Above is our eggplant putting off its first bloom, we have never grown eggplant - so this is indeed the first eggplant bloom of our careers.  Thank you… thank you.

We all have these going on right?  TOMATOES!  Actually, didn’t really mean for it, but that’s a Blue Daze Evolvulus.  2 for 1 special.

These… Cucumbers blooming - lots of males, waiting for the women to show up!  Ants… you will see that ALOT in our pictures.  Damn ants.

Here is a shot of our Lemon Drop tree.  It has some weird late blooms coming in, I’m sure they will fall off, BECAUSE WE CAN’T GROW CITRUS EVER.  And it is HOT as HELL in Texas right now.

That bloom right there is a black diamond watermelon bloom.  Hopefully we can pull off some watermelons this year - things are going good so far.

Sunflowers… can you really beat them blooms?  I don’t think so…  We will end it with one more shot of our friend the sunflower.

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We just got news that Shala’s Brother & his wife’s dog, Willie - had to be put down this morning.  Truly a sad day, as many of you here w/ pets I’m sure can relate to.  Willie was a Weimaraner.  He was a special dog, I loved getting the chance to play with him when we went to visit.  He weighed over 100 lbs, and so for most folks he was intimidating… but I love dogs so much that I would always end up wrestling with him in the floor - until he slapped me and made me remember that he was not your average dog.  Or when he would open his mouth and put my whole entire forearm in it… it didn’t take long before I would say… “Willie, get in your place.” 

And he would.  Sucking the corner of his bed the whole time.

As much power he possessed, he still was such a playful dog, seemed as if he was still a puppy, even though he had actually been in the family longer than I had (he was 8 1/2).  I remember that Shala took Mikey (our wiener dog) with her to visit one time and Mikey was a pup.  Even though Willie could have gobbled him up - it seems as if they were friends and maybe even Willie was a lil scared of him.  Or at least that is the impression Shala gave me when they got back.

Willie was a great dog.  He had little things about him that you could go on and on about.  His bird-dog expectations… or maybe his “scared of the dark”-ness.  I’m sure the list is longer that I could even begin to tell you.

We love you & miss you already Willie - you had such a big heart and such a playful spirit.  Thanks for being one of those lifetime dogs.  For those with pets, be sure to rub your lil or big guy on its head tonight.  Our thoughts & prayers go out to Russell & Sheila in this time of grief.

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Have you noticed it lately though? 

Especially if you read sites like Reddit, Digg - Mixx… places where tons of nerds (like myself) are found on a daily basis.  Youtube is another fine example - check the comments any given day, on any given post and you will find people being total a-holes about everything.  Most are meant to be funny, but a lot are just there to give everyone a hard time.  Our emails & comments on this site are no different than those sites we mentioned.  Obviously on a much smaller scale.

What is sad is you can’t get a free pass from that stuff.  It is just like spammers.  If you choose to have a website that is public domain - get ready for spammers.  You can bet about twice a week (AT THE VERY LEAST), you are going to have to go through and spam & moderate your comments, emails in general.  You just have to be ready for it.

Some days you see pictures of things you never wanted to see (you know the ones). 

Or you wonder what this commenter is talking about…

“Wing.  Partial eloquent benovolent molecular treason feable lecture orange. Pollution fanfair V!4Gra prescription.”

It’s true.  You laugh because you know it is spot on.  I will get 17 spammers the minute I hit publish, because I say prescription twice. 

I say that to say this… the internet is in a bad state.  And sometimes you look at it and go… why do I do this to myself?  Why do I feel the need to be THIS connected?  Do I really need to tweet, facebook, mixx, digg & reddit all at once?

Then you get an email like this…

Hey guys,

This is just a quick note to let you know that I appreciate your website.  I was searching for something I needed on google and your site came up somewhere in the top 10 of the search results.   The cool name got my attention, but DANGIT I got stuck for a long time on all the various cool content.  Sigh.  U guys are awesome, and I’ve bookmarked the site for viewing later.

Thx for sharing your thoughts with all of us.

Cliff
San Bernardino, CA 

Now I don’t know Cliff.  Never met him, probably never will to be honest.  But cliff took 5 min. out of his day and let us know that the 5 min. we took out of our day to write on this website/blog was appreciated.  That is why we do it, it isn’t for money or goodies… it all started because of a love of writing & communicating.  We were doing this long before there was anything to monetize about it.  And we are realizing that is what we need to get back to. 

Here is a comment we got the other day…

Nice job James, I appreciate your efforts. Smokin and drinkin beer are my two favorite hobbies, and I’ve never tried a cigarette. I stick to ribs and butts.

I”ve been BBQing for some years now, and I think you’ve captured the spirit of the exercise - it’s an art, not a science, and it takes trial and error to get the right results. I’d add one postulate to your fine write-up: It takes patience. If using a smoker or anything with a lid - Don’t keep opening the lid to admire your work; you’re losing heat. Don’t keep flippin the meat. Sure turn it from time to time, but they aren’t pancakes. I”m from the Philly area, and I think Northerners by nature are more impatient, so if you’re from north of the Mason-Dixon line - just relax. Let the pit/smoker do it’s job.

