A Pear called Tennis Shoe

Lucky Pittman sent me a few pear scions in his last care package.  One of the pears is a variety called Tennis Shoe.

Mind you, it is not spelled "Tennis Shoe", but as best as my mid-Western phonics can noodle it out, it is pronounced "Tennis Shoe".  It is like that Cajun delicacy, Ouida Potatoes (pronounced Wee'-da potatoes).  I only know that 'cause I asked Pawpaw, my go-to guy for questions like that.

History

"Bill Adams, presently a retired Harris county (Tx) extension service agent, collected seeds from a pear butter project when he was working for the extension service and he and Tom LeRoy, another extension service agent who is now in the Conroe, Texas area, planted the seeds.  They had about 33 trees come up, and one had the flavor of a melting European pear with few grit cells and the crispness of an Asian pear; one of the best tasting pears I have eaten."  -Source

From there it fell into the hands of Dr. Ethan Natelson M.D. whose mission in life is to grow the world's highest quality pears in  Houston, Texas.  Heck, if it was easy it would have already been done.  The amazing thing is that Dr. Natelson is closing in on the prize.

He named the new pear after a combination of the momma tree (Tennessee) and the presumed pollen donor (Hosui).  Tennosui, pronounced Tennis Shoe.  In addition to excellent flavor and texture the cut flesh simply refuses to brown.  It stays as crispy white as a sheet of typing paper for days which makes it highly desirable for those fruit salads you take to picnics and such.

Other pears that Dr Natelson has grown in the Houston, Tx area and donated to the U.S. Agriculture Research Station) include the following cultivars.  The links will take you to the ARS page and there are some interesting "Narratives" or stories behind those varieties (Like Leona, for example).

1. PI 449287 Pyrus communis Verbelu
   
2. PI 617603 Pyrus communis Bartlett - Southern
   
3. PI 617604 Pyrus communis Bartlett - Blakeley's
   
4. PI 617605 Pyrus communis Bartlett - Low Chill from South Africa
   
5. PI 617665 Pyrus communis Rising Star
   
6. PI 617667 Pyrus communis Vaughn
   
7. PI 617671 Pyrus communis Bartlett - Brown's
   
8. CPYR 2527 Pyrus hybr. Turnbull Giant
   
9. PI 617599 Pyrus hybr. Charles Harris
   
10. PI 617600 Pyrus hybr. Leona
    
11. PI 617601 Pyrus hybr. Tenn
    
12. PI 617602 Pyrus hybr. Biscamp
    
13. PI 617606 Pyrus hybr. Spalding
    
14. PI 617659 Pyrus hybr. Broussard
    
15. PI 617660 Pyrus hybr. Honey Dew
    
16. PI 617661 Pyrus hybr. Thanksgiving
    
17. PI 617662 Pyrus hybr. Oakhill
    
18. PI 617666 Pyrus hybr. Florida 58-45
    
19. PI 617668 Pyrus hybr. Emancipation
    
20. PI 617669 Pyrus hybr. Baldwin
    
21. PI 617670 Pyrus hybr. Pope
    
22. PI 617672 Pyrus hybr. Quave
    
23. PI 641287 Pyrus hybr. Acres Home
    
24. PI 641288 Pyrus hybr. Louisiana Beauty
    
25. PI 641289 Pyrus hybr. Bosarge
    
26. PI 641290 Pyrus hybr. Vermilion
    
27. PI 665750 Pyrus hybr. Tennosui
    
28. PI 665751 Pyrus hybr. Southern King
    
29. PI 665752 Pyrus hybr. Lemate
    
30. PI 617663 Pyrus pyrifolia Shin Li
    
31. PI 617664 Pyrus pyrifolia Henderson
    
32. PI 617657 Pyrus spp. Higdon
    
33. PI 617658 Pyrus spp. Fan-Stil

Chickens still dying

Five more dead chickens since the last report.  The last three were in the yard and were simply killed.  There was no evidence of feeding.  Clearly the MO of domestic dogs.

