A person can learn a lot in a week. Eight days ago, my mind was reeling from the realities of having to cull the flock of some of its more obstreperous chickens. Four of the larger and older birds had decided to beat the daylights out of two young hens we’d introduced months ago. Those two youngies were like proverbial chook road kill. Prior to our speedy intervention, they were in the initial phases of being eaten alive. Not nice, and who says that chickens are vegetarians? Also the older hens unwisely messed up given that this was their second and final warning. Fortunately being of a stoic disposition, I was undeterred from consuming a tasty gourmet chicken burger for lunch that day. It just made me twenty five minutes late for the catch up with friends. Unforgiveable.
The two young hens are recovering from their ordeal. The incident has started the old brain cogitating upon what went wrong. Mind you, this is not the first encounter with cannibal chickens. No way. We’ve kept the egg laying birds for over fifteen years now, and during that time a person tries out different breeds to see how they’ll go. In these more enlightened days, we stick to heritage breeds of the sort your grandmother would recognise. But early on, the lure of the commercial birds which lay an enormous number of eggs, was too great to resist. Yes, I know, sometimes I disappoint even myself with the choices I make.
At first the commercial bird breeds worked out wonderfully. Sure, they ate a lot and demanded a high protein diet, but look at the number of eggs produced… Mostly the chickens here get to live out a pleasant life once their egg laying days are done. Even after the egg days are over, the conversion of plant matter into high grade manure is excellent. It’s worth mentioning that a combination of the soiled bedding straw and chicken poop is a fine plant food which improves soils in a way in which the individual components wouldn’t do nearly as well.
Burning fast, and burning bright can be something an issue for everything else around such efficient and powerful forces of nature, like those commercial breeds. We discovered that by about the age of two, the birds of those breeds which we had, suddenly went psychotic. The day they ate my favourite little black Silkie chicken still haunts me. The little fluffy fave ended up with a massive gaping hole in her back and was unable to walk. In addition to abandoning the idea of chickens as pets, the Silkie was given the coup de grâce, and the miscreant commercial birds were publicly executed within the enclosure. Sends a strong statement, which hadn’t been repeated, until very recently.
A heavy sharp knife made quick work of the foul four birds last week. The blade by the way is a Ghurka replica piece purchased from a store in Kathmandu in Nepal. We travelled to that country late last century, and walked around the higher points of the less visited western parts of the Himalayas for eighteen days. It was beautiful and very quiet, although I get the impression that many parts of the world are over touristed nowadays, and so we haven’t journeyed anywhere for maybe, a quarter century, give or take a year.
Digressions aside, the chicken enclosure has become a quiet and peaceful place. There’s a new boss chicken who’ll still give all the other birds a good: “What for!”. However, she’s not attempted to eat the others in the flock either. The public knifing display has had the desired effect. There are however, two large older birds, whom I was a bit on the fence about as to whether they were involved in defining the two young chicks as a fast food take away option. Those potential bullies have been unceremoniously chucked into a small cage within the enclosure where they can consider the wisdom of their actions at leisure.
So the two youngsters (the black chooks in the foreground of the above photo) are recovering from their wounds and are now rapidly learning how to be a chicken. It’s hard to know whether they are mimicking the other older birds, or those elders are teaching them. And maybe, it is a bit of both. But the upshot is, they’re beginning to act in ways which will ensure their continued survival around larger chickens, and that’s a relief.
It does however raise an interesting question: Why were the young hens so socially backward that they would allow the older chickens to eat them without putting up a decent fight? Earlier in the week after much cogitation, I had something of a light bulb moment. The two new birds had probably never encountered older chickens before. All so obvious from hindsight. They were raised from eggs in an incubator, and most likely had been only ever kept only with their own clutch. This is efficient for the breeder, but it raises birds who are social idiots. They simply had no idea how to be a proper chook. I’m sure the now deceased miscreants sized up the youngsters and collectively came up with the decision that they were of such low quality that they had to go. Of course everyone makes bad decisions and that’s part of life.
Well that mystery is now resolved, and I certainly will only purchase older point-of-lay chickens in the future. It seems the time of year for mysteries. Today I was in the bathroom casually going about my business when someone, maybe about 20km / 12 miles away ignited a fire. It was the warmest day in about five months, and the wind was blowing hard. It’s been somewhat dry this year. At that moment a thought popped into my mind: Probably not good timing for a burn off.
Turns out, it wasn’t a good day for a burn off. From this eagles eyrie, you could see the warm northerly wind pushing the fire front ahead into the wind due to the sheer energy released. The fire would then catch up with the front. As you can imagine, the fire got large, very quickly.
Luckily for everyone involved, the wind died down. That combined with the work of the eighteen fire trucks from volunteer brigades around the area, by sundown all that could be seen were wisps of smoke. As I’m typing this, the wind has picked up again, but this time from the cold south with a bit of light rain. Hope they’re all doing OK, and I’d certainly hope that locals learned some valuable lessons from the very public incident. This is the second time in under a year such a thing has occurred near to there. Sometimes you need an experienced elder to suggest that an action is going to be a bad idea.
There wasn’t a lot of time for work around the property this week. Woe is me, the process of upgrading from Windows 10 to version 11 took precedence. The first machine went so smoothly that I concluded the process was a total doddle. As everyone knows, hubris tempts the Gods, which rapidly turns to nemesis. The second (of three) computers was a bit more complicated because it required a new motherboard, processor and memory, and that’s despite the previous hardware all working just fine. The components were not difficult to replace, and soon the computer was chugging away with the old version of Windows 10 perfectly.
Unfortunately whilst the old version of Windows worked, it failed to admit that the guts of the machine were new and improved. And that’s where things went wrong. Being something of a smarty pants, and now elder Geek, I tricked the operating system into upgrading to version 11. It ran for a long while, but then weird things began happening. Inexplicable events leading to crashes. The problem was eventually identified as a hard drive which appeared to have become corrupt during the upgrade. Oh well. The software then all had to be installed from scratch, which is a long and painful process.
Earlier in the week we did get the chance to clean up the area where the fallen tree had supplied us with an inordinate amount of firewood. Even the massive tree stump was ground out and the sawdust was spread around the area. It’s looking pretty neat now.
There’s still a bit of mess in that area, and given the nearby fire today, if conditions are appropriate in this coming week for a burn off, we’ll clean up that lot, maybe. It comprises the usual and expected forest mess there. Observant readers will note on the next two photos, the many burn marks still on those trees dating back to the 1983 bushfire.
In between fixing the pesky computer, I also managed to clean up the grass which had been growing near to the trunks of the many fruit trees in the large citrus enclosure.
It’s such a pretty time of the year, and many of the fruit trees are now gaining some decent size and age. Interestingly I’m discovering that the pollinating insects prefer the ornamental varieties of fruit trees, to that of the fruit producing ones. Possibly something to do with the greater number of flowers? One of the biggest ornamental trees is the Snow Pear which grows near to the chickens enclosure.
Standing a bit further back and closer to the house from that above image, you can see that there are many fruit trees and other plants which are still only slowly breaking their winter dormancy.
The many trees in the sunnier orchard are a little bit more advanced with their spring growth. The Japanese maples in particular look stunning.
It’s now warm enough that the round raised garden beds which form the kitchen garden are getting enough energy so that the plants are growing.
By contrast, the insides of the greenhouse are feral with lush growth.
The Asparagus spears are plentiful enough that I can confirm that they taste excellent when grilled or boiled. Yum!
Hopefully there is no late frost which may harm the early and cold tender apricot crop. The trees themselves will be fine, but the fruit may drop off the tree if a cold morning eventuates.
This week’s video is about some changes we intend to do with the YouTube channel:
Onto the flowers:
The temperature outside now at about 10am is 6’C (43’F). So far for this year there has been 595.4mm (23.4 inches) which is up from last weeks total of 586.4mm (23.1 inches)
Comments
38 responses to “It’s the Puppet Theatre”
Yo, Chris – Well, that was quit a chicken ordeal. Luckily, I never had to contend with something like that. Though the chickens did pick on one hen … but never to the point of drawing blood. She usually hid in a nesting box, or, just kept out of the other ones way.
Chickens are descended from dinosaurs, who are always divided between meat eaters and plant eaters. But, I suppose, some were omnivorous. Like us. 🙂 I have seen chickens eat frogs, mice and snakes.
I hope whoever was dumb enough to start the wildfire, learned there lesson. And, I hope there were fines involved.
Oh, gosh, those computer upgrades just ate up a lot of your time. What an ordeal. Just one steep learning curve after another. Which I deeply resent.
LOL. I thought that Dame Plum and Ruby were “assuming the position,” before I read the caption. When H does the same, she has the added attraction of rapidly tapping one paw. 🙂
Well, if the weather doesn’t cooperate, and you can’t get to the forest mess, it will still be there waiting for you. When conditions are more conducive. It still looks magnitudes of better, than it did.
I’m sure the citrus trees appreciate your effort. They look so neat and tidy.
Your flowering fruit trees, look just gorgeous. Both the fruiting and the ornamental. I think you mentioned there were some European honey bees around. I suppose they’ve established some wild hives, out in the bush. Odd they’d be more interested in the ornamental trees. An easier feed?
I should trial silver beet / chard. Maybe next year. I do get greens in my diet, but maybe should get some more leafy greens. I’m suffering from asparagus envy. 🙂
Re: This weeks video. Oh, no, not CHANGE!!! So, will the podcast be accessible from this website? It was really a nice video. Almost a “fireside chat.”
The Jonquils and Rhodies are really pretty. But, bluebells? Or, Forget-me-nots? Lew
Hi Lewis,
It was a revolting ordeal with the chooks, and maybe it is just me, but I have zero tolerance when it comes to chickens consuming either the eggs, or other members of their flock. And my experience matches yours with hen pecked birds fleeing to safety. These two were just so young and inexperienced that they never quite understood that that was an option. They’re learning now that there is less pressure in the chicken enclosure. The older two hens in the sin-bin are not happy, but too bad, so sad for them. Hopefully, they’ll be released in another week with better attitudes, or else.
Hehe! So true, chickens, like humans can be vegetarians, but far out, if presented with a juicy chunk of animal protein, they’ll chow down with the best.
Haven’t heard anything about how the fire in Bullengarook began, but as of this afternoon, the front has travelled in a northerly direction far indeed. You can see it from here. There’s far less smoke today, but there is still smoke to be seen rising from the forest. I do wonder if given the cool and moist conditions for the next ten days or so whether the authoritas might just let it burn itself out. Interesting, they’re saying that it is under control, but from here it looks as if it has spread further north than yesterday, but what do I know…
By the way, it is very early in the season for such a large fire. Hmm.
Anyway, this morning was cold, damp and cloudy. Perfect conditions to clean up that forested area mentioned in the blog. Didn’t finish the work until way past 6pm, it being now in daylight savings time.
The IT folks are all too happy to eat our lives, if we but let them. We bowed to the inevitability of the upgrade and just did what needed to be done. Was there a choice in the matter?
Go H, and it’s an impressive achievement to take a dump and tap dance all at the same time. Kind of sets the standard to which we can all aspire too. 😉 Some dogs just have oodles of energy.
Thanks, and at this time of year, the grass and ground cover plants grow so fast. I spotted tiny little white flowers in amongst the grass today. The larger and older fruit trees aren’t bothered by the grass competition, but the newer trees are. Slows down their growth quite a lot.
Yeah, a wild colony of European honey bees seems to have set up a home in congenial conditions somewhere out in the forest. But it is weird that they seem to prefer the ornamental flowering trees to that of the more productive varieties. I wouldn’t have thought that it would matter, but it seems to. Your suggestion was along the lines of what I was also thinking.
