I found this while, of all things, doing some research on growing herbs. I thought it was pretty funny, especially since it covers almost everything I love to bitch about regarding people and their "lawns". I hope ya enjoy it as much as I did!
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it -- sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bail it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No, Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go! out and buy, something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: Dumb and Dumber, Lord. It's a real stupid movie about ....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Font yard ideas and other random babble
Last night while Lisa spent some time in her sewing room, and I sat here and did a bit of research. As I mentioned in my last entry, we are looking at things to do with the front yard. We're doing our first farmers market this Friday since last week was rained out. We talked about "cash crops" for small gardens, and thats what I was researching. As far as vegetables, the usual things came up-tomatos, garlic, onions, cabbage, etc. Then I started looking around at herbs.
More and more people are cooking with fresh ingredients now, the local fresh and farmers markets are really showing that. Most are vegetables, but few are herbs. I think this may be the route we are going with on this unused space. While looking around, I found a list of the top 12 commonly used culinary herbs-parsley, basil (was the biggest seller), mints, dill,chives,rosemary,french tarragon,oregeno,sage,thyme,marjoram and french sorrel. Lisa already grows most of these for our own use, so why not try producing more for sale? It's worth a shot. I don't wanna be the couple at the market with the same old things as everyone else, this may be what makes us different.
Besides culinary herbs, we're also looking at some medicinal herbs, as well as "majick" herbs. (remember Lisa is pagan) Lisa swares by some of her home-grown herbal teas, and after my horrible bee attack incident, I'm a big believer in using yarrow. We're taking the time and energy to grow and raise our own food, make others from scratch, make homemade cleaners, soaps, etc, so growing our own herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes is just another step.
The local markets that specialize in organic/health food/alternative medicine are booming, and herbs are a big part of their business. There are also 3 local pagan/wiccan stores around that sell the majickal herbs,( yes that"s how it is actually spelled), and I'm sure they would be happy to find a local grower that can keep them stocked. SOME herbs used in majick are highly poisonous if mishandled, and those we will avoid completely, but the others I will be happy to grow. No, we won't make our fortune on growing herbs in the front yard, but making more for us to use and making a few extra bucks on the side won't hurt a bit.
I saw an herb garden on someones blog that I'll use for a basic design. Hers is 12x12, octagon shaped. I'll make Lisa's a bit bigger, lol, using railroad ties or landscape timbers to form an octagon like this one. I'll use 2 on each side, so that means I'll need 16 of them to form the basic shape, and another 8 to make the center a path to go around the rose of sharon and rhotodendran (i know thats not spelled right lol) that are already in the center of the area that I plan to use. I'd like to make her a flagstone path in them, but until I start burping $50's, thats not gonna happen. All in good time....
Other than that, we need rain around here. The forecast has called for rain since Sunday, and all we have gotten was about a half hour of really light sprinkles. Again, it called for thunderstorms today, but now the sun is shining and the sky is blue. UGH, gotta love Ohio weather. Like we've always said, if you don't like the weather here, just wait 10 minutes. Hopefully we get it, but hopefully it changes by the weekend. I have a friend getting married on Saturday...outdoor wedding and outdoor reception, and the forecast says storms and rain all day. I sure hope not! This is his 3rd, but it's her first, and at 38, she's been waiting her whole life for this day.
As I'm sitting her typing away, Austin comes in to get a drink. (the bloodhound) Sometimes this dog just makes me laugh. He is VERY much a creature of habit. He walks one path and one path only when he is outside, it's actually worn from years of him doing this. He always lays in the same spot. He knows exactly when it's suppertime. If we rearrange the living room, we have to make sure his dish will be in the same spot or he gets confused. Now, sitting here and watching him drink, he reminds me of all this. He drinks in threes. Most dogs just stand there and lap up water, but not Austin. It's always the same when he drinks, one two three, one two three, one two three, lol. What a goof.
More and more people are cooking with fresh ingredients now, the local fresh and farmers markets are really showing that. Most are vegetables, but few are herbs. I think this may be the route we are going with on this unused space. While looking around, I found a list of the top 12 commonly used culinary herbs-parsley, basil (was the biggest seller), mints, dill,chives,rosemary,french tarragon,oregeno,sage,thyme,marjoram and french sorrel. Lisa already grows most of these for our own use, so why not try producing more for sale? It's worth a shot. I don't wanna be the couple at the market with the same old things as everyone else, this may be what makes us different.
Besides culinary herbs, we're also looking at some medicinal herbs, as well as "majick" herbs. (remember Lisa is pagan) Lisa swares by some of her home-grown herbal teas, and after my horrible bee attack incident, I'm a big believer in using yarrow. We're taking the time and energy to grow and raise our own food, make others from scratch, make homemade cleaners, soaps, etc, so growing our own herbs for cooking and medicinal purposes is just another step.
