Operation Golden Garden 2014: Let's Get Started!

stickman · Sep 21, 2013

Sorry to hear allergies are booting ya in the crotch about now Matt... my wife has some pretty severe ones that have been with her for the last 25 years. I try to avoid doing things that set them off, but it's hard to remember sometimes... like when I'm busy and really focused on what I'm doing... Have you been to see a doc that can test you to see what you're sensitive to?

Good news that your pepper plot will be producing for at least another 4-5 weeks, That aught to set you up for the winter in fine style! Cheers guy...

RocketMan · Sep 26, 2013

Whew, catch up time. Ok, so Shiner Beer, Heck Yeah! When I lived in San Antonio all the dads from church would get together and car pool it to take the kids to Youth summer camp. The camp was in Gonzalas which is just down the road from Shiner, Tx. So, we'd drop off the kids and head to Shiner

Yep, fresh from the source

CCW, when I was stationed at Ft Stewart back in the late 80's I used to do some Divemaster work for a local combination Dive and Gun shop. The owner had us licensed in Ga, SC and FL to carry so that we would have some protection when transporting weapons back and forth between the 2 shops and when we were on dive trips and probably twenty thousand dollars worth of dive gear on hand at any given time. Never did have to use it but it was nice to know we had them just in case. Especially when I could have been transporting several AR-15's and AK's at any given time.

Sounds like your really gearing up for next years grow. Are you going to dig out the old and new garden by hand or planning on getting a tiller to make it a bit easier and faster? I'm going to have to pull up about a 2 foot section of sod for pepper row and am thinking about just renting a sod cutter for it. By hand I think it'll be a day or 2 job with it about an hour, hummm

I went out to the Rocket Room this weekend to seed some of the House Warming gift only to find that they had all frozen in the fridge

So I turned the temp down a little so things wouldn't freeze and moved the peppers I was saving to seed in there up to the freezer. Also I picked up some nice small pumpkins yesterday and I have a nice collection of Douglahs. So, I'm thinking that I might just make this years Flaming Pumpkin a Douglah sauce. Well, half of it anyways, I'd need another good pound or so of Douglahs so make a full batch. Plus I have enough pepper love between you and Jamie, thank you gentlemen, in the Freezer to get a batch of Rocket Fuel going too

Happy Days are coming, cue Music, " Sunday, Monday Happy Days......"

MGOLD86 · Sep 26, 2013

Devv said:
Hey Matt,

Time for old timers advice...yeah I'm full of it..

I've been on allergy shots 5 times, three times they've taken me off them because of reactions...Been dealing with allergies for 50 years, and if untreated lead to infection.

So here's what works for me. Can't beat Alka-Seltzer Plus for cold. This stuff knocks all the symptoms and FAST!

Also Loratadine 10mg, 2 a day is OK, these were prescribed to me and are OTC Sam's is a good place to buy in volume.

On a bad day I take the AS and 4 hours later the Loratadine. Neo Synephrine is good to break an oncoming sinus headache, leaning more to a supers nowadays

Hope you have a great weekend and try my advice, I was constantly sick until I learned why...

Thanks for the advice on that Scott, I picked up some AS, but before I got a chance to take it I got better...the story of this last month. It is cool, I will probably need it sooner or later!

Sawyer said:
Just got caught up on the last three pages. Ran out of likes before I got here. Love the updates. I think you're wise to take a break from the video reviews. Capsaicin may be a natural product, but over exposure can still cause problems. Congrats on the new 23. I'm on a wheeler kick myself lately, but I can see some more semis in my future. Here's another vote for black-seeded peppers. I've got two yellows and four reds I'm planning to OW for an early start next year. Had some orange, but they didn't make it.

Thanks Sawyer! I do think that it was a culmination of a bunch of things, and eating a ton of whole supers every day or two for a couple weeks didn't help... I really love the look of those seeds man, I have another variety or two like it and I will probably look to get a few others before planting starts. I definitely have a long enough season to get some good manzano and rocoto harvests so I am planning on sticking a few in the ground.

stickman said:
Sorry to hear allergies are booting ya in the crotch about now Matt... my wife has some pretty severe ones that have been with her for the last 25 years. I try to avoid doing things that set them off, but it's hard to remember sometimes... like when I'm busy and really focused on what I'm doing... Have you been to see a doc that can test you to see what you're sensitive to?