That one was on the How To Smoke Pork Ribs post. 

The guy’s name, “Smokin’” Marty.  This guy knew damn well that he could probably BBQ me under the table… but then he realized… this guy isn’t tryin’ to have a pissing contest… he wants to show people what works for him… tell a few jokes, give some people (that are searching) something to help them out.  And do it all while slightly drunk.  Well Marty - you hit the nail on the head man.  Thanks for your comments & dont’ listen to what anyone has to say… “Smokin’ and drinking beer” - can be a hobby.  I think it can.  I’d vote for it.  Thanks for the atta-boy & we totally agree - let the pit/smoker do it’s job!

All this is my proof… that the internet doesn’t suck so much after all.  Just when you think the whole thing is a sham… they reel ya back in.  Thanks readers for sticking around, we promise we are getting back to our old style of writing & having a good time while doing it.  Not every post is going to be garden based.  Not every single post will be BBQ based.  But each post will be authentic to the Double Danger style of blogging.

Whatever the heck that means.

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Here are 5 Reasons You Should Grab A Pole And Go Fishing…

(more…)

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Fish emulsion

Seaweed emulsion

Granule based fertilizer mixtures

Manure

Vermicompost tea

Compost tea

And the list goes on and on…

While looking, we came across what ended up being our final choice.  A product called Great Big Plants (or GBP as we like to call it).  Great Big Plants is a compost concentrate that you add when you watering (mix it into your watering can) - and it gives your plants a nice kick in the backside.

We used it last year, but not consistently - this year we just started with it (we have been busy ok!) and plan to keep it consistent from here on out.  It is so easy to use, I mean you just add it to your watering can (that sounds so old school) and apply it to the base of the plant.  Done.

Then you can sit back, drink a cold one and field questions from your friends when they can’t believe your GREAT BIG PLANTS.  See how I worked that in?  Yeah… I have been working on that for a week.  haha  No, but really a great  product for those that maybe can’t do a compost bin/heap.  This is like having a compost bin… in a bottle.  Trust us.

So if you have a minute, and want to read more about Great Big Plants - here is a link to their website…

Visit Great Big Plants

Tell them we sent you, or don’t… doesn’t really matter.  They have tons of info to read and several different versions of the compost concentrate - so check ‘em all out.

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Those are my kind of peppers.  The ones that start going every which way and look like lil blobs of green.  I guess it is like those cracked tomatoes, and how much better they are than those slick coated factory-made-looking ones.  Or maybe it is just me.  Is it?

Anyone have some off-the-wall favorites when it comes to their own veggies?

Come on… we know you do.  Don’t be shy.

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What we have started to do is sort of wrap each plants base in the soaker hose.  It is hard to explain without a picture, so let us get to that first…

As you can see in the picture, if you will give the base a nice lil wrap… you get 360 degree watering out of your hose, and you get a foot instead of 4 inches to help distribute that water.

We also like to group our plants so that we can water all of them at the same time.  Which means when you wrap each plant with the soaker hose… you have to do a series of them.  Not a big deal.  Just create a daisy chain (seems like appropriate naming in this circumstance) of sorts.  See below for a picture of this daisy chain method…

Pretty cool right?  You can see at the very end, we have it wrapped twice with the slack.  When we add a plant, we just coil that slack backwards until we hit our new plant and then wrap it.

Do you have tips to share with us?  Post it in the comment area or email them to us.  If it saves time, money, effort… pretty much if it makes gardening easy - let us know about it.  And we will do our best to pass on any tips we find useful, because we are cool like that.

Other Gardening Tips:

Gardening Tip: Let Your Strawberries Read The Newspaper

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Whatever your plans, use the tips below to throw the Perfect 4th of July Barbeque.  If you have some tips of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments area.

Tips For The Perfect 4th of July BBQ

Be sure to plan ahead for your 4th of July BBQ.

It might seem like an easy thing to throw together a backyard BBQ, and in some cases that is true.  However, if you want to throw the “Perfect” 4th of July BBQ - throwing something together last minute is not the “cool” thing to do.  If you are inviting folks over and wanting everything to go smoothly, you should already have decided what foods you are going to cook, what drinks will be served, appetizers… you know - the whole she-bang. 

If you are going to be having a full day of stuff, you will want to have some games lined up, music and anything else to try and entertain people while the food is being Q’d to perfection.

See what I mean about planning?

And you were just going to throw some burgers on the grill and half ass the rest of it?  **shakes head**  Don’t invite me to your little “BBQ”.

Sharpen your skills, not just your knives.

