Cherokee PurpleUpdate

Dateline: 18 June 2013

A Cherokee Purple seedling

If you are a regular reader of this blog you will recall the above picture, posted back on May 10th, in my blog post titled: Cherokee Tomato Will Survive. I wrote about how we start tomatoes from seed, without grow lights or a greenhouse. 

I planted four of those Cherokee seedlings under Whizbang solar pyramids, in between a Whizbang T-post trellis span, in my garden, as shown below.

Whizbang solar pyramids.... remarkable solar cloches.

The plants have grown nicely (as they always do in a solar pyramid) and I have just removed the covers. Here's one of the tomatoes now...

So far, so good. I'll mulch these and finish assembling the trellis span. The tomatoes are off to a great start. The "growing weather" is upon us. Now the plants should take off and fill the trellis. I'm looking forward to fresh Cherokee Purple tomatoes!

You can learn all about Whizbang solar pyramids and Whizbang T-post trellis spans (and a whole lot more) from The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners.

The Books Are Shipped!

Dateline: 17 June 2013

This morning I took all the pre-ordered copies of The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners to the Moravia, N.Y. (my hometown) post office. My son and I offloaded the lot of them at the loading dock in back and I told him I wish I had brought my camera. He informed me that he could take a picture with his phone, and proceeded to do so. Isn't modern technology great?

Now the National Security Agency (NSA) can put this picture in their all-seeing databank.

I don't usually take the daily mail-order shipments to the post office. Ricky, the mailman stops at my house every day. He's a great guy and seems to have a good attitude about picking up all the mail I put out for him (some days it's over a hundred pounds of packages). But I didn't think he would appreciate picking up all those books.  

My son says I look like a cowboy gunslinger, ready to draw, in the picture. Well, that's funny. I'm even bow-legged like an old cowboy. But I'm much too fresh-faced and happy for being a cowboy gunslinger.

I actually drew for the last three days, though not with a gun (note to NSA... I said NOT with a gun.... relax). I drew "garden chicken portraits." One for each pre-sold book copy, to go with my signature. It's a little something different, and kind of special, for the almost-300 pre-sold books that shipped out this morning.

Notice the big smile on my face. I'm smiling because I'll not be drawing any more "garden chicken portraits." And all those books are on the way......

Thanks again to all of you who bought copies of the book.

Father's DayBreakfast Salad

Dateline: 16 June 2013

It is an overcast morning with more rain in the forecast (80% chance). So I spent some time transplanting Spretnak romaine lettuce from a nursery tire bed to a raised bed in my main garden. 

In addition to getting that task done, I took pictures to illustrate the process. The photo-essay will be posted to the hidden online Resources web site for readers of The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners. 

The photo essay will show the nursery bed, the transplanting process, and the unique way I washed the baby salad greens pictured above.

The salad, with fresh strawberries, chopped almonds, and homemade balsamic salad dressing, was a breakfast delight.

The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners is on sale until tomorrow morning.

My New Whizbang Bookis Now in Stock!

Dateline: 15 June 2013

A picture of the Planet Whizbang packaging room, where I am signing pre-sold copies of the book.

The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners is finally in print. The picture above shows just some of the pre-sold copies that I am in the process of signing. I will be signing and packaging books all weekend with the goal of shipping all pre-sold copies out on Monday morning.

I have almost two TONS of these books in stock! 

The pre-publication, reduced-price offer for this book will remain in effect until Monday morning. Click the web site link above for details.

I am numbering the pre-publication, first-printing copies, and they will, of course, be signed too. 

Also, next to my signature I am drawing a "garden chicken" portrait. These pre-publication, first printing copies are the only ones that will ever have a hand-drawn "garden chicken portrait."  

For some perspective on the value of signed artwork in books, check out Original Artwork From Famous Folks. There you will discover that a hand-drawn picture of a little dog in a 1970 book is selling for over $12,000.

Just think.... if a 40-year-old drawing of a little dog is worth over $12,000, what will a hand drawn chicken portrait, in a book for gardeners, written by the guy who invented the Whizbang chicken plucker, be worth 40 years from now? 

Yes, indeed, that's something to think about, and, in the meantime, you can enjoy the contents of the book, learn from it, be inspired by it, and put the things you learn to good use.

Thank you again to all of you who have re-purchased a copy of this new book. 

UpdateOn My Newest Book

Dateline: 7 June 2013

I'm pleased to report that The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners will be in stock and ready to ship next weekend. I have been a little overwhelmed by the number of copies that have been pre-ordered (far more than any other book I've written). My plan is to spend a good part of next weekend signing books and getting them packaged so that all pre-publication sales are mailed out on Monday the 17th of June. 

