We All Raise Our Voices To The Air

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If you are a fan of the Decemberists and especially if you have ever been to one of their concerts you will be enchanted by their new live two CD collection, We All Raise Our Voices To The Air.  This collection will take you back to the theater where you saw them.
The Decemberists are fun and intelligent.  Colin Meloy's lyrics use words and phrases of long lost and forgotten languages. (when was the last time you heard of someone being called a rake?)
This collection hosts songs from each of their previous albums, and yes, the Mariners Revenge is there in all of its glory.  You can practice screaming as though you were being eaten by a whale...

What's With The Doves?

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What is with the doves this year?  The only time I normally ever see them is when the cascara berries are ripe and they can be seen bouncing from one branch to the next.  Each time they land on a branch the branch will sink down a couple feet and spring back when they move on to another branch.

However this year they have been a constant outdoor companion.  They coo all day and well into the evening.  I've only seen them in flight a couple of times, but I always know they are near.  It's nearly as annoying as hearing a dog barking all day, but not quite as annoying as our former rooster, Blue.

I recall my first experience with doves in Oregon when I first moved here.  I had a bird feeder just outside my bedroom window.  At that time I was new to feeding birds and I was trying to find the best seed or blend of seeds to attract the largest variety of birds.  This one time in particular I purchased a bag of millet and I filled the feeder that same evening.  The next morning I was awoken by some sort of squabble at the feeder.  My feeder was covered in doves and the electrical service line that ran outside my window was the host of probably 30 doves waiting to get their turn.

I realized the millet had to go.  I didn't want to have one of those houses that was home to a flock of doves.  I've seen houses where pigeons hung out on the roof and soiled the shingles like an statue in the park.

I replaced the millet with black oil sunflower seed and never had a dove on the feeder again.  I suspect one of the neighbors hasn't learned this lesson yet.

Jesus' Blood

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No, I haven't converted, I'm still the hard-core Atheist you all know and love.  Though being Atheist I am not immune to the charms of religiously based music such as requiems and most Classical and Baroque pieces that were commissioned by the church or written as an indulgence to help the composer sneak pass the gates of heaven in the end.

Back in the mid 70s Bryan Eno of Roxy Music fame, started the Obscure Music label where he produced records for av ante-guard musicians.  One which caught my ear was an album by composer Gavin Bryares called, "Jesus' Blood Hasn't Failed Me Yet."  Gavin recorded a street tramp singing a short improvised section of the hymn and he made a loop of the recording.  As this loop recording played over the next twenty five minutes Gavin added strings and then fused in an entire orchestra.

Bryars made a new/shorter recording of the piece with Tom Waits (totally unnecessary) in 1990 which this video link below represents.  The 26 minute original version is on You Tube as well.
Jesus' Blood on You Tube

You Dig?

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One of my greatest regrets is that I didn't buy a backhoe when I first moved here.  I could have been able to afford back then and now it is a fading dream.

I get tired when I look back and consider how much digging I've done over the years.  By hand, I've dug out a silted pond.  I dug the foundation and crawl space of a large addition to the house.  I've dug out the ground to level an area for the green house.  I've dug sod to create countless gardens.  I dug hundreds of feet of drainage trenches.  Ive dug and filled several trails through the hill on the back end of the property.  I've planted trees and shrubs and dug hundreds of feet of trenches to bury cables and water lines.  With a wheel barrow and a shovel I've moved no less that 50 yards a 3/4 minus stone, 15 yards a 2 inch drainage stone. 15 yards of hog fuel and 25 yards of sand.  Add to that the constant manure management, I figure that I spend most of my life digging, hauling and dumping something.

My most recent dig was an annoying willow stump.  It was once an ornamental tree that was broken by the 2007 storm.  I cut it down and the roots regained life as it knew it before the ornament a graft.  It had to go, so with an adz, a spade and a chain saw I began my assault.  I had most of the nastiness exposed and I was getting tired so I pondered an easier way to get this thing out of the ground when I cast a gaze upon the tow hooks of my 3/4 ton.

