Garden Report

Yesterday I read in the newspaper that gardening is conducive to a long life. I can attest to that seeing that now I am now over 90 years. Actually when I took an aptitude test earlier when I started college, my highest score was medicine and next highest was farming. So every chance I get, I am out there planting.

This year planting in a new garden, I had my problems and almost disaster. When the plants started to grow, I could tell that the soil had too much nitrogen, because the plants were growing very large leaves and thick stems. So I started to do a lot of watering trying to dilute the nitrogen and wash it out. I don't think it did much, because the plants grew rapidly, and then they started to wilt. Previously I had experience with acid soil, so to the store we went to get a pH tester. The tests did show an acid reaction, now back to the store for some lime product to neutralize the soil. It is a guessing game to determine how much to use, because it is possible to use too much. It did not test very high, therefore a small amount of lime should be adequate. Every time you make changes in the soil, you have to wait about a week to see any changes in the plants. Now the big leaves on the tomato plants are turning yellow and drying up. What else to do? Years ago at this point, I would be hilling my tomato plants, but this soil is not doing very well. So by getting 5 bags of top soil, I was able to do quite a job of hilling the plants. By covering the main stem of the plant with soil, that stem will send out new roots into the new soil. I also found some tomato spikes that contained phosphate which the plants need to produce fruit. That finally did it. The plants started to grow new leaves, and the new blossoms were producing tomatoes. These tomatoes are a little smaller in size, but they get ripe,and they have good flavor.

Next year, if the Lord is willing, and I'm around, there are things that need to be done to the soil before planting, but I'll be ready.

God Bless You
Dr. Ray

Indian Creek Pond

On the North end of my son's property there is a pond which I would like to name the Indian Creek Pond. It contains a plethora of wild life.

Last week our neighbor was carrying a very unusual object in her hand. She said she was in her garage when she found this small garter snake with a socket from a socket wrench set around the middle of its body. She said that she could not remove it. We all tried, but it was firmly in place and would go neither up or down. My granddaughter, Emma, came along, sat down on the grass, and slowly worked on it.
after about 15 minutes, she was able to remove the socket back over the head, but the snake did vomit at the end. This neighbor is on the South end of our pond, and Emma returned the socket to our neighbor. The garter snake just wiggled its way back into the grass.

Our Indian Creek Pond is about 1/4 acre with about 100' by 50' and about 8' deep. It is loaded with wild life, which indicates that it is ecologically sound. It starts early in spring with the peeper frogs making their chatter in the early evening. Then schools of tiny fish, possibly minnows, swirl in circles, and next the bullfrogs with their deep bass voices croaking. Finally the turtles showed up. Very early in spring, there were a pair of ducks came a few times, but they did not stay. Thank goodness they did not stay, because I hear they are messy.

Also around the pond are the usual cattails. Another wildflower showed up with a beautiful purple spike blossom on tall stems. They resemble lupine, but those are much shorter. Along the North shore earlier in spring, there were 3 beautiful blooming crab apple trees that are now full of crab apples. These were planted by nature not by man.

What a beautiful experience watching all these things happening, and I tried to share it with you.

God Bless all of you.

Birthday Party

On July 25th I had a beautiful and wonderful day to celebrate my 90th birthday with about 60 of my relatives and friends at my son Rick's home and large back yard. I live with Rick and his family. The weather was perfect with a light breeze and practically no insects to bother us. We had 2 tents with with enough tables and chairs for everyone. There was a 70lb pig on a spit roasting over charcoal that we started at 10am. It is my son's recipe which includes stuffing the cavity with lemon rinds left over from making lemonade as the only seasoning. No salt or pepper was used. We served a buffet supper of Chinese cuisine and the delicious roast pork. Then came a very large birthday cake with two numeral candles of 90. During this whole time, the background music of the Big Band era was being played. Even the children had a fun time on the trampoline.

I have to thank Rick and his wife, Hedy, and their children for being so gracious and doing all the work that was involved. This was my last hurrah, and I don't believe I need to say more.

Today I'm 90

Yes, today I am 90 years old. Most people say I don't look 90, and also I am able to do most things on my own without assistance. My meneory is good and I was able to learn how to type about 6 months ago. I do it slowly, but I am able to do it. I type letters, email, even blogs like this.

I have to get spiritual at this point, because my whole life has been charmed. It started early when I was about 6 years old, and I developed acute appendicitis. A neighbor told my mother that her son died recently from a ruptured appendix, and I overheard the conversation. Soon after, I developed a pain in my abdomen on my right side,and I was afraid to tell anyone, thinking that it might go away. However it did not and got worse, but it was not really very bad. I didn't move very much, because it made the pain worse. After several days the pain was a little better, but my side was tender for a long time. Eventually the pain disappeared, but I didn't feel too good. It was mostly a loss of appetite and no energy. Then about 2 or 3 years later I urinated a large amount of purulent liquid which I presumed was the abscess from my ruptured appendix.

I have read in an old medical treatment book that abdominal pain could be treated with hot compresses to the abdomen. So perhaps there were some survivors during those times also.

So at any rate, God our Father had other plans for me, and here I am at my 90th birthday and still going strong.

Dr. Ray

At the Dude Ranch

For many years the Broz family spent our summer vacations at a Dude Ranch called Drowsy Water Ranch, in Granby, Colorado. A wonderful place to go. There a bunch of amateurs go horseback riding on trails in the Rocky Mountains. They also go through forests and meadows. One lady guest was riding through a forest when her horse rubbed it's side against a tree and scratching her leg as well. She continued to ride when they reached a meadow. Then the horse decided to roll over with her in the saddle. Over they went, and then stood up with her still in the saddle. After all that, our brave lady rode her horse back to the stables. It's my impression that the horse was trying to get rid of the rider, but she won.

Garden Update

To all you tomato growers out there. I read in the paper that there is a Tomato Mania out there. 90 per cent of gardeners are growing tomatoes. Well I am too, and I have 15 plants that are doing pretty well. They started out doing great, but about several weeks later I noticed we were getting long leaves and branches. That would indicate a possible high nitrogen content and low phosphate. I located some tomato sticks that had a high phosphorus content, and I used them. Now I have tall plants with plenty of blossoms quite a few tomatoes. But now the plants are started to wilt, and I thought it could be acid soil or lack of water. So we bought a pH tester,and it showed acidic soil. Back to the store to get a lime product to sweeten the soil. The next day the plants were still wilted, so now they need water. Now yesterday I spent most of the afternoon watering the plants. We have an elevated planting area,and we are having just light showers which did not penetrate deep enough. There is not much else to do except to pick tomatoes, I hope.

Mark's cycle trip

Earlier I mentioned that my grandson Mark was making a transcontinental cycle trip and it will take 3 months. Well last Friday they were going through Colorado going to Denver. My daughter, Sue, is a rural mail carrier, and she was on the road delivering the mail when she met some cyclists who were in his group. She was able to talk to one of the women riders and found out that Mark was in the next group behind. So they planned a trick. Sue parked her car, and the cyclist placed her bicycle on the shoulder near the car. Then she laid on the grass to make it look like an accident.Mark came by, saw the mess, jumped of his bike, ran over to see what happened. They jumped up to meet him, and they all started to laugh for the next ten minutes. Then Mark took a ride with Sue to finish her route. Then they went out for dinner, and finally Sue drove Mark to a church in Denver where he rejoined his group.

Mark had a little rest and did not have to pedal the last 35 miles to Denver which is mostly uphill. I'm sure that Mark enjoyed the respite after that scare on the road. I'll keep you posted as I get the news.

Dr. Ray