Time leaves little pieces of us etched upon the land. It’s been sixteen years, almost to the day, since we moved into a half finished house high up above sea level in the Australian bush. You can never really be sure whether you’ve done the right thing, and that life move was no exception. I mentioned the possibility that we don’t know nearly as much as we think we do, to a young bloke in casual conversation many months ago. Mysticism is an unfortunate habit of mine, and the dude just laughed at me. But I’m being serious! How much can any of us ever really know?
After dinner, Ollie and I went out into the dark and poked around the orchards just to see what is going on. There wasn’t much activity, but it’s the early evening, and marsupials and other forest critters are err, night owls. It sure is cold though, which is typical for September. 6’C / 43’F and the memory surfaced of the half finished house we moved into all those years ago, because it still wasn’t fully sealed from the outside world. However, cold spring conditions were preferable to being sent nasty demand letters from the nice real estate agent requesting us to cut the grass. Totally my fault. Before we moved in to the nearby project housing rental property whilst building this place, the front yard was an industrial waste land. Should have just left it as is, but instead the soil was coaxed back into life.
Way up on this forested property, even before that time, the soil here was also slowly being brought back into life. Regular readers may be surprised to learn that it’s been half a year since I stopped recovering the 70kg to 80kg (150 to 180 pounds) of used coffee grounds a fortnight from a busy café in Melbourne. Twenty years of doing that activity and you’d imagine that the place would smell of coffee, but no. What amazed me was that the material was spread over the ground, or added into compost mixtures, and within days it’d be gone. Hard to know where, but the plants sure are growing.
That’s wasn’t entirely true though. The first few years the plants didn’t grow much at all. In a nod to Claire for persisting with my bone-headedness, I learned that in addition to the coffee grounds, the soil needed blood and bone, something from the sea, and lime, lots of lime, and in three different varieties. Who knew? I sure didn’t, and had begun my gardening journey with the well indoctrinated belief that all I needed to add was mulch. Lot’s of mulch. The experiment has been done, it is candidly hard to grow vegetables, or even fruit trees at this location in soils fed lots of mulch.
Funnily enough, whilst working about the property today, we uncovered a blast from the past! An aluminium plant tag with the word: ‘Coffee’ engraved into it.
What the plant tag refers to is that long ago, we trialled many varieties of fruit trees which were from growing zones outside this cool mountainous environment. I can assure concerned readers that snow does in fact kill coffee shrubs – just in case you feel the need to duplicate the experiment. Yet, before the snow, the shrub was growing amazingly. Oh well. After the snow, the plant blackened and shrivelled up within two days. There were other failures too, like the White Sapote which is meant to survive light frosts: Au contraire! That tree turned toes up too.
Fruit trees take a long time to become productive, so before we’d even fully clad the house to protect us from the cold early spring air, hundreds of fruit trees had already been planted. In those days, it was not an unreasonable expectation to purchase a bare rooted tree in winter for about ten bucks. A canny person would visit speciality nurseries and have their choice of scion wood grafted onto various rootstocks. Those trees cost under ten bucks each, which for the price included a stern lecture about how they may not survive. They all did, and because we had the choice of various rootstocks, some of the apple trees here in particular have become enormous over the intervening years.
There are still a few places around which will graft varieties to rootstock of your choice, but you have to be in the know. Sadly however, inflation is a thing, and fruit trees are no longer cheap and an apple tree will set a person back around forty bucks. The canny person today could learn to do it all on the cheap by either purchasing or raising rootstock, and then graft their own varieties to it. It’s not complicated, and you avoid the stern lecture about how the tree could die.
Scion wood is not hard to obtain either. People regularly prune fruit trees, and I doubt a person would notice if a small branch or three disappeared from an established plant. I used to hang out with a local seed saving group, and one of the members used to say that the best gardeners were thieves, although I’m uncertain what the lady meant, and can’t endorse her activities.
The earliest trees were planted twenty years ago here, and now they’re lush and huge. Regrets are things we all have, and one of those is that I wish I’d not become gripped by the idea of the food forest. The orchards are lovely and shady on a hot summer’s day, but the trees could have used a bit more spacing. The newer plantings by contrast, are better spaced, and the trees grow much faster due to less competition for light, minerals and water. Some of the older ones though, are planted a bit too close for their own good.
Those trees planted too close together require more attention with regular pruning, but the real nuisance are the possums which happily benefit from the tree canopy super highway I’ve inadvertently created. If they had to climb down out of one tree in order to get up into the next, there’d be less possums. Oh well, if any trees sicken and die they are ruthlessly removed. The stumps are grubbed out and this opens up the older orchard a bit. With hundreds of trees, a person doesn’t have to worry if a few of them don’t do well.
It’s kind of funny to think that after sixteen years of living here, we’re still improving and fixing up systems, plus learning as we go. It’s getting easier to live here, and more productive. But it takes time to get things right, fix up mistakes, and that’s all part of life’s journey.
On this note, work on the new path below the house continued. Earlier in the week a day was spent splitting boulders into large rocks. These were then hauled back uphill. One interesting aspect about living on the side of an ancient super volcano, is that we have our own sort-of quarry. It’s a useful resource.
Another day was spent positioning these rocks on the uphill side of the path. The sun shone with glorious spring warmth, and candidly it felt quite toasty by mid afternoon.
In order to ensure that the rocks are positioned at a fixed width and along a straight line, a 4m steel channel is used.
Observant readers will notice that just above the second to the forth rocks there is an agricultural 3/4 inch plastic black and green stripe water pipe. We had to be very careful to place the rocks in such a way that the water pipe was protected. In fact, rocks and soil have now been placed over the pipe so that it cannot be accidentally broken.
Concerned readers should know that I have never experienced a winter storm harsh enough to freeze a water pipe, but it does get cold enough here to kill sub-tropical plants. The only sub-tropical exception is the Babaco which grows in the unheated greenhouse, and even that tough survivor looks very crook during the depths of winter,
By the end of the work day, that end of the path was completed.
By Sunday, the weather had turned Antarctic again as a cold front blew up from the frozen continent. A touch brisk! Work began on completing the uphill rock wall at the western end of path. Here is what it looked like early on in the day:
More boulders were split, with the large rocks being hauled back up the hill.
Years ago we’d trialled a wind turbine so as to add some extra oomph to the house power system. A 600W very heavy turbine sat perched atop an eight metre (26ft) tower. After two months I determined that it just wasn’t very windy here, and decided to add more solar panels instead. The first morning the panels were connected up to the battery, they produced more electricity than the turbine did over the previous two months. It was a pleasure to remove the tower and sell off the turbine machine!
Unfortunately such a tall tower requires a solid base, and I’d asked the local cement supplier to mix up an extra strong mix, and the stuff is as tough, if not harder, than granite. The remains of the tower base sat in the path and the edges had to be adjusted using a jackhammer.
Eventually the concrete was given a shape which matched the rock wall.
Another four or five rocks were added to the uphill side of the path, and the entire job was declared: Done!
It doesn’t look long in the photos, but I’m guessing the length of the path from end to end is about 30m / 100ft.
With a lot of different systems, something always needs repairs, and this week one of the garden water pumps stopped working. After a bit of investigation, it turns out a 12V DC circuit breaker failed due to corrosion. Fortunately I keep spare parts, so another breaker was installed and the supposedly water proof enclosure was doused with insect spray and lanolin oil. I’d presumed that the moisture had gotten into the enclosure due to condensation because the seals (an O-ring) looked OK.
The grapevine cuttings continue to amaze.
Varroa mite is now present on this continent, and the European honeybees will surely have a hard time adjusting to this pest. Over the past few weeks I’ve been taking particular note of insect pollinators, particularly with the very early fruit trees such as almonds and apricots. It is good to see that there are plenty of early pollinating insects here, which is probably due to the diverse range of plants and flowers grown. How a mono-culture orchard manages this issue with the honeybees and pollination of crops, is beyond my understanding.
Onto the flowers:
The temperature outside now at about 11am is 13’C (55’F). So far for this year there has been 926.6mm (36.5 inches) which is up from last weeks total of 915.8mm (36.1 inches)
Comments
43 responses to “Tonight Tonight”
Yo, Chris – It’s been said, that when a person passes on, it’s like a library, burning down. But on reflection, I suppose in some cases, it’s as if a university library burned down. In others, a one room neighborhood branch library. 🙂
Amazing how stuff just disappears into the soil. You know small critters and microbes, are busy at work.
My, those apple tree prices prove there’s such a thing as plantflation. I ordered some bulbs, the other day. I was surprised they weren’t more. But the shipping…
Rocks and soil over the pipe? If necessary, I do hope it’s easier to find than the hunt for the drain.
Ollie looks spent, after a hard days work. I’m sure he was a great help, on the wall building. 🙂
I’m glad the O-ring looked ok. If you have to launch it into space, it probably won’t fail. 🙂
The grape vine cuttings are banging along. By chance, our dumpster wasn’t too full, and gets picked up tomorrow morning. Not to let that opportunity go to waste … It was a nice evening, so, I did a bit of hacking back the wandering grapevines. Also, some volunteer walnuts, courtesy of the squirrels.
Mono culture orchards and pollination? They bring in big trucks, with dozens, or hundreds of hives, and let the bees do their thing. Then it’s a move north, following the wave of flowering. “Traveling bees, particularly honey bees, are essential for pollinating large orchards as they are transported to different locations to match the blooming periods of various crops, such as almonds, apples, and cherries. This practice helps ensure that crops receive the necessary pollination for optimal yield and quality.” Pennsylvania State University. And, they wonder how the mites, spread.
Spring flowers, are busting out all over. At least, in your part of the planet. The quince is particularly pretty. Lew
Hi Lewis,
Ah, you’re hinting at the mysterious issue of scale with the question as to what remains of any of us for the future to ponder. 🙂 The Beatles perhaps put it succinctly when they penned the line: “we’re all doing what we can” Nothing wrong with a one room branch library either – it’s possibly cheaper to operate. 😉 Hey, remember the book-mobiles, which were a thing in the 70’s? The library would come to you, or my primary school as the case was. If I recall correctly, the bus used to also travel around the area. Did they have such things in your part of the world?
Yeah, it is weird isn’t it? What amazes me is just how much organic matter and minerals are required to build a decent layer of top soil. It’s off the charts the sheer quantity of stuff, relative to the stable mass which eventually remains. I can see top soil building in the surrounding forest, but it’s a slow process that one.
Of course, us humans can speed up the process – building or depleting! We planted out the potatoes today, and maybe chucked in a 100 tubers. Because of worries about the lack of crop rotation (this will be the second year of potatoes in that spot), the particular enclosure was allowed to go weedy over the winter months.
This made it tough to clean up for the potatoes. Two different mowers ran over all of the vegetation and mulched the lot up. Then the scary old rototiller turned it all over. It was good to see that the soil was pretty decent down to a very solid depth. But just to be sure, we mixed up a trailer load of the amended compost mixture and hilled it up next to the spud row. When the vines grow, we can use a fork to quickly give the plants a decent feed. It was a long work day, but we should produce a lot of spuds, maybe. One can’t count their ‘taters, until they’re in the storage bins.
Interestingly, some of the varieties we’ve grown for many years here, and have not noticed any decline in yield, but before this growing season, we’ve regularly moved them around. Longer term we need to create a duplicated sapling fenced enclosure, but that is an issue and task for the future.
I’m trying to wrap my mind around how potatoes were grown in the past, without having to resort to purchased seed spuds. Those things are grown in a lab, and sure they’ll produce great yields, but the old timers wouldn’t have had access to a lab. So how did they do it? That question interests me, so I’m trialling stuff and sort of reverse engineering a process.
Plantflation is real, although the curious mind wonders if the bulbs were cheaper because demand had fallen? Now freight costs… Hey, I filled up the Dirt Rat Suzuki this morning and we’ve hit a new high: AU$2.38/Litre or US$6.33/Gallon. Ouch! At least the machine doesn’t use much of the liquid energy.
Now, I forget whether I may have mentioned it to you, but a few months ago my already tired brain reviewed eighteen years of photographs so as to categorise where all of the underground stuff is. All of it, and we’ve diligently taken photographs of such work over the years. That’s why it was easy to find the buried over drainage pit. The buried water pipe will be easy to find in future, if it ever becomes necessary.
Ollie was again helping out today and I did catch him consuming some of the ‘from the sea’ fertiliser pellets. Will he chuck-up tonight, I guess we’ll find out.
Man, did you sign off on the ‘OK for flight’ o-ring? Wasn’t me bro… 😉 Nobody saw me, and I’m sure it was your signature, maybe! Hehe! Oh my, are they really going to send the crew up, up and away using our dodgy o-rings… Back to reality and the electrical fuse box, I couldn’t see any flaws with the o-ring… Fingers crossed that the lanolin spray protects the components.
Yeah, it’s the time to be thinking about plants, both here and at your place. Nice work spotting the empty space in the dumpster. That is an asset. You’re teasing me with the loose talk of volunteer walnuts. So far I’ve managed to kill four or five walnut trees… They just don’t like it here, and I’ve no idea why, although grew grafted known varieties and probably should start some seedlings. Goran will no doubts pop his head in to give me a stern lecture! 🙂 Actually, that’s probably unlikely. He’d tell me how to raise them from seed.
Yeah, exactly. That’s what happened down here, and everywhere else as well. The apiarists truck hives travel here, there and all over the place. It’s hard to know what will happen with the feral European honeybee hives in the forests around here, but I hope they survive. With plenty of food, and good food here, they might surprise us all. But just in case, there are other local pollinators. Most large commercial orchards may not have the diversity of plants required to meet the needs of the insect pollinators. Efficient, is rarely the same as resilient.
