Friends, family, and 88caprice readers:
The groundhog problem has been resolved.
As you know, a groundhog got into the garden. Tomatoes and beans were damaged in the attack. A whole head of red cabbage disappeared. Holes were dug under the fence. Something needed to be done.
Redneck Friend was commissioned to remedy the situation. Within 48 hours, victory was achieved. Additional details of the operation will not be released.
Redneck Friend confirmed this victory via text message, which read: "In Your face ground pig!"
Wife and I, the 88caprice blog, and the garden are grateful to Redneck Friend for freeing the vegetables from the constant threat of groundhog pests.
Together, we will regrow.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Groundhog Ate My Garden!
THAT'S IT! That groundhog has gone too far!
There's been a fat groundhog living under my shed for a long time, but he has never bothered anything...until now.
Just when Wife and I were starting to get some bounty out of our backyard garden the groundhog decided to help himself and eat my vegetables. I object!
First, the groundhog dug under my garden fence.
I filled the whole in and covered it with a block, but he dug under the fence AND the block the very next day. Lame!
Then, he decided to take a few bites out of my roma tomatoes.
He wasn't even decent enough to take them with him. He just ate half and left the rest. Waste! Even worse, he ate almost every bloom off of our green bean vines. The beans are looking pretty sad now.
AND THEN, as if that were not bad enough, he committed the ultimate crime: that groundhog ate a whole head of purple cabbage!
Look at that! He just leveled the whole thing.
I try to be patient. I really do. But don't eat my vegetables. Not cool.
Wife and I already have a city garden, which can be trying. On top of that we fight off city deer and maintain a fence to keep them out. And now I've got a groundhog digging holes and eating my bounty!
*Solution: Redneck Friend. This is a city garden, and groundhogs are country critters. I need a man with county experience to take care of this.
I called my secret weapon, Redneck Friend. He is pumped and ready to take care of this. I won't meddle in methods: that's his job. All I know is that groundhogs and my garden don't mix.
The next time my vegetables are eaten, it will be with my own teeth.
There's been a fat groundhog living under my shed for a long time, but he has never bothered anything...until now.
Just when Wife and I were starting to get some bounty out of our backyard garden the groundhog decided to help himself and eat my vegetables. I object!
First, the groundhog dug under my garden fence.
I filled the whole in and covered it with a block, but he dug under the fence AND the block the very next day. Lame!
Then, he decided to take a few bites out of my roma tomatoes.
He wasn't even decent enough to take them with him. He just ate half and left the rest. Waste! Even worse, he ate almost every bloom off of our green bean vines. The beans are looking pretty sad now.
AND THEN, as if that were not bad enough, he committed the ultimate crime: that groundhog ate a whole head of purple cabbage!
Look at that! He just leveled the whole thing.
I try to be patient. I really do. But don't eat my vegetables. Not cool.
Wife and I already have a city garden, which can be trying. On top of that we fight off city deer and maintain a fence to keep them out. And now I've got a groundhog digging holes and eating my bounty!
*Solution: Redneck Friend. This is a city garden, and groundhogs are country critters. I need a man with county experience to take care of this.
I called my secret weapon, Redneck Friend. He is pumped and ready to take care of this. I won't meddle in methods: that's his job. All I know is that groundhogs and my garden don't mix.
The next time my vegetables are eaten, it will be with my own teeth.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Home Gardening Makes Free Vegetables
I have no awesome gardening skills, but I do have a backyard garden.
Gardens make free vegetables.
Free vegetables make me happy.
Now if the suburban groundhogs and city deer will leave it alone, I'll be in business.
Wife and I are on our third-annual backyard garden. We don't grow anything too crazy, but we do grow vegetables we can use or store up. We started getting our first bounty a few weeks ago.
Tomatoes
This year we have three types of tomatoes: romas, better boys, and Cherokee purple heirlooms.
Romas everywhere!
It doesn't look like a poblano to me, but that's what the sign called it when we bought the plant. Whatever it is, it tastes good.
Red Cabbage
We've never grown red cabbage, so I'll let you know how it works out.
If we get sick of buckets of slaw, I'll have to find other uses for these big heads of magic.