The local markets that specialize in organic/health food/alternative medicine are booming, and herbs are a big part of their business. There are also 3 local pagan/wiccan stores around that sell the majickal herbs,( yes that"s how it is actually spelled), and I'm sure they would be happy to find a local grower that can keep them stocked. SOME herbs used in majick are highly poisonous if mishandled, and those we will avoid completely, but the others I will be happy to grow. No, we won't make our fortune on growing herbs in the front yard, but making more for us to use and making a few extra bucks on the side won't hurt a bit.
I saw an herb garden on someones blog that I'll use for a basic design. Hers is 12x12, octagon shaped. I'll make Lisa's a bit bigger, lol, using railroad ties or landscape timbers to form an octagon like this one. I'll use 2 on each side, so that means I'll need 16 of them to form the basic shape, and another 8 to make the center a path to go around the rose of sharon and rhotodendran (i know thats not spelled right lol) that are already in the center of the area that I plan to use. I'd like to make her a flagstone path in them, but until I start burping $50's, thats not gonna happen. All in good time....
Other than that, we need rain around here. The forecast has called for rain since Sunday, and all we have gotten was about a half hour of really light sprinkles. Again, it called for thunderstorms today, but now the sun is shining and the sky is blue. UGH, gotta love Ohio weather. Like we've always said, if you don't like the weather here, just wait 10 minutes. Hopefully we get it, but hopefully it changes by the weekend. I have a friend getting married on Saturday...outdoor wedding and outdoor reception, and the forecast says storms and rain all day. I sure hope not! This is his 3rd, but it's her first, and at 38, she's been waiting her whole life for this day.
As I'm sitting her typing away, Austin comes in to get a drink. (the bloodhound) Sometimes this dog just makes me laugh. He is VERY much a creature of habit. He walks one path and one path only when he is outside, it's actually worn from years of him doing this. He always lays in the same spot. He knows exactly when it's suppertime. If we rearrange the living room, we have to make sure his dish will be in the same spot or he gets confused. Now, sitting here and watching him drink, he reminds me of all this. He drinks in threes. Most dogs just stand there and lap up water, but not Austin. It's always the same when he drinks, one two three, one two three, one two three, lol. What a goof.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
blah.........
There hasn't been a lot going on here the past week that's really blog worthy. The garden is looking great, but still not a lot to pick quite yet. The potato's are starting to wither, so it won't be long till they are ready. The corn is barely 5 feet tall and tassling already. The tomato plants are HUGE, and covered in small 'maters. I've managed to pick a few hot hugarian peppers, but the greens and jalepenos are still tiny. Both rows of beans are exactly the same size and covered in tiny beans, you can't tell at all that we planted the rows 2 weeks apart. I imagine things will all come on at once, and we'll be canning like mad for 2 weeks straight.
I did trade the neighbor the one 4 month old rooster of ours for his that was 6 months old. He went straight to the newly built chicken killin' station and into the freezer. We actually had him today in the dutch oven with some dumplings, and corn and cucumbers. Afterward we had a piece of vanilla cake, and sat around the fire till we decided to come inside and read. Yesterday the same guy called me from this dog/animal auction/swap he was at and wanted to know if I wanted some more free roosters. He said they were really young, and of course I said yes, just so there would be more to put in the freezer. He shows up an hour later with a box.....a box of month old chicks lol. Ah well....might as well raise em anyway. Free food is free food.
Today someone was supposed to come look at the boat I am trying to sell. His wife saw it last weekend at the yard sale and told him about it. He's called twice, and was supposed to be here today around 12-1:00. At 2:30 I gave up and put it back to the street, then of course they show up at 4. He looks the thing over, asks if I'll take $300 (I had it marked at 350) and I say yes. he decides that they will go to the laundromat, talk about it, and either come back or call. Well......it's 9:41 and not a word. Guess I'll put it back to the road tomorrow and also back on Craigslist.
Earlier today I dug out some scrap pieces of plastic landscape edging, and rounded off the corners of Lisa's smaller herb bed. I made it from concrete parking lot bumpers, and it was just a PITA to mow around, so I marked out a nice gradual turn with the mower, then used that as a guide to dig out the sod and set down the edging. Both sides should give her another rough 80 square feet to plant her herbs. More production, less to mow. Right along with my motto, lol. We wanted to make a place for her to plant more lemon balm and decided on the whole north side of the garage, from the side door to the back corner. I'll dig that up when I get to it, but no rush since we only have one plant to start with for now. I think when that's done, I'll go ahead and extend the garden to around 2 feet from that, leaving just about a 2 foot wide path. Again....more food production-less to mow.
