A Time to Fix, a Time to Grow

Fixing covers many aspects of life, but today I will address fixing motorhomes, as it is a frequent topic of discussion around our house. Yes, the Winnie needs fixing again. The part that's under warranty is the hydraulic cylinders for the automatic levelers. Every time we turn right or go over a large bump (and sometimes just crappy road surface), the levelers come down because of low fluid in the cylinder and The Intensely Annoying Levelers Down Alarm comes on. I would not care if they were draggin' on the ground if not for that TIALDA! And it goes off at the least provocation and the least slippage. Drives me nuts. Nutser? So, that is a good fix.

The other thing that needs fixed is the Radio Antenna. Oddly enough, it was placed at the right rear of the coach and was sealed in place so well that the ball and joint socket that let it fall down when you hit a low branch was sealed in goop also. Halfway up the antenna, goop. That ball joint is going nowhere, especially when you run the antenna into a tree branch.

So, Ray made an appointment to get it all fixed. In we go and Ken, the service manager, looks up and sees us and says, "Hi guys! Oh, no, you're back again." He thought it was the dratted slides again. Nope, I say, grinning like a fool, we knocked off the antenna on a low branch. And he starts laughing, saying, "Good one!" ha ha ha. Then he looks at me and sees my expression and says "Oh, golly! You're serious!" The look on his face was priceless. And then he says, "You whacked off the (grossly expensive satellite) TV antenna on a tree??!!" And it's our turn to laugh, because he was absolutely, totally horrified and it was only the radio antenna after all.

But it cost us about $12.50 to get it up there for fixing and to get a laugh. Plus the cost of repairing the antenna, and a quick dinner at Wendy's.

By special request here is a bit about the tomatoes on the deck. (Hi Weena Barrie!) We happened to have two large ceramic pots with drainage, lounging about on the deck from the time when I delusionally decided I was capable of growing miniature clematis on the deck. Turned out no, I was not. Another year, I attempted to grow lettuce in those pots, not with much success. Miniature lettuce is what I got.

This year, I didn't want big tomatoes, as I already had my garden planted full and still have some tomato sauce and juice left from the Bonanza Year of 15 foot tall Black Russian tomatoes. (yes I have pictures to prove it) So, I decided it would be cherry tomatoes this year. I bought nice healthy plants of two different varieties of tomatoes. Since the aforementioned pots were (still) available and the garden space was not, in the pots they went. They still look nice and healthy and on sunny days I make sure they are getting sun by moving them around the deck. (they are on dollies) I water them faithfully and fertilize with natural fertilizer. We used nice potting soil and some amendments. So far so good. Sadly, it is still cold, rainy and cloudy most days and although they have flowered, the flowers refuse to open. No tomatoes in sight yet, which is a typical tomato growing experience around here. But I keep hoping for another bonanza year.

One of the Kitchen Men has a little greenhouse where he has grown tomatoes (and other things) very successfully. His parsley is in bloom, mine is not yet. He swears they have an entire yard full of parsley plants that just volunteered. Since I have only seen the yard mowed, I take his word for it.

No one I know who has tried those upside down things has had good luck. I will not even try one, as tomatoes are hard enough to grow up here in the cold, wet ground, without hanging the poor things up by their scrawny roots to blow in the cold wind!

The main thing with tomatoes is good exposure to sunlight, as much as possible, and a warm location, like up against the house. They can get warm and light from the sun and also reflected by the house wall. Stake them up or put them in a tomato cage. Pinching suckers off keeps the airflow going thru the plant, which is a good thing. Also makes the tomatoes easier to see. Water them during the day or in the morning and not in the evening. Fertilize regularly. Hang about and dream of fresh tomatoes sliced on BLT's with plenty of mayo!