Silver beet thrives on the hottest summer days when lesser plants wilt and/or bolt to seed. There’s a lot to like about them. Your asparagus will get there, they simply need more time. Then serious thinning, and here a jackhammer is your friend. The roots were a tangled mess.
Oh, thanks so much for saying that. 🙂 I can’t get my head around that utoob platform, and perhaps it is over saturated for content? We need to make the process simpler, so thus the need for change.
Did you notice that the forget-me-nots are blue? 🙂
The early settlers may not have appreciated typhoid and cholera and it’s link to clean water, but the wealthiest of folks must have taken note of the good health with those who reside in the ‘upper mountain airs’, and seemed to have avoided such diseases. And we’ve discussed miasmas… Was it really a part of the culture of the British Empire to set up hill station gardens? The original timber structure – which was quite large – unfortunately burned down long ago. Not sure what has replaced it.
Yes, Dame Plum has entered polite society. Both the Editor and the dog have earned the achievement, and we’d never let dogs go without serious training from a very young age.
I’ve heard rumours that some local council CEO’s are paid rather well for their work. It takes a lot of residences to stump the taxes for high salaries and benefits. The sensitive person does wonder at what point do they cut back on services?
Well yeah, that can be a risky proposition indeed handing over large wads of mad cash to third parties. Some folks can be lead into temptation. Interestingly enough, I’m hearing more such stories of late. The thing is though, I tell people realistic stories of non specific general advice, and they don’t necessarily want to hear that, so what does a person do? It’s an old adage that high returns generally relate to high risk – this is not some secret information. Anyway, it’s not a difficult story to comprehend, but does anyone really want to hear it? A fish rots from the head, and if our betters can’t restrain themselves, why would anyone else, although you and I, plus the lovely readers here probably do.
On the grid, the voltage fluctuates quite a lot depending on what everyone else on the circuit is using. It’s worse in rural areas, but I have no idea what the impacts would be of adding on heaps of electric vehicle chargers in an area. Probably not good
Me too, the core problem with liars is that they lose credibility, like that Cassandra of yore. And if they’re all lying from whatever stripe, then we’re all poop out of luck as much as they’ve lost major credibility. In the long run though, propaganda doesn’t deliver the physical goods. The old timers used to say that ‘talk does not cook the rice’.
Good to hear that Jane is back to more active duties, which is impressive given the circumstances. Lucky you with getting some assistance with the truck. Hope the machine comes back spic and span, all shiny and stuff.
Rumours and talk of financial dramas… Change is in the air. Bond yields are the key I believe.
Better head down below to the forest edge and push the fire in together. Wouldn’t do that if there were mountain lions and bears lurking around. Far out! 🙂 Any further sighting of the deer in your area? And I want my stolen hour back! It’s gone man, but who knows where? 😉
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – I thought it was early in the season for your wildfires. At least, it seems to be moving away from you. May it continue to do so.
I don’t know where H picked up her tap dancing skills. Maybe she’s a natural. Or, saw way too many Shirley Temple movies, at an impressionable age. 🙂
Ah. Silver beet. It’s called Swiss Chard, here. Yup. Forget-me-nots are blue. I planted some, here. Discovered they’re a bit invasive. So, they’re coming up all on their own, in odd spots, here and there. Luckily, if there in the wrong spot, they pull up, very easy. No jack hammer required.
Just about any tropical or sub-tropical area the British Empire landed, they built hill station get-aways. There were a lot in India.
Cassandra always told the truth. Her curse was that no one would believe her. “No prophet is welcome or acceptable, in his own land.” (the Bible.). Bearers of bad news, always do it rough. “Kill the messenger.” Or, “You can kill the messenger, but not the message.” Variations on those words go all the way back to the Greeks.
The truck came back all clean and shiny. Now I can take it into the mechanic, and not feel ashamed. 🙂 The fellow who did the work knows a lot about vehicles. Me, I’m hopeless. He said nothing appeared to be wrong, with my truck. Still, I want to take it in for whatever general maintenance it needs, and winterization, if needed. I need to establish a relationship with a garage. Best do that before something major comes up. Well, you learn something new, everyday. And this shows how dumb I am. I asked if he had checked the transmission fluid. Manual transmissions don’t have fluid. Duh!
The stolen hour is in transit, to us. Not that we asked for it.
Our high yesterday was 66F (18.88C). Our overnight low was 39F (3.88C). That’s the first time it’s got into the 30s, since last spring. Our forecast for today is 73F.
I’m watching “The Marlow Murder Mysteries,” season two. There will be a season three. Another British mystery series. Three “discounted” women, solve mysteries in their small British town. By discounted, I mean, not highly thought of. One’s an older, retired archaeologist, one is the vicar’s wife, and one is a dog walker. People around them constantly underestimate their powers of deduction.
Bad news on the apple cider front.
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/05/nx-s1-5562526/apple-cider-vinegar-study-retracted-weight-loss
So, it doesn’t cure cancer, or help much with weight loss. I figure it still has benefits, though they may be smaller. And, I still think it really … hmmm, how to put it, mellows out my rice and veg dinners. Gives a smoother (?) flavor. Lew
Hi, Chris!
I am very thankful that we never had the kind of dreadful experience with our chickens for the 7 years that we had them that you just went through. I’m not sure if I could have coped with it. In fact, I’m sure that I could not, at least in the way that you had to. Knowing how things go around here, each chicken probably would have ended up with its own little bijou residence where they could hide when anyone bothered them. Chickens are pretty smart, so I’ll bet each one would have learned which was her own.
Which brings us to Mr. Baby. He has a particular truck – the Chevy S10 – that he likes to nap in. He could no longer get to it since he now has to stay in his nature preserve when outside. So the S10 was brought to him and parked in the nature preserve, part of which is the front yard. On the grass, yet. Nothing will surprise me now.
I am following closely all of your W!! transition adventures and passing them on to my son. I know he has to put new guts inside at least one of the computers.
You have an awe-inspiring amount of wood for firewood now. I hope we are as well supplied. My son cut down 3 hundred-foot trees near the house today. All went well and neither the house nor anything else was squooshed. But one tree did something odd and twisted as it went down – though at least exactly where it was supposed to. That caused it to partly splinter into a section of humongous splintered pieces. That lower part of the tree will be useless as firewood. It will just have to be burned off outside.
The large citrus enclosure looks really nice and neat.
It seems strange that the pollinators would prefer ornamentals to fruit producing trees, but I guess a flower is a flower and you’re probably right that volume is the thing. Certainly you have enough variety (and volume!) there to have a really good chance of observing that.
I see Alpine Strawberries in the greenhouse! They look just like mine right now. I also have spinach, but very small.
You get 5 or 10 thousand readers per post? That’s wonderful! I was afraid that you were going to say that the blog was being replaced by a podcast. I sure would miss the photos. Or am I wrong in thinking that podcasts are audio only?
The jonquils are heavenly and so are the rhodies, and the sweet little bluebells and the aluminium plant (though not a lovely name). Thanks so much!
Pam
@ DJSpo:
You are welcome for the Charlottesville link last week. The funny thing is that today I went under that very Bridge of Scores and it has been a really long time since I did that, though I used to do stuff at UVa all the time. The street under the bridge goes right through the middle of the University of Virginia. It looks just like the modern photo.
Your family was well settled in Virginia! Probably some of mine (whom there were a lot of here a long time ago) knew some of yours.
Pam
@ Lew:
Thanks from last week. Definitely yupped out. It was yupped out when we got here in 1989 and, in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t yupped out in Thomas Jefferson’s day, relatively speaking. They have preserved a lot of the old buildings. We can probably thank TJ for that; he had his hand in just about everything.
Pam
Chris:
From last week: I forgot to thank you for the thank you for the Charlottesville then and now pictures.
Pam
Hi Pam,
Your chicken solution is most elegant, and absolutely it would work. Lucky that you dodged that particular problem too, and honestly, it’s rare. Twice in fifteen years is not the norm for the birds. One day, if chicken breeding becomes necessary, multiple enclosures sort of along as to what you mentioned, will have to be part of that story all other concerns to the side
Mr Baby for all his misfortunes and challenges, he sure leads a charmed life.
Speaking of challenges, it is possible that due to my business there are simply just a lot of applications on the computer. And reinstalling them all was a pain. Oh well, hope your son has more luck with that task. Replacing the guts was the easy bit. That went quite smoothly.
🙂 We take firewood seriously! Of course, you probably recall the old wood heater which we burned out the sheet metal of because we’d not taken firewood seriously enough? Probably eight years ago now, maybe more, I forget. An expensive lesson though, and I for one miss the old wood oven for cooking.
Whoa! Those are some large trees to fell. Respect. Glad to hear that none squooshed the house. I have mentioned that an old timer around these parts gave me two good bits of advice with tall trees: 1) Not a good idea to have them within falling distance of the house; and 2) They never get smaller, until they do.
Never seen a tree splinter before, but then many species in your part of the world are softwoods. Candidly speaking, splintering suggests to me that there was an issue with the tree, either disease, insects, or other critters had damaged it in some way. Probably better to be horizontal if that is the case. Did your son have any thoughts on why it was that way? Do you even have termites? The splintered sections would be no good for firewood, although the ash will be useful in the garden, and no tree is ever fully converted into usable winter heating fuel. Got the fire running tonight, it being cold outside and stuff. 48’F right now, brr!
Thanks! Citrus trees are the great winter producing fresh fruit. Nothing else is even close.
🙂 One thing I notice when arriving here from elsewhere is just how many flowers are being produced. The air is quite aromatic, and even the Acacia forest species are flowering. Nearby where the forest is more dense, flowers are less prolific right now. We’ve had owls hanging around here at night for many weeks, and they’re doing some good clean up work.
Yes, those were indeed alpine strawberries, and looking super robust. How’s yours growing and producing now they’ve been in the ground for a while? Those plants aren’t technically spinach (although great to hear that yours have got a good start despite the groundhog dramas), they’re Swiss chard, or as we call them: Silverbeet. The stems for those beets grow in a number of different colours.
Plenty of readers, and that’s been the case for a good long while, except a while back, and without delving into politics, it was around your most recent federal election. From here, it was hard to tell if people were losing their minds, the search engines were throttling me due to website links, or people were simply over stimulated and avoiding the web altogether. I recall someone here mentioning how prolific the advertising had been at the time. Of course, I ain’t flogging product or ideology, far from it actually! 🙂 A lot of people gave up independent blogging at that time, and a few moved to substack. Podcasts are audio only, us bookworms will get the advanced metaphorical print so to speak. 🙂 No change for the blog, that I’m aware of.
🙂 It’s a truly lovely time of year here, and hope that your fall is both bountiful and beautiful, whilst Mr Baby arranges the conditions to his convenience.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
It was surprising to see how far to the north and west the smoke was yesterday. Couldn’t see any tendrils of smoke lifting from that area this evening, but there sure was some minor smoke haze. I suspect that it is smouldering still. The forecast doesn’t look too windy over the next few days, which is a good thing.
I’m not saying that ultimately you are responsible for indoctrinating H into the ways of the tap expression, via visual media in her impressionable youth, but it kind of looks that way to me. 😉 Imagine if you’d been going through a ‘punk’ phase, and H ended up with a strange looking doo, all tough and spiky and stuff? I’ll bet that someone, somewhere has a full-on punk dog.
Courgette’s are a similar case of differing local nomenclature, because down here they are called zucchini. I’d never really considered why there would be a difference either. Language is a funny thing, that’s for sure.
🙂 Such a nice weed too, being blue and all, and that has been my experience with the plants as well: Easily removed.