With those last 2 changes, the planned 4 foot extension of the garden to the north, the planned tripling of the strawberry bed, and my planned doubling the width of the blackberry patch, we're just about out of back yard. As of now, the front yard holds the 2 dwarf apple trees, the one new blueberry bush, the 48 feet of grapes, and the blackberries and raspberries I planted around the area we use for parking. That leaves an area roughly 150x 80 feet open that gets good sun. The rest of the front is trees, 1 mullberry, 5 pines, 3 oaks and 1 maple. We have been talking about what to do with the front yard, and are still undecided. More blackberries? More grapes? More raspberries? We still don't know what to do. We don't want to plant too much of something we use, and have waste and wasted space, but there is always the thought of selling produce. We've talked about it in the past, but it's never been something serious. Maybe we should consider it more? Maybe we can have more for this local market next year? We're going to have to have a good sit-down on this one and think it out together. I hate wasted space, and I hate the thought that we just have grass somewhere that could produce food. Any suggestions????????
Tomorrow I'm going to work with Lisa. I cut out the butt-ugly dead shrubs on the one side of the building Saturday morning, now I need to go back and dig/pull out the stumps and roots. They want to plant something different in there, but I'll have to get some topsoil hauled in since I discovered that it's mainly stones and sand. After that I'll be painting the faded trim on the front of the building, and a little on the side. After that, this building will be done, and hopefully they will have things at the other 3 offices to do. We need the money, and I need things to do since I am running out of things to do outside here. I'm bored, nervous about money issues, and have lately had an awful lack of self worth. It's almost 6 months now that I have been layed off. I stay home, feed the chickens, do yard work and laundry, while Lisa goes to work. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but thats not the way it's supposed to be. *I'm* supposed to be the one out there bustin' my ass while *she* gets to stay home. I hate this, I really do.
I did trade the neighbor the one 4 month old rooster of ours for his that was 6 months old. He went straight to the newly built chicken killin' station and into the freezer. We actually had him today in the dutch oven with some dumplings, and corn and cucumbers. Afterward we had a piece of vanilla cake, and sat around the fire till we decided to come inside and read. Yesterday the same guy called me from this dog/animal auction/swap he was at and wanted to know if I wanted some more free roosters. He said they were really young, and of course I said yes, just so there would be more to put in the freezer. He shows up an hour later with a box.....a box of month old chicks lol. Ah well....might as well raise em anyway. Free food is free food.
Today someone was supposed to come look at the boat I am trying to sell. His wife saw it last weekend at the yard sale and told him about it. He's called twice, and was supposed to be here today around 12-1:00. At 2:30 I gave up and put it back to the street, then of course they show up at 4. He looks the thing over, asks if I'll take $300 (I had it marked at 350) and I say yes. he decides that they will go to the laundromat, talk about it, and either come back or call. Well......it's 9:41 and not a word. Guess I'll put it back to the road tomorrow and also back on Craigslist.
Earlier today I dug out some scrap pieces of plastic landscape edging, and rounded off the corners of Lisa's smaller herb bed. I made it from concrete parking lot bumpers, and it was just a PITA to mow around, so I marked out a nice gradual turn with the mower, then used that as a guide to dig out the sod and set down the edging. Both sides should give her another rough 80 square feet to plant her herbs. More production, less to mow. Right along with my motto, lol. We wanted to make a place for her to plant more lemon balm and decided on the whole north side of the garage, from the side door to the back corner. I'll dig that up when I get to it, but no rush since we only have one plant to start with for now. I think when that's done, I'll go ahead and extend the garden to around 2 feet from that, leaving just about a 2 foot wide path. Again....more food production-less to mow.
With those last 2 changes, the planned 4 foot extension of the garden to the north, the planned tripling of the strawberry bed, and my planned doubling the width of the blackberry patch, we're just about out of back yard. As of now, the front yard holds the 2 dwarf apple trees, the one new blueberry bush, the 48 feet of grapes, and the blackberries and raspberries I planted around the area we use for parking. That leaves an area roughly 150x 80 feet open that gets good sun. The rest of the front is trees, 1 mullberry, 5 pines, 3 oaks and 1 maple. We have been talking about what to do with the front yard, and are still undecided. More blackberries? More grapes? More raspberries? We still don't know what to do. We don't want to plant too much of something we use, and have waste and wasted space, but there is always the thought of selling produce. We've talked about it in the past, but it's never been something serious. Maybe we should consider it more? Maybe we can have more for this local market next year? We're going to have to have a good sit-down on this one and think it out together. I hate wasted space, and I hate the thought that we just have grass somewhere that could produce food. Any suggestions????????