I like the flowering quince too. And the large bay tree is covered in nice smelling yellow flowers today – the insects were all over it.
It’s a fascinating subject, isn’t it? And I tend to believe that it’s a bit like say, theories of continental drift, in that they’re treated as ‘fringe’, until it becomes hard to dispute. It’s like humans have been on this continent for reputedly 60 millennia. If our species worked their way down here, I fail to see why less difficult to reach places wouldn’t have been settled far earlier. Your continent is a bit more active though and may have washed away earlier evidence.
The guy is very interesting, and probably had the ability to observe what may have been hidden to others. I wonder about that too, but also realise that crims and orphans were often experimented upon. If it be the will of the gawds that you survive this fungi ingestion test, then you’ve been adjudged not guilty by a higher power than ours! And so presumably it would have rolled. Wasn’t the first smallpox vaccine trialled on a local cow herder kid?
The weather was about the same here today as in your part of the world. Quite nice really, and I for one was glad that it was not too hot and the air stayed calm.
Ferdinand Cheval is a champion. What a bloke to set out on a journey. Actually the first rock which interested him, looked like a petrified tree. The place is amazing, and I’d have enjoyed visiting it. The mausoleum was a nice touch, and may even teach the bureaucrats to be occasionally flexible. By the way, the label naive art is a bit cheeky.
Should be plenty of USB-C connectors around, but it might be easier to go to a tech shop if you have one in your area? Otherwise, there is always online!
And the cats are doing everyone in your area a favour. At your time of year, the rats and mice are seeking places to set up a winter abode – which may not be to your convenience. Go the cats!
Hope err, Uncle Carl is feeling OK. And is it my belief or has Scott dodged recent lunches? Hope his lady is doing well too. Oh well, all this stuff happens.
It didn’t look like the tree had hit the library from the photo, but what did you see on your visit? What do you mean storms up in the north east? Ook! The photos were not good from that part of your country, although large wave action is to be occasionally expected, when people reside right next to where large waves originate. This is known…
Cheers
Chris
Hi Pam,
Let’s call it a tie, they’re both awesome acts. 🙂
Got the potatoes in today. It was a massive job, and about 100 spuds were planted out.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – Bookmobile? I drove a bookmobile, back in 1966. Out to the arse end of Skamania County. Three gears in front, and two in back. Miss Eva Santee, the head librarian, who was 83 and didn’t have a driver’s license, taught me how. 🙂 She was my wing-woman.
Timberland Libraries, had bookmobiles, but before my time. I saw one that was surplussed, sitting in a backyard, on my way out to the Lake Quinault branch. Made a nifty tool shed. They do have some kind of mobile units, now, but I don’t know much about them.
Building soil is slow going. I keep burying kitchen scraps and coffee grounds, in the strawberry bed, and don’t see much progress. But, it will come.
You’ll be eating potatoes, morning, noon and night. Are you sure you don’t have a drop or two of Irish, in you? 🙂 I wonder if the seed saver book, has a chapter on potatoes. Might be a clue or two there, of how they did it in Ye Good Ol’ Days.
According to reports, the Native Americans roasted camas bulbs. I talked to the Master Gardeners, this morning, about where to place them. Glad I did. The Native Plant Garden is in an entirely different place, than I thought.
Oh, I remember the Great Photo Sort of 2026. I think I have a t-shirt, somewhere.
Maybe you need more squirrels, to distribute the walnut seeds? Our oak trees are dropping a lot of acorns, this year. The squirrels are busy. I saw one pair, where one was up the tree, gnawing off and dropping acorns. One on the ground was rounding them up. It was a real team effort!
I ran across the “real” story of the smallpox vaccine.
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/02/01/582370199/whats-the-real-story-about-the-milkmaid-and-the-smallpox-vaccine
I suppose, milkmaids are a lot more photogenic, than crusty old farmers. 🙂
Our high yesterday was 68F (20C). Our overnight low was 39F (3.88C). Our forecast high for today is 68F. One of the Master Gardeners, who lives out of town, said the temperature was 34F, at her place. On this date, in 2019, we had a first frost. But, it was a La Niña year, if that makes any difference. Rain in the forecast, for tomorrow, but not much. Then back to another run of nice weather.
Or, maybe this guy in Florida, could provide you some inspiration. 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_Castle
Naive art? “Folk Art” is a lot more classy.
Carl is doing ok, but our medical system is giving him the run-around. He has an appointment, to discuss a scan, with a doctor. But, it took three tries to get a place to do the scan, and, it won’t be until after his scan, so, the doctor’s appointment has been pushed to … November.
Scott showed up at the Club, yesterday, but didn’t stay long. He started having pain in his shoulder, radiating down his left arm. Not a good sign. So, he headed for home. I sent him an e-mail, “Are you still alive?” but haven’t heard back.
I went up to the Club, this morning, but didn’t stay long. Terry (who’s having treatments for throat cancer), still hasn’t made an appearance.
I swung past the Centralia Library, but nothing has been done with the trees. Except to cut off some branches, that were partially blocking the street. The library sits on a block, that is actually a city park. I suppose the city folks, might have more pressing tree removal problems, in other areas.
I worked in the garden, last night. I wrapped the green bean trellis, with bird netting, to keep the deer off. If I get enough for one green bean casserole, I’ll be happy. There was room in the dumpster, which was emptied this morning. Not letting an opportunity like that, go to waste, I cut back quit a bit of our wandering grape vines, and volunteer walnuts, in the Rhodies. Ooops! Repeating myself.
I had to cut back some of the tomatoes, to wrap the trellis. They’ve pretty much stopped ripening up, but I picked all the green one’s from the pruning, and they’re on a plate in the window. See if they ripen up. I suppose I could always do fried green tomatoes. Which I’ve never done. Lew
Hi, Chris!
What a surprise to see your title. Thanks!
It’s what we THINK we know that’s dangerous.
You did a fine thing improving that soil and growing grass. Any decent landlord would have taken a bit off the rent.
I thought about you and all those coffee grounds today. I always keep some coffee on hand, though none of us drink it, in case a visitor wants some. I was going through that coffee today and found that some had gotten too old to be palatable. So I poured it in my compost bin. What a wonderful smell! I guess it’s just as well I don’t like it since I don’t drink caffeine.
I never tried to grow coffee, but one can grow nice avocado trees here – up till frost. And you know about our citrus in pots. They have to move into the basement in a couple of weeks.
What a fruit tree deal! You were so lucky – and smart.
Yeah – I studied food forests, too, and really wanted to make one, but I never had the sun or space until recent years, and now it does not seem like a good idea.
What a lovely view of the path and the beds near it. It’s a perfect scene. And I see a lot of flat-sided rocks. In the photo of you lining up the rocks,with Ollie lounging nearby, what is growing on the right side? Some kind of green? I didn’t notice the plastic pipe until you pointed it out. Whew! Ollie’s worn out after helping build the path. I reckon he kept the hippogriffs away.
How interesting that you did try wind power. We rarely used to get much wind here, except for the occasional hurricane, but that has changed. Now we often have wind and, though the figs don’t like it, it is so great for drying laundry. And mud. The new concrete base looks just fine.
Lanolin oil to the rescue! Why the bug spray?
Goodness, the echium color is a gorgeous blue. What a ruffley, feminine rhodie. I think her name is Gracie. Oh, I love all the flowers! Thanks! I grew up in Texas with a lot of flowering quince and I miss it. I’ll bet it grows here.
From last week:
The stinkbugs are very sneaky. They squeeze through the window screens and get in through open windows. They hang on the exterior doors and rush in when those are opened. And they even hide in the laundry on the line and come in with it. They have an awful lot of smarts for such an unlikely (and smelly) creature.
Mr. “meaty and full of muscle”: If Ollie gets lax about the hippogriffs, you may have to watch out.
Cricket is indeed a gentleman’s game; I could figure that out, though I haven’t yet figured out the rules to it. Thus proving that you are a gentleman.
Lonely Day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnGdoEa1tPg
Pam
Hi Pam,
I know, you started the ol’ brain here cogitating upon the music, and look what happened! 🙂 A truly emotional song.
Agreed, the number of people I encounter who think they know, far out numbers those of us who admit that we’ve got a clue, but are still not sure. I know very little, but history is often a good guide.
Pam, the nice real estate agent and owner were happy to let out the house with an industrial landscape for the front yard – and the place was filthy. We did a deep clean before moving in, and then again when we left. It took four days of our lives, and we should have sent them a bill for that lost time… They did send a thank you note for leaving the place clean, but also sent the other earlier demand to cut the grass. Nice people.
Your compost critters will thank you for the coffee feed. The stuff contains heaps of yummy minerals, but can’t be used as a fertiliser without the addition of other stuff – which is what happened here. And the aroma! I know, coffee is a joy, which alas for you is off the table, kind of like me with sweet potatoes. Nobody wants me filling up with intestinal gas, or you with a headache! 🙂
Yeah, I tried the same, and the avocado tree sort-of survived the winter, but it never grew much at all. A waste of time. However, my friends of the big shed fame have one tree growing inside, and the thing is massive and full of fruit. Over 20ft high! In the big smoke, those trees will do much better, but do people grow them?
Thank you, and some orchardists will still graft scion cuttings onto rootstock. But truly, an orchard needn’t cost a lot for the canny gardener.
🙂 Imagine how much the squirrels and ground hogs would love a food forest with all of the dense plant growth at your place? An old timer farmer suggested that I’d made a supermarket for the wildlife, and I’m inclined to agree with him. Ollie was rather annoyed at the antics of a rather large brush tailed possum this evening – munching upon a nashi pear tree. Oh well.
Ah, the rocks are specifically positioned so that they display a flat face, or something near to that state. The green plant you observed is rhubarb! The stuff grows like weeds here, and even sets new seedlings. There is a whole line of the tasty winter stewed dessert treats.
Poor Ollie works hard at fighting those hippogriffs! You should see the mess that the fight left. Awful. He does have to be restrained from tackling the bunyips which emerge from the forest to dine upon the garden. They’re a bit big for the dog. He’s pooped out isn’t he?
Hehe! Wind can have that effect, although upon occasions it blows the washing horses over and clothes go everywhere. Between you and I, a turbine will only work when the wind is sustained. Here it is gusty and so the stupid thing spun up to speed, and then quickly slowed down again. Wind dries gardens out gusty or not, thus the need for wind-breaks, which the big trees do here (and at your place) for free!
Well, the bug spray is used for electrical boxes for a good reason. You know, sometimes over the summer months an overnight dew will fall on the grass and orchards, and that is when you fully appreciate just how many spiders live here because the moisture sticks to the webs. Every surface is covered with webs… A bit frightening, and one of them bit my bottom a year or two back. There Ollie and I was enjoying a nice warm day and the rotter took offence to me sitting down on the grass over it’s ground hole.
That’s a lovely name for a Rhodie, but it might be: Rhododendron ‘Forsterianum’. Might be worthwhile trying to track one of the quinces down.
Oh my gawds! Pam, those stinkbugs are the stuff of nightmares. And I agree with you, plenty of critters display what the old timers used to call: Rat cunning. Thanks, as I’d wondered how they broke into your house, the cheeky pesks.
A storm is arriving late tomorrow and will hang around for a few days.
Ollie is a bit like me nowadays, in that he’s an older fella, but I’ll pass on your timely warning. Dame Plum and Ruby are a bit small for hippogriffs don’t you reckon? Did you notice her politely sitting at attention? That’s what best dog behaviour looks like.
Goodness me, your bonafides as a lady are affirmed by not knowing the intricate rules of the game of cricket! If you however feel at all the need to join in a conversation, here is a brief summary: If a person is batting, all you need but say is: It was a good innings, and for bowlers, say: he / she is a bit of a trickster on the pitch – then relax knowing you’ve passed the test. 🙂
Thank you, the band hits the emotions whilst the film clip perfectly depicts the disjointed nature of our society, which is kind of, dare I say it afflicted with a bit of: Toxicity.
Ours is but to enjoy the antics of the forest critters, and hope the cheeky scamps leave some stuff for us. Only fair isn’t it?
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Fun stuff, and they didn’t worry to much about such minor matters way back in the day! Miss Santee would have livened up your driver instruction with fun stories too, I’d imagine? And Skamania is a very cool name, which kind of reminds me of a band of particularly humourless band of Germanic barbarians for some reason. Yes, what does hide in those woods, let’s find out! I used to love the old bookmobiles and only the dullest would not find something of interest to read. I sense that there is a story in how you ended up driving the bus around? I used to love driving the fire trucks, and am licensed for that activity, even today.
Oh yeah, the old disused bus (and train and tram carriage) can be found on rural properties down here too. The old timber tram cars are really nice (and I used to travel on them and can still recall the aroma of burnt brake pads), but would require a lot of maintenance to hold back the ravages of the weather. In these more enlightened times, a lot of rural people use shipping containers, which aren’t all that attractive really. A bit too fundamental.
Agreed, the improvement to your soil will happen, it just takes a whole bunch of time. When I think of the descriptions of the English stripping forest and using up the forest duff (had to add the second ‘forest’ because I’d just noticed that I’d typed the phrase ‘up the duff’!) in a matter of years and then moving on, that’s not good.
Ha! Very funny, and you know I’m seriously uncomfortable with relying on that tuber. On a serious note, there are only so many hours in the day, so I went this year with the most plant bang for the buck. It’s not an ideal situation though. Oh well. I’ll have a look into the book and appreciate the prod in that direction.
