We Accidentally Went String Pin Bowling

In early August, I wrote a post about Magz and me going bowling for the first time in more than a decade. In it, I mentioned that a lot of bowling alleys have started transitioning to string pins instead of traditional pinsetters. The reasoning for this movement has to do with the complexity and costs of maintaining pinsetter machines, which have a lot of moving parts. String pins are very divisive among bowlers.

Since they’re technically approved for some competitions by the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), a lot of people are fine with them, while others are casual bowlers and don’t mind the break from traditional. However, the opposite opinion is that string pins destroy the sport of bowling and what makes it fun. The biggest issue is the reduction in pin action because the strings limit how far the pins can move. This has been proven to result in lower scores and fewer strikes. I’m vehemently opposed to string pin bowling; however, a few weeks ago, we accidentally went string pin bowling, and the more I think about it, the more awful it was.

So, how did this even happen if we were so committed to not going string pin bowling? Rewind back to the last time we went bowling with traditional pins. The old-school alley we go to was having some issues with its pinsetter on the lane we were on, and we had to pause three times for things to be reset. After the first two pauses, we resumed bowling; however, after the third one, we called it and left. We were already in the seventh frame of the third game, so we were fine with ending things early. That experience was disappointing, though, and left us unsure if we wanted to play at the same alley again until we were confident things were fixed. This was also the second time we encountered issues at this alley, as once before, all but two lanes were closed until parts arrived.

Fast-forward to early September on a day I was off work. We wanted to go bowling but didn’t want to risk having issues at our usual alley. Instead, we went to our local bowling alley, the one we first tried a few years ago but didn’t like the vibes. This time, we gave it a go because I saw that they do a Tuesday matinee special at only $2 per game. It seemed like it was worth the gamble…it was not. There was nothing on the website, and you couldn’t tell until you started bowling that they used string pins. It wasn’t until we got our shoes on and I threw my first ball that I realized things were off.

What’s It Like String Bowling?

The actual strings holding up the pins were not the first indicator that we were string pin bowling. It was the lack of noise. This goes along with the reduction of pin action, but there was a noticeable noise level drop compared to traditional bowling. When you are traditionally bowling, physics allows the pins to go in all directions, and you hear the resulting crash of the ball and pins hitting each other. It’s an iconic sound that everyone can recognize. String bowling is muted and feels as though all your senses are dulled a bit.

The lack of pin action has a massive impact on results and your score. I’m by no means a great bowler and struggle with consistency, but I can average around 150 over a three-game set. It usually takes me a couple of frames to find my mechanics, but once I do, I can repeat things quite well. I immediately noticed how much more difficult it is to get a strike. When you’re traditionally bowling and in a groove, you can see the strikes happen before the ball hits the pins. You know when the ball is going to hit the pocket and has the right hook. Likewise, you are confident in converting a spare when you throw the ball correctly because you know how the pins should fall. String bowling changes all of that. Hitting the pocket with the right velocity doesn’t always result in a strike. Converting a five- or six-pin spare is much more difficult because you don’t know if the pins are going to crash the way you’re used to. My first two games were awful, and I know I didn’t break 100 points. I began figuring things out a bit in the third game, but I think I only finished with 120 points. I felt like I was questioning everything I was doing the entire time and never felt comfortable.

Others Notice How Awkward Things Are

We went bowling on a Tuesday afternoon when school was back in session, so those bowling in the lanes nearest to us looked to be retirees. They had their own balls and shoes and clearly took it seriously. I don’t know where they were from, but they gave the impression that this was their first time bowling at this alley. And based on the conversations we could overhear, it may have been their first time string bowling. They were expressing the same sentiments that we were: struggling with the lack of pin action and a general disappointment in the strings. In general, they didn’t seem to be having fun.

I Don’t Like This Version of Bowling

I think part of the problem with string pin bowling is that it is rarely the only change that happens at bowling alleys. For example, this bowling alley didn’t have any of the vibes that normally come with bowling. I’m pretty certain that the lanes were synthetic, which probably isn’t a big deal on its own, but it contributed to a less-than-desirable environment. Research shows that synthetic lanes have less friction than wood lanes, so your ball doesn’t hook like you expect it to. Less active lanes and reduced pin action lead to an experience that is less fun.

This alley also had new computers and a new score tracker. It tracked a lot of data, such as the number of balls each of us had thrown, the number of strikes and spares, and more. However, one thing it didn’t track was the ball’s velocity, which would have been useful information. To me, if you’re going to show data, include all of it. Don’t leave off some of the most useful information. I did really like that you could raise and lower the bumpers from the computer instead of having to physically do it. The computers would also remember which bowler needed them so that each person could have an experience that matches their ability and skill level.

This bowling alley also had weird seating. Instead of being around a table or in a u-shape where people could see each other and talk, the seats were in diagonal rows so that you were never looking at the person beside you. But you also weren’t looking directly at the lane to see how others were doing. I’m sure a lot of bowlers would never notice this, but this seating arrangement takes away from the fellowship and conversation that takes place between throws. To me, bowling is as much a social engagement as it is a sport, and removing one aspect of it takes away some of its soul.

Finally, the atmosphere was way off. I hate cool-tone led lighting and believe it has no place in society outside of workshops and box stores. This bowling alley was all cool tones. The synthetic lanes looked like Nordic pine instead of varnished oak, the lights were bright white, and everything had a blue tint to it. It was entirely modern, and I did not enjoy it. It didn’t feel like a place where I could enjoyably spend a couple of hours, and I don’t see it ever becoming a “third” place for me. I loved that the alley had a pro shop and had a wall full of 300 games and 800 series, but none of that was enough to overcome the soullessness that it modern, string bowling.

In the weeks between then and now, we haven’t gone bowling. At first, I thought this alley could be a fallback option if we can’t go bowling at an alley with pinsetters. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I really hated the experience and think I’d rather drive 30 minutes to bowl in a more enjoyable setting than string bowl again. And if all the local alleys switch to string pins, I may make the decision to stop bowling altogether. It probably seems like a weird stand to take, and there’s nothing morally wrong with string bowling, but I don’t like that string bowling is another example of the soul getting sucked out of modern society in the name of efficiency and profit.

If you’re a fan of bowling, have you been string bowling yet? If so, what was your experience with it? Did you hate it? If not, I’d like to hear how you were able to overcome some of the issues I mentioned above.

September 18, 2026 0

Early Band Saw Projects – Back Scratcher, Thumb Book Page Holder & Guitar Pick holder

A few weeks ago, I picked up a Ryobi 9″ band saw that was on an incredible sale. We live close to an outlet, and one of the stores there is Direct Factory Tools, which sells factory-blemished or -refurbished Ryobi and Rigid tools. When the tools aren’t on sale, the prices are usually about $10-20 cheaper than Home Depot for the same, unblemished product; however, several times each year, they run 40% off sales, which makes things very affordable. The band saw was factory-blemished and was only $120, and it works great.