Tomorrow I'm going to work with Lisa. I cut out the butt-ugly dead shrubs on the one side of the building Saturday morning, now I need to go back and dig/pull out the stumps and roots. They want to plant something different in there, but I'll have to get some topsoil hauled in since I discovered that it's mainly stones and sand. After that I'll be painting the faded trim on the front of the building, and a little on the side. After that, this building will be done, and hopefully they will have things at the other 3 offices to do. We need the money, and I need things to do since I am running out of things to do outside here. I'm bored, nervous about money issues, and have lately had an awful lack of self worth. It's almost 6 months now that I have been layed off. I stay home, feed the chickens, do yard work and laundry, while Lisa goes to work. Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but thats not the way it's supposed to be. *I'm* supposed to be the one out there bustin' my ass while *she* gets to stay home. I hate this, I really do.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Something a lil different
As some of you may know, I'm a HUGE music buff. Well....not ALL music, I'm a metalhead. Have been since I was 12 or 13 years old. I'm not one to change my taste in music just because I'm older, in fact I like it this way. I like being the gray-bearded old guy with Slayer cranking from the stereo and smoking a pipe, it confuses people, lol. Just 'cause I'm almost 44 doesn't mean I have to toss out a 30 year music collection and start listening to the Carpenters and John Denver!
With that being said....my long time buddy Bill tells me 2 weeks ago that he got us 2 concert tickets for Whitesnake and Judas Priest. I'm pretty excited about this one, since this year is the 30th anniversary of their British Steel album, and they will be performing the entire album live. (Anyone who has listened to ANY rock radio station over the past 30 years has heard Breaking the Law!) Bill always gets the good ticket deals!!!!!!
Anyhoo....we get there around 6pm, and watch a friend's band perform on a small stage set right on Lake Erie. Greg has sang in several bands over the time I have known him...Digital Nerve, Breaker, but I think his new project called H.A.T.E. will be the one to remember. He's a great singer, great lead guitar, and has an awesome stage presence. Their first cd is due to be released this fall, I can't wait.
Whitesnake went on at 7:20 on the dot, and WOW was I impressed. Though it wasn't the band lineup that people remember from the 80's hayday, they sounded great. David Coverdale sounds awesome, especially considering he is in his late 50's. Of course they did the expected 80s hits, (Still of the Night, Here I Go Again), but they did some old ones that I always liked better. Hats off to ya David, still doing a wonderful job.
After a break between sets, Judas Priest went on at 9pm. HOLY HELL I forgot how loud those guys were! LOL! Bill remembered ear plugs, me? Of course not. Ah well....ringing ears makes me remember every note, lol. They did the entire Judas Priest album (less one song), then went on to do some other songs, some of which I didn't expect to hear. They did my favorite 3 though! Green Manalishi, The Ripper, and Diamonds & Rust. They did a few others, then left the stage, returning for an encore, which ended up being the (as Bill called it ) extended dance 20 minute mix of Breaking the Law. We left when the song started, just to be able to get to the car and out of Cleveland, avoiding the rush of everyone else.
It was a great time, seeing 2 bands I have been listening to since I was about 14-15, and who better to see it with than a friend of 40+ years. I'm glad I got to see it, though my ears are ringing and trying to tell me "you're getting too old for this s**t"........ahhh, never listened to em before, why would I now!
Monday, July 13, 2009
back from my trauma....
The past few days have been rather slow around here. Yesterday we set up a pretty big yard sale and sat out there from around 9am till just after 6. Now we can buy that farm maw! Hitch up the mule! We made $17.50!! Geez what a waste of time. I may try it again on Wednsday, or I may just give up the idea, put a few things on craigslist, and take the rest to Goodwill. I can't believe that no one wanted any plaid leisure suits or polka-dotted curtains, geeeez...picky picky picky!!!!! I even tried using my crippling injuries from the hornet attack for pity from buyers.....but that didn't work either. Drat, foiled again.
Lisa made a sign to put out, though it didn't help. "help pay our bassets dental bill". I should mention that Hank needs a tooth pulled since it was abcessed. The vet bill and meds were $77 today, and his oral surgery on Thursday will be another $250......arrrgh! Yep, the hot water tank has to wait even more now....ah well. 'tis the price you pay with pets.
On Saturday, I kept staring at the load of lumber I brought home from Lisa's work, and decided to go ahead and make that chicken killin' station that I mentioned. I'm happy with the results, though I do want to get the whole thing off the ground on either blocks or landscape timbers. It's a bit low, and I don't want the wood directly on the ground. Either way I'll get it finished, it's just gonna take time and money. I still want to get one piece of 6x8 privacy fence to block the station from view on the side by the side-road. I don't think anyone wants to watch me cleaning chickens around here, lol. My modified turkey frier to chicken scalder fits right underneath, with the stock pot for it and the plastic tool box we keep all the outdoor cooking/bbq gadgets in. The faucet isn't hooked up yet, but I may hook it to the garden hose. Not much of a point really when I can just use the hose. I thought about making a 5 gallon bucket with a lid into a solar water heater, but thats a little overboard for something to clean chickens and vegetables on, lol.
