My purchase of a fancy snowblower in October has been paying off well! Here around Washington DC, we have had three 1" snowfalls so far. We barely missing some serious snowfalls! I take all the credit for that.
The snow demons KNOW I now have a serious snowblower and they avoid the area just to spite my desire to try it out...
It's like when I watch a local sports team. If I watch, they lose. If I don't watch, they win. If they are winning and I turn on the game in the middle, they immediately fall apart and lose.
So my ownership of the snowblower should provide assurance to the rest of the DC area.
Cash donations from grateful local residents are encouraged...
UPDATE: I just heard that 71% of the US is covered with snow. Consider THAT you people who deny climate change... The only State free of it is Florida and their usual crops are dying.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Because of the comforting and healing ceremony in Tucson yesterday, I have decided to just "let it be". I can't think of anything I can add to that.
Many speakers said wonderful things, and they did it better than I can. President Obama's speech was particularly good. So I don't think I will be posting on the subject as I thought I would. If disturbing information arises in the future on this tragedy, I may.
Many speakers said wonderful things, and they did it better than I can. President Obama's speech was particularly good. So I don't think I will be posting on the subject as I thought I would. If disturbing information arises in the future on this tragedy, I may.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tucson Mass Killings
I have been trying to learn and understand about the mass killing in Tucson Arizona. I want to write about it. I haven' decided how. I have been thinking some poetry lines. I have been thinking some prose. I have been thinking of some lists of quotes about the event. I haven't decided how to approach the posts about it over the next few days. Probably all of them...
I don't want it to be political in main purpose, but some political thoughts will emerge. Politics IS involved in some ways. But I have listened to extremists at both ends and I don't want to go there.
I think I will try for a poem to mention the loss and sadness first, but simple prose might be easier soonest. This whole event both angers and saddens me; I don't know which will show up before the other.
But I do apologize for taking over my own blog for a specific purpose (temporarily).
Cavebear
I don't want it to be political in main purpose, but some political thoughts will emerge. Politics IS involved in some ways. But I have listened to extremists at both ends and I don't want to go there.
I think I will try for a poem to mention the loss and sadness first, but simple prose might be easier soonest. This whole event both angers and saddens me; I don't know which will show up before the other.
But I do apologize for taking over my own blog for a specific purpose (temporarily).
Cavebear
Monday, January 10, 2011
Garden (And Other) Catalogs
For years I received dozens of gardening catalogs. I never knew much about which ones were good companies except by trial and error. Fortunately, a few years ago, I discovered a website dedicated to catalog company evaluation by serious gardeners. You can find it HERE
The site offers its Top 30 Rated Garden Catalog Companies, the newest comments, and a way to search for any other garden catalog to see their rating/comments. I have found it to be a wonderful way of evaluating companies and finding new good sources.
Getting a lot of gardenomg catalogs with poor ratings and you want to stop receiving them (or any other particular types of catalogs)? I have learned ways of doing this.
First, you can go to Catalog Choice. You have to set up an account, but it is free and I can't detect that I have gotten any spam as a result. They have a list of catalog companies. You click on the company, enter some address label information, and they contact the company that you don't want that catalog. It is voluntary for the company, but MOST of them comply (they don't want to waste money sending you a catalog you actively don't want). I would guess I've had about a 75% success rate. Plus, if your unwanted catalog company isn't on their list, they will add it AND let you know when it is available for cancelling. Some just will not remove you from their list, but I have really cut down on the number of unwanted catalogs I receive.
Second, if you go directly to the company's website, look for their Privacy Policy. There is almost always an "unsubscribe" option in there. That has been successful, even for companies that do not respond to Catalog Choice requests. Perhaps they are more legally or policy bound to honoring direct requests.
Third, if you are receiving a catalog you like, but don't really need to receive it every month (face it, some products and prices just don't change that often), some companies will allow you to change the frequency of mailing. Changing it from once a month to twice a year saves throwing out a lot of catalogs. Who doesn't want to save a few trees?
