Well, I may have had some problems after the yardwork yesterday, but I did get some good work done that I will enjoy seeing later.
I have 3 edged areas in the middle of the backyard. One is for wildflowers (nearest my garden, so I am hoping to attract a lot of native pollinators). The 2nd was originally intended for a lovely but invasive plant with the idea that I could mow around it, but it spread seeds around so I am killing it (it will take some time). The 3rd is my favorite so far.
That is the area where I planted tulips and hyacinths in cages to protect them from voles and squirrels. The tulips all came up nicely, but no hyacinths. Well, they were planted late. I worried that the hyacinths all rotted (or oddly, grew stems larger than the wire cage mesh and were cut off). The 200 hundred daffodils were planted freely as they are ignored by pests.
So this Summer, I gave thought to other plants to grow there. A single-season flowerbed is sort of wasteful of space. Spring flowering bulbs want to stay a bit dry Summer and Fall (or they rot) so you can't surround them with plants that need regular watering.
So I thought about lilies. They are tough, they have tuberous roots that collect and hold what little water they need, and I had lots of them rescued from an area that was dug out 2 years ago. Really, they survived plopped in small 6" pots and ignored except for natural rainfall. So they were good to add among the tulips for Summer color.
Well, it is probably too late for blooming this year, but I managed to plant 30 of them around the outer edges of the circle the past week. And then, knowing they wouldn't bloom this year, I considered what I had that could survive no special watering this year and might provide some color.
I should mention that my regular flowerbeds need serious work. I didn't give them the attention they needed last year and couldn't do it this Spring (my bad knee). And I had planted 3 dozen marigolds, 2 dozen zinnias, and 2 dozen salvia indoors under lights in March, expecting to use them in the regular older flowerbeds.
Well, marigolds are pretty adjusted to dry soil, so I started planting them around the lilies today. And then added most of the salvias and zinnias when I ran out of marigolds. If they live on natural rainfall and bloom "HURRAY"! If not, there wasn't anywhere else to put them.
So I planted most of them among the lilies and will hope for "something" from them. And even then, they were the lesser of all the seedlings. I used the best in 7 deck planters last week. So no loss and some possible gain. I bet in a month, I will have some good flowers to show. I don't grow wimpy flowers.
That 3rd 20' diameter edged circle is the one closest to the deck, so I will see it better than the other 2 most of the time. And the main birdfeeder is in the center of it, so that draws my attention there as well. And to not disturb the plants, I have a small path to the feeder from the side and stones to set my ladder on for refilling it.
This Fall, I will take some leftover largish flat rocks I bought for edging the old flowerbeds and make a path to the birdfeeder. I intend for the area to be filled enough with future plantings to need places to step.
And cramps or not, I have more annuals to plant, so I will be out there again tomorrow...
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Saturday, July 2, 2016
Physical Gripes
As always, I approach any complaints of mine by first recognizing that I am generally fortunate and others have worse complaints. But mine are mine and they are the only ones *I* have ever experienced. And so many ailments are impossible to compare; a person with a constant itch, a person with occasional migraines, and a person with sciatica can never really compare how they feel.
Me, I get muscle cramps in my legs, my hands and my upper rib side. Not at the same time fortunately, but always by surprise and every few days or nights.
I understand the hand cramps, where all of a sudden my whole left hand will claw up. It happens about 2 hours after I've been doing yardwork. I'm technically right-handed, but I suspect I was a natural lefty as a child and was taught not to be. That used to be common. Regardless, I tend to do many things left-handed. Like pulling weeds and sometimes in tool use.
I try not to overdo it. But sometimes I'm fine working for hours and no problems; sometimes an hour work causes left-hand cramps. And the cramps always start as I'm preparing dinner. I like to prepare fresh food (lots of raw vegetable work), so there is a lot of knife-work involved. And that's when the cramps start.
I'm considering the possibility that I actually don't get enough salt... That may seem strange given modern eating habits, but I eat mostly fresh food and don't add much salt to my food. It's not especially deliberate, but I think I may start drinking more Gatorade (an electrolyte drink for anyone not familiar with it).
Then there are the ribside cramps. I originally thought "heart problem", but they occur on both sides randomly. Usually after I twist around too much. So its not a heart threat. Oddly, it used to occur mostly while I was kneeling on the floor cleaning the cat litter boxes. I have to pound on my afflicted side and do "wall push-ups" to stretch the rib muscles.
And I got a surprise the past few months. Because I twisted my right knee in April and kneeling became painful (a whole different problem) I started lifting the litter boxes onto my workbench
[Bizarre but true timing. I just had a leg cramp and had to walk around for 15 minutes and stretched the right leg each step. I took a small amount of salt and large glass of water. It helped.]
and cleaning them up there. It is actually MUCH easier that way and I will continue to do it that way even if/when my knee heals. Lets me sweep away loose litter from around them too.
Usually, the leg cramps happen while I am laying in bed. No reason I know; I'm just laying there motionless and it starts. Always the right quadricep. It feels like the muscle is going to tear loose from the bone.
I suppose it was because I was weeding and planting in some crowded space so I had to squat awkwardly, so it happened while I was still awake. But usually, I'll just be laying there in bed and it happens.
Speaking of the right knee, it has been 3 months since I originally injured it. I wish I had a good cause to blame but it is only stupid. All my life, I have tended to sit with one ankle up on the opposite knee (both ways). And I fidget! So I shake my on-the-knee foot. I have probably loosened my knee joints that way (though some thought says that OUGHT to strengthen the muscles there).
I can walk almost normally again, but I still can't put my right ankle on my left knee because it seems to twist the knee. It has happened before but healed after a couple weeks. I hope it is not permanent. To kneel while doing yardwork, I have to wear knee pads. You know those knee pads that carpet installers wear? I use them.
I'm used to injuring myself and healing fast. Or at least "eventually". Years ago, I threw a rock at a groundhog and strained my rotator cuff. Couldn't raise my arm above the shoulder for 2 months, but it healed just fine after that.
I think I had better start being more careful. And some preventative exercises might be in order. I have a bicycle, maybe I better start using it. Or at least walking a mile a few days a week.
I sure don't want to be using a walker in 10 years. Or taking medications either...