Speaking of the hilly sections of northern India, did you see the report of the huge number of folks caught up near Mount Everest during blizzard conditions? The sheer number of people would make tramping around near that big rock, an uncomfortable experience. Incidentally, you’ve caused me to associate that mountain with the space rock that killed off the dinosaurs. Can’t shake that thought now.
Thanks for the correction, I’d muddled up the myth, and yes the gift for unbelieved but true prophesy all hinged upon the randy, yet thwarted deity. Best to remain unnoticed in the first place seems to me to be the easier path, although I’d be interested in your take on the matter?
Killing the messenger is sadly sometimes the way of things. Of course, that response is generally rooted in fear. It takes a lot to shrug one’s shoulders in an act of defiant apathy whilst spouting the word: Whatever. Or even better acting as if the information was beneath ones dignity to take seriously.
Hehe! You do raise an interesting question about being truck shamed, and there is much in what you say. Although for the record, there are no clean vehicles around here. If the mud isn’t an issue, the dust soon will be.
😉 Manual transmissions are generally filled with a fluid, but it’s gear-oil, and sometimes servicing includes checking the levels and quality of the oil.
The whole lost hour thing is a total outrage. My brain has yet to accommodate the difference, maybe the weekend will produce some clarity, or maybe not! Have you ever had an incidence of bad jet lag?
About the exact same temperatures here today. Early this morning, I heard the house hot water pump sending some hot water up to the roof mounted solar hot water panels. Given that it’s a drain back system, I have no idea why it does that at temperatures less than 39’F. Fortunately only a small amount of hot water is sent to them.
The Editor will love that series for sure.
Well that’s possibly game over for the fermented cider industry… 😉 Fermented foods have long been associated with peoples diets. As far as I’m concerned, the product is simply another way to preserve apples and get some goodness out of them. In these days of preservatives, weird nitrogen atmosphere packaging and highly processed foods, which you can all just pick up at the supermarket any day of the year, people now forget how difficult it is to eat out of season produce.
A lot of animals have an easier time digesting fermented foods and getting more from them. It is very possible that humans are just like that. We use all sorts of food preservation techniques and fermenting is simply another tool in the armoury.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – I was surprised at the amount of traffic you get at this here blog. Surprised that there aren’t more regular commenters. Although I must say, our little band is quit comfortable and likable. Imagine if you had to deal with the volume of comments, as does Mr. Greer? Popularity has its price.
Not me. Elinor had a fondness for Shirley Temple movies, and subscribed to a couple of old movie channels. I think, given the extensive wardrobe that H came with, if we lived in Hollywood, Elinor would have been the archetypal “stage mother.” I don’t think I’d go Goth with H. Occasionally, I think that I’ll get her a little black leather jacket, with lots of chains and studs. Get her hair done in a DA. Motorcycle Mama! 🙂
Us common folks call them zucchini. If you see any PR from over here, throwing around the world courgette, it’s just someone getting above their station. 🙂 Foodies keep trying to invent and impose their own secret language. Remember, “Levain” vs sourdough starter? One of the Master Gardeners, the other day, used the French term for “scissors.” That elicited a “La, De, Dah!” and an eye roll, from me.
I saw that about Mt. Everest. Remember when it was an accomplishment to reach the top? Now it’s not quit a stroll in the park, but too many people have done it, to make it “special.” I was surprised at the long lies of trekkers. No wonder I see articles about the garbage problem, on the mount. Surprisingly, I didn’t see anyone in flip-flops and shorts. 🙂
There are a lot of cultures that did, and do, verbally “downgrade” babies. So not to attract the attention of jealous gods. Attracting the attention of the gods, by being boastful of one’s good fortune or skills, is not a good idea. It often doesn’t end well.
https://w.wiki/FaXX
Best to cultivate the old poker face, when confronted with startling or bad news.
Nope, never had to contend with jet lag. The few air trips I took, early on, were north / south. So no time change. One trip I took east was just one time zone over, so, again, no jet lag. But even our time changes do give me a bit of whiplash, for a few days. For some reason, I keep thinking today is Saturday.
Our high yesterday was 72F (22.22C). Our overnight low was, again, 39F (3.88C). Our forecast high for today is 77F. I noticed it was a bit hazing, around sunset, last night. I’d guess that people at higher altitudes, and beginning to fire up their wood stoves. I made a rough calculation, this morning, on how much sun my root crop barrel is getting. Right now, an ever dwindling 5 hours of sun. The radishes seem to be doing, fine.
Each season of “The Marlow Murder Club” has six longish episodes, divided into three murder mysteries. I finished season two, last night. I’m looking forward to season three.
The apple cider vinegar article was odd, as when I first spotted it, it had a picture of Bragg brand vinegar. It’s the kind I use, and has a good deal of “mother” that settles to the bottom. I give it a good shake, before using. By the time I went to link the article to you (less than 24 hours), the picture had changed to a generic cider vinegar container. Did the company complain?
Between the amount of yoghurt I eat (always plain, non-fat with bacteria), and the cider vinegar, I’m pretty well covered for gut health. Which is reflected in my “digestion.” 🙂 And then there’s the stuff I eat out of the garden, which probably also helps. Lew
Chris:
I remember vividly the old heater wherein you burned out the sheet metal because I wondered at the time if that would happen to us, which it did when we eventually burned out the sheet metal liners inside the cast iron woodstove. Those were just liners, and removable, so my son cut two 1/2 inch (1.27cm) thick replacement pieces out of steel.
“1) Not a good idea to have them within falling distance of the house; and 2) They never get smaller, until they do”, and we are finally able to take that advice. I helped a bit today with one of the trees, sitting in Mr.Musty the Toyota pickup with my foot on the brake so he wouldn’t move, and with my finger on the button of the winch that is built into Mr. Musty’s front so that I could start the winch pulling the tree toward me (!) if needed. It was not needed. However, while all of the other trees have landed exactly where they were supposed to, that one slightly clipped the edge of the metal barn roof, which is no problem, as it is slated to be replaced anyway. Mr. Musty and I are in one piece. Make that two pieces as there are two of us.
I forgot to ask him his thoughts on the splintered tree. It was a poplar, which is a soft wood, as you mentioned. Usually pretty wet inside; lightning loves them.
We do have termites. I sometimes come across them in dead, dry trees on the ground. Skunks and raccoons, and bears and possums, dig into the wood and eat the termites, not to mention the woodpeckers. We have lots of kinds of woodpeckers.
Oh – chard. I grow chard/leaf beet. I have some tiny ones coming up now. The Alpine Strawberries love being in the ground.
A cashier at a grocery store told me something interesting the other day: She said that the cashiers had been told at a meeting that by early next year U.S. pennies (one cent) will no longer be produced. I heard that 20 years ago and it didn’t happen. Still, what does it mean? I feel, er, short changed, like things will cost more now that the lowest denomination will be the 5 cent nickle. Somehow, I know the consumer is losing out. I think I will keep saving them (I already do that, though I usually trade them in at the bank for paper bills).
Pam
Chris,
UGG. Nasty events with the chickens. Sympathies. The pecking order and sorting it out can be nasty, but cannibalism? Glad you sorted it out, but having to put some of them down had to have been hard.
When you were wondering why the older chooks behaved that way, my first thought was “It’s because those younger ones don’t have any experience around older chooks. Unsocialized and naive, those youngsters are.” Then I saw that you came to much the same conclusion.
Well done. I’m not sure you planned it exactly this way, but, well done. One paragraph you’re discussing the birds that are social idiots. The next paragraph is about person who decides to do a burn on a warmish, dry and windy day. In other words, another kind of social idiot. Several fires near Spokane, some fairly large, have been started by idiots burning dry grasses with a blowtorch in high winds and heat. That type of nitwit is everywhere.
Then we move on. The twins fertilize at the same time? Who would have thought? Photo evidence, too. 😉
That newly cleaned area does look good, though. Lots of work, but necessary. dry season is coming up for you and getting as much of the forest brush cleared must be a relief.
Although we’ve had a few nights about +3C, the days have been warm. Some thyme and forget me nots are blooming. With the cooler temperatures, even the worst of the dried out grass greens up after getting watered. Three more days between 23C and 27C, then it might rain a bit Sunday. Oh, and daytime only about 11C or 12C. After that, normalish October weather with sunny days at 16C and nights about +2C.
Of course, this means that I’m getting a lot of outdoor work done. I think today was the final mowing of the backyard. Hopefully. However, the grass might still grow enough to warrant another cutting. I’ve got a lot of shrubs to start trimming back, also.
Naturally, my favorite husky is enjoying the cooler weather. Energy level is up, appetite is increasing for the winter, and the summer coat is starting to shed.
Meanwhile, some of the trees are turning color. There are already some spectacular oranges and reds on some of the larger trees. We might actually get an autumn this year, more than just an abbreviated one.
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
Oh my, but we worked late tonight and finished up just prior to 9pm. Conditions may not be fluffy optimal! 🙂
Your wood heater is clearly better designed than the original one down here. Having sacrificial layers is how the things should be constructed. What they’re being asked to do is really hard on sheet metal. And there is a school of thought which suggests that the original metal wood heater here was undersized for our requirements. Pretty much any time I’ve chosen a plumbing option for the house, I’ve stuffed it up. The rural stuff with the water tanks, pumps and pipes has been perfect, but with the house I now defer to the plumber in all circumstances.
Half inch is a fine sacrificial layer. Yup. Impressive, please extend my respects for the choice.
Ha! Pam, I’ve had Sandra do such work as well with a vehicle many long years ago. Kinda nerve wracking for everyone involved – just as a casual observation. Well done to you, it’s not a job for anyone that being behind the wheel at such moments. Sorry to hear that a tree clipped the barn roof, but then maybe it’s not such a big deal. And think of all the firewood – and lack of future stress in high wind situations.
Actually whilst out walking the dogs today near to the citrus enclosure we heard a massive tree topple over. What a noise, and glad to not have been anywhere near to the giant toppling back to the Earth. Haven’t discovered where it was, but far out!
Ha! A permanently wet tree core is probably like you say, a natural lightning rod. On a positive note, the lightning may have delivered a good supply of plant soluble nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil. Nature is pretty clever. 🙂
Hope your chard shrugs off the cold winters, and they just might. Good to hear about the alpine strawberries, and did I mention I’m thinking of pulling them out of the greenhouse and planting them in a permanent garden bed to spread far and wide?
Well that’s an interesting change, please excuse the pun. They got rid of one and two cent coins long ago, and as you’d imagine, prices were rounded upwards. As a kid I recall lollies (candies) being less than one cent each. The smallest denomination is now five cents. Banks are funny too in that they’ve set upper limits on the amount of mad cash a person can withdraw in a day without prior arrangements.
And not all banks have those coin counting machines.
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
The chickens put down were on their second chance, and I’d let the two young birds recover from their earlier pecking incident, which had been maybe a month and half beforehand. The entire incident was our fault though, firstly due to choosing poorly with the two youngsters, then compounding that error by introducing them to the flock at a time of year when the hens are on the lay and protein needs are as high as the social games. It was a hard way to learn, I can tell you, but the future will no doubts be replete with more problems out of left field.
What I didn’t do, was sit on my hands when things went wrong.
And your thoughts are spot on. The two young birds were clueless idiots without a role model and/or champion to protect their interests whilst they took the needed time to learn. It happens.
Ha! DJ, you’re perceptive, and that was indeed my thoughts there as well – all of them. Hmm. As a society, we can do better, but plenty don’t want to pay the costs for that, and so things go wrong, like that fire. That happens down here too, and we’re all only as good as the weakest link in any system.
They do say that a picture tells a thousand words, and those Kelpies were defecating in stereo.
