POLL: What region are you in?

I haven't been here in - ahem - way too long. If you ignore all the other times I have fallen off the face of the earth for awhile, I have a really good excuse this time.

I have been too busy harvesting!

I would love to say that I'll be here in the winter - but last winter, work was so busy I had hardly any time to be here. But if I have my druthers, I'll be here in the winter!

PS - spell check doesn't object to "druthers" - who knew!

Greetings from one of the four in the SW DESSERT (as my semi-literate HS students would say)! I'm curious as to the ID of those others who would actually claim to 'live' in a desert... IS there such a thing as a xeriscape veggie????? You all in the Midwest show up here in force just to yabber on and on because - because - you get something called RAIN.

We in NM are supposed to experience an annual event called a "MONSOON" season. In normal places like the tropics that means several deluges a day (or maybe the Midwest). This year, in the Santa Fe area, our monsoon is almost a month late - and so far, our biggest 'deluge' found me outside COUNTING the raindrops. I actually had to get a sample of one and run it through a spectrophotometer just to be sure it was what it claimed to be. Small children in town were running around screaming outside because they had NO CLUE what was splashing on them from the sky every once in a while. Old folks stood in the streets with their arms outstretched and their faces turned upwards to the cloud that almost let go of a drop.

So I guess we 'deserters' ( ) don't have lots to say about gardening... sniff.

And speaking of weather... I have a question for you all. Would you tend to believe a local tv forecast over weather.com or vs? I have spent months comparing the two for santa fe and ALWAYS - weather.com is 5 to 10 degrees hotter in its predictions than local tv. Well. Computer local tv. I don't have a functional tv so I look it up on the net.

AND BEFORE... you say... look up which one was right! I have tried but haven't figured out how to find past info from either place. Haven't spent lots of time searching however. i'd just like to know what you all think.

Linda - who spent the day at the farm with 200 tomato plants - a bit of bondage going on there. Me, tomato, a little wire, a little torn sheet... Don't let it get around.

PS - I just found out yesterday that my 'knowledge' of my correct elevation here was totally wrong for 20 years. I live, not at 7800 feet... but... at 8300 ft!!!! That's 1300 feet higher than the highest capital city in the U.S.! No wonder I use oxygen... and my edamame get nosebleeds.

Look at us C&T Southerners now up to 13 and neck in neck with the lower south. CTS CTS CTS!!!!!!!

oxmyx1, Yes, there is a xeriscape veggie: nopales, or de-thorned, and sliced prickly pear cactus pads. No, doesn't taste like chicken, but it does taste a bit like green beans. Through a nursery, you can purchase thorn-less prickly pears to add to your edible landscape. Here's some info: http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/2163-cooking-with-cactus-nopales-cactus
We bought our first thornless 'pear at the Luther Burbank home and museum in Santa Rosa, CA. Nonna

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:We bought our first thornless 'pear at the Luther Burbank home and museum in Santa Rosa, CA. Nonna

Used to ride my bike past there all the time & worked down the street from it!

GG

G.G., did you ever go into the Burbank grounds? If you did, do you rememeber to HUGE thornless prickly pear plant in the middle of the garden? Burbank bred the thornless 'pear especially for its tasty pads and the delicious fruits (think jelly making). When I first moved to Texas in the early 60s, the state was still recovering from the terrible drought of the 50s, and I was treated to stories about "burning pear," where the Hill Country ranchers carried propane burners and torched the spines off the prickly pears so their cattle could eat them. It was how many a rancher (including Great-Grandpa Kidd) managed to save their core breeding stock. Never did hear if any ranchers later bought and planted the Burbank thornless. Nonna

Hey, Nonna, thank you! I was kinda kidding but always there's a surprise. I have never tasted a 'pear so I will have to investigate.


now I'm hungry.

Nonna.PapaVino wrote:G.G., did you ever go into the Burbank grounds?

I am ashamed to say that I never went in, just admired it from the outside everytime I drove or rode by. I lived in NoCal for over 30 years and never went wine-tasting there either, until I moved out of state and then went back for a visit!

GG

Oxmyx, Living where you do, I'll bet you can easily find nopales in your local Mexican market, though sometimes you have to be sure all the spines are removed from the pads before you slice them up. Ask at nurseries for culinary varieties of prickly pear and add it to your garden--you'll make me envious 'cause I have to baby mine during the winter and during rainy spells. Nonna

Nonna, I've seen them even in our albertson's and whole foods! Haven't noticed them in the nurseries but I will be on the lookout. Thank you!!

Linda

Whooohooo! Coastal and Tropical South is up to 15 members!

Thought I'd bump this since it seems there have been a number of new members in different regions recently. I hope everybody will get in and vote for their region! We'd love to have a better idea of how many members are from each region!

I think Sherryeo is standing outside her local grocery store chain with a wireless laptop, trying to get people to join the forum and vote!

Hey, I might be tempted to do just that, Boff, except for the fact that my laptop bit the dust months ago!

Great idea, Boff. I think I can get the Midwest over 100 now.

Since you guys are in the middle of a heat wave, you be sure to wear your beanie cap with the propeller on top so you don't get heat stroke!

Uh oh, Boff. Now look what you've gone and done - given BBG ideas about how to get even more numbers in his region - as if he needs to - they're running away with the poll!

Boff, is that your face that keeps popping up at the bottom of my forum screen, asking what's up & winking at me?

sherryeo wrote:Boff, is that your face that keeps popping up at the bottom of my forum screen, asking what's up & winking at me?

Yeah, because that's what YOU need, Sherry. An old, computer nerd of a man hitting on you.

And, yup...ideas.....the ideas running through this brain. I AM a competitive person. I'll give you all that much.

Yeppers...just for you...

Boffer - Well, I've heard rumors that that little face is showing up in lots of computer screens, so I'm not too sure I can believe that you "only have eyes for me!" Uh - you forum guys could tell if BBG was entering all those numbers for the Midwest himself, right?

BBG - Well, I'm an old computer nerd myself (at least in the sense that I like the computer - not as knowledgeable about it as Boffer seems to be!), but already have a hubby and don't think I could go through the trouble of "training" another one! I think Boffer's wife probably has him pretty thoroughly trained, too. Gotta admit, though, I sure wish my hubby was as interested in sfgardening as Boffer is!

You guys are a hoot, but I gotta go to work tomorrow, so had best try to get some shut-eye!

C'mon, Boff, you can do better than an old 45, right? Here's what making a REAL pass looks like....yes, you gotta click before you see what's coming...the only hint I give.....it's 1976!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKPoHgKcqag

Oh Dear Lord.....

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:C'mon, Boff, you can do better than an old 45, right? ....

Dude, really, this is important history: A Garrard Zero100 turntable sitting on a shelf that is hanging by chains from the ceiling to prevent vibration skips...Bose 901s hanging in the corners (couldn't afford Klipshe horns)...two McIntosh amps, a tube-type pre-amp...a little incense burning...Boonesfarm wine...ah...those were the days. The digital stuff today just doesn't have the warmth and depth of tubes.

Alright, I confess, I have a 1000+ vinyl record albums in boxes in the basement, and don't have a turntable or stereo with which to play them!

boffer wrote:Alright, I confess, I have a 1000+ vinyl record albums in boxes in the basement, and don't have a turntable or stereo with which to play them!

Um...good GAWD! Can I introduce to you to EBAY my friend? If you don't sell 'em your son will when you die!

BBG we are coming to get you up to 16 now