Me, I get muscle cramps in my legs, my hands and my upper rib side. Not at the same time fortunately, but always by surprise and every few days or nights.
I understand the hand cramps, where all of a sudden my whole left hand will claw up. It happens about 2 hours after I've been doing yardwork. I'm technically right-handed, but I suspect I was a natural lefty as a child and was taught not to be. That used to be common. Regardless, I tend to do many things left-handed. Like pulling weeds and sometimes in tool use.
I try not to overdo it. But sometimes I'm fine working for hours and no problems; sometimes an hour work causes left-hand cramps. And the cramps always start as I'm preparing dinner. I like to prepare fresh food (lots of raw vegetable work), so there is a lot of knife-work involved. And that's when the cramps start.
I'm considering the possibility that I actually don't get enough salt... That may seem strange given modern eating habits, but I eat mostly fresh food and don't add much salt to my food. It's not especially deliberate, but I think I may start drinking more Gatorade (an electrolyte drink for anyone not familiar with it).
Then there are the ribside cramps. I originally thought "heart problem", but they occur on both sides randomly. Usually after I twist around too much. So its not a heart threat. Oddly, it used to occur mostly while I was kneeling on the floor cleaning the cat litter boxes. I have to pound on my afflicted side and do "wall push-ups" to stretch the rib muscles.
And I got a surprise the past few months. Because I twisted my right knee in April and kneeling became painful (a whole different problem) I started lifting the litter boxes onto my workbench
[Bizarre but true timing. I just had a leg cramp and had to walk around for 15 minutes and stretched the right leg each step. I took a small amount of salt and large glass of water. It helped.]
and cleaning them up there. It is actually MUCH easier that way and I will continue to do it that way even if/when my knee heals. Lets me sweep away loose litter from around them too.
Usually, the leg cramps happen while I am laying in bed. No reason I know; I'm just laying there motionless and it starts. Always the right quadricep. It feels like the muscle is going to tear loose from the bone.
I suppose it was because I was weeding and planting in some crowded space so I had to squat awkwardly, so it happened while I was still awake. But usually, I'll just be laying there in bed and it happens.
Speaking of the right knee, it has been 3 months since I originally injured it. I wish I had a good cause to blame but it is only stupid. All my life, I have tended to sit with one ankle up on the opposite knee (both ways). And I fidget! So I shake my on-the-knee foot. I have probably loosened my knee joints that way (though some thought says that OUGHT to strengthen the muscles there).
I can walk almost normally again, but I still can't put my right ankle on my left knee because it seems to twist the knee. It has happened before but healed after a couple weeks. I hope it is not permanent. To kneel while doing yardwork, I have to wear knee pads. You know those knee pads that carpet installers wear? I use them.
I'm used to injuring myself and healing fast. Or at least "eventually". Years ago, I threw a rock at a groundhog and strained my rotator cuff. Couldn't raise my arm above the shoulder for 2 months, but it healed just fine after that.
I think I had better start being more careful. And some preventative exercises might be in order. I have a bicycle, maybe I better start using it. Or at least walking a mile a few days a week.
I sure don't want to be using a walker in 10 years. Or taking medications either...
Thursday, June 30, 2016
An Old Whisker
Because the composite deck gets very hot (something I did not know when having it installed), AND removing a tree made it sunnier, the cats were not happy going out on the deck in mid day.
So, I found a roll of outdoor carpet to give them a cooler path around and off the deck. The carpet was leftover from when I used it on my aluminum Jon boat in 1994 to reduce glare and deaden sounds.
Well, when I unrolled it, I found a cat whisker. I can't tell which cat it was from. Skeeter, LC, maybe even Tinkerbelle. But it definitely the oldest cat whisker I have. I haven't mixed it in with the others; it is "special". It is 22 years old!
One of those really odd things you discover digging into the past... Which reminds me that I should pour out my bottle of collected cat whiskers and take a picture of them. I have a lot, but I bet I missed most of them while cleaning.
So, I found a roll of outdoor carpet to give them a cooler path around and off the deck. The carpet was leftover from when I used it on my aluminum Jon boat in 1994 to reduce glare and deaden sounds.
Well, when I unrolled it, I found a cat whisker. I can't tell which cat it was from. Skeeter, LC, maybe even Tinkerbelle. But it definitely the oldest cat whisker I have. I haven't mixed it in with the others; it is "special". It is 22 years old!
One of those really odd things you discover digging into the past... Which reminds me that I should pour out my bottle of collected cat whiskers and take a picture of them. I have a lot, but I bet I missed most of them while cleaning.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Cats
Cats are predators, possibly the purest mammal for of that.
So Ayla was out on the deck with a bunny. I initially assumed Marley had caught it and left it for Ayla. But then I saw Marley was inside, And so was Iza.
So Ayla caught it by herself! Good for her... I praised her for her catch. When she left it, I let Marley and Iza out. Marley ignored it. Iza went lunch on it.
Now, I thought it a bit weird that she chewed on the ears first. I mean, wouldnt she go for the meaty parts first? But no, she ate the whole head!
I was shocked myself, but fascinated and curious too. What could possibly be better than the haunches than the head. But it was her decision, so I just let her do her thing.
So Ayla was out on the deck with a bunny. I initially assumed Marley had caught it and left it for Ayla. But then I saw Marley was inside, And so was Iza.
So Ayla caught it by herself! Good for her... I praised her for her catch. When she left it, I let Marley and Iza out. Marley ignored it. Iza went lunch on it.
Now, I thought it a bit weird that she chewed on the ears first. I mean, wouldnt she go for the meaty parts first? But no, she ate the whole head!
I was shocked myself, but fascinated and curious too. What could possibly be better than the haunches than the head. But it was her decision, so I just let her do her thing.
Sunday, June 26, 2016
A Little History
A century ago, the US economy and government was in the grip of what
were called Robber Barons. People so wealthy and powerful that they formed business monopolies,
chose political leaders by themselves, decided what laws would be passed and
considered everyone else but themselves "losers". Working people were
poverty-stricken, there was no "Middle Class". You were either rich or broke.
People had few legal rights to complain. Courts were packed by judges appointed by the rich to defend their overbearing methods. Does that term "losers" ring a bell when you listen to a Trump speech? It should. Trump wants to return to those years.
