June 1, 2010

• BAD NEWS FOR THE BRAT FARM

  
  TALES FROM THE BRAT FARM

  The Beast mowed the other half of our property where most of the fruit trees are located today.  As he was doing that, he was horrified to find that most of the fruit on our trees is rotting once again this year.  We can’t blame the rain for it since we haven’t had that much this year.  He got off his John Deere and started checking each and every tree.  Sure enough, EVERYTHING is rotting.  Peaches, plums, cherries, pears, nectarines, apples….everything is just looking awful.

  He couldn’t believe it!  Neither can I but he came into the house and started researching.  He discovered what it was.  It’s called orchard rot.  It’s caused by letting rotted fruit (as from the previous year) lay on the ground and not removing it from the trees.  It will spread a kind of fungus through any and all fruit trees on a property or in an orchard.  He has to pull ALL the fruit off the trees, cut them back drastically (to allow for air flow through the branches and to ensure new growth next year).  He also has to rake up ALL the fruit that is under the trees and get it into the garbage can ASAP.

  Then he will have to start a vigorous spraying of the trees for the remainder of the growing season and he has to use the same fungicide on the trees very early next year. 

  Of course, I TRIED to get him to cut back the trees two years ago but he wouldn’t listen to me.  I told him that there are lots of reasons that the orchards do this faithfully every year.  I made several other suggestions regarding the rotting fruit but he felt it would become *fertilizer*.  In reality, he was just plain lazy and didn’t want to bother.  It was too much like work.  So, tomorrow, if  Sheepie will help out, I plan on helping the Beast pull fruit off the trees and then rake underneath them all.  That will be step one.

  Now that we have the 8 ft. ladder and the extension ladder, he will be able to easily cut back the trees and top them all.  If he doesn’t do it well enough, I can do a bit more while he is gone.    He might just be vigilant because he is just heart-broken over this.  I’m a bit sick over it myself.  I was really looking forward to a nice crop of peaches, nectarines and cherries, if nothing else.  The apples were still a bit chancey since they are still very young trees.

  At least now the Beast knows that you sometimes MUST check out what is going on with your trees and not assume you know it all when you haven’t been a farmer all your life.      He’s still pissed off that his brother doesn’t do a damn thing to any of his trees (he’s got cherries and peaches) and they are always full of good fruit.  He and his wife spend a week or more just canning and freezing every year.  It kind of annoys me, too, when you think about it.  Oh well.  C’est la vie!

  Looks like the Princess and I will be going to Puerto Vallarta this October for Kay’s wedding.  I wish Bratfink were healthier so she could go because she is the one that really pushed Kay into dating the man that will become her hubby.  Kay said that it was cheaper to have the wedding there than in Las Vegas, partly because the room charge was all-inclusive.  It covers your room, tips, all food, beverages, liquor and services.  I was like…WOW!  Believe it or not, even the air fare is cheaper!  I find that absolutely amazing but it’s true.  October is kind of the *season* for Las Vegas and everything is expensive.  The air fare and the rooms both.  And, although most hotels have some kind of inexpensive meal offerings, there are NO meals included so you have to pay for that, too.  If you go to any of the five-star restaurants, you will feel like you are in New York, they are so pricey.  So, Puerta Vallarta sound good to me.  **Grin**

  The Princess’s ex-father-in-law (sort-of) and Chewlee’s paternal grandfather told her that he would pay for a trip for her and another person anywhere she wanted to go for her 21st birthday present.   I laughed and said that she could pay for our trip then and she actually said that was okay with her.    It would be absolutely perfect if there is some gambling there because I love those one-armed bandits.  But, if not, there are still some great beaches and I was stunned at the pool AND the rooms there.  They all have ocean views.  I can bring a book or three and just enjoy the sun.  Works for me.

  I do have to go pick up the form for our passports tomorrow and get those in for processing in the next couple days.  Thankfully, Walgreens takes passport photos now so there’s no problem there.  I told the Princess I can get my makeup on, run down to let my hairdresser (yeah, like I’m some spoiled rich person…LOL) fix my hair and get the pictures taken.  But they are saying that we should be able to get our passports back in 6-8 weeks now.  It WAS taking as long as six months a year or so ago.

  The Princess couldn’t find her birth certificate so she had to order it over the internet.  She did that for the baby’s not long ago (and she can’t find the baby’s now either!  ).  You can tell she’s not as organized since becoming a mother as she was when she was younger.  She always knew where everything was because she had her *spots* for everything.  She even kept receipts for things in case she might have to take them back for any reason.  Incredible that she should have lost that ability.  At least she thinks she won’t have too tough a time finding someone to watch Chewlee for the four days we will be gone.  I hope so anyway.

  Time to shoot this down the *intertubes* as Bratfink calls it.    Love you all and hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day.  Have a great Tuesday even if you DO have to work.  Laugh.  Smile.  Confuse the heck out of everyone. 
  

  • 12:02 am
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