There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth - not going all the way, and not starting. Buddha
The mind is slow to unlearn what it learnt early.
Seneca
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Garden
9am - It is time for a coffee break. I am having Cafe Verona.
The ground is lovely and moist from that wonderful rain we got yesterday. Makes me long to live somewhere cool and green like where I was born, Seattle.
I have picked the yellow wax beans and the purple Italian beans. They are right next to each other so I picked both at once. Did a bit of weeding along the way. I also got one medium large zuchinni. There are some nice patty pans and yellow crook necks coming on but I need to wait another day or two for those.
Next, I need to go pick strawberries and I need to check the raspberry/blackberry/dewberry patch. They are in opposite directions so I guess I will start with the strawberries in the back garden and move on to the berry patch in the front.
There is a chance of thunderstorms again today so I will need to get a lot done this morning. I wish it would rain again.
1:30pm - Looks like the rain is coming in. Hope it makes it all the way to our house. Took the last two loads of clothes off the line and will finish them in the dryer. I did a great job on getting the rafters straightened out on the back side of the shed. They weren't spaced right and Hubby told me how to fix it.
Got the strawberries picked. The birds must be eating my raspberries and black berries. Lots of little ones and then they all dissappear before they get ripe. WTF?! I'll have to work on getting netting up next year.
Wow! What a thunder storm that was. It rained like a fire hose was directed at the front windows. Just enough thunder and lightning for effect. Little Penny Poo Poo is none too happy about the thunder. The weather has cooled down to below 70. I think I will put some pants on and a bunch of DEET and go outside.
Got the last 4 rafters cut and up.
Watering and fertilizing the Fruit Tree Zone overnight tonight.
The ground is lovely and moist from that wonderful rain we got yesterday. Makes me long to live somewhere cool and green like where I was born, Seattle.
I have picked the yellow wax beans and the purple Italian beans. They are right next to each other so I picked both at once. Did a bit of weeding along the way. I also got one medium large zuchinni. There are some nice patty pans and yellow crook necks coming on but I need to wait another day or two for those.
Next, I need to go pick strawberries and I need to check the raspberry/blackberry/dewberry patch. They are in opposite directions so I guess I will start with the strawberries in the back garden and move on to the berry patch in the front.
There is a chance of thunderstorms again today so I will need to get a lot done this morning. I wish it would rain again.
1:30pm - Looks like the rain is coming in. Hope it makes it all the way to our house. Took the last two loads of clothes off the line and will finish them in the dryer. I did a great job on getting the rafters straightened out on the back side of the shed. They weren't spaced right and Hubby told me how to fix it.
Got the strawberries picked. The birds must be eating my raspberries and black berries. Lots of little ones and then they all dissappear before they get ripe. WTF?! I'll have to work on getting netting up next year.
Wow! What a thunder storm that was. It rained like a fire hose was directed at the front windows. Just enough thunder and lightning for effect. Little Penny Poo Poo is none too happy about the thunder. The weather has cooled down to below 70. I think I will put some pants on and a bunch of DEET and go outside.
Got the last 4 rafters cut and up.
Watering and fertilizing the Fruit Tree Zone overnight tonight.
Pets
I am a pet owner. Many years a go I had a large Umbrella Cockatoo named Sophia and a cute little cockatiel named Cleo. The big bird would fall asleep with one foot tucked up, as birds do, and the little bird would sidle up to it and bite it on its upraised foot. Then, Sophia would be startled and wake up. One day, Sophia was on her perch with little Cleo. As I watched, Sophia closed her eye to just the tiniest slit. Little Cleo sidled up to the large bird, a little at a time, just like normal. Finally, Cleo reached over to bite Sophia's upraised foot. At the last moment, Sophia moved her foot just out of range of the little bird, opened her eyes wide and said "Gotcha!". I thought that was amazing. The cockatoo had just pulled a joke on the little bird.
Over time I have noticed that many animals have an ability not only to think but to solve problems, compare fairness as in "he got the bigger bone or better food than I did", and even play jokes on one another. I never did figure out how some moron decided that animals din't think or couldn't feel. They certainly do. They just do it in their own way according to their own priorities.
Over time I have noticed that many animals have an ability not only to think but to solve problems, compare fairness as in "he got the bigger bone or better food than I did", and even play jokes on one another. I never did figure out how some moron decided that animals din't think or couldn't feel. They certainly do. They just do it in their own way according to their own priorities.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Rain!
Beautiful, cooling, refreshing rain. The temp went down below 70 degrees this afternoon and the thunder rumbled. We had a bit of non life threatening lighting. Most of all we had rain, the kind of rain that soaks in. Big, gentle raindrops. The kind of rain where you get wet walking to the truck.
We got a lot done on the shed today. Hubby helped get the crosspieces up and we talked about how to get the rafters up. I have to adjust some of the rafters on the back side to have them work out to four feet on center. And I need to do some fancy footwork on the front side to get the roofing string board to butt up to the long shed properly. I'll see what I can get done tomorrow. I am glad that this project is moving forwards. I have a lot left to get done by September 30th.
Watering the East Side Windbreak overnight. I know, it rained but the rain just isn't enough to keep the plants going in our climate. We probably got 3/4 of an inch and it is raining on bone dry sand.
