Texas Spring/Summer Thread

[Bird]

Incidentally, I bought an 8# bag of California Oranges today. They're beautiful and taste great, and are monsters to peel. Maybe because I don't know how???

I mentioned this back on the 29th of last month. And that 8# bag consisted of 7 oranges; biggest oranges I've ever seen. And I did learn to peel them without too much work. But I've not seen anymore of them in the store since. Mostly we've been eating the "Cuties" or Clementines; tiny oranges, but easy to peel and taste pretty good. But the last few days I've noticed Walmart has boxes of Sunkist navel oranges from California; 30 oranges to a box for $5.00. My wife just came in with one of those boxes and I just ate one of the oranges, and I do believe it was the sweetest orange I ever ate.

 

[Western]

Bird, funny you mention Walmart and fruit. My wife had bought a bag of Pink grapefruit at the Azle store, I think they are the sweetest grapefruit I've ever had. I would say where they were from, but she threw the bag away and put them in a large bowl..sorry:ashamed:

 

[foreman Etexas]

Alright guys and gals,whens that 70deg. Nights going to kick in? I'm 2wks off on getting hay meadows fertilized,and haven't had a total of half inch rain in a month. Not looking good...

 

[Western]

Alright guys and gals,whens that 70deg. Nights going to kick in? I'm 2wks off on getting hay meadows fertilized,and haven't had a total of half inch rain in a month. Not looking good...

Thursday maybe,

 

[Bird]

Dennis, I'm spoiled when it comes to grapefruit. I got started buying the Del Monte Fruit Natural red grapefruit; expensive, but sure is good. It's a little cheaper at Sam's Club than anywhere else.

 

[jinman]

How old is that machine? I know you've got so much more to mow than I do, but I mowed today and had 58.7 hours on my Toro ZTR when I finished, and it's barely over 2 years old. In fact, it'll be 25 months old in another 3 days.

I bought it in April 2008, so it is exactly 5 years old. I'm averaging 35 hours per year. My yard takes 2 hours to mow and I add another 5 hours of miscellaneous tasks like pulling fertilizer spreaders/seeders and aerators. Essentially in two more years, I'll be looking for another mower. I think the next one may be a nice used commercial grade ZTR. I have a good dealer in Bowie and I might even buy a new one from them if I can't find a good deal on a used one.

On the subject of navel oranges. . . I was in the Bowie Walmart last week and they had a box of Sunkist navel oranges for $5. I was shocked. The box was at least a peck and there were 24 small oranges inside. I snapped up one in a heartbeat and now wish I'd bought two. They are delicious and a far better deal than the bushel of oranges I ordered from a California grower last fall. I don't know how somebody can pick and ship oranges for $5 per peck. I am getting all the fresh delicious oranges I can eat. I usually eat two for breakfast and have to use lots of willpower not to go back and get more.

An old bartender's method of peeling oranges is use a spoon with a small rounded handle. Cut both ends off the orange just below the skin. Slightly insert the handle between the peel and orange and turn it in a revolution around the orange. Keep repeating and push the spoon deeper each time. When the spoon is half-way through the peel, turn the orange over to the other end and repeat. You'll have a peeled orange inside a completely free outside peel. You can cut the peel or just tear it off. As a bartender you want long sections of peel to make pretty curly-cues and the full peel is ideal for that. I've done it so many times it is 2nd nature.

EDIT: While posting a thunderstorm developed and has moved over. We are getting a very heavy shower with only pea sized hail so far. I have my fingers, arms, legs, and eyes crossed for good luck.

 

[Western]

My deck reads 100.4*!! I'm sure 3-4* are radiation heat off the deck.

See a storm possible headed towards Jim on the local radar, a little water maybe??

Been a while since I had a really good Orange, last time it was the thin skinned South Texas variety.

 

[jinman]

Well, well, well!!! I should'a crossed my toes too and knocked on wood. We just had one heck of a hail storm. Most of it was pea sized hail, but lots of nickel and quarter sized hail too. The ground is covered in hail stones and leaves under my trees. The garden is gonna take a setback too. There's another cell on the way. At least I'll get some pond water out of this. I think the garden will be okay, but. . . . photos soon.

 

[jinman]

Of course we went to our favorite greenhouse yesterday and bought annual bedding plants. This morning, we set them out. We were so happy. . . hmm. Most of them were protected, but some petunias may have been bruised a bit.

