Deluxestogie Grow Log 2022

[deluxestogie]

I can't even count on the wisdom of cows anymore. The credibility of meteorologists has already vanished. But the cows... This morning the cows were lying down in the pasture. That is their way of assuring us that it's going to rain. It did not rain. The sky is blue, with some puffy, white clouds and a light breeze. No rain. But, the cows said....

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

In the Shed

This first image demonstrates how stalk-curing minimizes the risk of flash-drying green leaves. Even though the leaf is now well into color-curing, the stalks are still alive and green.

Below, this stalk-cut Prilep 66-9/7 began its curing career in the sunshine. It's now finishing its color-curing in the shed.

The primed, lower leaf of my Corojo 99 has color-cured with a fairly light color—lighter than is typical, likely because of the relatively dry conditions at the time they colored. Higher humidity during color-curing usually results in a darker color.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Fertilizer

My 10-10-10 low-chlorine fertilizer from 2019.

Mars fertilizer from Perseverance rover 2022.

Looks like we're good to grow tobacco on Mars. If only there were some oxygen to burn the finished tobacco.

Bob

 

[Radagast]

Do those stones, to anyone else, look to have been sort of 'tumbled'?

 

[deluxestogie]

One thing that Mars does quite well is blow sand, and erode softer rock layers with sandblasting. You might even imagine some tumbling happening.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Have you guys read "The Martian" by Andy Weir? I thought the book was much better than the movie.

 

[deluxestogie]

I have not.

 

[GreenDragon]

@Knucklehead I have and loved it. Highly recommend the audiobook read by R C Bray. He captured the sarcastic inner monologue well.

 

[deluxestogie]

I wrote a Sci-Fi short story, Mars Hermitage, in 2006, and sent it out to scores of members of criters.org for their comments and critiques. Five years later, Andy Weir published his debut novel. Only the kernel of the idea is similar, with different plots. I enjoyed watching the film when it came out, but always wondered.

I am currently on fiction-reading hiatus, until I finish up writing the 3rd volume of my fantasy series. It's too easy for the fictional notions of others to unconsciously sneak their way into new writing. Non-fiction reading is fair game, since that's essentially just reportage.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

My shed temp right now (6:40 am) is 22°F.

 

[deluxestogie]

Halloween Decorations 2022

I know. I really went overboard.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Halloween Reality

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

I lucked-out! A Walmart delivery gig-driver came by. I insisted she accept a treat. I doubt if anyone else will show. Guess I'm stuck with all my treats.

Boo!
Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Just about everything in the curing shed could be stripped and stored now, but I'll give it all until late next spring.

I began a new kiln run yesterday, which will continue through the end of December. I have about one more kiln load to process from my 2021 crop.

This morning, I drove over to a nearby (~1½ miles away) farm, to see if they had any winter squash that I could purchase. They used to grow a couple of dozen varieties each year. But ~20 years ago, the owner was killed in a motorcycle accident. Since then, that farm has transitioned from farming to agri-tourism, and finally now to agri-entertainment. It's become an episodic, mini amusement park. Instead of sitting in a hay wagon towed by a tractor, children sit in a long chain of tiny train cars, towed by a 4-wheel-drive golf cart. Their little market building, which used to sell what they grew, now sells t-shirts and mugs. And the only winter squash that they grew this year was a gazillion jack-o-lantern pumpkins. I'm sure that the "farm's" income is greater and more secure than when they grew food.

I can't fault them. Even the state parks are adding carousels and zip-lines and holiday light displays. It helps urban folks discover that even nature is just another gimmick.

Bob

 

[deluxestogie]

Autumn morning in the Blue Ridge.

Bob

 

[Fgrow]

We got exactly the same kind of foggy morning here in middle of Finland. Temp +5C (41F). Winter is late this year. Sometimes this time we have snow on the ground and -5C (23F).

 

[Alpine]

Same here… it was 25C on Sunday at midday! But… snow forecasted in next few days, hooray

pier

 

[Radagast]

Very weird. It's the same here.
So that's (parts of);
-Virginia
-Finland
-Italy
-Canada
All foggy at once.

 

[deluxestogie]

Very weird. It's the same here.

Obviously due to global shrinking.

Bob

 

[Radagast]

Obviously due to global shrinking.

Bob

A.k.a the internet