choclo

choclo

The old tree farmer here. Did I ever tell you that I was a hoedad? I've planted a lot of trees. Anyway, you got to keep those shrubs and bushes back. Looks like folks are finally seeing its time to get after them. I'm tuning up my old chainsaw. What will you use?

choclo's haircuts and shaves and dentists

Welll, I thought I ought to mention that I got a shave and a haircut and massages the winter before while in Bangkok, Thailand. My second day in Bangkok I got the nicest haircut of my life. First she laid me back and gave me a shampoo, then she cut my hair, and then she moved me to another chair and gave me a wonderful head massage. I got a shave towards the end of my trip, and it also included a head massage. I also like my Bangkok dentist-she is excellent. She uses the Cerac computerized porcelan milling system from Germany and was trained in US and on the Cerac in Switzerland. Got some good dental work done in Argentina this winter, but was slower sending out for lab work- ended up spending a couple of extra weeks in Buenos Aires visiting my dentist there. Need to go back to Thailand this winter and get another haircut and visit my dentist. Do you think I should get a shave 2? We sure have been getting into outsoursing. Been talking to India a lot lately ( have been talking to computer techs recently- changed service providers). Want to visit India this winter also. How much will I get done? Sure am glad to see some nice seed corn this year. The glass is still half full and the corn is beautiful!

choclo time

Picked some nice seed choclos, one a very intence purple that looks to have some wrinklers- will be saving them for next year's purple sweet. Picked 2 other nice ladies and hung them in the entryway to dry. May rain friday. Fall is in the air. 3 turkeys showed up today- acted as if I should feed them. Tom and two ladies. Mostly black-looked to be a more wild strain. Think they have been getting in my garden- scratching up holes and new seedlings. My garden has been subjected to much critter visitation this season- its been a wonder that there has been plenty for me. Been thinking of eating some of the venison I fed- maybe turkey too. Thankfull that no critters have taken a liking to corn yet. It's well wrapped and a bit hard to get at without hands.

Haircut, shave and a blockade

This winter I got my haircut and shave in Sucre, Bolivia, a couple of weeks before visiting my new grandson Felix (see his blogspot). There was this blockade that shut the whole country down for more than a week. I spent 11 days trapped in Sucre waiting for the busses to go again. Fortunately, the blockades I went through were totally peaceful-no police or military were called out or seen. Will be checking that Bolivian blogspot to see what happens. Funny, my winter was their summer- although that high up it was like winter again. Sucre was like spring and Santa Cruz was tropical summer. Potosi was winter again- a hollowed out mountain of silver above 12.000 feet-passed on through as night was coming on up to a cold high dessert "alte plano". I had been complaning to my seatmate about this nightbus kept me from seeing the vistas in daiylight. Well we soon came upon a long line of busses and trucks and cars and cooking fires. I was on a nice cama bus, and I slept there till morning, when they let us through. Got to see some incredible vistas as we spent the whole next day getting to Tarija, where I hung out till it was time for my visit with my 1st grandchild. Liked Tarija, as I was lead to expect. They had a big rally for" autonomia"- it had some anti blockade overtones and was heavilly supported by truckers, bus lines, taxis and the city. Tarija is both a city and a province. They have the most prosperous agriculture and have a budding wine thing happening and they want more loc al control. The blockades were more of a campesino thing, which included a cocalero element- it started off in the newly rich Santa Cruz jungle plain where we came upon a 2 k long lane of traffic backed up on our side of the blockaded bridge. The local restaurant and tiendas were doing great. We found an identical bus on the other side who would exchange passengers, and we all took taxis to the blockade and hoofed it on to the other bus. We all got identical seats-our bus had been full. The next day they created another blockade some 50 ks away and it became impossible to get through as I had. At that point, the only blockade going was the one along the Cochabamba/Santa Cruz highway, so we bought overnight tickets for Sucre. Well, 6:00 am we hit the blockade, 2d rig in the line-almost made it. Had some nuns on board- think they might have helped. The blockaders decided to let us through at 6:pm. In the meantime, some food booths came out, and then a couple of guitars, somebody passed the hat for some whiskey and the whiskey was mixed with coka cola and they let us through for the 30 k ride to the next blockade from where we abandoned our busses and caught taxis for the short ride into Sucre, a nice town to be stuck for 11 days in and get a haircut and a shave. Nice year around spring climate. It is the other of the two capitols and has the judicial supremo. Another spring climate-not the high altitude cold of La Paz or Potosi

Picture time-were's the corn?

