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I'm jealous. Just left the northern Outer Banks this morning. Hoping to return to Nags Head or Hatteras in Nov for a fishing trip.
We hate the drive from Alabama, but it’s well worth it for the Great fishing! we have a charter boat booked for the 4th hoping the yellow fin will be biting by then.
 
I ordered a little over 400 lbs grapes from Colavita and Son yesterday and they say pick up will be ready mid Sept. just south of Fresno, California (roughly 10 hours from home). This will be my first crush since 2017 and since I'll be working alone this time I figured it was time to motorize my crusher/destimer using a treadmill motor and controller as suggested by @ibglowin a few years back. I cut a platform for the motor that attaches to an existing bracket and hung the controller on existing threaded studs. Still need to make a faceplate for the power switch and speed controller. Potentiometer and pullies are on order so hopefully I can get it up and running in the next week or two.
Doing 6 lugs of a coastal Pinot Noir and 6 of an old vine zin, getting excited to get going again. Lori says sitting 20 hours in the truck over 2 days is just too much so I'm heading out solo. Plan on driving out and spending the night in beautiful downtown Del Rey or Reedley then being at the warehouse when they open to load up and drive straight back to AZ. Crush, drink and crash.
CrushMotor.jpg
 
@Kraffty That there looks very familiar!

Not sure if you know this but you can buy CA wine grapes in Phoenix. I don't know anything about the quality just saw it whilst googling one day looking for a source closer to me than Lodi. You may want to investigate this year for a possible order next year. Orders for this year need to be placed by 9/4/20 my email says. Prices don't look too bad to me.

https://www.peddlersson.com/wine-grapes-2020/
 
Thanks for that head's up, I'd been looking but not finding a local source and was quietly dreading that 20 hours on the road. Prices are about 30 percent higher but easily offset by food, hotel, gas expenses so I canceled the Fresno order and placed it with Thepedlersons. we'll see how it works out.
Next year though I'll have to find a verde valley supplier. It looks like we're just some approvals away from an AVA listing, the third in Arizona after Gilbert and Sanoita regions.

Thanks again.
 
I'm going to pat myself on the back and call the motorizing of my crusher/destimmer a huge success. It runs great, is smooth and looks pretty clean for a shade tree type builder. For a machine that will probably only see 15 to 30 minutes of runtime a year I think it'll hold up for a while.
CrusherMotor.jpg
 
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Being thankful that this storm changed course, and praying for the folks on SW Louisiana. This storm is an absolute monster. The blue dot is where I live, the lake between me and New Orleans is 24 miles across, making the eye of Laura damn near 20 miles wide.

View attachment 65187

Hope those in affected areas are safe and well!

@hounddawg , I think it is going to pass right over you, yes? I hope it is weakened by then. 🤞
 
Hope those in affected areas are safe and well!

@hounddawg , I think it is going to pass right over you, yes? I hope it is weakened by then. 🤞
i as well, but we need the rain something awful, this last spring i had bumper crops of peaches, pears, blackberries, elderberries, all failed, i'm feeding hay 2 to 3 months early,,, glad @Jlohnd is good
Dawg
 
Oh, tornado warning...we don't get many of those up here. Guess I'm battening the hatches!

I'm guess there is some hail around, the temps are dropping like a rock.

Edit: storms passed through, no tomatoes. Some small hail and some incredible wind, about 1/2 inch of rain in 10 minutes. Back to the normally scheduled program (drinking).
 
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Oh, tornado warning...we don't get many of those up here. Guess I'm battening the hatches!

I'm guess there is some hail around, the temps are dropping like a rock.

Edit: storms passed through, no tomatoes. Some small hail and some incredible wind, about 1/2 inch of rain in 10 minutes. Back to the normally scheduled program (drinking).

Guess my drinking window opens soon - storms rolling through now...
 
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