My weekend at "The Hoagies"

[MattyB]

While working in Los Angeles last weekend the Hoagies were nice enough to let me stay with them.  They are the nicest folks you'd ever want to meet and I am truely blessed to have friends like them.  Here's some fun pics of the weekend.

Friday night we went out to dinner at a Brazilian eatery but I forgot my camera so we pick up back at the house, just in time for shots!  Jack (El Hoagie), Myself, and Danny (Palmazon) get the first smell of some Vodkaskot, the national drink of Iceland.  Jack should have left that stuff in Iceland dude!  It was like licorish and salt water with some extra deisel fuel added.

Ok, pre-shot photo op.

Down the hatch!

[MattyB]

Jack and I are almost gagging and Danny is gargling with it.  That dude is tough as nails. :laugh:  :laugh:  :laugh:

La Hoagie in a joyous mood as usual.

And meet the Hoagie Dog, Moab.  I guess the dog gets drunk too and likes to put on his doggie crown hat for fun.

[MattyB]

Moab looking thrilled.

"You alook mahvelous!"

[MattyB]

I had a little time to take some pics of the property so you guys could see Jack's yard.  He's on a very steep hill facing east.  This is one of the best microclimates in SoCal and he consistantly stayed warmer than me this winter.  Looking down from the deck.

I'm starting to make my way down Jack's newly installed retaining wall system.  Here's looking back up.

[MattyB]

further down

Lot's of work, all carried in one by one.

Further down still, looking back up at the house.  This is where the existing Walnut trees start to create a nice canopy.

[MattyB]

Ok, now I've turned around and this is looking down the hill.

Old patch of poison oak that's been erradicated.  Jack, Lindsey and Danny all had rashes still from their encounters with it.

[MattyB]

Continuing to make my way down.

A nice clearing at the bottom of the property.  You can just make out the bottom of the retaining wall system.  I think it's a 1/3 acre.  Plenty of space with lot's of shade to work with.

A beautiful clearing.  Can you say Ceroxylon?  I can.

[MattyB]

Back up the hill now looking at the base of a huge old Yucca elephantipes or grandiflora or something like that.

Moab's been at work.

[MattyB]

You can get an idea of how steep it is right here.

Jack uses a drip system and dosen't make watering basins like I do at my place.

Jack's Pseudophoenix collection is growing.

[MattyB]

CA Coco

Out in the front yard Jack has planted it completely out!  It's awesome for a first year garden.  Bottle palms in foreground after no protection during winter show his superior microclimate.

Maybe his bottlepalms have been hitting the Vodkaskot bottle? ???

[MattyB]

A look around the side of the house at the view east.

[MattyB]

I.D. help time!!!!!!  Mikey the frek, I'm calling you out on this one buddy.  I know you're good at this so I took lots of pics just like you like 'em.

[MattyB]

terminal leaflets, top side

[MattyB]

terminal leaflets, underside

OK, that's it.  The only thing I can call it is D. onilahensis.  But it looks different than the upright, robust form I've seen and the weeping form too.  Help guys!!!!

The party deck is sweet!

[MattyB]

aht ohhhhh

There he is.  Be vewy vewy quiet.

Oh no, he's spotted us.

[MattyB]

Ahhhh, help, help he's gonna attack!

Stay away!!! Please nooooo!!!! Not the crotch!!!!!

Fweeewwwww!!! That was a close one.

[MattyB]

This is where all Jack's palmtalk magic happens.

Jack hit the Jungle Music Sale, Rancho Soledad, Joe Palmas, and Danny's all in one day.  Here's his booty.....and a truck full of palms.

[MattyB]

Dinnertime!!!! Lindsey is stoked about crazy bread...I mean crazy.

ahhhhhh, how cute.  

That's it.  Thanks to Los Hoagies for everthing.

[bgl]

Matt,

Thanks for the photos! Looks like everybody is having a great time! Well, except poor Moab - it's obvious he's thinking "whatever did I do to deserve this kind of humiliation...!?" (How about a photo of someone else with that hat...?).

And Jack,

Very impressive work on that slope!

Bo-Göran

[LJG]

Matt, I forget. Is Jack older then his brother Danny? Or visa versa?  

Using that word you taught me, he has a "Gallery style" garden out front. Very nice.