Did I ever mention that I love chains and I have a substantial chain collection?  I went to the shed and pulled out a good length and dragged it to the stump and threaded it around the gnarly roots and attached the two ends to the hooks.  I slipped the truck into 4 wheel drive and the stump came out as smoothly as removing a tooth from a speed freak.  Finally, I was able to mechanize a digging project, but I still want a backhoe.

The Harvest

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I don't get it.  This summer was like most with the exception of a July that was a little wetter than most, which one would think would be beneficial to gardening.  Our garden had dismal results this year.  Normally the foliage on the beans is so thick that you have to search for the beans.  This year we still see the poles that the bean vines are climbing on. Nearly everything else in the garden was dismal as well.  There were few blueberries, though the raspberries are still doing well.

On the other front this is the worst year I've ever seen for honey production.  Normally I have one or two colums of bee boxes stacked floor to ceiling; ten to fifteen boxes waiting to be extracted.  This year I have three boxes.  There is some honey still in the hive but the bees aren't curing it.  If I take honey that isn't curred by the bees it will be apt to ferment.

It was a bad year for the bees.  The colonies dwindled, queens died and had to be replaced or colonies had to be joined.  To top that off a bear has found one of my hives on the back end of the property.  I only have three colonies up there.  I suspect it was a young bear because it only ripped apart one hive.  An adult bear would have distroyed all three.

There is a lot of work involved in harvesting, extracting and bottling honey.  It is sticky, messy work, but it feels so good to have several cases ready to be sold as the end result.  This year I expect it will only take a couple of hours.  I only hope I'll have enough to share with all of my usual customers this year.  With only one-quarter of my normal production there may be some have-nots.

Stunning Modern in Silver Lake Hills

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I saw this two story ultra modern home in the hills of Silver Lake the other day and it is gorgeous. This home has walls of glass that bring the outdoors in and has a beautiful view of the hills of Griffith Park. 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath, approx. 2400 sq ft and the parcel is 7666 sq ft. This home has a great floor plan, stunning kitchen with center island & stainless steel appliances. I really liked theeir choice of flooring, it is smoked white oak floors. The back yard is really spacious and very private with a mature pine tree. 3007 Angus St, Los Angeles, CA 90039, currently listed at $1,289,000.

Striking 1920's Spanish

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This striking 1920's Spanish home is sited on a knoll with hillside views in Silver Lake. Mature trees provide privacy and a natural woodsy feel. Generous living room w/ barrel ceiling and gorgeous period sconces. Formal dining room. Chef's kitchen w/ 6-burner Viking range, wood floors. 2 bedrooms are upstairs and 3rd bedroom downstairs as a separate space, 2 baths. this house has such a nice warm feel to it, approx. 1610 sq ft, on a 5052 sq ft parcel. 2230 Meadow Valley Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90039. Currently listed at $959,000.

Craftsman home with character

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Unique Arroyo Seco Historical District Bungalow Home #7, built in 1921 by John Whittaker, and renowned for its Alice in Wonderland renovation. This artistic gated jewel has a bright, open and airy feel with 9 foot ceiling, laminate-floored Great Room, central air & heat, ceiling fans, dual pane windows, views of city lights and hillsides. Kitchen with bamboo thatched ceiling, good-sized bedrooms. Slide off your balcony 'down the rabbit hole' into the huge teacup spa. 3593 Griffin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90031. Currently listed at $310,000 this is a short sale.

so many bargains on the market

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There are so many bargains on the market right now it's unbelievable. Here is a Victorian duplex built in 1906 with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths in each unit with parking in rear. The front facade has so much character and Victorians are not too common, most have been altered over the years and the charachter details removed. Approximately 3306 sq ft and the parcel size is 5241. 870-872 w 43rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90037 Listed at $244,900.