Fourth, you may be getting the same wanted catalog twice. Companies sometimes get your address in different forms and don't know they are sending you 2 or 3 of the same one. It is worth checking the address labels. Even slight differences can fool a company. Look for a Customer ID on the label. Many, but not all, have those. If you see different ones and want the catalog, cancel the others. The companies usually have a "duplicate mailing" option for cancellation. They respond to that reason very well.
Hope this helps...
The site offers its Top 30 Rated Garden Catalog Companies, the newest comments, and a way to search for any other garden catalog to see their rating/comments. I have found it to be a wonderful way of evaluating companies and finding new good sources.
Getting a lot of gardenomg catalogs with poor ratings and you want to stop receiving them (or any other particular types of catalogs)? I have learned ways of doing this.
First, you can go to Catalog Choice. You have to set up an account, but it is free and I can't detect that I have gotten any spam as a result. They have a list of catalog companies. You click on the company, enter some address label information, and they contact the company that you don't want that catalog. It is voluntary for the company, but MOST of them comply (they don't want to waste money sending you a catalog you actively don't want). I would guess I've had about a 75% success rate. Plus, if your unwanted catalog company isn't on their list, they will add it AND let you know when it is available for cancelling. Some just will not remove you from their list, but I have really cut down on the number of unwanted catalogs I receive.
Second, if you go directly to the company's website, look for their Privacy Policy. There is almost always an "unsubscribe" option in there. That has been successful, even for companies that do not respond to Catalog Choice requests. Perhaps they are more legally or policy bound to honoring direct requests.
Third, if you are receiving a catalog you like, but don't really need to receive it every month (face it, some products and prices just don't change that often), some companies will allow you to change the frequency of mailing. Changing it from once a month to twice a year saves throwing out a lot of catalogs. Who doesn't want to save a few trees?
Fourth, you may be getting the same wanted catalog twice. Companies sometimes get your address in different forms and don't know they are sending you 2 or 3 of the same one. It is worth checking the address labels. Even slight differences can fool a company. Look for a Customer ID on the label. Many, but not all, have those. If you see different ones and want the catalog, cancel the others. The companies usually have a "duplicate mailing" option for cancellation. They respond to that reason very well.
Hope this helps...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
2011 Gardening Season
The 2011 gardening season has begun! I've received my good seed&supply catalogs.
Now, it is time to go through my seeds and decide which need to be restocked or replaced (because of age). Fortunately, I have a system for storing and tracking them.
First, all the seeds are kept in capped vials with a number on the top. Yes, those are "specimen containers". I found them cheap 10 years ago somewhere. The tray makes for easy carrying and finding the numbered vials.
The seed tray is kept in a basement refrigerator that I also use as a root cellar and bulk frozen food storage. They last longer sealed and chilled... The open vials remind me that that seed is used up. The 0-99 series is for flowers and herbs, the 100+ series is for veggies.
Second, a list has the seed name and type, the year of purchase, and the vial number. I keep it on Excel because the columns are easy to manage. But I also print out 2 copies for safety. One stays in the seed tray, the other in a 3x5" card file (more on that below).
BTW, that's only 1/2 the list. I had to fold it to make it large enough to be readable here.
The smaller the seeds, generally the shorter they last. So I'll go through the list looking for ones that seem old or I don't like. For example, I'll be replacing all the corn (111-115) this year. The Bon Appetit is too old, and I didn't like the Golden Bantam. Far too starchy for me.
The third part of my system is calendar and a 3x5" card file. That is for specific weekly instructions for each crop. On the calendar, I simply find the average last frost date and write "0" on the closest weekend. Then going backwards I write -1, -2, -3..., etc for each weekend; forward from there it is of course 1, 2, 3... so I have "weeks til" and "weeks after" the average last frost date. Those are the basis for the card file instructions.
Each file card has a specific crop, a specific numbered week, and instructions for what to do with that crop that week.