Exactly, cooler areas suit edible tubers, whilst warmer areas are better adapted to grains. The camas bulbs are fascinating. A friend gifted me some Microseris lanceolata seeds which are a local yam, and I’m waiting to see if they germinate in the now warmer weather.
🙂 One must occasionally blow their own trumpet, and that photo-fest, was a massive, but useful job.
Pah! I don’t think so about the squirrels, but their efforts could be duplicated. Some idiot tried to introduce them in the 19th century not too far from here, and they all died. Probably not a bad thing. And yeah, critters absolutely co-operate for an advantage. The birds will do that here too, and often post a look out.
At least the hagiography of the doctors work occurred after his passing. But yeah, the milkmaid would have been rather more fetching than a bunch of aged farmers. 🙂 Thanks for the laughs.
It’s windy as here tonight, and I spent most of the day in the big smoke – and got home rather late. I’m told by reliable sources that our weather is about the same here. Cold mornings, and your pumpkins wont like that one bit. How are they coping?
The coral eccentric, or should I perhaps more correctly say, oolite eccentric bloke had some fun with those constructions. As an interested person I noticed drill marks used for splitting the stone – and there was one heck of a lot of the heavy stuff. Folk art sounds much nicer to me too. Naive art has the whiff of judgement about it.
Oh my! Death by your medical system – a frightening maze, and there was that intriguing South Park episode where at first the youngsters set off on a journey, were pushed hither and tither by the ill administrative winds, until they discovered a bloke all alone in a dark back office. He seemed to be able to make some sort of decision. It’s an unpopular perspective, but there is an alleged economic dimension to the matter: A cured patient, is a lost customer.
Good to hear that the library was undamaged by the tree. To be honest, trees can do enough damage to shut such a facility down, especially in the present economic climate. And also storms are when you discover how few working chainsaws there are around, and how even fewer people know how to use the things properly.
Wise to have realistic expectations with the beans. I mean, they got off to a late start, and it has been rather cool in your part of the world of late. You may have noticed that I’m not rushing into planting out the heat loving summer crops – it’s still too early by a couple of weeks. It’s a shame that the window to get them started is so short. Oh well.
Hey, we trailed bringing the unripened tomatoes into the house to redden up, and about half did. It is well worth giving it a go to see what happens. The process was easier than hanging the plant upside down, which was trialled in an earlier year.
Hope the bird netting works. Pesky critters, deer.
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – I noticed that your photo, “Several loads of larger rocks…” looks almost like an aerial view. I doubt you’ve invested in a drone. Although the prices have really come down. Maybe you should? You could use it to harass the deer. Get one with a noise maker, on it. Or, maybe, even small missiles. 🙂
It was quit an experience, driving bookmobile out in the bush. 🙂 Skamania County, runs north and south. Our county runs east and west. The arse end of both counties, actually meet up.
Things are … different, out there. During the Depression, and even before, people with a lot of Scotch-Irish blood, were moving out the hills of Appalachia, and into our hills. So, we visited a lot of homesteads with a dozen ginger headed kids or the old witch woman, down in the holler. 🙂
One time, we drove 6 miles into the woods, to get to a homestead. There was no place to turn around. So, I had to back out, six miles. I thumped over a tree root, and books came off the shelves. Miss Santee said, “Keep driving. We have to make schedule.” So, I did, as she clung on with one scrawny arm, and scooped books off the floor and back onto the shelves. Was she fussed? Nope. She was a woman who took challenges, in her stride. Overall, I must have made a good impression, as, later that summer, I was sent out to a small branch library. The librarian was going on vacation, and it was a one person branch. So, at the ripe old age of 16 or 17, I’m running a branch. No wonder I ended up with a rather jaundiced view, of the value of “degrees.” Miss Santee, only had a teaching certificate. But managed to build a regional library system, similar to Timberland. Later on, I think she got a bit of flack, or, a bit of a snub, for not having that degree. She was crusty, but may have had a few soft spots, in there. Not that she ever let them show.
“Slash and burn agriculture.” Still widely in use. What’s a poor farmer, to do? I think some governments encourage it, as it opens up wilderness areas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash-and-burn_agriculture
Yes, you have enough problems with invasive creatures. Let alone adding squirrels on top of it. I’ve flushed a few out of our gardens. Much to Dawg’s delight. They don’t seem to do any crop damage. Not to their taste, I guess. But they plant things. Next year, there will be a whole crop of volunteers, to pull out. I’ve found a few peanut shells, in the garden. I think someone in the building is feeding them.
My pumpkins are dying back, but I’m just letting them do their thing. My one remaining pumpkin hasn’t begun to color up, yet. And the one “late bloomer” hasn’t put on any size.
I wonder if the “coral eccentric,” was a wizard? I wonder if Mr. Greer is aware of him. Next open post, I’ll ask.
I saw that episode of South Park (now, retitled, America Park 🙂 And, it was spot on. I saw a headline, that an American can expect to be misdiagnosed, at least once in their lifetime. Carl also mentioned, in passing, that his insurance has been canceled. Among thousands of other people. UnitedHealthcare, the same company whose CEO was gunned down in the street. It’s all a game of “let’s treat symptoms, instead of underlying causes or doing maintenance or prevention.” Not much money in that.
Our high yesterday was 66F (18.88C). Our overnight low was 57F (13.88C). Our forecast high for today is 61F. We’re supposed to get rain, today, but at least when H and I went out for the morning walk, it was still dry. But quit windy. Gusts in the mid 20s mph.
No lack of chainsaws, or guys that know how to use them, in this county. Once, I was going to visit a friend, in east county. I hadn’t paid attention to the weather. It was windy. A tree came down across the road. Traffic (mostly pick-up trucks) backed up on both sides of the barrier. Guys jumped out, grabbed their chain saws out of their truck beds. Zip, zip, zip. Problem solved.
I’m not going to the Club, today, so it’s a coffee day. Much nicer, when it’s also a chocolate day. I’ve made the executive decision, to shuffle the rotation. 🙂
I think it will be a popcorn night, if things go according to plan. “Evil Dead: Burn.” Review to follow.
The library posted an order for the new Jason Statham movie, “Mutiny.” It’s on my hold list. At least according to the description, in the catalog, no damsels in distress, this time. I wonder if it’s wise to tinker with the formula? 🙂 Lew
Chris:
100 spuds! One might almost suspect that you had a small hidden tractor somewhere. You will be set for awhile. How did the ones from last year store? I have been reading lately, with envy, of root cellars. I know you plan to build one. I just need a little one . . .
Ollie has a valiant heart, bless him.
Oh – spiders! Ouch! They take things to a whole new level at your place. I’ve never been been bitten by one, but my son was once and I put a special poultice on it, which I guess I won’t name? Maybe elsewhere, in an unconnected way.
Gracie Foster – that’s a fine name for a rhodie.
Alert and at attention – Dame Plum has absorbed her lessons well.
“It was a good innings, and for bowlers, say: he / she is a bit of a trickster on the pitch – then relax knowing you’ve passed the test.” That’s perfect and a good thing to have up my sleeve should cricket ever come up . . .
Whew. I don’t remember Toxicity. It’s a bit rough. Okay, how about this one? A friend of mine went to Atlantic City, New Jersey from here for the weekend to hear Tom Jones in concert. I was going to mention that you would have been in rompers at the time of this video, but, actually, you may not have been in anything.
1965 2:16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApTJGu4uGaU
I do much enjoy the antics of the forest critters, but when they take things too far – well, things happen. The deer have depredated the figs once too often and a BB rifle was bought and they have been relatively gently discouraged. “Deerskin is incredibly tough. A deer’s thick hide allows it to roam where it will.” This is what I have read.
Pam
@ Lew:
Wow, Lew – you drove a bookmobile. When I was a girl, I loved so much when the bookmobile came to our neighborhood. In fact, there was still one, for a little while, that came to where we rented a house here in Charlottesville in 1989.
Pam
Chris,
Whew! This year’s show is over. I would call it successful. Very successful. Judged entries were 108, an increase from last year’s 85. We had 289 visitors on Saturday alone, eclipsing last year’s 2 day total of 276. Sunday was crowded also, the 4 hours we were open adding an additional 177 visitors. The new show chairman did a great job, as did the person newly in charge of the raffle we hold each year. The library was also ecstatic.
We got fortunate with some free advertising. The library always advertises us, but had us as the lead for their September newsletter that was sent to every person who has a library card in the City system. A local weekly newspaper also had an article about our show for two consecutive issues, including a picture in the second issue. That helped.
Naturally, both of my entries got red ribbons. Pictures to hit your email eventually. The comment I got about the “Ew People” Sasquatch was that it looked fuzzy. I mentioned to that judge that “Sasquatch is always fuzzy” I also mentioned, as the judge and I get along very well, that “You have said that many of my wood burnings are fuzzy. Maybe it’s not my work. Perhaps you need new glasses.” That got a good laugh and a weekend filled with “fuzzy” jokes going back and forth. He is from Montana – his group might recruit me to judge the beginners at their show next May. The Princess says to do it IF I buy her a banana split. I think she wants a trip to Montana.
So I have a small buffet of nuts and tree fruits for the local wildlife. You have a veritable smorgasbord. Perhaps you need to invest in a small “sky fleet” of drones to keep the hungering hordes at bay. 😉
Dude! Amazing! All of those coffee grounds you’ve spread around have resulted in the most remarkable harvest for you: a small metal sign that says “coffee”. Who would’ve thunk that spreading coffee grounds could grow a metal coffee sign?
I see that Ollie is very appreciative of the new rock walls. He looks very comfortable leaning on them and sleeping near them. The walls look good, as always. Well done.
That was grand work with that old chunk of extra strength concrete. It blends right in with the “wild rocks” now.
I bet it feels good having those walls done and that path completed. That end to end view was helpful, and it included some of the other rock work and the top of some steps. If you get that drone fleet to fight off the hungering hordes, some aerial photos of Fernglade Farm would be in order, right? 😉
Oh, that last rainstorm we had Thursday/Friday? Maybe 2mm on average throughout the Spokane area. There was a frost warning Saturday and Sunday nights. As low as it got here was +1C. Now we’re in a slow warming trend, but windy today. Sort of pleasant out, actually.
Thanks for the flower pictures. We still have a few thyme blooming, as well as tomato and chili flowers, surprisingly. Leaves are beginning to turn color, also.
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
Yes, the tractor has a name: Chris! Actually the scary old rototiller can bring 7.5hp to bear upon the soil and that’s good enough to rip the lot up. Plus I get to recall the kindness of the old farm machine repair dude whilst using the thing. That’s a good question, and I’ll be avoiding using the sugar cane mulch next year to pack the potatoes in, and maybe just constructing a large timber bin which has sheet metal clad interior walls. I’d have to suggest that the old timers knew their stuff – and that was the arrangement I observed in use half a century ago at my nice grandmothers place.
How good would a root cellar be? That project is way off into the future, and even then I reckon the soil wouldn’t fall much below 50’F in winter… Not quite a refrigerator, is it? Your soil may drop to slightly lower temperatures in winter?
Yeah, there are an enormous quantity of spiders out in the orchard who are only too willing to set up house in the err, house, sheds and / or car. Not a fan, and the ear muffs are checked thoroughly before use. Sorry to hear that your son once came unstuck by our arachnid companions, the cheeky scamps. I’ll bet it hurt, and some here are remarkably painful, like the humble: Redback spider. Oh, my work boots are a redback brand, hopefully without the eight legged critter.
In breaking toothy news, Dame Plum just killed a rather large rat, and it fought back. She was bitten on the snout, and I had to wash the wound with a warm damp towel. Poor brave thing, but she did score a nice beef jerky for her valiant effort!
Hopefully, no gentleman ever dares bore you with a long and protracted conversation upon the finer details of the English game. 😉 Consider yourself lucky if you avoid such a fate! We’ve all been stuck in one sided discussions, oh my what a chore! Having missed out on a dad to guide me in the gentle art of how to truly bore the ladies, sometimes I take casual note of my gender pontificating to the fairer half upon say, investments and/or politics, and truly it is hard to stifle a well earned yawn. 🙂
That band did softly, softly, then massive intensity! Always melodic. Listening to: ‘Such a lonely day’, right now. The musicians appreciate that not all challenges can be met, and like you, I too have experienced other’s falling away. What do you do, but make it through.
Ah, alas, in those days you referred too, not even the merest twinkle of interest, or would it be opportunity? One wonders… 🙂 But Tom Jones, yes, he’s known, but sadly the video was blocked in my region – the party poopers. I’m not sure exactly why, but the most English word ‘knickers’ comes to mind when that blokes name is mentioned. A curious ritual…
Very good! I like that option, and hadn’t thought of doing such a thing to the deer. I must say that I have nothing but admiration for your kind heart and peaceable soul. I on the other hand, cracked it with that one deer who couldn’t even be bothered being frightened by Ollie and I. Hope your chastened herbivores find something else to eat. The fencing here around the citrus orchard is quite high off the ground.
A big storm is coming here. Some sort of talk of a ‘cut-off low’, which sounds all very unpleasant. Oh well. Possibly 3 inches of rain may fall in the next few days, and it is already wet…
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
Sounds like y’all had a fun time during the carving show, and that lots of visitors turned up to appreciate all of the hard work the entrants and organisers had done. Far out! Finding a third space to hold the show in is a real achievement for your group, and you’re lucky to have nabbed the library space. You’d have noticed that such spaces are a bit thin on the ground! 🙂
Man, everyone loves a raffle. Hope in your position with the group, that you didn’t win it – possibly may have looked a bit dodgy. Hehe!