I know some woodworkers and people in general would balk at the idea of buying refurbished or blemished tools, but it’s a great way to build out your woodshop when you’re on a budget or don’t want to overspend on a tool you’re unfamiliar with or won’t use often. So far, I’ve bought a refurbished planer, belt sander, jig saw, and reciprocating saw as well as a blemished drill press from there, and all have worked perfectly. I’ve probably saved thousands of dollars buying tools this way, and in time, I’ll probably upgrade or replace them, but it’s been a wonderful way to develop as a woodworker without overspending.

I put off buying a band saw for a few years but finally succumbed to the realization that they’re incredibly useful. It allows a woodworker to cut curves and intricate designs as well as resaw lumber in a safe and controlled way. A jigsaw can cut curves, but it usually isn’t precise and doesn’t leave a clean finished product because the blade flexes. I also thought about buying a scroll saw but ultimately went for the larger and more powerful saw.

If you’re unfamiliar with scroll saws, they operate similarly to a sewing machine in that they have a small blade that pivots up and down. You’re able to make extremely precise cuts and tight curves with it and can start cutting from inside a hole with the detachable blade. But the biggest downside of a scroll saw is the maximum thickness you’re able to cut with it. While there’s a lot of overlap between a band saw and a scroll saw, there are things that can be done with one but not the other, so there’s a reason to have both. A band saw is more helpful for my needs at this time, so I went with that first.

After I got everything set up, this was the first time I’ve used a band saw, and thankfully, it’s really easy and fun to use. And perhaps the best thing is that it’s a relatively safe type of saw to use compared to a table saw. In the weeks since I bought the saw, I’ve been spending a lot of time familiarizing myself with it and working on some really cool projects that I want to share in this post.

Back Scratcher

With the band saw set up, I wanted to experiment with all the cuts that can be done on it, starting with cutting curves. For some reason, I decided to split a two-inch-thick piece of wood in half, and from there began making curved cuts. I started to see the shape of a handle coming out of the cuts. I remembered that my grandparents always had a back scratcher in their house and began making cuts to create one. It was really easy to get the curve of the “claws” of the scratcher. From there, I shaped the handle and cut out the spacing between the claws. Only taking about 10 minutes to cut out, I was amazed at how easy the band saw made things and was immediately hooked.

I had the second half of the wood I started with, so I quickly cut a second one, sanded everything on the drum sander attachment for my drill press, and was done. They aren’t perfect, but they work really well and can be improved upon. I also can see how handled items like kitchen utensils can be easily made with the band saw. I made wooden spoons in the past using a jigsaw and rotary tool, but it will be much easier now. Looking back, I now wonder if my grandfather made the backscratchers they had.

Thumb Book Page Holder

I love reading, and I recently saw these wooden page holders that go over your thumb so that you can keep the book open with one hand and not hurt your thumb. This was also the time when I was looking at band saw projects, and it turns out that Magz actually told me about these a few years ago, but I had forgotten about them. While these page holders can be made with other saws, the band saw just made it so much easier. I took a two-inch by four-inch block, found the center, and drilled a 7/8-inch hole with a forstner bit. Next, I drew a rough outline of what I wanted the shape to be and began freehand cutting it on the saw. With it cut out, I took it to the drum sander attachment and smoothed everything.

This was a really cool project that came together really fast. It took only about 10 minutes from start to finish, and I underestimated how helpful it is. Holding a book open with one hand isn’t comfortable and can put strain on the thumb. The page holder eliminates that problem.

Guitar Pick Holder

This project was the most complicated and complex of the ones I cover in this post. When coming up with projects I could use my band saw on, I began thinking about a way to clean up my guitar stand/amp holder, which has become cluttered with picks, capos, and cords. I wanted something to store everything to organize things a bit better. Initially, I thought about building a band saw box that is shaped like the body of my Yamaha Pacifica, but I then stumbled upon an image of a pick holder that looks like the headstock of a guitar coming out of the body. That sparked what I eventually designed and built.

I knew that I wanted this piece to be artistic and take inspiration from my own guitars. I have four guitars: three acoustics and one electric. I love my Ibanez acoustic-electric, which has a beautiful cutout in the body, but the head isn’t overly unique from other acoustics. Because of that, I wanted to use my Pacifica as the inspiration because it follows the Fender Stratocaster styling, which is one of the most iconic guitar shapes of all time.

Designing it was a lot of fun because the base can’t be a 1:1 scale of the actual guitar, yet the headstock can be true size. I freehanded the shape of the body into my notebook and traced the head onto printer paper. I cut out the head shape and traced it onto the piece of cherry I wanted to use. For the body, I again freehanded the shape onto two pieces of oak that I joined together.

I quickly cut out the pieces, being careful not to cut through the “fins” of the body. From there, I took the pieces to the drum sander attachment until everything was smooth. I went back to the band saw to cut out the slots for the picks and attached the head to the body with two screws. Finally, I drilled two holes and glued dowels that I wanted to add to hold my slide and leather wrist pick holder. And with that, it was done.

I think these projects have given me a wonderful start to using my band saw. None of them are necessarily perfect, but I learned and improved with each of them. I love my pick holder more than I can describe and am incredibly proud of how it turned out. I’m looking forward to what else I can build with my band saw moving forward.

September 15, 2026 2

The 10 Best Pumpkin Beers of 2026

I think fall is the best season of the year. There’s something magical about the crispness in the air, the magical colors of the leaves changing, and the incredible flavors that come with it. Pumpkin is one of my favorite things to enjoy throughout fall, and I’ll eat it in pie, cookies, rolls, coffee drinks, and even soups, but one of my favorite ways to enjoy it is in beer.

Wikipedia says that the first mention of pumpkin beer being brewed in the United States was in 1771, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that it was commercially brewed when Buffalo Bill’s Brewery in California did so. Since then, pumpkin beer has skyrocketed in popularity, and Magz and I were in college during the 2010s when it felt like every independent brewery was releasing a pumpkin beer at a time when craft breweries were all the rage. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it felt like the popularity of pumpkin beers lessened toward the end of the 2010s and the start of the 2020s, but it appears to be back now. Go into any reputable distributor in early September when I’m writing this, and you can find more than a dozen different pumpkin beers to try. Here are the 10 best pumpkins beers for 2026 that I’ve drunk this year.

Top 10 Pumpkin Beers for 2026

10.) Pumpkinville Latte

Brewery: Ellicottville Brewing Company – Ellicottville, NY
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 17

Ellicottville is located in the Southern Tier of New York about 30 miles east of Jamestown and directly north of Bradford, Pennsylvania. When you picture a beautiful fall day, the Southern Tier is the kind of place that comes to mind. Close to Ellicottville is the tiny hamlet (that’s what they’re called in NY) of Great Valley, where each fall the spectacle that is Pumpkinville comes alive and everything that is fall is celebrated. It’s this Pumpkinville attraction that the beer gets its name. Pumpkinville Latte is a smooth beer that builds upon its regular Pumpkinville beer by combining it with elements reminiscent of a pumpkin-spiced latte. I’m not sure how accurate this is, but it tastes like the regular Pumpkinville beer was mixed with a milk stout to give it a creamy mouth feel that is often associated with lactose being present. It’s certainly a unique beer, and I recommend it to anyone who likes quality beer, pumpkin, and lattes, but I don’t think it’s an improvement over the original Pumpkinville. It can also be a bit pricey at upwards of $12 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans.

