Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Reality always gets a vote in the end.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

“Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on.”

Roe is not about choice. It is about freedom.

We do not need to pander to people who do not like what we stand for.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

There is no right way to do the wrong thing.

They are not red states to be hated; they are voter suppression states to be fixed.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Fucking consultants! (of the political variety)

A tremendous foreign policy asset… to all of our adversaries.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Whatever happens next week, the fight doesn’t end.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

You are here: Home / Garden Chats / Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Swan Song of Summer

Sunday Morning Garden Chat: Swan Song of Summer

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From master gardener / photographer / commentor Ozark Hillbilly, may his shadow never grow less:

Pics from the last few months, if nobody else bothered. I was kinda hoping to put together an Autumn spread for you but we had a hard frost last night and we may lose more than a few leaves, especially if the wind picks up.



Notes: The spider web belongs to a Garden Spider, the zig zag pattern below the center is their signature. The spider in DinDin is a Garden Spider, big and beautiful, typically about 3 inches across leg tip to tip, I have seen them as large as 4″. While I am certain they could put a hurt on a person, they are not aggressive at all.

******
Still haven’t had a killing frost, here north of Boston; the traditional rule of thumb was to expect one around Columbus Day. But it’s finally chilly enough that I’m glad I got the last impulse-purchase plants of the year planted out, at least until spring returns.

Started the growing season with half a dozen separate (re)landscaping ‘projects’ in mind, any of which a more dedicated gardener in better physical shape could’ve accomplished in a week or so. I managed to finish two plots (the showplace triangle-shaped bed next to the front door, and the sloping five-foot-square patch in front of the huge lilac that was a feature when we bought this place); made substantial progress on clearing out & revamping one front-yard (shaded) raised bed, and the grossly overrun flower bed between the front door and the garage; and essentially threw in the towel on the sunny raised bed and the driveway strip where the lilacs are being murdered by road salt and the Spousal Unit’s @#!!@ vinca. I also established that I can be just as not-quite-content with two-thirds as many tomato plants, and still have time for the rest of the yard… so next year I probably will cut my choices down to a dozen or so.

If I can get the rest of the waiting bulbs planted out before the ground freezes, I’ll call it a good year!

What’s going on in your garden(s), this week?

Reader Interactions

131Comments

  3. 3.

    NotMax

    so next year I probably will cut my choices down to a dozen or so

    “It’s déjà vu all over again.”
      – Y Berra

    :)

  4. 4.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @mrmoshpotato: From August thru November, that is the way he will come back every damn time. By the end of November he has cleaned all the burrs out of the rabbit runs and will only come back with them after liberating a bone or 2 from a deer carcass.

  10. 10.

    Baud

    master gardener / photographer / commentor / bater Ozark Hillbilly

    Fixed. (Had to.)

    Beautiful pics, OH. Love the gratuitous dog shot.

    @rikyrah:

    Good morning.

  14. 14.

    raven

    I was wrapped up in the Dawgs and my bride took of to the Growers Warehouse. She in full throated fuss budgeting for the upcoming festivities and guests but I guess she’s got plans for something in the garden along with that.

  17. 17.

    satby

    Great pictures OH! I didn’t realize that zigzag in a web was that spider’s signature, but then I seldom see webs get that size. Our first frost was a hard freeze too, and though I knew I had to wait for the frost to let those summer tubers harden off before lifting them, I wasn’t prepared for how devastated all those plants would look. Plus, I just hope the tubers weren’t killed by such a drastic freeze even though it was short!

  22. 22.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @satby: That actually was our 2nd frost. The first was a week and a half or so ago and at 30 degrees about the only thing it bit was the coleus. This one was down to about 25 and that killed pretty much everything, especially our Autumn colors. Somehow or other, the columbine and bee balm were almost universally unaffected by it. I think the columbine are a little more sheltered but the bee balm isn’t, it’s just one damned tuff plant.

  30. 30.

    WereBear

    Heads up for all cat fans (and cat wanna-be fans) I will have a special Jackals post up this afternoon, please come by!

    Kitten pictures will be served.

  36. 36.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @WereBear: I left you a gift in yesterday’s AM thread, did you see it?

