Storm clouds

I've been trying to catch the thoughts that have been floating around in my head and arrange them into something that makes sense.. but it's not working. So here's a picture from a set I took a while back and rejected all of the pictures because they didn't make sense, but now I see that they sort of look like the inside of my head. A big empty space over here, a big dark spot over there. A dark forest below and a dark sky above.

Tweed guitar case

So here's a picture of my new guitar case.. I bought a new guitar and it came in this great big pimp daddy gold tweed case. I was kind of expecting a black case and when I opened the box and saw it I was like, Holy Cow!.. but people seem to love this. Women seem to love it. I can't walk around with this and not draw attention. It's bigger than it looks and that even makes it worse.

But I have to admit that I even like it now. I think I like it better than the guitar that came in it.

The great pumpkin

My neighbor drove by with a pumpkin in tow, so I chased him down to get a snap.

I like this guy's style.

Tamarack and Larch

I wandered around in the forest for a while yesterday. The Tamaracks are changing color and it's starting to give the forest a golden tint. There are other trees in this picture too. Pine and fir. I thought I should throw some color in my blog before winter sets in and all of my pictures are of snow.

Here's a picture of a young Tamarack that I took last year deep in the forest that was starting to change color. That post is HERE.

I retain the rights to all of my photos.  Please do not use without permission.

Flathead River pictures

Here are a couple of pictures I took today of the Flathead River south of Flathead Lake in Montana. A snow storm moved through last night. So much for Fall..

I disturbed some ducks as I walked down to the shore. You might have to click on the photo if you want to see the ducks.

I retain all rights to my photos.  Please do not use any of my photos without permission.

Outhouse picture

I finally painted the old outhouse. I didn't really want to because I liked the way it looked, but everyone else thought it was an eyesore. It took me a while to paint it because I kept stopping to take pictures, and once I start taking pictures I just loose control.

I should take pictures of nothing but outhouses.. I thought as I took pictures of the outhouse. That's crazy, I thought.. Then I thought, they should give cameras to crazy people and let them take pictures of anything they want.. Withhold their medication and just let them go crazy taking pictures..

How do they detirmine when someone is crazy? I wondered.. "What's the diagnosis Dr.?.." "Well I'm afraid he's gone crazy.." "We'll have to put him on medication.."

Leftover chicken

"You were on the edge when you were younger Donald." said Mr. C. "Well,.." I started to wonder if being on the edge had a different meaning from generation to generation,.. "Admit it Donald!" he went on to insist.. Well I guess you might look at it that way.. Mr. C. being one of the only people to call me Donald.

You know that chicken you get in the grocery store? They cook two kinds baked and fried. The fried kind has this golden brown breading on it. 8 piece.. and they grab it with tongs and put it in a paper box. When they grab, I count. Could be doing the slide of hand as they move pieces around to get you the right eight.. Plus what if they give you one drumstick and three thighs?! That would just be wrong, and under that breading how can you really know?

If they were to segregate the chicken when they cooked it instead of when they served it, they could save time I thought, and much more of the breading would stay on the chicken.. After the first day if they don't sell it they put it on a black plastic tray with plastic wrap and sell it cold. It starts to become less golden and more brown. And it would be one thing if they lowered the price after the first day, and I guess they do a little, but if you ask me it's worth paying more for first day chicken unless you like your grease dry..

Who doesn't own a swim suit?.. Isn't that a little dysfunctional? I thought as we looked around her apartment complex. I wanted to get in the hot tub with this girl, and she really was on the edge, unlike me of course..Plus she had a great body, perhaps a swim suit was a little to square for her?.. "I can wear some shorts" she said. Shorts and a T shirt. She really was pretty, but she could be really ugly too. She had a problem I never fully understood. When she was straight she was sweet and hot, kind of like that mustard,.. but when she was messed up she was like split pea soup, the little girl in the Exorcist. The contrast was hard to imagine. One moment she would straighening my collar and tell me how nice I looked, and the next moment she was barfing pea soup and her head was spinning around 360 degrees. (not sure how many degrees in Celcius)

I pulled off the highway at night and drove into a small town to get some things at the grocery store. As I walked up to the store all of the people seemed edgy to me. But then I thought, I'm one of the edgy people too. We are all edgy at this store or we wouldn't be doing our shopping this time of night. After I got my things I went up to the counter to pay. Behind me in line came this woman. A woman from my past. I glanced at her. Is that her? I asked myself.. It is. It has to be. She glanced at me but we both did a good job of not noticing eachother.