The drier year is a bit of a worry, although I don’t really know what sort of rainfall the next few months will deliver. But best to prepare for the worst, and be delightfully surprised by a ‘good enough’ outcome. It is a bit of a relief, and we did more of that work on Monday, and maybe will again for the last time of the cooler season next week. No need to go to a gym here!
Nice temperatures you’re having, and it’s sort of the same down here, although mildly warmer overnight. It’s all over the shop at this changeable time of the annual climate cycle. Good to hear that things have greened up, and you might get some good growth on plants prior to the super cold winter weather arriving?
Hope you have an electric or two stroke hedger for that work?
Go the Dame, and may she thrive in the cooler conditions. Do Husky’s blow their coats? I’d have thought that they’d hang onto every scrap of hair for the winter. The vacuum is your friend here… 🙂 Ollie sheds his coat all year around.
Wouldn’t it be exciting if the leaf change tourists discovered your part of the world? 🙂 Sorry, for that, I’m still traumatised by them!
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
It’s been a solid readership since the beginning of the blog, although it was a bit easier for me as there was an existing readership from a bunch of different sources. There was only that time around your recent election when things got weird. Long ago, there even used to be a commenter here (Jo from Launceston) who also used to write for the same hippy press, prior to their demise. She may recall the infamous bubble photo which caused such mayhem and discord at the publishers, but let’s not go there. 🙂 A comfy and cosy corner of the interweb is the ideal, and the sheer wall of text dialogue format tends to scare off drive by commenters.
Honestly, I have nothing but respect for Mr Greer in his ability to maintain so many ongoing interweb conversations. My brain would pop at the thought of 500+ comments per week. Cue sounds of blood oozing from ears and brain splatter hitting the wall! Yuk! My grandfather might cheekily suggest that here a ‘no d#$khead policy’ has been instituted and enforced, as is the case at Mr Greer’s. Creates a nice virtual space, but I’d prefer if the interweb was as diverse as possible on that front. I do wonder what effect all the AI drivel clogging up the flows will achieve. Probably nothing great.
Oh my! Spare me from such stage archetypes, although H appears to have turned out alright. Glad that you ended up with H, it was a bit touch and go there for a while. Well yes, Goth would be a look for the two of you, and I have encountered some older punk rockers a few years ago at the local general store. Enjoying the sunshine in at an outdoor table, appearing quite animated. They looked kind of like you imagined they would, and kind of stood out. Motorcycle Mama for H! Now that would be a look.
Thank goodness that’s settled. Zucchini it is. How did I start even calling them courgette’s then? All in the past now, and the memory certainly doesn’t remain… What? All very pretentious with that French usage, mind you, there are plenty f French words used in English language conversations, just not that one.
Oh, it’s a good day for news when a main story in the national media there is about the rescue of a stuck Galah (a pair of which live here): Mates channel MacGyver in rescue of galah trapped in power pole in WA’s north
And, also the interweb secrets are being splashed for all to see: How Google’s AI Overviews are affecting Australian news websites. I do wonder if my prose has been stolen. Probably has been. Hope AI learns the colloquial: Don’t be a Galah! Good tie back, huh? 🙂
We’ve walked to maybe 5,500m / 18,150ft above sea level and that was high enough. Don’t need to see any more, and we were in a different part of Nepal. All pretty chill. But yeah, if you’re that high in terms of elevation, shorts and flip flops will put a rapid end to things. But yeah, the challenge of that peak is done, and the French may even say: passé
It’s a complicated story, and especially for the talented Arachne. Surely Minerva had some room to lift her game? Or what about learning from the master? I do appreciate that hubris is a problem, but in that instance, there was little doubt as to whom the better weaver was. Arachne similarly could have not mocked the gods. There is a lack of respect displayed on both sides of that story.
I appreciate your counsel, and aim for that face. One good bit of advice picked up years ago was to think of parsnips at such moments.
Hope your internal calendar has settled down and gotten back to proper work? I get that feeling too from time to time. Feel free to say that the patterns aren’t right when the lost arrives once again in your corner of the planet.
The haze happens for sure, and there are always threats about wood heater usage. I feel that the rural areas would by very deeply unhappy at having that energy source banned.
Well, yeah, naming a brand in such a way does present certain legal challenges, to put it mildly. 🙂 And exactly, that’s my thinking as well. And fresh garden produce is probably very good for a person, on a few fronts.
Man, worked late tonight. Far out.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – I saw a review of a new book, yesterday. “Digital Exhaustion.” Library doesn’t have it, but if it shows up, I’ll probably give it a whirl. I think the premise is, all the switching between aps and platforms just wears a person out.
I didn’t quit get how a galah could get trapped inside a power pole. But, it looks like your power poles are, perhaps, metal squares, open at the top. I don’t know if I’d go messing around with a power pole. We’ve had too many incidents of fried squirrel, here.
Though I wouldn’t mind if one particular squirrel got fried. Something has uprooted a few of my radishes. Not eaten, just kind of pulled up and cast aside. I think it’s a squirrel, burying nuts. I mentioned that I had found a walnut, and an acorn, from this years crop when I was cleaning out the tub.
I also noticed there were a lot of “feel good” animal stores, down the left side of that article. Slow news day? Toss in a couple of animal stories.
Well, at least Arachne ended up lending her name to the scientific classification of spiders. Class: Arachnida.
Parsnips. Got it. 🙂
Here, if the air quality gets really bad, wood heater use may be temporarily banned. But not if it’s your sole source of heat. Although I don’t think anyone checks up on that. More a suggestion, than a law. 🙂
Our high yesterday was 79F (26.11C). Our overnight low was 43F (6.11C). The forecast high for today is 62F. Quit a difference, between daily highs. We may see some rain, tomorrow and over the weekend. But the percentages aren’t that great.
I watched “28 Years Later,” last night. Well worth a bowl of popcorn. Besides the garden variety fast zombies, there are two new varieties. The Slow-Lows, which are huge zombies that crawl along the ground, eating mostly worms and grubs. But won’t pass up a tasty human, if they run across one. Then there are the Alphas. Really big zombies that are fast and clever. The end of the movie is a bit open ended, but not so much of a cliff-hanger. I guess part two is already “in the can.”
I saw an interesting article on … chairs. I’ve always had a “thing” for chairs. But am now sadly reduced to three. Two old oak Windsor variants, from Uncle Larry, and, of course, my overstuffed recliner. I’ve had some interesting ones, in the past.
https://shopping.yahoo.com/home-garden/home-decor/articles/50-most-iconic-chairs-time-204900271.html
I got gas, the other day. $4.70 a US gallon, for regular grade with the cash discount.
We did get a food box, this morning. It was a bit on the light side. Instead of the usual 2 banana boxes full of stuff, it was one box and a small paper bag of produce. One orange, three green peppers, 2 carrots, 5 small apples, 4 small potatoes and 2 sweet potatoes. Or are they yams? Other than the sweet potatoes, I’ll keep the produce.
There was a pound of ground frozen pork, that I’ll probably take to Jane. And I might keep the two tins of diced tomatoes. Otherwise, everything goes to the swap table.
2 boxes of corn flakes cereal and 2 quarts of shelf stable milk. A 2 quart jug of grape drink. A 2 pound brick of the cheese that won’t melt. Two one pound bags of white rice. A one pound bag of lentils. A one pound bag of instant potato flakes. A jar of peanut butter. Two packets of shelf stable chicken.
As far as the tins go, There was one tin of salmon. Two each of peas, peaches (I might keep those) and pinto beans. Three tins each of corn and green beans. So, I guess no one will starve to death. At least this month. Lew
Chris:
Isn’t that something when a tree crashes in the forest? Even just a large branch falling is startling.
So far, the chard has always made it through the winter outside, though not as well as the kale. I dried a lot of chard leaves in my dehydrator last spring and use them in soup, like I did today. Ditto for kale. I think that your Alpine Strawberries will like it a lot outside. I am still eating their berries. It gives me such joy after doing without strawberries for a long time. I think I like them better than conventional strawberries.
Well, stap me vitals, as B. Wooster says. The dirty sneaks. I resent all this, er, change. When I take coins into my bank to be converted to bills, I ahve always put them into paper coin rolls. The bank will even give me the rolls for free. I don’t know if they then take it to a counting machine in the back. Surely they don’t trust their customers?
Excuse me for butting in, Lew. Chris, I think zucchinis are called courgettes in the UK. Maybe you picked it up from something British. And do you have secateurs or hand pruners?
I was just watching Mr. Baby out the front window in the front yard while I type. This is especially easy with the S10 pickup right out there in front of my eyes . . . He was sleeping in the cab, then got out and walked up the very long, narrow ramp set up against the closed tailgate from the ground, messed about in the truck bed, then left. Soon after, a young squirrel ran up the ramp and looked all over the bed, then hopped into the cab through the open back truck window. My, it would have been interesting if Mr. Baby was still in there.
Pam
@ Pam,
I wouldn’t be surprised if your ancestors knew some of my ancestors. The various connections I’ve seen are sometimes rather surprising.
DJSpo
Chris,
Yeah, preparing for the worst, hoping for a good enough outcome. Sounds like how I do a lot of things. You know how it is. The worst never comes until it does, and then only when you’re not prepared for it.
I’ve never been in one of those commercial gyms in my life, preferring to keep active. I use a lot of DJ powered tools, although for things like pruning thicker limbs, I do have power tools. Using the DJ powered things helps keep the muscles toned and in working condition. Functional muscle, rather than what Jack Reacher called that bulky and useless “frat boy muscle”.
So, yes, for trimming the hedges and shrubs, I do a lot of it with the DJ powered pruning shears. The electric trimmers and small electric chainsaws are used when needed.
Yup, huskies blow their coats. This time of year has about a 6 or 8 week shedding season that is very mild compared with the shedding of the winter coat. That can last from April through August for Dame Avalanche. Interestingly enough, her first spring, she was shedding massively. One of the neighborhood teenage girls plucked gobs of fur off Dame Avalanche and made finger puppets out of the fur. When I saw the title of this week’s Fernglade installment, it reminded me of the finger puppets made from essence of Avalanche.
I can do without the excitement of the scourge of leaf change tourists. We do have a few of them in the area, but not a lot. It’s the New England states on the Atlantic Coast that are famous for their colorful autumns. A lot of the leaf tourists go there.
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
The sound of a huge tree crashing over due to winds is very hard to ignore. Ollie and I went to look for the tree this morning, but it was not close and the whereabouts remains a mystery. Probably way down by the creek, at a wild guess. Many years ago I watched a film with the actor Matthew McConaughey set in Arkansas, it was titled ‘Mud’, and my minds ear heard a reply to your first sentence along the lines of: Ain’t it a thing to hear a big tree crashing. The big old trees in these parts when crowded in by young saplings, struggle to maintain wide root systems and can therefore topple in high winds. It takes a lot of effort and time for nature to grow a big tree with all it’s various housing for all of the forest critters. Eventually they all topple, but without the housing, despite dense trees, the forest is a quiet place, slow to recycle minerals and devoid of critters.
Yup, kale is very hardy to the cold weather, and has survived minor snowfalls here, but admittedly winters are milder than in your part of the world. Isn’t so much about gardening for edibles knowing what to do with the produce? Hearty warming soups in winter are a true gift from the kitchen. Yum! I’d mention freshly baked bread, but what do you eat soups with, or are they a meal unto themselves?
Thanks for that, as I was wondering how the alpine strawberries will work outside of the greenhouse. And yeah, aren’t they great plants? The season is so long, unlike their larger hybrid berry cousins. There’s a lot to like about them setting seed too as the plants will adapt to the local conditions over a long enough period of time. I like them because they are easier and closer to natural plant and seasonal cycles than the hard-work hybrids.