We are down to one rooster, two hens, and seven ducks/drakes.

Our best guess is that our oldest German Shepherd has become an agent in the deliverance of "reparations".  The chickens sinned.  The chickens must pay.  It matters not whether the individual birds are guilty.  It is enough that they belong to the order of Galliformes.  They are guilty by reason of heredity.  I cannot fault him.  He is just a dog.  Rumor has it that there are actually human beings that think this way.

At this point I will gladly give away the three remaining chickens. Elizabeth???? You have my phone number.

Controlling dogs

Yes, I know I am responsible for controlling my own dog.  It is my own darned fault.  I accept that.

It can be very difficult to control a large, intelligent, focused dog.  I do not want it any other way.

When researching breeds I was told a story of a 120 pound German Shepherd in the Houston, Tx area who allowed a home intruder to enter 10 feet into the dwelling.  At least, that is where trail of carnage started.  Evidence of the battle included shattered glass coffee tables, toppled shelving and chairs, chunks of scalp, tattered pieces of denim and ample amounts of hemoglobin-rich fluids sprayed/smeared on most of the dwelling's walls.

The sprayed/smeared fluids were on the walls of all of the "public" rooms and also went into one of the bedrooms.  One of the investigating police had K-9 experience.  It was his opinion that the dog was playing with the intruder, muscling him around, toying with him like a first string offensive guard tossing around a flyweight defensive scrub.

There were two broken windows.  One rather daintily broken window where the intruder came in and one frantically smashed window where the intruder exited.

The dog was wagging his tail and grinning when "Mom and Dad" came home.  

The owner believes that his dog was hunting the home intruder.  Protector vs. Predator.  Protector won.  The subdivision where this dog lived enjoyed a remarkable period with no more homes being broken into.  Go figure.

I will try chickens again in four years.  My kids will be more disciplined regarding clipping the dogs to the run-line before opening the door.  Herc will be four years old and may have mellowed regarding reparations.  I will have had more time to sort out how to manage a hybrid system of semi-free range chickens and hope to have a secure chicken run to manage a cool-down period should things get bloody again.

Raising chickens is like throwing a sounding-line out into the river.  Success means you can steam forward.  The occasional sand bar will present itself along the way.  The wise pilot will slowdown and allow the current to crab his craft sideways for a bit before edging forward again.  The foolish pilot will push the throttles to the stops in the vain hope of powering his way through.

I like to think I am a wise pilot.

Presidential Mocking

Mocking is an unsavory habit. It bespeaks of intellectual laziness and a willingness, even eagerness, to hurt others to achieve a selfish end.   Psychologist can argue for hours about the motives that roil beneath the surface of the mocker's public persona.  I am rather fond of this blurb:

(Mocking is)...definitely a way to assert or reinforce your status in a group. It wouldn't normally be demonstrated by those who are at the highest level of a group !!! , but those somewhere in the middle trying to work their way up or prevent newbies from gaining status. So I reckon it's a reaction to a threat or potential threat.  Link

I do not recall headlines that characterized any United States President as "Mocking" until Obama came along.  Let's do a little Google autocomplete research to identify those issues that Obama perceives as threats:

Obama Mocking A...
...and attacking Jesus Christ and the Bible

Obama Mocking B...
...Bible

Obama Mocking C...
...Christianity

Obama Mocking D...
...Donald Trump  (Is Obama going bald and is threatened by hair pieces?)

Obama Mocking E...
...Clint Eastwood (Clint is a BAMF.  I actually sort of understand this one.)

Obama Mocking F...
...Fox News

Obama Mocking G...
...God  (Sorry fellow gun owners, we were third on the list)

Obama Mocking H...
...Heat

Obama Mocking I...
..."In God We Trust"

Obama Mocking J...
...Eaton Rapids Joe.  Just kidding, Jesus.

