04 MCR The Round Up

On the advice of an old Texas longhorn ranch hand, I decided to take the dogs out in search of my missing seedlings. There's coyotes in these here parts, and I'd hate for anything to happen to them in their young and delicate state.

So I saddled up and called over Zosma and Zubra, two of the finest Austrailian Tobacco Dogs this side of the Pecos, and headed out at dawn.

It was tough going, at first, the jungle was dense, and it's tangle-burr season -- those itchy little critters get EVERYWHERE! Had a minor setback when the horse was spooked by a giant fire-breathing salamander but, with a machette in each hand, I was able to make progress, and keep up with the "Doggie Z-boys", who were hot on a scent.

Keep in mind, now, that Z&Z are *always* hot on one scent or another, be it squirrel, deer, skunk, racoon or forest-crocodile. Keeping them focused on the task at hand (finding my tobacco seedlings) is a bit like trying to keep kittens focused on something other than food. We found a clearing just after noon, and broke for lunch -- the Z boys ruslted up a possum or some such, and I had a cigar. Afterwards, I let them smell the stogie to remind them of our task, and we continued our trek.

Well, to make a really-long story only kinda-long, at the end of the day, we had managed to round up little sprouts from all 12 varietals that make up the "secret Misc's Cigar Ranch blend" -- so I'm now that "proud father" of a gazillion microscopic seedlings.

It was my intent to keep this down to a small "hobby ranch", but it now looks like I'm going to have litters and litters of these little tobaccambinos. Even if I keep the 4 strongest of each variety (just shy of 50 plants), that still leaves me with 100 or two that I'm not really prepared to tend to maturity. It's still a couple of weeks before they'll be old enough to go outside of the barn on their own, but if anyone else is interested in owning their own cigar-tree, I could probably be talked into sending along a few of the extras in exchange for a mature cigar or two. I have *NO*IDEA* how one sends baby-plants through the mail, but I'm willing to give it a honest effort, if you have an idea.

E-mail if you're interested.