Arkansas Stones

 I started working wood using Arkansas stones and I will admit to round heals when it comes to sharpening steel, I have tried almost every system and type of stone although I can still find folks using stones I've never heard of. My love of Arkansas stones could be the "first love" effect, it's like you think the first jet you flew is the best airplane ever build. Of course I know there is no better "pilot airplane" than a LearJet 25D.

Today was a cold and rainy day here in the Old Pueblo so there wasn't much I wanted to do other than maybe sit in the shop and love on my tools. I noticed a couple of the 'beater' chisels needed sharpening and I hadn't pulled the Shaptons out for some time. Six stones out of the cabinet, change the stone holder to the one for waterstones and get to work. It didn't take long to remember why the Shaptons were in the cabinet instead of on the bench. Damn they are messy and need too much monkey motion but they do put a shine on your steel. In spite of the shine back in the cabinet until the next time.    

A Old Fart Rant

 I'm soon to be 80 years old, less than a month, up until a couple years ago I felt I was keeping up with the modern world. It ain't so now. Every day presents a new problem with current electronics and hours of checking online or tech support to try and fix. Most of the time "try" is the operative word. Damn I hate tech support. "Turn the computer, iPhone, IPad or Mac off then back on no" matter how many times you did it before contacting tech support. From there it usually is another hour of going through things you did before the call. If you are lucky sometimes you stumble on the fix, sometimes not and it is a wasted effort. I will pass on doing my "live chat" rant.

Today's starting problem, before finishing my first cup of coffee, was MsBubba's iPhone wouldn't ring but her Mac would. Simple fix if you know what to do, switch on the side of phone kills the ring. Now the question is "who moved the switch and if no one moved it, how did it get turned off. BTW, finding the switch took an hour of tech support time.

Almost every day it is something the modern world has managed to fuck up, A dishwasher with a door lock function that is easy to lock but no indication other than the appliance not working. That one was several weeks of washing dishes by hand (which really isn't too bad, in truth might be easier than using a dishwasher other than after a big dinner party). Getting a iPad and a iMac, iPhone or iBook to "talk" to each other can take days of going in circles and even better are printers that decide not to print after a operating system up date. It goes on and on, it is almost impossible to function in today's world with no internet, mobile phone and whatever computer you have not working. 

I'm a "1960s" guy living in a 2020 world and it ain't fun.

ken

Starting The Short Rows

 The 2023 harvest is gaining speed. Harvested two SLH Auto, a Durban Poison Photo and a Peyote Gorilla Photo. Left to harvest; two SLH Auto and six LSD Auto.

As always there were things I could and will do better with the next crop but over all this has been a better year than last. You can't really tell from this photo but there are some very nice, tight colas on even the smallest plant.

The plants will hang until the buds test less than 12% moisture (a little over a week here in the desert). Once under 12% the buds will be trimmed and graded. Top shelf buds will go into "Grove Bags" for a month or more of curing and storage. The "popcorn" buds along with some trim will be "decarbed" and used to make tinctures and/or infusions. 

A couple of changes, or maybe a better word additions, to my means of consumption. I've added two additions for using dry flower, a Storz & Bickel desktop "Volcano" Hybrid vaporizer and a small "Firefly" battery powered vaporizer. The jury is still out on which is better a vaporizer or a bong. A vaporizer offers more taste and smoother "smoke" but from my short experience using, does not get you as "high" nor does the high last as long as a bong hit.

Not as "high" is not necessarily a bad thing it is just one of the differences nor is shorter time really a problem because you can just do more hits or what I like to do is use vapor with eatables. About the time the vap gives up the edible kicks in.

Bottom line vap, bong, eatable all work but it helps to know how to use each.

ken

No Tent Cannabis

 I've seen folks post anti-Autoflower, how growing autoflower Cannabis is somehow akin to pissing in the wind or kissing your sister. Reminds me of ages ago when some gearheads were anti-automatic transmissions in cars. Autoflower Cannabis has a place at the table, when grown taking advantage of its Ruderalis genetics it fills a need. First as the name implies autoflower plants flower without the need for a long period of dark to trigger flowering. That alone means an autoflower Cannabis plants can be grown almost anywhere with little special equipment. No tent or grow room required which in turn means a lot of special gear is not needed. To grow autoflower plants indoors, all that is needed is a small space, I find a 2'X4' flood tray is a perfect footprint for 4 to 6 plants, to cover that 2'X4' space I use two very cheap Vivosun LED light panels (<$100 USD each). Some 3 to 5 gal. fabric pots, potting soil, nutrients plus good seeds and you are set to grow. At least here in AZ six plants per adult is legal and those six Autoflower Cannabis plants will keep you in weed for a year or more unless you really suck at growing things. 

Plants where I've totally screwed the pooch, dumped 'em on the ground, dropped fans or other "stuff" on them, breaking branches off, fucked up the feeding/watering schedule, whatever, and I still get a couple of oz. of flower per plant at harvest time. Don't screw up and a pound or more is possible (I admit I've never had that good production but it can be done) even with autoflower genetics. Remember Cannabis is a weed, it is hard to screw it up. If you use Cannabis regularly, either to get "high"', for medical reasons or both, growing your own can make economic sense. Retail price of top shelf weed in Tucson is $250 to $300 USD/oz. The product of one Cannabis plant can save enough weed shop money to pay for your whole grow in one season and you still have the equipment for the next crop. If you use Marijuana, either recreational or medical, growing your own is a no-brainer and Autoflower weed makes it so.  

Here are my side of tent plants. Four Super Lemon Haze Autoflower from Seedman seed bank in the 10th week post sprouting of six plants. Two plants have been harvested, one I tried my best to kill but it made it to harvest and I expect will give close to an oz. of "trim" grade flower. The other while small has some very nice and fat colas, my best guess is close to 100g of top shelf bud plus another 50 to 100 grams of trim for infusions.

As always: Click it to big it.

Bottom line: Both Autoflower and Photoperiod Cannabis plants have a place at my table. Photoperiod because as a grower I have control of the plant's life cycle and can effect size and production much more than with Autoflower plants. Plus growing Photoperiod Cannabis is a nice hobby that can keep you involved and has the opportunity of needing to buy "stuff " for your hobby, always a plus 😇.

Autoflower plants bring ease of growing and quick harvests with only a slight loss of THC levels and product. Not so much a hobby, closer to daily taking out the trash or doing laundry but with the benefit of pain control and getting high cheaply when you wish. As John Prine said: "...It doesn't cost very much and lasts a long while."

ken