For example, this card reminds me that in week -4 (4 weeks before the average last frost date), I need to transplant my tomatoes from the small cell packs to larger individual pots and set them deeper in the soil. So there are 4 cards for tomatoes. One to plant, one to transplant inside, one to harden them off outside, and one to plant outside.
Each week has it's own tab in the card file box. Week 0 might have individual cards for tomatoes, cabbage, leeks, radishes and cucumbers; week 2 might have cards for radishes, corn, broccoli, beans, and melons.
I have a separate series of cards for Spring planting and Fall planting (counted from average first frost date in October. Some crops have many cards for the same purpose (for succession planting of radishes every 2 weeks for example).
The cards are, of course, geared to my specific location (Southern MD USDA Zone 7A) and gardening habits (using protective covers outside on some crops). It may seem a bit complicated. Some people just remember this stuff easily, I don't. And some people trust their gardening by the weather each year, I don't. And some people don't like to keep records, I do. It works well for me.
If you have any questions about it, leave me a comment or email me: yardenman-2118 AT comcast DOT net. (replace the caps with the symbols)
Now, it is time to go through my seeds and decide which need to be restocked or replaced (because of age). Fortunately, I have a system for storing and tracking them.
First, all the seeds are kept in capped vials with a number on the top. Yes, those are "specimen containers". I found them cheap 10 years ago somewhere. The tray makes for easy carrying and finding the numbered vials.
The seed tray is kept in a basement refrigerator that I also use as a root cellar and bulk frozen food storage. They last longer sealed and chilled... The open vials remind me that that seed is used up. The 0-99 series is for flowers and herbs, the 100+ series is for veggies.
Second, a list has the seed name and type, the year of purchase, and the vial number. I keep it on Excel because the columns are easy to manage. But I also print out 2 copies for safety. One stays in the seed tray, the other in a 3x5" card file (more on that below).
BTW, that's only 1/2 the list. I had to fold it to make it large enough to be readable here.
The smaller the seeds, generally the shorter they last. So I'll go through the list looking for ones that seem old or I don't like. For example, I'll be replacing all the corn (111-115) this year. The Bon Appetit is too old, and I didn't like the Golden Bantam. Far too starchy for me.
The third part of my system is calendar and a 3x5" card file. That is for specific weekly instructions for each crop. On the calendar, I simply find the average last frost date and write "0" on the closest weekend. Then going backwards I write -1, -2, -3..., etc for each weekend; forward from there it is of course 1, 2, 3... so I have "weeks til" and "weeks after" the average last frost date. Those are the basis for the card file instructions.
Each file card has a specific crop, a specific numbered week, and instructions for what to do with that crop that week.
Each week has it's own tab in the card file box. Week 0 might have individual cards for tomatoes, cabbage, leeks, radishes and cucumbers; week 2 might have cards for radishes, corn, broccoli, beans, and melons.
I have a separate series of cards for Spring planting and Fall planting (counted from average first frost date in October. Some crops have many cards for the same purpose (for succession planting of radishes every 2 weeks for example).
The cards are, of course, geared to my specific location (Southern MD USDA Zone 7A) and gardening habits (using protective covers outside on some crops). It may seem a bit complicated. Some people just remember this stuff easily, I don't. And some people trust their gardening by the weather each year, I don't. And some people don't like to keep records, I do. It works well for me.
If you have any questions about it, leave me a comment or email me: yardenman-2118 AT comcast DOT net. (replace the caps with the symbols)
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Reflections on 2010
2010 was not a good year. It was a hard year for many people, but I'm not talking about that.
And, since I am alive, healthy, and my 2 current cats are young and happy, I'm not talking about that either. I'm looking at the "related" losses.
My dear cat, LC, went over The Bridge in January. While she wasn't "the cat of my life", she was a good cat. Friendly, neat, undemanding, and companionable. Mostly, she was Skeeter's friend. And since Skeeter was "the cat of my life" until Dec 2008, her companionship to him made HIS days wonderful and I thank her for that. After Skeeter left us, she was a good friend to me. Both of them lived past 16 years old and are missed. Burying her in the frozen January garden was very hard, physically and emotionally. And when she went, that was the last contact with Skeeter.