Here are the photos. Notice in some photos you can see the splash of the big hail stones. The good news is I got 0.81" of rain and more is expected in a few minutes according to the radar. Hopefully no more hail. Also, notice the new leaves covering the ground.

 

[Bird]

Whew, radar shows it to be a very small cell, but a strong one. I'd sure like to have the rain, but not the hail.

 

[jinman]

After the storm stopped, the sun came out. Another storm went just north of us, but we got some of its hail. . . golf ball size. Luckily, it was very random and only a couple hundred stones fell in my complete yard. I'd guess 8 or 10 hit my roof, but my 26 ga metal roof just laughed it off. I'll have to check my car tomorrow. I heard several stones hit and my grandson screamed. He had gone outside to collect stones. What a dopey idea. I got so mad at him I was shaking. I almost hit him when his lame excuse was that he was under a tree. Kids just don't think of the danger. I told him to never go out in a thunderstorm of any kind again and that if he went out into hail again I would beat him within an inch of his life if the hail didn't get him. Kids just don't think anything will ever happen to them. I'm lucky not to be in the emergency room.

 

[texasjohn]

Glad you and g'son are OK, and that you got rain. Sorry about hail and garden.

 

[jinman]

Well, I surveyed the garden today and everything will survive except for a couple of tomatoes that got "decapitated." There are about 1/3 that got pruned also. My little peas and beans got pruned some too and some of the leaves had little half-round divots out of them. All-in-all, not so bad. Why is it that weeds never get destroyed by hail?:confused2:

 

[jinman]

Anybody notice the price of deer corn lately? Wow! A 40-lb bag at TSC is $9.99. It's getting to the point where I have to decide if I eat or the deer eat. Actually, I've just been buying regular whole corn instead of deer corn. I'll have to check to see what the per-lb price is when I go to buy a few bags today. 150 lb lasts me about two months. I may have to cut back the feed rate so that lasts for 3 months.

 

[texasjohn]

Yep, been going up for months now, cost of feed and drought is reason cow herd is lowest in 40 or so years. This year, after neighbor finishes combining, I plan to walk field and pick up whole cobs still on ground. I picked up a few last year, discovered that deer will stand for a long time and worry a cob to get every kernel. Best if you are attracting deer vs feeding deer. Feeds poorly thru feeder, however:duh:

 

[econometrics]

Anybody notice the price of deer corn lately? Wow! A 40-lb bag at TSC is $9.99. It's getting to the point where I have to decide if I eat or the deer eat. Actually, I've just been buying regular whole corn instead of deer corn. I'll have to check to see what the per-lb price is when I go to buy a few bags today. 150 lb lasts me about two months. I may have to cut back the feed rate so that lasts for 3 months.

I've cut mine off for now. It's spring and there are a lot of nice forbs and vegetation for them to graze on. Plus, they are finally interested in my block feeder again. So they've been gnawing on that pretty good lately, which they usually consume a little slower than the corn.

 

[Western]

Actually I think "deer corn" prices are falling. Cheapest I could find all winter was around $10 per bag and have seen it up to $13 for 50#. I have been blending mine 50/50 with 18% protein pellets since the price difference is negotiable. My deer are still on the protein and some corn, even though it's greening up. They have kept the oat patch mowed down, growing great right now.

 

[econometrics]

Actually I think "deer corn" prices are falling. Cheapest I could find all winter was around $10 per bag and have seen it up to $13 for 50#. I have been blending mine 50/50 with 18% protein pellets since the price difference is negotiable. My deer are still on the protein and some corn, even though it's greening up. They have kept the oat patch mowed down, growing great right now.

Yeah, I bought quite a few bags a couple months ago at Academy for $8.50. Not too terrible.

 

[Western]

Yeah, I bought quite a few bags a couple months ago at Academy for $8.50. Not too terrible.

That is a steal if it's clean!! I know on the Texas hunting forum, guys where looking for anything cheaper than corn last fall. Soybeans, cotton seed hulls, you name it.

 

[econometrics]

That is a steal if it's clean!! I know on the Texas hunting forum, guys where looking for anything cheaper than corn last fall. Soybeans, cotton seed hulls, you name it.

Looks like the price still stands! :thumbsup: Academy - Academy Sports + Outdoors™ Deer Corn