Colonial Revival!

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Colonial Revival... you don't hear that very often. This estately home is on the market for the first time in 40 years. This gated estate sits back from the street for privacy and offers over 3500 square feet of living space with a lot of just over 1/2 acre. 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 story, with a pool. As one enters the home, there is a sweeping stair case plus an additional staircase leading from the rear to the kitchen. I love the patterned carpeting and wall paper. 2991 Olive Avenue, Altadena, CA 91001 Listed at $675,000

What State Is "Safe" For Bugging Out To?

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If a natural (or man made) catastrophe occurs in your region and you MUST leave your home, where would you bug out to?

Thanks to craftyone for starting the thread on APN!


bug out, bugging out, bol, B.O.L., cabin in the woods, the hills, hide out, prepper, preppers, off grid, opsec location, tshtf, natural disaster

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Tools you Need for SHTF

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Preppers know that water is life-giving and that food will be a precious commodity during hard/traumatic times. What about household tools and basic construction materials? Without the "big box stores" to turn to, it would be prudent to start prepping the garage too!

Thanks to RevLong for starting the topic on APN!
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Anxiety About the Unknown!

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You don't need to be a Wall Street Broker to see how bad the economy has become. For many, it's a struggle to just keep a roof over their head, a car on the road and food in their belly! See how Preppers deal with the anxiety of everyday life.

Thanks to ILprep4 for starting the thread on APN!

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How to Prioritize for the New Prepper

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If you are new to prepping, your brain is probably in overdrive mode! There certainly is alot to think about: food, water, home security, financial security, medical needs, tools and the list goes on and on. Here's how to prioritize your preps!

Thanks to Conscious for starting the topic on APN!

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Shift Happens!

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I lived and worked in San Francisco for several years in the Seventies and, like most residents, I shrugged off the dire warnings from friends and family members outside the area as to my imminent demise in an earthquake.

As it happened, my daily grind was never interrupted even once by the smallest of tremors, setting the stage for me to continue the normalcy bias in regards to preparing for one -- even after moving to the Olympia area and being subjected to a new set of doom-and-gloom predictions about The Big One overdue in the Cascadian Subduction Zone off our coastline.

Then I stumbled upon Home Facts, a realtor tool for assessing hazards before purchasing any kind of real estate. Just for grins, I typed in my little town to see what new worries I should obsess about in my ongoing efforts to prepare. Let’s see – there’s an A for the Crime Index, an 8.5 out of 10 for Air Quality, a Low rating for Radon Levels, another A on Tornado Risk, and – OMG! – a D-minus for Earthquake Risk!

Frowning, I clicked on the details:

“The USGS database shows that there is an 86.349% chance of a major earthquake within 50 kilometers of this location within the next 50 years.”

And that missing sense of urgency suddenly blossomed in my mind at last. Fifty years in geologic time is a mere nanosecond, and 86% is too close to 100% for comfort. I NEEDED TO PREP FOR AN EARTHQUAKE AS IF IT WERE A SHTF EVENT!

All I remembered from my school days was the old duck-and-cover routine until the ground stopped shaking. However, now I had all my preps to worry about, and they could hardly do the same thing, lol.

So what could I do to maximize both my physical safety and the survival of all my supplies? I started listing some ideas after a whole-house walk-through:

Strap heavy furniture, TVs, appliances, and the hot water heater to the walls.
Add latches to all cabinets.
Secure lighting fixtures and wall hangings.
Use putty adhesive under knick-knacks and other breakables and collectibles.
Add shelf “lips” to keep glass jars and cans in place
Keep BOV gassed up and full of supplies separate from the house

What have you done, or what can you add to this list? If you live in western Washington, the time is NOW to prepare for a big earthquake.

Now if I could just get that percentage out of my head when I’m strolling on the beach, staring out to sea and looking for that incoming tsunami…

A BIG thank you to GoldenOldie for submitting this article!


