False Economy!

[Colorado_west]

I have grown a green tomato and found it very good and I could eat like a piece of fruit. Yes, I guy on this forum sent me a few seed. I have been careful to save seed. I have other green tomatoes like grape and green sausage.

When they do sheep it is called Rocky Mountain oysters and I guess they fry them to cook. They eat them. I have never been around it. But in the hills where it was done.

I gave DIL beautiful yellow tomatoes and she tossed them for the cooked canned salsa. I asked if she tasted them. Yeah. She sat there eating Romas. I did give away some at market for people to try. No. I will try things. One guy said he did not want to by stuff he never ate before as might not like it. Money I take was scarce for him. One day he argued how do you know that melon is ripe. I grabbed a knife and chopped in half and I said it is ripe. I gave him half. Muskmelon No one about seemed to know what Sugar baby watermelons were. I would slice an end off of one and set it up and cover it with plastic wrap to keep clean. One guy wanted the one cut , Fine. The cut one I would give away to another seller at the closing time if still there. Several did not have melons and we even traded around. People wanted Olathe corn. That is the highest priced seed. I did enjoy the people or at least most fo them.

[tam91]

Jack, dang, come on rain! I'm so sorry, that is such a worry. Global warming - again, I'm not expert enough to know. But the winters sure haven't seemed as bad lately - this winter, I only had the snowplow guy come once. Not what I'm used to.

For all sorts of info on the tomatoe varieties, check out Tania's site:

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/wiki/Main_Page

These were developed all over - some here, some in Germany, Italy, all sorts of places. Some varieties are very old, culitivated by the Amish for example. Some have been developed more recently, many by members of this forum. So I guess some are American, some are not. Doesn't matter to me, there are wonderful things all over the world.

Now, if I get a good harvest, I just may have to mail you a sampling. You must become a convert! Haha.

Anyone here ever mailed tomatoes? How do you pack them?

[tam91]

Haha they called the calf ones Rocky Mountain oysters too, when we were doing roundups in AZ. Unlike the cat, however, we generally preferred them cooked!

[Colorado_west]

I posted that reply so could read you new post. This site is the best I think on tomatoes. Lot of the tomatoes are just crosses. I like to grow the different shapes and colors. Some of the seed cats tell something about the tomatoes.

It started raining yesterday evening and must had some during the night or early morning. Then it rained some more today. We have had a couple good showers in the past 24 hours. Could not work out today. After the rain this morning I got in my mile walk. Sidewalks . Least this time enough maybe to do a little good. Green up the crunchy weeds.

I have gravity feed water in the pipe and no pumping. I am low enough from the canal. I have to just ditch it through the garden. Sorry about your water. Here we know we can not get enough rain to grow anything. Hopefully you will get some rain.

[dice]

So, Jack, this is a good opportunity to row around in the farm
pond and find out what has been living in there that you never
knew about.

[JackE]

Hi Dice - only problem with that is that I would have to row through a lot of mud to get to the deeper creek channel lol. One of the other guys in our project came over to see why we can't run an intake line out to the creek channel. He backed-off the idea when I explained that it was a 4" submersible well pump - the intake is part of the pump housing itself with no fitting to attach a separate intake line. We'd have to move the whole pump and build a structure of some sort to hang it on - and by the time we got done with all that the crops would be dead anyway, or it would rain! LOL

I do have a 2" gasoline pump in the barn, but it's centrifugal and would require a separate booster pump to pressurize the sprinklers - which I also have in the barn but it's only 110V (supply line at the pond is 220) and 1 inch and wouldn't move enough water to help. We've had the lake get this low in late summer a couple times but in April??? It's ridiculous.

This year's tomatoes are planted on newly-plowed pasture land and watered by 30 hastily-rigged 3/4" sprinklers divided into three zones. My regular area, which has a gravity flow drip system, is being fallowed and solarized for root knot nematodes. I could use the centrifugal pump there to simply fill the two 300 gal supply tanks (and use a fraction of the water), but not for sprinklers.