She had a package of leftover chicken on a black plastic tray, the golden breading shrivled and brown. She could just throw that in the toilet when she got home I thought. It could save a lot of effort. "They have a good deal on soup" I wanted to say..

Montana rocks!

This is one of the reasons I love Flathead Lake, Wild Horse Island, Glacier Park and Montana for that matter. The rocks are beautiful. This is a picture of rocks on the shore of Wild Horse Island. I can't explain why they looks so cool. I'm not a rock expert.. But I can say this,. Montana rocks!

Boat ride to Wild Horse Island

I took the skiff (aunt Gertrude) over to Wild Horse Island. All of my boats are named after my aunts,. except for my Hobie Cat which is named after my cat. I have quite a few aunts to go so I can get quite a few more boats.. Did a little fishing. Climbed around on the driftwood logs. Looked at the rocks. Took in the sweet Montana air.

Glacier Park Photos

A couple of more pictures from Glacier Park. I took quite a few.

A cabin at Lake McDonald that you can rent. I tooked around in one of these while it was being cleaned. Very rustic. You can walk right out of these and down to the shore of Lake McDonald. They are all a little different too with bigger and smaller ones depending on your needs.

This chair was at the back of one of the buildings that the staff use at Lake McDonald Lodge. Looks like a good place to sit and play a guitar I'm thinking. A lot of the buildings are painted brown like this.

SpokeFest 2009 photos

SpokeFest was really good once again. I think what makes it good is, it's only 21 miles, It's only $20. and it starts and ends in downtown Spokane. Not to mention the route along Riverside State Park is beautiful. This year there were over 1600 riders. That's a lot for a bike ride. As we left town in a group and started to decend down to the river it was kind of tricky with that many riders around you and the bumps in the road.

Best Jersey, Stratocaster.

I rode with my friend Gary who I turned on to cycling and now it's his main form of working out. If you love a sport you have to convert someone.

This girl gets best form award. She had a really cool kit on that looked like a skirt, and her Cannondale bike fits her perfectly. Best smile too.

And here's a shot of the Spokane River and Pavilion that I took at the end of the ride.

SpokeFest Spokane

I was skeptical about SpokeFest last year and almost didn't do it because it was only 21 miles. It's possible to ride it in one hour or less. But I decided to do it anyway as it was the first year, and doing bike rides is the sort of thing I do here at bicycle log. It turned out to be pretty darn good and I was impressed. HERE are the pictures I took last year which was the first year of SpokeFest. Anyway it's a ride to take your time on and not race. I don't think that's the intention, and if you do go as fast as possible it will be over too quickly and I really don't see the point in that.

I decided to stick around and ride in SpokeFest again this year. It's going to be perfect weather for it. Sunny and warm for this time of year. Last year I used my single speed bike. That was ok until I got to Doomsday Hill. I had to fly up it like Marco Pantani to keep the bike going in my one gear. I wasn't trying to show off, I just didn't have any options. Go fast up the hill to keep the crank going around or walk. I did it ok without walking but it was a little radical. So this year I'm going to ride my vintage Gitane Team and I'll have 10 gears to choose from. 5 chainrings on the back wheel and 2 on the crank. Now they call bikes 10 speeds when they have 10 gears on the back wheel, but there are actually 20 gear combinations on them if they have 2 chainrings on the crank. You knew that!

I've been wanting to ride the Gitane in a group ride, but I don't want to ride it all day so this is a good event for it. It seems like overkill to ride my regular road bike. Here's a pic of my baby. Old baby I guess I should say...

My vacation relaxation only took a couple of days to wear off. I guess that's the way it goes. I rode over 80 miles in Glacier Park. I made an attempt on the Going To The Sun Road but there was road construction about half way up and they had the pavement torn up for two miles. So I turned around when the pavement ended. No way could I ride my skinny tires on the dirt. It's too dangerous up there. Tuesday a motorcycle went off of the road and the guy fell to his death. But I did ride up and down Lake McDonald and up to the road work. It was really nice if not really cold early each morning. It would be in the low 40s F in the mornings and up to 90 degrees F in the afternoon. Who knows what it was C !?.. 32 I guess..

