OGS in a Vauen Kira 503. 
***What Are You Smoking, September 2025?***
- Thread starter JimInks
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Some Maltese Falcon as the first smoke in this new Genod.
Last Night's Festivities, also known as Ants Made Me Say Uncle. Took a break from picking apples last night and had a great bowl of SWR in the Ropp J06. Definitely loves this tobacco. 
Followed up with a cigar inside . . . . licking my wounds, literally. Didn't notice while picking, that I'd stepped directly on two big ant nests. Red ones. Big suckers. Did a very good version of St Vitus's Dance. Haven't done dance steps since my knees crashed about 15 years ago. The little buggers crawled up my leg, got into my, shirt, and had a royal bite fest.
More on the story, photographs of the apple trees and such, in Skippable Drivel, underneath the recycled shot of the pipe. Cigar was just the usual el cheapo Kwiki Grape. Enjoyed it as I picked off and crushed still attached ants.
Skippable Drivel: And a HUGE favor to ask at end of post.
Gotta give myself a reality check here. Ain't gonna be able to post much until this cycle of pick, slice, dry and freeze is over. It's a full time job. I did take some garden shots of the task during a couple of breaks, and processed them as I could. Here they, in a sort of sequence.
Here's where I start my day, usually about 10:00 AM, usually with Mike, Dave, and often other assorted pipe and cigar rabble. Almost all of my buds are self-employed or shift workers, so the crowd can vary depending on how their days are. This is Picnic Table #2, recently aquired, and is well shaded with a huge birch tree. Kind of a morning coffee clutch of about an hour or so before dispersal.
Take note of the Crabapples. These are the last I'll harvest, not quite ready yet. The tree is loaded, and huge, about 20 feet tall. You can see the trunk in the middle of the right hand side of the shot. If the day is cloudy, we go to Picnic Table #1 at the back of the house - otherwise it's in full sun and too hot. It's well over 80 degrees in PG right now and has been for a month.
Here's a closeup of the crabs to give you an idea of how many I'll have to harvest. I'll begin this tomorrow or day after, and it'll take about 2 days to get what I can. The tree is huge and I hate ladders. Vertigo, eh?
I've finished picking all of the large apples, and about 3/4 of the apple crabs. Here's a shot of the large apple tree which had about a bushel of fruit on it. If you look closely at the middle of the pic, you can see little red apples an another tree behind the main apple tree. These are the remaining apple-crabs, which were picked this morning. Again, about a bushel of the tasty little suckers.
The picking was the easy part. Like the cherries and Saskatoons, the cleaning, cutting and processing is a morning to evening job.
Now for the very special request I'm going to make of you guys, and it involves a story, of course.
I'm not complaining, or even whining. I'm loving it because it is pure nostalgia. My Mom, gone for 25 years, was a cook/food expert who often wrote food columns for the Vancouver Sun newspaper in the 1950s. She taught me everything known about food selection, harvesting and processing.
I worked with her every year throughout school, university, and in visits to Prince George when I lived in Vancouver and Victoria and summers in Toronto at my music career. In Prince George the custom became particularly intense because of all of the fish and game I harvested. We processed all of this together, and I became very knowledgeable and skilled at these things under her guidance.
Up here, my job became fish and game processing, which I'm equally meticulous about.
Here's my request to you. I'm absolutely certain that many of you have wives that do the same thing. I don't. As I've explained several times, I blew my chances at being domesticated because I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. No woman in her right mind would put up with me, and those that weren't I could't put up with. Go figure!
I'm sure this request is also at my Mom's bequest. Mom did all this because she loved me and my family.
So does your wife. So do something REALLY SPECIAL for her in return. It is easy to take these tasks for granted, like, hey, it's part of their job. I'm also sure many of you give a hand. But she really does it because she loves you and yours. If you've done so, great, but do it again. Love needs affirmation. Constantly. Don't think I need to say any more.
Will return soon, but now is crunch time for Gord. Salut.
Followed up with a cigar inside . . . . licking my wounds, literally. Didn't notice while picking, that I'd stepped directly on two big ant nests. Red ones. Big suckers. Did a very good version of St Vitus's Dance. Haven't done dance steps since my knees crashed about 15 years ago. The little buggers crawled up my leg, got into my, shirt, and had a royal bite fest.
More on the story, photographs of the apple trees and such, in Skippable Drivel, underneath the recycled shot of the pipe. Cigar was just the usual el cheapo Kwiki Grape. Enjoyed it as I picked off and crushed still attached ants.
Skippable Drivel: And a HUGE favor to ask at end of post.
Gotta give myself a reality check here. Ain't gonna be able to post much until this cycle of pick, slice, dry and freeze is over. It's a full time job. I did take some garden shots of the task during a couple of breaks, and processed them as I could. Here they, in a sort of sequence.
Here's where I start my day, usually about 10:00 AM, usually with Mike, Dave, and often other assorted pipe and cigar rabble. Almost all of my buds are self-employed or shift workers, so the crowd can vary depending on how their days are. This is Picnic Table #2, recently aquired, and is well shaded with a huge birch tree. Kind of a morning coffee clutch of about an hour or so before dispersal.
Take note of the Crabapples. These are the last I'll harvest, not quite ready yet. The tree is loaded, and huge, about 20 feet tall. You can see the trunk in the middle of the right hand side of the shot. If the day is cloudy, we go to Picnic Table #1 at the back of the house - otherwise it's in full sun and too hot. It's well over 80 degrees in PG right now and has been for a month.