Comment by GoldenOldie:

Color me shocked but it appears the experts have not reached a consensus on that high percentage for a Big Quake that burned a hole in my brain: http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/12/despite_an_unusual_run_of_gian.html "The risks of a subduction zone quake differ from north to south. In the northern segment, Goldfinger's group also puts the odds at 10 to 15 percent during the next 50 years. Quakes originating there tend to rupture the full length of the subduction zone, he says. In southern Oregon and Northern California, quakes along the subduction zone appear to strike more frequently."
The odds look a little better now where I'm located, but I'm still going full speed ahead on those quake mitigation ideas -- just like a prudent PNW prepper should do. :)
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York Blvd in Highland Park booming with new business

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In the past few years York Blvd in Highland Park has seen a boom in new businesses. First came The York, a gastropub with brick walls, followed shortly by Johnny's, a bar that projects movies and videos on the wall with a pool table in back, then Cafe De Leche, a Latin Style cafe on the corner of 50th & York serving good coffee. During this time real estate prices went down and Highland Park became much more affordable than areas like Silver Lake and Echo Park. With a huge influx of first and second time home buyers the area is changing to be this cool hilly eastside neighborhood with colorful homes, tasty restaurants, and small businesses of all kinds. The landscape of York Blvd is changing from auto shops and 99cent stores to eclectic and unique spots like Ba Restaurant, serving French Provincial Cuisine, Maximiliano serving old school Italian, Meridian Mercado Diseno, selling furniture & lighting, Highland Park Kitchen (HPK), with tasty salads. Get a tattoo at Vintage Tattoo, get an interior design consultation at Matters of Space, buy some indie music at Wombleton Records, or vintage fashion at Possession Vintage. And the list goes on...

Just Sold in Eagle Rock

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Just Sold this Restored English Tudor in Eagle Rock, 4774 College View Ave. Built in 1927, this 5 bedroom, 3 bath home features a large and sunny living room, with woodburning fireplace, formal dining room, expansive kitchen with Carrara marble counters and custom cabinets. Vintage sconces & chandeliers, gleaming hardwood floors. One bedroom and a freshly tiled bathroom on the first floor, high ceilings and surprising space welcome you on the second floor to your choice of master bedrooms! Ample windows reveal mountain and sky views. Master #1 boasts a large walk-in closet, sitting area and balcony. Master #2 features vaulted ceilings, large closet and room to expand. Enjoy cozying up to a second woodburning fireplace in the den/library, also with balcony, and stunning views.

Your very own Pied-a-terre in downtown LA

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Every now and again you see lofts downtown come on the market, that would make great second homes for anyone. Here is a loft in the Higgins Building, located at Second & Main, built in 1910 as an office building by Irish immigrant and copper magnate Thomas P. Higgins. With an open floor space, high ceilings, polished concrete floors, & oversized windows. The building amenities include concierge, rooftop deck, and a courtyard lounge. Close to Downtown L.A. attractions such as theaters & restaurants. I don't think you could find something this cheap in New York or Paris. 108 W 2nd St #304, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Listed at $159,900, 790 sq ft, HOA dues are $594 a month.

Craftsman in the Hollywood Hills

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Artemesia is the largest Craftsman residence in the U.S. Constructed in 1913 as a family residence of the largest builder west of Chicago, no expense was spared nor corner cut. This secret celebrity enclave is located on a gated private street in the Hollywood Hills, just above Paramount Studios and the W Hotel. With an English Arts and Crafts interior, nearly two acres of wooded grounds, the second-largest pipe organ in the country, amazing views to the ocean from most rooms, and a 2,000 sf ballroom this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that should not be missed. Photos to left are of the garage & guest unit, and below the back sleeping porch with 5 built-in murphy beds that line the exterior porch. Truly Amazing! http://bit.ly/PrTtqQ7  beds+7 baths, approx 13,290 sq ft, on over 78,000 sq ft of land. Price upon request.