We got a lot done on the shed today. Hubby helped get the crosspieces up and we talked about how to get the rafters up. I have to adjust some of the rafters on the back side to have them work out to four feet on center. And I need to do some fancy footwork on the front side to get the roofing string board to butt up to the long shed properly. I'll see what I can get done tomorrow. I am glad that this project is moving forwards. I have a lot left to get done by September 30th.
Watering the East Side Windbreak overnight. I know, it rained but the rain just isn't enough to keep the plants going in our climate. We probably got 3/4 of an inch and it is raining on bone dry sand.
Garden
It looks like I watered the Front Zone overnight. I forgot to turn it off and water the East Windbreak Zone. So, I gave the Fruit Tree zone a booster and then went right to watering the East Windbreak Zone for 3 hours. Then, at 11:30 it is time for the veggie garden to water for 3 hours so I will turn off the East Zone. Probably will water again some more this afternoon.
I am using the Venturi system canister to fertilize the veggies. I need to turn off the new seed lines and then turn them back on. I better remember!!!!
Got a nice big bowl of Italian green beans, a medium sized bowl of French Fillet beans [my favorite]. I have Purple beans and Yellow Wax Beans still to pick but I moved on to working on the shed. Got two post tops cut off. Recharging the sawsall battery so I can chop off the last one. Getting some blocks under the beams for extra support next. Maybe I'll cut the lattice as well.
Need help but Hubby has a headache so I am out thre doing it all by myself. Pooh!!!!
Also washing and hanging out all the bedding for the guest bed. Carried out the dog kennel since we haven't used it since Penny Poo Poo was a puppy. Just taking up space. I will store it until we need it again. Got the tables set up for using the saws out at the shed. Go the dishwasher unloaded so the dirty dishes could go in right away.
Guess, I will get back to it. It is almost 11am and it is going to start being really hot out there soon.
I am using the Venturi system canister to fertilize the veggies. I need to turn off the new seed lines and then turn them back on. I better remember!!!!
Got a nice big bowl of Italian green beans, a medium sized bowl of French Fillet beans [my favorite]. I have Purple beans and Yellow Wax Beans still to pick but I moved on to working on the shed. Got two post tops cut off. Recharging the sawsall battery so I can chop off the last one. Getting some blocks under the beams for extra support next. Maybe I'll cut the lattice as well.
Need help but Hubby has a headache so I am out thre doing it all by myself. Pooh!!!!
Also washing and hanging out all the bedding for the guest bed. Carried out the dog kennel since we haven't used it since Penny Poo Poo was a puppy. Just taking up space. I will store it until we need it again. Got the tables set up for using the saws out at the shed. Go the dishwasher unloaded so the dirty dishes could go in right away.
Guess, I will get back to it. It is almost 11am and it is going to start being really hot out there soon.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Garden
One fairly large bowl of strawberries, 6 or 7 zukes, 1 yellow crookneck, 5 patty pans, a huge bowl of sugar pod peas and a handful of English garden peas. I still have to pick beans. Maybe I will wait until tomorrow. I have to clean what we have already picked, give some of it away to the neighbors and I still want to work on the shed a bit.
Really hot, 95 degrees but cloudy so it is bearable. Of course, I am wearing a skirt instead of jeans out in the garden this afternoon. Fortunately the mosquitoes are far fewer lately.
Really hot, 95 degrees but cloudy so it is bearable. Of course, I am wearing a skirt instead of jeans out in the garden this afternoon. Fortunately the mosquitoes are far fewer lately.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Garden
Watering NOrth Windbreak zone overnight.
Hubby says there is lots of beans and lot of strawberries out in the veggie garden. I'll have to try to pick tomorrow.
Hubby says there is lots of beans and lot of strawberries out in the veggie garden. I'll have to try to pick tomorrow.
Comments
Bruce comments again:)
When all the kids were young we had a much larger now. We now have 2 garden patches12 by 25 and 10 by 12. One is fenced due to wildlife problems .we gave up on corn due to coons cleaning us out 4 years in a row. Last week turned back light on and found 4 coons eating fat drippings off the grill. We have gardened for almost 30 years. Love doing it.
By the way, Bruce operates a website called Fallen from Grace http://fallenfromgrace.net/
He. like myself, has given up on Christianity and, in the end, has decided there is no evidence for god[s]. We call that being an atheist. Don't worry, it isn't as scary as it sounds. Most of us are pretty nice people.
Gardening is certainly my passion although I picked a pretty crappy place to garden in. Still, I am doing a pretty good job of it, if I do say so myself. Sounds like you made the right move on the corn, Bruce. In your area I bet you can buy it fresh and local. In my area, you can't hardly buy anything that is fresh and local. I so enjoy real food straight from my garden.
We have no deer or raccoons. We live a couple of miles from the Carson river. There isn't much wildlife around here. We do have packs of coyotes and we know there is an very occasional mountain lion.
Our biggest problems are gophers. Hubby is trapping one in the veggie garden right now. We have gotten about 10 of them from the five acres this year. Bunnies are a small problem. We fenced the whole five acres with 2x4 inch woven wire and that has kept out most of the jack rabbits and cotton tails. The dogs probably put a good fright into any that do get in. The cat seems to have gotten 3 or 4 rabbits this year. He drags them into the garage through his cat door. I'm impressed while at the same time kind of grossed out.