If you have not yet pre-purchased a copy of the book, you can still do so (and save some money) until Monday the 17th. Details and online ordering buttons are at www.WhizbangGardening.com

Purchasers of The Planet Whizbang Idea Book For Gardeners will be getting more than just a book of great ideas for gardeners. You will also be getting directions to the book's hidden online resources web site.

My idea for the resources web site is that it will provide lots of photos, additional information, updates, and internet links for each subject/chapter in the book. It is my way of packing more value into your book purchase.

The resources web site is a work in progress and will be for the next year or so. That means it won't be completely finished when the book is in print next weekend. But you will be able to go there and get a lot of information right away. You will also be able to sign up for a newsletter that will inform you when updated information is added to the web site.

My sincere thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered a copy of this new book! My hope is that it will truly inform, inspire and encourage you in your gardening pursuits.

Unusual Discharge Papers

Dateline: 5 June 2013

As I noted in my previous post, my son is now out of the Army. He spent a year in Korea and the rest of his four years in the the U.S. He decided he had enough of the Army and got out just before his unit was sent to the Middle East. All in all, I would have to say the Army was good for him. And, except for a severely broken ankle, he came out of the experience physically and mentally undamaged. Unfortunately, he has friends who were not so fortunate. 

Getting out of the military is something of an ordeal. A lot of paperwork and other things have to be done. When they're all done as required, the final step is to get your DD214, which is a "Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty." When the Army gives you that form, that's it—you are officially out of the service.

When my son went to the proper place, at the proper time, on the appointed day, to finally get his DD214, he met with a man who took care of issuing the final paperwork. He was a civilian employee of the Army, but my son said he was "an older veteran." 

The man explained what he needed to explain, and issued the DD214. All of this was the usual protocol. But then the man broke with protocol and handed my son another piece of paper. He said, "Here's some hope for the future."

That piece of paper is shown above. You can click the picture to see an enlarged view. But here is what the paper says...

Are You Concerned About 

The Future? Don't Worry!

You're in Good Hands!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

The old veteran then shook my son's hand and thanked him for his service.

My son wants to frame the paper. 

I was blessed to hear this story—to know that there is an old veteran out there who is ignoring political correctness and giving true words of hope to the soldiers he is discharging back into the civilian world.

I'm Happily Recovering....

Dateline: 4 June 2013

I haven't posted here for over two weeks because I've been focused on an important project. I decided to remodel the 40-year-old bathroom in our double-wide house/business property. My original plan was to get the new bathroom in before August of this year. That's when my son was scheduled to get out of the Army.

The plan was for him and his wife and baby Jaxson to come here and live in 1/2 of the house, while we consolidated our Whizbang inventory of poultry shrink bags, chicken plucker fingers, cider press parts, and books into the other half of the house. The beauty of this plan is that our only grandchild (pictured with me above) would be living practically right next door to us.

My mind was set on August. There was no real rush. I had already gotten a little start in my free time. Then the plan changed...

My son ended up getting discharged at the end of May (a few days ago). The reality of this came to me early in May. I had a LOT of work to do, and not long to get it done. To compound the problem, it's the busy season for our mail order business. The orders are coming in steady and I typically work from 6:00 am to 1:00 or 2:00 pm every day to get the orders filled. As soon as that work was done each day, I changed gears and focused on the bathroom project.

The good part is that I've remodeled hundreds of bathrooms (and kitchens). I was a home remodeler for 20+ years. I know how to do the work and do it right. 

Though I haven't remodeled a bathroom for probably 15 years, it is not a skill that you forget. It's kind of like riding a bicycle in that respect. But I will confess that I'm not as fast and efficient at the work as I once was.

I started from scratch, which is to say I completely gutted the space. The new bathroom would be larger (8ft by 7ft) with a new window. The old floor was 1-1/2" out of level. You can't have a nice new bathroom on top of an unlevel floor. I leveled the ceiling and plumbed the walls too.

I drove myself hard, working every day until I was totally exhausted. I worked harder than I've worked in a lot of years, and I worked myself sick. I guess my immune system just couldn't keep up with the demands I was putting on it. I didn't get seriously sick. It was more like an achy flue-like sickness. I burned myself out. But I kept at it (I just worked slower).

Yesterday evening my son and his family arrived. They had driven from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, with tornados literally following them out of the state. I could hear the car coming up the road. They were beeping the horn to announce their arrival. They were glad to be home.... finally. 

As for the bathroom, well, it's pretty much done, along with some other minor remodeling alterations that we decided to do. And I'm very pleased with the way it turned out. The only problem now is that there is no water. I just stubbed the water and drain lines into the basement. Now I have to hook everything together. I will be revamping the whole plumbing system and installing a new water heater too. But not today, and not tomorrow either. I'm in recovery mode for a couple days... recharging my batteries, so to speak. There will be water by the weekend.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying my grandson....