Immaculate smaller home in the Hollywood Hills

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This lovely home in the Hollywood Hills is located on a quiet cul-de-sac. Recently renovated with new plumbing & new and upgraded electrical. It's graciousinterior spaces lead to three patios that climb the hillside, fantasticcanyon views and true California indoor-outdoor living. High-end appliances,custom cabinets in the kitchen give a nod to the home's 40's origins whilecreating a contemporary cooking experience.The renovated glass tiled bathroomfeatures limestone counter tops, custom cabinetry with vintage hardware, and aglass enclosed soaking tub/shower.I n the 2nd bedroom or den, built in speakersprovide for a home theater, large windows look out onto massive Live Oaks andthe garden. 2236 Canyon Terrace, Los Angeles, CA 90068. Listed at $858,000, approx sq ftg 1,222. Parcel size 5,249.

How I Spent My Summer

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As you may have noticed I've taken several weeks off from writing. I have done a few note worthy things and I'll be writing about those things soon.  I didn't want to re-write articles that I write every summer about getting hay, the County Fair, or my annual trip to the dump.  If you want to see those articles look through the archives over the last five years.

It's been a leisurely summer for me.  I didn't have any major projects that depended on long days with no rain.  I rarely start any projects until after noon and I make sure I'm finished by 5PM.  Most days I wake up at dawn, I feed the horses, check in on the web and I turn in for a nap by 9:00AM.

It is now September and the summer is at a close.  We are two and a half months past the summer solstice.  It is getting dark out a little after 8PM these days.  Soon the rains will return and after that the winds will return as well.

So stay tuned, I will start sharing my summer adventures with you starting later next week. 

Saddles

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Sometime back in June we took the horses out for a ride.  It wasn't a particularly long ride, maybe four miles or so.  While on the ride I started noticing that my right knee felt like it was tweaked.  I thought it was just the combination of old injuries and old age and I figured the pain would end shortly since I do recover from injuries pretty quickly.  Though when we got home and I dismounted I nearly fell to the ground.  My knee was bad.

This injury caused me to limp for nearly two months.  To remedy it I got back on Msm with Glucosamine which takes at least a month to kick in. Finally by mid-August I was walking without a limp, however every time I got on my horse the pain would return for the duration of the ride.  I tried raising and lowering the right stirrup, but nothing helped.

The thing with western saddles is the stirrups hang in an unnatural position.  There is lots of leather that is in a constant battle to twist your leg.  My saddle is synthetic so it can't be trained to stay in a natural position for the rider.  It was time for a new saddle; so I bought a Tucker with irons.  I know, I can hear the horse people out there clutching their breath.  For you non horse people it's like saying, "My Ford Fiesta just didn't feel right so I bought a Mercedes."

Regardless, my first ride on the Tucker was the first painless ride I've had in months. 

Kayaking

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I bought two Kiwi Kayaks several years ago.  I used to go out on the rivers pretty often, but then my summers became consumed with building projects.  One day a few years ago I noticed they were missing and came to find that my Step Son borrowed them.  After months of haranguing I finally got them back. Now I am rediscovering the areas I haven't been on since 2005.

The photo above is up-stream from the Lewis and Clark boat ramp.  I was surprised to see there wasn't much residual damage from the 2007 storm and at high tide one can float three miles up to where the brackish water turns to fresh water.

It is interesting how different the river is when you float down stream from the boat ramp.  The river is wider with far fewer trees.  Fewer fish were jumping, but more wildlife was present with cormorants, geese and river otters.

Every once in a while I will drive by some water and see people kayaking and feel a twinge of envy, but now I can relax and realize I can now go out any time I want.