Glacier Park Photos

Here are a couple of more photos from Glacier. This was taken on my way back to Logan Pass from Haystack on the highline trail. I think that's Mt. Clements. I've skied both of those peaks in years past early in the season when there's snow everywhere and you don't have to worry about hurting the plants. (they frown on walking off of the trails when there isn't snow on the ground.) We'd climb to where the snow meets the rocks above. I'm not sure I'd have the nerve to do it anymore. You can't see it from below but there's usually a big gap between the snow and the mountian rocks at the top of those snow fields, and you could fall in there and not get back out.

(it's Mt. Reynolds. Thanks! I get those two confused.)

I'm not sure what these plants are called. I've never noticed them before. In case I've discovered a new plant, I named them Wild Hippy Hair Weeds.. They were doing the Hippy Hippy Shake in the wind.

This is a picture of where Snyder Creek comes into Lake McDonald. It was so hot I swam in the lake to cool off. If I really wanted to cool off I'd get in the Snyder Creek water coming into the lake. It was like turning on the cold tap.

Glacier Park vacation

I spent a few vacation days in Glacier Park cycling, hiking and canoeing. I don't think there is any place I'd rather be other than Flathead Lake. Here are a few Glacier Park photos. One morning I hiked from Logan Pass to Hidden Lake as it was on the east side of the continental divide and got the morning sun. It, feels like you are on the top of the world up there. It was really windy and that kept the people cool and the bugs away.

Then in the afternoon I took the Highline Trail that goes from Logan Pass to Granite Park along the Garden Wall which you can see at right. I didn't go all the way to Granite Park as I didn't have enough daylight, but I did go to Haystack which is the hump you see in the distance. I wanted to make it to Haystack because I wanted to see over the other side, but kept looking at my watch because I didn't want to get caught out late up there. It's not a place you want to hike alone late in the day. If anything were to happen and you had to spend the night out it could be disaster, not to mention the Grizzly Bear issue. I timed it right although I think I was the last person off of the trail that day. Not good actually although I know the trail well. The wind really got strong and there are several places you could be blown away to your death. I guess it's happened.

One day after I went cycling in the morning, I took the canoe out on Lake McDonald. It was hot and calm all afternoon which is kind of unusual for Glacier but I knew it would be a good day to be on the water. This view is looking southwest towards Apgar. I'm infront of Lake McDonald Lodge where I stayed. I'd paddle along and then beach the canoe and go for a dip in the cold water.

The water was so clear I could see the shadow of my canoe on the bottom when the water was really deep. I could see fish swimming along too and one time a whole bunch of them swam by. I beached the canoe several times and went swimming. The bottom drops off steep in places and when you swim under water and look into the deep it is the most beautiful turquoise color. It was really amazing. I was wishing I had an underwater camera.

Here's a picture of my car canoe and bike at Apgar as I left the park. I have room for one more bike on the other side of the canoe. I stayed at Lake McDonald Lodge at the other end of the lake and Hiked in those Mountains. I rode my bike in the morning from the far end of the lake to this end and back. I had to time trial on my way back to Lake McDonald Lodge to check out on time. I rode over 80 miles while I was in the park. I took a lot of pictures too so perhaps I'll post a few more later.

Wild Horse Island Bighorn

Here's a very small detail of a bighorn on Wild Horse Island that I took in low light as night fell on the lake. I thought it looked sort of impressionistic when I zoomed in. It was so dark I didn't have any hopes for a picture but I took pictures anyway.

Learning to water ski

Leaning to water ski at the lake each summer is a time honored tradition for the young people. For the not so young people it's a chance pass on knowledge and learn just how not so young they are. The next morning anyway..

I usually don't post pictures of people I know, but I like this picture too much.

Bigarm Bay

Here's a picture of Bigarm Bay on Flathead Lake. I keep taking the same picture over and over. It's like Groundhog Day in Bigarm Bay.

I retain all rights to my photos.  Please do not use any of my photos without permission.

Memory card, hot water tank and a mandolin

I was looking at all of the photos on my various memory cards wich were all full. It gets to the point that you have to make the decision to keep them or not. I finally made a folder and put some of them in it and cleared off one card. I'd show you some of them but I don't have them here, and honestly,.. they weren't that great.

My hot water tank started to leak. So tomorrow I'm going to buy a new one and install it. That will be fun.. It shouldn't be too big of a deal actually. We will see.. I don't mind not having hot water so much, but not having water at all could be a bad thing, so I'll have to resolve this situation once I start in.