    Our last round of flooding had people asking us if we were OK. Ummmm, we’re a hundred feet above the creek. Not that we could go anywhere as all the roads went under, but we were high and dry..

  40. 40.

    NotMax

    Gawd, that’s annoying as hell. Watching a British series on a free-but-with-ads streaming service. Some (not all, but a few) of the ads are, at a rough estimate, 14 times louder than everything else, to the point of being deafening.

  41. 41.

    satby

    @NotMax: I hate that! Can’t remember which one it was, but I deleted the app and never finished the first show I tried to watch on it when it did the same thing.

  42. 42.

    satby

    I’ve been searching recipes while waiting for this joint to refresh because I have a potluck brunch to go to and I need to bring a dish, so I was searching for anything that would match ingredients I have on hand.
    Found one!

  44. 44.

    Leto

    Guess who didn’t wake up at 0530 (0630 per the “clocks”), needed to take the dog out because it’s her normal time to go out, and has now been up an hour because HIS body says it’s it’s 0730 now? Definitely not this guy… no no, LUV me some non-DST time of the year… I’ll be better/will have adjusted by February. I promise.

  45. 45.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @RAVEN: I can’t work over my head any more. Period. Every now and again tho I have a project around here that requires it. Did one Friday, not too much over my head, just a little. Fuck me. Spent all day yesterday on the couch with an ice pack, one after the other after the other. Hope the pred works.

  49. 49.

    SFAW

    @Leto:

    Not to worry re: getting adjusted. Apparently there are a number of state legislatures who are trying to implement/institute year-round DST. The only thing holding them back, according to NPR, is that Congress must approve each one. So some are trying to get around it by renaming (in their state/commonwealth) “Eastern Time” to “Atlantic Time.”

    Thank FSM we have public “servants” confronting the important issues of the day.

  50. 50.

    Lapassionara

    These are great, especially the spider web.

    I spent yesterday morning trying to get as many dead plants as possible into the yard waste bags. The downside of using annuals to fill in, a host of spooky plant carcasses after the temperature plummets.

  51. 51.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: Not what I originally planned but it turned out well. Had some friends over for paella last wkend. One of the ladies was rather taken with it. Her husband groaned. “Every time we come over, I get more work.”

  52. 52.

    satby

    @Lapassionara: I have two decently warm days today and tomorrow to do the same, though I have a yard waste bin instead of bags, so easier. And planting my last 25 spring bulbs where I pull out the summer ones. And then mulching all the beds.

    I also promised to drive to Goshen to some friends’ house tomorrow to help them with their garden, mostly planning where and then planting bulbs and mulching. After tomorrow the cold will pretty much settle in according to accuweather.
    I better take some B vitamins today ?

  54. 54.

    Leto

    @SFAW:

    Thank FSM we have public “servants” confronting the important issues of the day.

    Idk, I’m sure we could find some traffic studies that show that driving in the dark during the morning/evening rush hour commute, versus driving during daylight, is a vital public health concern in establishing permanent DST. More natural sunlight would help with SAD, another public health concern. It’s more than just energy concerns here.

  59. 59.

    Ken

    It just occurred to me, this is the last Sunday morning garden chat on the old site. (Assuming the switchover is still scheduled for sometime between the 6th and 8th.)

  60. 60.

    satby

    @WereBear: speaking of, I joined the Criterion streaming service in April when it launched, and it’s been enough of a disappointment that I’m going to see if I can cancel and get a refund on the rest of my yearly subscription. I thought it would be a good fix for my TCM jones, but it’s much heavier on foreign films than I like. Plus it only works on my IPad though their tech support insists it should work on my Android tablet. Hugely not worth it to me, though I can see why some people would enjoy it.

  61. 61.

    Argiope

    Close observation of one of those beautiful orb-weavers —from a safe distance — got me over my significant arachnophobia. Isn’t she great? So colorful. Thanks for the photos of my nymsake and all the rest, Ozark.

  63. 63.

    SFAW

    @Leto:

    I’m sure we could find some traffic studies that show that driving in the dark during the morning/evening rush hour commute, versus driving during daylight, is a vital public health concern in establishing permanent DST.