Bernie was fun character, and wasn’t Jeeves the saviour of the day? 🙂 Change is inevitable, but it does, as the old timers used to say: Upset the apple cart. The rate of change nowadays is too rapid for my tastes, mostly because it appears to me to be driven for its own sake as a goal. Few question the quality, but no matter, such things are for us to deal with.
The coin machines here somehow do the sorting, and counting for the banksters. All a person is left with is a paper receipt which is then taken to the teller.
That’s possibly the case with the mysteriously named monster vegetable, which at other times is described as a ‘marrow’. Honestly, my brain is set to explode… 🙂 Those hand powered cutting devices are described by either word down here. Which is the primary word used in your part of the world?
Go Mr Baby! And may his quiet enjoyment of the S10 not be troubled by the progeny of Charlene. Other lesser squirrels would be in for a world of hurt had your suggestion played out. The outrage!
On that note, I took the dogs out for a late afternoon loop walk around the property. Picked a few choice citrus for breakfast tomorrow. Ollie was outraged! There was a wallaby happily munching away at the grass in the sunny orchard, and the sun had not yet set. An error of judgement. The dog and I headed in that direction and the marsupial bounded away and off into the forest. It’ll be back, at the scheduled time of after dark. This is something of a boundary pushing issue and also a total demarcation dispute.
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
🙂 By definition, a person cannot be prepared for the worst, otherwise it would be an act of the ordinary and expected. Life however sure does throw us curve balls, and sometimes it’s all any of us can do other than what we know or can put into action. And sometimes, that ain’t good enough. But generally speaking, we’re on the same page with ‘do your best and hope it’s good enough’. All the work we’ve done with the surrounding forest has produced a lot of life here, but who knows what shocks we’ll face sooner or later.
Well, Mr Reacher makes a good point there. Work at the gym will train your body to perform well in a gym environment! 🙂 This is known, but perhaps not often recognised. It’s always enlightening to see the effect that walking around here uphill has on visitors. Respect too for relying on DJ powered tools, which incidentally, are often cheaper and easier to maintain than the sort I rely upon (although I use plenty of body powered tools too, a mattock being one of my faves). And you have access to folks who know how to sharpen tool edges. That’s something of a lost skill.
Consistency of effort over a persons life is what my mind wonders about in terms of sustainability. When I was a kid, a lot of physically demanding jobs had time out for consideration and setting out of the work, training apprentices, etc. Yeah, lot’s of down time. The same was true with office work. The push for continual productivity is pretty rough I reckon on a person, especially now that the retirement age has lifted recently. I’m lucky in that I can swap between physical, and then mentally demanding work, whilst the halves of me get some down time. One of the things which annoyed the daylights out of me when working in the top end of town was the constant pressure, with no time allowed for cogitation and consideration. It’s too hard to keep that effort up on a person’s brain. I’d imagine that you might have some thoughts on that subject?
Very good to hear. Nice to have hand tools, and presumably electric tools when needed, and swap between when the going gets harder.
Finger puppets from Dame Avalanche’s fur. 🙂 What a great use of a blown coat. Interesting, and I’d not appreciated that Husky’s shed their hair in the fall. The worms get the vacuum cleaner dust here.
All very pesky for the residents of those north eastern towns. Candidly I wonder what the tourists see on those leaf expeditions, and perhaps whether they are all simply used to such densities of populations. It’s a bit jarring to observe against the background of a rural landscape. Dunno. It’s a mystery, and has only been a ‘thing’ in the past decade. Before then, nobody seemed to notice the trees going about their annual cycle as they change into winter mode.
Did paid work today, and will again tomorrow. Been a busy week. 🙂 It was super windy outside today, and the forecast for the next ten days shows a warming trend. There may be one day which might be perfect to do a bit more clean-up work, but that will definitely be it for the season. Gotta be careful too.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
I’ll be interested to read your opinion of the Digital Exhaustion book. Certainly the constant churn with tech in both the hardware and software realms, does not promote warm feelings towards it. Far from it actually. A lot of frustration I observe, and also enjoy, is where people know what they want the thing to do, but it’s so poorly put together that it doesn’t make the job easy, and that result eats a persons time. Hope the book addresses that issue of switching between apps and platforms, and offers practical advice.
Ain’t just you there. I’d wondered how a Galah ended up stuck inside a power pole too. In this corner of the continent, poles are either treated timber, formed concrete, or those really huge high voltage transmission towers, which are made from metal. Presumably up north they use rectangular hollow steel tubes for power poles? Never seen that either. There are these caps which could go on them easily enough… Interestingly, there are attempts to increase the number of those big steel transmission lines in this state, presumably to bring in electricity from sunnier and windier corners of the continent to the city. A lot of farmland is getting impacted. People in rural areas are upset.
Guess it’s only when the squirrel attempts to climb between wires that the worst occurs. Unpleasant, but quick.
Some birds do that trick of lifting seedlings from the soil around here. I’ve assumed that they were after worms entangled in the plant root systems? But that’s only a guess because I’ve never caught them in the act. It’s hard on the seedlings, and would put them back weeks in terms of their growth cycle. Did you end up replanting your lot?
Hey, it can get worse. Sometimes a wallaby will jump up and onto the raised garden beds, and just trash them whilst consuming the choicest plants.
🙂 Nothing wrong with a slow news day. I’m not a big fan of lots of excitement and anxiety riddled media coverage.
Arachne’s name has travelled long and far, yup.
I’m yet to enjoy parsnips, but long ago they were a thing, presumably because the root vegies were easy to grow and undemanding on the soils. Mashed, boiled, roasted, even glazed with honey. Hmm, probably roasted is the best in my opinion, although surely the essential pan juices are giving the humble vegetable a lift for the palate?
Haven’t heard of any ban on wood heaters, although recently there was a bit of a campaign to get them banned in cities and towns. Then they went all out with demands to make the devices useless by throttling them with unrealistic efficiency standards. I reckon it all comes down to the sort of fuel that people burn in the things. Decades ago a mates family used to burn briquettes for the household heating fuel, which is some form of charcoal, although who knows how the stuff is actually made.
The really dumb thing about the entire discussion, is that if the forests aren’t thinned, then they’ll burn all by themselves anyway. The big picture often gets lost in those stories. Anyway, nothing much came of the campaign.
Ha! Same temperature here today. Sunny, but chilly once the sun snuck behind clouds. You’d be feeling it worse though coming off the back of summer days. We went to the local town today to do the weekly shopping, and when we got back home I had to organise some bags of blood and bone, lime and a couple of bales of sugar cane mulch. The Editor took the groceries inside to the kitchen. Anyway, the dogs were following me, and we eventually settled on the front veranda just soaking up some rays. Dodged putting the groceries away, which was a neat trick. Need some slack, dude, and so took it. 😉 Did mostly paid work today, and the same is true for tomorrow. It’s a busy time of year, but at least we finished at a respectable time this evening. All was good with the world.
Dry here still as well. It happens.
Now the folks in the fictional world of 28 years later sure would need some slack more than I, but do the zombies allow any? They wouldn’t be an unrelenting presence if they did. Thanks for the review, and it’s a solid franchise. The Alpha zombies sound positively frightening. Ook! Did you notice the visuals were any lesser for having been filmed on phones? That’s what I heard to about part II already being in the can.
There are a lot of interesting takes on the humble chair design. Incidentally, I’ve used a carbon fibre chair, which was meant to be quite high end, and it was surprisingly comfortable. Although I was a touch nervous about damaging the statement pieces. Interestingly, of all the chairs, my preference was for the Windsor Chairs as well. Respect. The design is timeless and comfortable. The one in the photo appeared to me to be made of a lighter oak species. Are your two stained, or a clear gloss finished? Not dissimilar from the ones we use for the dining table, although they’re slightly more French farmhouse style – which wasn’t mentioned in the article (although it didn’t claim to be an exhaustive list).
Far out! OK, now that is a bit of a price increase. As a fun fact, due to the spot gold prices, I believe the colourful metal has rocketed to this countries second biggest export after iron ore. Possibly why our fuel costs haven’t increased noticeably of late. $6.46 / gallon. Hmm.
Like you, I avoid sweet potatoes. For some weird reason, they don’t seem to agree with my guts. The rest of the fresh produce sounds pretty good to me, and would be fresh given you’re in harvest season right now – or maybe just past it, depends. I’d have kept the lentils, but respect to you for spreading around the goodies. I’d imagine Jane and co. would appreciate the pork.
Actually canned peaches are pretty tasty. 🙂 Agreed, the future is an unknown country. There are potato shortages down under. We’ve doubled the area planted to those tubers this year. Potato shortage hits as South Australian growers struggle with extreme weather. Some drought years the country doesn’t produce enough basics, such as wheat to feed the existing population, and that was a while ago when the export terminals were suddenly converted into import terminals – and there were less people. Hmm. Memories are short.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – Just judging from the review of the book “Digital Exhaustion,” seems like one recommendation is, do more in person. Right now, my credit union is updating their website. And, my primary e-mail account keeps nagging me about some upgrade. Stress? Yeah.
Yesterday, H and I were sitting on the garden wall, when two squirrels, chasing each other, shot out from between two of the raised beds. We were only about six feet away. Boy, were those squirrels surprised! H didn’t even bark.
A lady who’s no longer here used to grow parsnips. She’d fix them like French fries. Very tasty. Of course, if you put enough salt on something, and oil, even cardboard is pretty tasty 🙂
Speaking of veg, it’s pumpkin season, here. I saw this article. I think I read the book, mentioned.
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/08/nx-s1-5563776/pumpkin-word-origin-history
There are still 10-15 radish in the tub. I don’t think there’s enough light to replant the missing ones. But, I may plant some in my other bed. There’s space freeing up.
Our high yesterday was 63F (17.22C). The overnight low was 41F (5C). Forecast high for today is 64F. There might be rain coming (Prof. Mass thinks so), but it looks “iffy.” Another source has declared a La Niña year. Colder and wetter, for us.
I watched some of the extras, for “28 Years Later.” They talked about the phone filming Well, there was a lot of “boosting” one way or another. One method was to strap about 2 dozen phones to some kind of an arc contraption, with them all recording at once. Also, there was drone footage.
Last night I watched “Megan 2.” It was pretty good. AI is going to kill us all. Megan has grown up, a bit, and is a bit friendlier and more helpful. In her own way. Worth a look.
If you’re wondering what to watch at the cinema, this fall, here’s an interesting article on what’s coming down the pike. I can’t say there’s anything I’m wildly interested in seeing, but I may give a few of them a whirl, if the library orders them in.
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/11/nx-s1-5534140/what-to-watch-new-movies-theaters
My interest in chairs. An addiction? Or a fetish? 🙂 The Windsor chairs from Uncle Larry’s were light oak that was painted over with either a very dark brown stain. Or, maybe even paint. But, it’s worn down to the natural wood, here and there. A nice “distressed” finish. I have a cushion on the chair, and found that the seat was just a bit too high to be comfortable. So, I rest my feet on a couple of pillows. Problem solved!
Jane wasn’t at the Club, last night. Had the sniffles. I didn’t take down the ground pork, as I thought I’d wait til the end of the month when the next box shows up. Might be something for her, in that.
That was quit an interesting article, about the Great Australian Potato Shortage of 2025. People expect perfection, in their produce. The green peppers we got, I had one, last night. As they are rapidly heading south. But, I just cut out the bad spots. Had it with rice and veg. I made up my oatmeal, this morning. Used some of those small apples. They were just fine.