Mice, kangaroo rats and kangaroo mice seem a bit much this year. We had to put traps in two of the sheds. Never had to do that before.
We rarely see a snake and if we do it is a bull snake. I call them gopher snakes. Not poisonous. It is possible that a rattler could be in the yard but we have yet to see one around here. Don't put your hand under anything or into the shrubs without looking first is always a good idea this time of year.
My nemesis are the Antelope Ground Squirrels. They look sort of like chipmunks. They love anything with seeds. Tomatoes, cantaloupes, cherries are all fair game. I have taken to trapping them to keep the numbers down. Looks like the cat is outdoing me. He has brought me 4 or 5 of them and I have caught about 3.
Whenever I want to complain about the weather I try to be grateful that I am not dealing with ticks, chiggers, deer and raccoons. Thanks for reminding me, Bruce.
When all the kids were young we had a much larger now. We now have 2 garden patches12 by 25 and 10 by 12. One is fenced due to wildlife problems .we gave up on corn due to coons cleaning us out 4 years in a row. Last week turned back light on and found 4 coons eating fat drippings off the grill. We have gardened for almost 30 years. Love doing it.
By the way, Bruce operates a website called Fallen from Grace http://fallenfromgrace.net/
He. like myself, has given up on Christianity and, in the end, has decided there is no evidence for god[s]. We call that being an atheist. Don't worry, it isn't as scary as it sounds. Most of us are pretty nice people.
Gardening is certainly my passion although I picked a pretty crappy place to garden in. Still, I am doing a pretty good job of it, if I do say so myself. Sounds like you made the right move on the corn, Bruce. In your area I bet you can buy it fresh and local. In my area, you can't hardly buy anything that is fresh and local. I so enjoy real food straight from my garden.
We have no deer or raccoons. We live a couple of miles from the Carson river. There isn't much wildlife around here. We do have packs of coyotes and we know there is an very occasional mountain lion.
Our biggest problems are gophers. Hubby is trapping one in the veggie garden right now. We have gotten about 10 of them from the five acres this year. Bunnies are a small problem. We fenced the whole five acres with 2x4 inch woven wire and that has kept out most of the jack rabbits and cotton tails. The dogs probably put a good fright into any that do get in. The cat seems to have gotten 3 or 4 rabbits this year. He drags them into the garage through his cat door. I'm impressed while at the same time kind of grossed out.
Mice, kangaroo rats and kangaroo mice seem a bit much this year. We had to put traps in two of the sheds. Never had to do that before.
We rarely see a snake and if we do it is a bull snake. I call them gopher snakes. Not poisonous. It is possible that a rattler could be in the yard but we have yet to see one around here. Don't put your hand under anything or into the shrubs without looking first is always a good idea this time of year.
My nemesis are the Antelope Ground Squirrels. They look sort of like chipmunks. They love anything with seeds. Tomatoes, cantaloupes, cherries are all fair game. I have taken to trapping them to keep the numbers down. Looks like the cat is outdoing me. He has brought me 4 or 5 of them and I have caught about 3.
Whenever I want to complain about the weather I try to be grateful that I am not dealing with ticks, chiggers, deer and raccoons. Thanks for reminding me, Bruce.
Goats
The goats are set with about 11 bales of very weedy hay. The problem is that I need about 20 bales to get me through until next June. So, the weedy hay was $6.50 per bale. The good alfalfa hay is an outrageous $16 per bale this year. I think that it is high at $12. Now we are scouting around for a deal on some good hay. We can feed the weedy stuff once a day and the good stuff for the second feed. If it gets really cold we want them to have good hay. Every winter is different. Last winter wasn't too bad. The winter before this was very snowy. A couple of years before that it was well below zero for several weeks and we had pogonip - that is freeezing fog for those of you who aren't American Indians. It never got above freezing. We have to be prepared for the worst.
One year it was so wet that I had to change the straw out almost every day. I ran out of straw and couldn't seem to buy more. This year we have stocked up and I have 12. I think I will get a few more since straw can be used from year to year. The nutrition in hay goes down in value so you want to try to buy the right amount every year.
One year it was so wet that I had to change the straw out almost every day. I ran out of straw and couldn't seem to buy more. This year we have stocked up and I have 12. I think I will get a few more since straw can be used from year to year. The nutrition in hay goes down in value so you want to try to buy the right amount every year.
Comments
I got a comment. Thanks, Bruce. This is the world's tiniest blog. I can't seem to reply to comments directly so, since I don't get many comments, I usually reply in my posts.
Interesting that you had to water this year, Bruce. We only average 6 inches of precipitation a year. We live in what must be the driest part of the driest state in the union. I water everyday. The tree zones get watered in rotation, overnight, every fourth day. I am giving them a two hour booster, every other day, since the raspberries and grapes and the new plants could use a bit more water. I even water in the winter if it is warm enough.
