Lynn,

LOL LOL LOL

No, I was flying my blimp over the Red River doing a little bird watching. : ) Well, actually that is not a true statement.

The whole news story is bizarre, and even more so because this is the third blimp incident involving this particular person in the last year or two.

I know we forum members spend a lot of our time and money on gardening, but that seems pretty tame compared to spending the time and money building a private blimp.

If you saw the photos, you might have noticed the name of a hotel on it, so presumably they hired him to do some advertising for them? That raises a bigger question (with NO disrepect to the lovely city of Ardmore and its wonderful residents) and the question is does Ardmore need 2 more hotels? That's how many have opened recently. I didn't realize so many people were visiting Ardmore.

I think the first incident, and probably over a year ago, was a crash-landing near the Dolese Stone Quarry in southern Carter county....and we thought we were hearing things when a Love County fire dept. was paged out to go assist with that landing. Nope, we weren't hearing things. Another time, his blimp escaped from him and came down in a field in Texas. Somebody needs to take this man's blimp away from him before he hurts himself. I am glad he wasn't injured this time.

I did see it on the 6 p.m. news and have linked it below in case everyone else here thinks you and I both have flipped out.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Blimp Lands in I-35 Media in Carter County

Linked below is the May 2009 incident in which the blimp and its pilot were found on a plateau (described on the fire radio at that time as 'atop a cliff' if my memory serves me correctly) after a crash landing. Then, overnight or sometime the next day, the blimp did what blimps do.....it flew. Unfortunately, it wasn't piloted at the time. Fortunately, nobody was injured when it landed in Texas.

There's never a dull moment here in southern OK.

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Previous Crash Landing

Dawn I think maybe if you would wear somoe of those heavy duty crocs and maybe a cow costume and advertise for Chik Fil A that might be a real hit. Glad he wasn't hurt. Maybe time for him to call it quits. Jay

Jay,

I used to have a cow costume......and that's all I'm gonna say about that.

It is my understanding that no one can make him quit, but I don't remember why. It was a huge topic of conversation after the incident in May. I think it is because his blimp is a private, non-commercial, experimental aircraft and those are basically unregulated as long as they don't stray into controlled airspace.

I'm telling you now, Jay, that if a private blimp descends and lands in your horse pasture and a woman wearing a cow costume and heavy duty ATV crocs runs for your house.....it absolutely, positively will NOT be me trying to steal your incredible stash of tomato seeds....oh, wait, I'd never, ever, ever do anything like that......

Or, would I? Well, I might if you had seeds of the fabled Feejee. And, just to make this more related to gardening, wasn't the Feejee tomato supposedly one of the parents of our beloved True Black Brandywine (the real one via WWW, not some of the pretenders that are out there). There, did I just stir up some tomato controversy?

Who would have thought we could fit tomatoes, William Woys Weaver, Feejee, cow costumes, blimps and crocs into one thread?

Dawn

Dawn I hope you have better control of your blimp if you head this way than he does. If not in our SW widns you may end up in MO for sure. I have two bad guard dogs. LOL. All bark and no bite.
The fabled Fejee can stir up tomato addicts lke the Fabled Whie Shah. Another one that some of the so called tomato historians strongly disagee about.

Starting vacation and beautiful here today. Going to try to haul a little hay and maybe two large bales of strow for next years mulch. And start on the greenouse. Have about decided I can't get it built with talk. LOL. JaY

Jay,

I always have my blimp under control. I'm afraid with your winds there in SW Kansas, it would be pretty impossible to control a blimp. Although, based on what we've seen with the repeated Carter County blimp incidents, you don't seem to get into trouble if you cannot control your blimp.

Can you imagine what Fejee/Feejee/Fiji seeds would be worth (if any viable ones existed) to someone with a sincere interest in breeding heirloom-type tomtoes?