[MattyB]

I have some black plastic rimmed reading glasses too.  I should have put them on and taken a picture with them.

[elHoagie]

Awesome photos, nice work Matt! It was fun having you up here for a couple days.

Bo - Moab only has to wear that hat on Halloween, or after we've all had a few drinks He gets violent if I try to wear it, just look what he almost did to Matt on the deck.

[bgl]

"or after we've all had a few drinks"....well, who knows how often that is!? That poor dog could be stuck with that silly hat for weeks on end!

[MattyB]

:laugh:  

[elHoagie]

(bgl @ Apr. 04 2008,14:01)

QUOTE

"or after we've all had a few drinks"....well, who knows how often that is!? That poor dog could be stuck with that silly hat for weeks on end!

Come on Bo, I usually sober up in the morning and let him take it off

[ariscott]

Mikey is not available for a while.... hopefully he will be back soon.

Regards, Ari

[MattyB]

ahhh, Thanks for the heads up Ari.  I hope he's doing well.  I miss his cookyness (not to be confused with cockyness).

[freakypalmguy]

Excellent pics Matty.

Awesome house El and La Hoagie.

Everytime I look at the title to this thread it reminds me of "A Weekend at Bernies"

Matt

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

That retaining wall makes my back hurt....

Nice to see the Sayers keeping the succulent thang goin on.

And....I call BS on the desk and computer. NOBODY has a desk that neat. I think it was a production prop that Matt borrowed.

[Gtlevine]

Nice place, I finally got to meet El Hoagie last weekend, great guy.

Gary

[elHoagie]

Steve - no doubt, my back is still killing me... and so is laHoagie's, and palmazon's, and Gerardo's, and everybody else who has/will carry those damn blocks... Lindsey goes a little nutz with the cleaning when we have guests, the desk doesn't usually look like that.

Gary - Yeah, it was great to finally meet you last weekend. Thanks for all the patience while I looked for Agaves, and for the killer deal on the Chambeyronia.

[DoomsDave]

Ah, yes, la Casita de los Hoagies!

No sweeta casita . . . . .

Come back on a clear day and catch a gander of the that eastern view of the mountains.

Maybe los Hoagies can take a picture when conditions are right . . . .

I still feel a twinge of home-sickness for El Screamo.

So, what did you all have at the Brazilian eatery?

dave

[BS Man about Palms]

"Fun to be had at the Hoagies" !!!!

[Dypsisdean]

Jack,

Long time, no see. It's good to see you and Lindsey again. I feel like I just enjoyed a visit. The place looks killer. I hope you are taking plenty of pics to document the beginnings of what will be a very cool garden. You can't depend on Matty to do it all.

[bubba]

The backyard looks like a great place to grow a Star Fruit Grove.With your Microclimate,I think you could become a heavy California producer.Your Palms all look great and it will be interesting to see them grow.Your dog with crown is priceless.Thank you.

[Cristóbal]

jacks cocos nucifera is the most far north i know in the ground in southern california, 34 degrees 6 minutes.

[elHoagie]

Dave - I had some chicken, Lindsey had beef, and Matt had a sausage sandwich. Of course I washed it down with some Acai.

Dean - Hopefully I'll have some free time in Hawaii soon, I'm sure all your palms have probably doubled in size since October. And thanks again for hosting us for a couple nights!

Cristobal - The Cocos looks like it's opening a new leaf, I think it's safe to say it survived the winter.

[SubTropicRay]

Nice work Jack.  The place looks very different from my last visit there.

[Walter John]

Thanks Matt and Los Hoagies, I give this thread the 3 B's, Brilliant, Bodacious and Bewdiful.

That palm ID? looks similar to mine which is younger though , splitting the same too, I go for Dypsis psammophilla ladies and gees.

[Jeff Searle]

Matt,

     Thanks for all the good pictures. I'm sure you had a rope tied around your waist to keep you from falling further down the mountain.  Hey....and whats up with all the jackets on? Jack, do you keep the air conditioning turned down that low in your house? It looks cold...burrrr! But the back yard has come along way with the brick work. I bet you can't wait until you start planting down low under the trees.

Lindsey......HI!!!! I'm glad the boys allowed a couple of photos of you in them. It sure brightned things up.

The palm id in #12 is Dypsis psammophila.

See you guys in CR!

Jeff