Thanks for kudos, Nit


Been warm for the coast! Last of the peas harvested and eaten yesterday. Getting a daily dose of delicious strawberries from my 25 plants. Spinach and Beet greens have been excellent also and healthy to boot. Few tomatoes coming on. I'll have lots of onions, carrots and potatoes in another month. Been a good growing season so far.

My brother helped me put in a new door frame for my shop - retained the old metal door - but the frame had rotten on the bottom. Typical for this climate. Replaced the gutters on the garage. Only remaining large job is replacing rotting framing/studs in the laundry room. That will be a pain because we will need to jack up the rafters to relive pressure so we can replace the rotted section. But once that is done most outside work will be completed. Redoing the two inside bedrooms also.

Then I have to redo the bathroom. This home ownership thing is a constant hassle. I think I'm catching up but it never seems like it.

A billion boats on the lower Rogue. I'm staying away for now.

In case it helps, there are ld50s for spinach and beet greens.

Much deserved I really enjoy reading your updates and seeing the pictures of where you live. My goal is move out west at some point, minus California or places like Seattle.

I made a trip out to Nevada a couple weeks back. Drove up to Reno and Tahoe from Vegas. Even stopped in Carson City and went to a Cactus Jack’s inspired by your recent trip.

I think the desert is beautiful and Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area is breathtaking. However as you would likely say it’s ruined and overrun by Californians. I met some nice enough ones in places like Crystal Bay and other smaller places. The California side of Lake Tahoe is miserable, bumper to bumper traffic. I tried to stop at Vikingsholm to do a quick hike and couldn’t even park. Even if I could it would’ve of been pointless as the hike would of been infested with loud tourists. I hightailed it back to the sanity and comforts of Nevada.

all the door frames for the coast now have a plastic lower to keep from rotting out. pays to put a storm door on if it isnt going to hassle you.
ive had to replace a few and it isnt easy or cheap. and they rot out in like ten years or less if you dont have the plastic lowers on them. ive got 4 of them due to replace.

Look what the cat dragged in:





That's a big mole:





The cat, named Winston Churchill, is earning his keep.

Moles, man. I can't get rid of them at my house in Astoria, and I have a very small yard, so the damage the little buggers do cause a lot of very visible damage. Right when I think the poison gets them I wake up to a new mound. My girlfriend thinks I need to let my cat outside to get them, but he's six years old and has never been an outside cat, so I think it's more likely he dies himself.

I've been in Portland for a couple of days and set a snare trap before I left. Nothing would make me happier than coming home to that thing tripped. I seriously feel like Carl Spackler.

i catch a bunch of them yearly. the mole spring traps work well but you have to set them perfectly.

i like using a small number zero or one regular trap and dig along the burrow and set it and then cover the hole with a bucket to not let in light. usually it takes a couple tries but you get them.
they like to shovel dirt over the trap, so you have to reset it.

the baits and poisons, noise things, peanuts, chewing gum,none of it works.

I have to say that that mole is twice the size of any I used to battle as a kid. Maybe I just caught the babies.

Success! I re-set the trap, so we'll see if I get any more. I've heard this particular trap isn't the best the second go round. No new mole hills today, but we'll see. I was giddy when I saw the yellow indicator as I pulled up.....

How will you guys be serving your catch?

With BBQ sauce! Extra spicy.

I would have thought a simple dry rub would be more appropriate.

Too much effort for so small a portion.

Dessert at my house, strawberries are from my garden. The cheese cake was exceptional, not that dense kind, the fluffy and light kind - the way it should be. Made by a local baker. The Booze is from Scotland. Land of dense stupidity and eternal fog, mist, and rain but they know how to make good hooch.

at least you know what to drink.

Guy in my local game only drinks Laphroaig 12, which they keep stocked just for him (it's uh, a bit lower end generally). It's SUPER peaty and you can smell it from two tables over; I enjoy the smell (and the taste), but boy does it get people to react.

I could never get used to that Laphroaig stuff. Tried a few times and decided I don't like drinking dirt. But that's me. Oban is what I like best. Just a hint of smoke and peat.

Nice, I'll have to try it. New spot in town is a whiskey bar with 150 different whiskeys, goal of 300. A nice amenity for a small town.

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what place is that. there is a new whiskey bar in manzanita.
i havent seen anything in your town.

i usually just get a bottle of macallan 12 year or balvenie.
i like both. seems to me getting higher doesnt return much in taste for my old buds.

Blaylock's in Astoria, right across from Reach Break. Has the traditional dark wood and leather chair vibe with a nautical twist. Staff incredibly friendly.

I heard about the new place in Manzanita, which confuses me because the Blaylock guys talk about how they wanted something similar to whiskey bar in Manzanita. Are there now TWO whiskey bars there?

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that one opened about a year ago. only one.

Rivers too warm - fishing is very slow on Southern coast. Not worth the time.

Will head to the hills and a small lake to see if I can get a few trout.

they are slaughtering them on the rogue.

Nuke the Irish!!

Pontiac Reds and Kennebec whites from my garden with more to come:



Will harvest the fingerling potatoes soon.

Example of my so delicious Strawberries





Beets and Carrots will be harvested soon also.