I could have mentioned Shah but I didn't want to stir up two controversies at once. I hate the battles between the tomato afficianados. I understand the importance of accurate variety histories, but I don't think certain people have the right to decide that only their histories are accurate and someone else's are inaccurate. For what it is worth, I like WWW's books and suspect they are as accurate as anyone else's. In fact, I really like his books. Beyond that, TBB is one of the best-flavored tomatoes I grow and I don't really care where it came from. : )

Enjoy your vacation and don't work too hard. It is not lovely here....cold and overcast, but it is supposed to be very nice once the heavy cloud cover lifts.

I am supposed to be doing Christmas stuff and housecleaning today. I'm hoping a garden catalog (any catalog) arrives in the morning mail and gives me an excuse to put off housework for another hour or so.

Dawn

Dawn another area you and I think alike. And like you know why I avoid certain sites and posters. Some are self appointed experts and don't respect the opinons of others. The more I learn the more I respect Woy Weaver. I think he has less of an agenda than most. And one reason why I read more and chat little on the chat site I visit at times. There are many with very set in stone opinions. The battles are not needed. There is room for more than one opinion and view. But many don't feel that way. And then those that are always preaching against changing names and change them or suggest someone change them I have a hard time dealing with. Now i'm off my soap box. Beaustiful sunrise and day here so better get to doing something. Hope your catalog arrives and gives you that excuse. LOL. Just don't post a link to it so that us addicts will run and buy something else we don't really need. LOL. Keep the updates coming. Jay

Jay,

That's why I only talk tomatoes here with gardeners in our region who grow tomatoes in our climate, although I read some of the threads at other places. I sure don't like the turf wars and snippy attitudes found at some places.

Last night, after I mentioned Fejee, I googled and found old threads at TL and TV I think it was, where the origin of TBB and Shah were debated in a very heated manner and I am sure you know the ones I'm talking about and they were just as hostile as I remembered them being. Who needs that hostility?

I like it here where we all share our toys and play nice.

Dawn

Dawn does the True Black Brandywine produce in hot weather or do you just get a few really good tomatoes? I don't know what you are talking about but I have noticed snippiness on some forums but not here; Ozark forum is nice too.

Dawn,
I agree with you and the main person involved in 95% of these heated discussuos is why I don't visit a few of those forums anymore. If it was just one or two issuse personally dear to them this I could understand. But when they feel their opinion should be the official and only one on every issue then it grates me the wrong way. Just like the DTM issue that she don't like. And has even got Baker Creek asking if they were early, mid or late season in your garden. That type of description is worthless in my opinion. Late season is 70-85 days if I remember correctly. A lot of differnce. It is like some posts I saw by a breeder and grower. He said the best and most useful is listing daylight hours required to maturity. I know you know what I'm talking about but some reading it might now. It runs along the same thinking as short, intermediate and long day onions. Basically it takes som many hours of sunlight for a plant to reach maturity. So the further north a plant in grown where the days are longer it takes less. And the as you go where day length is shorter during the growing season it takes more days. I've found that to be true for me. When getting seeds from a grower from where days are shorter during the grwoing season I substact 5-7 days from her growing times and when grown by some growers with longer days I may add 5-7 days and have found this to be very close for me. A lot more useful than say mid season. And I don't have a problem with them listing mid season as long as they continue to list DTM's. Yes we may not always agree here on everything but we disagree in a friendly way and respect the opinions or others.
Off my soap box again. Better get back outside on this nice day. Pulled the mulch back in a few spots this morning and the garlic that hasn't been in 3 weeks yet is poking through the ground. Now has 5-6 inches of mulch to get through. Ground nice and warm. Some more things popping through in the cold frame. Need to plant some more that has came in since I planted. More seeds arrived today. Had to come in and look at my early Christmas presents. LOL. Hope everyone is receiving this beautiful weather. Jay

Helen,

True Black Brandywine produces moderate yields in my garden, so not as many fruit per plant as a heavy-yielding hybrid like Jetstar or Celebrity but more than many other heirlooms like Black Krim or Cherokee Purple. I get the best results when I get the plants into the ground no later than the first week in April because the key is to get them to bloom and set fruit before the really hot weather arrives at the end of June or early July.