The garden was a disaster last year. The Spring was cold and rainy, the Summer hot and dry. The small crops never grew, the cukes and pole beans just sat there at a few inches, and the heirloom tomatoes died in July. I got only a dozen tomatoes and I LOVE tomatoes.
My youngest sister died in August. She had some brain blood vessel problem that took her life short. She was a dear friend, a fellow organic gardener (much better than me), a wonderful mother to 3 kids, and I miss her very much. She was 16 years younger than me and I was her adored older brother. I wish it had been me instead. I'm just a single old guy and my loss would mean little. She had a family who needed her..
I lost my Mom in September. She was old and had Parkinson's and other problems. But she was the person who taught me to read and write, and to love Broadway musicals and classical music when I was older. She taught me to cook. She did so much else, but you get the idea.
A tale of a vegetable peeler... When I set up my first apartment around age 20, Mom gave me a few items. One was a cheap vegetable peeler. It was old when she gave it to me 40 years ago. Over the years, it has been honed to perfection. It takes the thinnest peels off carrots and tosses them off. A new one I bought does not. Every time I use that old peeler, I think of Mom. And I have a few other kitchen tools like that. Goodbye Mom, I love you. And I will remember you every day by the things I have from you. Things that you used and touched...
So I sadly say farewell to those I have lost this year and hope that 2011 is kinder to those I know. And if this happens to be my year to go, I want everyone to know ahead of that time that I enjoyed our time together. I loved it all. No one knows when the last day comes, so I want to make sure to thank everyone "in case".
Well, let's see what 2011 has to offer. I hope it is kinder...
And, since I am alive, healthy, and my 2 current cats are young and happy, I'm not talking about that either. I'm looking at the "related" losses.
My dear cat, LC, went over The Bridge in January. While she wasn't "the cat of my life", she was a good cat. Friendly, neat, undemanding, and companionable. Mostly, she was Skeeter's friend. And since Skeeter was "the cat of my life" until Dec 2008, her companionship to him made HIS days wonderful and I thank her for that. After Skeeter left us, she was a good friend to me. Both of them lived past 16 years old and are missed. Burying her in the frozen January garden was very hard, physically and emotionally. And when she went, that was the last contact with Skeeter.
The garden was a disaster last year. The Spring was cold and rainy, the Summer hot and dry. The small crops never grew, the cukes and pole beans just sat there at a few inches, and the heirloom tomatoes died in July. I got only a dozen tomatoes and I LOVE tomatoes.
My youngest sister died in August. She had some brain blood vessel problem that took her life short. She was a dear friend, a fellow organic gardener (much better than me), a wonderful mother to 3 kids, and I miss her very much. She was 16 years younger than me and I was her adored older brother. I wish it had been me instead. I'm just a single old guy and my loss would mean little. She had a family who needed her..
I lost my Mom in September. She was old and had Parkinson's and other problems. But she was the person who taught me to read and write, and to love Broadway musicals and classical music when I was older. She taught me to cook. She did so much else, but you get the idea.
A tale of a vegetable peeler... When I set up my first apartment around age 20, Mom gave me a few items. One was a cheap vegetable peeler. It was old when she gave it to me 40 years ago. Over the years, it has been honed to perfection. It takes the thinnest peels off carrots and tosses them off. A new one I bought does not. Every time I use that old peeler, I think of Mom. And I have a few other kitchen tools like that. Goodbye Mom, I love you. And I will remember you every day by the things I have from you. Things that you used and touched...
So I sadly say farewell to those I have lost this year and hope that 2011 is kinder to those I know. And if this happens to be my year to go, I want everyone to know ahead of that time that I enjoyed our time together. I loved it all. No one knows when the last day comes, so I want to make sure to thank everyone "in case".
Well, let's see what 2011 has to offer. I hope it is kinder...
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