Obama Mocking K...
...Kim Kardashian  (North Korea was second.  Priorities, priorities, priorities.)

Obama Mocking L...
...No Hits!

Obama Mocking M...
...Miami Heat  (Seriously, the GDP elected this guy to look out for the Nation's best interest and two of the autocompletes show him absorbed in a basketball team?)

Obama Mocking N...
...North Korea

Obama Mocking O...
...Special Olymics.

Obama Mocking P...
...Putin  (Same note as for Clint Eastwood)

Obama Mocking Q...
...Quotes

Obama Mocking r...
...Richard Sherman

Obama Mocking S...
...Sherman (Special Olympics, Sermon on the Mount, Scripture.  Pretty much captures it all.)

Obama Mocking T...
...The Bible

Obama Mocking U...
...no hits

Obama Mocking v...
...videos

Obama Mocking W...
...Was mocking Rutherford B. Hayes  (Looking over our shoulder, are we?  Don't worry, you won't be looking back at him for long.)

Obama Mocking X...
...no hits

Obama Mocking Y...
...Bible Youtube

Obama Mocking Z...
...no hits

Potato Salad

Sweet onions, green peppers, celery, mayo, cider vinegar, a bit of sugar and chipotle pepper.

And potatoes.

You want "waxy" potatoes for potato salad.  I went with Yukon Gold but any of the red skinned varieties also make good potato salad.  Some of the round white make good potato salad.  Surprisingly, even some russet varieties like Norkota make good potato salad.

Classic baking potatoes like Russet Burbank are very dry and starchy.  They tend to absorb the dressing and then explode.

Most "British" potatoes like Roger Maris and Kerr also tend to cook up dry.  In general, I side with the Brits on this one.  What is the point of growing, digging, storing and cooking WATER?  That is the difference between the "dry" potatoes and the "waxy" potatoes.

I cooked the potatoes in the microwave because I did not want to heat up the house.  I peeled and halved them.  It was difficult to cook them to the same degree.  Some were still firm while others wanted to collapse when cut. 

I cooled them on the cutting board before cutting them and adding them to the salad because I don't want to heat up the refrigerator.  They skinned over when cooling.  It was not much of a problem with a sharp knife.

I am sampling some now.  I should have either chosen sweeter onions or sliced them much thinner.  Lasagna, potato salad and gazpacho all have the happy characteristic of getting better as the ingredients mellow and the flavors diffuse.  The potato salad is OK now and will be even better tomorrow.

One bonus of using the Yukon Gold potatoes is that it looks like I have a dozen hard boiled eggs in the salad.  Taste is a sensory thing.  Our vision fools our taste buds.  I think I can taste those eggs.

Armchair Commandos

I read the posts of the Billy Badasses and Bobby Braggarts with interest.  Let me be clear that I am not referring anybody on the right sidebar of this blog.  I am talking about that guy at work or or the guy who has a designated stool at the local bar.  They are very confident that they will shoot all of the bad guys "after the balloon goes up."

I also admit that I have the usual quota of testosterone.  No more.  No less.  I am as vulnerable to those fantasies as the next guy.

But those fantasies get kicked in the teeth when you cannot protect your chickens, whether deceased by your own dogs or by opportunistic omnivors.

If I am not capable of fending off my own pooch or an animal with an IQ of 23 (or in the case of a possum, an IQ of 0.23) then how can I make a credible case for fending off a determined, human attacker?

There are extenuating circumstances, of course.  Our house is a much harder target than the dog run.  But the point that is buried, and not examined often enough, is that the passive features that make our house a hard target contribute far more to our safety than do the active features.  What good is an GAK-47000, heat-seaking, high-explosive, monometal, full-automatic, 8 speed with overdrive, wireless, crew served, belt fed hand gun if you are not awake to bring it to bear?

Another point is that the raccoons and possum have always been out there.  They were not a problem until they decided to change their dietary habits.  How will we know when the "bad guys" decide to change their habits?  We wish a balloon will go up.  I doubt that it will be that clear cut.