Jay and I were not referring to anyone on the OK or Ozark Forums, which I think have wonderful, nice, friendly folks. There are other forums that have some issues with people taking a strident tone and trying to impose their beliefs on others, but I haven't seen that happen here.

Jay, I just don't get too wound up over tomato variety DTMs because I consider them all estimates anyway. My tomato plants produce when they're ready to, no matter what anyone else says the DTMs are or should be. I have noticed that in my veggie garden, the chives and mint and black-eyed peas are like dogs....happy to see you and eager to please and just falling all over themselves to produce and to do whatever it takes to make you happy. Tomato plants are like cats....snooty and aloof and not at all interested in what the gardener wants. The tomato plants will produce ripe tomatoes when (and only when) they want to, and not when you want them to and not when they are "supposed to" based on DTMs. So, why worry about DTMs because we sure as heck cannot control them any more than we can control a cat. I would love to see Heating Degree Days or Corn Heat Units applied to tomatoes and used the way they are used in commercial corn production. Parts of the Mesonet track HDDs, but I don't use them.

It was a beautiful afternoon here once the sun came out. I wish the nice weather would last but don't think it will. You may have a white Christmas there, but it is starting to look like we have a slim chance of a rainy or sleety one here.

Dawn

Helen like Dawn stated it isn't on this forum. This forum and the Rocky Mountain I visit sometimes are both great. These are mostly tomato forums.

Dawn I guess I use DTM's than most. First I don't want to grow all with the same DTM's. And when looking at new varieties if they list the new one at 75 days then I look for one they list that I've grown and use it as a comparison. Say they have Cherokee Purple as 80 then I have some idea what to expect. As you well know that doesn't always work but usually give me a ball park idea what to expect. Just look in the SSE yearbook and see the big range in DTM's. Again many times you will find the difference coincides with whether they are being grown in the north or south. I don't expect a 60 DTM to be ready in 60 necessarily but when looking for earlies it tells me my chances are better than one that says 75 days. So my use is more comparison and selection but not for a specific DTM. I hope it is clear about what I'm trying to say. In the end though like you said weather and everything will have an influence and they will produce when they please.

Was nice here. Got some done. The cold frame got up to the mid 70's inside. I opened it up and watered it. It had really dried out. Hope the seeds didn't sprout and die. I have placed gallon milk jugs around the inside to help warm it at night. I then use them to water with. As it is warmer. And then refill. Used 13 gallons today. Hopefully have it good and wet again. One source I read said it shouldn't take much if any watering in the during Dec, Jan and Feb. Again with different climates you have to adjust your methods of gardening. Going to haul straw for mulch tomorrow. Gradually getting ready for winter. Time to start digging my tomato holes and preparing them. Will direct winter plant some in the next 3-4 weeks. Jay

All those abbreviations!

DTM (days to maturity): I've found a wide variation, with the same varieties, and on different years. With Tennessee Cutshort Pole Beans, that variation can be as much as 20 days. I take "days to maturity" with a grain of salt.

George (who should be in bed by now)

Jay,

I understand perfectly the use of DTMs to determine what to expect so you don't plant all earlies or all lates or whatever. I do that myself. One of the many reasons I plant so many cherries (other than to dry them) is because they commonly produce ripe 'maters in 60 days or less.

I guess I learned a long time ago not to listen to DTM data from northern growers. I was planting New Big Dwarf and people kept talking about it taking 80-90 days to mature. I was so confused. Here at our house, we usually get the first NBD fruit about 60 days after it blooms.

Early Girl is another one whose DTM varies wildly. In my garden it is never the first one to give me ripe fruit, although you'd think it would be. Often, I'll get ripe fruit from others like Jetstar and Indian Stripe before I'll get any from Early Girl. Does that make sense? No, but I've observed it for at least 5 or 6 years.