Also I've been thinking about buying a mandolin. I used to play a mandolin when I was a kid before I played guitar, and I backed up my dad who played banjo. They are strung like a violin and I played that in orchestra, so since I (sort of) know how to play I might as well get one. They don't cost that much and I was thinking it would be an easy thing to travel with, and it's nice to have something to do with your hands while you are sitting around. Who knows? I might get into it. The guy below in the Rhonda Vincent video on mando rocks.

My first song will be called: Memory card, hot water tank and a mandolin.

Sun pickle recipe

It's time for sun pickles again. I went to a local farmer's market type place down the road from where I live and bought a bunch of small cucumbers and some dill. Here's the basic recipe:

3# of cucs
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup Kosher salt (I used about 1/3 cup of salt and I think you could get by with less)
2 table spoons of pickling spice.

Wash the cucs put them in 1 gallon jar add above and then fill with water.
Let sit in sun for three days and shake once a day.

I backed down the salt and added a sliced jalpeno pepper, (I like it hot) some galic, some onion, and some fresh dill. The cost has gone up a little in the two years since I first made this. The cucs were twice as expensive, but I have almost enough to make one more batch. This time I had everything but the cucs, dill and the pepper. I'm in around $12 not counting what I already had, the canning/ pickling salt, vinegar and pickling spice. The thing I like about these pickles is how crisp they are. I'm sure you could use any kind of salt.

Here's a link to when I made SUN PICKLES a while back with photo.

It's going to be almost 100 degrees tomorow, so that will jump start the process.

Wild Horse Island Rainbow

A rainbow off the shore of Wild Horse Island in Flathead Lake. The air smells so sweet here in Montana.

Bee picture

Here's a picture of my bee working on a thistle. It's a Scottish bee. Or a Scottish wanna bee.

New Hobie Cat 16 sails

There must be a lot of people out there who need new sails for their Hobie Cat, so here's what the new sails look like on my boat. Made in the United States, so that's a bonus, unlike some windsurfing sails. Hobie sails are a good value compaired to windsurfing sails. One thing I noticed is that the main pops over in a jibe just like a windsurfing sail as the curves in the battens flip over.

They came with a new number so if you want your old number be sure to tell them. I don't really care as I'm not racing. It was a big improvement. It seems to have put the center of effort back where it should be and the bow doesn't seem to push in as much. Now I wouldn't mind getting a boom vang, which this boat didn't have. It's raining right now so I'm not sure if I'll get to sail. I only like it when it rains anyway,. unless I want to sail.

Rainbow Lake Photo

I'm going to put this photo of Rainbow Lake Montana into my favorites on the side bar. It seems to be getting a little interest. I really need to do some housekeeping over there.

I love it when someone comes across this blog and looks at the pictures, and reads the silly things I've written. Now and then someone will come here and spend a little time. They mostly don't leave a comment, they don't stay very long, they just float around a little and then float away. Like the spirits of people coming and going almost without a trace.

One of the things that I hated about art school was the shamless self promotion of it all. I hate most art shows for that same reason. I'm not posting here for self promotion. I don't care what people think of my pictures. I often don't like them myself.

I retain the rights to all of my photos.  Please do not use without permission.

Boundaries

This isn't the best picture in the west but it's all I've got. Well not quite... There wasn't anyone around, and it was strange to feel comfortable on one side of the fence, but not really the other. If I climbed over the fence I'd have this guilt trip about it, like what the heck am I doing on this side of the fence?!..

The heat spell finally broke. It was just too darn hot, that's all. Well I guess I can take this picture down after a while, but I'll leave it up for now.

Homeless people

Where is home? There's no question about it when you are young. I guess for some people it's pretty clear. "Go Home!" I say to a dog if I find it in my yard. And it trots off,..but looks back at me as if to say I'm leaving but I really don't know where I'm going..

I guess if you are single and don't have a family you really don't have a home. I might have made a good homeless person. I think that's the most pure form but I'd have to get rid of my stuff. Home is a place to put your stuff. I admire people who don't have a lot of stuff. They travel light. Homeless people travel light..

There are people who had it all. They had a husband. They had kids. They had a house. They had a home. For years it went on like that. But then..

The kids grew up and left, The husband died. And then they had a house full of stuff, but was it still a home?