Our veggie garden is currently about 125 feet by 50 or 60 feet. It sounds big but Hubby loves to grow melons and we need just a bit more room. I am re-doing the garden. I am carving 20 feet out of the south side and putting in a buffalo berry hedge and a walkway on the south side. Every spring the winds are a nightmare. I cannot keep floating row covers on and I could get a nicer start in the spring with the row covers. My broccoli and cauliflower are greatly affected and I rarely get any.
The new version will have a 10 foot wide pathway all the way around it and a 10 foot pathway right across the middle in an east/west direction. That way I can easily maneuver a wheel barrow or a wagon through there. Then, there will be two sets of 40 foot rows instead of the one set 50 to sixty foot rows we have now.
I have designed it so that we can drive the big old Chevy four wheel drive truck into it and off load manure and what have you directly into the garden. We started with pure sand but the garden soil is really improving. We have been adding goat O's and straw from the goat pen and manure from some of the neighbor's horses. The garden is officially 5 years old.
I have a new Venturi system canister so that I can put liquid fertilizer directly into the drip system. Nice!! Saves me a ton of work. The veggie garden is on T-tape. The water comes out every 6 inches from slits in the irrigation tubing. Very efficient way to water.
I put in some winter rye a couple of years ago and I might do that again this year, especially since the new side needs lots of organic matter to help it be productive.
Time to get busy. This time of the year I trim the shrub poplars a little at a time and throw the branches to the goats. They love it! No weeding today. They will get some hay with that. Hubby needs to call the hay guy and see if we can get 10 more bales.
Interesting that you had to water this year, Bruce. We only average 6 inches of precipitation a year. We live in what must be the driest part of the driest state in the union. I water everyday. The tree zones get watered in rotation, overnight, every fourth day. I am giving them a two hour booster, every other day, since the raspberries and grapes and the new plants could use a bit more water. I even water in the winter if it is warm enough.
Our veggie garden is currently about 125 feet by 50 or 60 feet. It sounds big but Hubby loves to grow melons and we need just a bit more room. I am re-doing the garden. I am carving 20 feet out of the south side and putting in a buffalo berry hedge and a walkway on the south side. Every spring the winds are a nightmare. I cannot keep floating row covers on and I could get a nicer start in the spring with the row covers. My broccoli and cauliflower are greatly affected and I rarely get any.
The new version will have a 10 foot wide pathway all the way around it and a 10 foot pathway right across the middle in an east/west direction. That way I can easily maneuver a wheel barrow or a wagon through there. Then, there will be two sets of 40 foot rows instead of the one set 50 to sixty foot rows we have now.
I have designed it so that we can drive the big old Chevy four wheel drive truck into it and off load manure and what have you directly into the garden. We started with pure sand but the garden soil is really improving. We have been adding goat O's and straw from the goat pen and manure from some of the neighbor's horses. The garden is officially 5 years old.
I have a new Venturi system canister so that I can put liquid fertilizer directly into the drip system. Nice!! Saves me a ton of work. The veggie garden is on T-tape. The water comes out every 6 inches from slits in the irrigation tubing. Very efficient way to water.
I put in some winter rye a couple of years ago and I might do that again this year, especially since the new side needs lots of organic matter to help it be productive.
Time to get busy. This time of the year I trim the shrub poplars a little at a time and throw the branches to the goats. They love it! No weeding today. They will get some hay with that. Hubby needs to call the hay guy and see if we can get 10 more bales.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The House
I have been working a great deal on the house. My goal is to have the whole house be ship shape by the end of next week. I have a neighbor girl coming to help me on Monday. If she is getting the job done I will have her back Tuesday. So far I have done the buffet hutch with the dishes. The top of the cook book hutch. The top of the kitchen cabinets including all the doodads. All of the walls and plants in each area also cleaned.
I got the first lateral 2x4 up for the lattice and the first piece of lattice tacked up today for the shade cover. The lattice needs some trimming but the project is on hold for two days while I clean other people's houses.
The garden is doing great. I picked a bunch of lettuce and some carrots.
Watering the Fruit Tree Zone overnight tonight.
I got the first lateral 2x4 up for the lattice and the first piece of lattice tacked up today for the shade cover. The lattice needs some trimming but the project is on hold for two days while I clean other people's houses.
The garden is doing great. I picked a bunch of lettuce and some carrots.
Watering the Fruit Tree Zone overnight tonight.
Notable Quotable
Robert Ingersoll, The Prince of Agnostics, In his lecture Why I am an Agnostic Ingersoll reports hearing his first sermon on hell,
"
One Sunday I went with my brother to hear a Free Will Baptist
preacher. He was a large man, dressed like a farmer, but he was an
orator. He could paint a picture with words.
He took for his text the parable of "the rich man and
Lazarus." He described Dives, the rich man -- his manner of life,
the excesses in which he indulged, his extravagance, his riotous
nights, his purple and fine linen, his feasts, his wines, and his
beautiful women.
Then he described Lazarus, his poverty, his rags and
wretchedness, his poor body eaten by disease, the crusts and crumbs
he devoured, the dogs that pitied him. He pictured his lonely life,
his friendless death.
Then, changing his tone of pity to one of triumph -- leaping
from tears to the heights of exultation -- from defeat to victory
-- he described the glorious company of angels, who with white and
outspread wings carried the soul of the despised pauper to Paradise
-- to the bosom of Abraham.