People read the local papers, I certainly do and take note of what is going on around the area. But what a score to get free advertising over two issues. Did I mention to you that advertising my own business goes through the local papers rather than in the big bad online world? That other forum is a waste of time nowadays, but wasn’t always like that.
Out of curiosity, what was the picture in the papers showing?
I look forward to seeing your work, and will happily post it in the comments for the rest of the lovely people here to appreciate – if you’re OK with that?
You know, that’s a great idea heading up to Montana to do some basic judging. Well, you learn something new everyday. I’d not encountered a banana split before. Respect to your lady for her fine discrimination, the dessert looks awesome! Banana split
You may have started something with all that fuzzy talk. 🙂 No doubts, the folks when on their home turf will give you heaps too – probably deserved.
It is a universally acknowledged truth that, grow, anything, and they will come. So the number of trees is but a mere matter of scale. Mind you, there is one less rat in the world tonight. Dame Plum sniffed the rodent out, and fight ensued. The Kelpie was bitten and yelped, but triumphed in the end. I cleaned a little tooth mark on her snout with a warm damp cloth (only warm water used). Not much you can really do with dogs on that front. The champion enjoyed her beef jerky treat.
Pah! There’ll be no drones here. 🙂 None!
What an interesting insight, is there aluminium as a minor metal in coffee grounds? Oh my, just read a very serious article on the subject, and alas, no great untapped reserve of high grade aluminium – probably a good thing… The numbers of the accumulated weight of used coffee grounds applied to the soil is quite staggering. Easy to do over two decades though. Actually I don’t miss picking the stuff up, in the end I took it more seriously than they did, so adios!
I’d not fully appreciated the quality of the cement mix, until we had to break the concrete apart. It may well outlive everything here. Makes you wonder what future archaeologists will decide the strange rock was used for. Look! The metal channel has long rusted away and left iron oxide residue compatible with many of the materials we’re finding from that strange age a millennia ago. If you believe the myths, some astounding things went on back then, but they probably just employed giants, which are sadly all now extinct!
No drone shots. 🙂 But Ollie loves the paths and knows how to keep himself warm – which it is tonight. 19’C last I checked and the crickets were chirruping, or whatever it is that they do.
Yikes! A frost already, although we’ve had temps that low which didn’t produce a freeze. 2mm is useful for the garden, and won’t chill the soil too much. There’s talk of a storm heading in this direction, and the alarming words: ‘cut-off low’ were used. Not happy about that, and will certainly cut short the work this week. Oh well.
The plants get confused down here as well with late season warmth, but nothing makes up for the reduced light, and so the leaves turn. Hope you dodge the dreaded leaf peeper creature!
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Yeah, DJ mentioned drones as well, but yeah, nah. 🙂 But I see what you mean though, it was a kind of a mildly exaggerated elevated photo. The paths are great, and hopefully slow the flow of water during significant storms. There is loose talk of one of those arriving tomorrow. Might curtail work around here this week, but we’ll see how it goes. 3 inches sounds like a lot of rain.
Heat, showers, storms in dynamic weather week across southern Australia The dark red colour in that first image, is over these central highlands. Oh well…
It is quite warm here tonight, strangely so. 19’C / 66’F last I checked. No need to run the wood heater tonight. Got the proofs back for the ad, and it’ll get into the local paper soon. I’m really curious to see how this thing goes. Gargle doesn’t seem like a great choice to spend mad cash on these days due to the dominance of the arty-fish-al first interweb search bite. I’ll bet they’ll be seeing lower revenue, maybe.
And err, noise makers – well I can do that already with my boom sticks. 🙂 Man, sometimes I get the incantation wrong and then strange things happen.
Ah, thanks for mentioning that. Turns out the dust bowl extended into the Appalachians during the Great Depression, and the extractive and textile industries were in decline too. Your part of the world would have looked like Eden by way of contrast. Still harsh living up in such rough country, but the rains would have been more reliable.
Yup, don’t go poking your nose into other peoples bidness in such places! 🙂 As someone who can drive a small bus, it’s a good effort to reverse for a goodly distance using mirrors alone, but six miles is a most impressive feat. They don’t make them like that any more, and you were lucky to have made a good enough impression on the lady that she took you under her wing. The apprenticeship model will come back sooner or later.
The Editor went out for dinner with friends tonight, and I worked late again but at least dinner was an easy reheat of the vegetable Moussaka. I was intending to make something else more complicated and then kind of went ‘stuff it’ and chucked the meal in the nuker. The new machine is lower in power, but a bit gentler with the re-heating function. It does something about checking the humidity too, although I barely use the machine and had failed to read the instruction manual. I know! 🙂
The slash and burn agriculture article was fascinating, and is another way to grow stuff, but probably requires a village. In reading I spotted a brief reference to the area of New Sweden which is now in upstate NY. I’d not realised that the country had staked a claim in your part of the world. The land changed hands a number of times.
Ha! Peanut shells, the squirrels are clearly optimists. Oh no, they’re onto something. Turns out your area is sort-of around the furthest north that the plants can grow. It’d be hard to get the number of days soil warmth required during the growing season. Yes, I’m always a bit wary of feeding the wildlife – it can end up badly, like having the sulphur crested cockatoos around here, when they’d have no reason to be in the area. Man, can’t control your neighbours.
I reckon your pumpkins will succumb to the powdery mildew from a lack of light as the season winds out. They do that here too, so I’m always trying to juggle when to get them in the ground in the first place. It’s hard getting that sort of stuff right.
There were some unusual shapes in the coral eccentric Florida man, and there was a portal which the sun shone down through. A reliable time and season marker, maybe. Anyway, even down here, we’ve heard of the infamous: Florida man. Seems to get into a bit of trouble.
Very funny! Surely you’re joking around. 🙂 What? Are you serious? Isn’t the whole point of insurance to cover a specific risk, not cancel when the risk eventuates? Oh well, baffling. It’s awful what happened to that bloke, but it was very hard to ignore the sense of glee expressed widely at the action. That old Hongwu Emperor was pretty handy at keeping officials in line through similar means, but without the repercussions. Helps instil a touch of honesty.
Similar weather to here. 🙂 It was pretty gusty this morning, but settled down during the day.
There has been a bit of turnover with residents up in this area, so I can’t really say for sure whether the newcomers will know one end of a chainsaw from the other. Plenty of people don’t. But as you note, things were different years ago.
Well done you with the choccie substitution. A tidy bit of thinking if I may say so. Down here, we’re less formal and call such decisions by the delightful name of a: “Captain’s call”.
The dogs are going ballistic, so I better go and have a look and see what is going on.
Go the Evil Dead, and that book is a lot of drama. The film has some very positive reviews, and I look forward to hearing what you have to say about it.
Always dangerous to tinker around with a familiar formula, unless nobody is watching, and then does it really matter?
The Editor still isn’t home, and I’m yawning… Oh well, tomorrow is meant to be somewhat quieter.
Cheers
Chris
@ Pam – Just out of curiosity, I did a search for “Why did bookmobiles fall out of favor.” Not real informative. Made it sound like bookmobiles disappearing was a recent thing. Blaming the internet and e-books.
Our local system, has started something new, just in the last two years.
https://trl.org/anywhere/
It’s not quit a bookmobile, but serves some of the same functions.
If you want to read a slim, fun book about a bookmobile, you might give “The Uncommon Reader” a whirl. It’s by Alan Bennett, 2007. Here’s the synopsis, from “Good Reads.”
“When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely (from J. R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, and Ivy Compton-Burnett to the classics) and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changes dramatically. Abetted in her newfound obsession by Norman, a young man from the royal kitchens, the Queen comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with the routines of her role as monarch. Her new passion for reading initially alarms the palace staff and soon leads to surprising and very funny consequences for the country at large.”
There’s also a couple of novels, about pack horse librarians, in Kentucky, during the Great Depression.
“The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michele Richardson and “The Giver of Stars” by Jojo Moyes are two notable novels that depict the lives of pack horse librarians delivering books in Kentucky during the Great Depression. Both stories highlight the challenges and triumphs of these women as they bring literature to remote communities.”
I haven’t read either. So many books, so little time. Lew
Yo, Chris – Lots of red and yellow on the weather radar, is never good news. Look what it got us? Still no article in the local newspaper about our storm.
Our high yesterday was 64F (17.77C). Our overnight low was 48F (8.88C). Our forecast high for today is 66F. A bit of rain, yesterday, but not much. Enough so I don’t think I have to water, this morning.
EVERYBODY staked a claim, in our part of the world. Even before buying Alaska, there was the Louisiana Purchase. From the French.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Purchase
I think peanuts are one of those things, that would be very difficult to grow here. Maybe, after a bit more climate change? Sweet potatoes, another SE US crop, are also difficult to grow.
Well, I watched “The Evil Dead: Burn,” last night. Not a light comedic moment, in the whole thing. Horror from one end to the other. Buckets of blood and gore, with bodies being flung through walls, and such. Lots of extremities looped off. And, you know how when they run the credits, at the end, they might have a bit of film, hinting at possible sequels. Well, there are at least three, possibly four teasers for possible sequels. So, I’d say the Evil Dead haven’t been laid to rest, yet.
I’m reading a pretty fascinating book, right now. “Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England’s Lost Queen.” (2025). It’s by Alice Loxton, who is a historian, with several active social media accounts, and writes books and appears as a presenter on a lot of British TV. Any-who, the Eleanor she refers to is Eleanor of Castile, 1241-1290. Not to be confused with a lot of other Queen Eleanors. 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_of_Castile
She was married to Edward I, of England. One of those arranged things, but, lucky for them both, they apparently hit it off. And, formed quit a team.
Eleanor died while traveling, in the north of England. Her funeral cortege took 12 days to reach Westminster, for burial. Within a year of her death, Edward commissioned monuments, at every stop the cortege made for the night. Usually, manor houses, convents or churches. Given the Reformation, and Civil War, only three of the 12 monuments are still standing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_cross
So, back to our book and its author. 🙂 Loxton decided to walk the route of the cortege, in the same amount of time. On the same dates. Late November, early December. How hard could that be? Pretty grueling. But, taking cues off of what she sees along the way, she has many tidbits of British history, and customs and sociology. It’s a really fun and interesting read. Lew
Chris:
How amazing that your tractor model has the same name as you. It’s a small world. Thanks for mentioning what your grandmother had to store potatoes in. Was the climate where she was similar to yours?
Occasionally the first 12 inches (30.5cm) of our soil is frozen for awhile.
What a nasty spider and I blush to think of its sex life. No, you don’t want that in your earmuffs or anywhere else.
Living up to her name again, the Dame is. What a brave, tough girl.
Oh, yes – I have been caught in a good many one-sided conversations with the opposite sex about things like sports, but if they want to do all the talking, I don’t mind, up to a point. Investments, I’d be glad to hear, but I am done with politics. I follow it no more, though once upon a time I knew the details about scores of our political folks – and overseas.
I take that back about investments, if it’s the stock market; thats so rigged. Always interested in tangible investments.
“What do you do, but make it through”. About all you can do sometimes.
What’s this about Tom Jones and knickers? Don’t tell me if it will make me blush. I’ve been blushing too much lately.
We seem to be having a mast year for acorns, in spite of the drought we had. Walking anywhere under oak trees is like walking on marbles; a bit scary.The deer will be fine.
Oh, my goodness. I know you are glad to have plenty of water, but enough, already!
We have 300 strawberry plants, put in in late spring. Most of them are still there though a deer yanked them out a couple of times till the fence was fixed right (moi). They have runners all over the place so I am setting pots of soil out and making sure that the runners are in them because – THEY ARE PLANTED IN BLACK PLASTIC AND CANNOT ROOT THEMSELVES NATURALLY.
Pam
Chris,
Our raffle is filled with donated items, most having something to do with wood carving. Tools, carvings, books, wood and other things make up the bulk. Someone put in a wonderful carving f a turtle done by one of our master carvers who, unfortunately, cannot carve any longer. Aging out, right. The Princess badly wanted that. Her name was drawn. (I draw the winning tickets and show the ticket to the other two people involved with the drawing.) She also won some other things, and Young Neighbor’s son won some hand carved wooden tops.
The photo in the weekly newspaper was a Northwest Coastal Native American style raven. If you were to gaggle Haida raven mask, you should find some images that are similar to the carving.
Ah, nice photo of a banana split. It looks familiar. However, ours had chocolate and caramel syrup also, as well as some nuts. Yummy.
Then there were these guys, The Banana Splits. They were popular on Saturday morning when I was tiny. I will NOT give a link to their theme song. If you hear it, it will remain stuck in your ear for weeks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Banana_Splits
Yes, grow anything, they will come. “You build it, they will come” is from the 1989 baseball movie “Field of Dreams”. After a second wildfire started near a road that my program had recently paved, we amended that to “You pave it, fire will come.” Fortunately, that trend didn’t last for very long.
Go Dame Plum. Attacking and defeating a rat in mortal combat is not a simple feat. I’m glad you gave the Dame appropriate rewards after cleansing her wounds.
Hmmm. You mentioned something to the effect of “no drones” twice to me. Once to Lew. Methinks you are droning on about that. 😉
Apparently, you will be having no traditional Scottish highland bagpipe music at your place, either. Bagpipes need drones to work properly.
Arghh! And there I go droning on also!
Remember, not only are the giants rather largish and strong, but the giants often have knowledge that mere humans don’t have. There are even stories about Odin stealing ideas and technology from giants. “The work of giants of old lies decayed” is near the beginning of the Old English poem “The Ruin”. So, agreed, any remaining things like the ultra-hard concrete will be called “the work of giants” by future archaeologists of Fernglade.