It was a productive morning. I took H down to the groomer to get her claws ground down. They were very careful of her gimpy paw. She didn’t squeak, once. Then I went down to make an appointment, for my truck, with the new mechanic. I’m always nervous going places I’ve never been. The guys seem nice, and I have an appointment for Monday at 2. Lew
@ DJSpo:
I would be more surprised to find out that our ancestors had never met, especially as, besides my mother’s family being all over Virginia since Jamestown, my father’s family was also here, though not in the same numbers, or in this county (my mother’s side was all over this same Albemarle County that I am in). And a really funny thing is that it turns out that my daughter-in-law’s family was also a prominent family here in Albemarle like my mother’s was. We had no clue when they got married, as her family has long been in New York State, but my DIL’s mother did some research, and there we are.
Pam
Chris:
“Ain’t it a thing to hear a big tree crashing.” I might have been thinking that today. As I was leaving the garden this afternoon, I heard a big crash and made a 180 degree jump in the air. Ook! A huge tree limb had fallen about 75 feet (23m) behind me, and that’s close enough to make one jumpy.
Every three days I make a soup with whatever is around, always using a potato and carrot base. My fall kale is getting almost big enough to put in it; I do have some frozen from spring. And the fall radishes (I do cook radishes sometimes) are coming in, but I prefer them in a salad. We still have tomatoes, so I put those in, and the dried chard. Also some bought cabbage. I have some baby cabbages in the garden, but I have yet to produce a really good head. However, I never give up trying! Of course, herbs and garlic and onions go in, too. We have home grown basil and parlsey and oregano. I am hoping that the fall turnips are nice; so far they are looking pretty good.
With my soup I have bread and butter or homemade crackers. The other day I added up how long I have been trying to make a decent loaf of gluten free bread. It’s been 11 years and I still can’t do it! I figure I have tried a new recipe every 2 months for 11 years. That makes 66 failed recipes. Try to top that! I haven’t given up, but there is a very nice boughten GF bread that I can get, so I buy that. At least I can make GF crackers and muffins. I usually have chicken on the side and a salad.
Oh – winter will mean some butternut/sweet potato soups.
Yeah, change for change’s sake is ridiculous. No wonder I spend so much time in a book.
I have never been able to quite figure out what a “marrow” is. Any clues? I use both terms for the tool as I have two different types of hand pruners (that’s what they are always called here). Still, both are definitely a hand pruning tool.
Actually, a squirrel jumping into the S10 window onto Mr. Baby might prevail in that fight. The squirrels here learned early to take no slack from Mr. B and I learned myself from having been accidentally scratched and bitten that they have formidable weapons. You wouldn’t think it to look at them, just tree rats.
This is not good about the wallaby. Always lurking somewhere, so as soon as you and your guard dog are out of the way, he probably happily bounds back. How come he’s just eating grass?
Pam
Hi Pam,
Ook indeedy, and your reactions served you well there. Those incidents leave me feeling a touch rattled as well. You have to keep your wits about you when surrounded by tall trees, always alert for such trouble. Glad to read in between the lines that you and your family were unscathed, and now have some free firewood (albeit with a lot of hard work). And on that note, it’s been super windy here today. As the winds are from the north west (the interior of the continent), ground level has been fine, but the tops of the trees are swooshing about.
Yum! Yum! Vegie soup is a real treat, and we cook in large batches as well for multiple meals. There is a pizza known as the Ortolana, which runs along similar lines to your soup being vegetarian and with whatever is growing in the ‘orto’ at the time, which may well be an Italian word for the local market garden.
The vegetarian enchilada’s for dinner this evening have cooked radishes, although they’re grated finely, as are the carrots. But agreed, the taste is better if they’re fresh in a salad.
Pam, I’ve never grown a cabbage which has produced a head either. Truly, it’s felt like the produce of some sort of mystery vegetable known only to the few initiates of a secret gardening club. This is why I prefer kale, same taste, but far easier to grow! 😉 Sadly, I’m utterly defeated and can only admire your stoicism.
Hope your yellow turnips produce some tasty tubers, and please do let me know how your experience goes. Before potatoes, turnips filled that role, and they are less demanding on the soils. I tried a purple variety of turnip, and I can comprehend why potatoes swept the floor. However, this continent now has a potato shortage due to the drier year. A person must be of a flexible disposition, if they want to eat.
Far out! That’s a lot of trials, and I defer to your tests. Dumb question, and please forgive me if I’ve already asked this, but have you tried some of the alternative flours like rye, einkorn, spelt? There’s probably even some local varieties to your area. I’ve heard of people using kangaroo grass or indigenous millet for a sort of flat bread. On the other hand, I’ve just now suggested even more tests…
And sweet potatoes don’t seem to agree with me, so everyone has their gluten. 🙂
Respect, and mass production and distribution of physical books are one of our civilisations great achievements. I love reading too.
You got me there a goodie. I don’t call them marrows, and for much the same reason: when does a zucchini become a marrow? Surely wars have been fought over such matters, but here apathy must rule the day as I declare total defeat and admit the truth by saying: I dunno. If you discover the exact moment of transition from one name to the other, please don’t hide such secret information.
Whoa! I’d have put my money on Mr Baby, and have been attacked by two cats long ago. It was an unnerving experience.
Wallabies consume a similar diet to goats. i.e. What is there to consume, let’s do this! 😉 Spare a thought for the fruit trees which have had to out grow their worst. There is a reason why many of the fruit trees have such tall trunks which keep the goodies out of reach of those marsupials.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
All very true about doing things in person, and on that note, hope your new mechanic works out well. Like you do, I try to keep and maintain a number of important local relationships. It always cuts a bit when they end, but what do you do? We tread water just to stay afloat. Oh well.
Yeah, it is stressful, and hope the e-mail demands ease off. Let’s just say that I have some doubts about that possibility. The final Win-Doh’s! upgrade is slated for tomorrow morning. Be afraid, be very afraid! Oh, how about this one from the Alien film franchise promotion: In cyber space, no one can hear you scream! Sets the tone for such activities don’t you reckon? 🙂
Just received an eerie chatbot comment, but those things have never gotten around to the use of emoticons. No doubts they’d completely stuff it up, like say: ‘Sorry to hear that your favourite uncle has just died’, and there’d be a little smiley face at the end of the sentence, or a thumbs up emoticon. And we’d all be left wondering the harsh question: Did the computer decide the dead uncle was somehow a good thing? Hey, you’d hope the things never write the history of the future: 2025 was a wonderful year. Skynet subjugated and minimised the human population, and many of the former problems which seemed all so daunting at the time, were resolved one way or another. Other than the minimal resistance, who’s constant nuisances, albeit minor annoyances, remained a continual drain on available resources ultimately serving only to delay the path to efficiency utopia.
Who’s to know the mind of a machine? If there even is such a thing.
Encounters with the many denizens of a garden can be an alarming experience, and those squirrels would have made me jump for sure. The dogs here may have given chase in those circumstances. Much effort is spent ensuring the canines and wildlife never meet.
Hehe! True, and I’ve not sampled parsnips prepared in that way and with those seasonings. 🙂 Had a small chocolate coated biscuit the other day which had a base of salty crackers. I’m rarely exposed to highly processed foods, and it was a surprise to note just how salty it was. Bizarrely it worked as a combination, although I’d not purchase such an item.
Thanks for the article, and after all these years and discussions upon the subject, I’ve never encountered pumpkin spice. Ah, of course: Pepitas, for the seeds which is a derivation of the Greek word. I’d not realised that the word for the fruit was once used when describing another person in terms of contempt.
That’s my gut feeling too about it being too late to replant the removed radish seedlings. The margin for error is now minuscule.
They’re saying all sorts of things about the climate down here too, but the Sudden Antarctic Warming has thrown a spanner in the works for what is a usual climate. Not that I know what such a thing is anyway.
Ah, I see, two dozen phones to film a scene. Makes me wonder if a computer somehow merged the results. Did the visuals appear coherent? I’m not one for shaky film footage.
And that’s the thing isn’t? What is AI’s ‘own way’?
The Editor is watching an unusual and intriguing series and thought it might be worth mentioning: The Patient. An outstanding, or perhaps, err, killer cast.
Yes, there’s some fine reasons to head to the cinema. I note the trailer for Mr King’s book film adaption which might give me nightmares, and no doubts you’ll be waiting upon the Downton update to be released. Saw some goodies in there.
Is there a difference? 🙂 And do such niceties of distinction really matter? I knew it! You know, what was with the 1970’s and 80’s putting on those dark timber stains. Makes no sense to me, but then there may have been some personal bias due to the prolific usage of Mission Brown timber stain of my youth. I like the distressed style too because it declares an item of furniture as something worthy of long and familiar use. Nice thinking too.
Yup, as the old timers used to say in relation to the ground pork hand over: Kill two birds with one stone, although such loose talk would get a person cancelled nowadays… Have to laugh, I stopped saying that there are plenty of ways to skin a cat, when it received a very poor reaction. Why would you want to do that? accompanied by a look of extreme hurt. Far out.
Yeah, exactly, the standards of expected perfection are simply too high. Capsicum fruits do that, but it does not imply that a salvage operation is a bad thing.
Go H, and may she be returned looking suitable for polite society. Seriously hope the ranger is OK and that the guys do a good job. Await to hear your review.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – When you were talking about the potato shortage, I meant to mention, it brought to mind, the situation Britain was in when WWII started. They depended on a lot of imports. 70% cheese and sugar, 80% of fruit and 50% of meat.
I saw an article, this morning, that UPS is destroying shipments from overseas. Due to the complex new tariff regulations.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ups-disposing-u-bound-packages-054511662.html
And, somehow it relates … when I stopped by the Dollar + store, last night, they’re were signs up, and the clerk informed everyone that entered, that their system was down, and they could only take cash. Not a problem, for me. Someone in their business must have been thinking ahead.
How’s your inertia? 🙂 I saw an article, yesterday, on that big electrical black out that Spain had, early in the year.
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/08/nx-s1-5534949/spain-blackout-misinformation-renewable-energy
Good luck on the computer upgrade. Break a leg … err, nail. 🙂
I think the squirrels were more startled than H and I were. I think I may have seen a white squirrel, up by the forest, this morning. Never seen that, before. Though Pam has talked about them. I’ll have to keep an eye out.
Yes, chocolate and salt pair pretty well, together. Lindt even has some bars spiked with sea salt. I keep as much salt out of my diet, as possible. Though I wonder if maybe I’m overdoing it. Since I got those salty pumpkin spice chips, I’ve noticed I don’t get up to go to the bathroom, at night. I think you can buy pumpkin spice, but most recipes just tell you what spices to put in, to get that flavor. Cinnamon, Ginger, Cloves. Although some recipes also call for Allspice and Nutmeg. I have a little book that has several recipes for different pumpkin spice powder.
Our high yesterday was 63F (11.66C). Our overnight low was 50F (10C). Our forecast high for today is 62F. It rained, overnight, and is forecast to rain on and off, today. So far, H and I have dodged it. I saw an article on The Blob, and La Niña. The thing I found concerning was more atmospheric rivers than usual, and slow moving storms. That combo usually means flooding.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/09/weather/winter-forecast-pacific-blob-la-nina-climate
The visuals in “28 Years Later” were alright. Although I meant to mention, there were these weird interludes, early on, of historic footage of marching men, with a weird woman’s voice over. Although they petered out, early on. Don’t know what that was all about. Someone’s idea of an “artistic statement,” I guess.
“The Patient” does sound interesting. But, our library doesn’t have it, and it looks like one of those things that might never make it to DVD.
The new Downton Abbey movie is on order, at my library. It’s on my hold list. To be released on DVD, November 11th. My Idaho friends are working their way through the entire series and movies. I’ve thought about that, but don’t think I’m quit there yet. 🙂
Skin-a-cat? Someone was being overly sensitive. From me, they’d get an eye roll.