    This is going to sound pissier than I intend, but: So which is it? It can’t be both morning and evening commute being affected significantly more under (for example) EST than EDT. By late December/mid-January, the sun rises around 7:15 EST (vs. 8:15 EDT) and sets around 4:15 EST. The day is a little over nine hours long, plus 30 minutes of twilight before and after. In other words, unless one works the exact hours matching up with the day, you get darkness at one end or the other.

    Anyway: it looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day here in sunny Central MA, so I’m going to try to enjoy whatever sunlight we have. Maybe go water skiing.

  64. 64.

    satby

    @RAVEN: yeah, and trying to pry one I want to watch out of their library seems harder than it should be. I get there, but it seems to take a lot of steps.
    TCM should do their own streaming service. I had Sling but cancelled it because I got Criterion, but I may have to go back to it.

  66. 66.

    zhena gogolia

    @satby:

    Comcast just changed TCM over to the “Sports Entertainment Package” because of course TCM fans are such sports junkies. So we’re paying even more per month just to get TCM. And for some reason they’ve decided to rehabilitate Dennis Miller. They have him co-hosting with various actual comedians.

  67. 67.

    HeartlandLiberal

    Here in south central Indiana, we finally had first killing freeze of the season last Thursday, Oct 31. I picked the last of the bell peppers, and even got a small bowl of cherry tomato varieties from the remaining four tomato plants. All twenty other plants had been pulled down weeks ago. Saturday I spent an hour clearing the pepper plants, remaining tomato plants, and the okra patch, and pulling up and storing the wire cages used to support peppers and tomatoes, and pulling up the wooden stakes I use for support. The large 24 x 16 foot area I have turned into sunflower and wildflower and zinnia garden was zapped by the freeze, and so today I will start turning it into mulch to be tilled into the soil. FWIW, it seems strange to have seasonal temperatures, we have lived here 35 years now, and watched the steady warming of the climate, year after year. It is a fact. An inescapable fact.

  68. 68.

    satby

    @SFAW: I think I’m the only person in the country who likes the system as it it. I want light earlier in the morning to help wake up, and in summer later in the evening to enjoy the cooler evening air. A one hour change doesn’t affect me at all because I tend to stay stubbornly on my own circadian clock no matter what. But I’m a morning person, I can see why night people might have more trouble with it.

  69. 69.

    Steeplejack

    @satby:

    That casserole looks good. I have been trying to eat breakfast more often—I think I do better with a bit of protein early in the day—and I have been trying out some prefab items for days when I’m too lazy to make something or I get distracted until I suddenly realize that I’m famished. There are a couple of Jimmy Dean “breakfast bowls” that I like, although they are somewhat high in salt. But not much more than that casserole recipe.

    I’ve also been test-driving protein drinks. I like the Atkins (chocolate) ones best.

  70. 70.

    satby

    @zhena gogolia: oh, ick. More reason for me to decline a TV service if I switch from the AT&T (ridiculously expensive) internet I have to Infinity. Internet access should be a public utility.

  71. 71.

    Steeplejack

    @SFAW:

    I thought I was DST-agnostic, but this year I noticed that sunrise not coming until 7:30 was bothering me. So switching back to Standard Time feels good. I prefer light in the morning and don’t mind if it gets dark earlier at night. Gotta figure that’s better for schoolkids, right?

    My sleep pattern is so erratic that the actual changeover doesn’t bother me very much.

  72. 72.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @satby: No, you aren’t the only one. Construction workers much prefer working in the light. A lot easier to hang onto digits then.

    @HeartlandLiberal: Peak autumn color come later here, maybe by as much as a week.

  73. 73.

    satby

    @Steeplejack: I’ve gone in the other direction. After decades of trying to control and reduce my weight by following all the sensible eating guidelines I sort of gave up and went back to the way I ate in my 20s, which by default is a version of intermittent fasting. I stop eating anything by 8pm and other than coffee don’t eat in the morning until after 10am, sometimes even after 12pm. I still eat pretty much what I want right now, in between 10-6 or 12-8. I’ve lost 5 lbs without really trying, only a start, but it really was effortless *for me* after the first two days. A side effect for me is that I crave high glycemic foods less, sugary or bready starches.

  74. 74.

