Bonsai off season / side hobbies ?

[Shogun610]

Hi alll, hope your off season winter time if you’re in N Hemisphere is going well! Obviously I dedicate every day to Bonsai in some aspect and will continue on for hopefully many many years .. obviously it’s a big part of my life and a constant passion but besides my Dog , Family, Friends , Bonsai ,Phillies , working out/ hiking and Career pursuits .. what are some other hobbies and passions you all enjoy? I have some bonsai pots in collection some for future use , others idk I like them on the shelf !!
Also very recently taken up RC Cars I got one today and another one is on the way it’s a Traxxas with some customized parts I got for future mods ! So please share ! We won’t always have time to put in 100% to everything at once but it’s cool to mix it up

 

[Colorado]

I like to have lots of hobbies to keep me out of trouble

During the winter, there is not much bonsai to be done here in Colorado aside from tropicals. I keep my buttonwood watered daily and then place it in a sunny window. Here’s a pic of it from this summer:


During the summer, I love to fly fish. Ive fished a few different streams and lakes around here, but my favorite thing to do is chase big native cutthroat trout in high alpine lakes.


During the winter, I love to ski. Many folks like to say that they only like to ski this or that….but I like to ski any time and any conditions . Any time you’re skiing it beats work, anyway. Here’s a pic from my favorite place to ski, Wolf Creek in the San Juan Mountains of southern CO:


But even with all that, always plenty of time to work on my bonsai

 

[Desert O'Piñon]

Having been raised as much (if not more) by mother nature as by my birth mother, I love the outdoors. Fishing, hiking/backpacking, camping...
...anything I can do outside. I've even been seen on a bike and on pickleball and racquetball courts. Recently, my wife has interested me somewhat in jigsaw puzzles, and we used to have family photography outings with our son. I still enjoy taking my old Rebel G out now and then. It's been awhile, but I used to puff on my grandfather's trumpet that he played in the army band in WWII.

 

[Shogun610]

I like to have lots of hobbies to keep me out of trouble

During the winter, there is not much bonsai to be done here in Colorado aside from tropicals. I keep my buttonwood watered daily and then place it in a sunny window. Here’s a pic of it from this summer:
View attachment 579428

During the summer, I love to fly fish. Ive fished a few different streams and lakes around here, but my favorite thing to do is chase big native cutthroat trout in high alpine lakes.
View attachment 579429View attachment 579430View attachment 579431

During the winter, I love to ski. Many folks like to say that they only like to ski this or that….but I like to ski any time and any conditions . Any time you’re skiing it beats work, anyway. Here’s a pic from my favorite place to ski, Wolf Creek in the San Juan Mountains of southern CO:
View attachment 579432

But even with all that, always plenty of time to work on my bonsai

Ah yes I totally forgot I also snowboard in winter but not as much as I used to and would like but also in PA the winters have sucked past 2 years and have to usually plan trips to go out of state

 

[Ruddigger]

Off season?

 

[Shibui]

Off season?

My thoughts too. It's the middle of summer down here now but I'm sometimes busier with bonsai in winter than in summer.

 

[minkes]

I prepared some substrate mixes for next growing season, made 3 concrete freeform pots, found few new trees in the forest for spring yamadori collection and became dungeon master for my 11yrs old twins to play DnD with

 

[SilverCeder]

FYI: The big box stores started getting their succulents and tropicals in this past week.

 

[coachspinks]

I'm lucky we are not snowed in down here and even during our coldest spells we can get outside. I try to head outdoors as much as possible. First, late fall and winter are spent getting rid of leaves from the forest we live in. Because they don't all come down at the same time, it takes weeks. The only really sunny spot in the yard is the combination vegetable/bonsai garden. I'm also out there either planting fall and winter vegetables, covering them when it gets too cold or getting beds ready for spring. At my age, this is considered exercise so I don't mind a bit. Oh, and spend as much time with the grand kids.

 

[Shogun610]

My thoughts too. It's the middle of summer down here now but I'm sometimes busier with bonsai in winter than in summer.

For in northern hemisphere

 

[Shogun610]

Off season?

Ok I’m really meaning other hobbies outside of bonsai ..

 

[Shogun610]

My thoughts too. It's the middle of summer down here now but I'm sometimes busier with bonsai in winter than in summer.

Just forget it

 

[minkes]

Ok I’m really meaning other hobbies outside of bonsai ..

Last year I tried to grow oyster mushrooms. But too many contamination. From 10 bags about 5 produced oysters others were contaminated with mold. I went through whole process from liquid mycelium, spawn innoculation, wood chips innoculation with spawn and some harvest after all. Missing point in my process is no pressure cooker for sterilization. I tried to convince my wife, she really needs one for cooking, but it was no go for her

 

[KateM]

Just forget it

Oh, lighten up.
I knit. Just finished a pair of spider socks.

I do a bit of woodcarving. Here's the magic wand I carved for my son who grew up on Harry Potter books

And a kuksa I made out of red maple burl

I should try a daiza, but haven't found a nice enough stone yet. And a stand...
I felt. Here is a pair of felted slippers I made for my daughter in law

I make concrete sculptures... papercrete gargoyle I made for my husband

And on and on...
Basically I'll do anything not to clean the house...

 

[penumbra]

When I hit 75 last July I told myself to learn to limit my interests to plants and pottery alone. However, I am resurrecting my lapidary work after a few decades and I am taking up a bit of woodcarving. A number of health and some injury issues have curtailed many of my out door activities, but I can still drive to exotic US locations and camp gently. Planning to drive to the Sonoran Desert in about a month.

 

[Shogun610]

Does anyone here do Model Trains ? I use to as a kid hit that would tbd. Br lore expensive than bonsai and more time consuming ..more socially isolating??

 

[It's Kev]

I grow things in a way that doesn’t involve seasons, looks a bit unkempt now coz I just dumped stuff in there from the office aquarium

I’ve also taken up reading recently


It seems like the gaming part of me lies dormant for a bit, let’s hope it doesn’t die completely

I’ve also newly serviced my camera and my good lens, gotta get back into real photography

 

[penumbra]

When I hit 75 last July I told myself to learn to limit my interests to plants and pottery alone. However, I am resurrecting my lapidary work after a few decades and I am taking up a bit of woodcarving. A number of health and some injury issues have curtailed many of my out door activities, but I can still drive to exotic US locations and camp gently. Planning to drive to the Sonoran Desert in about a month.

BTW, Fair Warning ...... I could be coming to a town near you in the future.

 

[FreshAirSunshine]

I’ve started learning a bit about pottery recently. Really preliminary stuff but I’m fortunate enough to have been given access to a kiln and guidance by a local potter in my bonsai club. I also got into winter hiking the White Mountains last year and plan to continue doing that. I should say just working out as well but I feel like that’s been rather hit or miss. Here’s a photo of an XXL bonsai from my last hike and one of my trial pots.

 

[Shogun610]

BTW, Fair Warning ...... I could be coming to a town near you in the future.

Oh yeah?