Good news that your pepper plot will be producing for at least another 4-5 weeks, That aught to set you up for the winter in fine style! Cheers guy...

Thanks Rick, I am not really sure about what specifically is hitting me, I think it is just seasonal. I'm feeling better now, but work is just crazy busy. It is just now starting to get cold, beautiful during the day but high 40s overnight. I got up at 5 on Tuesday for a run before work....uh...yuuuuppp 49 DEGREES!!! No bueno!

RocketMan said:
Whew, catch up time. Ok, so Shiner Beer, Heck Yeah! When I lived in San Antonio all the dads from church would get together and car pool it to take the kids to Youth summer camp. The camp was in Gonzalas which is just down the road from Shiner, Tx. So, we'd drop off the kids and head to Shiner Yep, fresh from the source

CCW, when I was stationed at Ft Stewart back in the late 80's I used to do some Divemaster work for a local combination Dive and Gun shop. The owner had us licensed in Ga, SC and FL to carry so that we would have some protection when transporting weapons back and forth between the 2 shops and when we were on dive trips and probably twenty thousand dollars worth of dive gear on hand at any given time. Never did have to use it but it was nice to know we had them just in case. Especially when I could have been transporting several AR-15's and AK's at any given time.

Sounds like your really gearing up for next years grow. Are you going to dig out the old and new garden by hand or planning on getting a tiller to make it a bit easier and faster? I'm going to have to pull up about a 2 foot section of sod for pepper row and am thinking about just renting a sod cutter for it. By hand I think it'll be a day or 2 job with it about an hour, hummm

I went out to the Rocket Room this weekend to seed some of the House Warming gift only to find that they had all frozen in the fridge So I turned the temp down a little so things wouldn't freeze and moved the peppers I was saving to seed in there up to the freezer. Also I picked up some nice small pumpkins yesterday and I have a nice collection of Douglahs. So, I'm thinking that I might just make this years Flaming Pumpkin a Douglah sauce. Well, half of it anyways, I'd need another good pound or so of Douglahs so make a full batch. Plus I have enough pepper love between you and Jamie, thank you gentlemen, in the Freezer to get a batch of Rocket Fuel going too

Happy Days are coming, cue Music, " Sunday, Monday Happy Days......"

I am planning a BBQ this weekend since my dad came in town to see the kiddo, and PLENTY of shiner will be consumed. I just got news that my 1911 came in today, it is custom for the deployment and is freakin badass! I'll post a few pics when I pick it up on Saturday. I am planning a lot for next year, I am dubbing it "The year of the Hybrid". I will probably do the work by hand, good for the soul and to help knock off the winter pudge. I am gonna dig out the area between the rows and fence and then extend the rows another 5-10 feet. Gonna be a ton of work, but I enjoy it.

Oh, I saw a bunch of Douglahs on the plant that are ready to be picked, I'll check this weekend and let you know how much I have and if it can cover or get you close to what you need for the punky doogie sauce. And if you need seeds since the pods were frozen, let me know I gotcha covered.

I'll be back on this weekend to cruise the threads. I didn't get a chance to harvest last weekend cuz of the rain, so I should be pulling ton this weekend!

RocketMan · Sep 27, 2013

MGOLD86 said:
I am planning a BBQ this weekend since my dad came in town to see the kiddo, and PLENTY of shiner will be consumed. I just got news that my 1911 came in today, it is custom for the deployment and is freakin badass! I'll post a few pics when I pick it up on Saturday.

Back when the Army ditched the 1911 for the 9mm the Armorers were told to just trash the parts. A buddy of mine asked me if I wanted a 1911 of course i said heck yeah, so he said go buy a frame and he gave me enough spare parts to build 5 barrels and all. So, the Dive/Gun shop I divemastered for was owned buy a retired SF small arms expert. So I went to see him about the frame. He said if you'll give me all the spare parts and 2 of the 5 barrels, he'll give me back a great weapon and boy did he. great Pachmayr grips, Bomar Combat Sights, Extended Ported barrel and the trigger was set to exactly 7 pounds. It was a really sweet weapon and great on the range.

