Two Wednesdays ago I got locked out of my apartment, after returning from a volunteering stint that I do every week, because the maintenance guys were painting the front steps. Well, I never have the back door key with me, that is the internal back porch deadbolt key. So I decided to harvest hops since the steps were still wet from being painted. The above-provided photos are the product of what resulted. I harvested these Willamette Hops on Wednesday Oct 6, 2010. Just seeing how much I picked off the vines this year made me so utterly proud. It has been only 3 years of growing these things and they just take off without much care at all. I still don't grow them properly, as in - vertically, which I think is the proper manner in which to grow them - but I will be calibrating my methods for next year to get closer to the ideal. The plans on how to do this vertical gardening are still only in the sketch phase. Actually, it is more along the lines of sketch and throw pasta at the wall, all the while taking a sip from a nice glass of wine to celebrate another great year in gardening.
Super late on posting anything these days to this southeastern Logan Square blogulation. I am in the midst of Day Eight for the fermentation of my first-ever wine (a red Spanish Tempranillo). As well, classes and trying to re-adjust to taking coursework, coupled with trying to find supplemental income have all successfully consumed my brainpower, or my 'Frontal Cortex' as Andrew Sullivan is so fond of saying.
Gary Vaynerchuk has reviewed Tempranillo a time or two, be sure to check his show out every week if you wish to learn more about his take on these matters. As always, more to come.......Thank you for reading!!!!