The Republican party is to blame for this. They have denigrated the value of government for years. They refused to admit that government for the People is a good thing. They desired that political success go only to the rich and powerful, so that they could get more than any human could possibly need to thrive in the world.
The Republican party has yelled for several decades that all we need to succeed is to have no government regulation. That outsiders "know best". That inexperience in world affairs is somehow "purer" than experience. Basically, that ignorance is better than knowledge. Now they have their purfect candidte for an upcoming humiliation of that view. Trump will be crushed, and they might lose both the Senate and the House. And later, the Supreme Court, as vacancies will be filled in the next 8 years.
The Republicans hate government so bad that they slashed the budget of the IRS, whose only function is to collect taxes and make sure we all pay what we owe. They call it "starving the beast".
But the IRS is merely the agency that collects taxes declared by Congress. The audit function doesn't bother most of us. What they look for is very rich people who aren't paying their fair share. They aren't after those of us earning $30,000-100,000. They are after those multi-millionaires and billionaires who are paying nothing in taxes by gaming the system with secret accounts overseas or claiming massive business losses through indirect multiple company tricks.
We WANT more IRS agents to find those cheaters and get the Government revenue for schools, military support, VA hospitals, and roads and bridges! What we don't want is the Donald Trumps of the world to get richer by cheating on their taxes.
More IRS agents don't threaten me or you. They threaten the most wealthy who have been cheating us all. We should SUPPORT more IRS funding for auditors.
The government does a lot of good things. Defense, education, infrastructure, personal rights, helping poor States, assuring honest elections, managing the general economy, protecting the right to religious freedom, the whole Bill Of Rights...
That takes some money. Not much in exchange for the common good. In some countries, it is more; in some it is less. I think we are doing pretty well where we are.
The Republicans want to lessen Government to enfeeblement; Democrats want to expand it in some few directions. That's general human progress.
Let's consider insurance. The theory of insurance is that the larger the group, the less risk there is to any member of the insurance group. Doesn't it therefore make sense to increase the insurance pool? YOUR medical costs go up everytime an uninsured person needs medical care. So shouldn't we increase the number of insured people? Fewer uninsured people mean lower costs for the rest of us.
Now let's say that the roads are failing in your area. And in other areas. And will fail in the future in other areas. Isn't it a better idea to all get together and share the expenses gradually overall instead of all at once locally?
Isn't that what helping your neighbors now so that they can help you tomorrow is all about? Government is merely the organized method of sharing todays costs with your neighbor tomorrow. What you need to accept is that your neighbor might be several States away.
We understand that when some community many States away suffers a natural disaster. A hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado. We help them then. That's what government is. Society agreeing to hel each other in bad times...
And the Republicans fight against THAT!
People had few legal rights to complain. Courts were packed by judges appointed by the rich to defend their overbearing methods. Does that term "losers" ring a bell when you listen to a Trump speech? It should. Trump wants to return to those years.
The Republican party is to blame for this. They have denigrated the value of government for years. They refused to admit that government for the People is a good thing. They desired that political success go only to the rich and powerful, so that they could get more than any human could possibly need to thrive in the world.
The Republican party has yelled for several decades that all we need to succeed is to have no government regulation. That outsiders "know best". That inexperience in world affairs is somehow "purer" than experience. Basically, that ignorance is better than knowledge. Now they have their purfect candidte for an upcoming humiliation of that view. Trump will be crushed, and they might lose both the Senate and the House. And later, the Supreme Court, as vacancies will be filled in the next 8 years.
The Republicans hate government so bad that they slashed the budget of the IRS, whose only function is to collect taxes and make sure we all pay what we owe. They call it "starving the beast".
But the IRS is merely the agency that collects taxes declared by Congress. The audit function doesn't bother most of us. What they look for is very rich people who aren't paying their fair share. They aren't after those of us earning $30,000-100,000. They are after those multi-millionaires and billionaires who are paying nothing in taxes by gaming the system with secret accounts overseas or claiming massive business losses through indirect multiple company tricks.
We WANT more IRS agents to find those cheaters and get the Government revenue for schools, military support, VA hospitals, and roads and bridges! What we don't want is the Donald Trumps of the world to get richer by cheating on their taxes.
More IRS agents don't threaten me or you. They threaten the most wealthy who have been cheating us all. We should SUPPORT more IRS funding for auditors.
The government does a lot of good things. Defense, education, infrastructure, personal rights, helping poor States, assuring honest elections, managing the general economy, protecting the right to religious freedom, the whole Bill Of Rights...
That takes some money. Not much in exchange for the common good. In some countries, it is more; in some it is less. I think we are doing pretty well where we are.
The Republicans want to lessen Government to enfeeblement; Democrats want to expand it in some few directions. That's general human progress.
Let's consider insurance. The theory of insurance is that the larger the group, the less risk there is to any member of the insurance group. Doesn't it therefore make sense to increase the insurance pool? YOUR medical costs go up everytime an uninsured person needs medical care. So shouldn't we increase the number of insured people? Fewer uninsured people mean lower costs for the rest of us.
Now let's say that the roads are failing in your area. And in other areas. And will fail in the future in other areas. Isn't it a better idea to all get together and share the expenses gradually overall instead of all at once locally?
Isn't that what helping your neighbors now so that they can help you tomorrow is all about? Government is merely the organized method of sharing todays costs with your neighbor tomorrow. What you need to accept is that your neighbor might be several States away.
We understand that when some community many States away suffers a natural disaster. A hurricane, an earthquake, a tornado. We help them then. That's what government is. Society agreeing to hel each other in bad times...
And the Republicans fight against THAT!
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Politics As A Profit Center
I suspected many months ago that Trump was playing the money game by running for office as he gave his speeches. Now I have more evidence.
The recent Federal Election Commission filings provide information Trump would preferred to hide. But unlike tax filings, those are public.
Trump says he is financing his campaign. Well, not really. He is LOANING money to his campaign (and loans usually have interest charges). That's right, he is loaning personal money (and it may be more tricky than that) to his campaign. That means he is signing the checks on both sides of the loan! The campaign is obligated to back Trump back for the money he is essentially loaning to himself.
