What's happening today - 2018 edition

subdood_ky_z6b · February 20, 2018, 4:06am

Can’t say when it was the last time I’ve had any crappie. And any trout I’ve had has been at C Barrel. Most of the fish we eat nowadays is tilapia or salmon from the store. We used some tilapia for some tasty fish tacos recently.

I used to eat lots of sushi back when I lived in Texas, but don’t have many places around here to try out. It may be that it can be kinda expensive is why I don’t seek it out much nowadays. The wife doesn’t care for it much at all. I mean, what is it about a cold, slimy, oily piece of fish meat that isn’t appealing??

Maybe she has the same opinion about it as Terry Bradshaw: “Where I’m from, we call that bait!”

speedster1 · February 20, 2018, 11:15am

Agree!

For me my favorites in order,
Walleye
Yellow Pearch
Crappie
Blue Gill

As you can tell I prefer mild white flaky fish. I don’t care for strongly flavored fish.

JCT · February 20, 2018, 3:57pm

Yesterday I was going to pick up a flat of veggies and put them in the raised planter, but it was too cold so I’m putting it off until next weekend. It didn’t get above 59F and today is more of the same.

moose71 · February 20, 2018, 5:41pm

I’m the same way. y. perch are considered junk fish that are invasive around here. our lakes are so full of them they use them for making compost. some are starting to realize how good they taste but most throw them in the bushes or on the ice because they outcompete our native trout and salmon. in my ice shack i can catch 200+ perch from sunrise til’ noon most days, there are so many!

VSOP · February 20, 2018, 7:13pm

First blossoms of the year: Tomcot apricot starting to bloom here in 8a Georgia. However, as others have states, it seems like it will be a spread-out bloomer. One branch is opening flowers, another has swollen buds, another looks dormant, etc.

10 day forecast looks good, but here’s hoping we don’t have another mid-March frost.

subdood_ky_z6b · February 21, 2018, 12:24am

Well, since it was so nice today, I wanted to finish putting a gate on the deck. I made the gate last week out of 2×4’s and 2×2 bannister posts. It was probably a bit heavy, but that’s OK.

The posts I attached it to were not level or square, so I had to shim the hinges so the gate would swing level. I also added a latch. To my surprise everything works like it’s supposed to, and everything ended up level.

The Doodette was quite pleased with my handiwork, and is already asking me to make some raised planting beds for herbs, lettuce, cabbage etc. No good deed goes unpunished it seems!

I plan on replacing a bunch of deck boards so excuse their ratty appearance. I plan on putting some dark stain on all the deck, railings and gate when I’m done.

My wife wanted the gate there to keep the dog off the deck whenever the work’s done. He sheds a lot and leaves lots of hair on the mats and deck boards. I had bought most of the hardware a year ago, so I obviously wasn’t in a hurry. But, I’m happy with the results. I just had to take a few pics:

Edit:

Just an addendum to my post, I figured up how much it cost to make the gate. Counting the cost of the lumber, hinges, latch and screws, it came out to about $28. Not too bad, but there’s also the labor that went into it. I think I spent maybe 8 hours building the gate, and 3 hours mounting it.

It took longer than it should to build it. I used a circular saw to make the cross pieces, which ended up being not square. So, I had to borrow my BIL’s miter saw to cut them properly. Plus, I seemed to have issues getting the 2×2 posts evenly spaced.

Anyways, it took a while but I’m pleased how it turned out.

PomGranny · February 21, 2018, 2:30am

What the HECK is that green sock that fish is wearing???

Borer_the_explorer · February 21, 2018, 3:04am

It’s just a device to measure crappie, just slide them in instead of trying to get them to lay still on ruler.

Cafeaulait · February 21, 2018, 7:19am

I thought it was like those plastic folders we used in school to carry our papers around

Stan · February 21, 2018, 7:50am

Received today 10 seedlings of American persimmon (D. virginiana) from Missouri Department of Conservation. Planted 5 in the ground and 5 in pots. Planning on grafting some good varieties on them next year.

Ahmad · February 21, 2018, 11:08am

Your taste preference is very similar to mine, but I have not tried blue gill. You have got to try the bronzing… It is a Mediterranean fish, but it is getting more common here because of its superb taste. It is immediately frozen after fishing/harvesting, and then shipped to here, do it will taste like fresh if you get it from the tight store. It is best when baked.

MisterGuy · February 21, 2018, 12:39pm

There go the plums today, at least the first if them. We’re expecting a lovely warm spring day so I ought to have plums and apricots in full bloom tomorrow probably. Peaches are barely hanging on; I expect the first to open today on unknown mislabeled variety, Reliance and Carolina Gold only days behind. My poorly located Hale Haven is a little bit behind. 7 day forecast is highest highs in 80s with lows no lower than 40. This feels disappointingly familiar but I am trying not to give up hope.

PomGranny · February 21, 2018, 1:28pm

Someone needs to give those poor fish a new name! Are they similar to ‘Spot’?

Drew51 · February 21, 2018, 1:29pm

I’m with you guys, last spring I caught about 35 walleyes, and while trying to eat all this fish, I discovered that walleye baked was really good, it tasted better that way than any other cooking method. Those fish lasted all summer and into the fall beforee we killed it off. Fishing was really great, my best day was 11 walleye, which is super good, as we are talking a couple hours of fishing, I could have easily caught 35 a day if I fished all day. They did run small, but those small walleyes are very tasty! I also like the old guys, the 9 to 11 pound fish. Crappy for the sport, not exactly great fighting fish, wimps! They give up easily.

Drew51 · February 21, 2018, 1:36pm

Yes, not the best name, and not reflective of taste! They are very tasty fish too, unlike some pan fish, they are right up there with perch. Here we don’t have many of them, I only catch an occasional fish while fishing for perch.

mrsg47 · February 21, 2018, 3:57pm

Doesn’t the majority of this thread belong in the lounge? From fish to gates?

applebacon · February 21, 2018, 4:15pm

Is your cortland a slow grower? I got a gala and a cortland from grandpas nursery in 2014 (my first trees ever). My gala produced some nice apples last year, my Cortland is about half the size of the Gala they are in the same dirt, same everything. I have read that Cortland is a slow grower though.These trees are on M7.

VSOP · February 21, 2018, 4:15pm

The early bloomers are flowering here in Georgia:

Also, I’m a little embarrassed to admit I don’t know what this tree is called, despite the fact that it is all over here. (I grew up in the north, so I still haven’t learned all the Southern trees.). Can anyone tell me?

applebacon · February 21, 2018, 4:20pm

Is that a tulip tree, least thats what us folks ‘up north’ would call them.

VSOP · February 21, 2018, 4:24pm

This is what I know as a tulip tree:

That’s not the same as my picture, I don’t think. The leaves are completely different. Unless there are two kinds of trees called tulip trees?

ETA: I think it is a saucer magnolia. It is sometimes called, as you said, the tulip tree. Mystery solved!