That's Julia behind me at my Paraguayan desvedido or however it is spelled. Built them a garden fence while I was there. Like to travel by bus- they have some pretty nice ones nowadays. Like those cama buses in South America. That" Ve Party" bus is in Panama. John and I share a St Patrik's day beer with Felix, mi nuevo nieto, born in Buenos Aires, un Porte~o.

This winter I got a haircut and a shave while in Sucre, Bolivia

Sometimes I have a beard, as I do behind brother Pete and cousin Don. JUlie sometimes gets me to shave it off

choclo

I want to practice my spanish with Felix. El es un Porte~o. Do a google search for failure. I think it is all Bush2's fault; how about you? What's his fault you might ask? Well, too darn much. He's not on my side- wants to teach our children intelligent design-doesn't sound like good up to date science to me. No to stem cell research- even Nancy Reagon thouhgt that was wrong headed. Divide and conquer. Get your enemy to fight on two fronts. Osama laughed from his cave while Bush2 took US off on a wild goose chase for WMD's and nuclear bomb factories and Osama's sworn enemy Sadam. Osama is still allive somewhere other than Iraq. "Mission Occomplished", WMD's, Is this country more polarized under Bush2? How much is your health care costing? Have you ever been without insurance? I have. Whew-I made it to medicare and bought some medigap insurance. Talk about donut holes. I pay for it out of my ss More folks without health insurance under the shrub. Just like in Iraq-he has no plan- just more of the same. Still holding in there while selling our debt to China for tax breaks for the rich. Do you think he will keep his promise to cut the budget deficit in half by the time he leaves office?? I learned about the tooth fairy decades ago. Remember "read my lips, no new taxes". Who was that liar? I've been asking lately: How many political pardons and immunities from prosecution have been granted by republican presidents compared to democratic presidents from say, 1970 till now? I think the shrub has working for him one of those guys who was convicted of lying to congress about some of Ollie North's illegal Contra activities. Ollie was also given a pardon for his illegal Contra activities under Reagon.

choclo sweet

The shrunkin Xs are very sweet- my strain is sweet while young- is more corny and starchy as it ages. Been thinking of my new grandson and his coming education. There is this silly controversy about "intelligent design", and behind the scenes, creationism. There was some of that when my daughter was going to the local schools. My attitude at the time was- I want to know what my daughter is being taught, and that I could get my education updated in the process. For the finer points of moral ,sexual, political, and historical education, I wanted to impart my spin on it and to know what , if anything was being taught. I have been particularly interested in Latin American history and my daughter is an historian and passes me books. What do you want to know more about? What interests your child? Get to know your child's teacher. Learn things with your child. What can I learn with my grandson?

some choclo cobs

Yep- they're on their way-a bit later than my acclimatized. Sure are big plants. Been dangling male tassles from my strains over the silks to get Xs. Anxious to see them mature so that I can look at them. They are all covered up like a muslim woman is in her burka . Anxious to strip the cobs bare. Been getting some beautiful purples and multi coulored off of my strains. Been eating some delicious sweet and pretty Xs. Need to poste some more pictures. Pictures are nice, and there are some hidden around my blog. Another hurricane headed in. Bush2 has not been doing too well with the huricanes. Want's to spend a lot of money and borrow it from the Chinese. They are making everything we buy -so now they are going to lend US the money to pay for our two wars (divide and conquer), our two natural disasters, and Bush2's two tax cuts for the rich. They are talking about taking away the prescrition drug benefit that Bush2 was bragging about at that senior center in Arizona while " you're doing a heck of a job Brownie" was doing his heck of a job. I'm with that group of singers at the faire who wanted more "Sex in the White House". At least Clinton left US with a balanced budget. That was a surprise- I never thought I would see a federal balanced budget- thought it was a republican fantasy-still is-strange world. Bush 2 says he will cut national debt in half before he leaves office. Do you still believe in the tooth fairey? I remember "mission occomplished" and Bush1's read my lips. How about Rummy ridiculling critics who said we needed more troops and a plan. Shock and awe would get US out quick and cheaply- remote controlled high tech meant we would not need the troups. Gratefull Iraqis would be welcoming the troops with flowers. Give me more sex- it's cheaper and more friendly