Don't you wish you could borrow money that easily and expect payment back? But it gets worse...
Trump is using his own businesses to support his campaign. And he is charging his campaign a hefty sum for "privilege" of using his own services. The idea seems to be that he will use his own companies to benefit financially supporting his Presidential campaign. Its a great gig, if you can arrange it. And Trump does.
Use his his own jet to fly to campaign stops? Trump charges himself high fees. Staying at his own residences in various States? Trump charges the top rates to his campaign. Eat at a fundraiser (and yes he has them though he says he doesn't) you eat Trump steak and drink Trump wine. Get given a framed picture of The Donald for a donation? That picture comes in a Trump Picture Frame.
Play a round of golf with Trump? High green fees for the round charged to his campaign. He charges the campaign to operate his campaign in various business locations he profits from.
Staffers and campaign supporters eat at Trump restaurants, fly accumulating Trump miles, and wear Trump T-shirts made by Trump companies. Those Trump hats he tosses out at campaign rallies? A staffer company makes those and the campaign pays top dollar for them.
On the single day Trump announced his campaign in June 2015, his campaign cost generated $506,846 to Trump businesses. One single day!
By the end of just 2015, the Trump campaign paid out $2.2 million, $2 million of which went to the airline where Trump is the CEO...
$90,000 went to staffers eating at Trump Cafe and Trump Grill...
Unspecified amounts went to Trump Payroll Corp. and Trump Tower Commercial LLC to pay for campaign staff payroll management, but that work isn't cheap...
This isn't a campaign, its a profit-making scam! The Republican party has finally produced the perfect example of its long-held claim that businessmen (and it's usually men) are the most suited to run the country for the benefit of all the citizens. If running for office is now a profit-center for Republican candidates to operate as a business, do you want to see what laws they pass? I sure don't.
The recent Federal Election Commission filings provide information Trump would preferred to hide. But unlike tax filings, those are public.
Trump says he is financing his campaign. Well, not really. He is LOANING money to his campaign (and loans usually have interest charges). That's right, he is loaning personal money (and it may be more tricky than that) to his campaign. That means he is signing the checks on both sides of the loan! The campaign is obligated to back Trump back for the money he is essentially loaning to himself.
Don't you wish you could borrow money that easily and expect payment back? But it gets worse...
Trump is using his own businesses to support his campaign. And he is charging his campaign a hefty sum for "privilege" of using his own services. The idea seems to be that he will use his own companies to benefit financially supporting his Presidential campaign. Its a great gig, if you can arrange it. And Trump does.
Use his his own jet to fly to campaign stops? Trump charges himself high fees. Staying at his own residences in various States? Trump charges the top rates to his campaign. Eat at a fundraiser (and yes he has them though he says he doesn't) you eat Trump steak and drink Trump wine. Get given a framed picture of The Donald for a donation? That picture comes in a Trump Picture Frame.
Play a round of golf with Trump? High green fees for the round charged to his campaign. He charges the campaign to operate his campaign in various business locations he profits from.
Staffers and campaign supporters eat at Trump restaurants, fly accumulating Trump miles, and wear Trump T-shirts made by Trump companies. Those Trump hats he tosses out at campaign rallies? A staffer company makes those and the campaign pays top dollar for them.
On the single day Trump announced his campaign in June 2015, his campaign cost generated $506,846 to Trump businesses. One single day!
By the end of just 2015, the Trump campaign paid out $2.2 million, $2 million of which went to the airline where Trump is the CEO...
$90,000 went to staffers eating at Trump Cafe and Trump Grill...
Unspecified amounts went to Trump Payroll Corp. and Trump Tower Commercial LLC to pay for campaign staff payroll management, but that work isn't cheap...
This isn't a campaign, its a profit-making scam! The Republican party has finally produced the perfect example of its long-held claim that businessmen (and it's usually men) are the most suited to run the country for the benefit of all the citizens. If running for office is now a profit-center for Republican candidates to operate as a business, do you want to see what laws they pass? I sure don't.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Politics
Trump loves insulting nicknames for people, and they are usually wrong...
1. "Crazy Bernie" - Bernie Sanders is passionate, but he certainly is not crazy. He has very long-thought-out views, and in a more rational world, they would be assumed.
2. "Crooked Hillary" - Show me any instance where Hillary Clinton has been shown to break a law. Endless Republican claims are not evidence of wrong-doing.
3. "Little Marco" - If I thought Trump was knowledgeable about history, I might grant him the fact that he knows that taller candidates for President usually win. But he isn't that knowledgeable about anything and that isn't what he meant by "little". So he was just reaching for another baseless insult.
4. "Lyin Ted" - Well, Ted Cruz does lie about almost everything. He is despised by his fellow Senators, and he is disliked by many Republicans. But Trump never specified a lie by Cruz. He just makes unspecified claims and lets his supporters fill in the blanks in their minds.
5. "Low Energy Jeb" - Jeb Bush is not the most charismatic campaigner compared to Trump. But he was active in FL, is well-regarded, and has a following. Trump thinks that activity equals success. Quieter people with actual ideas can do better than Trump.
6. "1 For 41 Kasich" - Yeah Kasich didn't win any primaries other than his home state. But in a normal year, he would have been the Republican nominee. Bad timing...
7. "Goofy Elizabeth Warren" and "Pocahantas" - Elizabeth Warren is passionate but certainly not "goofy". Her ideas are well-thought-out, her arguments valid, and her now-famous "you didn't build that" is the best destruction of the wealthy claim "we built that" I have ever heard. For those of you not familiar with this, she pointed out that the wealthy depend on the educational, infrastructural, national financial and legal systems that we have all paid for, that the rich use to create their wealth..
Trump is a bully. A fake. A sham. He lives on his brand, and there is no substance to it. He is like a tofu sausage, claiming to be the latter while only the former.
He claims to support working people, but he cheats them all the time in his business deals. He refuses to pay them and dares them to sue him. To Trump, cheating is "winning". He glories in cheating working people.
I have a sneaking suspicion he does not want to actually be President with all the restrictions and personal limitation involved. I bet he manages not to be elected.. He might even manufacture an arguement to prevent his nomination.