Here's a closeup of the crabs to give you an idea of how many I'll have to harvest. I'll begin this tomorrow or day after, and it'll take about 2 days to get what I can. The tree is huge and I hate ladders. Vertigo, eh?
I've finished picking all of the large apples, and about 3/4 of the apple crabs. Here's a shot of the large apple tree which had about a bushel of fruit on it. If you look closely at the middle of the pic, you can see little red apples an another tree behind the main apple tree. These are the remaining apple-crabs, which were picked this morning. Again, about a bushel of the tasty little suckers.
The picking was the easy part. Like the cherries and Saskatoons, the cleaning, cutting and processing is a morning to evening job.
Now for the very special request I'm going to make of you guys, and it involves a story, of course.
I'm not complaining, or even whining. I'm loving it because it is pure nostalgia. My Mom, gone for 25 years, was a cook/food expert who often wrote food columns for the Vancouver Sun newspaper in the 1950s. She taught me everything known about food selection, harvesting and processing.
I worked with her every year throughout school, university, and in visits to Prince George when I lived in Vancouver and Victoria and summers in Toronto at my music career. In Prince George the custom became particularly intense because of all of the fish and game I harvested. We processed all of this together, and I became very knowledgeable and skilled at these things under her guidance.
Up here, my job became fish and game processing, which I'm equally meticulous about.
Here's my request to you. I'm absolutely certain that many of you have wives that do the same thing. I don't. As I've explained several times, I blew my chances at being domesticated because I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and how I wanted. No woman in her right mind would put up with me, and those that weren't I could't put up with. Go figure!
I'm sure this request is also at my Mom's bequest. Mom did all this because she loved me and my family.
So does your wife. So do something REALLY SPECIAL for her in return. It is easy to take these tasks for granted, like, hey, it's part of their job. I'm also sure many of you give a hand. But she really does it because she loves you and yours. If you've done so, great, but do it again. Love needs affirmation. Constantly. Don't think I need to say any more.
Will return soon, but now is crunch time for Gord. Salut.
OJK in a Jesse Jones blue Cumberland.
Gawith Hoggarth & Co. Dark Flake Unscented in a Nørding Hunting Pipe Smooth Fox (2013) and a cup of black tea.
A quarter of the way through this bowl of Watch City Jim’s Golden Ticket in a straight smooth brown mid-late 60s Corporate Era Barling 5579 London England (made by Charatan) lumberman with a black vulcanite double comfort stem. This pipe is from the estate of David Cuneo.
Hope it's nothing serious. Take care and keep us posted!Got up at 5:30, made coffee and went out to catch the rising sun (and a morning bat flitting about) with a bowl of Sansepolcro in an SMS. Not sure how much posting i'll be doing in the coming week or two. Going to be doing a stay for a procedure here at MD Anderson Medical Center in Houston. But i'll try to keep up.
View attachment 414779
Now smoking year 2022 unreleased Sutliff Brown Virginia Flake in a 1920s medium bend smooth dark brown BBB Umbra bulldog with a tapered black vulcanite stem with an orific bit. Ice water and bergs is my drink.
Nice little set up for that pic.
Mine was a little more utilitarian.
Sitting outside the hospital smoking some Exclusive i had preloaded for driving in the rental car but never got to. Didn't want it drying out during my stay, so found some time for it while awaiting admission.
Now that i'm in the room. My new view:
Not really my cup of tea, but it's something different...and only temporary. By the time this stay is over, i'll be ready for the forest or the ocean or anywhere outside of the city for a nice, peaceful smoke.
Loading up another bowl of OGS in my Vauen Kira 503. 
I've recently got to try this Cigar and really enjoyed it.
Peter Stockebye PS91 virginia shag packed tight in the Erica XL302 with Savinelli Dry System stem this morning and PS Luxury Twist flake this afternoon in same pipe.
Aladino Classic Corona. I enjoyed a Robusto version the other day and enjoyed it so much I bought a handful in different sizes. I really really like this Cigar. I also really enjoyed the Camacho Ecuador I had earlier today. It was excellent.
2018 SG Best Brown in a Stanwell Hand Cut
A solid Double IPA from my favorite local brewery with a My Father Le Bijou after work. Desktop PC I rebuilt in May won’t POST so I’m currently questioning my life choices and considering a career change where I never have to look at a computer again. 
Finally getting a little bit of rain. Hardly had a drop over past two months.
Having some Palmetto Balkan in my Savinelli Roma 320...
Having some Palmetto Balkan in my Savinelli Roma 320...
Ugh, sorry about the PC troubles, mate.
That cigar looks excellent. The only My Father I've tried was called La Promesa. It was really nice. Yours looks quite a bit darker in color. Good luck with the PC.
Waiting on the rain in the desert and having my first go ‘round with C&D Winchester. Reminiscent of what I imagine the old codger blends from the past must have been like.Red Virginia and Dominican Cavendish. Easy peasy and smooth as silk. Burns to a dark gray ash and little to no dottle. This is some great stuff!
@dottlejockeyNice little set up for that pic.
Mine was a little more utilitarian.
Sitting outside the hospital smoking some Exclusive i had preloaded for driving in the rental car but never got to. Didn't want it drying out during my stay, so found some time for it while awaiting admission.
View attachment 414858
Now that i'm in the room. My new view:
View attachment 414859
Not really my cup of tea, but it's something different...and only temporary. By the time this stay is over, i'll be ready for the forest or the ocean or anywhere outside of the city for a nice, peaceful smoke.
Good luck
! Here's wishing you a very speedy recovery. And definitely get out of the City, as soon as humanly possible!
This is an amazing cigar. I always have some handy
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