The frost wasn’t much here, maybe some on car windshields. Outlying areas had more. Not even the tomatoes were bothered here. Now we are heading for temperatures around +25C during the day. No rain or frost expected.
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
I know, that similar sounding name machine works super hard, but was made primarily for that purpose. It is such a small world, yeah. My grandmother lived in the Melbourne suburb of Hawksburn, in a double fronted Victorian era house (with backyard and seedling lemon tree which I used to climb). In those days the cool kids headed to the outer burbs, and it was a very working class area. These days, it’s quite swanky and desirable. I watched that gentrification take place in the last place we lived (the now swanky Fitzroy North) whilst in the big smoke, and thought to myself: Well this will end badly, and then went off and did something else with my time.
At the rear of my grandmothers house was a room devoted to storing potatoes and preserves. The walls had shelving for the bottled (canned in your lingo) preserves, whilst sheet metal lined timber bins held quantities of potatoes and other stuff, like grains. Occasionally the room was bug bombed, as they used to do in order to keep out ants and other crawling insects.
Just checked the gargle maps and someone has converted the single large 1890’s house into two new things with no backyard. Oh well.
Oh poop! Pam, I’ve never encountered frozen soil, and wouldn’t know what to do. Mind you, the deep freeze may kill off some of your pesky stink-bugs if caught outdoors, and clearly they know the risk for they sneak inside the house to hibernate – the cheeky scamps. Mulch would work better in your conditions.
I know! Awful isn’t it? Makes me blush too thinking about it. But really, the ladies do the hard yards in that matter, and not all of the male spiders provide the err, easy protein feed. Some would be fast at escaping, but it’d only be a matter of time before fate stepped in.
So many things here want humans dead, that it keeps a person on their toes. Even the Indigenous folks had the occasional troubles with snakes, and I’ve read they’d immediately sit in the shade of a tree and reduce movement for up to two days. The advice now is I believe to apply a bandage, firm, but not too tight, reduce unnecessary movement (which you’ll note was also done long ago) and get help for the anti-venom. Better help comes to you in that instance, but that would not always be easy to achieve would it?
Dame Plum is very brave, and the bite on her snout has healed up nicely today (although I washed it with warm water last night). I’d loan her to you for groundhog duties, but, well, quarantine issues would be a big headache. Mr Baby would never have tolerated lax and careless rodents. Friendly one’s he’d have enjoyed their company for they’d have respected boundaries and not taken all.
We’re agreed there, ‘up to a point’ is a lovely way to put it. I used to have a neighbour back in the big smoke who’d drone on and on. Boring in three dimensions… Anywhoo, after a while I learned to say mid-sentence: Nice speaking with you, but gotta go! And he never took offence, which was an interesting insight into an entirely different mind. My perspective is that I observe people to see whether they are engaged with the discussion, and then adjust accordingly. It had not occurred to me that some folks couldn’t make that intuitive leap. Oh well. Hey, are you still visiting the aged care folks?
Yup, if there were another way, other than struggling through. Life on life’s terms?
Ain’t just you, I’m blushing too, and the Welsh gentleman was apparently knighted for his services. Apparently the ladies began the throwing act in 1968. I’m honestly not sure what it means…
Oh, thanks for the new terminology, and I’d not heard of a ‘mast year’ before, but also note that the fruit and nut trees produce wildly different sized crops from year to year. Makes sense too. Maybe the extra heat the trees got your past summer, did them the world of good?
Watch your footing, and yeah, they would be like marbles – I see that happen with mature oak trees down here. We visited an old botanical garden today, and the fruit bats had moved in in numbers I’d never seen before. Glad it is a long way from here, I’d not want those marsupials in the orchards.
I reckon an inch of rain will fall today – it’s feral wet out there. More tomorrow. Then more Saturday. etc… The work week outdoors is declared done!
Hehe! Nice work with potting up the runners. And yeah, that would be the downsides of black plastic for sure.
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
Alas age does move hand in hand with the awful time factor. It’s not too much to ask for a Tardis to be designed and constructed is it? What do these scientists do all day? 🙂 Hehe!
Well done to your lady for winning the turtle, and the art work has a greater meaning as you knew the creator. People run themselves ragged these days, but really, historically it is the job of the masters to guide the apprentices and journeymen – not do the work themselves. That more humane approach takes into account aging process. But we live in more enlightened times, I guess.
Are you talking carved spinning tops? Those things were fun, and there are times I reckon a small wood lathe would be an interesting machine to have on hand.
Thanks for the introduction to the masks. Fascinating. Is it my imagination, or is the Raven closest to the best and worst in human nature, or merely there for a laugh? The magpies here tend to clear off the Australian Raven’s, which are substantially larger birds with a mournful call.
Ah, so you are in store for a future road trip? I’d enjoy visiting that wild and sparsely populated part of your country too. The caramel is a nice touch.
Noooooooooooooooo! This is what happens when curiosity gets the better of me. Yes, I listened to the banana theme song. Yes, you told me not too. I will learn from my mistakes, maybe… 🙂
I’ve not seen that film, but are familiar enough with the concept. Oh my! Nobody wants to be associated with that kind of outcome, and fortunately the fire issues stopped. I fully expect roads to have their bitumen surfaces, returned to dirt over the years as maintenance budgets fail to keep up and the material can be sold off to fund, err, maintenance budgets.
Dame Plum is doing pretty well today, although I slipped her a worming tablet. Washing the wound with warm water seemed to do the trick nicely, and it has healed up fast. She’s tough that dog.
🙂 Very funny. You can call me a drone-head, whatever that means. Hang on, has it been used elsewhere? Oh, I see the urban dictionary has a fascinating definition, probably not indicative of free thinking, if you ask me.
The workings of old lies decayed – is pretty much how it will be. Ozymandias writ large across the land.
Good to hear that your plants were given a brief reprieve from the unrelenting advance of the winter days. And 25’C is pretty nice. Was slightly cooler than that today, maybe 21’C, but by early-afternoon the rain began, and hasn’t stopped. An inch will probably fall by midnight, and this is set to continue for the next two days. Yikes!
Too much rain can be as bad, if not worse, than too little. And serious people who’d never stepped one foot in this part of the world, kept telling me how bad the drought will be here this year. Sure, summer may be bad, but right now, this is an epic wet year. Maybe even the kind where plants struggle.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
All very true, and hey, if it’s not reported in the media – did the storm actually happen? 🙂 We’ve had some crazy weather here, and unless it is snow, the storms barely rate a mention. The media tends to focus on such monster weather systems when they do a direct hit on an urban area, or they take out the power grid for example.
On that note, it was a bit warmer here today, just, and an inch of rain has fallen since early afternoon. Man, I looked at the forecast (which sounds the same for the next two days) and realised it was no day to be outdoors. Decided to take the day off, which meant doing a couple of hours of work this morning, then headed north to stock up on apples and honey. Had a nice walk around two different botanical gardens, then an afternoon nap. All very pleasant.
That Napoleon bloke was big into wars, which would have beggared the newly found French empire, and the Louisiana purchase would have helped soothe some of his European creditors I reckon. You guys got the better part of that deal too, and see what I mean, a long shot land purchase, which pays off. I see that the US also had to sort out the boundary with the British in a give and take arrangement.
Agreed, peanuts are hard to grow here as well. Although one super hot summer, the plant produced heaps of nuts, and Sir Poopy dug them all up and ate them before I even knew what was going on. An impressive achievement, and it was hard to be angry with that dog. And yeah, a friend in the big smoke can grow sweet potatoes, but hashtag warmer, just sayin! You know, I prefer the cooler climate, and would enjoy your part of the world.
I see that you left a comment at Mr Greer’s. 🙂
Could the Armies of Darkness film be beaten? Probably better to take a different direction lest unflattering comparisons be made to Ash and his wild antics don’ you reckon? The Necronomicon Ex-Mortis does appear to have a bit of staying power, although I can’t watch such horror films nowadays due to the nightmares they leave me with. I know, soft… Age has probably wearied my abilities to not dwell on the images, even though I’d be hard pressed to bring them to mind. The vibe, yup, that’s what remains. And it be scary-AF! As a young bloke, I loved that stuff, even though it scared me silly.
An interesting, canny and perhaps also rather unscrupulous person was that Queen Eleanor. Interestingly, after the Battle of Evesham, where the Baron’s lost to the Royalists, the Queen would have had err, carte-blanche to fill her coffers. The lady appears to have risen to the challenge! Reading between the lines I’m left with the impression of a polymath, and err, best to hide from her notice would be my thinking. Wouldn’t end well. Ah, a massive mad cash grab, awful to see human nature at its grubbiest.
🙂 Eleanor! Yup, nod to the memory, and glad you ended up with H. Your dog leads a blessed life, but who knows how things may have rolled?
Oh yeah, that time of year there would make for a harsh walk. 26km a day, takes a lot of stamina and chocolate (believe me), and I’m wondering if the historian had done such lengths before? After a while you don’t want to see any more chocolate, but a person chews through the energy. Nice to hear of an old school pilgrimage. How’s the book going anyway?
On a five day walk of such distances, a person looses weight although I carried about a 50 pound pack. Having done such activities, that’s what sort of had me wondering about that other forced march to meet the Norman invaders. It didn’t seem likely to me, and that lot wouldn’t have had chocolate bars, would they?
Indoors stuff for the next two days. It happens. Might do some paid work tomorrow and then get back into repairing the old Yamaha amplifier. The parts finally turned up in the mail.
I have it on good authority, that a local bloke I speak with has had a stroke. He’s in his forties and that’s a heck of a thing to happen. An active dude too, not what you’d expect. Might be a turning point in his life I reckon.
Should mention Hanging Rock over at Mr Greer’s? Oh no! He’s been struck by a smooth catalogue upgrade! The most feared ship of the Galaxy! 🙂 Far out, I quail in fright at the thought of upgrades…
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – The latest weather apocalypse, being plumped by the media, is, an incoming Kelvin wave. A what? Scroll down to the bottom of this entry. “Media Reaction.” It’s rather amusing. 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelvin_wave
Our high yesterday was 68F (20C). Our overnight low was 46F (7.77C). Our forecast high for today is 72F. We’re going to have a string of nice days in the 70s.
Sounds like you had a nice day. So, did you become a “best gardener,” a nip a few clippings? 🙂
Seems like my yesterday and today were devoted to household maintenance, or economy, or whatever. I went to shake the money tree, at my credit union, last night. And got no money, but an odd transaction slip. “Transaction Denied 102.” Oh, no! Not the dreaded 102! 🙂 “Your transaction cannot be completed at this time. Please contact your financial institution.” I checked my account when I got home, and all looked well. But, I called my credit union, this morning. Apparently, something triggered the algorithm fraud alert. But, it’s unblocked now. Such nice people at my credit union.
Luckily, I still had some walking around money, so I stopped by the Dollar + store, and, the Yuppie Discount Grocery. As I suspected, there was that extra part, needed to charge my new flashlight, lurking around the check out stands. It works, so that’s taken care of.
Called the vet, this morning, and made an appointment for Dawg. To pick up two doses of the 3 month flea pills. And, she needs a booster shot for … something. But not the yearly “wellness” check. We’ll go in, Tuesday morning.
Things could get pretty lively, out at this end of the country, as far as boundaries went. There was the “Pig and Potato War of 1859.” 🙂
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War_(1859)
I think I preferred the lighter side of “Evil Dead.” Without giving too much away, in this episode, the Evil Dead are searching for an artifact, that can kill them. Held by some member of a family of hoarders. More or less.
I finished the book on Eleanor, and her crosses. “A Good Read.” The author commented on her trek, and how the Medieval folk did it without benefit of chocolate, coffee, or tea for that matter. 🙂
Dare I look at Mr. Greer’s site, to discover what this nonsense is? Upgrades. I think more and more people are asking themselves the question, “How will this benefit, me?”
So, what to read next? I try to keep an eye on the due dates, and work through them, that way. Next up, a book on the Japanese Shinto religion. Or, the Roman mosaics discovered in Antioch. Decisions, decisions. Lew
Lew:
The bookmobiles I knew disappeared well before the internet became available.
The Anywhere Library has more than a bookmobile! That’s neat.
“The Uncommon Reader” sounds delightful. Thanks. I have read something about the pack librarians during the Depression. In fact, I have a novel that features one. Thanks for the other two you mentioned.
Pam
Chris:
Your grandmother’s house sounds delightful, and you ended up with such a house yourself. I am trying to imagine a lemon tree large enough to climb. What is your citrus (especially lemons) doing right now? Thanks for the description of the potato bins.
Oh poop! I don’t like to hear such things about nice, old houses. That’s why I never revisit old neighborhoods I have lived in. I did that once, and the charming brick cottage with the huge pine tree was gone, replaced by a McMansion that filled the whole lot.
Ook. All I hope is that neither your household or mine is ever bitten by a venomous snake (or spider; we do have a couple).
Yes, I still go over to the assisted living place every Friday morning. Does them good, and does me a lot of good. My favorite nurse there, whom I have known for a few years now, is teaching me to cook as we sit around the table at lunchtime and I help my friend Janice. Only in descriptions; we’re not allowed in the kitchen.
Heck, I’m blushing again. I know what it means.
Oh, my goodness – bats can fly . . . Some of our bat species migrate south for the winter.
That’s quite a bit of rain. Life on life’s terms, I guess.
Pam
Chris,
Indeed, where’s Dr. Who when you need him?
The carver who carved the turtle pretty much adopted me and the Princess when we joined the club. As did her late best friend. I learned a lot from both of them. There is only one person who has been with the club longer than the Turtle Carver longer. Our Treasurer is a founding member of the club.