Then, changing his voice to one of scorn and loathing, he told
of the rich man's death. He was in his palace, on his costly couch,
the air heavy with perfume, the room filled with servants and
physicians. His gold was worthless then. He could not buy another
breath. He died, and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in
torment.
Then, assuming a dramatic attitude, putting his right hand to
his ear, he whispered, "Hark! I hear the rich man's voice. What
does he say? Hark! 'Father Abraham! Father Abraham! I pray thee
send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and
cool my parched tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.'"
"Oh, my hearers, he has been making that request for more than
eighteen hundred years. And millions of ages hence that wail will
cross the gulf that lies between the saved and lost and still will
be heard the cry: 'Father Abraham! Father Abraham! I pray thee send
Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger. in water and cool my
parched tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.'"
For the first time I understood the dogma of eternal pain --
appreciated "the glad tidings of great joy." For the first time my
imagination grasped the height and depth of the Christian horror.
Then I said: "It is a lie, and I hate your religion. If it is true,
I hate your God."
From that day I have had no fear, no doubt. For me, on that
day, the flames of hell were quenched. From that day I have
passionately hated every orthodox creed. That Sermon did some good.
Robert Ingersoll has a way of writing that just makes so much sense out of Christian gobbedygook. The concept of Hell is unsupported and reprehensible. A tool used to control people and keep them believing in the Church. A sad way to present a God concept. Love me or you are going to fry, says Biblegod.
"
One Sunday I went with my brother to hear a Free Will Baptist
preacher. He was a large man, dressed like a farmer, but he was an
orator. He could paint a picture with words.
He took for his text the parable of "the rich man and
Lazarus." He described Dives, the rich man -- his manner of life,
the excesses in which he indulged, his extravagance, his riotous
nights, his purple and fine linen, his feasts, his wines, and his
beautiful women.
Then he described Lazarus, his poverty, his rags and
wretchedness, his poor body eaten by disease, the crusts and crumbs
he devoured, the dogs that pitied him. He pictured his lonely life,
his friendless death.
Then, changing his tone of pity to one of triumph -- leaping
from tears to the heights of exultation -- from defeat to victory
-- he described the glorious company of angels, who with white and
outspread wings carried the soul of the despised pauper to Paradise
-- to the bosom of Abraham.
Then, changing his voice to one of scorn and loathing, he told
of the rich man's death. He was in his palace, on his costly couch,
the air heavy with perfume, the room filled with servants and
physicians. His gold was worthless then. He could not buy another
breath. He died, and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in
torment.
Then, assuming a dramatic attitude, putting his right hand to
his ear, he whispered, "Hark! I hear the rich man's voice. What
does he say? Hark! 'Father Abraham! Father Abraham! I pray thee
send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and
cool my parched tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.'"
"Oh, my hearers, he has been making that request for more than
eighteen hundred years. And millions of ages hence that wail will
cross the gulf that lies between the saved and lost and still will
be heard the cry: 'Father Abraham! Father Abraham! I pray thee send
Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger. in water and cool my
parched tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.'"
For the first time I understood the dogma of eternal pain --
appreciated "the glad tidings of great joy." For the first time my
imagination grasped the height and depth of the Christian horror.
Then I said: "It is a lie, and I hate your religion. If it is true,
I hate your God."
From that day I have had no fear, no doubt. For me, on that
day, the flames of hell were quenched. From that day I have
passionately hated every orthodox creed. That Sermon did some good.
Robert Ingersoll has a way of writing that just makes so much sense out of Christian gobbedygook. The concept of Hell is unsupported and reprehensible. A tool used to control people and keep them believing in the Church. A sad way to present a God concept. Love me or you are going to fry, says Biblegod.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Garden
9am and I have planted carrots, lettuce butter crunch and head lettuce], spinach, cauliflower, broccoli and rads. Good job, Liz.
Picked, 4 zukes, 3 rads [yeah, pitiful], 1 patty pan [makes 3 so patty pans and zukes for lunch!].
Going out to pick strawberries. And lettuce. Hopefully some carrots. Checking on the beans.
Set up the electrical extension cord for working on the shade cover. The fact is that starting the generator was hard to do and I got the cords to work so that is even better.
I got a nice amount of strawberries. I got a handful of purple beans and a few filet beans. Looks like patty pans and onions and green beans for lunch with our pork chops.
Did some home gown russets with olive oil S&P in foil on the grill. Pork chop on the grill. Patty pans, onoins, garlic, S&P in foil on the grill. What a great dinner and I grew everything but the garlic myself. Home grown strawberries for dessert. You can't buy strawberries like the juicy, soft ones that I grow myself.
Hubby got the cross pieces up for me. Now I have to cut the rafters at an angle and get them secured. Maybe this evening.
Okay, I got the rafters cut for the back half of the roof and sort of secured. I am running low on metal hangers for the rafters so I will have to get some when I go shopping. Used nine 2x4's and will have to use another when I figure out how to join the two roofs [the long shed is already done so I have to figure out how to make the roof from the shade cover meld to the roof for the shed. Maybe Hubby and I can get the next two cross pieces up tomorrow morning. I need to take a break tomorrow since I clean a big house on Thursday and another house on Friday and I can't be to worn out to do a good job.
