many they no longer had jobs...could not have been pleasant. AJ is still welding. Seth is still designing wine cellars and additions for people who obviously have a lot more money than me.

Not sure what I'm doing over the Fourth, may be at the Cabin. We are off work the third. I tell my patients the business is closing in honor of my birthday. I'll be 52 and don't mind a bit. It's not my fault how old I am.

Hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday. Wednesdays are nightmares where I work. If I survive tomorrow, I will get back on here and tell you so.

 

[shinekeeper]

I survived. But it wasn't pretty.

 

[Randy]

I had a day like that today, SK. I feel good about working hard all day and I know I will be sore tomorrow. The good part though is that I felt like working instead of leaning back in my chair and watching TV or something. I built some racks out in a covered area just outside the riding arena. They are high so they won't be in anybody's way. But after I got them all up, I started putting some radio tower sections up in them to get those off the ground where they have been for almost ten years.