I should have mentioned it in my last entry, but due to the massive trauma from my hornet injuries, I wasn't thinking right.............I dun went an' gussied up the tractor for the weddin'!!!! Thats right! She got a whole over coat of yellow, the hood got 3 coats of white, the engine got 2 coats of black high heat/engine paint, and I even went to far as to use a free can of chrome paint on the carb and a few other parts. WooooHooooo this sho' is a fine lookin' tractor fer a weddin, if I do say so ma-self. I know, I know, I need the rest of the decal/stripe, but hey, that kit is 60 bucks! That ther' weddin' ain't THAT fancy!!!!!
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Friday, July 10, 2009
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Today I *FINALLY* got the basement finished at Lisa's work. I filled a construction sized dumpster just over halfway with all of the junk, garbage, empty boxes and broken furniture that was down there. One of the girls took an old copy machine for her church, along with some of the toys and an older 20" bike. Little "pixiestix" over at Heart of the Dragon took some of the old electronics and a small drawing table. Everything else came here for a giant yard sale. You want a 1973 Brady Bunch reject red & neon green plaid leisure suit? I have one! What about some Jimmy Buffet yard sale hawaiian shirts? Yep, got a few of those too. LOL. Along with the other things I hauled out was a whole load of lumber. Five 16 foot pieces of 3" wide cedar trim, three 1/2 sheets of 3/4" plywood, 3 or 4 six foot 2x4's, two 8 foot 4x4's and 2 other pieces of 3/4 plywood at 3x6 feet. I love free lumber lol I'm always making something or another around here, and scraps are just fine by me.
Some of this scrap wood will be used with a 3x3 foot steel top table I also got out of the basement. When I butchered the roosters early this year, I had a bucket, a hose, and a piece of plywood on top of my sawhorses. I am *NOT* doing that again, so I am building my "Chicken killin' station. (though Lisa prefers Chicken Prep Station lol) I'll use that tabletop as a counter, attach the single basin slop sink next to it, rig the faucet to accept a garden hose for cold water, and I'm toying with the idea of a 5 gallon bucket painted flat black and converted to a solar water heater as an experiment. I'll put it at the front-side of the left garage door, use the freebie 4x4's for posts, and get one length of 6 or 8 foot privacy fence to keep me under cover. (remember that it's illegal in this rediculous township to butcher animals at home) I'll have a spot for a 30 gallon trash can, my turkey frier converted to a scalder, and the 55 gallon bucket I toss the birds in after they meet Mr. Hatchet. It will be handy for chickens, the rabbits, any wild game, and also for washing any vegetables outside rather than bring them in the house to do the same thing. I'm always giving myself new projects!!!!
The garden is looking great! We're already eating onions, greens, turnips and parsnips. There are a few scattered hungarian peppers that I could actually pick, the tomatos are starting well, the beans have tiny 1-1/2" long beans on them, and well....rather than go through it all, I'll say it's just doing fine so far. Yesterday I walked across the orchard to check the wild grapes that we used for jelly last year. I had pruned them back a little last year when I was done, and WOW, those things are EVERYWHERE now with clusters of small green grapes everywhere I could see. It looks like this year will be even better. I checked the "blackberries" that the neighbor told me about too, and discovered that they are red raspberries and not blackberries, lol. Ah well, this is the same guy who asked me when that tassle at the top of his corn turned to an ear, hahahaha.
Speaking of the neighbor.......I have told nearly everyone I know about this wedding, and it looks like my "birthday picnic" will have around 10 guests to come eat, chat, and watch the train wreck of a wedding. And..................ready for this?........................... I dun went an' gussied up 'ma tractor for that ther weddin'!!!! Yup.....5 cans of yellow impliment paint, 2 cans of off-white, 1 can of black engine paint, and a few squirts of chrome paint, and the old Loboy looks fantastic. I just de-greased the old thing and sprayed away with impliment paint. It stuck just fine, after all, thats what it's made for. I did the engine black because the golf course that origionally owned it had painted the whole thing yellow, motor and all. To me it was just ugly. Yea yea I know, it's a tractor, but it was plain 'ole butt ugly and I figured I'd take care of that when I did the rest. The can of chrome was in the stuff to be tossed out, so I figured what the hell.....and now the Lowboy has a chrome carb, air intake, governor rod, starter/generator, distributor, and fan/pulley assembly. She sho' does look purdy!!!! I'll get pics posted when I remember to take some, hahaha. C'mon now, I couldn't let those fine folks next door take their weddin' pitures on some daggone old dirty tractor!
Now the reason for the title of this post........................Today I had a traumatic experience that Lisa seemed to take very lightly, which I still find upsetting.