    Marigold

    Thanks for the pictures, Ozark Hillbilly! And good morning all!

    I planted garlic yesterday for the first time, and then bought a lemon tree. I guess it’s an impulse buy, but I’ve wanted one ever since I smelled one in bloom–I read and read about a topic, but never follow through. So this time I’m taking that risk; if it dies, I’ll have learned something that didn’t come from a book.

  75. 75.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @satby:

    Everybody’s different. I get up pretty early to feed the little beast, and most days I’ll have a cup of coffee, sometimes with a roll or some Trader Joe’s rugelach. (Love that stuff.) But if I don’t eat something else at least a little substantial I’m ravenous by late morning and I feel like my brain is sputtering. Although that could be from a morning’s load of Trump-related horror stories. ?

  76. 76.

    JPL

    @satby: I’m a lighter earlier type of person. Today was an exception because I didn’t wake up until after five, so should have no trouble adjusting tonight. Finch appreciates the extra light in the morning also, because he’s afraid of the dark.

  77. 77.

    Steeplejack (phone)

    @Marigold:

    That sounds like a good plan. I, too, have a tendency to “research” stuff too much and not get around to actually doing it.

  78. 78.

    SFAW

    @satby:

    I think I’m the only person in the country who likes the system as it is.

    I like it, too. And Steeplejack’s point about mid-morning sunrise is one of my things, too.

  81. 81.

    WaterGirl

    @OzarkHillbilly: Is that 4th picture a dogwood? I always wondered what they looked like up close; no wonder they gave them that name. It looks so real!!!

    P.S. That is one adorable pup!

  82. 82.

    Immanentize

    Hello Fellow Jackals,. It’s going to be a breeze to switch over this time because both the Immp and I have colds which make us cough and harrumph about no matter what time it is or was.

    Great pics OH. I love those spiders. They are the ones I imagine Rachel is remembering in Blade Runner.

    Garden question — no frost or freeze yet here, but I have many really lovely — fist sized — tomatoes on my plants. Maybe a dozen. But they haven’t blushed yet. What can I do to save them (and eat them ripe)? I am not a green tomato fan.

  83. 83.

    oldgold

    At the back of the daylight saving scheme I detect the bony, blue-fingered hand of Puritanism, eager to push people into bed earlier, and get them up earlier, to make them healthy, wealthy and wise in spite of themselves.” — Robertson Davies

    All things considered, I might like it better if it was named moonlight spending time.

  84. 84.

    WaterGirl

    @Baud: Is there an emoji of a heart going pitter-pat, or all aflutter when something great happens?

    Asking because I suddenly find myself in need of one.

  85. 85.

    fasteddie

    Love the gardens. I do vertical gardening to get 14 tomatoes in and 8’x2′ bed 2x4s and door hinges make an A-frame with 7″ netting from burpee on the sides. Game changer has been a $27 hose timer ( orbit ) connected to low pressure 1/2″ plastic irrigation tube with built in emitters every 18″ which deliver 1 gallon per hour. Runs to all my hydrangeas too. Now all summer at 4am, everything gets a gallon of water. It’s awsome because we can go away for the weekend without everything dying. Seriously saves at least an hour a day. And because it is under mulch, it gets to the roots instead of evaporating. win-win-win.

  86. 86.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @WaterGirl: Hahah…. 30 lashes with a wet noodle for you. He’s an asshole. He has to be where ever I am (which is just a pain in my ass) and if I am sitting he has to be connected to me, It’s gotten so bad that poor Woof lays down on the couch with his head in my seat. When I come to sit I have to pick his head up, sit down and let go of his head which immediately flops back into my lap. Does that stop Percy?

    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo….

    He’ll jump up on a good landing pad and survey the situation. If there is even the smallest of holes between my and any part of Woof, Percy will launch himself into it. If there is no daylight between me and Woof, he just jumps on Woof’s head. Eventually Woof gives up and gets down.

    The other night Woof went to the door and turned to look at me as he always does to say, “Hey, can a guy get a little service here?”

    I got up to let him out and as per usual Percy jumped down and followed. I opened the door and Percy went out but not Woof. I turned to see where he went and he’s jumping up on the couch.

    Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

  87. 87.

