poolz1

A little too far west here to get in on the good action that is firing up. Sun is coming out and its mega humid... Hoping we get another round later this afternoon.

Big thanks to @wxtrix for the inspiration. Probably went a little heavier on the parm and went with two layers of tomatoes. Basil flowers for garnish...outstanding dish! The whole family really enjoyed it. Served with grilled marinated beef, onions, peppers and zucchini skewers along with grilled rosemary potatoes. All veggies and herbs from the garden....minus the garlic.

Looks fantastic...we are overloaded with tomatoes right now and Ive run out of ideas. Will certainly give this a try. The dijon probably gives that a nice kick... I am curious how it would taste if the same layers were placed on a toasted baguette?

Found one a few years ago in a large bush beside our walkway to our front door. We walked past that basketball sized nest for weeks and did even notice. Just by chance, the nest was at a perfect height for the hood of my truck! I popped the hood, gently placed a pole under the hood and stabbed that thing. Cutting the wheels and tearing it apart....all while watching the chaos from the safety of the driver's seat. It was a sight watching them attack the truck. Maybe beer was involved...lol Not the smartest way to handle the situation but hey....not one bee killed and 24 hours later that bush was a hornet ghost town.

Finding cucumber beetles, squash bugs and squash bug eggs this morning. The battle has started. Trying to keep a regular spray of neem oil going this year. This, along with killing what I can see and removing eggs I hope to keep damage to a minimum. Any other methods out there for organic gardening? Japanese beetles are more prolific this year than years past. Doing a number on our strawberry patch.

Not sure where you get your seeds but Baker Creek has great slow bolt cilantro seed. The stuff is just never ending and takes forever to shoot up and flower.

Nothing severe with the first storm here but no slouch either. Lots of T&L... Maybe 45+/- gusts. Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

15 minutes away from me. Great outdoor drinking! Hearing the same roars to my west... Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

He's getting better, @CAPE. 3 moles in three days and very minimal damage. This dog would lick you to death but I think he hates freakin moles moles more than I do.... Ground is soft due to the recent rains and they are on the move.

.77" from the line that just went through. Could use some sun...things were soggy before. 4.11" total the past 5 days

My cantaloupes look like crud as well. I dont know why... Butternut squash and cucumbers really looking good so far. I held off growing watermelon this year since success has been hit and miss and not everyone in the family is fan anyways. Ive been applying the Sluggo you suggested....so far I think it is working in gardens/potted plants I havent tried to manually remove them. Not 100% but I assume it takes a little time to whittle the populations down.

Around 3" of rain the past few days. With the forecast next week, the gardens should be looking healthy. Im trying to train some of our cukes on the garden fence this season to conserve some space. Healthy looking plant...along with some thai basil.

Lol...I think we had this discussion last year. 100% correct on all points. My dog has caught 2 this year but probably dug up a hundred yards of trails getting them. Strawberry season at a peak right now. Today's harvest....

I had to look up sous vide when you mentioned it the other day. Whats your overall experience using this? Really intrigues me but I am also not trying to reinvent the wheel. Just curious if it requires a whole new learning process when it comes to doneness....I understand that the device creates the perfect doneness but do you compensate for whether you are finishing on the grill, cast iron or smoker...etc? Tacos look stellar, btw....

4 Porterhouse steaks...cut 1.5" thick and ready for the grill. I still think the ribeye is the best cut especially for grilling but I dont think there will be any complaints. Getting ready for my pre-company beer.....beautiful outside!

Will have to check out the Slug-Go...never heard of it. I have tried several versions of beer traps and just couldn't attract them.... I actually thought about using some of that white tree wrap that I use for the base of our fruit trees..Could the larva still bore through that stuff? Probably so I guess... We alway get a decent zucchini crop but production is alway cut short because of these suckers....They hit every squash plant I try to grow.

After years of trying all kinds of slug repellants and traps I have yet to find something that works well for organic gardening. The past few years I started trying to rid them the old fashion way...manual removal. This year I have done this in all of the gardens and it has been a success! Once the local population is mostly removed I find that they never really recover to the point of being able to destroy a plant. Takes about 5 days of constant vigilance in the early mornings and nights....picking them off with a stick and dropping them into a cup of water. For me, slugs are by far the worst garden pests. They have destroyed so many plants over the years and its been frustrating. Next up....I need to figure out how to eliminate squash vine borers

Going to be a loud day. 2 days of a cold shower and they are ready for some action today! Funny, the trees in the shade are just a constant spattering of "clicks" and "chirps"....Trees in the sun are getting into the typical drone.

Today was certainly a significant uptick. Wow! Night and day difference from yesterday.... Nothing new to you folks east of me but the intensity really is crazy.

A shot of the cell heading into southern Frederick Co. From Jefferson. Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Feel like I am about 7-10 days behind those of you around the 95 corridor. Yesterday was noticeable uptick in shells found on our trees around the yard but before that it was pretty sparse. I was explaining the lifecycle to my youngest (4th grader) and she brought up a good question. Her question....Are these cicadas the longest living insect? I am sure I could do a google search but just thinking about it...17 years is pretty crazy for an insect. Longer than a lot of mammals.

Not bad for a cellphone shot. Saw several today in Frederick but nothing here at our house yet.

Salt systems are extremely popular. Roughly 75% of our customer base have converted to salt. With that said, we are honest with our customers on what to expect from a salt system as there is a lot misinformation and misconceptions out there. We have a salt system on our pool and love it. A few things to keep an eye on when owning a salt pool.. - A natural byproduct of the generation of chlorine is to constantly raise your ph. If left unmonitored, ph levels can shoot through the roof and you certainly dont want to winterize your pool if it has a high ph level. - The chlorine generated is an unstable form of chorine that is gassed off as soon as UV rays make contact. Maintain a good level of CYA (stabilizer) so you can set the cell at a lower output thus extending the life of the cell. - Clean the cell per the manufacturer's instructions. The process that goes on inside the cell encourages calcium and other dissolved solids to precipitate out. This will cause scale build up on the flow switch, temp sensor and "fins" inside the cell. Left unchecked, it will ruin the cell in a season or two. Using a maintenance dose of a scale inhibitor will help reduce the scale build up. - Be very careful using an auto cover or solar blanket on a salt pool. The pool must be allowed to gas off the unused chlorine on a regular basis. The build up of gas under the cover will create a chlorine level that will be unsafe to swim, throw your water chemistry out of whack and make that expected pool party a dud. We have seen chlorine levels at 30+ppm after a customer returns home from vacation.

I dont wish for a major drought but just a little dry is nice for us river fisherman. Rivers are already in good shape....just need them to come down a bit more and it will be prime.

That shrimp and broccoli....wow! Agreed. Especially in Spanish and Mexican dishes. One of my favorites is pork tacos from leftover pulled pork. Cook in the cast iron, constantly deglazing, adding spices, squeezing lime juice. Pork get crispy and so flavorful...the cinnamon works well with it. Crispy pork tacos are one of my favorites and I am usually forcing myself to stop eating.