Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 4 Entries. Monday, January 5 View Page Testing 123... How many of these might relate to this sport? (Credit: someone's Reddit post) As the new year approaches, I remind myself to face the truths I've been avoiding. These reflections are inspired by Jordan Peterson's 12 Rules for Life. When was the last time I fully took responsibility for my own life instead of blaming circumstances or others? What lies do I tell myself to avoid uncomfortable truths? How often do I undermine myself through bad habits I know are destructive? What would happen if I stopped ignoring the problems I know I need to confront? In which areas of my life am I living below my full potential? Which relationships drain me, and why do I continue to tolerate them? When was the last time I truly faced fear or uncertainty without running away? Which of my actions are driven by pride rather than truth? What is the hard truth about myself that I've been avoiding for years? How often do I sabotage myself to avoid responsibility or risk? What compromises have I made with my values just to fit in or be accepted? What would happen if I consistently spoke the truth, even when it's uncomfortable? Which fears are holding me back from growing into the person I should be? How often do I take care of myself with the same care I give to others? What patterns in my life keep repeating, and what do they say about me? How much of my life is guided by impulses rather than conscious choices? When was the last time I confronted someone with an uncomfortable truth that needed to be said? Which illusions am I living in to avoid pain or guilt? What would happen if I stopped running from difficulties and faced them head-on? Which responsibilities have I ignored that, if I took them seriously, could radically change my life? Thursday, January 8 View Page Welcome to 2026. Just 2 days of winter this year** Warm December & things are supposed to warm up again. Sunday, January 18 View Page I want to try some new things but without losing track of what has worked in the past. I want to really leverage soil moisture in my favor this year. I want to try keeping soil moisture high except during blossom set. I'm going to be lazy and fail English class here sorry, the rest of this post is really only going meant for myself. I want to boost the amount of straw and maybe chitin (but does fungus convert to chitin*) and basically do everything to the tomatoes that would help.... if they were potatoes. I mean potatoes are not fruit so there is really no comparison. A potato is a stem and it doesnt get pollinated or anything. So I dont know what the connection is but I feel like there's a connection. Some area where I can improve. Indeed. And a large storebought potato is perhaps the goal. I often get relatively skimpy potatoes and rarely get them to plump up like the biggest storebought ones. There's so much room for improvement. Grafting. Getting rid of verticillium. Soil moisture (maximizing potato production is all about having no water stress*) I dont mean they want wet ground either though. Verticillium if I read correctly wont be worsened by more moisture, the way phytophthora or fusarium might be. Better plant spacing is critical to my goal of getting better results. I always fall into the trap of "if I planted them closer then I could have more plants." But really... if I think I need more plants then I just need to work harder and prep more ground. Thats the correct solution to having more plants. Why is idaho so good at growing potatoes* "Extremely volcanic" soil* Good soil moisture/climate during the growing season (not too much)* Freedom from pests/diseases* Due to few host species/ favorable local ecology. What is it. Hmm. Well, last of all, I want a new mulch barrier. I might try straw (and keep it dry unless we get extreme heat) but what would be better than straw* The plastic fabric stuff could work (I used it to grow a 10 lb tomato but also a bunch of more shrinky dinky ones) but how could it work* Tons of mulch mixed into the dirt beneath the plastic mulch* Use drip lines, with careful moisture monitoring* The addiction emerges like the Loch Ness monster, from its winter hibernation/stratification. Sunday, January 18 View Page Large mullein plant growing in the magic soil zone of Washington.