    WaterGirl

    @OzarkHillbilly: You need your time with the Woofmeister!! (sp?)

    Sounds like you might need to start singing The Woof the old Girl Scout song so he will know where you stand.

    Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other, gold.

  90. 90.

    Steeplejack

    I need to find a (light) winter jacket. The last few years I’ve gotten by with a dreadful one that looks like I stole it from a 1970s Bulgarian soccer coach. Think I found it in the downstairs closet at Sighthound Hall. It’s gray and plastic and overheats me just looking at it. Somebody probably left it there deliberately as their only chance to escape its curse. But I digress.

    I have a hot metabolism, so I don’t need something heavy, plus I’m mostly exposed just going from house to car to someplace and back. No long treks or standing interminably at the bus stop. I’ve looked in the usual old-guy places—L.L. Bean, REI, Orvis, Duluth Trading, etc.—and at some of the on-line guides. Weird combination of way too many choices but nothing that really hits me. I was just looking again on the phone while the computer did a Windows update.

    Anybody have a jacket they really, really like? Just looking to narrow the search a bit.

  91. 91.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @WaterGirl: Sp correct. On the good side he is once again joining me in bed at night so I get my woof snuggles then.

    @Immanentize: “Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.” I gotta remember that one. I actually have a pretty fair voice and can carry a tune, not that it would ever stop me if I didn’t. I am a firm believer in the joy of song and that anyone who feels it can give voice to it, no matter how badly out of tune they are. Sing like you’re in the shower.

    @debbie: His daddy didn’t raise no dummies!

  92. 92.

    debbie

    @Steeplejack:

    Did you look at LLBean’s barn jackets and field coats? Various weights of warmth are available, with linings from flannel to down. I have the insulated version, and unless there’s a polar vortex, I’m perfectly comfortable even though I’m thin-blooded.

  93. 93.

    Ohio Mom

    @RAVEN: Ohio Dad and his doctor eventually decided on a daily med that prevents gout. It definitely works, he hasn’t had a bout of gout since.

  97. 97.

    Gelfling 545

    Beautiful garden! Inspiring.
    We haven’t had a hard frost yet, though there were a few light ones. Heavy rains have brought down most of the leaves which is good as one of the most damaging storms we had here was the result of wet snow on trees still in full leaf. The big geranium pots are still blooming madly and a few roses are still peeking out but I noticed that the tomato plants in the school teaching garden have been done in. I’ve got alliums & daffodils to plant but the constant rain has held everything up. Thank goodness I got the mulch spread on our one dry-ish day last week.

  98. 98.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Steeplejack: Carhartt makes one that I’ve had for years. I’m pretty sure this is the one. It has thin thermal lining, and the outer shell is impervious to wind. I like them because when I was working I had great freedom of movement, I could easily flip the hood up under my hard hat with out it dragging my head back, it was always easy to add another layer underneath if I needed one, and they wear like iron.I’ve had mine for 20 years more or less and it only recently started getting holes at wear spots in the fore arms.

  100. 100.

    satby

    @Immanentize: some of them may ripen if you put them into brown paper bags, a banana in the same bag gives off a gas that will help. The ones that don’t ripen that way I usually donate to my local wildlife ?
    @Steeplejack: I also run hot and normally don’t wear any kind of jacket until a polar vortex (yes, really).
    I get along very well with pullovers or vests made of microfleece, the Polartec kind. If I need more, I throw in a ruana, but you could probably just get a light jacket of the stuff. LL Bean and Land’s End has lots of polartec.

  102. 102.

    Immanentize

    @Steeplejack:
    All great advice. I live my Carhartt work coat that is lined. It is a canvas shell, but it will last decades, except for the holes I manage to put in it. I also have a great Barbour hunt coat with a removable vest lining. Much fancier (and expensive!) than the Carhartt. And, for Fall to not too cold winter wear, I just picked up a nice insulated Gerry at Costco for like 25 bucks. And, like Satby, always have the fleece vest available. If only to look like a Techbro …

  103. 103.

    frosty

    @Steeplejack: My go-to breakfast is a dozen eggs, scrambled, a pound of chorizo, a can of black beans, and 8 oz of shredded cheese. Set up six containers (I like the Rubbermaid EZ Find Lid 1 1/2 c). Fill with eggs, chorizo, beans, cheese, in that order and freeze. No need to bake, no need for a casserole. Usually lasts me two weeks since I mix up my breakfast menu with a couple of other things.