After I got her from work and ran some errands, we came home to once again, a non-stop barking Hank.(the bassett) Now I dont know why, but a barking dog in the house just annoys me to death. I yell out to tell him to be quiet, which of course works for about 4 seconds. He starts barking again, and I walk to the front window to tell him when he can see me. I totally forgot about the new-forming hornets nest under the awning, and no sooner than I tap on the window, I get attacked by a whole SWARM of angry hornets. (ok maybe not a swarm, it was 5) I take off running across the yard, just to save my lovely wife from the attacking angry swarm, figuring that flying groceries and a 6 pack of cold Birch Beer would distract them. Of course, while my efforts sort-of worked, and she recieved no harm, I was stung repeatidly by the attacking marauders from the nest. ( ok ok again, it was five) I screamed at her when I got the first burning sting, "Lisa be calm and walk away, it appears I am getting stung by hornets!" ( ok ok ok! So I ran and screamed like a girl, geeeez) After I realized that the vicious attack was over, I was dealing with the gut wrenching pain of my numerous hornet stings. (all five!) She suggested I rub some yarrow on the stings, which I did, and it worked wonders. The pain/burn was gone in seconds. (write that one down folks!) After all was said and done, and we picked up the groceries, the birch beer, my hat,and found my glasses, we came inside to make some sandwiches since it was just too damned hot to cook. Apparanly my trauma was humorous to my lovely bride, and she laughed over and over, imitiating my scream. Of course now her daughter knows the "funny" story, and she has written her version of it on her blog. I'm so glad that my pain and embarrasment can be some writing material for her.........ah what the hell, it WAS funny, I'm writing about it aren't I??? LOL
Some of this scrap wood will be used with a 3x3 foot steel top table I also got out of the basement. When I butchered the roosters early this year, I had a bucket, a hose, and a piece of plywood on top of my sawhorses. I am *NOT* doing that again, so I am building my "Chicken killin' station. (though Lisa prefers Chicken Prep Station lol) I'll use that tabletop as a counter, attach the single basin slop sink next to it, rig the faucet to accept a garden hose for cold water, and I'm toying with the idea of a 5 gallon bucket painted flat black and converted to a solar water heater as an experiment. I'll put it at the front-side of the left garage door, use the freebie 4x4's for posts, and get one length of 6 or 8 foot privacy fence to keep me under cover. (remember that it's illegal in this rediculous township to butcher animals at home) I'll have a spot for a 30 gallon trash can, my turkey frier converted to a scalder, and the 55 gallon bucket I toss the birds in after they meet Mr. Hatchet. It will be handy for chickens, the rabbits, any wild game, and also for washing any vegetables outside rather than bring them in the house to do the same thing. I'm always giving myself new projects!!!!
The garden is looking great! We're already eating onions, greens, turnips and parsnips. There are a few scattered hungarian peppers that I could actually pick, the tomatos are starting well, the beans have tiny 1-1/2" long beans on them, and well....rather than go through it all, I'll say it's just doing fine so far. Yesterday I walked across the orchard to check the wild grapes that we used for jelly last year. I had pruned them back a little last year when I was done, and WOW, those things are EVERYWHERE now with clusters of small green grapes everywhere I could see. It looks like this year will be even better. I checked the "blackberries" that the neighbor told me about too, and discovered that they are red raspberries and not blackberries, lol. Ah well, this is the same guy who asked me when that tassle at the top of his corn turned to an ear, hahahaha.
Speaking of the neighbor.......I have told nearly everyone I know about this wedding, and it looks like my "birthday picnic" will have around 10 guests to come eat, chat, and watch the train wreck of a wedding. And..................ready for this?........................... I dun went an' gussied up 'ma tractor for that ther weddin'!!!! Yup.....5 cans of yellow impliment paint, 2 cans of off-white, 1 can of black engine paint, and a few squirts of chrome paint, and the old Loboy looks fantastic. I just de-greased the old thing and sprayed away with impliment paint. It stuck just fine, after all, thats what it's made for. I did the engine black because the golf course that origionally owned it had painted the whole thing yellow, motor and all. To me it was just ugly. Yea yea I know, it's a tractor, but it was plain 'ole butt ugly and I figured I'd take care of that when I did the rest. The can of chrome was in the stuff to be tossed out, so I figured what the hell.....and now the Lowboy has a chrome carb, air intake, governor rod, starter/generator, distributor, and fan/pulley assembly. She sho' does look purdy!!!! I'll get pics posted when I remember to take some, hahaha. C'mon now, I couldn't let those fine folks next door take their weddin' pitures on some daggone old dirty tractor!
Now the reason for the title of this post........................Today I had a traumatic experience that Lisa seemed to take very lightly, which I still find upsetting.