Yes, carved wooden tops. Fun toys.
Man, one of the Novice carvings was carved by someone who heard about us via the Library system. He entered a large bowl. Rather than using a lathe, he used an axe and chisels and gouges. The wood he carved is maple – hardwood. He didn’t sand or smooth the bowl when he was done, but it really didn’t need it. It looked almost as good as some of the bowls turned on a lathe.
His was the 2nd best carving in Novice, an exquisitely carved spoon getting best of Novice classification. The bowl got a Blue ribbon. It was in the exact same category as the spoon. As the spoon got best of that category (Best of Division), and only one such award can be given per division/category, well, blue ribbon. I thought the bowl was so spectacular that it also deserved a Best of Division award. The Show Chairman and the judges and I convened and we unanimously agreed, so the bowl also got a Best of Division award. The artist was floored when I explained that to him on Sunday.
My somewhat limited understanding is that the Raven is sort of a trickster in Northwest Coastal stories. So, yes, the best and worst of humanity is part of Raven. Laughter often results, but not always.
Get well into the interior and Coyote is the trickster in a lot of territory. Again, best and worst of humanity, some laughs result.
One story is about how during creation, the first beings had all of the stars on a big blanket and were placing them into the sky one by one. Coyote got impatient watching them, grabbed the blanket and swung it about. When he released it, the stars all landed in a bright streak across the sky. Thus was the Milky Way formed.
This neighborhood was long the realm of crows and no other corvids. Ravens have moved into the area. Their coexistence is interesting to watch. Today I noticed a magpie was flapping about the neighborhood, accompanied by the usual magpie blustering noisiness. Should the magpies attempt to move into the area also, things could get very lively and entertaining. Three corvids. Three wise species, two of which (raven and magpie) are considered to be tricksters by some Native cultures.
The Montana show in question is held in Missoula. It is a pretty drive of about 200 miles to Missoula. Once east of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, not a lot of people. Mountains, forests, rivers.
Ya know, my entire lifetime I have told people that if they do this, that disaster will follow. My dad noticed it, but even he ignored my warnings. So, your listening to the Banana Splits theme song surprises me not. Remember, much of my County career was based on “I told you so.” 😉 Maybe this will help to remove the earworm. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N0qo4sYeKc
Many more rural jurisdictions in the US are already letting some of their nonarterial roads go back to gravel through lack of maintenance. Spokane County started doing that, but the higher ups didn’t want it to be stated as such to the public. That made things interesting when working with the public, the actual owners of said roads. Baldly stating the policy would have been a fireable offense – insubordination – but I wouldn’t lie. Yes, I found ways to work around that.
Good. Glad Dame Plum is doing well. The worm meds were a good idea.
I don’t think I’ve experienced a growing season that was too rainy for the plants. That doesn’t happen here. Hard to imagine what you might be dealing with.
Okay. Another earworm chaser. The dude in the blue shirt seemed to have a LOT of fun. This is a favorite of high school bands at the basketball tournaments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfE2gSAgIZI&list=RDjfE2gSAgIZI&start_radio=1
Or maybe this one. My sister worked for an entire weekend to learn this on the piano. By ear, no sheet music. She was successful and it sounded good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOJHauJ1wzQ
DJSpo
Hi Pam,
Oh you’re good and respect for spotting that. 🙂 I kind of figured that what worked a century ago with house design and survived the long decades, would probably be OK. The thing is, I could use more fire resistant materials, heavier and way thicker insulation, nastier timber treatments, tougher glazing, and who knows how it will be in a century?
That was an interesting lemon tree, and the branches and trunk were huge. Dunno what type it was, but I’m presuming it was a seedling variety maybe originally either of Lisbon or Eureka. From what I can work out, most citrus these days are grafted onto dwarfing rootstock, but it needn’t be that way. And truly if I hadn’t seen and climbed in that tree as a kid, I’d have never known what was possible.
Once all of the infrastructure is good enough, I’ll begin producing fruit trees and ornamental trees from seed. But that’s a few years away. You’d appreciate that there is always heaps to do. How’s the deer fencing of the figgies working out? Electric fencing might not be a bad idea? Dunno.
The potato bins were what the old timers did, but I can’t recall whether they’d incorporated some sort of fine woven steel mesh ventilation holes so as to reduce the humidity. Sadly, I can’t ask them either.. Makes me wish I’d listened to my grandfather more closely! He grew up on a farm during the Great Depression and drought, so probably knew a few tricks. I’m sure you’d appreciate the situation. 😉 The steel lining was a most important rodent proof barrier, which is a good idea.
Yup! That’s exactly what the place looked like to me too, a disturbed memory, and hey, who wants that? As you also noted. Where there was once a house with a rear garden, now sits two houses, and minimal outdoor space.
Fingers crossed that we avoid such fates, and if not, then know what to do and seek immediate help. Not all snake bites down here are venomous, some are what they call ‘dry bites’ and the reptile is simply warning the irresponsible mammal to naff off. But who is to know the difference?
Pam, that’s the stuff of friendship – and what better way to bond than over discussions of the sacred art of cooking?
Presumably Mr Jones didn’t nip the undies matter in the bud, and err, the, and here I too am blushing, the situation escalated to the point in which it became a ritual.
Bats kind of worry me, but as Alfred E Neumann may have quipped: What me worry? 🙂 My understanding of the flying marsupials is that they are one big colony up and down the east coast of the continent. It was not lost on me that not too far away from the botanical gardens was a large apple growing area. It’ll be a problem.
Two inches of rain has fallen since yesterday afternoon, and it was pea soup thick fog here today. Hope your day was full of sunshine and warmth?
Cheers
Chris
Hi DJ,
Yup, those time lords ain’t got no time for us! 🙂
Whoa! Your treasurer is to be respected for not only founding the carving club, but guiding it upon its journey to where things stand today. And it ain’t just you who’s been taken under the wing and nurtured.
Oh poop. It’s been pea soup thick fog here today. 20 minutes of sunshine isn’t much. Did mostly paid work, as it was no day to be outdoors. Even the dogs went out and did what needed doing, then turned tails and headed back indoors. These things happen, and tomorrow is meant to be the same.
I’m probably going to finish off restoring the old amplifier tomorrow, and the available thinking time today got my brain wondering if two of the electrolytic capacitors ordered over the interweb were fakes. Turns out they might be. The general consensus suggests that the things might work, but have a short lifespan. Hardly ideal is it? And fortunately I’d not known and ordered a second lot from another supplier – which look more legit. Still, I dunno and at these moments it would be ideal to have an oscilloscope. Oh well.
🙂 The old timers never had lathes, but there have long been axes, chisels and gouges all around for a while. Not sure of your opinion, but hardwood would be easier in that regard as it would be difficult to overdo each carve. Hope you signed the bloke up to the group?
Ah, the trickster is always with us, in various guises. Not to be messed with down here either. Nature always has the last laugh, and we’d best do her bidding. And go the Coyote! And what a lovely treat the canine gave us all with the stars.
Ooo, your American magpies look different to the locals, but fill the exact same niche. Cool, and they’d be a challenge to your Ravens for sure. They chase away the larger birds here, and I’m good with that, because the smaller magpies live here all year around – part of the furniture so to speak. How will it all end up in your area is a very interesting question. Did you know that down here the Ravens have learned to open bins and just help themselves? Not a problem with me, obviously, but they’re clever as are their kin.
For a few months now, a lone Pied Currawong (similar to a crow) has been hanging around the farm. Sometimes the magpies are nice to their larger cousin, and yet other times I’ve seen them suddenly jump and roll the large bird – who was hard pressed and barely got away uninjured. Not sure what he’s doing here as that species tends to hang in big family groups. Maybe he was kicked out? Dunno.
The parrots are the next in line for Avian intelligence, and the Crimson Rosella’s sure do get up to mischief, although the larger King Parrots just seem pleasant and agreeable. Interesting, there was a reference to magpies and the monstrous Cockatoos, being higher in the feeding pecking order.
Given you’ve just told me that disaster will follow if I heed your instructions, I’m kind of wary of listening to more ear worms! 🙂
Oh man, insubordination. Over a quarter a century ago I had an employer tell me to do something very dodgy for which they wouldn’t take responsibility for, and I quit. Life is too short. But they threatened me with insubordination beforehand. I replied to them, that: last I checked, we weren’t in the army! It kind of left them baffled, and wondering whether they’d over stepped the mark – which they probably had. Things may be different in your country on that front.
Yeah, rats, rabbits, worms – seems to be a wicked combination. The dogs have cabin fever bad today, but they have to chill out and relax. The conditions were sub fluffy optimal.
Two inches of rain since yesterday afternoon. It’s a problem, and if vegetable seeds were planted out earlier in the week – they’d be rotting by now. Established plants are OK, as are the weeds, but vegetables aren’t the heavy weight fighters of the plant-world.
You said not to do what you what you said, lest disaster follow, so I’ll take up your good advice. But! Like Ulysses, I’ll simply cut the Gordian Knot and switch the audio off and discover what ear worm horrors await. 🙂
Chicago, yeah, a good band. That song they did with the intro leading to ‘if you leave me now blah, blah’, now that is a catchy ear worm. And was used in the film Three Kings to good effect, almost surreal.
I survived, and avoided new ear worms. You have the aura of the trickster about you. 🙂
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
What do the media know about more unusual and extreme forms of weather systems? It’s been a pea-souper up here today. Thick fog and constant damp. Totally feral, and no day to spend outdoors. The power system recorded about 20 minutes of peak sunlight, which is a bit abysmal. The dogs are bored out of their brains, but wisely choose to spend time indoors where it is warm and dry. Did paid work, and didn’t get to the amplifier restoration, which will be a job for tomorrow.
Discovered two of the components ordered appear to be fakes, which is not a problem because I took a chance and ordered another lot from a different online supplier (not my usual supplier in either case which didn’t have any available). Interestingly both had good feedback too. Had a look around to see what people were saying and they might work, but just not last very long – which kind of defeats the purpose… I’ll use the less dodgy ones, and see how it rolls.
72’F and in that range is almost perfect! Your pumpkins might do OK? With over two inches of rain in the past 24 hours, any seeds we’d planted would be rotting now. Fortunately, only the potatoes have been started. Dunno how those potatoes planted out earlier the week will be, but fingers crossed – and it’s too late now anyway. Oh well.
Hehe! The temptation to nick cuttings was easily avoided mostly because I’ve got my hands full with other projects. 🙂 Hopefully Monday I’ll get the last of the garden beds ready for the growing season, but we’ll see – the weather has not been ideal for spending time in the great outdoors.
Heaviest Melbourne rain in 30 months as Vic flood threat increases. Now that is a great looking atmospheric river originating from the tropical Indian Ocean – and the landmass in the animated radar display is probably twice the size (and then some) of the entire UK.
Oh my, always alarming when the nice banksters are having troubles doing their job. And honestly having a code for the error does not soothe the soul of the anxiety that, it’s gone! The blogger notayesmanseconomics blog, whom I quite enjoy linked to a South Park episode on the subject:
When You Put Money in the Bank annnddd It’s Gone – SOUTH PARK.
Candidly I had trouble understanding what the nice bankster was doing with the deposited mad cash, but the conclusion was quite comprehensible. And it looks like you weren’t kidding about the South America. Oh well! I hear that in Argentina, they value stuff greater than official notes.
Always wise to keep some walking around mad cash for such emergencies.
It boggles my mind that all those connectors aren’t the same. Like, how hard would that be to do? Probably quite difficult really.
Go H, and hope the young lady is not too hassled by the impending visit to the nice vet, and that they give her some tasty treats to compensate for whatever it is that they’ll do to the dog. They buy off canines down here with some sort of hard liver treat which the dogs seem to love. Funnily enough the doctors don’t seem to pull that trick. Dunno about you, but like H I could be bought. 🙂
I totally get why Mr Cutlar shot the pig in that international debacle. The hothead could have accepted the apology and payment which sounded fair in today’s costs. And from such small incidents, islands are taken. To be honest, the island looks pretty dry in most of the photos, so presumably there’d be some winds blowing there. Hard to grow edibles in very windy conditions.
Oh my goodness, imagine the Evil Dead having to rummage through a hoarders house. What a mess. No wonder emotions were somewhat on edge. I enjoy a bit of humour with my horror too, and one here can point to: Sean of the Dead. Wonder what Mr Pegg is up to nowadays? Looks like the Star Trek 4 film may, or may not happen. I liked that crew. Ooo, how good would it be if Quentin Tarantino made a Star Trek film? I’d like to see that. What it’s ended up instead is looking like a hot-mess.
The medieval folks must have eaten and stayed at friendly castles along the way. What’s your thoughts as to how they did it? But could also have ridden horses? Dunno. But a proper pilgrimage is done on foot.
Agreed, people are asking such questions. And man, if I could use another operating system, trust me, I would! Business programs dictate the continued usage.
Which book did you end up choosing? I tend to make such decisions depending on what is going on in other areas of my life. Sometimes a bit of light fluff reading, when work is intense, can be beneficial – like the yin and yang stuff. I’m guessing you chose the book on Shinto, no the Roman mosaic. Oh poop, I said both… 🙂
Cheers
Chris
@ Pam – Somewhere, along the way, I saw a photo book of all the different ways, library books are delivered to people. Donkeys, camels, small boats, back packs … etc. etc.. Horse and wagon.
Out there, there’s a hunger for learning. Or, just plain old entertainment. Lew
Yo, Chris – You have a pea-souper. I expect our late night, early morning autumn fogs to show up, any day. My, that’s a lot of green blobs, showing up on your weather radar. Well, at least no yellow or red.