Score: 5.5/10

9.) Jack-O

Brewery: Samuel Adams, Boston Beer Company – Boston, MA
ABV: 4.4%
IBU: 8

Prior to about two weeks ago, neither of us knew this beer existed. In the past, I haven’t been the biggest fan of Sam Adams beer apart from the Boston Beer Company’s partnership with Dogfish Head, so I wasn’t researching their fall beer offerings. We saw a six-pack of this in the grocery store; the description was intriguing and the price was right at less than $10, so we picked it up. I think it’s safe to say that it’s the most unique pumpkin beer I’ve ever had because it’s heavy on the nutmeg. Most spiced pumpkin beers are heavy on the cinnamon to replicate a pumpkin pie, but nutmeg gives it a different flavor profile. I really enjoyed it and think it’s worth trying or even buying a six-pack, but it isn’t a flavor I could have all the time.

Score: 6/10

8.) Pumpkin Ale

Brewery: Block House Brewing, Pittsburgh Brewing Company – Pittsburgh, PA
ABV: 7%
IBU: N/A

Magz and I differ a bit on our opinions of Block House’s Pumpkin Ale. She likes it a bit more than I do, but I still think it’s a quality beer. It’s definitely on the sweeter end of things, but you get all the notes of pumpkin pie, which is clearly what Block House is trying to offer given the artwork. Even the beer’s phrase “spice & everything nice” indicates what you’re in for with this beer. I personally think it’s a bit too sweet, but the spice blend works really well. My biggest complaint with the beer is its price. At $21 for an 18-pack of cans or $11.99 for a six-pack of bottles, it’s not too expensive until you learn that Block House is the “craft” division of Pittsburgh Brewing Company, the same brewery that makes Iron City. That price point is on par with some higher-end imports, and I’m not convinced this belongs there. Regardless, it’s worth trying if you live near Pittsburgh.

Score: 6.25/10

7.) Double Zombies

Brewery: New Trail Brewing Company – Williamsport, PA
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 4

I think this may have been the first pumpkin beer we had this year, as our local distributor had some leftover four-packs from last year. I think it was also our introduction to New Trail Brewing Company. This beer hits hard at 8.5%, plus it’s only sold in 16-ounce cans, so it’s not what you would call sessionable. Still, in spite of the fairly high ABV, it’s easy to drink and is smooth. In addition to the standard pumpkin flavors, Double Zombies also has maple syrup in it, adding an extra bit of sweetness and another flavor. Like other New Trail beers that are only available in four-packs, it’s a bit pricey. I’m not sure of the exact cost, but I would guess anywhere between $12 and $16 for the four-pack. But if you can find it in singles or have someone to split it with, it’s still worth trying.

Score: 6.5/10

6.) Pumpkinhead

Brewery: Shipyard Brewing Company – Portland, ME
ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 17

This beer has some of the coolest artwork of any pumpkin beer, depicting the headless horseman from Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow; however, this horseman does have a head, but it’s a pumpkin. I first saw the artwork when a distributor we like shared pictures of it on social media. I read about it and had to find it. Interestingly enough, our local distributor (the same place we bought Double Zombies) had a case of last year’s Pumpkinhead and sold it to us for $15. This is one of my favorite things about trying new beers. Sometimes, it’s the artwork or design that entices you, just like the cover of a book. Pumpkinhead lives up to its design with a flavorful beer that is light and refreshing. It actually tastes like beer, which isn’t always a given with pumpkin beers that are often full of spices. Pumpkinhead isn’t too sweet with a subtle pumpkin flavor, making it easy to drink, and at 4.5% ABV, it’s very sessionable. And even though we got our case really cheap, it’s still an affordable beer full price, at around $9 or $10 for a six-pack of bottles.

Score: 7/10

5.) Pumpkin Ale

Brewery: Smuttynose Brewing Company – Hampton, NH
ABV: 5%
IBU: 25

We became big fans of Smuttynose beers earlier in the summer when we found a discounted fall variety pack that was outdated. The pack had four great beers, including their Pumpkin Ale. It’s been a couple of months since I’ve had their Pumpkin Ale, but how smooth and easy to drink it is stood out. It’s a beer that reflects the earliest versions of pumpkin beer, so its flavor has more pumpkin than spice notes. It put Smuttynose on the map for us, and now we know that we’re likely to enjoy any of their beers. It’s also an affordable brewery to buy from, so it’s possible to find a six-pack of it for around $10.

Score: 7.5/10

4.) Pumpkin Ale

Brewery: Saranac Brewery – Utica, NY
ABV: 5.3%
IBU: 15

Let me start by saying that Saranac makes some unbelievably good and affordable beers. Their Pumpkin Ale was our introduction to them, but we’ve since had the rest of their fall beers and their 12 Beers of Summer variety pack. It’s all delicious. Their pumpkin is darker in color than many of the others on this list, but it’s lighter in flavor, making it really easy to drink even at 5.3%. You get a nice pumpkin flavor with hints of the typical spices – cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and clove. It’s simply great and is comparable in quality and flavor to the three above it. For around $10 for a six-pack of bottles or $15 for their summer variety pack, you can’t go wrong.

Score: 8/10

3.) Punkin Ale

Brewery: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery – Milton, DE
ABV: 7%
IBU: 28

Punkin Ale was one of the first pumpkin beers I tried in college, and it’s because I love all things Dogfish Head. It’s been brewed since 1994 before the brewery started, and the story behind it is great. Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione brewed the first batch of Punkin Ale to enter it in the annual Punkin Chunkin contest in Delaware, putting it up against pumpkin baked goods and other homemade items. He won the contest, and it’s been brewed every year for a fall release since. Using all natural ingredients, you can taste authentic pumpkin, brown sugar, and pie spices. At 7%, it’s a bit heavy, but it drinks lighter than the ABV suggests. It’s a staple in our rotation of pumpkin beers. However, beware, because, like other Dogfish beers, it’s not cheap at nearly $14 for a six-pack of cans.

Score: 8.5/10

2.) Johnny Rails

Brewery: Erie Brewing Company – Erie, PA
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 12

We looked for Johnny Rails for weeks before eventually finding it in our grocery store. I think Erie Brewing Company may release it later than other breweries release their pumpkin beers, and despite living just an hour away from Erie, we couldn’t find it at any of the distributors. We first had it years ago, but it had been since at least 2019 that we drank it, so the first sip this year felt like the first one. As a blonde ale, it’s really crisp and refreshing, and with an ABV of 6.5%, I think it’s the perfect balance of refreshing and heavy. It’s flavorful but not overpowering, establishing a great balance. It was worth waiting for, and I also think it’s worth the high price tag of $15 for a six-pack of bottles.