Panning Out

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If you've spent any time around a TV in the last few years you've probably noticed a show or two that involves prospecting for gold.  There is one that takes where this team of guys from Oregon go to Alaska with little mining experience and they nearly lose it all in their first year, and do better the next year.  There is another show where several people use dredges in the sea in Nome, and this now has gone into another season of diving through the ice to get gold.  Then there is Gold Fever on the Outdoor Channel that proclaims there is gold in every state except Missouri...

A few years ago I corresponded with a local geologist who said there was no evidence of gold anywhere in the county so I had to check for myself.  I'm not exactly sure, but I think I have captured some but it was such a small commodity that it was hardly worth the effort.  It was a couple of golden glints of sparkle at the bottom of my pan.  So small that they got lodged in the fine sand scratches and couldn't be removed with the sucker bottle.

I recently spent some time on the Kalama River up in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  I'd take my pan down to the icy water every morning.  The river ran fast, deep and cold from the melt-off of the snow on Mt. Saint Helens.  I couldn't get into the deep holes where there were the best chances of finding gold.  the best I could do was turn over rocks and scoop up sand from where the spring waters receded.

I washed sand for a couple hours a day and when it was time to go home I had a good sucker bottle full of black sand with sparkly gold like material in it. When I got home I took a magnet to the bottle and was delight when all the magnetite went for the magnet.  I poured the contents into my black pan, pulled the magnetite out of the pan and refined it a little more and still found a trace of what may have been gold, but not enough to try refining it any more.  I now call it Nano Gold.

If you really want to find gold, I think you'd be better off investing in a bottle of Goldwasser and sip it slowly near a fire.

Dirty Jeans

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It was time to go shopping.  All of my good looking jeans had worn out enough that they have become Around-The-Farm-Jeans. For around $40 I could buy a pair of jeans that look worse than my worst pair of Around-The-Farm-Jeans.  What's up with that?  It was actually hard to find a pair of clean looking jeans.  Have people become so lazy that they have to buy clothing that makes them look like they have actually had a life other than staring at their phones texting all day?

Progress in the backyard

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Finally, finally, finally the water feature the dining area is completed... I hope.  I had my buddies assemble the block, and stucco in the inside a couple weeks ago. But for months I had the block sitting in position. Originally I wanted to see if I liked the way it looked with the deconstructed industrial-ish screen, and I did.  But there it sat. And friends would ask, "is that a coffin?".  Great start to a project eh? A few days ago I at long last purchased the black waterproofing need to really finish the pond, and applied it according to the manufacturer's directions. I hope it works. At least tonight in the afternoon light it all looked so great.  I can't wait to see the stars reflected in its surface.

Bee-ing organized

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I can't resist puns. I'm sure in time scientists will find that it's a faulty gene.  You'll be hearing lots of bee jokes. Just a fair warning.

This morning I was a very industrious person, I got up early and finally finished the enclosure for the apiary.  Now I have a lockable gate to keep the hordes away.

While I was in there working like a busy bee, I decided I could get organized.  I noticed when we first took the hive apart for inspection that I had no place to put the frames of comb aside without pressing into the bees. This did not kill bees but it was also not an ideal situation. So, I set up a wall where I can hang several frames at once, where the bees can move freely. Then I decided to take an old piece of plywood and turn it into a small work surface.

here is the result:

the model for the organized urban beekeeper, comb observation center, work surface and extra supers.  What more could you want?!

Mary Lou's tour (come see my garden for yourself)

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Many of you out there in Orange County and Long Beach and elsewhere fondly remember a little nursery called Heard's Country Gardens. Tucked away in an odd quasi industrial area of Westminster sat a nursery that was the brainchild of Mary Lou Heard.  Filled with rare perennials, it captured the hearts of gardeners in the area.

