Go ahead, say hello... And hello to figs!

I'll be the first to admit that I am not doing a great job posting new stuff for you guys.  But I've been looking at the data and I know there are people checking up on what I'm doing here...

That said, so far I think I've only gotten two comments in the history of this blog... both of which came from friends...  SO... if you wouldn't mind, please post a comment and let me know what keeps you coming back to check things out over here at Balancing The Empire.  You never know, I just might start talking about your favorite subject a little bit more often!

Oh my lucky stars, its a fig!

On another note, this past weekend we ate our first fig from the tree's I planted this spring!  No, I dropped the ball again and didn't take a picture... but if I did, you would immediately recognize a fig that was not quite ripe!  ...I know now!  (Which reminds me of this guy...)

Anyway, this past spring I put two of these little guys in the ground, via Starkbros.com and didn't know if they were going to make it... but they did!

A Chicago Hardy Fig

As much as I don't like Illinois (political and personal liberty reasons), I had to suck it up and go with the Chicago Fig.  These guys are supposed to produce in a year or two, but for me, they produced in less than 6 months, pretty cool I think! 

Well anyway, I've been keeping an eye on them and got a little bit too excited when I saw one turning purple and picked it.  It didn't taste bad, but I think it might have tasted much better had I waited another week.  Hopefully we'll get a few more out of it before the frost hits so I can take a picture for ya!  If that doesn't work, I'll have to wait till next year and hope that I do a good enough job protecting it through the winter.

I'd point you over to walden effect, but the internet filter at work won't let me go there... so if you need a guide to protecting figs over winter, check out this guys blog... by memory, he does some fine blogging!
(https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.waldeneffect.org/20131025wrappedfig.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.waldeneffect.org/blog/New_methods_of_winter-protecting_figs/&h=431&w=575&tbnid=BjglL9efalqf0M:&docid=-84cXGdUdNT1EM&ei=gpj5Va29BcKpgwSkmpSgAg&tbm=isch&ved=0CB8QMygCMAJqFQoTCK2G3Lr8-8cCFcLUgAodJA0FJA)