Score: 9/10

1.) Pumpkinville

Brewery: Ellicottville Brewing Company – Ellicottville, NY
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 17

I referenced Ellicottville’s original Pumpkinville earlier, and here it is. I think it’s the best pumpkin beer I’ve ever had, and I don’t think it’s that much of a debate. At 6.5%, it’s right in the sweet spot of being heavy enough to notice the alcohol without being overpowering. You get plenty of pumpkin flavor, and the spice adds a nice touch to complete the tasting notes. It’s one of several reasons that Ellicottville has become my favorite brewery. Pumpkinville is also pretty affordable at $12 or $13 for a six-pack of 12-ounce cans. If you can find this in your area, you should give it a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Score: 9.5/10

Pumpkin Beers Left Off the List

If you’re an experienced pumpkin beer drinker, you’ll likely notice that some popular ones are missing. I’ll address those here. I’ve had Southern Tier’s Pumking and Maple Warlock, but I think both are too heavy at 8.6%. I like pumpkin beer to be smooth and easy to drink, and anytime a beer gets above 8%, it gets into a range that I don’t find enjoyable. Both are also crazy expensive at nearly $4 a bottle. I also had a pumpkin cider from Penn Brewery that was a collaboration with a local orchard and didn’t enjoy it at all. I didn’t think the pumpkin flavor worked well with the cider and will avoid those moving forward.

There are also plenty of pumpkin beers that I want to try but have yet to find. I’d really like to try the pumpkin beers from Elysian, especially the Night Owl and Punkoccino, but I’ve yet to find them in singles to try. I’ve seen them in six-packs and variety packs, but at their price point, I’d really like to try one before committing to multiple of them. Good Gourd from Cigar City is another popular pumpkin beer that I have yet to see in stores.

Do you enjoy pumpkin beers? If so, what do you think of my list, and are there any that I need to try? I’m always interested in trying new beers and like to expand my horizons each fall.

September 11, 2026 0

Apparently We Can Grow Potatoes

I’ve written about it a few other times, but it’s been a difficult gardening year for us. Weeds, pests, weather, and poor decisions have all contributed to struggles with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, and pumpkins. Thankfully, one of the vegetables we’ve been able to grow has been potatoes.

After receiving some rotten potato starts in 2025 and the healthy ones rotting in the soil instead of growing, we were intentional about how we grew them this year. All the potatoes came from Urban Farmer and arrived in perfect condition. We also decided to grow them in bags this year, which I wrote about in a previous post. This is by far the best decision we made for our garden this year. The bags were easy to plant in, could be maneuvered throughout the garden as needed, and the plants took off in all but one of the bags.

We harvested our first potatoes in early August when we pulled a bag of Red Norlands. We pulled them a bit early and probably could have gotten a bigger yield had we left them to grow a couple more weeks, but they tasted great and were firm with smooth skins. We got two meals out of the first batch.

Afterward, we were committed to leaving the potatoes in the soil until we were 100 percent certain that they were ready. We ultimately waited until this past Monday (Labor Day) to harvest another batch of them, and we pulled them from 10 bags, harvesting some of each variety we grew – Red Norland, Adirondack Blue, and German Butterball. We got roughly 10 pounds or so and gave some to our neighbors, but we still have a lot to eat. Plus, we have eight bags left to harvest. We’ve already tried some of the Adirondack Blues, and they were also delicious.

Potatoes Are My Favorite Vegetable to Grow

Successfully growing potatoes this year reminded me of why I love growing them so much. They’re relatively easy to grow compared to other vegetables, especially when grown in bags. They’re also fun to watch grow since the green “stalks” grow super tall and develop beautiful flowers. The most fun part is harvesting. We can lift the bags to make them easier to access so that we aren’t bending down so far. Diving into the soil to find the potatoes feels like searching for treasure, and when you think that you’ve found all the potatoes from one bag only to find a straggler, it’s an amazing feeling.

Our potatoes may have been successful this year, but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement next year. We had 20 bags, but it would have been better if we had another 10 or 20. We planted five potato pieces in each bag, and some of the bags felt a bit crowded. If we only had three pieces in each bag, I think we would have had an even better yield.

Two other ways that we can improve are having more soil in each and applying fertilizer again after the initial application. This year, each bag was about three-quarters full, but if we can top each bag off so that the soil is flush with the top, it will better protect the plants from the sun and help them grow more. We added a scoop of a balanced fertilizer when we planted the starts, but I never went back to fertilize the bags again. That would have certainly helped.

We had a blast growing potatoes this year and can’t wait to grow them again next year. We’ll likely try to grow more bags to have a better yield. We’ve even discussed giving Magz’s parents a couple of grow bags full of soil and starts next year so that they can grow potatoes next year. If you grew potatoes this year, how have yours been doing?

September 9, 2026 0

Looking Forward to 2027’s Garden

I know I’ve been writing less gardening content as the year has gone on, which has been both intentional and unintentional. Unintentional in that my plan was always to maintain a steady flow of gardening posts all year, and intentional in that the garden has been a bit of a letdown this year. I’m going to go over some of the ways that 2026 has been a disappointing gardening year, but instead of focusing solely on the negative, I will wrap it up with all the ways we’re going to improve things for next year so that we’re looking forward to 2027.

Things That Went Wrong

Fencing

Starting with the things that have gone wrong is the fencing. Although it worked better than last year’s mesh fence, the construction/snow fencing we used this year couldn’t stand up to rabbit bites. Almost immediately, rabbits bit holes into the fencing that were just big enough for them to squeeze their bodies through. We tried to repair these holes, but the rabbits quickly adapted by chewing new holes. We gave up after a while.

Crop Rotation

Everyone always talks about the soil benefits of rotating crops on an annual basis. Rotating the various plants puts nutrients back into the soil that are pulled by other crops. I’m sure this happens, but for us, a number of the plants that we rotated from last year’s garden didn’t grow well. Our tomatoes, pumpkins, and squash didn’t grow in their new beds, yet we have healthy tomato and pumpkin plants in the beds they grew in last year. I understand the long-term importance of rotating crops, but it’s disappointing to see vegetables fail when they were so successful in a different location last year.

Squash

Our 2025 garden was incredible when it came to squash. We harvested a lot of yellow summer squash, green zucchinis, patty pans, and eggplant. This year, we harvested around a dozen total. If we had only a couple of plants, this number would be fine; however, we had more than 20 plants in the garden. This was very disappointing.

Grass/Weeds

Perhaps the biggest issue of all and what can be blamed for most things not going right is grass regrowing in the garden. We thought we had the problem licked before we started planting this year, but by mid-June, it was already back with a vengeance. And it wasn’t just grass. We have these really tall weeds that have popped up everywhere in the garden. They’re really easy to pull, thankfully, but there’s no stopping them once they start. The grass/weeds caused issues for our tomatoes and peppers, and it was a general nuisance given how easily it took over all areas of the garden.