MGOLD86 said:
Oh, I saw a bunch of Douglahs on the plant that are ready to be picked, I'll check this weekend and let you know how much I have and if it can cover or get you close to what you need for the punky doogie sauce. And if you need seeds since the pods were frozen, let me know I gotcha covered.

That would be awesome! I have a lot of requests for some of that one and no not just Jamie, :rofl:

Thanks for the seed offer, I'll PM you what I was looking at.

BrooklynXpat · Sep 27, 2013

Been a long time since i had time to catch up on your glog. Great updates and sorry to hear your recently dealing with allergies, its been a bad summer for them.

So jealous about your new 1911, or all your weapons for that matter. I seriously hate NY gun laws now that i was finally looking into purchasing, i'm now limited on choices and dont even know what i could get. Hope the season is still chugging along for you

Jeff H · Sep 27, 2013

If we keep going down this path, this will be the "Matt's pepper and firearms glog", and not that that is a bad thing. Far from it.

All this talk of 1911s is making me want to shoot mine real bad. I bet I haven't shot it in a year or more. I've been too wrapped up with highpower rifle this year to do any handgun shooting. Make sure to post pics. I bet it is a beauty. Who made it, Kimber?

Oh, and the pepper garden looks great too. Almost forgot to mention that.

BrooklynXpat: The stock 1911 only has a magazine that only holds 7 rounds, so I think that should be NYS approved, even with the new draconian laws enacted this year.

MGOLD86 · Sep 28, 2013

It's cool all, I am cool with the gun chat, as the season winds down we gotta find new things to talk about. I went out and shot today. Cuz my dad was in town. It was his first time shooting a pistol, and he did great. He liked the Glock better than the 1911, but it's ok, not everyone can have man balls....

I went through the garden today and pulled everything with color in hopes that I can get one more harvest, maybe 2. This one was the biggest yet and I had to break out the table! Great stuff.

And here is a half pound of Douglahs. They are going to Bill to help with the next batch of sauce

I took some more snaps of crazy pods, but the photos aren't showing in my photo stream. Maybe the morning..

Thanks for stopping in!

Devv · Sep 28, 2013

Nice haul Matt!

Can't beat how well you've done this season!

Cheers! Shiner time!

Sawyer · Sep 28, 2013

That's a great harvest. Should keep you busy for awhile.

RocketMan · Sep 29, 2013

Now that is the way to decorate a table! As Tom Cruise said in Taps while Rockin and Rollin on a 60, "It's beautiful man! It's beautiful"

WalkGood · Sep 29, 2013

Great harvest Matt \o/ …
table, table … dat looks like two tables to me, just awesome brethren ^_^

Whoa ½ pound of Douglahs for sauce sounds awesome! Wishing you dem next two pulls and raising an extra. Hab a great day & week mon!

Jamison · Sep 29, 2013

Gigantic harvest there Matt! Tons of heat for the winter bud. Things are looking great!

stc3248 · Sep 30, 2013

Nice pull Matt!!! Great gun talk too...love the man-balls comment. I shoot an old AMT Hardballer 1911, the only problem is the "service weapon's" safety goes the opposite direction...effs with my head. Can't wait to see that bad boy when you get it! I am guessing fully custom Kimber???

stickman · Oct 1, 2013

Nice pull Matt! I hope you have a few more before the season ends for you.

I qualified with the .45 when I was in the Army, but I'm a long gun fan myself. Cheers!

MGOLD86 · Oct 5, 2013

Devv said:
Nice haul Matt!

Can't beat how well you've done this season!

Cheers! Shiner time!

Hell yea Scott, it has definitely been Shiner time for the past year!

Sawyer said:
That's a great harvest. Should keep you busy for awhile.

Thanks, I was really surprised how great it turned out. I was outside today checking out the garden, and ill be harvesting again tomorrow!

RocketMan said:
Now that is the way to decorate a table! As Tom Cruise said in Taps while Rockin and Rollin on a 60, "It's beautiful man! It's beautiful"

Yuuup! It was definitely a great sight!

