Working in my orchard today!!!

Prune trees in Texas...
Pruning, like any other skill, requires knowing what you are doing to achieve success. The old idea that anyone with a chain saw or a pruning saw can be a landscape pruner is far from the truth. More trees are killed or ruined each year from improper pruning than by pests. Remember that pruning is the removal or reduction of certain plant parts that are not required, that are no longer effective, or that are of no use to the plant. It is done to supply additional energy for the development of flowers, fruits, and limbs that remain on the plant. Pruning, which has several definitions, essentially involves removing plant parts to improve the health, landscape effect, or value of the plant. Once the objectives are determined and a few basic principles understood, pruning primarily is a matter of common sense.



When to Prune


Pruning can actually be done at any time of the year; however, recommended times vary with different plants. Contrary to popular belief, pruning at the wrong time of the year does not kill plants, but continual improper pruning results in damaged or weakened plants. Do not prune at the convenience of the pruner, but rather when it results in the least damage to the plant. There is little chance of damaging the plant if this rule is followed. In general, the best time to prune most plants is during late winter or early spring before growth begins. There are exceptions to this rule, and they will be noted under the discussion of the specific plant groups. The least desirable time is immediately after new growth develops in the spring. A great amount of food stored in roots and stems is used in developing new growth. This food should be replaced by new foliage before it is removed; if not, considerable dwarfing of the plant may occur. This is a common problem encountered in pruning.



It also is advisable to limit the amount of pruning done late in summer as new growth may be encouraged on some plants. This growth may not have sufficient time to harden off before cold weather arrives resulting in cold damage or winter kill. Prune plants damaged by storms or vandalism or ones with dead limbs as soon as possible to avoid additional insect and disease problems that may develop.

Let's get to work.....



This is what I did today folks...Take care of my fruit trees!!

Now, its time to go to town!!!!

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/landscape/pruning/pruning.html

 

THE-END

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One day...

No question is so difficult to answer as that to which the answer is obvious. ~George Bernard Shaw


Go outside the relationship, become a detached observer – imagine a stage and see both of you on stage. See that other person doing what they do, and see yourself responding to them.

A relationship is two people eliciting responses from each other. If you want a change in response, then you must change your own actions

Understand and Fulfill Needs of Others

One of the golden rules of the therapy profession is that everyone needs at least one person with whom they can openly and unashamedly discuss every little detail – happenings, desires, fears – of their life, whether it is from the past, present, or future.


There are other psychological needs – to be accepted unconditionally, appreciated, recognized, respected, desired, valued, approved of, or complimented – that affect the way we communicate with each other. Listen carefully, ask questions to show that you are genuinely interested and you'll be amazed at the spin-offs from becoming a good question asker and a good listener. People appreciate, respect and value others who are great listeners.

Most people simply listen to the words that are being said to them, but words contain only 10% of the message. The remaining 90% is hidden in the body language and the tone of voice. Understanding body language can help you look beyond what people say to what they really mean.

Knowing Ourself

Knowing Ourself

How well do you really know your self?

What unique gifts, talents and skills do you bring to this world?

What specific issues represent your life challenges?

How much of your life is controlled by your personality? Inspired by your soul?

What underlying semi-conscious motives run your life?

What gives you meaning and purpose?

Do you have personal development plan?

The more you find out about your self and express your authentic self, the more meaning, joy and fulfillment you will have in your life. Explore yourself in depth and put into perspective your subconscious limitations, your character strengths, weaknesses and potentials, and your deepest desires and aspirations.

Plato's use of the Delphic maxim 'Know Thyself' Plato employs the maxim 'Know Thyself' extensively by having the character of Socrates use it to motivate his dialogues. Plato makes it clear that Socrates is referring to a long-established wisdom. Benjamin Jowett's index to his translation of the Dialogues of Plato lists six dialogues which discuss or explore the saying of Delphi: 'know thyself.' In Plato's Charmides (dialogue), Charmides refers to the maxim consistently with the view expressed in the Suda, with Charmides saying, "for they imagined that 'Know Thyself!' was a piece of advice which the god gave and not his salutation of the worshippers at their first coming in."[21] In modern words Charmides gives his opinion that 'Know Thyself!' was an admonition to those entering the sacred temple to remember or know their place and Charmides says, " 'know thyself!' and 'be temperate!' are the same. Notice that when the words of Charmides are written, 'thyself' and 'temperate' are punctuated with exclamation marks in the English translations,as if they were commands.[22] In the balance of the Charmides (dialogue), Plato has Socrates lead a longer inquiry as to how we may gain knowledge of ourselves.

Know yourself, weakness and all

By Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson, Surrey Now February 8, 2011



SURREY - I have insecurities. Some I use as the punch line to a self-directed joke. Others I make considerable effort to conceal. There is a specific insecurity that seems to tug at my manhood too consistently and this has been the case since I was a little boy.



I can't fix anything. I can't repair anything. I can't assemble anything. I can't tune-up anything. Essentially, I am mechanically incompetent. It is not for a lack of effort, either. In an bid to make myself a better man I have poured countless hours into fixing, repairing, assembling and tuning-up this, that and the other, but to no avail. The outcome of my best-intended efforts is a combination of irreparable damage and temper tantrums.



Bikes are simple pieces of equipment, but any bike on which you hope to achieve a given level of performance needs to be precisely tuned. Precisely tuning a bike is mechanical in nature, so therefore, it is a task that rests in my incompetence zone.