Life Distractions

This category isn’t directly related to the garden, but the results of it led to me not devoting as much time or attention to the garden as I wanted to. Back in May, I had an unexpected and awful visit from my mom and stepdad. The encounter and everything that followed created big-time ripples for more than a month, and it distracted me. I wasn’t focused on weeding as much as I needed to be, didn’t fertilize with any consistency, and even cut corners with watering. Even though I didn’t have control over the situation that led to the distractions, I shouldn’t have let the distractions affect me the way they did.

Things That Went Right

Fencing

But not everything has been bad with our garden this year, and even our fence has had some positives. There are two key positives. One is that apart from rabbits, the fence did a great job of keeping animals out of the garden. As long as the fence stays upright and at its full height, other animals have been kept out. The other positive is that the fence stayed in good enough condition that we can reuse it next year. Last year’s fence got so torn up that we knew we’d need to replace it this year. Apart from a few small tears, the only damage to our fence is the holes rabbits chewed in it. It’s great to know that we don’t have to find an entirely new fence solution for next year’s garden.

Seed Starting and Transplanting

We had amazing success with starting seeds and transplanting the starts out into the garden. There were only 2 varieties that failed to germinate: Mexican Sweet Gherkin cucumbers and the Turk’s Turban winter squash. Everything else germinated well, either inside or in the garden, and did well once they were transplanted into the garden. These positives will be applied to next year’s garden to have continued success.

Sunflowers

We successfully grew sunflowers for the first time in our gardening life. Previous attempts ended in animals getting to them before the heads could develop. This year, though, they’ve grown exceptionally well. Our Mammoth sunflowers are between 6 and 10 feet tall with huge, 10-inch heads. We also have a short, Teddy Bear variety that has grown smaller but fuzzier heads. We grew a third variety, but neither of us can remember its name, but it’s a medium-height variety with smaller, traditionally shaped heads. We love being able to look out the windows and see the sunflowers standing tall and vibrant.

Corn & Beans

For the second straight year, we’ve had good success with corn. All of the varieties grew, even though some didn’t reach full height and failed to produce ears. Part of this had to do with the weeds that grew in that bed. But the ones that did reach full height grew decent-sized ears. The next step will be growing larger, fuller ears.

This year was the first time that we’ve had a great bean harvest. All of the varieties we grew did well, and we’ve even been able to pick shelling beans for the first time ever. We currently have a few Mason jars on the kitchen window sill that contain dry beans we grew.

Grow Bags

We grew our potatoes in grow bags this year and have done very well, with us already pulling potatoes from 2 of the bags. We’re certainly going to grow potatoes in them again next year. We’re also likely to grow other plants in them next year, such as peppers. We’ve had struggles with peppers in the garden this year, but the 4 plants we have in a bag are thriving.

What We’re Improving

So, we’re clearly not satisfied with where our garden is and have found areas of improvement for 2027. One area we’re focusing on is the fence. I’ve mentioned that we’re going to stick with the fence we’ve used this year. However, we’re going to improve it by buying 18-inch or 24-inch chicken wire fencing to attach to the bottom of the existing fence. This will provide an added layer of security against rabbits that are less likely to be able to chew through metal. It’s not exactly a foolproof plan, but it’s better than what we currently have.

We’re attempting to permanently address the grass and weed situation with tarps. We’ve had success killing small sections of grass in the garden with cardboard sheets, and so far, the grass hasn’t grown back in those areas. We’re doubling down on this idea by using large, 12’x20′ tarps to kill the grass in entire beds. We’ve started this process in our squash bed, which was one of the most affected by weeds this year. We haven’t checked its progress yet, but we’re confident that it could finally allow us to get ahead of the grass and weeds. If it works, we’re going to buy additional tarps for the rest of the beds.

We’re likely going back to where everything grew in 2025, with the only exception possibly being the corn and beans, which grew really well in their bed this year. Our tomatoes, melons, and pumpkins are all going back to their previous beds, and we’re going to work to make the squash bed from this year more nutrient-rich.

Even though it’s been a disappointing year for gardening, we still have plenty of reasons to look forward to 2027. We generally have an idea of what went wrong this year and feel confident that we can fix things. We’re going to appreciate and enjoy the fall and winter, but we’ll certainly be excited for next spring.

September 2, 2026 0

Making Progress With Peppers

Peppers have proven to be the most frustrating vegetable to grow. We didn’t harvest any peppers last year despite growing several varieties. This year has been much of the same. I started a bunch of seeds inside and transferred them outside. They did decently for the first couple of weeks after being transplanted before inconsistent weather, grass, and pests took most of them down. This has been extra frustrating, because when we had a container garden in 2022, we successfully grew jalapeno and banana peppers. So, what has been going wrong, and what progress do I allude to in the title of this post?

I think the problems with our pepper plants can be separated into two categories: failure points that I had control over and ones that were out of my control. What was in my control is pretty obvious. Annoyingly, grass took over our garden this year despite spending time and money spraying everything with glyphosate last fall before winter arrived. When we planted this spring, the grass was dead but slowly came back until it took over everything. For a while, I tried to keep up with it, but I lost steam (and the battle). With grass at the base of the pepper plants, it allowed mildew and fungus to take root, and they soon died. The other part that was in my control was insects and pests. In early summer, I became overwhelmed by the garden and didn’t keep up with spraying for bugs. This led to insect problems throughout the garden, but especially for the peppers, where the plants soon had leaves and leaves with holes.

Then there’s the issue of weather. Pepper plants love heat and sunshine. However, Pennsylvania weather isn’t always the most cooperative, so we had a cool and wet spring, a week or so of really hot temperatures, and then a summer of average temperatures. It’s not something you can control, but it’s very frustrating when you don’t get the weather necessary for plants to thrive. Of the plants that were transplanted into the garden beds, we lost all but two of them, one bell pepper plant and one habanero plant.

The bell pepper plant didn’t grow very tall and remains only about 12 inches tall. This means that the leaves are barely above the ground and grass, and only one fruit is on the plant. The variety we’re growing will be red when fully ripe, but it’s still green, so who knows if it will mature to the point where it can be eaten. The habanero plant has been much better. It also isn’t very tall, but for hot pepper plants, this is okay. The plant has put three or four peppers on them. One had bug bites and bruises on it, I harvested one, a third one is close to being ripe, and there is at least one more on the plant. We haven’t eaten the picked one yet, but it’s so exciting that I finally was able to harvest a fully ripe hot pepper.

That’s not all, though. About a month ago, I transplanted four gochugarju pepper plants into a grow bag, and they’ve taken off. All four are healthy, have grown to 24 inches tall, and have flowers and baby fruit on them. As long as we get normal weather in September, we’ll be able to harvest at least one of the peppers. So, why is this a big deal? I think anytime we work at something and have struggles, it’s always a reward to have a win. Whether it’s finally playing a riff you’ve spent months learning or you successfully cut dovetails, it’s an accomplishment to finally achieve something you’ve worked so hard to learn. For me, growing peppers in an otherwise tough year for gardening is a big win. It allows me to take the lessons I’ve learned this year and apply them moving forward.

