A newbie

Start a thread for your 'stead!

Moderator: matt walker

A newbie

Postby lonv166 » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:18 pm

Hi, I am a newbie here, not only on the site, but a relative newbie to gardening. Back in the early 70's I had a 5 gallon bucket with a tomato plant, when I lived outside Atlanta GA. The one and only attempt while I lived there 15 years. I traveled for work, across the world (lucky, huh?) for some 20 plus years, so not only couldn't have a garden, I also couldn't have animals. I left the career in 2003, returned to the US and settled in Tucson AZ, having never lived there, and only visited for 3 hours some years before. I decided to plant a garden, after more than 30 years of not attempting my tomato adventure (by the way, it was successful beyond comprehension). I had read somewhere that earthworms like coffee and tea grounds. I managed to get the local Starbucks to give me quite a lot of that, and, within 6 months of starting my garden in the desert sand (against advise of my long-term neighbors) I had vegetables. Surprised me as much as them.
I did come from a farming family, but the last land owning folks died long before me. My grandmother taught me which flowers I had pulled out of her garden instead of weeds.
I moved to The Philippines in late 2008. In late 2009 I moved to another village, and have resided there since. I ended up marrying after more than 20 years of being single (was married more than 20 years). Her father was born on the other side of a ridge, in a valley between 2 ridges. The mountains reach beyond that second ridge. We visited the valley in December 0f 2009, and I was intrigued by the 1st ridge above the valley. I was told that her father had been up there, but to his knowledge no one had ever done anything as it was jungle, and was inhabited by lots of wok woks (spirits). Her mother had been up there once, when she was 17. She was then 67.
Being naturally stubborn, I came back a few days later and kept looking up at that ridge. I took my bolo (machete) and started to chop my way up the hill. I had never used a bolo before. About 6 days later, I was half way up the hill. I was getting discouraged, and sat down in a small clearing to rethink. My wife joined me and just before I started to tell her I was giving up, through a rather large space in the trees, I saw 8 teenagers walking across the opposite ridge, at the river level. No one saw me until the last one, and I could clearly hear him, although he was at least 200 feet away. He called out to the others saying "Long nose in the mountain." They all came back to see the sight. Long noses, as we are known here, do not work in the jungle, in fact, long noses may drive through the jungle in their luxury cars, but they do not get out of their cars. As there was no road here, I had no choice. That visitation changed my mind, and within a day (although I had spent 6 days chopping, and only got half-way) I was at the top. I called my wife, so she could be the first of her siblings (6 others) to touch the land.
I then spent a year clearing the jungle on the ridge. Except for 2 months. I had hired a chainsaw man to drop a couple dead trees, and remove an offending branch from a neighbor's tree (no one lives there, in fact no one lives on the entire ridge - I asked for permission to remove the branch, no one in his living memory had been up on his property). The helper climbed up the tree with his bolo and, standing on the limb we wanted to remove, he chopped down the rest of the tree. His chopping, with apparently no experience, dropped straight down, with the branches knocking him out, and fortunately the vines in kept him from dropping the remaining 20 feet. His boss and I manhandled him down (he was unconscious) and during that time my wife called on her cell phone for help. Four neighbors arrived, and taking my hammock, they carried him down to the ambulance, which arrived 15 minutes later. It takes me 20 minutes to climb up the ridge from the nearest road, and 12 minutes to walk down. The ambulance took him to the nearest town with a hospital, but they could not help him as they don't stock medicines (if you need help you need to go to the pharmacy first, then go to the hospital, but, the pharmacy did not handle the pain killers). The ambulance then went another 2 hours to the nearest (and only) city. He had broken his jaw. A week later, a quack doctor (yes, they call them that here - the only teachings they have received is most likely from a family member, there is no such thing as college or university training for these types of doctors) arrived and went up the ridge to see the tree this fellow had been working on. He determined that the 'Big Man' lived in that tree, and that the area showed the presence of the 'White Lady', which explains the absence of visitors to the ridge. He collected leaves, bark, twigs and some dirt, and left. Later that night, at closing time at the hospital, he visited the patient. The patient's jaw was healing nicely, he had no other injuries, and was waiting only for the swelling to go down before a metal piece would be inserted in his jaw. The quack doctor did what he had to do, burning and chanting, then left. One hour later the patient died.
My wife would not allow me on the ridge for 2 months. I finally stomped my foot and went up, and proceeded (cautiously) to chop that tree down as the entire village was now frightened. I took my time, almost 2 weeks (I was a bit frightened, not of wok woks but of the tree falling on me - Paul Bunyon I ain't) and finally the tree was down.
To make a long story short, I had no visitors (including my wife) for the next 6 months. After my wife ventured up, it took another 4 months before the first visitor showed up. It was an old friend of her father's, and that fellow had never been up there, it was always too much jungle, he wouldn't go. He asked my wife who cleared the land, she said it was me. He said, no really, who did it. After a couple times, she said we hired a local for one day to help (which we didn't), then he was satisfied.
That was the first year. We started the second year by ordering all kinds of seeds from America. We had no idea what would work. The land was not flat like farms back home in Wisconsin, in fact, there was no flat land. I took a hint from the rice fields and developed terraces that are roughly 4 feet wide and a path on each that was 1 foot wide, and blocked the dirt above each terrace using wood from saplings I had removed. The total area I worked on is roughly 100 feet wide by 200 feet long. The earth had never been tilled, only forest/jungle material for several thousand years. At one point the ridge had been part of the second ridge, which had been part of the mountains. Whether it was earthquakes (some 20 per day in the Philippines - most are quite small, virtually no feeling at all if any) or the sea backing off is a matter of speculation by the natives, as it appears no one has done the studies. I was amazed to see the blackest dirt I have ever seen, and while my original intent was to picnic there on the odd Sunday, I changed my mind. Under the black dirt (from 6 inches to 3 feet) is coral. Under the coral, about another 3 to 5 feet, is rock. I would guess that the ridge is about 300 feet above sea level.
I have a beautiful ocean view to the east, and in all other directions I have mountains soaring above me, so much so that if you are susceptible to vertigo, it will happen. Last month I dug a hole in the valley between the ridges, and 5 feet down I hit water. Our land (which includes another 4500 square meters) is about 1km from the nearest road. There is no electricity. I have right-a-way agreements from all land owners, but I am actively pursuing the purchase of other lands. I have already an agreement to purchase 7500 square meters and a further 5000 square meters I have an agreement for a 25 year lease. The driveway will begin construction in the next 2 months.
I said I was a newbie, and I am. I am a member of another site, not at all connected with this one, and one of your members on that site suggested I check you folks out. Lolly is her name, and I thank her immensely for the tip. I can see already that it will take me months to go through everything that has been posted so far, and it may take me years to digest the information before I can take advantage of it.
For those who might be interested, other than a couple dogs, and eventually some cats, we will not have animals on the main properties, and whether or not on the extremities, still has to be decided. We presently grow beefsteak tomatoes (but the size of cherry tomatoes), okra, cucumbers, peanuts, mungos (a native bean) and we have 160 lacatan bananas (a slightly smaller banana when compared to a Chiquita, but a much sweeter banana, and the most popular one on this island - there are some 200 varieties). I planted 90 bananas March 1 last year, and already have harvested quite a few, but have increased our count, and have another, roughly, 80 sprouts to transplant. Corn went in yesterday, and we have some native vegetables growing as well.
Once I get to figure out the postings here that explain how to load a photo, I will do so (I will try not to be the proverbial photo bore, but, I cannot promise that).
Lon
lonv166
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 4:32 pm
Location: Bohol, The Philippines