Think about it. Trump would go crazy under the restrictions of being President. His business drive would be stopped cold, his freedom of movement restricted, his every word examined and parsed, and he would have to make real decisions involving the well-being of US citizens (and world events).
I predict that he will panic, and find a way out of being nominated. More about his reasons for running tomorrow...
1. "Crazy Bernie" - Bernie Sanders is passionate, but he certainly is not crazy. He has very long-thought-out views, and in a more rational world, they would be assumed.
2. "Crooked Hillary" - Show me any instance where Hillary Clinton has been shown to break a law. Endless Republican claims are not evidence of wrong-doing.
3. "Little Marco" - If I thought Trump was knowledgeable about history, I might grant him the fact that he knows that taller candidates for President usually win. But he isn't that knowledgeable about anything and that isn't what he meant by "little". So he was just reaching for another baseless insult.
4. "Lyin Ted" - Well, Ted Cruz does lie about almost everything. He is despised by his fellow Senators, and he is disliked by many Republicans. But Trump never specified a lie by Cruz. He just makes unspecified claims and lets his supporters fill in the blanks in their minds.
5. "Low Energy Jeb" - Jeb Bush is not the most charismatic campaigner compared to Trump. But he was active in FL, is well-regarded, and has a following. Trump thinks that activity equals success. Quieter people with actual ideas can do better than Trump.
6. "1 For 41 Kasich" - Yeah Kasich didn't win any primaries other than his home state. But in a normal year, he would have been the Republican nominee. Bad timing...
7. "Goofy Elizabeth Warren" and "Pocahantas" - Elizabeth Warren is passionate but certainly not "goofy". Her ideas are well-thought-out, her arguments valid, and her now-famous "you didn't build that" is the best destruction of the wealthy claim "we built that" I have ever heard. For those of you not familiar with this, she pointed out that the wealthy depend on the educational, infrastructural, national financial and legal systems that we have all paid for, that the rich use to create their wealth..
Trump is a bully. A fake. A sham. He lives on his brand, and there is no substance to it. He is like a tofu sausage, claiming to be the latter while only the former.
He claims to support working people, but he cheats them all the time in his business deals. He refuses to pay them and dares them to sue him. To Trump, cheating is "winning". He glories in cheating working people.
I have a sneaking suspicion he does not want to actually be President with all the restrictions and personal limitation involved. I bet he manages not to be elected.. He might even manufacture an arguement to prevent his nomination.
Think about it. Trump would go crazy under the restrictions of being President. His business drive would be stopped cold, his freedom of movement restricted, his every word examined and parsed, and he would have to make real decisions involving the well-being of US citizens (and world events).
I predict that he will panic, and find a way out of being nominated. More about his reasons for running tomorrow...
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Assorted Stuff
Some days, I get more work done in the house and yard than usual. I've been busy the past couple of days...
1. The door to the garden enclosure is on a slope, so it is set above the highest ground (to allow it to open). Unfortunately (in theory), that would allow Evil Squirrels to get under it. The gap is 2" at one end. So I need a barrier that doesn't block the door but blocks the gap. I decided on a way.
The door opens outwards, so a small barrier at ground level inside the door will work. But I also need to get a wheelbarrow in there so it has to be removable. And it is in ground contact, so it can't be wood that rots. Well, I have leftover pieces of the composite decking and THAT won't rot. So if I made some holder for the composite piece that could allow it to be lifted out easily, that would be perfect.
Being a woodworker of minor skill, I thought to cut a dado slot in 2 pieces of pressure treated 2"x4" wood 6" long (the width of the composite decking piece). I've done router work before and am usually successful at it. But I learned that router small pieces of wood does NOT work well. Too late, I recalled advice from a woodworker magazine that said to do the routing first on long pieces and then cut the wood to size.
Hindsight (or, in this case, hind-memory) is 20/20.
It was a disaster. Trying of router 6' pieces of wood just chewed them up badly (Don't worry, my fingers were never in danger. I may be only moderately-skilled, but I am EVER so cautious!). But that attempt failed utterly.
So I decided to BUILD a slot. A little table saw work, and I had 1"x1"strips of wood to glue to a 3" wide base |__| and the inside was the slot I needed. When the glue dried I added screws for permanence. The slot for the composite deck board is 3/16" wider than the board for easy removal. It doesn't matter if the board is a bit loose; an Evil Squirrel can't lift it.
2. The 3 areas I surrounded by edging last Fall are not working out as intended. The closest one was planted with tulips and hyacinths in wire cages to protect them from the Voracious Voles and Evil Squirrels (who consider them delicacies), and daffodils (which are toxic and unpalatable to both). But the hyacinths never came up (I suspect the 1/2" wire mesh was too small for the stems) and there weren't enough daffodils to cover the intended area.
So I have to dig up the hyacinth cages and try again this Fall, and add more daffodils. The tulips did nicely and I expect them to be around for many year. I have some tulips in places where voles and squirrels do not think to dig, and they have been blooming for 20 years.
But in the meantime, weeds are growing. Most are easy enough to pull up by the roots, but there is a clumping grass with deep roots and pulling on them just takes off the tops so they grow back. So for 2 days, I've spent an hour each day digging under the roots and prying them up. I have some impressive piles... Those will be composted after they spend a week in sealed plastic bags set in the full sun until they are as thoroughly dead as the Wicked Witch Of The East in Oz ("not only merely dead, really, most sincerely dead.”).
The poaching shovel really works well for that (a really narrow shovel). I got almost all of those dug up! The remaining weeds are kinds that can be cut off just below ground with my scuffle hoe.
3. The Evil Squirrel live cage has been set again. I didn't mind the 2 new squirrels around the birdfeeder (they can't get past the barrel baffle and the round disc baffle above it), but I saw one climbing on the garden enclosure trying to find a way in, and THAT one has got to go. I'll get it; squirrels are suckers for peanut butter.
4. The 2d edged circle is not planted. I meant to move a plant called Lymachia to there, but it is too invasive, so I am killing all of it . I thought it could be controlled in a circle I could mow around, but I've found them growing in 3 spots around the yard (1 spot 150' away from the patch) so they have to go. I'll just keep cutting them down to ground level with my hedge trimmer until the roots are exhausted. Meanwwhile, I will use the rototiller to turn over the soil in the circle and cover it in newspaper (the newspaper uses harmless soy ink). That should kill off all weeds by Fall. I think I will move the numerous Black-Eyed Susan volunteer plants from around the flowerbeds there.
