THINGS I MISS

I was just on Facebook and someone posted a short speech from Paul Harvey that got me thinking. Not only was Paul dead on his topic, but it reminded me how much I miss him on the radio every day. The world was a little bit nicer because he was there. A little more friendlier. A little closer to home.

It also reminded me what else I miss, hang on, here they come.

I miss: Jerry Clower- He could make you belly laugh and always stay clean. A lost talent these days.
         : Roy Rogers & Trigger- Every Saturday morning, laying on the floor in front of the TV.
         : John Wayne- A man's man. Cowboy or not he was John Wayne in every picture you saw, and you knew where you stood with him every time.
         : Coach Paul "BEAR" Bryant- Now there was a Coach!
         : Shelling peas in the summer time, seating on the front screened- in porch, talking with family.
         : Family Bar-B-Que's when the whole family gathered and helped cook and visited while they did it, sitting up all night long to cook a hog.
         : Stores closing on Sundays.There is nothing we need so bad, we can't get on Saturday or wait till Monday for.
         : People with manners.
         : People who care. About anyone or anything other than themselves.
         : People who were friendly.
         : Neighbors you could talk to.
         :Workers who took pride in their work.
         :Government Officials who represent us.
         :America! The one I grew up in when life had hope.

I know I must sound like a grumpy old man, but I'm not. I just miss all the things that made life seem normal, and happy. I miss.... I hope!!!

Jim Cobb Coleman  

A ROOM WITH A VIEW

Do you ever just stop and look around at your surroundings? Sometimes there's alot of cool stuff happening all around you and you never notice it. We all get busy, but we need to slow down and appreciate the view. Especially the view from the bottom.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

No blarney! Shamus McDuck hopes you have the luck of the Irish today!

SCENES FROM THE FARM

As I eased out the back door early this morning I paused to enjoy the view and a sip of coffee. The azaelas are in full bloom splashed in pinks, reds, and purples.

Sissy girl our calico farm cat was napping on the porch stretched out and claiming the Deacon's bench as her's.

Down in front of the barn my plow patiently awaits me to come and put us both to work.

Morning is my favorite time of the day, you get to watch the real world come alive.

Jim Cobb Coleman
bullfrogbottom.blogspot.com/

GOOD HARVEST

As I have said, I live the old country ways I grew up living. I learned early to hunt, fish, farm and live with animals. As well as farming for my food I fish for fun and for the meat. I also hunt for my meat and for the enjoyment of being in the woods.

We try to use as much of the animal as possible just like the Indians did hundreds of years ago. If I have a good season I can help feed my family for 6 months to a year from the meat. I do my own butchering and processing.

Between deer, wild hogs, small game, and fish plus the fruit and vegetables we raise I try to provide as much as possible for my family without going to a store. Some years are better then others. That's why they call it fishing & hunting, your trying but, no guarantees. I know it's better for us than anything you can get from the store. If you don't believe me ask your Dr.. We did. Deer meat is healthier for you.

Here's a little experiment you can try that will back me up. Geta egg from a local farmer with chickens, and take one from your local grocery store. Open it up and look at the color of the yolk. One is yellow, one is orange. Guess which one's better for you? The orange one. The orange one will taste delicious, the yellow one like cardboard. Which one do you want? I raise my own, they're orange.

Hope ya'll have a good harvest!
Jim Cobb Coleman.

STARTING SEEDS

Yesterday evening "Big Momma" and I got real dirty! We sat on the front porch and sat out 48 cups of seeds for our garden. We planted 12 cups of banana peppers, 12 cups of heirloom ferris wheel tomatoes, 12 cups of cayenne peppers, and 12 cups of onions.

Today I'm adding 12 cups of black cherry heirloom tomatoes, 12 cups of Roma tomatoes, 10 cups of straight 8 cucumbers, 10 cups of red cherry tomatoes, 10 cups of crookneck squash, and 8 cups of California Wonder bell peppers.

All of the potting soil I'm using is home grown out of my compost bin. I save all vegetable scraps , coffee grinds, egg shells, grass clippings, leaves, an occaisional can of beer, and a little seasoned manure. Give it a couple of months in my homemade compost tumbler, or a couple of years slow cooking in a big pile and there you go. Composting was one of my favorite areas in the Master Gardener Program with the County Extension Service. Anyone can do it and it only takes up a little space in your yard. First chance I get I'll add photos of my homemade composter it's easy to make and very inexpensive.


In between showers I hope to actually get my peas and butterbeans in the ground this week. So far this week no luck yet. Our tax-man called today and needs some money so I have to go see him in a little while, and I hope to go help do some grass cutting over at the Church this afternoon before service this evening. It's gonna be another buzy one here on the farm, but that's how we like it. If you get the chance stop by there's always room for another planter on the front porch.

Jim Cobb

SIGNS OF SPRING

Overnight my taters have popped up. Boy are they pretty. I've always been a gambler at heart, so I think I'm gonna gamble and go ahead and try to get a jump start on the growing season. I know there is always a chance of frost before Easter gets here, but I think it's worth the risk to have some early fresh peas.

I'll start with some black-eyed peas and butter beans. As you can see in my picture I have plenty of seeds! I get my seeds for peas and butter beans straight off the grocery store shelf. Dried peas are seeds, and they're cheaper than buying them at the feed & seed store. Same thing with the potatoes. I just buy a bag down at "Hubbard's" Grocery Store and bring them home and put them on a shelf for a week or two unopened. When they sprout eyes, open the bag and let them go another week or so till the eyes are up good. Then take your pocket knife and cut off a plug of tater with an eye on it and plant them, eyes up.

My tomatoes and peppers I'll start in old styrofoam coffee cups and noodle soup cups I've saved all year to recycle. I compost so I already have my own homemade potting soil. We save our vegetable scraps ,egg shells, and coffee grinds. During the year I pick up bags of grass clippings and leaves for the pile. The last few years we had a cow, I saved the manure and add it to the pile. We have rabbits and during the year I top dress in between the rows with their manure to help fertilize.

They say "HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL". I am hoping for a bumper crop!!

See ya'll later,

Jim Cobb Coleman.