One day we need a thread on deceptive tomato names, like Early Girl isn't always early, and Delicious is not delicious in flavor and so on.

George,

Pole beans perplex me. I cannot tell that their DTMs mean much of anything at all.

And, now, back to the original topic of this post (LOL), it appears Mr. Polzien is in a bit of trouble and may not be flying again any time soon. Apparently his latest escapade drew the attention of the FAA and they discovered his pilot's license has expired and he doesn't have a current medical certificate as required for aircraft pilots. The story did make the national news, making it the biggest thing to happen in Ardmore since the Texas legislators fled their state and hid out at the Holiday Inn a few years back.

Dawn

I would imagine after the staged balloon scare in CO that got into DIA airspace the FAA and others won't be as tolerant as in the past. Just my opinion.

Dawn I find your experiences with New Big Dwarf completely different than mine. In the end Mother Nature and the plants have a mind of their own. I could make a comparison but might get me in trouble. LOL. Of course I've only grown it once 2 years ago and it was a bad year. I had saw Tatiana in CA listed it as 72 days and I figured 80 and it was around 85 as I remember. I set out 8 week old big healthy plants. And in a container. So many things can cause a difference. But usually I get a good idea by comparing to varieties I've grown before. Like I tell everyone that in gardening the old saying "there is more than one way to skin a cat" is very true. And what works for me won't down the road miles. Jay

Jay,

That's a good point about the Colorado incident. I had forgotten about it.

I should mention that New Big Dwarf is very inconsistent here. Most years it is exceptionally early but last year it was fairly late, probably closer to 80 days, and I don't know why. Maybe it was the weather because last year's weather did make production more erratic (in timing, not quantity) than usual.

Another tomato that seems to have a mind of its own is Nebraska Wedding. The first year I grew it, the seed was back-ordered and was incredibly late to arrive. I think it arrived in latest April or very early May, and my other plants were already in the ground. Because I was stubborn and wanted to try it "now" and not wait until the next year, I started the seed in May and transplanted the plants probably in late June while they still were quite small. I didn't expect ripe fruit until fall. I had ripe fruit and lots of it by mid-August, which just defied all reason and made a mockery of the DTM. Last summer, it set fruit early, stalled and almost died from the Septoria Leaf Spot, then recovered and set fruit again.

I just think tomato plants are highly indivdualistic. I can plant two of the same variety from the same seed packet side-by-side in the garden and still have great differences between their performance too. I guess it keeps us on our toes because we never know what to expect.

Dawn

Dawn,

They aired an interview segment with Mr. Polzien on our news last night. He sounds like quite a character. He said he had been fascinated with flying since he was a boy. It was quite apparent he wasn't ready to hand in his goggles.

My immediate response before seeing the interview was "someone needs to take away his lawn chair before he kills himself". Following the broadcast, I thought that if we were lucky enough to make it to age 79 and allowed the choice of how we were checking out, doing was you love or is your passion might not be the worst thing in the world. Given that scenario, I guess we'd prefer to keel over smack dab in the middle of the 'mater patch. ;->

Truthfully, I hope he finds a much safer outlet to satisfy his need for flight.

Lynn

Dawn your comments about Nebraska Wedding and planting it late is similar to what I observe here. As you know I set out plants usually from April 10th to 15h depending on the spring in Wall O Waters and continue up till mid June. And no matter what I do I can't get anything other than a cherry type before June 10th. But I can plant the same variety and size of transplant from late May to June 15th and get fruit in 50-60 days and a few times less. Another reason I plant about half of mine from mid May to mid June. On the average I see a ten day difference between the earliest planted ones and those planted towards the end. Overall it is every variety though. This will be my first year for Nebraska Wedding and also Black Krin along with a few others. I will post an update of my list soon with the new ones. Although I know it will continue to change. What it boils down too is we each establish a method that works for us. And use different tools and information to achieve a ripe mater. And as long as it works I say don't change. Jay