Our high yesterday was 72F (22.22C). Our overnight low was 50F (10C). Our forecast high for today is 73F. We’re to have a run of low 70s days. But mornings are overcast, until it “burns off.”
Fakes. They’re out there. Just about anything you can imagine. Often hear about it from the fashion world. Mostly, the luxury brands. There are those rare beasts, who can spot a fake handbag (or, watch), from 30 paces. I guess everyone needs a hobby. 🙂
Maybe, I’m just as bad. I generally look at what the local auction has on offer, each week. It’s a real mix of stuff. Well, I saw a really pretty bowl. Impressed with three swimming Koi. But, I didn’t like the color It was amber. I got curious as to if it came in maybe, say, blue? 🙂 I thought it might be Lalique glass, or maybe Verlys. I finally tracked down a picture, that it was stamped with a K I G. But, not a clue as to who this company was. So, approaching it from another direction, well, I learned something new. It’s glass produced in Indonesia or Malaysia. Looks like they’ve been around awhile, and, they have an extensive line of glass. I didn’t see anything that was an outright fake. And, at least, they mark their glass.
You asked about pumpkins. Well, another golf ball sized pumpkin, has appeared. The first one, is now the size of a large apple.
Oh, that South Park episode (or, shall I say South America?) is too funny. Although the creators missed a trick. Given we live in these over-armed US of A, I half expected the dad to whip out a gun and blow the bankster away. But on reflection, it would have even been better, if the aged little old lady had whipped a gun out of her tiny little handbag, and plugged the officious twit. I mean, at her obvious advance age, what does she have to lose?
Well, Dawg doesn’t know it (shhh!), but she’s probably going to get a booster shot for Parvo, or something. And then there might be the indignity of taking a temperature. 🙁
Did you get around to checking out the trailer for “Evil Dead: Burn?” Hmmm. I wondered where it had been filmed. Looked a lot like our part of the world. Nope. New Zealand.
Last night, I watched “Reading Lolita in Tehran.” I had read the book, years ago. The film was quit engrossing. Iran, once upon a time, was a pretty secular country. Which bothered some people. So, it portrays the slide into a theocracy. I also found it interesting, that the film is peppered with low-lifes, who get a bit of power, and wield that power in most unpleasant ways. You see the same sort of thing in movies about Nazi Germany.
I saw an article about a dozen documentaries, coming out this fall. Nothing particularly caught my interest … except “The History of Concrete.” 🙂
I hope my library gets it.
https://youtu.be/UQphZKAoUDM?si=9rv_MiBpX4hbG1_g
Speaking of movies, “Bambi: The Revenge” is in my stack. I don’t know when I’ll get to it. Had a popcorn night, recently, and don’t want to overdo a good thing. 🙂
Speaking of deer, I think my bunch are psychic. From the day I got the super bright flashlight, I have not seen them. Ain’t that the way it goes?
Given it was over 700 years ago, details on Elenor’s cortege are rather slim. Oh, we know where she rested, each night. But, how she got from place to place, or, the size and way the entourage moved, is pretty much speculative. Maybe a cart or two. Horse, for the uppers. By foot for the … footmen?
Give that man a cigar! Yup, I dipped into both books, last night. But didn’t get too far. I kept nodding off. But what I managed, was interesting.
I saw a headline, that some company (oddly, not Mars Boy), is floating the idea (and probably looking for investors), of putting ai data center, in space. Seems like a good idea. What could possible go wrong?
Might be some space junk, coming down.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/science/articles/us-cold-war-spy-satellite-120003705.html
Watch the skies! :-). Lew
Hi everyone,
In exciting news, there was a 4.8 earthquake way off to the south east of here last night. We were far enough away that it was pretty minor, but I awoke to hear a door rattling and wondered about what was going on. Then promptly forgot about that until I read the news this morning:
Magnitude-4.8 earthquake strikes near Leongatha, south-east of Melbourne
The earth is rarely quiet…
Cheers
Chris
Chris,
Us normal people know how to live. A Time Lord? Not so much. Always solving problems, trying to save the universe from disasters of one sort or another, etc. Not to mention periodically going through that weird shift and changing into a new body. No thanks. I rather like life the way it is. Yet, having my own personal TARDIS could be fun. Then again, Peabody and Sherman as a warning.
It has been quite some time since we had fog thick enough to be called “pea soup”. I remember having to drive in pea soup many times. Not fun whatsoever.
Hope the capacitors actually do work out okay. Once upon a time, parts were parts. Now? Parts are junk more often than not. Hard to find a reputable source, isn’t it?
The young guy who carved the bowl said that he would start going to our meetings. I hope he follows through with that. He seemed pleasant, has talent, and wants to learn how to carve other things.
I always enjoyed that Coyote tale. The tricksters on that level would be hard to be around, though. Coyote appears at various places in the “Iron Druid Chronicles” series. At one point the Iron Druid says, “You almost got me killed! My recovery was painful and lengthy!” Coyote replied, “You didn’t die, did you? I made sure of that. And you needed a rest.” Iron Druid replied, “How come I always get badly injured and nothing happens to you?” Coyote laughter was the only reply.
Ravens opening bins doesn’t surprise me in the least. Rakhi could turn doorknobs and open doors then close them again – noiselessly. Bears quickly learn how to open “bear proof” bins. Thordog learned how to open the gates. Critters are smarter than we give them credit for.
Maybe the lone Pied Currawong is acting as a scout. For two or three years a single raven would visit the area. Eventually a few families moved in. Send the scout first, get the lay of the land, then move in when conditions are right.
I know magpies are as smart as. Dad’s old dog, Cindy, once had a wonderful soup bone to chew on. Two magpies wanted it but couldn’t take it from the dog. Then they figured it out. One was on a wire above and behind Cindy. The other feigned the “crippled bird” routine and lured Cindy away from the bone. The first magpie swooped in, grabbed the bone and flapped as hard as it could. Happily for the dog, the flapping was noisy, and the bone was too heavy for the magpie to lift. She chased them away and they went elsewhere for their meal. At age 8, I was impressed with the reasoning of the magpies.
Calling it insubordination is the lazy manager’s recourse when he has been caught in total illogic and/or illegality. I remember saying to various bosses on different occasions, “I’m fired for insubordination because I pointed out the flaws in your logic? Bwahahaha! Good luck making THAT stick! I think the media and TV stations would also have fun roasting you about it, too!” That usually got things stopped.
Rabbits and wormses and rats! Oh my! Sounds like something that might get said on the yellow brick road or something. But quickly think of something else, lest you get stuck with an earworm form a MUSICAL. 😉
Maybe something from Sierra Hull will help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbSAWpypnB0&list=RDsFIQgPAms88&index=3
Glad you survived the earthquake. Doesn’t sound like it was too big, but big enough. Getting shook around and hearing doors bang isn’t the most comfortable thing.
Two inches of rain in a day or so would wreak havoc on newly planted veggie seeds. I remember a few occasions when I planted the veggies only to have an epic thunderstorm ruin the seeds a week later. That’s really the only kind of overly wet issue we get here with the garden, and that is rare.
Trickster? Moi? Incorrigible tease perhaps. 🙂
DJSpo
Hi everyone,
DJ’s awesome carvings and pyrography:
Enjoy!
Chris
Hi DJ,
Thanks for the photos of your work. And I particularly enjoyed the ‘Ew People’ Sasquatch lurking through the pine forest. Don’t go into them woods today, for you may find a surprise! 🙂 You know, I reckon the calligraphy was even better than your carving for the previous years show.
I’m avoiding the woods today, anyway 🙂 , mostly because it has continued to rain – all day. So far the 3 inches forecast, has arrived. Somehow a spring developed and water was gushing out of a hole in the soil in an area. And Dame Plum got one of the largest rabbits I’d seen. Just happened to have the camera with me too, and I’ve no idea why, but at one point the rabbit went dead still, the dog sniffed it and disregarded the bunny for a rock. I’ve seen that happen before, and gave her a hand by chucking a rock at the furry critter.
Did a mixture of paid work and finished off replacing all of the capacitors in the forty year old Yamaha amplifier. It sounds good, and I’ve got it warming up right now, which is a bit stinky due to the flux resin. Hey, can you imagine the repair bill for a Tardis? The parts for the amp were about AU$75, and took around 10 hours of work – which is why people chuck them out into landfill. 🙂
The fog has been bad today again. Maybe only three quarters of an hour of peak sunlight landed for the day. Man, you can’t drive faster than about 50km/h up here in those conditions, mostly because there is so much wildlife.
Yeah, I chose to use the more proper looking two capacitors and that seems to have done the trick. I know the rest purchased are legit, because the supplier buys from the manufacturer. The thing is, not all size and ratings are correct in the fake parts.
That’s great news about the young bloke maybe joining the club, and it’s all part of natural renewal.
How have I missed this book series? Oh well… Sounds great, and the trickster Coyote gave the protagonist a solid ‘what for’! It’s common knowledge that despite all of the bad endings, the coyote in the Warner brothers series endured, yet came back for more against the Road Runner. With that Iron Druid story, you get the impression that whilst things were bad, without the coyote, they’d have been worse. 🙂
Rhaki was clearly a champion canine intelligence. We’ve got rounded door handles, and the dogs can’t work them out. But they know the pull down door handles for sure. But closing a door is the whole next level. Sandra loves the videos of bears getting up to mischief, or being part of a family – we always joke about just keeping the critters well fed! Agreed, the critters are always watching, and the dogs and birds know what is going on.
I’d not considered that the lone Currawong might be doing that, and I’ll continue to observe and see what happens. Thanks for mentioning the possibility. The magpies probably won’t tolerate a family of the larger Currawongs here.
What a fun story with the old dog, and not a chance to lift the bone. The Kelpies are forever chasing the magpies, which tease them mercilessly. Long ago, Ruby did come into contact with one of the birds, and for two months they swooped her until she started acting a bit haunted. They eventually relented, but I tell the magpies that the dogs are around by calling an alert: “Chook, chook, chook!” They know what it means, but already post lookouts.
Man, I’d love to tell the insubordination story in full, but can’t. Free speech isn’t a thing down here, even when it appears to be just to do so, and people get all weirded out when it’s used. But I do like your style with that reply. There are some things your country does, which are great, and that is one of them. I can well appreciate how long ago the crown would have crushed the unruly peasant.
Cool! Bluegrass has some fun to it, despite the sad lyrics. They’re good. Far out. Sounds awesome on the restored amp too. 🙂 At the end, the young lady looked like the band totally nailed the performance.
We were on the edge of the earthquake zone, so no big deal – just it was super strange waking up at 2am by the rattling sound the door was making. Not like that 5.9 mentioned in the article. That was hard to ignore, and gave me a whole new appreciation for the power of the earth!
It’s hard isn’t it, such weather? And I’m always tempted to start the garden early in the season – and every year seems to prove to me what a bad idea it is. Any seeds planted out earlier in the week would have rotted in the ground. We’ll see how the potatoes go.
Hehe! Takes one to know one! Touché Mr Trickster! 😉
Time to go and make dinner – enchiladas.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
And another pea-souper drizzly day today. The weather has been mildly crazy, where ever has the sun gone? Still not as strange as being woken at 2am by an earthquake which was rattling the door. Didn’t realise at the time what was going on, but the news this morning filled in the blanks. Pretty minor really, and I went back to sleep.
Yeah, you’ll get the autumn morning fogs soon enough. They happen here too during the in-between seasons too. The summer fog is different in that it can stick like a blanket over the mountain range – which looks weird from a distance where the skies are a clear blue.
I am now officially envious of your most delightful sounding weather! 🙂 Is that an act of cabin fever? Maybe… Hehe! Did some paid work today, and then finished off restoring the forty year old Yamaha amplifier. I must say, it sounds good, nice and clean. I’ve been running it for hours now and it’s staying reasonably cool, which is what you want.
Tell ya what, I was annoyed that I’d been slipped two dodgy parts, and that’s not good at all. You know, another person may have used them, unknowingly. The thing is, they would have worked, for a while…
Yeah, funny that, and the thing is, like you suggested with that bag stuff, if there isn’t any practical difference between a fake and the real thing, then is the product all that scarce? And what if you’d bought the real thing, and people assumed you’d owned a fake? Too many problems, right there…
It’s also true what you say about hobbies, and the sad thing about the amplifier is that it was $200 to buy second hand, has probably consumed $75 of parts, and taken 10 hours of time to complete. A brand new equivalent would be around $600 which comes with all new parts and a warranty. Nobody would pay for the labour to do this stuff, which is probably why the things get junked. Certainly not indicative of the quality. A bit tragic isn’t it? But the machine will probably get another twenty, maybe thirty years of life. It was designed from the very beginning to be repaired, and not much gets made like that nowadays.
And producing good stuff of mostly their own designs, is ideal. What’s not to like about that? How many genuinely original products are out there? Although I’m left wondering if the same bowl was made in blue?
If your run of warm weather continues, the pumpkin might get bigger than an apple. Watch for the powdery mildew on the leaves. They grow really fast.
Ooooo! Well, it’s not like the fictional bankster bloke in the cartoon was a sympathetic figure. Bad granny takes revenge! Even South Park, sorry South America, probably has limits.
I’m not saying that the Parvo shot will hurt H, but I reckon she’ll feel that one for sure. I won’t tell her, unless the dog is reading over your shoulder? Hope you have some err, bribes, sorry, treats ready just in case. Distraction as a strategy works… As to the thermometer, well indignities, we’ve all been there. 🙂 Ouch.