After I got her from work and ran some errands, we came home to once again, a non-stop barking Hank.(the bassett) Now I dont know why, but a barking dog in the house just annoys me to death. I yell out to tell him to be quiet, which of course works for about 4 seconds. He starts barking again, and I walk to the front window to tell him when he can see me. I totally forgot about the new-forming hornets nest under the awning, and no sooner than I tap on the window, I get attacked by a whole SWARM of angry hornets. (ok maybe not a swarm, it was 5) I take off running across the yard, just to save my lovely wife from the attacking angry swarm, figuring that flying groceries and a 6 pack of cold Birch Beer would distract them. Of course, while my efforts sort-of worked, and she recieved no harm, I was stung repeatidly by the attacking marauders from the nest. ( ok ok again, it was five) I screamed at her when I got the first burning sting, "Lisa be calm and walk away, it appears I am getting stung by hornets!" ( ok ok ok! So I ran and screamed like a girl, geeeez) After I realized that the vicious attack was over, I was dealing with the gut wrenching pain of my numerous hornet stings. (all five!) She suggested I rub some yarrow on the stings, which I did, and it worked wonders. The pain/burn was gone in seconds. (write that one down folks!) After all was said and done, and we picked up the groceries, the birch beer, my hat,and found my glasses, we came inside to make some sandwiches since it was just too damned hot to cook. Apparanly my trauma was humorous to my lovely bride, and she laughed over and over, imitiating my scream. Of course now her daughter knows the "funny" story, and she has written her version of it on her blog. I'm so glad that my pain and embarrasment can be some writing material for her.........ah what the hell, it WAS funny, I'm writing about it aren't I??? LOL
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Holiday weekend and a new challenge
This weekend was really nothing special whatsoever. None of our families and friends have any big holiday get-togethers to go to. We would have one here, but some wouldn't show because we have dogs (yea I know, its a silly reason), some wouldn't come because they don't understand the way we live, and my folks wouldn't come because it's the other side of the county and you obviously need a passport to come here. So.....we just stayed home by ourselves, caught up on some things around here, and Lisa made a delicious roast in the dutch oven over a fire with potatos and corn on the cob. We didn't even go see fireworks, though we were invited. Our friends like to get there THREE HOURS early to get a good spot, and neither of us was up for that. Three hours early, 45 minutes worth of fireworks, and an hour to get home from what it usually 15 minutes......umm....no thanks. My friend Bill came over and we sat around a nice small fire till about 11:00 then came inside and gorged ourselves on ice cream and watch a concert DVD he brought with him. (Whitesnake-Slide It In tour 1984! Oh yea!) So, it was a good 4th of July, just not the kind you usually hear about.
On Friday I had to take the belly mower off of the LoBoy because one of the 3 blades wasn't turning. Luckily it was just a loose bolt, but while I had it off, I removed all the blades and balanced and sharpened them. I greased all the fittings, gave it 3 coats of yellow impliment paint, and put it back on. BOY did it mow better! lol Amazing what sharp blades do, hahaha. Saturday was nearly a whole day standing at the chipper, making enough to fill the 4x8 trailer. It was enough to fill the whole flowerbed in the front of the house, so it worked out great. It's not the pretty dyed color coordinated mulch that everyone around us has, but hey, it does what it's supposed to do and it didnt cost me but just a gallon of gas. Today I hauled the giant brushpile to the neighbors fire pit, then cleaned and raked that whole area which will now leave more room for firewood, which we'll need since we have been cooking entire meals outside at least 3 days a week now. We discussed the other rr ties and concrete bumpers I have to get out at mom n' dads place, and what to do with them. We decided on 3 new areas for food and herbs, and layed out the spots in the yard. Hopefully later this week I can get those here so we can start planting them. I'll have all the sod pulled and the area's tilled, so all I have to do it set them in place and plant/seed. Here we grow again.....more food, less to mow. We even talked about adding 2 more dwarf apple trees out front, and making a long (48x2) bed around them all, so I dont have to zig-zag mow around them all. At this rate, sometime next year I will be able to mow in 5 minutes, lol.
Over the years, and especially the last 2-3, we have set ourselves goals and met them. We have faced challenges and conquered them. We have simplified and frugal-ized our lives more than I could have ever imagined.
We grow & raise most of our own food
We make our own bread
We make our own household cleaners
We make our own bar soap
We make our own laundry detergent
We make our own deodorant
We have no cable or sattelite tv
We eat no processed/frozen/prepackaged food
We will soon be using a wringer washer for washing clothes
We are in the end of week 4 without a hot water tank
We make our own jam, jelly, tomato sauces, soups, salsa, hot sauce,horseradish, and more
I buy most of my clothes from thrift stores
Etc, etc, etc.
Now this weekend we discussed yet another change/challenge-Eating Local. Our plan is to follow that of many people we have read about, and ONLY buy things we cannot grow or raise ourselves from someone/place within a 100 mile radius. Since we do so much here at home, it isnt much of a list, but some things will be challenging.
