Life goes on - Summer 2023

Time to turn off the electric wattage night-lights and let Mother Nature take over:


Wildfire smokes makes for sunrise and sunsets color.
Our Canadice blush seedless grape vines in the foreground. Be a great crop this year 'cause we finally watered them 45 days into the drought-time. IF the frosts just hold off for another 3-4 weeks.
S.U.

11 Likes

I hate the smoke. It is this overcast that makes you think it is going to rain shortly all day. We got a ton of it from Canada this summer.

6 Likes

NICE looking grape vines–how many pounds of grape you get on a good harvest-or and how long is the row of vines–And are you getting much more smoke this year or is this normal ? THIS year is worse than i have ever seen ,let alone i can smell the smoke at night with windows open–I keep looking out in the shop to make sure i put out any welding fires just in case-though just the wile fire smoke from canida.

5 Likes

Kevin I have tried to paste up a link to the Canadice grapes, no luck yet.
ONE vine only planted now spread in a southwards facing epsilon shape now ( a capital H with no upper legs, with the cross bar extending out to the left). 16 lineal feet + 20 feet + 12 feet + 10 feet. Makes for a fairy glen for the two girls.
Self polinates.
How much depends much on the first frosts ( stops the growth but makes the matured sweeter imo). Then if a year the wild birds don’t go for them. Had to give up trying to net them years ago.
Anyhow; at least 100 pounds to 400 pounds. Just takes some years a bit of watering. Some cutting back always to get in and out that one side circle driveway 16 foot gate.
S.U.

8 Likes

Hot and very smoky here Sunday, we had a impromptu river day



my wife surprised me with this picture :joy:

And I of course did not forget the crawdad traps! Between diving and traps caught about 60 in 2 hours. I still can’t open my eyes under water and wear a mask, while both the boys have no problem eyes open under water but they aren’t ready to start diving yet specially not in a river current


39 more tasty treats, while we enjoyed some time swimming in the river


The boys devoured the tails after I shucked the shells off, simple boil and butter bath. I took my time and went through the claw meat which I actually like better but more time consuming to get to. What a delicious wild caught feast!

16 Likes

Pull those pants up Marcus. Nobody wants to see man-butt.

5 Likes

Beautiful Marcus. Enjoy you meal :grinning:. Dont want to bore you to much with my experiences, but thought of you and rifle today.

As a flatlander I go grazy in these surroundings. And finally can taken this one of my list.

10 Likes

Nice pics, Marcus! I like your priorities. Kids are kids only for a short while and they need to learn how to have the right kind of fun :+1:
We had crayfish too over the weekend. I agree with you - the claws are aggrivatin. You probably waste more energy to get to the meat than you gain eating it, but it doesn’t matter - it’s a nice treat.
I’ve always wondered - how well does a cyclop mask seal if you have a beard? For some reason you seem the right man to ask :smile:

6 Likes

Them critters are undisputed kings of the mountain! I wish I had the footing they do!

6 Likes

About 30 seconds under and the water makes it to my nose and I have to come back up to clear it out haha the problem seems to get worse with age as my head hair migrates to my ears nose and face :rofl:

7 Likes

Joep, where are you at? A long way from home it seems.

7 Likes

I was told once you’re not old until you have both old age diabetes and pubic hair growing out of your ears :smile:

14 Likes

Joep, I didn’t know that you have such high mountains in the Netherlands,… joke. :grin:
You are obviously back in “our” places, Sveti Juraj is 130 km from my home, (20-30 kg of wood). :grinning:

8 Likes

Yes Tone, very tempting. But I am not alone. Only family now but they are very clear about a detour, all of them :grinning::frowning:. And I hope the woodgasmeeting goes on. Time to meet in real. That gives me some time to really contribute. You really surprised me again with the heatpump of the Norths.
Kristijan too, he lives the live we supposed to do on our landplot. Things got in the way and I dont have it in me. Dutch John is one, respect. You guys are from the same level.

Yes JO, it feels like home here. Makarska Riviera. Most of our holidays are spend here. Dit all the tops. This one was the last one, 1760 m /5775 feet and a 22 km 14 ml trip in 9,5 hours. 32 C 90 F. Not bad for an old fool. Muscles I even wasnt aware of are hurting.

Haha, and family from Bosnia spend some time with us. I dont know why but my projects where subject of …. You know, i am alone in this. Kids have different interest and the chief only cares about the switches and thermostat. The rest is up to me :grinning:. Anyways, I didnt talk much, there is enough attention the rest of the year :grinning:. Then the name Barthazar apperared in the discussion. No, that is not me, I know him! And showed your vids Goran. We all agreed you really deserve that had :woman_mage:t3:

9 Likes

Diabetes not yet. Check gor the others.

7 Likes

Microflare.
A small victory from last week:

After about a month, my ancient cow manure, goat manure, homemade jam, and beans are making methane.

Years ago I did this “professionally,” and didn’t realize how lucky (blessed) I was to get flammable gas in about a week and a half. I fussed most of last summer, with no results. Sometimes the cost of humility is high :slightly_smiling_face:
I’m guessing with a bigger tank, you have to keep feeding for a while as the bacteria multiply.

16 Likes

Yeah, right on. I’m just taking ivermectin regularly. Worked last time.

8 Likes

Annual leave …!!! :woozy_face::grinning:



18 Likes

Enjoy Tone. You have earned it.

9 Likes

Hello Tone.
What types of Fruit? trees are those?

And what kind of fuel-gas have you put in that former refrigerant? pressure bottle?

Regards
Steve Unruh

10 Likes