Once when I was 15 or 16 years old I went to Heard's with my grandma to pick out some herbs.  I was visiting from Northern California and loved to see the variety of plants that the nursery had to offer.  There were few people in the nursery that day, and Mary Lou was grooming plants in the 4" area. I said to her "I love this blue eyed grass, it grows on my parents ranch", Mary Lou said something like "I like it too, it's one of my favorites", then I said something to the effect of "it's a tiny iris relative you know" and Mary Lou said plainly "no, it's not".  I then asked Mary Lou if she had a plant encyclopedia where we might check the plant's family. She showed me directly to the book.  I was right. Mary Lou offered me a job on the spot.  I told her the 500 mile commute would be tough and that I'd probably better finish high school.

Later when I was 19, I was living in the area and looking for work. I went and asked for the job she had offered me. She took my number and said she would call me. I heard nothing for two weeks. At this point I called and was asked "how can I help you" to which I replied "I want you to hire me".  She did.  And so began my career in horticulture.  At first I was just a leaf picker and a hose dragging waterer, but every week with the help of Mary Lou and others in the nursery I learned about plants. So many plants. Mary Lou kept such a wide variety around and sometimes there would be a flat of plants in one day and you wouldn't see them again until the next year or ever.  But I learned them all, or at least as best as I could.

I worked for Mary Lou for about 5 years, until she closed the nursery.  After two years of battling colon cancer she had to let the business go.  Later that summer she passed away.

There are countless stories I could tell about Mary Lou, but the thing that I want to share is that she had a pure love of plants and gardening.  That is why she started the garden tour.  Mary Lou always wanted it to be about real people and real gardens. She wanted people to be able to share their love of gardening with each other.

Today the garden tour lives on in her name.  It benefits a women's shelter, a horticultural scholarship and a cancer charity.

After all these years my garden will be on the tour, I think Mary Lou would be proud.  I hope you all can come see my garden this Sunday 10am to 5 pm.

Here is the info:

In case you forget, my name is Dustin

heardsgardentour.com

addresses for the tour

Here are some before and after shots.




Front yard early 2010


Frontyard 2012

Frontyard 2010
Frontyard 2012


Backyard 2010
Backyard 2012

Why not elope with a French cantaloupe?

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FINALLY!  After months of waiting my first Charentais melon is ripe.   They're tiny little melons but seem to be pretty easy to grow and kinda cute. They are only a little bigger than an apple.  I've been crouching on the ground for weeks trying to sniff to see if these guys are ready.  Today I detected that familiar aroma and when I tugged ever so gently on the melon it gave itself to me.

FYI I got these seeds from Johnny's.

YUM.

Tees for tomatoes

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Ever wonder what to do with old T-shirts?  This week I was looking for twine and found that I was completely out.  OK nobody panic.  My tomatoes desperately needed to be lashed to their stakes. Being the thrifty man that I am, I went after the stack of tees headed to the thrift store and snipped and ripped my way to tomato tie heaven.

Process:

First cut out the arms and seams until you are left with a clear section of fabric. Then snip on one side and tear.  You have to tear down the warp or the weft, I don't know which is which but you can do a little test before you get to ahead of yourself.  One direction tears neatly (for good ties) and the other direction is hopeless. If you tear down the right side the ties naturally curl up to make a soft bit of rope.  Now you will be ready to stake your veggies.

you're welcome.   ;)

How I Spent My Summer

As you may have noticed I've taken several weeks off from writing. I have done a few note worthy things and I'll be writing about those things soon.  I didn't want to re-write articles that I write every summer about getting hay, the County Fair, or my annual trip to the dump.  If you want to see those articles look through the archives over the last five years.

It's been a leisurely summer for me.  I didn't have any major projects that depended on long days with no rain.  I rarely start any projects until after noon and I make sure I'm finished by 5PM.  Most days I wake up at dawn, I feed the horses, check in on the web and I turn in for a nap by 9:00AM.

It is now September and the summer is at a close.  We are two and a half months past the summer solstice.  It is getting dark out a little after 8PM these days.  Soon the rains will return and after that the winds will return as well.

So stay tuned, I will start sharing my summer adventures with you starting later next week.