Above 1200 Sq/FT Harley Jim's place

[Bob Heine]

I have a problem saying disabilities because most folks I have worked with that have a difference can't be classified as having a disability

Jim, I had to be interviewed by an IBM doctor before they would let me go back to work after my little left elbow incident. I asked if this qualified me for "Handicapped Parking" and he freaked out: "Only people in wheelchairs qualify!!!!" This was 1966 and things have evolved. Here in Florida, based on their outfits, people who play golf and tennis qualify for the Handicapped mirror flags.

Can't remember the comedian but one said: "If it weren't for the handicapped, I'd never find a place to park." or something like that.

 

[harley jim]

I agree Bob, there are more handicap parking spots at our Walmart than there are regular parking spots.
I've seen some great things from some so called handicapped folks, yourself included, you have never let anything slow you down!

 

[Bob Heine]

Jim, I'm also amazed by the vehicles the Boca Raton Handicapped drive. Ninety nine percent are luxury sedans (Rolls-Royce, Bentley, S-Class Mercedes, 7-Series BMWs, Teslas, Lincolns and Cadillacs -- and the occasional Ferarri and Lamborghini). One percent are vans with handicapped conversions.

 

[Michael B.]

Jim what company is make the fiberglass bodies?

 

[harley jim]

Steve Weber, is the owner.

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[harley jim]

All Y'all up North, you need to come get your weather, it's drunk again and threw up in my yard, Geeze!

I checked the TV to see if Freedom-trikes.com was closed today, no such luck, everything else in the county is closed!
It's hard working first an A$$ hole!

 

[harley jim]

I forgot to say that Tuesday we went to Ooltewah to pick up a powder coat booth and a spray booth that were given to us, the guy forgot to tell us that it was all 3 phase, so we polity loaded them onto the trailer and left, went to the scrap yard in Benton and let them have them. We did get a few Gaylord and some other items so it wasn't a total wasted trip.

This is when I figured out it was 3 phase!
The owner manufactured weight training equipment, he was very interesting to talk to his name was Jerry,

He was Mr America in 1965.
We talked more than we worked, he showed me around his factory, he also was one of the first to manufactur jell pads for motercycle seats, he had to show me the process!
Anyway we're back at the shop today.
More to come.

 

[harley jim]

We have a drift trike! It's in powder coat tonight, hopefully we can assemble it tomorrow with the other two frames that we have to build.
We got all of the frames loaded in the trailer today, and Donnie is taking it to get new tires in the morning.
We will be leaving for Florida next Wednesday!

 

[harley jim]

Back from powder coat and ready to be built! Maybe tomorrow!

 

[Jayman17]

Ryobi sponsored drift trike??

 

[harley jim]

It looks better with parts on it.
Safety yellow Jayman, gotta be safe!

 

[harley jim]

Got this one finished!

This one is by request, it has foot controls.

 

[LeonardY]

@Bob Heine
Is this you in your buffer younger days?

There's a resemblance.

 

[Bob Heine]

@Bob Heine
Is this you in your buffer younger days?

There's a resemblance.

Leonard, close but all I had was the skin and the bones. His hands and feet might have fit in my birthday suit but that's about it.

 

[harley jim]

Bob, I always suspected you were a hunky kind of a guy back in the day!

 

[harley jim]

I planted taters today.
Back in the day my Grandpa would plant taters in the ground, when the plants were about a foot tall he would place a tire over the plants and fill it with dirt, he would repeat this process about four times.
I have done this in the past with mixed results.
I have been reading about these tater towers, so I decided to try it this year.

I started with a couple inches of soil, placed six sprouted taters in the soil, (they are cut in half) then covered them with a couple more inches of soil.

Then I added wheat straw between the layers of soil.
The carpet is for weed control ( that's the old carpet from the great lodge flood).
When my Grandpa would harvest his taters in the fall, each tire was full of taters and there were taters in the ground where he started.
I should see similar results with a crop in each layer of straw.

That is garlic, I started it several years ago, I bought a bulb of garlic at the grocery store, pulled all of the cloves apart and planted them. They get planted in September and harvested in May. As long as you put back enough to plant you eat free garlic all year.

 

[Prospecter]

Love the potato tower. Hoping you'll post progress pics during the growing season and at harvest.

 

[harley jim]

Prospector, I will, there are a lot of folks saw it and said the same.
A friend of mine saw my post on fb and said he has done this for several years and it works well.

 

[Jeff Ivers]

Years ago, we planted potatoes by tossing them on the ground and then covering with a layer of straw, followed by some more potatoes and then more straw. I don't recall how many layers we used but if I remember right the final layer needs to be 10" of straw. I was always pleased with the ease and the productivity.

 

[harley jim]

Jeff that's about what I have, I was looking for some numbers but just totally guessed on it. Hopefully it will work, I really hate digging taters!

 

[Hellpig]

Prospector, I will, there are a lot of folks saw it and said the same.
A friend of mine saw my post on fb and said he has done this for several years and it works well.

Tried it for the first time last spring and was not impressed with the results. Will give it one more shot this year.

But still.planting 100'+ the old fashioned way.

 

[harley jim]

Hellpig, What were your proportions? The thickness of your dirt and straw layers? I have to go up, I have such limited sunlight!
There is so much shade from the trees it's hard for me to grow grass

 

[Hellpig]

Hellpig, What were your proportions?