WalkGood said:
Great harvest Matt \o/ …
table, table … dat looks like two tables to me, just awesome brethren ^_^

Whoa ½ pound of Douglahs for sauce sounds awesome! Wishing you dem next two pulls and raising an extra. Hab a great day & week mon!

Thanks Ramon! It looks like I am gonna be gettin at least one more, there is plenty of color outside, not as much as last week but enough for another harvest.

Jamison said:
Gigantic harvest there Matt! Tons of heat for the winter bud. Things are looking great!

Thanks J! I am gonna have plenty to carry me through the winter.

stc3248 said:
Nice pull Matt!!! Great gun talk too...love the man-balls comment. I shoot an old AMT Hardballer 1911, the only problem is the "service weapon's" safety goes the opposite direction...effs with my head. Can't wait to see that bad boy when you get it! I am guessing fully custom Kimber???

LOL! Everyone needs to reach down and grab hold every once in a while. See below for the new piece. IT IS SEXY!!

stickman said:
Nice pull Matt! I hope you have a few more before the season ends for you.

I qualified with the .45 when I was in the Army, but I'm a long gun fan myself. Cheers!

Thanks! Yea, I am a huge fan of qualifying with the .45, shooting with the 9mm baretta sucks. The trigger pull on a .45 is like..BOOM. The trigger pull on the 9 is like.......... ............... . . ............. .....B......oo..............m. lol!

So I have been super busy at work lately, I took a new position running a training course for new Marines looking to become special operators. Right now we are working to get the course formalized which means hours upon hours writing curriculum and policy. A ton of work, but it will pay off in the end. It is cool that the season is coming to an end, because I can focus more on work and not worry about neglecting the garden. It is definitely in autopilot right now, it doesn't need anything. It is dropping leaves because of the weather, but it is still pumpin out pods and color. I will probably get a decent size harvest tomorrow and maybe another one or two. I will probably shoot a video as well, so standby for that.

Here is my new baby. I put together a group order through Kimber for a deployment commemorative pistol, and we expected them to come in 3 months ago. Kimber is notorious for being super late, but better late than never!

I wasn't even planning on shooting it, I have another 1911 and a .40 to play with, but this thing is so beautiful that I don't think that I could resist. I have another set of operator grips that the wife got me for our anniversary a few months back and I think this pistol is gonna get some use. I will probably clean up the other one and put it on the shelf and take this one out for fun. I have a buddy that does some tactical shooting classes and competition and I will probably jump in on that. I will rely more heavily on the Glock, but this one will definitely get broken in!

Back to the pepper front, I just updated my seed bank tonight and I am sitting at close to 200 varieties. I will be doing plenty of seed giveaways, so stay tuned for those. Also, if there are any seeds you are lookin for and think I may have some, let me know. I will do my best to share what I have available to share.

RocketMan · Oct 5, 2013

Matt is SERE going to be a part of the course? You could maybe combine work and pleasure in that part as you feed the candidates fresh peppers and have them take part in the Pure Evil Challenge <insert an evil grin here>

stickman · Oct 5, 2013

MGOLD86 said:
Thanks! Yea, I am a huge fan of qualifying with the .45, shooting with the 9mm baretta sucks. The trigger pull on a .45 is like..BOOM. The trigger pull on the 9 is like.......... ............... . . ............. .....B......oo..............m. lol!

It must be that long double-action trigger pull to cock the hammer and fire the first round... after that, with the slide recoil cocking the hammer for you, doesn't it shorten the trigger pull? The new piece looks nice... is that alloy or steel under the powder-coating?

Good luck with your new assignment and garden harvest... nice that you have it dialed in to where the garden is on auto-pilot now that you're so busy. Cheers!

RocketMan · Oct 6, 2013

Harry Callahan: A 357 magnum (.45) is a good weapon, but I've seen 38's (9mm's) bounce off of windshieds. No good in a city like this.

Always loved that line

Devv · Oct 6, 2013

Matt, a beautiful weapon there!

I'm sure she shoots as sweet as she looks!

Enjoy what's left!

WalkGood · Oct 6, 2013

Another pull sounds great, I'm guessing you'll let it ride ... who knows maybe dos mas

Beautiful weapon … great luck & success on da range, hope you have a great week!