Un-tuning a bike comes naturally. Sometimes I build up the nerve to crack open a bicycle repair manual and tinker in search of the elusive precise tune. I hope that should my mechanical conquest be a success I would feel more valuable as a man. The sad reality is that after each attempt at being my own bicycle mechanic, I have to bring my bike to the bike shop to have undone what I had done, and to have professionally done what I sought to do. It hurts.



Bicycle mechanics are a rare bread of professional. Not only do they appreciate the precision we roadies are after, but they also deal with goobers like me who require a tune-up way, way too often.



I have struggled with the idea that maybe I am not applying myself. If I were to truly focus and muster up even an ounce of fake confidence to loosen that first bolt and explicitly and faithfully follow the directions from there you could argue that I would learn. I don't know about that.



Knowing what you are good at is great; knowing what you're not good at is better. I accept that the part of my brain that allows me to conceptualize mechanical things is goop - it is fried, dead, overrun with mold. There is no hope for me.



I love my bikes, I really do. My home-based mechanical ambitions are equivalent to shoddy medical care in a decrepit hospital. A trip to the bike shop is like being airlifted to an exclusive private hospital. I'd take the skill of a trained bicycle mechanic over my own any day, even if it means feeling less manly.



Thankfully, my bikes are still under full warranty. I will have to get my wife to tune them when the warranties expire.





- Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson's column appears weekly in the South Surrey/White Rock Source.





Read more: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/Know+yourself+weakness/4246380/story.html#ixzz1Etwfy6hZ
 
 
 

COMMUNICATION

COMMUNICATION

One of the hardest things to do when you're communicating with someone is expressing yourself. How many times have you said something that just didn't come out the way you wanted it to? How many times have we said something that we really didn't mean, but we were too frustrated to stop it from being said?



If you have a fear of people, people will avoid you. It's a vicious cycle. You avoid people because you fear that they will hurt you. People see your aloofness, and either think the worst (that you're stuck up), or grant your desire and leave you alone. Then you wonder why it is that no one likes you...Get the picture!

Don't Fear People's Judgment

"I don't take people seriously when they rant, rave, swear, cuss, insult, deride, mock, or get stubborn. These are immature attitudes that prevent and hinder the expression process"

THE END

One day...

The return was easy! The stay...Another story, will only be able........

“In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.” Bertrand Russell (1872-1970);

Philosopher, Mathematician
Found the following the other day and thought to share...


Westerns are stories whose settings occur in the Wild West of America's history. The period these stories are set in span from the pre-Civil War days to the end of the Indian Wars in 1890. The stories center on conflicts, which can involve cowboys and Indians, ranchers and settlers, or gunslingers and the local law enforcement.




The plot lines of western stories usually follow a pattern of good and honorable protagonist prevailing over the uneducated and evil antagonist. Good and bad characters may also be determined by their method of dress, color of clothing and the faithful steed that they ride. The good guys are always wearing white and they fight the injustices on the prairie or in their small towns. The bad guys tend to wear black, ride ill-mannered horses and are prone to drinking and shooting up the town. Of course, that is in addition to robbing banks and scaring unsuspecting settlers on the outskirts of town.



Even though westerns may seem to follow a certain formula, writers are forever thinking up new twists on old themes. New westerns may have the good guy losing, the bad guys winning, and Indians seeking revenge for wrongdoings perpetrated by the Calvary. Just when you thought all westerns were the same, PublicBookshelf rides in with a new posse of talented writers.

So sit down, shake the dust off your boots, and hop along to the Internet to browse our selection of new and exciting Western titles. http://www.publicbookshelf.com/westerns/



As I sat of an early summer morning in the shade of a tree,

eating fried bacon with a tinker, the thought came to me that I

might some day write a book of my own: a book that should treat

of the roads and by-roads, of trees, and wind in lonely places,

of rapid brooks and lazy streams, of the glory of dawn, the glow

of evening, and the purple solitude of night; a book of wayside

inns and sequestered taverns; a book of country things and ways

and people. And the thought pleased me much.



"But," objected the Tinker, for I had spoken my thought aloud,

"trees and suchlike don't sound very interestin'--leastways--not

in a book, for after all a tree's only a tree and an inn, an inn;

no, you must tell of other things as well."



"Yes," said I, a little damped, "to be sure there is a highwayman--"



"Come, that's better!" said the Tinker encouragingly.



"Then," I went on, ticking off each item on my fingers, "come Tom

Cragg, the pugilist--"



"Better and better!" nodded the Tinker.



"--a one-legged soldier of the Peninsula, an adventure at a

lonely tavern, a flight through woods at midnight pursued by

desperate villains, and--a most extraordinary tinker. So far so

good, I think, and it all sounds adventurous enough."



"What!" cried the Tinker. "Would you put me in your book then?"

For L....

[]
she-gets-a-kick-watching-this....

Ricky

"Shifting-gears"

After spending a couple of day with our children; we are headed for NYC and on to visit with Laura's family in Palermo...she's looking forward as I am to a few days with her family; what a family!! their love and admiration towards every member is contagious...as it should be


Eager to get to our destination and back to see friends and...

Hope you'll are having a great day. Heard last night some water issues back home...take care sis, look after everyone and especially you know who...another day full of new things and blessings!!

 

Missin' my Texas!!

So-long-home!!

Ricky.....

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