I don't like the corn coming from the Bushits

I like to grow and eat and play with corn- but I don't like the corn coming out of the white house. For me-corn is for fun, but I am also a tree farmer. I bought my tree farm 30 years ago after it had been clear cut and I planted 20,000 douglas firs on it, and I now have a forest. Early on I had to do battle with bushes and shrubs that wanted to choke out the young trees, and I still do. I use a chainsaw. Most of the timber companies hereabouts use chemicals they spray from helicopters, which I believe is bad for the environment. I don't think either chainsaws or chemicals would work against the political bushes and shrubs- for them, we need to use the ballot box to get rid of them and their supporters and replace them with trees before they can do any more damage to US. US should not settle for anymore shrubs or bushes-US needs big, strong trees for a strong, healthy US. Out here in Oregon, douglas fir do well, and red cedars produce good wood. I also have a few redwoods, both the coastal type and the sequoyas, although neither redwood is native to here. Lots different trees. I also have some fruit and nut trees, which are nice. But shrubs and bushes- we have to keep them from taking over-particularly when it comes to politics, where they are presently a disaster for US.

Katrina and Bush- Would rather have corn

Listened to the Shrub's speach last night. Didn't make me fell good. The republicans are doing damage control- want to investigate themselves and drown US in bull shit. The bull shit belongs in the garden to help grow healthy corn. Does anyone think that a white house run investigation or one run by the republican controlled congress will be anyuthing more than a white- wash that is aimed at diverting attention from Bush2 administration shortcomings? US needs a 9-11 style investigation if we are to see a usefull look at what went wrong. No amount of speechifying or throwing money at Haliburten should blind US to the continuing incompetence of the Bushits. Don't let them get awy with it.

choclo time

chocloMy cuzco choclo is getting it on- saw some tassles sticking up- maybe too late for the others- but will use some of the purplex pollen on the cuzco, when the silk gets out there. Been pushing bubba around in the cool of this morning. I've had Bubba for a couple or less months. He's a troy built, 4 cycle, big wheeled weed eater. The school district grounds crew calls these machines "Bubba"- an appropriate name ,I think. All this corn and stuff gets me thinking about the south and Texas and the goings on down there. And then there is that preacher who wants to see elected polititians assasinated. Does he also advocate abortions and the death penalty? Pat Robertson- he ran for president. Isn't he a friend of Jerry Falwell, the preacher who said that 9-11 was payback for our sins? Why do these folks have a following? Why were so many folks fooled by the shrub and company?? I do not understand why we went off on this wild goose chase, when we new Bin Laden was not there and that that job was not done. What I think is: Bush2 and friends really belived all that stuff they fed us- they were even dumber than those who belived them when they led us to believe that "shock and awe" would get us out quick. that gratefull Iraqis would greet us with flowers placed in our gun barrels, that "mission accomplished" meant that we could all go home and it was done on the cheap. Things sure haven't gone the way we were led to belive- and Bin Laden is still on the loose. Would have been much better to have finished with Afganistan before taking on Iraq.

back to my corn and....