There are people who had it all. They had a mother, they had a father, they had a sister, they had a brother, but now they are alone.

I always felt at home on my bike. Always going somewhere. Always moving. Without a lot of stuff.

***
I think the heat has finally gotten to me..

Dinghy sailing in Montana

I watched this guy sail his dinghy on the Flathead River in Montana from a bridge. It was some of the most radical dinghy sailing I've ever seen. The wind was strong as was the current and the pictures make it look easy, but this guy is a true master, and his sailing was a beautiful thing to watch.

Loreen Miller bike ride pictures

Here are a few pictures from the 2009 Loreen Miller Cancer Patient Care bike ride. It was raining in the morning when I got up and that was a welcome change in the weather. The clouds lasted all morning and without them it would have been a hot ride. I rode the 50 mile ride as I thought it might be really hot to try and ride farther, plus I haven't been cycling as much as usual. I really suffered on the first climb but later in the day I started to feel stronger and stronger and at the end of the ride I felt as good if not better than I did at the start. So that's encouraging.

This guy had the most interesting jersey. Skull and bones.

I rode with these two ladies on and off. Wendy and Shelley, if I got their names right. They both do triathlon and were very fit. I ejoyed their company and did my best to keep up with Wendy on the climbs. I've noticed more and more tri people, especially women doing the bike rides lately and I think that's great. Of course in triathlon you aren't supposed to draft, so there's a whole culture of non-drafting out there as a result. I was taking turns pulling with another woman earlier and she commented that it had been a long time since she had drafted and how much fun it was. It's one of the things I really enjoy about group cycling as there's nothing like the thrill of being in a long train of riders going fast. Of course I always like to sit on if possible, like I'm doing here :)

At the end of the ride they had the best food I've ever had at a bike ride. Also they had the Angus Scott bagpipe band and I always like to hear them as they can put together some cool combinations. There were a couple of young dancers that I enjoyed as well. All in all it was a geat ride as usual.

***
From the website..

Who are Cancer Patient Care’s clients?

Cancer Patient Care clients are active cancer patients and their families who are fighting the invisible burden of overwhelming debt. Often our clients were financially stable until cancer invaded their lives. CPC helps them meet their basic needs.

***

Invisible burden indeed..

I won't go into the whole health care issue but we might not need this if everyone were covered.

My first Pow Wow

I went to my first Pow Wow last weekend. The drums called me in after years of listening to them from a distance. I really enjoyed it. There was some great dancing and native costumes. A lot of it is dance competition which I didn't really expect. There were groups of drummers around an open pavillion that took turns drumming and singing. Drumming seems to be a male dominated thing.

There were lots of Montana area tribes represented. Blackfoot, Kootenai and Salish, Flathead, Cree, Lakota and others. Everyone got involved young and old. Lots of beautiful people. The smell of pine pitch burning in fires filled the air. It was really cool.

For some reason I always felt I should keep my distance. If I were a tribal member I'm not sure I'd want a bunch of people like me showing up, but everyone was cool. I'd recommend going to a Pow Wow if you've never been to one. It's a good way to get outside of the bubble.

New Hobie 16 sails

They say that there are two things a man can love, a woman and a boat. I have a boat... And now my Hobie 16 gets new sails.

I know,..the old sails looked cool with the rainbow colors, but the new sails will rock, and the boat wil be faster.

Rainbow Lake Montana

This is Rainbow Lake AKA Dog Lake by the locals, just inside the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. It's known for its rainbows and also for its dogs, although I've never actually seen a dog here, but I'm sure at one time there were many dogs, or at least one dog...

I took the canoe out as the sun went down, not on Dog Lake, but on Flathead Lake. I could hear the Native Americans beating the drum down at the end of the bay. They are having a Pow Wow. As usual, I'm outside of the bubble, alone in my canoe, like Lt. Dunbar, or more like Lt. Dumb Bear.. What a sense of belonging and community they must have. I envy that.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll muster the courage to go over there with my camera.

I retain all rights to my photos.  Please do not use any of my photos without permission.

I'm only happy when it rains.

It rains for two days and people at work throw a big fit. What's wrong with this weather?! they say,.. even though we can't actually go outside because we have to work,..

I'm only happy when it rains.
feels good when things are going wrong,
I only listen to sad sad songs.
I'm only happy when it rains.

you want to hear about my new obsession?
I'm riding high upon a deep depression
I'm only happy when it rains.