Finding local meat was easy, we found a place not 10 minutes away that raises and processes their own beef, and buys their pork from someone less than an hour away. The challenges will be finding a local dairy, and finding local grown/ground grain/flour. Sugar, salt, & some spices will be impossible, but the rest should be easy to find. Changing eating habits to eating what is in season will make things much easier, though we will have this season's canning to fall back on. Anyone who buys a tomato at the grocery store in January knows what it tastes like.....usually the styrofoam packaging it is packaged in. Eating in season will eliminate that completely. So....we have decided to skip the usualy 30-40 jars of salsa this year, and concentrate on pasta sauces, tomato soup, etc, being things we won't have to worry about trying to find locally. The one family we read about allowed themselves 2 non-local items per month, which in our case could be as easy as salt and sugar. We're starting this challenge this week, so we'll keep everyone posted on how it goes.
Beyond all of that, I will be finished that wreck of a basement at Lisa's work this week. Tomorrow I will start hauling off the things they don't want, which will be coming here for a yard sale. Then I get a construction sized dumpster on Friday morning and have until 4pm to get it all hauled up and in, before it gets picked up at 4pm. probably Wednsday since it is Lisa's half day at work, I'll get the shrubs pulled up and the soil ready to plant something yet undecided in their place.
On Friday I had to take the belly mower off of the LoBoy because one of the 3 blades wasn't turning. Luckily it was just a loose bolt, but while I had it off, I removed all the blades and balanced and sharpened them. I greased all the fittings, gave it 3 coats of yellow impliment paint, and put it back on. BOY did it mow better! lol Amazing what sharp blades do, hahaha. Saturday was nearly a whole day standing at the chipper, making enough to fill the 4x8 trailer. It was enough to fill the whole flowerbed in the front of the house, so it worked out great. It's not the pretty dyed color coordinated mulch that everyone around us has, but hey, it does what it's supposed to do and it didnt cost me but just a gallon of gas. Today I hauled the giant brushpile to the neighbors fire pit, then cleaned and raked that whole area which will now leave more room for firewood, which we'll need since we have been cooking entire meals outside at least 3 days a week now. We discussed the other rr ties and concrete bumpers I have to get out at mom n' dads place, and what to do with them. We decided on 3 new areas for food and herbs, and layed out the spots in the yard. Hopefully later this week I can get those here so we can start planting them. I'll have all the sod pulled and the area's tilled, so all I have to do it set them in place and plant/seed. Here we grow again.....more food, less to mow. We even talked about adding 2 more dwarf apple trees out front, and making a long (48x2) bed around them all, so I dont have to zig-zag mow around them all. At this rate, sometime next year I will be able to mow in 5 minutes, lol.
Over the years, and especially the last 2-3, we have set ourselves goals and met them. We have faced challenges and conquered them. We have simplified and frugal-ized our lives more than I could have ever imagined.
We grow & raise most of our own food
We make our own bread
We make our own household cleaners
We make our own bar soap
We make our own laundry detergent
We make our own deodorant
We have no cable or sattelite tv
We eat no processed/frozen/prepackaged food
We will soon be using a wringer washer for washing clothes
We are in the end of week 4 without a hot water tank
We make our own jam, jelly, tomato sauces, soups, salsa, hot sauce,horseradish, and more
I buy most of my clothes from thrift stores
Etc, etc, etc.
Now this weekend we discussed yet another change/challenge-Eating Local. Our plan is to follow that of many people we have read about, and ONLY buy things we cannot grow or raise ourselves from someone/place within a 100 mile radius. Since we do so much here at home, it isnt much of a list, but some things will be challenging.
Finding local meat was easy, we found a place not 10 minutes away that raises and processes their own beef, and buys their pork from someone less than an hour away. The challenges will be finding a local dairy, and finding local grown/ground grain/flour. Sugar, salt, & some spices will be impossible, but the rest should be easy to find. Changing eating habits to eating what is in season will make things much easier, though we will have this season's canning to fall back on. Anyone who buys a tomato at the grocery store in January knows what it tastes like.....usually the styrofoam packaging it is packaged in. Eating in season will eliminate that completely. So....we have decided to skip the usualy 30-40 jars of salsa this year, and concentrate on pasta sauces, tomato soup, etc, being things we won't have to worry about trying to find locally. The one family we read about allowed themselves 2 non-local items per month, which in our case could be as easy as salt and sugar. We're starting this challenge this week, so we'll keep everyone posted on how it goes.
Beyond all of that, I will be finished that wreck of a basement at Lisa's work this week. Tomorrow I will start hauling off the things they don't want, which will be coming here for a yard sale. Then I get a construction sized dumpster on Friday morning and have until 4pm to get it all hauled up and in, before it gets picked up at 4pm. probably Wednsday since it is Lisa's half day at work, I'll get the shrubs pulled up and the soil ready to plant something yet undecided in their place.
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