    ETA It’s impossible to eat a breakfast that’s both lo-carb and lo-fat. Doc told me to cut the carbs so I’m ignoring the fat etc. until the doc tells me to do something about it.

  104. 104.

    Leto

    @Steeplejack: So my two cents here. I like Duluth Trading quite a bit. I’ve bought a lot of clothes from them and they’re all really nice. The. jacket I have from them, that I’m using now as my light coat, might be up your alley: Men’s Fire Hose Flannel-Lined Limber Jac. They run a size large. The color in the picture, on the guy, is a bit lighter than what it is, but overall it’s pretty spot on. It’ll be rugged enough to last a long time, just warm enough to not feel stuffy, and they also make them to allow plenty of movement.

    You might also consider Men’s Insulated Gentleman’s Jacket or Men’s Warden Waxed Canvas Jacket. Both, I think, would fit the bill of what you’re looking for. Also I don’t get anything for hocking their products. I just really like them and think they’re good. They’re durable, look nice, and are good value for the money. If you have any questions about their products, let me know.

  105. 105.

    Steeplejack

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    Thanks, that looks like a contender. I like freedom of movement. Some windbreakers and rain jackets feel constraining. And I don’t like a tight hood.

  107. 107.

    Leto

    @Immanentize:

    If only to look like a Techbro …

    Have you considered shaving your head, pumping iron, and capitalizing on the suffering of your employees in their metal prisons, denying them a/c, bathroom breaks, and a living wage? :P

    I agree on the Barbour line being very nice. I went a slightly different route and picked up some Schott leather jackets. It was dual purpose for both motorcycle riding and being off the bike. Now with no bike, they’re just really nice looking leather jackets.

  109. 109.

    frosty

    @Steeplejack:

    Anybody have a jacket they really, really like? Just looking to narrow the search a bit

    I like my A-2 leather flight jacket (LL Bean) that they don’t offer any more. I bought one in the 80s and it finally wore out and I found an identical one, one size larger*, on eBay. Try CockpitUSA but be prepared for sticker shock. It’s a nice weight for spring and fall and with a fleece vest under it it’s good for winter.

    Also, try Lands End Squall, but it might be a little warm for you.

    * Funny, I’m not quite the same size I was 30 years ago. :-)

  110. 110.

    Steeplejack

    @satby:

    To be honest, I could probably get by with long-sleeved tees or polos and a vest, but then I’d have to shop for a vest! Hmm, I might do that anyway.

  111. 111.

    frosty

    I have 4 of the Patagonia “better sweater” fleece vests. I wear them pretty much all the time between October and May. The chest zip pocket is nice for a phone if you don’t have a shirt with a pocket. And your phone is too big to fit in a Levis watch pocket (the reason I got the iPhone 6SE).

  112. 112.

    Steeplejack

    @Immanentize:

    I had forgotten Carhartt until you and Ozark mentioned it. Will take a look. I have a Duluth Trading store somewhat close to me (≈30 miles). Might take a run out there. And I’ll look at BJ’s (local Costco-type place). I always forget that they sell clothes.

  113. 113.

    Steeplejack

    @Leto:

    Thanks for the links. Added to the file. As I said above, I have a Duluth store in the vicinity. I’ll check them out.

  115. 115.

    Steeplejack

    @frosty:

    Hey, fat means flavor! I just had my Jimmy Dean “breakfast bowl”—sausage, eggs, potatoes, cheese. Pretty good, although yours sounds better. Making ahead of time might be a good strategy for me. Too often I putter around until suddenly I realize I’m famished, and then it’s what’s closest and quickest?

  118. 118.

    Leto

    @frosty: I still want to go to a base’s clothing issue and get an A2. It’ll run about the same price, but I don’t think I can convince Avalune to let me do that…

    @Steeplejack: That always helps. If you can’t find what you want in the store (size/availability), you can order it right there from them and get it shipped free. Good luck and let us know how you make out!

  119. 119.