Watering the East side windbreak over night.
Picked, 4 zukes, 3 rads [yeah, pitiful], 1 patty pan [makes 3 so patty pans and zukes for lunch!].
Going out to pick strawberries. And lettuce. Hopefully some carrots. Checking on the beans.
Set up the electrical extension cord for working on the shade cover. The fact is that starting the generator was hard to do and I got the cords to work so that is even better.
I got a nice amount of strawberries. I got a handful of purple beans and a few filet beans. Looks like patty pans and onions and green beans for lunch with our pork chops.
Did some home gown russets with olive oil S&P in foil on the grill. Pork chop on the grill. Patty pans, onoins, garlic, S&P in foil on the grill. What a great dinner and I grew everything but the garlic myself. Home grown strawberries for dessert. You can't buy strawberries like the juicy, soft ones that I grow myself.
Hubby got the cross pieces up for me. Now I have to cut the rafters at an angle and get them secured. Maybe this evening.
Okay, I got the rafters cut for the back half of the roof and sort of secured. I am running low on metal hangers for the rafters so I will have to get some when I go shopping. Used nine 2x4's and will have to use another when I figure out how to join the two roofs [the long shed is already done so I have to figure out how to make the roof from the shade cover meld to the roof for the shed. Maybe Hubby and I can get the next two cross pieces up tomorrow morning. I need to take a break tomorrow since I clean a big house on Thursday and another house on Friday and I can't be to worn out to do a good job.
Watering the East side windbreak over night.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Notable Quotable
Bruce from the website FallenfromGrace has a great post on the problem of evil.
Epicurus’ argument remains the best refutation of the Christian belief concerning evil.
It states:
If God is willing to prevent evil, but is not able to
Then He is not omnipotent.If He is able, but not willing
Then He is malevolent.If He is both able and willing
Then whence cometh evil?If He is neither able nor willing
Then why call Him God?
Misery exists because the myriad of life forms all need a way to make a living. Lions and mosquitoes have to eat and viruses and bacteria have to live, too. The world works just the way you would expect it to if evolution were the primary reason life continues to thrive on this planet.
Garden
So far this morning I have picked enough yellow crooknecks for lunch. A few zukes and about two patty pans. Did some weeding. Next, I have two more posts to get in for the shade cover.So, what was for dinner at noon? Wonderful small yellow crookneck squash with fresh onions, sweet peppers, salt and pepper and some garlic from thejar in the fridge with a swiss chard from the garden bonus. Fried in olive oil, then placed in a baking pan, some parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top and placed in the oven. Turn on the oven to 350 then turn off the oven after 15 minutes. Leave in to stay warm.
Next, shell noodles into boiling water while the shrimp and fresh garlic get sauteed in lots of olive oil. Add lots of oregano and some salt towards the end. Drain the noodles and place in the big red bowl. Add the shrimp. Toss with feta cheese and yummy!!! I don't really like feta cheese but it is delicious in this dish. Plate with the squash on one side and a couple of big spoonfuls of Greek shrimp and noodles on the other. A small green salad fresh picked this morning and that is some eating!!!!
I got the garden prepped for the cauliflower and broccoli. Turns out I had to weed and straighten out the irrigation so will have to plant tomorrow. 30 MPH winds expected this evening.
I got the 2 posts cemented in for a total of three posts. Desperately hoping Hubby will feel like helping me with the cross pieces tomorrow. If I can get the roof on in early August, I can fill in the seams with foam, then tar and hopefully be well on my way to painting the shed by mid-August. We'll see. Everything takes me longer than I wan t it to and I am going for spring cleaning next week.
Nest week Hubby works days so I am going to try to get my spring cleaning done with the help of a neighbor girl that week. I would like the house to be totally clean. All the rooms at once. Like when I clean for other people! Then I can keep up for another year or so.
Looks like the neighbor girl is going to want to make a couple of extra bucks helping out next week. I may have to call her to get her moving as it looks like she has been getting up late. I said how about 9am and she thought that was early but she could get up that early if she had to:)
Got some fresh eggs form the neighbor and gave them some zukes. Looks like we can trade for veggies next time. I put the $2 in the bag already so I told her next time a trade would be great!!!! I have green beans coming on and that should get me some eggs for quite a few weeks.
Corn is starting to get there. The first planting anyway.
Next, shell noodles into boiling water while the shrimp and fresh garlic get sauteed in lots of olive oil. Add lots of oregano and some salt towards the end. Drain the noodles and place in the big red bowl. Add the shrimp. Toss with feta cheese and yummy!!! I don't really like feta cheese but it is delicious in this dish. Plate with the squash on one side and a couple of big spoonfuls of Greek shrimp and noodles on the other. A small green salad fresh picked this morning and that is some eating!!!!
I got the garden prepped for the cauliflower and broccoli. Turns out I had to weed and straighten out the irrigation so will have to plant tomorrow. 30 MPH winds expected this evening.