Our tech director would not approve soil fumigation for the RKN last fall and insisted on an organic approach, despite my pleadings,and I had to break new land. Since the old land must be clean fallowed for two years to kill the RKN, I will move the tanks and drip lines to the new area later this year - big job and no use to tackle it now.

We will have sweet corn, potatoes and peas though - that grower has an irrigation well instead of a pond - and a lot of cows and not enough hay (shouldn't need to feed hay in normal weather). Oh well, we're all retired hobbyists anyway - I'd sure hate to have to make a living this way. LOL This keeps our arthritis from getting the best of us.

Jack

[JackE]

Lila - With all that gardening work, why do you have to also walk a mile to stay in shape?

[Colorado_west]

Jack
I am not walking to stay in shape. Congestive heart failure and till I am really out their tilling and walking a lot I will walk. This heart problem started late last July. It hit all at once and I ended up a week in hospital. I am still building up my strength. Doctor says I can do what ever I want. Yeah, I have arthritis too. If you donot you are lucky. So really I am in pretty good shape.

Theres an internet Vegtable cultivars, Tomato Been some time since I used it. See if I can find the right address. Hybrids are secret what they are it seems. Tells on tomatoes at leasat some.

[JackE]

I have arthritis but it's not too bad. Also a mild case of atrial fibrillation - that's it! Not bad for 75.

[Colorado_west]

Jack, I have atrial too with the heart failure. Bottom of heart beats faster than the top part. I take a blood thinner and test once a month. I can live with that. 79 and I am up and going yet. Few pills and doctor really cut that down as I was been over medicated. He tells me my heart sounds good. Just eat more. I am the oldest in the family now. Have been since 91 and it kind of gets to me.

Rain again last night. I seeded those tomatoes and for not fermenting got clean seed. Very tiny I think for the size of those tomatoes. It seem to me quite thick walled too. Have to be tough to ship. Seems smaller seed they are the harder to get started for me any way. One year something will not make it and the next do great. Things are in bloom here. 42 this morning when I looked.

I had a few ask for green tomatoes to fry. Not ripe tomatoes. I did that. I guess only one that did. Told them be same price as ripe. One guy could not figure why yellow or red bells cost more. I explained that one . I have been asked several times this spring if I will be selling at the market. Ones that had bought from me. Those selling at the market and we were not many most were retired.

[JackE]

Your taking Coumadin (Warfarin) with all the dietary restrictions and protime tests. There's a new anti-coagulant on the market called Pradaxa - no testing and no dietary restrictions. Also, you can take ibufrofen for the arthritis (but not ALL the time). With my Blue Cross insurance it costs me $42 a month. A lot more than Warfarin, but a lot more convenient. It was $92/month - it just came down. Ask your Dr about it.

Green tomatoes are real big here. They should be sold cheaper than ripe ones - a lot less hassle and trouble. Don't pick them until they turn whiteish, just before they show color - but you don't want any color on them.

The hardest thing about getting our age is that there's no future anymore - no planning, no hopes or dreams just the harsh reality of more and more pain and infirmity until death is welcomed. BUT, let's be grateful for the wonderful years the Lord gave us and not complain because there's not more - let's not be like the little child who didn't want the vacation to end.

Jack

[Colorado_west]