    Steeplejack

    @frosty:

    I think anything leather might be too heavy for me.

    I keep forgetting that Lands’ End is still a thing. All I remember is when they put their “stores” inside Sears, and the one near me was awful. Will check the catalogue.

    ETA: That Squall jacket looks interesting.

  120. 120.

    Leto

    @OzarkHillbilly: You know I’ve had a feeling that that’s true (personal observation being biased and all), but I also read an article talking about how “sizes” are continually being redefined. Mainly that a size 34 pants, for example, is larger now than 20 years ago, those being larger than from decades past. And it’s for both women’s and men’s clothing. I will say that military clothing is still pretty spot on with their sizing remaining consistent. A 34 pants from 20 years ago is still a 34 now. They’re pretty… uniform… in what they do.

    I’ll see myself out now.

  121. 121.

    Steeplejack

    Thanks to everybody for the jacket advice. This will help motivate me to don the tactical gear (pants!) and actually go out and get something. I hate the Bulgarian soccer coach jacket every time I have to reach for it. And the cold weather is here to stay in NoVA.

  123. 123.

    Steve in the ATL

    @Steeplejack: seems like half the people I know wear the Patagonia vests. I feel like I know you, which means you should get one.

    Barbour makes excellent coats and even vests.

  126. 126.

    frosty

    @Leto: CockpitUSA supposedly is the vendor for USAF. I ordered a couple in different sizes and sent them back. The back hung halfway down my butt and since these are supposed to be waist-length they looked awful. If you’re taller they should work for you.

    Bean’s knockoff fits me. I was lucky to find it used. Just $100 and no visible wear.

  128. 128.

    J R in WV

    I find that farm stores have great work clothes, most of my wardrobe is Carharts tees, long sleeve in the winter, short sleeve in the summer. Cabellas has good outdoor stuff, not as cheap as farm stores like Tractor Supply or Northern Tool or (locally) Green’s Supply or places like that.

  129. 129.

    Leto

    @frosty: I’ll have to give them a look. The military has a number of different vendors, but in the end most of them are relatively the same. Schott supplied the aviator jackets for WW2 pilots, then went on to kind of help define the “rebel” motorcycle image look, and they are def pricey jackets. I’m 5’9” and they hang to just the top of my butt, so overall good fit. I’m always up for a good deal though :)

  130. 130.

    laura

    @Leto: spouse has the firehose jacket and loves it like a brother. I personalized it with a NYC hotdog cart patch from the Met on the inside.
    Welp, the Dia de los Muertos party is now in the rearview mirror. Crowd size maxed out at just over 100. The sole complaint was that Robert did not bring a vat of Posole that rocked last year’s shindig. DJ Larry Rodriguez brought his Flower Vato magic. Theres half a dozen beers and a couple of pints of BlackBerry cider left over.
    Cousin Tom painted The Celestial Loteria – memorializing 5 asylum seeking migrant children who died in ICE custody and it’s going to spend some time at Two Rivers cidery.
    The clean up continues apace and Saturday morning a glorious moment ocurred – sitting with my bestie since high school, eating Hershey’s coaco cake watching the World Rugby Finals (south africa crushed england) while spouse mopped the floors. Heavenly.
    That’s my brief report. If there’s any interest, I can send Alain some pics for OTR.

  131. 131.

    TomatoQueen

    @Immanentize: Just saw this. Tear up a copy of the Globe into long strips. Find a cardboard box or two. Pick all the tomatoes. Wrap each tomato individually in a couple strips of newspaper. Place the wrapped tomatoes in the cardboard box, in one single layer if possible. Place the box or boxes in a dark area, such as the floor of a dark closet that isn’t disturbed much. Start checking in about a week, as your wrapped tomatoes will be ripening, so start taking em out one by one and let ’em continue to ripen in full light. Enjoy the end of tomato season.
    I did this with the first tomatoes I ever grew, which were the All-American Big Beef variety, from Burpee, had fruit from early July through Thanksgiving. The plant grew to be over eight feet tall, and was supported by green twine on brick nails nailed to the mortar of a brick wall. The little garden faced west and got exactly six hours of sun per day. This was 1992. Everything has gone to hell since.

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