I got the 2 posts cemented in for a total of three posts. Desperately hoping Hubby will feel like helping me with the cross pieces tomorrow. If I can get the roof on in early August, I can fill in the seams with foam, then tar and hopefully be well on my way to painting the shed by mid-August. We'll see. Everything takes me longer than I wan t it to and I am going for spring cleaning next week.
Nest week Hubby works days so I am going to try to get my spring cleaning done with the help of a neighbor girl that week. I would like the house to be totally clean. All the rooms at once. Like when I clean for other people! Then I can keep up for another year or so.
Looks like the neighbor girl is going to want to make a couple of extra bucks helping out next week. I may have to call her to get her moving as it looks like she has been getting up late. I said how about 9am and she thought that was early but she could get up that early if she had to:)
Got some fresh eggs form the neighbor and gave them some zukes. Looks like we can trade for veggies next time. I put the $2 in the bag already so I told her next time a trade would be great!!!! I have green beans coming on and that should get me some eggs for quite a few weeks.
Corn is starting to get there. The first planting anyway.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
What Am I Reading?
What am I reading?
Quiverfull
A book that strikes at the heart of why I believe religion has to go. The whole women's submission topic gets my blood boiling everytime!
Quiverfull
A book that strikes at the heart of why I believe religion has to go. The whole women's submission topic gets my blood boiling everytime!
Garden
Mid nineties today and looks like it will be approaching 100 degrees by the end of the week. Argghhhh!!!
So, what's from the garden today? The lettuce is starting to get bitter but I did manage to get a couple of heads of lettuce. I dug up the potato plant that had lots of tomato horn worms. Turns out it is a Purple Potato. Sliced them in thin slices and soaking them in salty water for fried potatoes. Got a white onion for onion rings with tempura batter and I think I will do zukes as well. Terriyaki chicken on the grill. Finally, a nice smootie with cantaloupe, limes and strawberries.
I got an entire, incredible bowl of strawberries yesterday.
The garden is looking good. I really need to get out there and plant some cauliflower and brocoli. Maybe some more lettuce and some more rads and carrots. This evening, I promise.
Did some weeding in the veggie garden this morning.
Got one post in for the shade cover by the long shed. Good for me. Also, got the laundry done. Cleaned the top area of the china hutch. Washed the plants and the tea cups. Vacuumed behind it. Got the wicker baskets cleaned. Good for me.
Watering West Windbreak.
So, what's from the garden today? The lettuce is starting to get bitter but I did manage to get a couple of heads of lettuce. I dug up the potato plant that had lots of tomato horn worms. Turns out it is a Purple Potato. Sliced them in thin slices and soaking them in salty water for fried potatoes. Got a white onion for onion rings with tempura batter and I think I will do zukes as well. Terriyaki chicken on the grill. Finally, a nice smootie with cantaloupe, limes and strawberries.
I got an entire, incredible bowl of strawberries yesterday.
The garden is looking good. I really need to get out there and plant some cauliflower and brocoli. Maybe some more lettuce and some more rads and carrots. This evening, I promise.
Did some weeding in the veggie garden this morning.
Got one post in for the shade cover by the long shed. Good for me. Also, got the laundry done. Cleaned the top area of the china hutch. Washed the plants and the tea cups. Vacuumed behind it. Got the wicker baskets cleaned. Good for me.
Watering West Windbreak.
Notable Quotable
It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.
Buddha
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
Buddha
The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.
Buddha
Buddha
Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.
Buddha
The way is not in the sky. The way is in the heart.
Buddha
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Garden
Giving the fruit trees and the West windbreak a water booster.
Watering and fertilizing East windbreak.
Watering and fertilizing East windbreak.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Garden
Kind of hot today.
Watering the North windbreak overnight and fertilizing.
Found a victim for some of my zuchinnis. Yeah!!!! I'l have to run some over to the neighbor tomorrow morning on my way to cleaning a house.
My tomatoes are still green but they look good and I am getting some more cute little ones so that is good. The tomato hornworms have decimated one of the potato plants but it was a volunteer anyway and I think I finally got them all. One of the tomato plants is looking a little damaged and I got a small tomato horn worm off but I will have to see if there isn't a larger one on there somewhere.
My neighbor says her tomato plants aren't doing well but hopefully I will have plenty to give away and she is a nice neighbor so that would be good.
Watering the North windbreak overnight and fertilizing.
Found a victim for some of my zuchinnis. Yeah!!!! I'l have to run some over to the neighbor tomorrow morning on my way to cleaning a house.
My tomatoes are still green but they look good and I am getting some more cute little ones so that is good. The tomato hornworms have decimated one of the potato plants but it was a volunteer anyway and I think I finally got them all. One of the tomato plants is looking a little damaged and I got a small tomato horn worm off but I will have to see if there isn't a larger one on there somewhere.
My neighbor says her tomato plants aren't doing well but hopefully I will have plenty to give away and she is a nice neighbor so that would be good.
Notable Quotable
Thanks, WS for your comment and I am saving this for the future.
WS:
It's amazing how much psychological damage sheer nonsense can do. As the inimitable renoliz put it, "... the thought that invisible beings are running our lives is absurd. It creates mental conditions in some people and exacerbates them in others."