Carrots
Also a first: carrots. In cartoons, critters and people can just yank on a carrot top and pull the whole thing up out of the ground. I have learned this is a lie.
Look at this skinny thing! I dug this guy up as a test, and it was not easy. I nearly broke it. It sure was sweet, though. Mmmm.
Okra
I like a little fried okra. I LOVE a lot of fried okra.
When it comes to okra, bigger is NOT better. This one is a little small still, but I don't let them get much bigger. Eating a foot-long okra is like eating a couch cushion. Or a log.
Also...
A few beans, one strawberry plant, and a bunch of herbs round out the rest.
Not bad for a little backyard garden!
Gardens make free vegetables.
Free vegetables make me happy.
Now if the suburban groundhogs and city deer will leave it alone, I'll be in business.
Wife and I are on our third-annual backyard garden. We don't grow anything too crazy, but we do grow vegetables we can use or store up. We started getting our first bounty a few weeks ago.
Tomatoes
This year we have three types of tomatoes: romas, better boys, and Cherokee purple heirlooms.
Romas everywhere!
I love the taste of a home-grown tomato, but I am not a snob when it comes to variety. The romas are producing far more than the others types, but they are also smaller. The better boys are pretty average and consistent, and the Cherokee purples are BIG and meaty.
Peppers
This year we're growing jalapeno peppers, green bell peppers, banana peppers, and poblanos.
Jalapeno peppers!
Wife makes pickled jalapenos that rock my face off. Had I tasted her pickled jalapenos before we got married, we probably would have skipped our wedding and eloped months sooner.
Does this look like a poblano to you?
Red Cabbage
We've never grown red cabbage, so I'll let you know how it works out.
If we get sick of buckets of slaw, I'll have to find other uses for these big heads of magic.
Carrots
Also a first: carrots. In cartoons, critters and people can just yank on a carrot top and pull the whole thing up out of the ground. I have learned this is a lie.
Look at this skinny thing! I dug this guy up as a test, and it was not easy. I nearly broke it. It sure was sweet, though. Mmmm.
Okra
I like a little fried okra. I LOVE a lot of fried okra.
When it comes to okra, bigger is NOT better. This one is a little small still, but I don't let them get much bigger. Eating a foot-long okra is like eating a couch cushion. Or a log.
Also...
A few beans, one strawberry plant, and a bunch of herbs round out the rest.
Not bad for a little backyard garden!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Caprice Fixed, Money Saved!
After my '88 Chevy Caprice failed to pass inspection this year, I decided to do the repairs myself.
Mission accomplished! Repairs are done, The Beast has been reinspected (and passed), and I'm back on the road. I saved a lot of money, too.
Brake hoses
The mechanic quoted a price of $160 to replace both front brake hoses. I picked up the two hoses from the nationally-recognized auto-parts megastore for $11 each. Several friends have asked how I did it, so I'll show you in my next post.
Wipers
Installing wipers is such an easy job that the nationally-recognized auto-parts megastore will usually do it for free right there in the parking lot. I did it myself, but not at the mechanic's $28 price tag. I picked up a pair for $20.
Headlight alignment
This was easy, free, and took about 20 minutes. My Haynes Repair Manual has a guide for adjusting headlights with the turn of a screwdriver.
Rear view mirror
Take it from me: do NOT use super glue to reattach a rear view mirror to your windshield. It doesn't work. For $5 I found a little glue kit made just for rear view mirrors. Easy! Just don't glue the tab to the mirror or glue the tab on backwards. Lame.
Money I saved
Since I'm NOT an auto mechanic, I'm hardly qualified to give advice or show how to fix a Caprice. But, I will show you what I did to fix mine.
That means my next post will be less of a "how-to" and more of a "how-did."
Hey! I think I just coined a new phrase: The How-Did Guide!
So be it...
Mission accomplished! Repairs are done, The Beast has been reinspected (and passed), and I'm back on the road. I saved a lot of money, too.
Brake hoses
The mechanic quoted a price of $160 to replace both front brake hoses. I picked up the two hoses from the nationally-recognized auto-parts megastore for $11 each. Several friends have asked how I did it, so I'll show you in my next post.