Human behaviors are guided more by social conventions and internalized barriers than by externalities.  Anybody who has attempted to fence in animals knows this.  Electric fences contain animals under threat of pain.  For the most part, they do not physically constrain animals.  Any animal that wants to badly enough can slip through an electric fence.

I like firearms more than the average guy.  They are but one stave in the barrel.  All of the barrel's staves must be true to contain the liquid.

OPSEC

OPSEC prevents me from going into great detail about the passive features I incorporated into my plan.  However, you might want to call ahead if you plan on visiting the ERJ ranch.  Call ahead, that is, unless you are wearing gloves that are rated for 240V.

And you wondered why I have steel tread-plate for a welcome mat.

Peach-cherry Cobbler (hat tip to Pawpaw)

Recipe from Pawpaw's blog.

Before going into the oven.  I did not have enough cherry pie filling so I stretched it with some canned peaches.  I also lacked cake mix so I ad libbed with a basic oatmeal cookie dough.

Cooked

On a plate

Dead Chickens (no pictures)

Yesterday was a rough day for livestock on the ERJ ranch.

Belladonna called me while I was on a run. She put the dogs into the kennel this morning.  She said there were chickens in the dog run when she put the dogs in it but the chickens flew out when the dogs ran in.

Later, she went to get Herc to take him for a walk and saw four dead chickens and feathers everywhere.  That accounts for a third of our flock.

She called me to tell me what happened an to step up and accept responsibility.  She said, "I saw the first two chickens fly out and I thought the others would do the same. I guess I was half asleep when I put the dogs out."

I cleaned up the corpses when I came back.  There were feathers everywhere.

One of dead hens had been eaten from the back end which is not typical of dogs.  They peel off feathers.  They gnaw on the heads and wings.  But they do not bore in from the anus and eat choice internal organs.

Why the dog kennel?

The chickens were in the dog kennel (about 16' by 32') because many years ago I planted a mulberry tree on the west side of the kennel.  I wanted a tree that would grow fast to produce quick shade and I wanted a tree capable of absorbing huge amounts of fertility.  Mulberry trees grow as fast as kelp under prime conditions.  I planted an Illinois Everbearing Mulberry because I like trees that produce human-quality food.  You never know.

I also thought that squirrels and birds gamboling about the branches would entertain my dogs during those long days when the family was at work and school.  It did not occur to me that those mulberries would be an irresistible draw for the free-range chickens.  And an irresistible draw for raccoons and possum.

I surmise the hens were going into the dog run after we brought the dogs in for the evening.  They ate their fill of mulberries and then roosted on the top rail of the chainlink fence.  One of them was whacked by a raccoon.  The dogs got the other three.

Aftermath

I cleaned up the corpses and tossed them in the trash.  If my kids were hungry I would have picked them and gutted them.  They would have made several, fine meals.  As it is, my kids are excessively fussy about their food.  For some reason, they think supermarket food that has been handled and sneezed over by countless people is somehow cleaner than homegrown food. Kubota has even gotten to where he will not eat eggs because he figured out that they came out of a chicken's butt.  I am too tired to fight that battle.

I picked up most of the feathers but did not get them all.

Last night, Herc had the heaves as if he had something stuck in his throat.  He was able to breath and did not seem in distress....just a little run-down.  The heaves did not go away after an hour so Mrs ERJ ran him into the vet.  The clinic was completely absorbed working on a dog that had been injured in a house fire.  Herc had a miracle cure in the hour they waited.

The vet did a cursory check on Herc and determined that Herc's retching/heaving had cleared whatever object was causing him distress.  My guess is that he had a chicken feather wedged in his throat.

So today's agenda includes getting ALL of the chicken feathers out of the kennel and trying to trap a raccoon.  I may be in the market for some chickens if I cannot get this straightened out quickly enough.