Hi Bonnie,

Negligent brother Ike here.

I read your great email to Mickey detailing all the cool things you are doing. Staying busy tenfold it sounds like to me.

All is well here…the usual growing of crops and selling to all my loyal customers. Brewing lots of home brew in preparation for the annual Garland Days home brew contest.

Over the years I’ve brewed countless beers and ciders but never have attempted wine. That’s all about to change in the next week or so.

Lindy and I are gonna attack an awesome wild blackberry patch and pick an ungodly amount of berries.

Many will be eaten on the spot, some will be packaged and sold, but our main goal is to whip up 5 or 10 gallons of blackberry wine.

We’ve never done wine brewing but we’re quick learners and hopefully will have a product worth drinking. Wish us luck.

Here are a few roof- top picts of my veggie and melon enterprise…

It’s been a challenging year. Super hot, dry, spring that had ‘drought’ written all over it followed by 5 weeks of non-stop rain and cold smack dab in the middle of planting season.

Needless to say, many re-plantings were required along with battling the nasty slugs  that eat any and all vegetation when it’s cool and wet.

The picts show the crops finally settling in and on their way to abundance. Thanks to Lindy posing in each one as her old man perched on the roof for the shots.

If you look closely you can see some of my very first attempts at growing tobacco.

As of this writing many pillow case sized tobacco leaves are curing upstairs in my very warm loft.

I’m a lazy bastard….can you find time to post these picts on the sink?

Thanks,
And much Love to all,

Ike