5. The 3rd edging area was planted with wildflower seeds last Fall, but it is mostly weeds. I'm not sure what to do there. On the one hand, there ARE wildflowers growing, and I want those. On the other hand, 90% of the plants growing there are weeds. I might try selective weeding, but not knowing what the good plants are (that might bloom next year) I might just undo some good plants. But there are some plants I KNOW are weeds, so I think I will pull them and see what happens.
6. I'm preparing to paint the rebuilt bathroom. Have pale mossy green paint, dropclothes, rollers, etc. Have TSP (trisodium phosphate to clean the 30 year old walls, gloves for protection, sponges, etc. Ive painted every place I've ever been in (many apartments), so I know the routine.. It taking all the stuff off the walls that slows me. That mirror has sharp edges! I want to surround it with a wood frame. And I have the frames. But they are dark wood and the wood in the bathroom (towel bar, TP holder, toothbrush holder, light switch cover etc are light wood. I need to see if I can stain those dark (danish walnut). And I need to score the mirror smaller by 3" to account for the wood frame size.
7. Weeded the old flowerbeds for an hour until I came across poison ivy plants creeping in. I used to be immune to poison ivy, but 10 years ago developed a terrible rash from it. It is one of those things that don't bother you until they do. I'll need to wear heavy duty rubber gloves, have a bucket of bleach nearby and dip my trowel and gloves into it regularly. And hope I don't forget and wipe my brow.
8. Pulled up a dozen or so thorny thistles. I wore heavy leather gloves that beat the torns, so it went well. The thistles don't have deep roots, so they come up easily. But they have enough stored food to mature their seeds after being pulled up (like dandelions) so they will go in the plastic bags with the poison ivy.
9. A lot of my trees have the habit of sending out new branches from the trunks anywhere they can get sunlight. So they drop down to walking level. Since I get tired of pushing branches out of my way while I mow the lawn, I went after them yesterday. I bought a pole pruner (a limb saw on a 10' pole) a couple years ago and this is the first time I used it. It worked great! A few cuts under the branch then more cuts on the top. The undercuts prevent the falling branch from peeling off a foot of bark on the tree trunk (allowing diseases to start). Hard on the arms though. I may try my electric chain saw next time.
10. Cleaned the riding mower deck completely. The top collects dry grass clippings, the underside packs wet grass clippings on the undersurface like paper mache! It took some real scraping. Actually, I couldn't figure out how to get to the underside safely. But I have these 2"x8"x8' boards with metal ends that you can clamp to trailers and other flat surfaces. So I placed the boards on a 2' high landscaping box and drove the mower up on it.
After detaching the spark plug wires for safety, I was able to crawl under and scrape the deck clean of packed dead grass clippings. Took an hour though. That mower blade really stays in the way.
11. I left the mower on the boards last night. It occurred to me that I should sharpen the blades. But I had enough old grass on my face and it was time to feed the cats. So the blade sharpening is for tomorrow...
12. The edged circles are too small for using my large roto-tiller. But there are smaller electric versions. The advertised gas one is called a Mantis. But I found one with better ratings (Earthwise, with a 4.5 of 5 rating) and ordered it from Amazon. It should be perfect for the smaller spaces and I've always wanted one like that.
13. Next project is to whack down the underbrush in the far back yard. It has gotten amazingly overgrown since just removing a few trees back there 2 years ago. I have a 4-stroke gas powered Stihl whacker with a metal blade but I've resisted using it because I hate the noise (I'm really a very quiet person), and it seems vaguely dangerous, but it is time to bring it out! Serious work needs serious tools. I'll be careful with it.
1. The door to the garden enclosure is on a slope, so it is set above the highest ground (to allow it to open). Unfortunately (in theory), that would allow Evil Squirrels to get under it. The gap is 2" at one end. So I need a barrier that doesn't block the door but blocks the gap. I decided on a way.
The door opens outwards, so a small barrier at ground level inside the door will work. But I also need to get a wheelbarrow in there so it has to be removable. And it is in ground contact, so it can't be wood that rots. Well, I have leftover pieces of the composite decking and THAT won't rot. So if I made some holder for the composite piece that could allow it to be lifted out easily, that would be perfect.
Being a woodworker of minor skill, I thought to cut a dado slot in 2 pieces of pressure treated 2"x4" wood 6" long (the width of the composite decking piece). I've done router work before and am usually successful at it. But I learned that router small pieces of wood does NOT work well. Too late, I recalled advice from a woodworker magazine that said to do the routing first on long pieces and then cut the wood to size.
Hindsight (or, in this case, hind-memory) is 20/20.
It was a disaster. Trying of router 6' pieces of wood just chewed them up badly (Don't worry, my fingers were never in danger. I may be only moderately-skilled, but I am EVER so cautious!). But that attempt failed utterly.
So I decided to BUILD a slot. A little table saw work, and I had 1"x1"strips of wood to glue to a 3" wide base |__| and the inside was the slot I needed. When the glue dried I added screws for permanence. The slot for the composite deck board is 3/16" wider than the board for easy removal. It doesn't matter if the board is a bit loose; an Evil Squirrel can't lift it.
2. The 3 areas I surrounded by edging last Fall are not working out as intended. The closest one was planted with tulips and hyacinths in wire cages to protect them from the Voracious Voles and Evil Squirrels (who consider them delicacies), and daffodils (which are toxic and unpalatable to both). But the hyacinths never came up (I suspect the 1/2" wire mesh was too small for the stems) and there weren't enough daffodils to cover the intended area.
So I have to dig up the hyacinth cages and try again this Fall, and add more daffodils. The tulips did nicely and I expect them to be around for many year. I have some tulips in places where voles and squirrels do not think to dig, and they have been blooming for 20 years.
