Morning Farm Report

The tomato crop is coming along slowly--the two vines of Big Boys have produced abundant leaves and blossoms, only to come forth with six fruit between them. Yet, they have provided endless hours of fascinating conversation with their grower, Boy: "Your tomatoes are looking good, Buddy--what do you do to them to make them so pretty?"

"Ummm....well, you put dirt on them." Incredible! (And a telling insight into what would happen were we to have a pet.) As it is, every morning Farmer Dad walks out to survey them, seeing that they are lovingly tended, fertilized, watered, parasite free, gently rearranged so that their smelly vines are just so on the cage. Maybe all the attention makes them shy.

In his other crop, pears, the tree has done very well this year with about 17 fruits. The two we got off of it last year were the best pears I've ever eaten, so I'm looking forward to these.

The grass is looking beautiful and green, although it's common nutgrass instead of Tifton Bermuda. Oh well, it grows, it's green.

And finally, the livestock seem to be getting along just fine. We just started on our second 25 pound bag of bird seed, and the squirrels are still stymied by these new-fangled feeders. Kelly the Bunny has not been seen lately, though, and it is feared that she may have succumbed to the forces of nature. AND the hummingbirds are now back. I had put out two different bottles of juice for them--which they studiously avoided. Could have something to do with the fact that it had turned into a rather good grade of prison hooch. Just a tip--sugar water does not keep indefinitely, especially if you've had it in a refrigerator that's not working right. Anyway, since we haven't had time to go to the store this week, I whipped up a batch using turbinado sugar, and within a day, there were four or five fighting to belly up the bar. It's good stuff--I tasted of it before I hung the bottle up, and I promise to not let it go bad this time. Hummingbirds are mean little drunks, you know.

In other farm news, after 53 straight hours of blogsurfing, reader and Possumblog minion Jim Calloway decided maybe he should do something else.

AND, in the continuing saga of the mighty, mighty Dennis Washburn (may he rest in peace), former Birminghamhock (and current dweller of East Carolina) Jim Smith asks the following:

I do not really think I am right about this but was Dennis Washburn's dog called Precious? I think it was a silly name like that.

If I am right to I win a prize?

You know, when I first wrote that story, I ALMOST put down Precious as the name of the Washburn's poodle, but I couldn't quite remember if that was right, and I didn't think to ask My Friend Jeff™, who is a fellow devotee of the white-belted, leisure-suited prose of Mr. Dennis.

BUT, now that I have corroborating recollections from another person, I am prepared to say that "Precious" was indeed the dog's name. AND, in grateful appreciation to Mr. Smith for digging this gem out of the deep fissures of his mind, I am fully prepared to swing wide the door of the fabulous Vault of Possumblog Antiquities and Treasures and withdraw for him the following fabulous prizes: a keyring made from a genuine .45ACP cartridge, a mint copy of the June 1968 issue of Argosy magazine, a Chinese checkers game, a coconut carved and decorated to look like a pirate, a welding rod, a 36 count box of plain latex prophylactics, a PEZ dispenser (head missing, but was Popeye), an Italian pay telephone token, and an entire set of keys to various locks.

It certainly pays to know your Birmingham trivia!

Anyway, work to do now.
posted by Terry at 8:38:00 AM