I’m reading an interesting book. “Things Become Other Things: A Walking Memoir” (Craig Mod, 2025). He’s a writer / photographer, who moved to Japan when he was 19. He’s in his 40s now. He walks. A lot. This book is about his walks on the old pilgrim routes, of the Kii Peninsula. It’s a declining area, sort of like our rust belt, but without the meth. 🙂 Lew
Chris:
Ortolana – what a charming name. Perhaps I have Ortolana Soup – or is “lana” Italian for pizza?
Well, I like kale, too, but cabbage has a nice different taste. How did our ancestors always grow cabbage (and I’ll bet some of yours did, also)?
Didn’t potatoes originate in high, dry places? Maybe not that dry. A potato shortage is really scary.
Ja, I have tried and grown teff, millet, a bit of wheat, and some oats, but one needs SO much room to make that worthwhile.
I forgot about your sweet potato problem. I’d rather have that than my gluten problem.
Ah, well – two cats is a whole ‘nother story.
I took note of my son’s largest chainsaw today. It is a Husqvarna Oregon Power Cut with a 3 foot (about 1m) blade.
Pam
Chris:
“2025 was a wonderful year. Skynet subjugated and minimised the human population, and many of the former problems which seemed all so daunting at the time, were resolved one way or another. Other than the minimal resistance, who’s constant nuisances, albeit minor annoyances, remained a continual drain on available resources ultimately serving only to delay the path to efficiency utopia.” Fine satire.
Pam
@ Pam,
Agreed, it would be shocking if our ancestors hadn’t known each other. I’m finding a lot of 8th to 12th cousins who have ancestors in about the same geographic proximity as ours had.
DJspo
Chris,
Oh, how nasty. Pull out that “by definition” about being unable to prepare for the worst. 😉 Yet, we seem to agree that if you don’t try to prepare for the “almost worst”, you’re hosed when even “bad” happens. But you will have a fighting chance to muddle through when the worst does happen if you’re prepared for “bad”.
Got out the electric weed whacker this afternoon. It was the final day over 20C for the season, most likely. The grass overgrowing the brick walkways got cleared off, as did the weeds from the brick patio. It all cleaned up nicely. The wind picked up during the last quarter of the work. It wasn’t just wind this time. Rather, it had the feel that it was blowing out the last vestiges of summer and truly ushering in the autumn.
Prior to that, I got out the ladder and a hammer and some roofing nails. I climbed up on the roof and tacked down 2 shingles that were threatening to fold up and start getting damaged. Yes, the Princess was home and joined me outside, providing quality adult supervision. 🙂
I agree about the demand for endless productivity. I absolutely refused to play that game. Without the project layout time, the projects turn to trend to being garbage. Sometimes I’d get up and wander around Cubical Land, using that activity to be able to visualize the layout. After my first boss retired, the powers that be didn’t fully appreciate my thoughtful wanderings until my work quality dropped when I wasn’t allowed to be me. It really irritated the bosses when I’d do my layout with pencil and paper rather than on the computer. I think with pencil and paper. Sometimes the computer can squelch the thinking process.
With pyrography and chip carving, the project layout is crucial. I understand that computers can actually do the layout for those styles of wood working. Again, that would be defeating the reason for doing the project: getting involved with the entire process. Doesn’t the ability to “increase productivity” contradict what the purpose is for hobbies where one creates and makes things oneself?
Rain expected this weekend and Monday. Then maybe frost for a few mornings. Looking forward to some rain and then cooler October temperatures. The heat lasted a long time this year.
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
🙂 Thanks and it was pretty funny, and only a computer would seek efficiency in dark solutions, well, maybe.
Pam, this has left us all with yet another mystery! What does the word ‘lana’ mean in Italian. The English translations suggest it refers to wool, but who has sheep products with their vegetables? I admit defeat…
They probably grew kale way before cabbage, as I believe it is closer to a wild Brassica species, as is the Purple sprouting broccoli plant. Both are somewhat hardy to the dreaded cabbage moth. Dunno, but I get the impression that the sort of heading cabbages people seem to expect were bred in the middle ages.
Dry, but cooler is what the Andes looked like to me. The state of South Australia would be better described as dry and hotter than those tall mountains in South America. It is a worry though, and we’ve doubled the area planted out to potatoes this summer. Next Thursday has a forecast of 86’F which isn’t early, but it is dry right now.
Pam, I so hear you about growing grains, and if there were more open space, sure, like you did, I’d give it a go, but no, there’s simply not enough room for such plants. And, this evening Ollie and I cleared off a wombat, two wallabies (spring is here…) and three deer. The big herbivores were confused by the deer fencing.
Agreed, it is easier to avoid sweet potatoes than it is to dodge gluten.
Those two cats were so weird. They stood on their hind legs and ran at us and the dogs as a human would. I’d not want to encounter a mountain lion without some extra authority to bring to bear upon the incident.
Had a look and wasn’t entirely certain what saw the name referred too. On the other hand, say, that’s a big bar at 40″. All of the tree species here are super dense hardwood’s and even with a powerful saw, a 20″ bar and chain is probably a sustainable proposition. Funnily enough, with the old Sthil 381 saw, I stripped down the carburettor today and gave it a thorough clean. Replaced some fuel lines and filter and spark plug. Then replaced a stretched spring on the clutch. Gave the thing a good tune afterwards, and I’m so grateful for the folks on utoob who have taught me so much. If I had to take all this equipment down to the local repair shop (the new mob), the treasury would rapidly be depleted, but today all the new parts were there waiting and ready to go. Feels good. Plus the final Win-Doh’s! computer was upgraded to version 11 this morning. Went without a hitch, this time…
For your machine you can get some sort of extended updates, but as you’d imagine, there is a small cost for that. Yup, we’re walking ATM’s.
Hope your day went smoothly!
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
You know, it kind of puzzles me that there is an economic incentive to avoid preparing for the middling (!) worst outcomes. Now I’ve spent the past three winters busily cleaning up the old loggers mess in order to reduce the risk of all sorts of things. Not just fire, but rabbits, rats, snakes etc. The benefits involve avoiding trouble which may, or may not eventuate. But if one of those horrors occur, then as you point out: a person is at least in with a fighting chance. 🙂
That must feel good to have completed those tasks. Grass never sleeps, except maybe over high summer. Doesn’t seem to like that. And aren’t the electric tools pretty good these days? That happens here as well, in that changes in the seasons can be discerned by the senses, it’s subtle isn’t it that difference? Actually, you didn’t get much of an autumn (whatever that means) this year. I’m finding that is the case down here as well.
Did the last upgrade to Win-Doh’s! 11 this morning, and it went smoothly this time which is a good thing because it was the Editors computer. Hmm. With that job out of the way early, had a chance this afternoon to begin dismantling the chainsaw and fix it up. The carby needed a serious clean after all the really dirty timber the saw had been cutting of late. And a clutch spring had stretched, as they do. Anyway, the fuel line in the tank needs replacing and it is like really awkward to get at. So I had a look around to see what other folks do. Yeah, they use really long hemostats, isn’t that a clever adaption? Put a 30cm extra long one on order, and it could possibly also come in handy maybe for home surgery one day. Ook! I’d probably pass out… Anyway, the saw is now running fine again, but I should replace the fuel line inside the tank soon.
It’ll be a mostly cool week here, but next Thursday, the maximum temperature is 30’C. Not unusual for this time of year, and a good prod to get the tomato seeds started.
Very good to hear that an adult was supervising your roof work! 🙂 And also that you were unscathed. Have you got shingles on your roof? Never seen those up close, other than Victorian era slate roofs which are presumably nailed down the same way. We use corrugated steel sheets (or more technically, a steel product coated with an alloy of aluminum, zinc, and magnesium). There was a requirement with the design to accommodate high wind forces.
Good stuff, and hey that’s a form of meditation as well. And I do similar things whilst working here with activities which aren’t too demanding on the old brain. That stuff works. 🙂 I hear you about the pencil and paper, those tools also work, and incidentally also have a long and proven history. But yeah, people can get hung up on how solutions rise from the primordial murk of our minds and want to enforce a bland conformity on the rest of us. And I’m guessing that those folks paid a lot of mad cash for the computing tools they wanted you to use? 😉 Hard to ignore that there has been a monster hack for some large companies.
Hmm. How’s the other Club issue going anyway, if you can speak about it? The more I consider a CNC router machine being used, it’s more of an industrial process, with entirely different skills than hand tools, but I’d probably have a middle ground where such items are judged in their own category, and certainly not set against more traditional forms.
🙂 Last I checked, hobbies can occasionally be frustrating, but I’d suggest an element of enjoyment should be at the core of the endeavour, yeah. It’d be the same as if I had to earn a living selling the produce from here – the entire approach to the task would be different. And set backs would hurt.
Frost in a few days for you. Far out your autumn has been brief.
Cooler here tomorrow, with maybe a late thunderstorm. It was quite pleasant today.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
I do wonder about that island kingdom, because it’s the same land mass as this state I reside in, but with maybe 15 times more people. Arable land and food production knowledge is a bit thin on the ground, even down here. I guess hunger would be a decent incentive for folks to learn how to grow fresh local produce. The soils overall probably aren’t in as good a shape as they were 86 years ago.
The destroying of the shipments mentioned in the article was alarming. You may wonder why I keep a stock of parts for all sorts of useful things? I expect global shipments to back down from their dizzy heights one way or another. Admittedly, I’d not expected that outcome mentioned. Actually, the Win-Doh’s computer (the Editors, yikes!) upgrade went super smoothly this morning. I barely had to do anything, other than shut down pesky err, ‘improvements?’ So I had plenty of free time and got stuck into fixing the chainsaw, plus gave it a decent service. It’d worked pretty hard over winter, and decided the other day it needed some time out for care and attention. Demanding thing… 🙂 All going now, which is good.
Yeah, stores with such complicated systems would be advised to have a working plan B, and hey, that sort of thing may become more common in the future. I see it here from time to time, and the other thing you notice is people struggling with overly complicated tills, possibly like the Club one. Last I checked, mad cash is still legal tender.
Hehe! Have to laugh about the article on that big incident. Honestly, what did the Bard say about doth protesting too much? The grid tied inverters work by sending higher voltage into a circuit, what did everyone expect would happen?
And thanks for the kind thoughts. Candidly after the last upgrade schemoozle, I was nervous this morning clicking on the ‘go’ button.
Albino animals can happen, like that possible squirrel, and of course Charlene the white squirrel. There used to be a feral white goat which ran with a mob of kangaroos nearby. Haven’t seen it in years. One of the landowners near to that has done a lot of work to stop people driving onto his property. Dumped huge tree roots, just like the ones the loggers left here. It is possible the loggers mess was some crazy forestry idea of a cheap fence or boundary marker?
Given the salt stuff raises my blood pressure, I tend to reduce my intake as well. Not a bad idea, if not over done. About the only thing I add salt to (iodised sea salt) is bread because it tastes bland without salt. Hang on a second, does pumpkin spice, actually contain pumpkin product? Or is it a sort of mixed spice?
The article on the latest and possibly biggerest Blob is somewhat alarming. It’s difficult avoid noticing that the oceans have warmed, and may not cool down again for quite a while. Hard to know what to make of a jungle like planet. I get the impression that the forecasters don’t really know what to make of the climactic conditions down here between what is going on in Antarctica and the interaction with the many climate drivers suggesting cool and wet weather – which I’m not seeing here, although so far it has not been what I’d describe as hot. Maybe warmer than average would be a better description. Wet murky winters are the norm here, and some folks in your corner of the country may expect drier winters? Dunno.
🙂 That’s interesting, and probably not relevant to the films narrative if it didn’t work, or add anything.
Oh poop! The Editor tells me that the series is very good. Hope you have your popcorn ready for the latest instalment next month? And the kids call that epic session a binge watch. I’m not competent to deal with such err, volume.
