Just your normal Viet Vet (Danang), VMFA 232 (Red Devils), Phantom Phixer (F4-J)

The Red Devils are the oldest and most decorated fighter squadron in the Marine Corps. The Squadron first stood up on September 1, 1925 at Naval Air Station, San Diego. Over the years, the squadron designation varied, the aircraft became newer and more capable, and home bases changed. But the spirit of the Red Devils carries on.

My wife, me and our two Irish Setter pups in 2004. I am holding Aladdin (male) and she is holding Cashmere (female).
The pups are litter mates ... Aladden weighs in at 125 lbs and Cashmere is 85 lbs now (2008).

The Pictures Below Are Of My Garden, Fig and Pear Trees, and Irish Setters. 5-14-08

Aladdin (Big Guy) and Cashmere. Aladdin did not want to be there and he was ready to bolt! Aladdin is the rugged unkempt type ... he hates baths and combs and this spot I sat him in is where we take them to give them baths. Cashmere loves baths and brushes and combs ... but she rules the roost! You should see her running ... poetry! Aladdin just lopes along, kinda like he is saying, "I will get there when I get there".

Cashmere who now has a Fig tree named after her.

Wide View Of My Small Garden Area (from down the hill)

View Of The Garden From The Fence Two rows of tomatoes. Three each of Roma, Arkansas Traveler, Early Girl and Big Boy. One row of hot peppers, jalapeno(4), Sorrano(3) and Cayenne(4). I sware the rows are straight! The way the Roma Tomatoes are leaning makes it look like I can't make a row straight!

Another View Of The Tomatoes

A Few Early Girl Tomatoes THEY WILL BE READY SOON!

My Raised Beds This year they are filled with cucumbers and eggplants (front) and zucchini and bell pepper (back). Last year these raised beds were all I had for my tomatoes and peppers and basil.

Cucumber and Eggplant Bed There are two types of cucumbers. The ones on the right are salad type. The ones on the left are pickling. Both are being run up a trllis made from wire fencing. Two Eggplants are in the front and obscured.

A Cucumber Ready To Pick I have picked 4-5 aleady (about 6 inches).

Zucchini and Bell Pepper Bed There are three Zucchini in the back and two Bell Pepper plants at each corner in the front and a Cowhorn pepper between the Bells.

Zucchini Flowers We have eaten a few zucchini (grilled because that is the way my wife likes them). I can't wait for the tomatoes to ripen and then slice the zucchini and tomatoes in half, salt, pepper, olive oil and baked together in one casserole with a sprinkle of Parmezan at the end! A side of rice and it could be a meal!

My Sugar Baby Watermelon Patch There are two plants. They are fenced in (because of Aladdin and Cashmere) and the bed is coverd with composted grass clippings.

Now We Move On To The Fig And Pear Trees There are three Pear Trees; a Hood, a Pineapple, and a Baldwin and three Figs Trees; a Black Jack a Celestial (Cashmere's Tree) and one Fig Tree I am not sure of what type it is. A fellow Freeper sent it to me (Gardengirl) because my Brown Turkey Tree looked like it was never going to bud out!

This Is My GardenGirl Fig Tree When I received it it was in great shape. After I planted it, it lost all its leaves except for the one you see that is brown on the edges. But it has revovered very well! Thanks Gardengirl.

Cashmere's Fig Tree (actually a Cesestial Fig). It has been renamed "Cashmere" because a couple of hours after I had planted it she decided it was not in the right place and dug it up. I found her running around with it in her mouth, tossing it into the air and trying to catch it! She eventually heared me calling her and delivered her prize at my feet. As you can see it survived!

This Is My Black Jack Fig Tree

This Is My Brown Turkey Fig Tree .... IT HAS A BUD! After Gardengirl sent me a new Fig Tree I decided not to give up on my Brown Turkey Fig. So I replanted it in a container. About a week ago it decided to show some life! Yea! If you look closely you can make out the first bud. It is the second node down from the red ID label! There is another bud just above the the label on the left (if you have good eyes). The plants in the back ground are Elephant Ears.

Now To The Pear Trees I never wanted Pear trees but when I received my Fig Trees they included a Hood Pear tree (I don't know why). So I planted it. Turns out the Hood Pear needs another special type Pear Tree, a companion, to pollinate and produce fruit. To make a long story short I found two locally ... a Pineapple Pear and a Baldwin Pear. I now have three pear trees thriving and growing that I never expected to have!

Pear Trees The one in the front is the Baldwin Pear the one behind it is the Pineapple Pear. I don't have a picture of the Hood Pear but it is off to the right way in the background kinda merging with the chain link fence.

My Now 3/4 Depleted Compost Pile Boy is this some good stuff! Almost totally black when dug into and has a great earthy smell. This is about a quarter of what I had when I started the season. I distributed it between the raised beds, the new tilled tomato bed and the watermellon patch. Majority went to the tomato bed. It was all tilled into the soils about two weeks before I could plant because of the temps!