Whats Going on in Smoke's Backyard?

[Random User]

Ain't high speed internet the best!... imagine 20 years ago trying to load those pics with dial-up... it would have locked up your outer for weeks, then crashed the moment that you first scrolled down the page.

... I shouldn't say this, but squirrels LOVE antifreeze... so I'm told.

 

[Smoke]

Ain't high speed internet the best!... imagine 20 years ago trying to load those pics with dial-up... it would have locked up your outer for weeks, then crashed the moment that you first scrolled down the page.

... I shouldn't say this, but squirrels LOVE antifreeze... so I'm told.

Yea...so do dogs and cats....

These things must be done delicately....

 

[Random User]

Agreed.

 

[Smoke]

Spent half a day with Ed Clark at his nursery. Special guest artist David Nguy from Southern Cal. was there to work over large junipers. David has spent time in Japan working with Masahiko Kimura and is especially well versed with juniper of all kind. I came home inspired and set to work on a few things in the back yard that needed attention.

This kiyohime was whacked back to size. In my climate I can get away with this. Most should do this in Spring. 62 today with sun.



At this stage the tree is cut back to the first nodes, and while it shows a pretty good tree it contains many coarse branches.



I take it back like this so I can cut each branch as it buds and cut for movement since wire is all but impossible after matchstick size. All the branches that were sawed off have been dressed with knife and sealed and covered with chip tape.



This small trident was picked up from George Muranaka last summer. Sometimes I go there and walk for a hour and find absolutely nothing I want to buy. Other times there is lots to purchase. My choices have to speak to me or I don't waste the effort. I bought this little "C" shaped trident thinking it had potential.



I think it does but it will take a lot of work. Something I am up for though. This was today before the work.



It is cut back to bare bones and sealed. Next Spring the real work starts.

 

[Smoke]

I have shown this little pine before, and it has been the subject of some conversation.

This is what it looked like in 2014


Last year I repotted it into a pot and posted it here. This was its last showing.



Today after some pruning and wire. Ready for another year. It will be repotted in Feb. in a smaller pot.

 

[Smoke]

Ed Clark commissioned me to wire this project tree. It is Itoigawa grafted on to San Jose. Itoigawa is in juvenile phase but should relax next year.

Maybe tomorrow I tackle this tree. H says he has about a thousand I can wire. My work will be traded out for material.......

There are many jins on the base of the trunk obscuring some of the view of the trunk. One is at the right of the base of the trunk running up at a 45 degree angle following the curve of the trunk. You can just make out a dot of light showing how the trunk actually curves. All of these will be shortened substanially

 

[Smoke]

Before the close of the year, I wish to express my undying gratitude to all the well wishers that have prayed for both my wife and me. I have received many PM's out of the clear blue asking how my wife is. At this time I wish to tell everyone that a couple months ago we had a set back and the spots on her liver did increase in size. Not much, as small as a half a millimeter. About 64th of an inch, a cat whisker. They changed her chemo and is now on a liver specific treatment to combat that. The cancer that was in her brain is gone and has not showed any signs of coming back.

My wife has gotten stronger, and is actually cooking again, when I let her, and doing some cleaning around the house. Light dusting and she did a load of my clothes. She hasn't done that in 32 years of marriage! Needless to say I have had a little more free time and have been able to spend more time outside with the things I love, my trees.

If you have noticed an uptick in my tree contributions around here, it is due to the communal prayer and the strength I get here as well as her renewed strength. Thank you all.

It may seem crazy to most of you but me best months for working on bonsai is from Oct. to March. After that it is just to damn hot to even go outside.

OK, back to trees.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Glad she's doing better, Al.

 

[Smoke]

Glad she's doing better, Al.

Out at dinner last night. Cool dinner bar with a live band playing funk. When "Play that funky music white boy" starts playing I almost wanted to get up and shake some booty. I thought better of it and stayed in my seat. That's a very welcome smile on her face.

 

[milehigh_7]

Al, I can't tell you how glad I am to hear good news from your place. It was Thanksgiving 2 years ago when that lady in my profile pic got the news that she had a 50/50 shot. Living with me must have made her tough because she's doing great as you can see in that picture. As the T-Shirt says, 'F' cancer.