Just got back from doing a nice new deck railing at my mom's place with brother Pete. Corn is doing well-one of the crinckled purples has triplets. I like that. She's also early. Want her to have sex with several selected guys so that I can get some selected seeds from her. The Cuzco plants are very big- but have not shown any signs of sexual developement-not even any tassles yet. Fish were hungry. Glad to be back. Corn really doing its sexual thing- will be eating some soon.

choclo

choclohi Just thought I would do a little typing. Just got back from doing a nice redwood deck railing on my mom's place. Fed the fish and got some squash from the garden. Corn doing well- but the Cuzco is still not getting sexual- not even any tassles showing. Very large , though . Got at least one shrunken mama with 3 cobs. A triplet, and early and very purple. Got to get her crossed with A GOOD VARIETY of my favorite fellows. Hey isn't sex and corn and politics and everything everyting sexual. So it seems as if the creater was obsessed with sex- so he gave us a lot of it and he said go have a good time with it' because I am making it a lot of fun and VeRy NICE! Breeding is interesting. I've been thinking. Do a lot of that and sometimes I lose my thread, as I have done now. Think I will see if I can have the late Cuzco get polinated with several nice purple guys. You know what?? I prefer talking about sex- much better than talking about politics- thinking the Isreali's should have siomply shut the border and let the Palistinians evict the Fundamentalist settler GazA Isreali problem folk. The same type live in One of my cousin-in-law's communities. He is jewish and hates them. They breed like crazy and use a lot of welfare. In Isreal, they do not go in the military- yet they unilaterally went in the 1967 conquered territories and built homes and took Palistinian land and water. I remember in 1964, I was hitch- hiking from the old city of Jordanian Jeruselem to Aqaba, Anbd we got a ride with 2 Arqab brothers from the Jordanian valley, on the western side. They were airline pilots. They had an orchord with some wonderful pomellos (sp?)- the first that I had ever seen or eaten. WOW!!! They were delicious!!! Got some in Thailand last year- and some from China some years ago, and although nice- they did not compare with those that those arab pilots picked for us from their land. I wonder how they are doing now in the West Bank? One of those Isrealis on the bus to Sucre tolds me they wou8ld be happy under the current Isreali rule. I think he must have been joking- although he did not seem to be and I thought him intelligent.

Mas choclo

My corn's doing well. Seeing some silk now-some tassles have been out for awhile- seems the male is out there 1st-more pollens than silks-just like us- more sperms than eggs. My Cuzco plants aren't showing any sex yet-but they are big and healthy. Much rather talk about sex than politics. All the corn in politics is depressing. Bush is again hiding from the folks- Won't talk to those mothers camping down his road. Only associates with his type of folk. They sure are making a mess for us. How secure do you feel about your health insurance? Think the shrub has plan to fix our health care system? I'm turning 65 in October and will qualify for medicare. Looking to maybe move to another country- get a better deal on health care. Been getting my dental work abroad for years- like Thailand best. Got a medical check-up in Buenos Aires, Argentina this winter. Much cheaper and just as good- more personal. More outsourcing. Got to out those republicans. They're not on our side. Want to teach our kids that evolution didn't and doesn't happen. What's that? We humans breed all sorts of stuff.! Don't want to tell kids that condoms help prevent disease and pregnancy. Pope is a big problem there. Wonder what the Koran says about condoms or birth control? Hey- I came back around to sex. I'll try to drop the politics. Religion should stay out of sex, as it should stay away from politics, and vice versa. did not Jesus say: "Ye who is innocent, throw the first stone". Fundamentalists tend to forget such good advice- want to look at the other guy, rather than working on themselves.

nieto Felix, papa John y abuelo, St Patric's day

family

around the house and Wards Butte

Bruja tienda, dancing and corn and amaranth

St. Patrick's Day guiness and more

Daughter's wedding and choclo. Beautiful!

choclo

choclo

sister's wedding, Julia and John's wedding

family

We are entertaining, some corn, on the bus y mucho gusto

choclo

choclo

corn

Time to be thinking about corn. I want it to be sprouted by june 1st. Need to get tthe garden tilled. Bought some interesting ears of choclo in Cuzco for my breeding program. Customs confiscated them when I told them I was going to grow them. On previous trip was told it was ok if I was just an amature-this time no. Would have been ok as an ornamental. Is this seed company monopoly stuff? Talked to an informed guy in Arica about corn. They double crop it there, have been for centuries. Would like to try some of their choclo. Probably not photo sensitive and early.