Thursday, July 17, 2008

Cigars and Round Up







Today's post concerns the above...two very different items(although the Anti-Smoking Nazis might consider them one and the same).


Starting off with the weed killers....Jerry, one of my Indiana visitors, commented yesterday, that he had never heard of Round Up Poison Ivy Control. Nasty little liquid, and expensive, jug shown, about $18...this stuff kills off just about anything and everything it comes in contact with...but since the wife came down with the ivy rash in various places, she insisted we get the Ivy Killer Round Up along with the regular that I use to kill the grass growing up through the sidewalk, and gravel drive-way.

Yesterday was bush clearing/trimming day....today's we tackle the Poison Ivy and Oak that hangs around the garden and under the large foliage that sits on the property line....it will be 92 by this afternoon, with humidity to match, so seems like a perfect time to go at it....doesn't it?

Now, on to a move pleasant subject(at least in my mind)....Fine hand rolled cigars. No rich person am I, just a semi-retired, ex-radio jock and sports guy, Environmental Health Director, current jack of no trades, and High School Sports Official. I do however, like good cigars. I found out about a decade ago, that good cigars don't come cheap, but you don't have to break the bank to keep your humidor full either. You find a good outlet, that sells in bulk, look for brands you like, and smoke to your heart's content. Don't get me wrong, I don't smoke everyday...when the weather turns cold, I don't smoke at all, because I only smoke outside, in the late afternoon or evening, and only when I can down a cold brew(s) with the smoke.

Smoking is bad of course, but I never did acquire a taste for cigarettes...nasty things. Even in the Air Force all those years ago, I tried smoke the cancer stick and never could stand em'. Cigars, good cigars, are another matter. We are not talking those machine made dogs that you get at the gas station in a 5 pack, or those "it's a monkey" cigars you receive when some co-worker's wife has their first kid. We are talking about good quality hand rolled cigars, that are made south of the border, the Florida border, in the various Banana Republics of the Caribbean Sea.

I usually buy "knock offs" or mistakes...these come cheaper that the regular brands, but are usually just a good...the only mistakes are usually superficial marks...they mostly smoke as smooth as the non-mistakes, and at less than half the price.

On occasion I find a sale on my favorites..."Indian Tabac" cigars, made by Rocky Patel.....I usually like my smokes Mild to Medium...they leave less of a taste in the mouth and clothes, body, etc, than the spicy and stronger cuts. Over the weekend I found a sale at Cigar International, my usual outlet(see Mr Smiley Face top left of blog). I ordered a box of 25 of my favorites..the Bison Connecticut "Cut", a mild torpedo cigar measuring 6 1/2 x 36 x 54....lo' and behold with my order the folks at CI would throw in a bundle of 10 Indian Tabac Super Fuerte 5 x 50 Robusto cuts...a smaller size, and probably good for me, as they are a smaller than the torpedoes, but stronger that the Connecticut cut.


Have not tried one yet, but will fire one up tonight with a cold one......but first, it's out to do battle with the "Killer Ivy".....back later!


photos-Good Cigars and Round Up Ivy Killer and Regular....I'd like to give the far left loons some round up to smoke!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I use the Round UP Ivy killer on the poison ivy that gets on my electric fence. It works well, and that's a hard plant to kill.

Ron Simpson said...

So is English Ivy. It is like the cat of the Ivy family. It has 9 lives.
I have never been much of a cigar smoker. But once when I was out on wargames and had to work the night shift in the TOC (Tactical Operations Center) as well as do all the daily stuff, I tried a Honduran cigar. My ass was dragging after 2 weeks straight of the wargams. I as an e-5 trying to hold down the job of an e-8 that had left us. I was the only NCO in the S2 shop. I was in over my head and hating it. But I was dragging ass bigtime one night when my Captain gave me a Honduran cigar that he had. It was green. I hadnever seen a green cigar. Just putting it in my mouth caused my lips to tingle with a nicotene burn. I never smoked it. Just chomping on the damn thing kept me awake.

PRH said...

Pretty funny Ron...the only time I could smoke cigarettes was at Tan Son Nhut(Saigon)...when I was assigned to a damn tower. 4 smokes to a box of C-Rations....I would smoke them(never inhaled) just to stay awake on those damn 10hour overnight shifts.

Hermit...it usually takes about 3 years to kill off the Ivy...it wants to "pop" back, so I zap it again...eventually I win.

Larry said...

Oh m'gawd this brings back horrid memories. Poison Ivy TWICE in the eyes! Wouldn't wish that on -- OK, I would wish it on Osama, and his scummy ilk.

Buck said...

You've had better luck with "seconds" than I have, Pat. The last time I bought a bundle of those at least half of them were rolled too tight and were impossible to smoke. I still have four of those damned things in my humidor, and I don't know exactly WHY I'm saving them. Maybe to offer to acquaintances (NOT friends!) if they stop by while I'm outside with a smoke and a brew. As a result of that experience I've pretty much decided to stay with my ol' reliable Partagas Spanish Rosados.

FHB said...

Blaze up bro. Those are fine smokes. Have some myself.

PRH said...

Got to say guys...I fired up one of the "freebees" The Super Fuerte, a dark skinned Robusto by Indian Tabac, and it was a slow burning beauty....I was out on the back steps listening to the Cincy Reds choke to the Mets, and this smoke lasted almost 2 hours...and was smooth burning until the end. I may have to order a box of these.

Harry J said...

First the roundup,I use it twice a year, mostly for those stuburn assorted weeds that grow out of the cracks of the concrete jungle I live in. Now I am not saying I have no lawn to attend to but a quick ten minute hoseing with a weed and feed product attached to the hose always does the trick. Now the cigars,I was an avid cigarette smoker for approx 35 years, I quit that nasty habit about 10 years ago, and I must say I feel a lot better about it, as for the cigars I was the one who smoked those, as a wise old man once called them, machine made dogs (5 in a box) and "it's a monkey" cigars,so I guess I really don't know what a good cigar really is.

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