Wipers
Installing wipers is such an easy job that the nationally-recognized auto-parts megastore will usually do it for free right there in the parking lot. I did it myself, but not at the mechanic's $28 price tag. I picked up a pair for $20.
Headlight alignment
This was easy, free, and took about 20 minutes. My Haynes Repair Manual has a guide for adjusting headlights with the turn of a screwdriver.
Rear view mirror
Take it from me: do NOT use super glue to reattach a rear view mirror to your windshield. It doesn't work. For $5 I found a little glue kit made just for rear view mirrors. Easy! Just don't glue the tab to the mirror or glue the tab on backwards. Lame.
Money I saved
| Quote | My Cost | Savings | |
| Brakes | $160 | $22 | $138 |
| Wipers | $28 | $20 | $8 |
| Lights | $15 | $0 | $15 |
| Mirror | $10 | $5 | $5 |
| TOTAL | $213 | $47 | $166! |
Since I'm NOT an auto mechanic, I'm hardly qualified to give advice or show how to fix a Caprice. But, I will show you what I did to fix mine.
That means my next post will be less of a "how-to" and more of a "how-did."
Hey! I think I just coined a new phrase: The How-Did Guide!
So be it...
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Rejected: Failed Inspection Costs Dollars!
Oh no! My car didn't pass inspection this year and it will cost ALL THE MONEY! Well, not really. But it is still a big phooey.
Now I have some repair decisions to make, but first...
About my car
I drive a 1988 Chevy Caprice, and proud of it.
My '88 Caprice, or "The Beast," is AWESOME because:
The Beast reminds me of stuff I like: reliability, saving money, DIY, and the freedom of not being obsessed with the latest and newest things. And no, I don't work for Chevy!
I gave my work buddy OCD a lift in The Beast. He said, "This car is SO comfortable! It's like floating down the road on a sofa!"
Thanks, OCD! I agree...
Broken!
Four things didn't pass inspection:
Total to Pass: $133
But wait! The mechanic said my other brake hose wasn't looking so hot either, but not bad enough to fail inspection. If I need one side replaced, I would rather have both sides done. After all, it's a 24-year-old rubber hose and probably could use a change.
Total Cost: $213
Yikes! Time to think about fixing the car myself.
Brake hose: Just unscrew a hose and screw on a new one?
Wipers: Like putting on pants. Got it.
Mirror: $10 glue? Really?
Headlights: We are talking about twisting a few screws here. No biggie.
Alright, I'm going to tackle this.
It's you and me, Caprice. Let's do this thing...
P.S. A big thanks to The Yankee for the photos and camera use.
Now I have some repair decisions to make, but first...
About my car
I drive a 1988 Chevy Caprice, and proud of it.
My '88 Caprice, or "The Beast," is AWESOME because:
- It's PAID FOR
- It's old enough that I can fix some things myself
- It's big and comfortable
- It's made of more metal than plastic
The Beast reminds me of stuff I like: reliability, saving money, DIY, and the freedom of not being obsessed with the latest and newest things. And no, I don't work for Chevy!
I gave my work buddy OCD a lift in The Beast. He said, "This car is SO comfortable! It's like floating down the road on a sofa!"
Thanks, OCD! I agree...
Broken!
Four things didn't pass inspection:
- Right-front brake hose cracked ($80)
- Windshield wipers ($14 x 2 = $28)
- Rear view mirror fell off ($10 to re-glue)
- Headlights out of alignment ($15 to adjust)
Total to Pass: $133
But wait! The mechanic said my other brake hose wasn't looking so hot either, but not bad enough to fail inspection. If I need one side replaced, I would rather have both sides done. After all, it's a 24-year-old rubber hose and probably could use a change.
Total Cost: $213
Yikes! Time to think about fixing the car myself.
Brake hose: Just unscrew a hose and screw on a new one?
Wipers: Like putting on pants. Got it.
Mirror: $10 glue? Really?
Headlights: We are talking about twisting a few screws here. No biggie.
Alright, I'm going to tackle this.
It's you and me, Caprice. Let's do this thing...
P.S. A big thanks to The Yankee for the photos and camera use.
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