Devv: Someday, I'll get this right, South Tejas Growing

Well I'm way behind this season. Hopefully I can do better....no guarantees!
 
I'm still trying to figure out this "new normal", my brother said it took him a full year.
 
Any way:
 
Last year, could be the year before as they all seem to meld together now   I cleared the Crepe Myrtle trees that were invading the garden root-wise. That spot WAS the original garden 31 years ago.
 

 
Now that area looks like this:
 

 
I added 600 square feet to the garden, the soil is pretty darned saweet! Back then I added 16 yards of Black Gumbo to help with the drainage. Then LB wanted a pool, which is now gone. Garden reclaimed! The goal is to have a crop rotation so we can keep diseases at bay, as I mainly used the 1,600 sf fenced area for night shades.
 
During the off season I made some Bio Char. I need to take pics of the new kiln I made, that will come later.
 
Crunched char. I use the tractor to crush it on the driveway, it's laid on an old sheet to make it easier to pick up.
 

 
I use the old chipper-shredder to grind it. First I wet it so the dust isn't an issue.
 

 

 
Then I grind all this, and this is just a sample of what gets ground.
 

 
Then it rests here until we add it to the soil.
 

 
 
 

 

[Ghost Pepper Revolution]

That’s a big rat snake, wife freaked couple years back when one was draped across the driveway and my daughter ran right past. 
I’m almost as rural as you 
 
here’s mine last year 
 

 
 

 

[tsurrie]

Garden is looking great Scott, as usual.
 
I hear snakes are nice to have near the garden, but they scare most of us. The snake season has just begun around here. Saw the first one just the other day.

 

[stettoman]

Love snakes, got rattlesnake bit once, when we lived in AZ (long alcohol involved story)...Used to have an abundance of the garden variety red belly and garter snakes here, but I haven't seen one in 5 or 6 years...
 
And yeah, 6 acres is a lot to mow, but I do it to keep the mosquitos down. It works pretty well most years, when I can keep the old Club (as in baseball bat) running...
 
I take no truck with the scorpions, though. Been stung twice, that shit hurts long time...

 

[Mr.joe]

Don't have many snakes here, most that I've seen are rattlesnakes. I'm in more of the city than many of you guys. Years ago myself and some friends used to actively hunt snakes for fun. My buddy had several rattlesnakes all at once. His neighbor tried it and got bit by a sidewinder the first time he tried, I bet he hasn't done that since then.

 

[Devv]

That’s a big rat snake, wife freaked couple years back when one was draped across the driveway and my daughter ran right past. 
I’m almost as rural as you 
 
here’s mine last year 
 

 
 

Any snake scares LB, I guess better safe than sorry!
 
I've never seen a snake like the one in your pic. Do you know what kind it is?

 

[Devv]

Garden is looking great Scott, as usual.
 
I hear snakes are nice to have near the garden, but they scare most of us. The snake season has just begun around here. Saw the first one just the other day.

Thanks Uros!
 
That's the first one we've seen since it warmed up that is alive. The dogs got to two small garter snakes already.
Funny with a rattle snake they don't engage, they just bark like crazy. Then I let them inside and the snake leaves.
I try not to harm them. I call them rat patrol!

 

[Devv]

Love snakes, got rattlesnake bit once, when we lived in AZ (long alcohol involved story)...Used to have an abundance of the garden variety red belly and garter snakes here, but I haven't seen one in 5 or 6 years...
 
And yeah, 6 acres is a lot to mow, but I do it to keep the mosquitos down. It works pretty well most years, when I can keep the old Club (as in baseball bat) running...
 
I take no truck with the scorpions, though. Been stung twice, that shit hurts long time...

Wow! I'm sceered to death of being rattle snake bit. Although last year an aggressive rat snake bit my foot.
Dang thing came after me as I was dumping kitchen waste in the compost bin.
No more trips to the garden in flip flops!
 
I've been hit by scorpions 4 times; the first time was in bed when we first bought the place.
The first two hits were like bee stings. Three and four caused some serious swelling. Leather gloves all the time now when picking stuff up that's on the ground

 

[Devv]

Don't have many snakes here, most that I've seen are rattlesnakes. I'm in more of the city than many of you guys. Years ago myself and some friends used to actively hunt snakes for fun. My buddy had several rattlesnakes all at once. His neighbor tried it and got bit by a sidewinder the first time he tried, I bet he hasn't done that since then.

Some scary stuff once bitten (twice shy?) , the rattlers have an enzyme that starts the digestive process.
That stuff just can't be fun.