Re: A newbie

Postby lonv166 » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:30 pm

Forgot to mention that the land at the top that we were told belonged to her father, did not. I have subsequently purchased that land the roughly 100 x 200 feet, for $445 US. An exorbitant amount by all considerations, as there (was) no right of way, and the land next to it in all directions is at a 60 degree or more elevation. My ocean view, considering a clock approach, you are facing 12, extends from 1 until 5, the rest of the clock is the view of the mountains. California, I don't know, but I think a few millions for this view.
Once I figure out how to do the pics, you will see (but I am not a photographer).
I have viewed some postings, maybe 20 or more, I will be an avid reader.
Thank you to all subscribers, I need your help!
lonv166
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 4:32 pm
Location: Bohol, The Philippines

Re: A newbie

Postby matt walker » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:02 pm

Welcome Lon! Great story, thanks so much for sharing that. It sounds like you are off on a great adventure there, and I for one am really excited to follow along as you create your garden. Sounds like a beautiful spot, I can't wait to see the pics!
User avatar
matt walker
Site Admin
 
Posts: 1806
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:50 pm
Location: North Olympic Peninsula

Re: A newbie

Postby pa_friendly_guy » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:18 pm

Welcome Lon, its great to have you with us. I too enjoyed your post. It sounds like you have bought a nice piece of paradize. Good luck with you garden project. I am sure that if you have questions that someone here will be able to help you. I was wondering if you and your wife have any plans of building a house and moving up the mountain to live or if the land will just serve as a garden and picnic area for you and the family. A 20 min hike is not too bad, but as we age it may get tougher, I know that I don't walk up and down my hill as often as I used to years ago. Its still nice to own the land, and it does keep the neighbors away, but it does not see my shadow as often as it used to. Good luck with your project.