Is there a plant that you struggle with? If so, what is it, and were you able to finally beat the struggles? I’d love to hear from you.

August 25, 2026 0

Identifying Scat in the Garden – What Animals Are in Our Garden?

For the most part, our fence has done a really good job of keeping animals out of our garden. Last year’s garden and issues with rabbits, squirrels, deer, and potentially raccoons getting into it. The deer were the most destructive. They tore through the mesh fence we had, snapped our stakes, and ate corn and melons. Near the end of summer, we basically gave up on sections of the garden because we knew we couldn’t prevent them from getting in. To this point for this year’s garden, things have gone pretty well. We’ve had problems with rabbits getting in since they can chew through our plastic snow fencing, but they haven’t been too destructive. We don’t think we can prevent them from gaining access, so we just try to distract and deter them.

Before we installed our fence this spring, we saw a lot of evidence of animals in our freshly tilled beds. There were deer hoof prints, lots of rabbit poop, prints that could have been from a dog, and few piles of unidentifiable poop. But because we have dogs in our neighborhood, didn’t have our fence up yet, and hadn’t planted anything, we didn’t think too much about it. Later, after the fence was up, we still had animals getting into our garden beds.

What Animals Do We Have in the Garden?

By far, the most common animal we have in the garden, besides birds, is a rabbit.

We Can’t Say “No” to Rabbits

We’ve had two rabbits who’ve been around our garden since spring. They’ve essentially made our yard their home, which we’re okay with. The two of them seem to live in a burrow at the back edge of our property and like to come out and explore our yard in the mornings and evenings. We absolutely love rabbits, as you know by the affection we have for our pet bunny, Mia. And even though Eastern Cottontails aren’t considered endangered, their habitats are always at risk due to urban sprawl and development, so we’re thrilled to offer them a space where they’re safe. They like to take refuge in a brush pile behind our garage as well as under a hibiscus bush we have at the side of our house. They’ve also gotten quite comfortable around us, which is cool but not all that good when it comes to getting them out of our garden. When we see them in the garden, we’ll go open the fence and go inside as well and try to calmly “guide” the rabbits toward the gate opening. Eventually it works, but there are times when they’ll run full speed at the fence, which isn’t fun. That last thing we want is for the rabbits to get hurt.

Even though our fence is much stronger than last year’s, it’s no match for rabbit teeth, which chew through it in record time. They’ve chewed small holes in the fence and know how to enter and exit each bed. We tried to deter them with Irish Spring soap and aluminum baking pans, but neither has worked. We also tried to repair the fence by installing a piece of pressure-treated wood over the holes, but they just chew new ones, so we aren’t doing much to address the issue this year. We do have plans to fix it for next year’s garden, though.

Once inside the garden, the rabbits aren’t too destructive. They used to chew on the young corn stalks but stopped after realizing they don’t like the taste. They also chewed down a couple young sunflower plants, some cucumbers, and a melon that was close to being ripe, but it hasn’t been too bad. It’s a small price to pay to keep wildlife around.

How High Can Deer Jump?

Our fence stands four feet above the ground. I know that deer can jump higher than this, but when combined with growing plants right up against the fence, I thought it’d be enough to keep them out. Then, when we saw hoof prints in the garden earlier this summer, I increased the height of the fence posts and ran twine around the perimeter of the garden, about two feet higher than the top of the fence. This idea came from our neighbor, and, in theory, it makes it impossible for deer to get into the fence other than at the gate. However, in spite of this, we saw a hoof print in the soil on Sunday. I thought it was a fresh one, but I’m not wondering if it was an old one that was covered by plants and grass. That would make me very happy. I think that as long as we grow corn and aren’t willing to put up an eight-foot fence, we’ll have to deal with them.

What Poop Is This?

Don’t worry. There will be no poop pictures in this blog post. For the second time this year, we have animal poop in our garden that I can’t identify. In spring, I thought the poop was some sort of a canine, perhaps a coyote, fox, or dog that got loose. We even saw canine footprints in the dirt. On Sunday, we saw two fresh piles in our garden. It was reminiscent of dog poop but slightly different in shape, and the color was odd. It confused both Magz and me, and we soon started researching what animal it could have been from. After looking into it, we still aren’t completely sure, but I think we’ve narrowed it down to a fox or a raccoon. This pile looks a bit like both animals’ poops, but because we can’t find any footprints, it’s hard to tell. Both animals are common in our area, and of the two, we’d prefer it to be a raccoon, but I’m unsure how it would have gotten in. Raccoons don’t jump like foxes do, and our fence was up, albeit down a bit, when the animal would have entered.

Either way, I never expected that a portion of gardening would consist of identifying unknown animal scat to figure out what animals are getting into our garden. Hopefully, this is a one-off, and it doesn’t continue. I think this will improve each year as we further address our fencing. Have you had animals get into your garden? If so, what animals were they and how did you deal with it?

August 18, 2026 0

Making a Shadow Box to Remember a Friend

Last August, Magz’s family dog, Sully, passed away. He was 15 years old, and they had him for over 14 years. He was a Yorkie Bichon and was the first small dog I got to spend a lot of time around. Before I got to know him, I wasn’t a fan of small dogs, but Sully changed my perception. He was quirky, cool, playful, energetic, and fun. He had high emotional intelligence and could sense when someone wasn’t feeling well, emotionally or physically, and knew how to make you feel better. As someone who grew up with medium and large dogs, it took me a while to get used to picking him up and holding him close, but I learned to love it. I think Sully played a big role in us adopting Mia because he helped me become comfortable with a small pet.

About a month or so after he passed away, I approached Magz’s parents, after talking to her, about making a shadow box to remember Sully by displaying his favorite things. They were good with it, so Magz’s mom and I set about coming up with a design.

Designing the Shadow Box

There are a lot of variations when it comes to shadow boxes. Some have glass doors on them, some have a rigid glass front and can only be accessed from the back, and others are open without any glass. I had a large piece of glass that was sent to me by mistake when I was ordering glass for picture frame projects a few years ago. I knew it would be perfect for this project, so everything was designed around that.

Magz’s mom wanted a door on the front, like a medicine cabinet, which I quickly agreed to and said I could build it. Spoiler alert: this ended up being a lot harder than I anticipated, but more on that later. We went with a simple rectangle shape with a shelf near the bottom. This would create a cubby to display his favorite toys. On the shelf will go his collar and other small items. Finally, there is a place at the top where one of his sweaters or pajamas can be hung and rotated out.

shadow box plans, woodworking plans, woodworking — The rough plans for Sully’s shadow box.

Designing a cabinet around the glass size was a real test. Because I’m unable to resize the glass, everything is based on its dimensions. The first step was designing the doorframe. There were three dimensions to figure out:

How big the display “window” will be. This determines how much of the glass you can see through into the box. For this piece, I wanted these dimensions to match the interior dimensions of the box so that the inside of the doorframe would be flush with the inside of the box. This would give a seamless appearance.
How deep the glass would sit inside the doorframe. When installing glass in a cabinet door, it’s common to cut a groove into the frame for the glass to sit. This groove is called a dado, and its depth has to be factored into how much glass you see.
How wide you want the doorframe pieces to be. For this door, I wanted the top, bottom, and left pieces to have the same width, while the right piece was going to be a bit wider to accommodate a chamfer I was cutting for the reveal where you place your hand to open the door.