It will be in the 90s by the end of the week. Perhaps the cold blooded will be happy.

Pour your misery down on me..

(Shirley Manson a little out of context.)

Niarada barn

My mom told me that my Dad knew the people who lived next to this. I suspect they owned this barn back when as it's the only place around. He used to come here and hunt pheasants. I have his old shotgun. This old barn has been photographed a lot. I sometimes see people out taking pictures of it. It was 90 degrees today here. That isn't too bad but this is a hot old dusty old place. Cold in the winter. Hot in the summer.

The Flathead River

Here's a picture of the Flathead River. I drive along it on my way to Flathead Lake. The water comes from the Glacier Park area through Flathead Lake and then it merges with the Clark Fork River a few miles from here and goes on into Idaho. You can't tell in this picture but it usually has a turquoise color.

I retain the rights to all of my photos.  Please do not use without permission.

Feel good moment

My bike ride to work today was really pleasant as it was cool out. I left soon enough that I had plenty of time and didn't have to push. Sometimes I feel so sorry for people in cars when I ride to work. They look stressed and unhappy for the most part. I did see one pretty young woman yesterday who was singing to her radio as she drove, so at least she was happy. That made me feel good.

Raining on Armstrong's parade

I'm a little cynical about the Tour de France anymore after repeated doping scandals year after year. First I was first naive enough to believe in Riis, Then Ulrich, Then Pantani. Then bla bla bla bla bla bla bla, and then Heras, and Hamilton, Landis, and Vinokourov. Various others. It seems like just about everyone. So I guess I'm waiting for the next bicycle shoe to drop in a drug scandal. I feel a little like Dick Cheney predicting the next attack. Raining on Armstrong's parade the way Cheney rained on Obama's.

The thought of Vinokourov demanding to be back on Astana after serving a two year suspension.. Well it's hard for a fan to really take it seriously. At least it is for me at this point.

***
And how did I forget Michael Rasmussen getting thrown out of the tour while wearing yellow in 2007. I knew I was leaving someone out. It's just getting too forgetable.

On the other hand, I find myself drawn to watch it, and I guess it motivates me to get on my bike and get in shape. And I guess I want to see the old experienced guy do well. It was nice to see Armstrong make the split the other day and climb up the leader board. Hey if Longo can continue to win as long as she did, why not Lance?

Montana Highway 382

One time last year I pulled over on this road, Montana secondary Highway 382, got out and was taking pictures like I did today. Not a car in sight for miles. I didn't pull all the way off of the road because my car is kind of low to the ground. I didn't want to get high centered, and I didn't want to start the grass on fire with my hot exhaust pipe.


So I'm out of the car walking around on the highway and finally here comes a car. I watched it for a long time until it finally got to me and the guy stops. People often stop to see if they can help you in Montana. "I'm fine." I said, "Just taking some pictures." "You'd better get your car off of the road." The guy says. "Trucks come along here pretty fast and you might get hit." I looked up and down the highway. Not a truck in sight. "Thanks." I said...

Little green tomatoes

I've been sitting here trying to reach the mosquito bites on my back. I got them last weekend painting. I've counted four of them... I've seen them in the mirror. On my way home in the car they started to itch, and I was thinking, "I need an implement to scratch them with, what do I have in the car that would work?." I was rubbing against the seat back. That just wasn't enough. Then it came to me.. I have my paint scraper right behind the seat within reach! It worked perfect and hit the spots. It was exactly the right size and shape. I couldn't have found a better thing to scratch my mosquito bites with, and I didn't even have to pull the car over. They could market these as paint scrapers, that also work as back scratchers.. Or back scratchers that also work as paint scrapers.. I thought as I drove.

Summer is starting to sink in. Little green tomatoes are starting to appear on my plants. Little rabbits are starting to appear in my yard. I'm thankful because last year my plants were a disaster. The rabbit ate all of the leaves as I planted them in the ground. But this year I put them in pots on my deck. They are easier to deal with up there anyway.

That children's story keeps coming to mind. I never thought I'd be the old farmer dude that came to heads with the rabbit. But it's all starting to make sense. My role as the villan is becoming clear over time. This year I'm only growing tomatoes but the older and more farmer-esque I get, the more desire I have for a graden. Strange how that works. I even have a farmer tan... but I still think of it as a bicycle tan.