Man, the dishwasher scene was a nice touch. It looks to me like it was filmed in upstate New York, or Maine, lots of odd things happen there. I read about it many books over the years.
Well yeah, invite the basest of human instincts to power and control, and the results aren’t good. Your country has had its fair share of such matters too, like the Salem witch trials. Or ruining people for no good reason, like the red panic which ended in the McCarthy-era. Crazy days. All societies lose their poop in times of stress, especially when they’re used to easy answers.
Do I think about concrete? I fricken love concrete! What an amazing product. 🙂 Man, did you check out the comments to that documentary? It’s not serious is it? If it is, the concept is genius, but may not take off.
I’ll bet Bambi didn’t have a dishwasher scene? The fingers in the car door was a neat trick too. I noticed when the Evil Dead arrived home – why did they open the door? – that several digits were missing. So what did you end up watching?
Had a poke around the interweb to see what people were saying about long distance walks, and the historical physical endurance of the general population. Mr King’s book: The Long Walk, was mentioned, possibly not the same situation, but would have come down to an endurance battle. Actually the video we discussed about South Korea a week or two back reminded me of that narrative, dunno why. 🙂 Seems as if we’re not as fit as we once were – something to do with cars.
It is, and they might be those deer – or they’ve learned your patterns. The big herbivores displayed true rat cunning, and I’m in awe of all of the forest critters here. By the way, Dame Plum nabbed a huge rabbit this morning. It was speedy, but the two Kelpies acted in concert. What was really interesting, is that at first she sniffed the rabbit, and because it was stock still, the dog dismissed it as a rock. I chucked a rock at the rose and raspberry consuming bunny. Looked well fed too and was so fast.
🙂 Thanks and just went with my gut feeling there as to what you were reading.
I believe that one day the International Space Station will fall back to the Earth sooner or later, whom is hungry for her own. Why would a data centre, do any better? Imagine trying to replace the aged processors in the thing. Surely they are joking?
That is interesting, and I reckon all those bits will be a nuisance for years to come, if not smoosh into other satellites. Wonder if they’ll ever figure out what took the old orbiting beast out?
Cheers
Chris
Yo, Chris – Don’t be envious. Soon enough, our weather will be like yours is now. But you’re coming out of it, and we’re going into it. 🙂 Our high yesterday was 72F (22.22C). Our overnight low was 48F (8.88C). Our forecast high for today is 73F.
So, you had a bit of a shake. Happens. I wonder what our next one will be like. Probably, not good.
Go Yamaha! Your electronic tinkering around, is probably good for your brain. Something different than accounting or splitting rocks and moving them around. Probably lights up whole new neural pathways.
Just out of curiosity, I took a look at E-Buy. KIG glass has 5,900 entries. There’s 14 of the koi, or goldfish bowl. No blue. 🙁 Amber, clear, or a smoke finish.
I’ve read, in a few places recently, commentary on how nothing seems “new” anymore. It’s all just recycled ideas. Hollywood is a good example. Series that go on forever, or, just plane old remakes. And, not just Hollywood. “Genuinely original products?” Not so much.
I noticed on the reader board, at our fairgrounds, that there’s soon to be one of those fix-it events. Bring in your broken stuff (the halt, lame and blind), and we’ll see if we can lay on hands and …heal! 🙂
South Park, limits? Surely, you jest. 🙂 Our library has the last two seasons, on order. It’s on my hold list. Natch.
If I remember, correctly, H gets the ol’ Parvo shot, right in the tummy. I’ll have to think about a good treat, to give her.
“Evil Dead: Burn” was filmed near Aukland, New Zealand. They let her in, because it was early on, and they didn’t really know what was going on. It was a daughter-in-law, who, they figured might have survived her injuries, from the car crash. LOL. You need a certain suspension of disbelief, to watch these things.
Of course, the trailer was very short, but, if you’re going to talk about the history of concrete, you’re gong to have to talk about the Romans. I’d say that period was the “flowering” of concrete.
Oh, I’m finishing up “Stranger Things.” Just a couple more episodes, to go.
Well, well, well. When we went for our walk, last night, there were two deer on the back lawn. They did NOT like my new high beam torch. I wonder if what’s been putting them off, is the blood meal I put down. I noticed, this morning, that it’s time to refresh it, again. Which I’ll do this afternoon.
I think I’ll also hit my pumpkins with a bit of wood ash, coffee grounds and composted chicken poop. Not too much, just a light application. From what I see on the net, it might goose up the end season fruit production, a bit.
Go Dame Plume! Same thing with Dawg. She was 6 feet from a rabbit, but the rabbit held absolutely still. And, was sitting in front of a flower pot, that was about the same color as the rabbit.
Ah, here it is.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/30/science/nasa-swift-observatory-falling
Dawg and I went up to the Club, last night. Caught the end of Jane’s shift, and the beginning of Ben’s. Two birds with one stone. Jane’s cancer is back, and she’s on treatments, again.
The Powers That Be are laying out tape, on the floor, to figure out what major things are going where. Lew
Chris:
“The thing is, I could use more fire resistant materials, heavier and way thicker insulation, nastier timber treatments, tougher glazing, and who knows how it will be in a century?” We could use those things, too. But in a century – I don’t care, except for curiosity’s sake.
The deer fencing of the figlets is working fine. Today my son moved inside the house 150 or so of the most valable figlets. They need a bit more warmth to produce more roots and, though it was a high of 90F (32C)yesterday, the high today was only 55F (13C), with rain. I started to tell you that my sweet potatoes were upstairs curing in that room, too . . .
Hey. I have just been informed that the “platform”, “mesa”, “plateau”, or Large Flat Spot that was built up out of the slope directly behind the house is going to be enlarged to 60ft x 100ft, thus having room for two 20ft x 100ft greenhouses instead of the 7 temporary 10ft x 20ft ones there now. The garage, should it ever happen, will be somewhere else.
Pam
@ Lew:
What a marvelous photo book that must have been. Perhaps you saw it in a library . . .
Pam
Chris:
Yikes! Say it isn’t so! The last thing you need is another earthquake. Did any of the dogs notice it?
Pam
@ DJSpo:
What wonderful. wonderful wood carvings. They have soul. Especially my tall, hairy old friend of the forest. He’s a lamb at heart, really.
Pam
Hi Pam,
Alas ’tis true, a 4.8 earthquake rocked the continent about 100 miles from here. That area seems particularly prone to the land flexing its muscles. The dogs didn’t seemed worried, but then they ignored the 5.9 quake several years ago which had Sandra and I exit the house. The looks on their collected canine faces was precious: What are those silly humans up to this time? And they refused to leave the house.
Do you get any quakes in your part of the world?
Fair enough, I hear you, bushfires are a big risk here and sooner or later one will arrive. Kind of like the ultimate test for the design of the house: Did I stuff anything up? Always a risk, and they do say the perfect is over rated.
It’s a good point. Who knows what things will be like in a century? But I can guarantee they won’t be anything like the ease of today. People are super adaptable, and they’ll be fine. I reckon there is satisfaction in planting out seeds, and getting some produce from that.
Youch! You’re running out of sunlight, and warmth it appears. 55’F sounds like the past few days here. By the way, the clouds finally parted and the sun shone from about 2pm. We all sat on the front veranda soaking up the sudden solar energy. Hope the inside figgies do OK during the winter, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t.
Very funny, your laughs are my gas! 🙂 A lovely tuber, if you have the enzymes. Hope they are drying out and enjoying the company of the figgies.
Oooo, I may have managed to propagate two Babaco plants, so went for the gold elephant stamp and started a third. Such a wonderful sub-tropical fruit, which barely survives the winters here sheltered in the greenhouse. Mind you, the chili plants look equally queasy at this stage.
Respect, and that would be my order of projects too. First, take care of bidness, second, provide housing for machines. Without bidness, machines cost much unsustainable mad cash. I see poly tunnels around here, and a proper greenhouse is worth its weight. By the way, unsolicited advice alert: polycarbonate sheeting is the toughest material of them all. But err, budgets may vary.
Cheers
Chris
Hi Lewis,
Yeah, man, three and a bit days of solid fog, storms and drizzle weighs upon a summer softened person’s soul. But your weather does sound all rather nice. 🙂 Hey, at around 2pm the clouds broke and the sun shone. The Editor, the dogs and I sat on the front veranda sucking up the sudden burst of solar energy. So delightful…
The coming week looks a little bit cooler here than where you are, but I hear you, the tide will turn. Lost an hour’s sleep last night, and the whole day has felt somewhat off.
The long term trend in this part of the world is that a 6.0 earthquake is about as bad as could be expected, and the 5.9 enjoyed a few years ago err, rocked my world. Actually, I’d never experienced the Earth being so angry before, and developed a whole new appreciation for days when nothing much happens. Yes, a big shake in your part of the world is a possibility, and it won’t be good. You may lose chunks of land to the ocean, maybe.
It’s funny you mention that, but doing the electronics restoration work does involve getting the brain into a sort of different zone. I’ve been reading a few articles here and there which suggest that research is suggesting that the grey matter is a use it, or lose it, proposition. What’s your take on that subject?
All those colours you mentioned for the bowl aren’t blue, are they? Not all poor reputations are deserved. The company probably does some good stuff. Years ago I bought a petrol log splitter and plastered on the box was a slogan: Made with pride in the PRC. All sounded a bit over hyped, but the machine is super simple and remarkably robust. I’ve come to respect that most useful of devices, but have modified one or two aspects just to make it work even better.
Yeah, monopolies suck the life out of genuine innovation. That sort of thing was known about, long ago. Sad.
A mate of mine used to volunteer for those see-if-we-can fix-it events, and it was interesting to hear about the restrictions put on him. Hope your lot has an easier time of it. Do you have anything in mind to take to that mob? Yes, the healing of machines is a specialised skill.
🙂 Well I can think of a few lines that those folks wouldn’t cross. Man, reading Mr Greer’s I noticed a reference to people being jailed in the UK for saying dumb things on the interweb. And I thought we had it bad down here with free speech, but that’s like the whole next level. What would Eric Cartman say about that?
Oh poop! H will feel that one for sure, and then look at you funny-like, for a while. Treats are always a worthwhile thing to have at such times. Fortunately Parvo isn’t present in this area. What a hard way to go. The shot is less problematic.
All very true about suspending belief with such stories. 😉 To be honest, the car head rest embedded deeply in the neck, was probably a sign that all is not well with that unexpected turn of events. On a practical note, they needed one of those little door spy holes which used to be a thing back in the day. You could see what appears to be a zombie-like-creature on the other side wanting in, and then not open the door. End of film. Everyone survives, except maybe the zombie. Probably wont sell as well… Although I did notice in the trailer that one of the Evil Dead came down the chimney – clearly not lit. If they’d spent more attention on the household, and less with battling the undead, well, things would have ended differently.
The Roman’s knew how to do concrete properly so that it lasted. The trailer suggested a fun approach to alerting people to the seriousness of the material. Not too far from here is a massive sand mine. I hear that stuff is running short, as is crushed rock. You canna jus’ use any old sand.
Very good, and hope the series finishes up neatly with no unresolved matters. Which if it were the Evil Dead fictional universe, that might mean a high body count.
Hope the blood meal keeps those pesky herbivores away.
Absolutely, pumpkins grow fast, and need heaps of feed. I’ll be curious to hear how your pumpkins respond to the fertiliser.
Yeah, us humans probably see the world very differently to dogs, as I could see the rabbit, yet they couldn’t. I’ll include a little photo montage of how it rolled with Dame Plum. Pure chance I had the camera with me.
Oh goodie! An out of control crash land. Nothing to see here, move along. I recall when Skylab crashed in the outback.
I see that you are on top of the Club roster list, and approve of your efficiency drive! 🙂 Oh, man, that’s awful about Jane with the cancer returning and having to struggle through more treatment. Hope her spirit stays strong.
Hey, a good idea, and if the tape gets scuffed, you know where people naturally move through a building. It’s a good idea to see what eventuates, rather than imposing a plan. I use that technique all of the time, and the results have a natural flow to them.
Didn’t do much today, mostly due to the weather. But man, it was so nice when the storm finally let go. Had a nice long walk around and plotted and schemed.
Cheers and better get writing!
Chris
Yo, Chris – Well, here it is. “Dense Fog Advisory,” and, yes, it looks pretty thick out there. Forecast to burn off around noon. Our high yesterday was 70F (21.11C). Our overnight low was 46F (7.77C). Forecast high for today is 77F.
Well, the vote to maintain the Daylight Savings Time, is stuck in our Senate. Interesting story about that, yesterday. I’ll link to it, without comment. 🙂
That senator belongs to the same party as Fearless Leader.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/03/politics/trump-tom-cotton-phone-number-daylight-saving
Yes, there’s been several studies, that using the brain into old age, helps keep one sharp. A bit of a challenge, here and there, helps keep the old neurons firing.
I need a fix-it event. I managed to drop the new flashlight, off the garden wall last night. A fall of only about 2 feet. It is well and truly broke. 🙁 Sigh. I’ve got to go to the yuppie discount store, this morning, and will pick up another one.
That’s a lot of “what-if-isms, as applied to “The Evil Dead.” Also, it occurred to me that when it comes to movies, there are two kinds of spoilers. 🙂
I finished watching the “Stranger Things,” series, last night. There was a lot of criticism, as I remember, when it finally wound up. I thought it was a pretty satisfying ending, and most lose ends were tied up.
I scattered more blood meal, about, last night. Didn’t see any deer. The pumpkins got a shot of fertilizer, and a good water. Now, we’ll wait and see. The camas bulbs showed up in the mail, yesterday. Now to get them in the ground. Lew