Well, I was 6'1", 180...
That was 40 years and 50# ago though, lol?

I'm GUESSING it was 30-32" in diameter, and it was 5' tall. 4 T posts wrapped with chicken wire, double layer of cardboard underneath.
ust used what I had on hand, so probably about 6" layers of compost and old hay.
It compressed pretty good after a week or two, so topped it off.

Full sun. One of my issues was we went 40 days w/out rain, and MAY have let it get a little too dry a time or two, but not sure. Had to.walk by it a lot, so was pretty diligent about it.

Actually moved my big patch last spring, and yield wasn't as good as previous years. Soil not as good.

Had NO soil there 30 years ago.
We fenced it and raised hogs in it for a few years. They fertilized and tilled it. Went from an inch of topsoil to almost a foot.
Moved the pen, and repeated.

Hope you do well, seems many do.
Just not me, lol

 

[xtremek]

Spuds and garlic, now all we need is some really good steaks and green beans. You're making me hungry. Nice job as usual.

 

[harley jim]

Steaks are in the freezer and Pat has the green beans canned, in the pantry, when you coming?

 

[LeonardY]

I planted taters today.
Back in the day my Grandpa would plant taters in the ground, when the plants were about a foot tall he would place a tire over the plants and fill it with dirt, he would repeat this process about four times.
I have done this in the past with mixed results.
I have been reading about these tater towers, so I decided to try it this year.

I started with a couple inches of soil, placed six sprouted taters in the soil, (they are cut in half) then covered them with a couple more inches of soil.

Then I added wheat straw between the layers of soil.
The carpet is for weed control ( that's the old carpet from the great lodge flood).
When my Grandpa would harvest his taters in the fall, each tire was full of taters and there were taters in the ground where he started.
I should see similar results with a crop in each layer of straw.

That is garlic, I started it several years ago, I bought a bulb of garlic at the grocery store, pulled all of the cloves apart and planted them. They get planted in September and harvested in May. As long as you put back enough to plant you eat free garlic all year.

I failed miserably trying to grow potatoes in grow bags. The plants grew like crazy but I didn't get many spuds. Maybe I'll try again.

 

[harley jim]

I'm having those problems with blueberries, I have planted several over the past few years and they do ok the year they are planted but die over the winter. Some have said its the soil. I bought four a couple weeks ago and will try again.

 

[zanyad]

I love blueberries! They were also my father's favorite.
Blueberries prefer acidic soil 4.5-5.5 pH (I thought they needed alkaline soil, but a quick search priced me wrong). Maybe test your soil pH?

 

[LeonardY]

I'm having those problems with blueberries, I have planted several over the past few years and they do ok the year they are planted but die over the winter. Some have said its the soil. I bought four a couple weeks ago and will try again.

We have to grow blueberries in containers. Our soil isn't acidic enough. As soon as they hit alkaline soil they roots will stop. So even if you amend your soil to give it an acid soil they will eventually grow past it.

Blueberries prefer acidic soil 4.5-5.5 pH (I thought they needed alkaline soil, but a quick search priced me wrong). Maybe test your soil pH?

Yup. They do.

It looks like we lost a blueberry and the Lady of the Garden is in mourning.

 

[harley jim]

I am going to research the soil and test mine. I have to build a block retaining wall at the root cellar and I have to backfill it with something, it will be 5 or 6 ft. deep in that spot, maybe it will work.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I am going to research the soil and test mine. I have to build a block retaining wall at the root cellar and I have to backfill it with something, it will be 5 or 6 ft. deep in that spot, maybe it will work.

Try to make that a rock garden. You want your root cellar to have very drainy fill around it. Or you'll wind up with a mold farm.

 

[harley jim]

Just got home from panama city today!

We met up with some old friends

They want to partner with us a bit, they are taking one of our trikes on tour with them this summer.



We met a bunch of new friends also.
But I'm tired and going to bed!

 

[BuffettFan]

Hey Jim, hope you've caught your breath!

I watch these folks on occasion as we go to some of the same areas. Haven't had a chance to watch it all yet.
Curious to see if you pop up in the background somewhere!

 

[xtremek]

Are you still tired? The timing change really tears me up.

 

[harley jim]

Yes, Im wiped out, Florida was an hour different anyway, so that didn't help!

 

[harley jim]

Got some kind of bug, I've been in the bed pretty much since I got home!

 

[Mr.zippy]

Damn, hope you get better soon. Take care Jim!

 

[bugnut]

Hey buddy, hope you're back at it soon, take care and get well!

 

[harley jim]

Well! I survived! I thought it might have just been from traveling and not eating my normal diet but several people I know have the same thing. It was rough, I lost 10 lbs the hard way!
Anyway I had to build 5 frames when I got home, now it's up to 11! Going to order more tubing Tuesday after I get a count on what stock I have.
I was contacted by a guy in W. Virginia, he bought four frames and will pick them up Friday.
We had some bad storms blow through here.

Last week Alex was digging his pond bigger, he needed the dirt to build up his driveway. This was Wednesday.

This was Saturday morning, that hole was 14' deep. We got some rain.
I'm going out now to get my enclosed trailer out of the back yard and move it to the shop, it is full of old Ford shoebox parts, I have a guy that wants to buy it all. So I'm going to gather it all into one spot and make him an offer he can't refuse!

 

[BuffettFan]

Glad you're back amongst the living, Jim!