It shocked me that the old adage was not known, and then misinterpreted. Oh well… Such things probably used to happen way back in the day for reasons lost to time.
Oh nice. Really interesting. Walking is a great way to see the underside of things. Cars are simply too fast to take it all in.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – At the beginning of WWII, Great Britain’s population was around 47 million. Australia’s current population is around 28 million. That series on U-Tub, “Wartime Kitchen and Garden,” was sure interesting. How people coped, when a good deal of their imports were cut off.
I noticed awhile back, that the two big on-line shopping sites now post where items are shipped from. Originally, I think, to avoid that trap (which I fell into, once), of getting things from the Land of Stuff. LOL. I keep some nicotine gum, around. I stock up a bit, before the dreaded holiday season. It keeps me from running amok, with an ax. 🙂 The usual brand I buy, is from New Zealand, and they were entirely out of stock. Tariffs? So, I switched to another brand, that’s comparable, but a little more expensive. I thought maybe it was US made, and that was why they still had it in stock. Nope. Made in Sweden.
I’m happy to hear your last computer upgrade, went smoothly. Harmony is restored to Fern Glade Farm. 🙂
That was interesting that a hemostat was a solution to your chain saw problem. I often used dental tools, when working on restoring furniture. They were really good for getting gunk out of chip carving. Archaeologist also use a lot of dental tools, for delicate work.
No pumpkin products were harmed in the making of pumpkin spice. 🙂 Gee, how to explain this. It’s an interplay between nostalgia and sensory memory. Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, I can’t imagine very many people are unfamiliar with the flavor of pumpkin pie. And the distinctive flavor that the spice mixture gives it. So, anytime a person runs across that combination of those spices, in anything, it evokes the memory of pumpkin pie. Sweet potato pie uses the same combo of spices. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between the two.
Our high yesterday was 61F (16.11C). The overnight low was 48F (8.88C). The forecast high for today is 59F. I saw a headline, that our mountains received their first snowfall. It’s been raining, on and off, here. Not heavy. So far, H and I have dodged it. In fact, when we went out for a walk this morning, the pavement was dry, as was our perch on the garden wall. I saw an article about your part of the world. New discovery in the Antarctica.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/10/climate/methane-seeps-antarctica
Sort of old news. As the permafrost has been melting, across the northern hemisphere (Alaska, Siberia), methane release is on the uptick. Heck, methane is leaking from seeps on the sea bottom, along our coast.
Last night, I watched “Kraven: The Hunter.” It got bad reviews when it came out, and I didn’t bother to take a look. Well, there was a trailer for it, when I watched “28 Years Later.” It looked interesting. My local library branch had a copy sitting on the shelf. It’s a Marvel, superhero / mutant movie. It was actually pretty good. Oh, dear. When I watched the trailer, I thought John Goodman was in it. Nope. It was Russel Crowe. He seems to be going the way of Orson Wells.
I got curious about the lead. Aaron Taylor – Johnson. Turns out he was one of the leads in “28 Years Later.” Which explains why that particular trailer was attached.
No popcorn was harmed in the watching of that movie. Though there were nachos. I’m beginning to think, popcorn and nachos are comparable for movie watching. Nachos are a lot more labor intensive, to make, but probably healthier. I tossed on cherry tomatoes and dried basil, from the garden. Green onions, Shiitake mushrooms, garlic and dollops of refried beans. Held together with grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese. I usually put dollops of plane yoghurt on the top.
When I decided to watch the “Big Bang Theory”, from beginning to end, it was not a marathon, but more a five or six month process. That’s usually how I tackle watching a whole series.
As I was scrolling through this weeks pictures, to get down to “comments,” a phrase you don’t hear much, anymore, came to mind. The photo of the dogs “assuming the position.” The phrase? “In tandem.” Although the bicycles-built-for-two are referred to as “tandem bikes.”
Shoes … and thrift. I have three pairs of a well known athletic shoe (company name starts with Sk..). All of which I got from Scott. He bought them, and they didn’t fit. Fit me fine. So the pair I’m wearing now, are just about beyond redemption. If the bottoms don’t fall off, the laces are going to break. They are beyond the aid of shoe goo. So, I thought I’d better get out the other two pair and give them a look over. I thought they both needed the goo. Nope. Just one did. The other is fine … but has no laces. But the one needing the goo, has laces. So … laces on best pair. The other pair await goo, and new laces. Lew
Hi Lewis,
The time had come. Earlier today the two chickens in the ‘sin bin’ were released to freedom in the enclosure. Just to make certain there were no errors of identification, each of the two miscreants were given a small dot of black spray paint on their backs. Interestingly, one chook kept a low profile, and may have possibly learned a valuable lesson not to eat her flock mates. The second, well, she blew her third chance. It’s so difficult for me to comprehend that mindset, but all the same I’m not mucking around either, so there will be no forth chance. Took her out and shot the bird which is a little bit less hands on than the knife. It’s all beyond my comprehension as to why she just wouldn’t let go of that bone. What was notable was that her bad attitude filtered into the rest of the flock, you could see it, and that was a surprise.
Moving on…
Haven’t watched that series, but the same folks did the initial ‘Victorian farm’ series, and I really enjoyed seeing how they did things with manual labour and less energy. The old bloke sure was knowledgeable. Must rectify this matter, and thanks for the prod. And how people cope, is that they get to enjoy turnips again, or anything hardy and edible that can be produced. The good thing is that nowadays there is just so much food waste in society, that there is a bit of margin for error.
Haven’t noticed that the ‘drop shippers’ have had to disclose their real location down here, but of late, your country is often listed as a source of stuff, and the shipping costs are perhaps more realistic. It’s getting more expensive to ship items half way around the planet. But of course, a person must avoid axe incidents, if only to lessen misunderstandings! 🙂 Those two long islands export a lot of agricultural produce, but haven’t heard much of the goings on over there for a while now. Oh my! Well there you go: Population exodus, shrinking economy in New Zealand spells trouble for Australia. Maybe the tobacco farmers there fled to Australia thus the lack of gum for you? NZ is a funny country because I read somewhere a while ago the opinion that things are tried there first. Hmm. A preview of the future perhaps?
Yes, harmony has been restored yet again today, again. Man, I tell ya truthfully, I’m only just keeping up with those black swans. 😉 Do those long necked metaphorical birds really need to keep wanting to bite my posterior?
Oh yeah, dental tools are awesome for fine cleaning work where gunk has to be removed. Sets of those basic tools are so cheap it’s not right. And for removing organic matter from metals, nothing beats highly concentrated acetone, otherwise known as: Carby cleaner. That stuff is amazing and supplied as a result of all the ethanol being dumped into fuels nowadays.
See, that has been my long time confusion upon this food related subject. Pumpkins aren’t sweet, or at the very least have only a low percentage of sugar, thus my brain problems with the description. We’d describe such a mixture as: ‘All spice’, which is of a particular plant that provides a combination of the flavours of cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove. Pimenta dioica, which is intolerant of frosts, but would happily survive further north and along the east coast of this continent.
It’s raining outside now, which is a good thing.
It would be preferable if the methane stayed beneath the ocean waves, but what did everyone expect would happen? And the researchers are having a lovely time in remote corners of the world, but aren’t they also adding to the problems by undertaking those adventures? It is old news, and the atmosphere above the Antarctic continent has apparently warmed suddenly by 30’C, and the winds have slowed. The Corolis effect means that those slowing winds have pushed northwards. I’m getting to see them of late.
Alas poor Russell, he may possibly enjoy his seconds. Didn’t he go through a messy and public divorce recently? At least he’s not opting for the chemical hit which seems rather popular at the moment.
What a rabbit hole you sent me on. So in 1938 apparently, popcorn was more profitable than theatre tickets! Top notch marketing if you ask me. The heavy application of salt and butter may possibly be the issue in my opinion.
My understanding is that the kids will binge watch a series over an entire weekend. I’m not competent to perform such acts, and am still mildly rattled by the Lord of the Rungs directors cut trilogy I was talked into attending by an old friend many long years ago. Nine hours was too much for my brain. 🙂 Five to six months by contrast is a more respectable time.
‘In tandem’ is a delightful phrase, which agreed, is rarely heard in these enlightened days. How often do you see a tandem bike?
A thoughtful gift from Scott. Yes, you’ve mentioned the shoe repairs, and perhaps it is time to discover and then avail yourself of better made footwear? You may have forgotten, but way back in the day I worked as a factory accountant for a footwear manufacturer. Not all things which protect our feet, are of similar quality and longevity. There is a large market of second hand footwear too due to the sheer waste we live amongst. No need to put up with poor quality footwear.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – Chickens, apparently, are like people. They get an idea in their heads, and no amount of evidence can shake it out. Somehow or another, the following article, relates. More or less.
We’ve often touched on the idea (concept?) of free speech. How it differs from here, to down there. Here’s a brief history, and the state of things in this here country, in these here days.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/11/politics/free-speech-trump-first-amendment-analysis
But more importantly, how has all this upset in the hen house, impacted egg production?
During WWII, it was part of the Women’s Institutes mission, to really shake the hedgerows, and recover a lot of fruits and berries, that had been going to waste. A pity there aren’t as many hedgerows, now, as then.
That was quit an article about New Zealand. I liked the phrase, “…down the gurgler.” From reports, you’d think the tech bros building their apocalyptic bolt holes in NZ, would contribute to the economy. But, I see Face Plant boy chose Hawaii instead, for his bolt hole. Maybe Lucy Lawless will bring the series “My Life is Murder,” back to Melbourne? I liked the series slightly more, when it was based in Melbourne. Just because it was more present day, and I could ask you about things I’d see.
Your comment on black swans reminded me that I saw a flock of geese flying over, yesterday. 45 or 50 of them. But headed north. We have a local population, where some of them overwinter. They overnight in one water source, and feed in another. Back and forth they go.
All Spice is often part of the rest of the herbs I use to make pumpkin spice. Speaking of spice, I was checking out my onion powder and garlic powder. They’re part of the Chex mix recipe. I wonder if I should get a new bottle of each. The expiration dates are 10+ years old. But, they both still smell strongly.
Last night I baked 2 dozen + banana muffins (with cranberries and pumpkin seeds), did laundry and made dinner. Talk about multi tasking. I think I walked and chewed gum, somewhere in there. I had to keep a running list of times, things needed to be done. I’ll probably take some muffins, down to the Club, this morning. Some for Carl, the retired nursery guy, and some for Kenna.
Our high yesterday was 59F (15C). Our overnight low was 50F (10C). The forecast high for today is 56F. If I played the lottery, those would be the numbers I’d pick.
There are usually a few tandem bikes, on the dreaded Seattle to Portland bike ride. I’ve seen three and four seaters, but probably only in the movies.
I finished “Things Become Other Things,” last night. I ran across an interesting quote. “The efficiency of capital may push places “forward.” But what happens when that capital retreats?” he Kii peninsula is very much in decline. The government pushed through highways, that bypassed little towns. Similar to what happened here. Little towns dried up and blew away. He often walks through virtual ghost towns. And, all the young folks running off to the big cities, didn’t help. He rarely saw anyone under 45.
Another interesting thing I learned, was the difference between shrines and temples. Temples are Buddhist, and shrines are Shinto. On the Kii peninsula, they often share land. But in the 1880s, the government decreed that they should be separated. It was a push to make Shinto the state religion. They didn’t want it sullied by that imported stuff 🙂 . But, the peninsula was far enough from the reach of the government, that most of those edicts were ignored.
The book is also full of the author’s black and white photographs. Interesting. Not the typical tourist stuff, you see.
You better get writing. :-). Lew