Those dimensions provided the dimensions for the box itself. Knowing how big the box was going to be and where the shelf would sit in the box, I was able to start cutting and assembling.

Building the Shadow Box

I went with Poplar for this project. Poplar is a really interesting species of lumber because it’s technically a hardwood but is lighter than oak or maple and even softer than pine, a softwood. However, it’s much easier to work with than pine. It didn’t chip when cutting, and it takes paint incredibly well. I learned through this project that it even takes stain well as long as it’s a high-quality piece. I had never worked with Poplar before this, but I had bought a few 8-foot boards the last time I ordered lumber and have been looking for a project to use it on. For something that is going to hang on a wall, like this shadow box, Poplar was perfect.

The lumber I had was a true 1×6, so one inch thick and six inches wide. I cut all the pieces to length and width and ran them through the planer until they were 3/4-inch thick. I used my router and dovetail jig to cut dovetails for the corner joints and set up my dado stack on my table saw and cut grooves on the side pieces to hold the shelf. I glued the joints and shelf in place and used a small brad nail where needed until the glue set up.

Afterward, I moved on to the doorframe, which was much more difficult. I cut three of the sides to 3/4-inch wide and the fourth side to 1 1/4 inches. I ran all four pieces through the table saw to cut the groove where the glass would sit, and then the trouble began.

Glass + Nail Gun + Sander = Disaster?

It took me little time to put the shadow box together. I believe I finished it last October or November. After cutting all the pieces for the door, I even glued three of the sides together after making sure the glass fit. Everything was a simple butt joint with a brad nail to hold it in place. It was easy-peasy. The fourth side caused problems. I struggled mightily over the order of operations for this.

Should I sand, stain, and finish everything before assembly to avoid getting stain on the glass? But if I do that, gluing a piece of wood with polyurethane on it can be troublesome. I realized that the best option would be to assemble before staining and just tape off the glass. How do I glue the pieces together while the glass is in place when I can’t use a nail until the glue sets? This last question caused me to delay finishing the project for, no joke, nine months. I was concerned that I would either break the glass, ruining the entire project, or that the joint wouldn’t hold.

Eventually, I worked up the courage to place the portion I already had glued (left side, bottom, and right side) into a vise with a towel around it. I slid the glass into the groove, glued the fourth piece, and clamped the heck out of it. I let it go overnight, and by the next day, the glue held. Voila, I could move on to the next step!

Hinges, Magnet, Clasps, and Final Touches

From the beginning, the intention was to use a piano/continuous hinge and magnets for the closure. A piano hinge can run nearly the entire length of the piece and can hold a lot of weight. This type of hinge is also less likely to twist when installing. Magz’s mom asked about magnets for the closure because they’re hidden.

The hinge installment was pretty seamless, with the only hiccup being that the screws were too long for the door side of the hinge. I was concerned about them contacting the glass, so I snipped them off. I drilled and attached the hinge before staining. I had never used magnets in a woodworking project before, so that was a learning opportunity. I thought I bought ones that were strong enough for this use, but that proved to not be the case.

I drilled holes for the magnets with a forstner bit and attached them with epoxy. That was also the first time I’ve used epoxy, and I was shocked by how bad the smell was. With one in place on the door side, I made a mark on it to see where the hole should be drilled on the box side. I attached that one too only to learn that the magnet wasn’t strong enough. I ultimately used four more magnets and still didn’t feel that it was strong enough to hold the door shut. So I ended up ordering a swing arm clasp that looks vintage and does a great job of holding the door closed. It also matches the stain and finish of the shadowbox.

I didn’t talk about this above, but I used a piece of quarter-inch pine plywood for the back. For the stain, I went with dark walnut from Minwax. I also used dark walnut wood filler, which was nearly a perfect match. I finished everything with three coats of oil-based polyurethane. I removed the hinge and taped off the glass before staining everything. The color is rich and vibrant and brings out the grain of the Poplar. The finish only strengthened this. With it done, I pulled the tape off, scraped any sprinkles off the glass, cleaned the glass, and it was done.

I eventually added a couple of attachment points in case the box is hung with screws. I also added two eye hooks for picture-hanging wire in case that gets used.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, I loved working on this project. It challenged me in ways I’ve never experienced, and I learned new skills, which is always fun. I’m really proud of the finished product and think my in-laws will be too. I set out to build something that would honor and memorialize Sully, and I think I did that. He was an incredibly vital member of the family, and their house doesn’t feel the same without him there. I still don’t know if I’m a small dog person. But I know that I was a fan of Sully, and I miss him. It was an honor to design and build something for him.

If you’re interested in building a shadowbox and are unsure how to go about it, I’d love to help.

August 14, 2026 0

Weekly Garden Update #8 – First Corn & Potato Harvests, Melons & Little Bing Tomatoes

I skipped a gardening update last week because there wasn’t much to write about. We were at a place where things were still growing but not ready to harvest yet, and there just wasn’t much to include in an update. Thankfully, things are different this week. Let’s dive in!

Harvesting Corn & Potatoes

Yesterday afternoon, we spent an hour or so in the garden harvesting vegetables we’ve been waiting on, including corn and potatoes. Most of our corn has been growing very well. Two varieties are over 10 feet tall, two others are more than six feet tall, and the others are about four feet tall. All seem to be in line with expectations. The stalks have been in tassle for several weeks and have had ears growing for quite some time. But until yesterday, none of the ears were ready to be picked.

I believe we picked a half-dozen ears split between three or four varieties. There were two Painted Mountains, two Country Gentleman, and I think one each of the Luther Hill and Black Iroquois, Sweet Mexican varieties. The ears varied fairly widely in length, but they were pretty full ears. I think our favorite variety was the Country Gentleman, which is an heirloom from the late 18th century. It is sweet corn, but not nearly as sweet as our modern hybrids. It also doesn’t grow in rows like corn typically does. Instead, it is a shoepeg type, so the kernels grow in zig-zags. It’s beautiful.

We also really enjoyed the Painted Mountain corn. This is a flint, or dent, corn, so it typically isn’t eaten fresh like this. Instead, it’s usually left to dry on the stalk and then ground into cornmeal. We decided to eat it fresh because we’re unlikely to grow enough ears to mill, but we didn’t want it to go to waste. Plus, it can still be eaten fresh, and we learned it’s absolutely delicious. It’s one of the best-tasting corn varieties we’ve ever had. The downside is that its texture is a bit off. It’s starchier and chewier than sweet corn usually is, but if you can get past that, the flavor is excellent.