PS Beef steak is a nice open polinated tomato that will breed true for you from year to year. Since you have to import your seeds I would suggest that you buy herloon, open polinated varietys so that you can save the seeds from year to year. Since you have cell phone service it may not be a problem to buy seeds every year, just a thought for you to consider saving the seeds because it might be easier for you. Waiting for stuff to come in the mail can be a pain.
Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
User avatar
pa_friendly_guy
 
Posts: 1502
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:24 pm
Location: SW Pa They changed me to zone 6a what ever that is. I still figure zone 5

Re: A newbie

Postby Lollykoko » Tue Mar 06, 2012 11:43 pm

Wow, Lon! Thanks for the for the story. It is much more exciting than the little teaser you had given me in the mail.

Do you have a Photobucket account? I added a new album to mine, just for my farm photos, because it makes it so easy to post pictures here. When you grab the share code, get the one that is in the [IMG] brackets. Paste it on the page. You might want to "preview" if you put several photos together, to make sure they are in order.
User avatar
Lollykoko
 
Posts: 575
Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 9:04 pm
Location: Howard and Miami Counties, Indiana

Re: A newbie

Postby lonv166 » Fri Mar 30, 2012 3:38 pm

Hi everyone. As you can see, I am not a quick replier. I am a totally comfortable procrastinator. As a matter of fact, back in the 60's I read about a Procrastinator Club, and at that point they had not had their first meeting. I finally wrote to them in 2001. In 2002, I got a reply from them, apologizing for answering so quickly. They offered a membership. I still have not responded.
But I will.
PA, I am feeling that 20 minute walk every day. It now takes 25 minutes and 2 breaks along the way. Somewhere along September we will be building our guest house, and I expect to live in it by December. It actually will be quite large, 56 feet by 44 feet, one story. Underneath will be 7 tanks for rainwater and well water, as well as a small basement to house the mechanics and tsunami visitors (quite a scare here, although to anyone's memory there has never been a tsunami - only tidal waves of mediocre status, and of course earthquakes). It is, I think, an interesting structure. The tanks are covered by cement, and the house itself consists of only 8 permanent walls. There are 2 bathrooms, which consists of the 8 walls, 4 each. Each bathroom is no larger than 4 feet long, by 4 feet wide. They are located on the east and west sides of the home, and there is no walls between the 36 feet between them. However, in bad weather, there will be folding doors, like closet louvered doors, to pull together. The house itself (mainly bedrooms and lounge) take up roughly half the space. The other half is a terrace, which includes a vegetable and fruit processing factory, some 25 feet by 22 feet. The tanks for washing are the supports for tables for when we have our guests. The very front of the home has a wading pool, which is fed via the tanks by a solar pump pushing the water on the grass roof, where it will form a waterfall into the pool. It is virtually a house with no walls. The roof begins at 12 feet, and builds some 8 feet into the air. When you sit in the pool, your vision is of the mountains in their entirety to the north, south and west. To the east is the vast ocean.
I have already gotten into the 4th generation of beefsteak but I am not happy, as the tomatoes, while getting slightly larger, have lost not only their flavor but the amount of liquid. I will be testing other brands, but, in the meantime, I will continue to order beefsteak (takes as much as 4 weeks now, used to take 8 because the local postmaster only works 1 day a week and he did not know who I was - there is no delivery, so we have enlisted someone who works in the building to check once a week for us).
Thanks Lolly for the info. I do not have one, although I do have a Google+ account that I have submitted some photos. Once I break my procrastination stance, I shall correct that. But, don't hold your breath!
Oh, also, I now have 540 Lacatan bananas, and I am busy removing jungle for more!
lonv166
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 4:32 pm
Location: Bohol, The Philippines


Return to Members' 'steads

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests

cron