 

[Eric Group]

Great news Al! Glad things are improving a bit... hopefully a sign of even better things to come!

 

[JudyB]

Every single day is a gift. Shake your booty whenever you feel the urge, you never know when it'll end...

 

[Dav4]

Love it!! Keep smiling and shaking your booty like nobody's watching!

 

[Paradox]

@Smoke

Happy to hear your wife is feeling better. Hope you both have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

I can understand why Oct- March is the best time to be outside where you are and how hot the summer is there.
I am not very heat tolerant and I hate working outside in anything over about 70 degrees.
My favorite times to be working outside here are April-June and September-November.
Mid December-March can be too cold and July-August is too damn hot and humid to want to do anything but sit in the shade and sip ice cold water.
I was outside for 3 hours yesterday helping my hubby winterizing our boat. It was in the low to mid 30s and after about 2 hours I started to get cold and had enough and wanted to come home. Amazing what a hot shower and a hot meal can do to brighten the day after that.

 

[Smoke]

@Smoke

Happy to hear your wife is feeling better. Hope you both have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

I can understand why Oct- March is the best time to be outside where you are and how hot the summer is there.
I am not very heat tolerant and I hate working outside in anything over about 70 degrees.
My favorite times to be working outside here are April-June and September-November.
Mid December-March can be too cold and July-August is too damn hot and humid to want to do anything but sit in the shade and sip ice cold water.
I was outside for 3 hours yesterday helping my hubby winterizing our boat. It was in the low to mid 30s and after about 2 hours I started to get cold and had enough and wanted to come home. Amazing what a hot shower and a hot meal can do to brighten the day after that.

Yes indeed. My wife fixed white beans and ham yesterday. She baked a ham Wednesday and I took what meat was left off the bone and thru that in the pot. After a hard day of taking pictures of the bonsai workshop and pictures of a few trees around here I was pooped. Had to take off the second T shirt since I was getting a little hot. Topped out at 64 yesterday.

 

[Smoke]

Al, I can't tell you how glad I am to hear good news from your place. It was Thanksgiving 2 years ago when that lady in my profile pic got the news that she had a 50/50 shot. Living with me must have made her tough because she's doing great as you can see in that picture. As the T-Shirt says, 'F' cancer.

It is so amazing what can be done medically these days. I am happy for both their recoveries.

 

[Paradox]

Yes indeed. My wife fixed white beans and ham yesterday. She baked a ham Wednesday and I took what meat was left off the bone and thru that in the pot.

Sounds yummy. My mother has a white bean recipe that she makes (and that I make). Its not sweet like Boston Baked beans, which we dont like because they are too sweet.

 

[Smoke]

My wife hates anything sweet in whats supposed to be savory food. Like coleslaw, more vinegar than sugar. BBQ sauce, she despises the stuff.

Obviously I'm the opposite, which is why I'm now diabetic.

 

[bonhe]

Hi Smoke,
Thanks for sharing your story to the people so all of us can learn from that. Both your wife and you are excellent fighters! I am very glad to know that your wife's condition is much improving. I wish both of you will have a happy ending.
Yes, to fight the cancer, social and family support is a must combined with other factors. Dr. Dean Ornish, a well known American physician and researcher, creates the lifestyle medicine. He suggests: "Eat well, Stress less, Move more and love more". His program is very successful not only for healthy people to prevent heart disease, vascular disease, diabetes, some cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, but also for those patients. He published 2 books: "The Spectrum" and "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease". It is really worth to read those books.

Bonhe

 

[LanceMac10]

@Smoke

Happy to hear your wife is feeling better. Hope you both have a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

I can understand why Oct- March is the best time to be outside where you are and how hot the summer is there.
I am not very heat tolerant and I hate working outside in anything over about 70 degrees.
My favorite times to be working outside here are April-June and September-November.
Mid December-March can be too cold and July-August is too damn hot and humid to want to do anything but sit in the shade and sip ice cold water.
I was outside for 3 hours yesterday helping my hubby winterizing our boat. It was in the low to mid 30s and after about 2 hours I started to get cold and had enough and wanted to come home. Amazing what a hot shower and a hot meal can do to brighten the day after that.

6 degrees this morning.....