The last thing you want to do is plan everything to the “T” and everyone get there only to serve them mediocre food.  It is a shame when people get excited to share in fellowship and great food and then leave with a feeling of emptiness and disbelief.  They go home and cry themselves to sleep, and spend the next week wondering why… I mean WHY things went down the way they did.

Eventually they will find new friends, friends that actually deliver when it comes to BBQ.  So do you want to be that guy/gal that doesn’t deliver or the one that comes through and has everyone talking about how KICKASS your BBQ was?  That is what I thought. 

Be sure you do your signature foods, don’t try new stuff when you have to be on point, it could end up killing you in the end.  If you do not feel like bringing your “A” game, see the next tip, it is just for you - we will call it a special super intraweb spectacular BBQ tip of the day… just for you.

**Special Super Intraweb Spectacular BBQ Tip of the Day**

Keep everyone as drunk as possible (if possible).

I know not everyone drinks alcohol - and I won’t hold that against you.  But if the truth of the matter is that you are not up on your game when it comes to the actual BBQ of the foods… then you need to be sure you keep your patrons as drunk as possible. haha  This will make everything taste good… great even.  By the time the party is over, you will be the baddest dude on the block and be known for your killer BBQs and how great your food is.

Smart eh?  That is why I’m the expert and you’re reading this blog post wondering how to throw the best BBQ in the world.  Don’t be sad… it is just how it works.

Dust off your old records & 8-tracks for some good tune’age.

Tired of the new songs on the radio these days?  So is everyone else.  If you pull out some old music, everyone will be hi-5′ing you by the third song.  Everyone loves old music… not SUPER old music, but the hits… from any genre.  Seriously.  Throw on some Eagles and see if everyone in the room isn’t mouthing the words by the end of the chorus.  Crank up some Hank Williams Jr. or Journey and watch the party turn up a few notches. 

Music makes anything better - accept taxes.  Taxes would still suck with a live symphony playing in the background.  But when you are throwing a BBQ - a killer BBQ, you have to have some good music to listen to.  Be sure to stock up and burn a few CDs before everyone shows up.  Or if you have satellite radio - then get it ready to go.

If you don’t know what music to grab for your special occasion - go hit up MusicGoat and find something you like.  With new podcasts all the time, you are bound to find something you like.  Tell ‘em Double D sent ya, he will take care of the rest.

Don’t invite that guy that makes an ass of himself anymore.

No one wants to watch someone throw up on themselves while they are eating ribs.  And along the same lines, no one wants to end up fighting someone at the end of the night because he/she “looked at his girl”.  We all know and have a few of those friends that take it to the edge and then some… or maybe could start fights with a few shots of liquor in them.  Why do you want to jeopardize your entire BBQ & rep by invited this d-bag? 

DON’T DO IT.

Save face before you even half to and let them make other plans… be known for your fantastic ribs, not your a-hole of a “friend” that tried to make out with your wife and ended up getting the cops called.

Be safe & have fun for heaven’s sake.

The whole point of a perfect 4th of July BBQ is to celebrate and have an awesome time.  Sometimes you get to caught up with the whole thing and want it to be perfect… and honestly, even though this goes against my title and some of the tips… perfect sometimes is imperfect.  That’s right, let a few things slide.  Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Having fun is the most important thing - so as long as you are not compromising that rule… you should be ok.  Keep the other tips in mind, but don’t lay it down like the law.  Step outside the box a little and be sure you are safe in doing so.

Drink responsibly and have a killer BBQ this 4th of July.  Oh yeah…

KEEP THE FIREWORKS AWAY FROM YOUR BBQ PIT.  Geeez.  **shakes head**

P.S. - If you are looking for our KILLER BBQ Ribs How-To… look no further…

How to smoke pork ribs for your 4th of July BBQ

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We found this one on Saturday, and still… even though I was looking for hornworms… it still scared the crap out of me. haha

Last year I would drop them in a little  cup of soapy water, because I really didn’t understand anything but the fact that this lil green monster was chewing my tomato leaves down to nubs!  But since learning about the problems with bees… and how crops are pollinated… and all the other stuff you learn when you dig a lil bit under the surface - we have learned that these guys turn into the Hawk Moth.  We recently had a discussion on twitter/facebook about this and here is a link to even more info on the Hawk Moth/Tomato Hornworm.

Since we like the hawk moth, we decide to just take those green aliens to a nearby plant that is not on our property (haha) and let them free.  We are considerate like that. 

We have seen quite a few lately (we are in West Texas), so if you haven’t started looking - better get to it.  And if you live near us… you better definitely be checking… just sayin’.

Also a few other lil critters have shown up - not sure what all of them are… but did snap a few pics.

Aunt Deb thought had a few ideas, but I dunno.. never seen this one before and I don’t think anyone has nailed it yet.  Give it a shot?

… this next one, well we kinda caught these two… ahem… umm.. well… kinda… “in the moment”

Are you infested yet?  Anyone have any pests they can’t get rid of or maybe a new tip to keep the squash bugs at bay?  Share with the class, please.

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