 

[PaulG]

Nice duck with the Dog-Singing-in-the-Shower
mask on, GPR

 

[CaneDog]

Any snake scares LB, I guess better safe than sorry!
 
I've never seen a snake like the one in your pic. Do you know what kind it is?

 
Looks like a yellow rat snake to me.  I'd think they'd be around your area too, Devv, but maybe they look a little different.
 
I've seen them in the Everglades, but looking more orange.  Cool looking snakes.

 

[Mr.joe]

Some scary stuff once bitten (twice shy?) , the rattlers have an enzyme that starts the digestive process.
That stuff just can't be fun.

I seen his hand a few days later, definitely didn't look fun. Then when the hospital bill shows up it hurts all over again

 

[Ghost Pepper Revolution]

That’s crazy Scott with the scorpions, I’d spray the outside so much they wouldn’t be within a mile     
 

Nice duck with the Dog-Singing-in-the-Shower
mask on, GPR

why must you taunt me so, I cannot find the mask reference anywhere 
 

 
Looks like a yellow rat snake to me.  I'd think they'd be around your area too, Devv, but maybe they look a little different.
 
I've seen them in the Everglades, but looking more orange.  Cool looking snakes.

you’d be correct my friend, yell-a rat snake it is. Most docile snake here which explains my princess not getting bit, glad it wasn’t a mocossin or diamond back which have been spotted in the area. Got lots of lead if I do spot one though   

 

[windchicken]

Epic garden, as always, Scott! You are so the man!!!
 
I'm glad to see those wood chips!!!

 

[Devv]

That’s crazy Scott with the scorpions, I’d spray the outside so much they wouldn’t be within a mile     
 

They are everywhere around here, turn over a piece of wood that's laying on the dirt and more often than not one will be there.
 
When we bought this place the house was very basic, I mean very. The previous owners built the house on the place as a sort of vacation home. It didn't have any heat, and just a window unit for AC.
 We wanted the land mainly, and fixed up the house. They used paneling instead of sheetrock.
Over the years I pretty much stripped it down to the studs, sheet rocked it, adjusted the window sizes (they came down way low, toddler danger)  and replaced them with double pane glass.
Scraped the linoleum up, pulled the carpets and ceramic tiled the floors. Added 800 sf, Hardi planked the outside, metal roof, and central HVAC.
I did everything but the HVAC.
 
So all the work sealed the house, no more Scorps in the house except a stray every so often.

 

[Devv]

I seen his hand a few days later, definitely didn't look fun. Then when the hospital bill shows up it hurts all over again

I forget where I saw it, perhaps Youtube. A teacher was out with students, and pulled over to show them a snake.
 
A big snake, like 6 foot. He picked it up and things got crazy, he was bit in his hand. The bones in his hand partially dissolved, that was it for a useful hand.
I totally respect snakes.

 

[Devv]

Epic garden, as always, Scott! You are so the man!!!
 
I'm glad to see those wood chips!!!

Thanks Gary!
 
Glad you could stop by I think I'm well over 100 yards now of wood chips that have been mixed into the garden. 
Asplundh just dumped a huge mountain of chipped material at the county yard. I'm checking in with them in the morning...

 

[Devv]

 
Got a pic taken before the kitchen wiz process them all...she told me I'm spoiled.
I said "I know it".
Nardello's at the the top, 4 thunder mysteries, 3 Zapotec crosses, 8 white bhuts, trippaul threat purple, the yellowish pod is a thunder 2, 4 P. Dreadie Reds (now orange). a sugar rush, and 4 trippaul threat white.
 

 
I need to setup a few more tables..

 

[podz]

Wow! I'm sceered to death of being rattle snake bit. Although last year an aggressive rat snake bit my foot.
Dang thing came after me as I was dumping kitchen waste in the compost bin.
No more trips to the garden in flip flops!

 
There are dogs and then there are Jack Russells. Watch this little dude make quick work out of a Cape Cobra!
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcCOQSgaXt0

 

[Devv]

 
There are dogs and then there are Jack Russells. Watch this little dude make quick work out of a Cape Cobra!

I love it!
 
The rat terriers are just a smaller version. But the Jack Russells may be a bit more on edge.  
I wish I had a video of Sydney, a female rat, killing a rattle snake. She grabbed it by the middle and just shook the hell out of it.
There had to be 18"s of snake hanging out of both sides of her mouth. I was laughing at her because the snake was slapping her hind quarters as she shook it.
We used to have 4 cats...then we got Sydney...

 

[podz]

Dachsunds are even worse. Ridiculous.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrduS5PwhZ4