But in the meantime, weeds are growing. Most are easy enough to pull up by the roots, but there is a clumping grass with deep roots and pulling on them just takes off the tops so they grow back. So for 2 days, I've spent an hour each day digging under the roots and prying them up. I have some impressive piles... Those will be composted after they spend a week in sealed plastic bags set in the full sun until they are as thoroughly dead as the Wicked Witch Of The East in Oz ("not only merely dead, really, most sincerely dead.”).
The poaching shovel really works well for that (a really narrow shovel). I got almost all of those dug up! The remaining weeds are kinds that can be cut off just below ground with my scuffle hoe.
3. The Evil Squirrel live cage has been set again. I didn't mind the 2 new squirrels around the birdfeeder (they can't get past the barrel baffle and the round disc baffle above it), but I saw one climbing on the garden enclosure trying to find a way in, and THAT one has got to go. I'll get it; squirrels are suckers for peanut butter.
4. The 2d edged circle is not planted. I meant to move a plant called Lymachia to there, but it is too invasive, so I am killing all of it . I thought it could be controlled in a circle I could mow around, but I've found them growing in 3 spots around the yard (1 spot 150' away from the patch) so they have to go. I'll just keep cutting them down to ground level with my hedge trimmer until the roots are exhausted. Meanwwhile, I will use the rototiller to turn over the soil in the circle and cover it in newspaper (the newspaper uses harmless soy ink). That should kill off all weeds by Fall. I think I will move the numerous Black-Eyed Susan volunteer plants from around the flowerbeds there.
5. The 3rd edging area was planted with wildflower seeds last Fall, but it is mostly weeds. I'm not sure what to do there. On the one hand, there ARE wildflowers growing, and I want those. On the other hand, 90% of the plants growing there are weeds. I might try selective weeding, but not knowing what the good plants are (that might bloom next year) I might just undo some good plants. But there are some plants I KNOW are weeds, so I think I will pull them and see what happens.
6. I'm preparing to paint the rebuilt bathroom. Have pale mossy green paint, dropclothes, rollers, etc. Have TSP (trisodium phosphate to clean the 30 year old walls, gloves for protection, sponges, etc. Ive painted every place I've ever been in (many apartments), so I know the routine.. It taking all the stuff off the walls that slows me. That mirror has sharp edges! I want to surround it with a wood frame. And I have the frames. But they are dark wood and the wood in the bathroom (towel bar, TP holder, toothbrush holder, light switch cover etc are light wood. I need to see if I can stain those dark (danish walnut). And I need to score the mirror smaller by 3" to account for the wood frame size.
7. Weeded the old flowerbeds for an hour until I came across poison ivy plants creeping in. I used to be immune to poison ivy, but 10 years ago developed a terrible rash from it. It is one of those things that don't bother you until they do. I'll need to wear heavy duty rubber gloves, have a bucket of bleach nearby and dip my trowel and gloves into it regularly. And hope I don't forget and wipe my brow.
8. Pulled up a dozen or so thorny thistles. I wore heavy leather gloves that beat the torns, so it went well. The thistles don't have deep roots, so they come up easily. But they have enough stored food to mature their seeds after being pulled up (like dandelions) so they will go in the plastic bags with the poison ivy.
9. A lot of my trees have the habit of sending out new branches from the trunks anywhere they can get sunlight. So they drop down to walking level. Since I get tired of pushing branches out of my way while I mow the lawn, I went after them yesterday. I bought a pole pruner (a limb saw on a 10' pole) a couple years ago and this is the first time I used it. It worked great! A few cuts under the branch then more cuts on the top. The undercuts prevent the falling branch from peeling off a foot of bark on the tree trunk (allowing diseases to start). Hard on the arms though. I may try my electric chain saw next time.
10. Cleaned the riding mower deck completely. The top collects dry grass clippings, the underside packs wet grass clippings on the undersurface like paper mache! It took some real scraping. Actually, I couldn't figure out how to get to the underside safely. But I have these 2"x8"x8' boards with metal ends that you can clamp to trailers and other flat surfaces. So I placed the boards on a 2' high landscaping box and drove the mower up on it.
After detaching the spark plug wires for safety, I was able to crawl under and scrape the deck clean of packed dead grass clippings. Took an hour though. That mower blade really stays in the way.
11. I left the mower on the boards last night. It occurred to me that I should sharpen the blades. But I had enough old grass on my face and it was time to feed the cats. So the blade sharpening is for tomorrow...
12. The edged circles are too small for using my large roto-tiller. But there are smaller electric versions. The advertised gas one is called a Mantis. But I found one with better ratings (Earthwise, with a 4.5 of 5 rating) and ordered it from Amazon. It should be perfect for the smaller spaces and I've always wanted one like that.
13. Next project is to whack down the underbrush in the far back yard. It has gotten amazingly overgrown since just removing a few trees back there 2 years ago. I have a 4-stroke gas powered Stihl whacker with a metal blade but I've resisted using it because I hate the noise (I'm really a very quiet person), and it seems vaguely dangerous, but it is time to bring it out! Serious work needs serious tools. I'll be careful with it.
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Cooking Misadventure
Deli roast beef is a bit pricey at $7.99/pound here, and roasts of the same cut are often on sale at half the price. So I bought a slicing machine last month to slice my own sandwich meat from roasts I cook myself. I'll probably have to do that a whole year to pay for the slicer, LOL! But I bought a steamship round roast last month and cooked it to perfect rareness and cut it into 3' thick slabs. The slicing went great for the 1st slab. I froze the other 3 slabs for later slicing as needed. And forgot I had them.
So when I used up those 1st slices for sandwiches, I bought another roast ( a rump roast this time). Two things went wrong with that. First, I immediately discovered I still had most of the steamship round in the freezer. So I might have a year's supply of roast beef sandwich meat.
The second wrong thing was the cooking of the rump roast. Now, I know how to cook it. I stab it all over with my steely knives ('Hotel California', anyone?). I push slivers of green pepper, onion, and garlic into the slits. I even inject it with some red wine. It comes out quite flavorful. I don't like boring sandwiches...
I slow-cook it 225F for several hours, fat side up for basting, and put a digital thermometer probe into the center set to alarm at 130F internal temperature. Well, after several hours, I began to wonder why it hadn't reached temperature. Yes, the oven was on. The digital alarm, however, was NOT. It was 145F internal when I checked, and of course the temperature rose above 150F as it rested on top of the stove after I took it out. That is up into the "well-done" range, and I don't like it that much cooked.