Yeah, I am on warfarin. 90 pills for 45 days for $10 I think it is. Monthly test had not been costing and now they started like $16.60 on the test for Warfarin. The other full blood test I pay around $50 for my cost. But only 6 months or so. I had to have EKG and 24 hour heart monitor test this year to get off more medicine. . I am on Humana Ins . I pay the medicare and they pay Humana and then now I pay Humana $39 a month extra this year. I am a bleeder to start with and all I know if this is what they put me on. The heart drip mediciine they used at hospital flatened my BP and they could not get a reading. They liked to have killed with it. . Some medicines make me sick. I have been redoing the budget to work this all in. It pays about like medicare as is medicare advantage plan. It does pay the doctor bills. But that is good to know as if I had to move to small town where son in the clinic/hospital there maybe could not handle the warfarin test. 80 miles there and 80 back to get here. . Humana does not pay for new drugs. I have their drug list but can not find. I am on digoxin and Metoprolol and ibuprofen. The $4 prescriptions. I get 90 for $10 and some are cheaper and I chop in half like he said as it cut it down. Cutting in half saves money. It is the vitamins and herbs I take that cost me. I have been cutting that cost down and I think I have as low as I can for now. I take one ibuprofen morning and night regularly and have not flared up the arthritis so far. Rhumatoid. I have had since in my early 40's. Under control and had taken aspirin and doctor said I could not any more. I set my dose and this has worked so far. Like 9 months. I pay $15 for doctor office visit. No matter what I have costs. But is sure could be worse. Every thing has gotten paid.

Here they want the tomato green for frying or one wanted them green with just a trace of color. Seems they like different things. Very few wanted green tomatoes. Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers (they like Armenian) hot peppers, greenbeans , zucchini, potatoes and melons.

Old age is sure not for sissies. Best to keep busy. I am not complaining as no use. Diet more than just the Vit K and I can still find plenty and I am working on the Vit K thing so can eat more things. My multi vitamin had changed from 10 K to 30 K but it is to stay on a even diet and get warfarin set.

I have been sewing quilt blocks in the winter and getting ready to make into tops and then quilts. I read quite a bit. I want to grow some new things to just see them grow. We are planning to go ride the old steam engine train this summer/fall. We rode the Drango/Silverton one last year. This one will go from San Luis Valley southern end to down in to New Mexico. Inless son gets that house and moving it and too swamped with work. He would do the driving to go ride the train. He likes trains.

I mowed weeds this afteroon some so can till. This rain has got them from 2 inches up to a foot now. I quit and it did look like it may come another rain tonight. Ground was soft not muddy to push that mower. But I did a pretty good patch of it. Did not want to start out with too much work. I donot want to get sore. Work up to more hours.

[JackE]

Lila, Don't worry about moving to your son's town. ANY medical facility can handle the Warfarin test, They did mine at the doctor's office - there's a little machine, like diabetics use - they just ★★★★★ your finger and put a drop on the machine - the nurse does it. The doctor can also prescribe one of the machines for home use and medicare will pay for it. It's not a problem.

There is an a-fib support group at the following link. I urge you to join that forum - they will keep you up to date and help you get through it.

http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Atria...ion_AFib/forum

Jack

[JackE]

LOL - the software censored my choice of words! Make that "puncture" yourfinger

I'm running out of irrigation water real fast. If the weather forcast is right - no break in the drought in sight - the whole garden is gone. I'm going to keep wateing until the end, though, in case the Good Lord takes pity and gives us some rain. It will have to be substantial to help - a little shower won't do any good - and about the only hope for that now, without divine intervention, is a tropical weather system. And the Gulf isn't hot enough for that yet.

Jack

[Colorado_west]

Jack, I get jabbed in finger once a month and they use that little machine. I was doing fine till I started baking biscuits and shortening is soybean oil and full of Vit K. I never thought about shortening being soybean oil. I am not on medicare and totally on Humana. And that multi vitamin changed what they put in it. It was running even till then. But no one told me how much V K I could do. I know now as new nurse and she works with you. I am not having heart problems other than that over medication. Last time I was right back on about. I go May 2 nd. Bus stops at the corner and I have to walk fast to make it. It works out. I still do not want to drive that double round about in the highway. One I could hand fine but two seems to unblance me. I know how and what lane but... I have to get pills at the store here as they are on the list to use. Thanks I will check that groupe out.

I will not move off the farm inless I get too ill or can't see to be alone here.

Did not rain last night. Hope get a lot of rain. Got to go get gas today.