We also pulled our first batch of potatoes yesterday but likely did so a couple of weeks early. Growing potatoes in bags has gone very well, with all but one bag growing very well. All the others are full of two-foot-tall plants, and most have flowers on them. Plus, some have started to die back, indicating that they’re close to being ready. Unfortunately, I was misled by some Reddit threads, and we pulled a bag of Red Norland potatoes a bit too early. The potatoes we did harvest look amazing. We have roughly a dozen appropriately sized, beautiful red-skinned potatoes. They’re firm and are going to be delicious. But we could also see on the roots a lot of places where new potatoes were starting to grow, so we likely lost out on the opportunity to grow another dozen potatoes. With the rest of the bags, we’re going to wait until the plants have completely died off before harvesting.

Melons Are Growing Well

In what has been a very weird year for gardening, from the inconsistent temperatures and rain to the Canadian wildfire smoke, our melons have been doing exceptionally well. This is odd, because growing melons in cooler climates like ours is difficult. We’ve tried growing them in the past, but they always failed to grow to their fullest size or lacked flavor. This year, for whatever reason, they’re doing well.

We’re growing three varieties of melons: Pride of Wisconsin (muskmelon), Montreal Market (muskmelon), and Cream of Saskatchewan (watermelon). I’m confident that we have at least one of each variety growing, with multiple fruit being close to volleyball size. None of these tend to produce huge melons, but if we get something around five pounds, I would be thrilled. I think it’s difficult to tell when melons are ready to be harvested, but by early September, we should be close.

Try Little Bing Tomatoes

The Little Bing tomato is one of the most highly anticipated things we’re growing this year. Not only is the name funny, but it’s also described as being one of the best-tasting cherry tomatoes the seed company employees have tasted. I started them inside and transplanted them into a small rectangular planter we have. After transplanting, the plants took off, and we’ve had dozens of blossoms and fruit for weeks. Thankfully, the tomatoes have started to turn red, and we were able to harvest the first ones yesterday. The seed company was 100 percent correct on the flavor. This tomato is very sweet, but not syrupy sweet. It also has a great tomato flavor without any of the “tinniness” that can happen. They’re not too big, but they can still be sliced. They may be the perfect cherry tomato.

Elsewhere in the Garden

We’ve also continued to pick beans, even though I thought they would have stopped growing by now. We’re still eating Cherokee Wax and Blue Lake Bush beans and even gave a quart of them to our neighbors last evening. Our shelling beans are also doing well. They have large pods, and the plants continue to look healthy.

Our other tomato plants are holding on, and the bulk of the tomatoes are starting to ripen. Our peppers are in a similar state. We are also finally starting to see some eggplants growing on the plans. Last year, we harvested a ton of them, but this year, they’ve been much slower to grow and develop.

Finally, our sunflowers are looking great, and one of the Teddy sunflower plants has grown a flowerhead. It’s stunning. I wasn’t sure if we’d ever see this happen. That’s all for this week’s update. Happy Gardening!

August 10, 2026 1

3 Reasons You Should Go Bowling

I wrote a blog post earlier this week about rediscovering my love for bowling after Magz and I watched a Phil Edwards video and went bowling last Friday. Today, I’m back with another bowling-related post, this time making 3 points that argue for why you should go bowling. I was originally going to include this in that first post, but when it reached 2,000 words, it was time to split them.

1.) Easy to See Improvements

This really only applies if you’re interested in bowling on a somewhat consistent basis and are interested in improving. If you’re just going to bowl occasionally, improvement isn’t as important, but it’s still fun to be good at something we enjoy doing.

I’m the type of person who takes all my hobbies seriously. I want to be the best at them. I think everyone enjoys being good at stuff. Bowling is great because you can make small adjustments mid-game and figure out if they’ll help you improve. You can alter where you stand to start, which arrow you aim at when throwing, and what ball you’re using and immediately see results.

You don’t want to change multiple things at one time because you won’t know the impact of each change, but limiting it to one change at a time allows you to see how much of an effect it has on the results. From there, repeating your mechanics until they become second nature allows you to find consistency and will lead to overall improvement.

Not all hobbies, sports, and activities are like this. Compare it to playing guitar, which takes time and a lot of practice to improve. Learning to apply the correct pressure when holding a chord or not picking the wrong string when learning a riff is really difficult. And when you make a mistake, it sounds like nails on a chalkboard, even if no one else can hear it. It can take a lot of drive to not be disappointed when you mute a string or play the wrong note. Bowling being an activity that provides immediate feedback when making improvements makes it a great hobby and sport.

2.) Affordability

Another reason you should go bowling is because it’s affordable. At a time when everything seems to be expensive and only increasing in cost, bowling remains fairly cheap, or at least it is in our area. I don’t remember how much it cost when I used to bowl consistently, but at that bowling alley, it currently costs $4.50 per game per person, with it being more expensive for glow bowling and cheaper Tuesday afternoons. That seems to be an average rate in our area, with some alleys charging up to $7 per game and others being cheaper. The bowling alley we went to last Friday was an incredible $2.50 per game. For the two of us to play three games, rent shoes, and each get a fountain drink, it was $24. That is amazingly cheap. It’s hard to find anything that provides more than an hour of fun for that low of a price.

If you want to get serious and buy your own equipment, it’s also an affordable hobby to invest in. Of course, you can spend a ton of money, but you can also buy your own ball for less than $100. If you want your own shoes, they can be purchased for $40. Add in a bag for $25, and you’re set for years. You just need to maintain your ball by wiping the oil off it, and it’ll last you a long time. There are very few hobbies and sports that have such an afford buy-in and don’t require further investment down the road.

Let’s look at playing guitar again. I have very affordable guitars (a Yamaha Pacific electric and an Ibanez acoustic), and both were around $200. You don’t need both an electric and an acoustic, but it’s fun to be able to play different types of music. You also need to buy an amp for your electric, picks, a capo, cables, and strings. Plus, there are pedals that can alter the sound you create. When you really get into playing, it’s hard to not want more equipment. This is the second reason bowling is worth getting into.

3.) Year-Round Activity

My third reason people should go bowling is because it’s a year-round activity, which can’t be said for a lot of hobbies. Because it’s indoors, a lot of people bowl in winter when it’s snowing or too cold to be outside. It’s also a great rainy-day activity.

But I also think it’s a lot of fun in summer when it’s hot and you want to get out of the sun for a bit. Summer is also when bowling alleys are the least busy, so you usually won’t have an issue getting a lane. We were the only people bowling the day we went. Realistically, any indoor hobby can be enjoyed year-round, including playing guitar. However, I often don’t work in my woodshop when it’s too hot, since there’s no air conditioning, or too cold, because even though I have propane and kerosene heaters, it still isn’t fun when your hands are cold. Bowling being a hobby that you can participate in year-round, regardless of the weather, allows you to improve without taking time off.

If you have thought about bowling recently but haven’t gone, I hope these three reasons encourage you to give it a go. And if you haven’t gone bowling since you were a kid, it’s just as fun bowling as an adult. It’s a blast to do something that doesn’t cost too much, can be done in any weather, and is easy to improve at. If you do go bowling again, I hope you have an independent alley near you and that you have a blast.

August 8, 2026 0