ARGGGHHHH!
Well, I cut it into 3" slabs and put the slabs into plastic bags after it cooled in the fridge overnight. Those are all in the freezer for some future use. But I had the most-cooked pointed end of the roast left out. Not liking to waste anything, I thought of what to do to save it. Well, I had red and green bell peppers, and thought that with it sliced real thinly and a lot of moist veggies it might be OK. And a sauce might help.
So I got out my jar of beef boullion paste, put a teaspoon into a 1/3 cup very hot water to dissolve it, added some cornstarch to thicken it, added some spices and hot pepper flakes and a splash of soy sauce and shook the heck out of the container (easiest way to make a sauce I know of).
Then I sauteed the bell peppers slowly till softened, added the sauce to heat and thicken. Added the very thinly sliced beef to heat through. Well! I've had worse pepper beef from chinese restaurants... And the beef will probably be good with mushrooms and onions with regular beef gravy over noodles too. So its not a loss; just a change in menus for a while.
I have a LOT of cooked beef roast to get through in the coming months... LOL!
I'm more into pork and chicken and shrimp than beef, but after the poverty days of my 20s, I can eat nearly anything rather frequently if it is what I have. And I am more creative about using what I have these days too.
My cooking motto is "whatever goes wrong, deal with it".
Thursday, June 16, 2016
The Veggie Garden
Things are going well with the veggies this year. The garden enclosure has made a real difference! No squirrel or groundhog as gotten at the garden, and few insect pest. Interestingly, bees and other good bugs have had no problem.
This is a Kohlrabi. It is a member of the cole family (broccoli, cabbage, etc). But it grows a swollen part in the bottom of the plant. Here, you can see the swelling that will grow. It will become about the size of a tennis ball. Cole crops were bred in various locations to produce large heads (cabbage, cauliflower), open heads (broccoli), small side heads (Brussels Sprouts), and middle swollen stems (kohlrabi).
Sometimes I try to imagine why someone decided to grow a swollen stem plant. I can't. But it is both "broccolish" and a bit sweet, so I try it every few years.
These are some of the heirloom tomatoes. This year, I have Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Pruden's Purple, Ponderosa Pink, and Striped German. I also have 2 hybrids of Brandywine (Garden Treasure and Garden Gem) and will see if they have the "heirloom flavor" they claim to have. All the plants are thriving; no signs of disease.
My first successful planting of Spinach. I could have Spinach every night and as much as I like it, that's too much. Next year, I will plant half the row.
The regular cole crops are doing well. I found caterpillars on 2 plants and killed them all. They are usually a BIG problem here, but with the garden enclosure, the cabbage moths don't find them as well. Yay!
I have high hopes for the corn. I'm growing 2 kinds of bi-color corn this year. One early type and one late. The further back 2 rows are the late ones and the 2 front are the early ones. I will plant 2 more rows of early ones next week for succession harvesting. At the very back are cucumbers. They will grow faster than the corn, so they won't be shaded much. And corn doesn't make much shade anyway. You can't see, but there are cantaloupe melons at each end. They will grow along the ground and shade out weeds around the corn.
Here I have Italian flat pole beans. The 1st planting only had 3 beans grow. A 2nd planting got 100% germination. I LOVE Italian flat beans. And you can see carrots growing in the corner.
I took pictures of the Zucchini and Bell Peppers and Honeydew melon seedlings, but they didn't come out well. But they are there and growing.
Believe it or not, next week starts the Fall plantings! I have left a few empty spaces for Brussels Sprouts and Garlic. And I will continue to plant lettuces and radishes to the end of September as I harvest them in their squares.
This is a Kohlrabi. It is a member of the cole family (broccoli, cabbage, etc). But it grows a swollen part in the bottom of the plant. Here, you can see the swelling that will grow. It will become about the size of a tennis ball. Cole crops were bred in various locations to produce large heads (cabbage, cauliflower), open heads (broccoli), small side heads (Brussels Sprouts), and middle swollen stems (kohlrabi).
Sometimes I try to imagine why someone decided to grow a swollen stem plant. I can't. But it is both "broccolish" and a bit sweet, so I try it every few years.
Believe it or not, next week starts the Fall plantings! I have left a few empty spaces for Brussels Sprouts and Garlic. And I will continue to plant lettuces and radishes to the end of September as I harvest them in their squares.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Varmint Wars
I was dismayed to step out on the deck yesterday and see a brown shape near my garden. I initially thought I had left a log out there, but I gave a shrill whistle and it turned to look. A groundhog! And it was checking out my garden enclosure.
Well, I sort of trust the garden enclosure. Its chicken wire around all the sides and top, and there is even 2' of chicken wire off the sides and onto the lawn to discourage exactly that varmint digging under the enclosure.
But I'd rather not have a groundhog beat my defenses one day when my melons are ALMOST ripe. So I set my live have-a-hart cage baited with a melon slice and strawberry trimmings. Caught it that night!
I dispatched it humanely and swiftly as possible. It is now returned to the environment... I found the burrow and dumped a load of cat poop in there. There is probably another opening to the burrow, but it seems to have pulled the boards off around the bottom of my raised toolshed and I can't get at anything under the toolshed easily.
So this time I will place cinderblocks against the boards and hope that discourages any new groundhog visitors looking for new homes.
I guard my garden zealously!
Well, I sort of trust the garden enclosure. Its chicken wire around all the sides and top, and there is even 2' of chicken wire off the sides and onto the lawn to discourage exactly that varmint digging under the enclosure.
But I'd rather not have a groundhog beat my defenses one day when my melons are ALMOST ripe. So I set my live have-a-hart cage baited with a melon slice and strawberry trimmings. Caught it that night!
I dispatched it humanely and swiftly as possible. It is now returned to the environment... I found the burrow and dumped a load of cat poop in there. There is probably another opening to the burrow, but it seems to have pulled the boards off around the bottom of my raised toolshed and I can't get at anything under the toolshed easily.
So this time I will place cinderblocks against the boards and hope that discourages any new groundhog visitors looking for new homes.
I guard my garden zealously!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)