WS:
It's amazing how much psychological damage sheer nonsense can do. As the inimitable renoliz put it, "... the thought that invisible beings are running our lives is absurd. It creates mental conditions in some people and exacerbates them in others."
Me:
I still stand by those words. Look at the amazing stories from the people here at exC about how the hoary gory story of Jesus has been a terrible burden.
I'm really glad every time someone has their life improved by dumping the sheer negativity that is Biblegod and putting Biblegod and his son in the trash like the dirty, filthy rags [or as Brother Sweet Old Guy says, used kotex] that they are. We aren't born bad and worthless and garbage - just human.
Religion
Josh is right to be worried about the internet destroying Christianity. If it were not for the internet [combined with reading a few key books, one of which was Loftus Why I became an Atheist], I would probably still be going from church to church trying to figure it all out.
Once I accessed the internet I sifted through about a whole bunch of topics related to Christianity. Wow, the Bible isn't the word of God, lots of nice people have left Christianity, there is support for people who are have a difficult time emotionally [exChristian.net is my home away from home]. There is no reason to believe there actually is a god, Satan or heaven and hell. Christians are absolute liars for Jesus. For instance, the nation was not founded as a Christian nation, evolution really is true and science is not a religion. I found all this on the internet.
The Jews don't believe in Jesus not because they are blinded by Satan as part of God's grand plan but because the Old Testament does not predict Jesus Christ the savior who dies on a cross. The Book of Revelation can be interpreted so many ways it is absurd. My final stab at what it would mean was a guy on a website that said the beast is us because in Ecclesiastes it says we are like the beasts. Frankly it made as much sense as all the other explanations given by all the other Christian experts on Revelation. I realized just how absurd it is to spend years of one's life locked in a room trying to figure out what the Book of Revelations actually says. What a waste of time.
Genesis obviously wasn't literal since evolution is true so what does it mean metaphorically speaking? Well, just like the Book of Revelations, anything you can dream up. My final look at the metaphorical was a really super website that showed how the 6 days of creation were like the stages of the mind developing. The birds represented the mind taking flight or some such. It was great. But really, it was then clear to me that how silly is that is. The Bible seems to know nothing about psychology and Freud so why would it represent the development of the personal mind identity?
I could read Why I'm Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell and Which Way? by Robert Ingersoll and Kenneth w. Daniels Why I Believed, all for free on infidels.org . There was so much information on the internet that it took me quite awhile. Finally, one day, I read a treatise that seemed to sum up how little we know about Jesus and at that moment I was an exChristian.
I now have a growing library of "real books" but the internet was the one tool I could use that no one could see what I was reading about. Never a book left on the table for people to say "Hey, Liz, you aren't reading that kind of stuff. That kind of information is dangerous to your faith and you shouldn't have it." This was my private way of deciding what I would believe and think without a debate with people whose feelings I did not want to hurt.
The internet is the end of the Christian faith for all who are questioning even if they aren't in college. Whether they are young or old. Whatever economic status they have. The internet allows people to do the research if they have the desire.
Finally, there is this amazing world inside the computer where you can actually read the comments and articles of authors and scholars like Hector Avalos, James McGrath, John W. Loftus, TG Baker, Edward Babinski and others I am failing to mention. Sometimes you can even interact with these brilliant scholars. What a privilege that is!!!! How cool is it that you can learn directly from experts in their fields and compare what they say to other experts in their fields. You can learn so much from reading the back and forth between really well read and intelligent people. Oh, I see what he is saying. Oh, I see what she is getting at in her reply.
I live in the middle of nowhere but I am connected to the world.
Religion
I don't know if atheism is going to win in the short run but agnostic towards Christianity will certainly be the norm soon. How can you possibly justify your Christian beliefs against JW's, Mormons, Hindus, Muslims, et al. I think a lot of people will be sort of New Age since you certainly can't really point to a god that cares and so many people in this country are under educated which means a whole lot of adults that are under educated.
I do think that atheism will keep growing. Deism seems sort of silly in that a god started the whole process but can't be seen or felt now. WTF? Something like secular Buddhism may catch on since it is certainly amenable to agnosticism and atheism or even deism or naturalism. It has the appeal of the ancients and is a tried and true method for growing as a person. It seems to have a potential for beneficial affects via knowing yourself, instilling a set of good values in society and personal meditation. Secular Buddhism is totally compatible with science, logic and rational thinking.
I am at least hopeful that we can move beyond what we have at the moment which is a total devaluation of personhood and a need to be a consumer above all else.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Garden
Had to go clean a building today so not much to talk about in the garden.
Feeding the goats the new weedy hay with the cheat grass fox tails in it. They didn't like it at first glance but it looks like they are eating it. We'll check them to see that they aren't affected by the cheat grass tomorrow morning.
Fertilizing th front area. Fertilized the back area yesterday. Need to switch it over to the West windbreak but the mosquitoes are fierce and I will have to put on loads of repel to manage that feat.
Did I mention that I have my first zinnia blooming. Lots more to come it looks like. And I have lots of the open style snap dragons blooming. They really are cool looking.
Feeding the goats the new weedy hay with the cheat grass fox tails in it. They didn't like it at first glance but it looks like they are eating it. We'll check them to see that they aren't affected by the cheat grass tomorrow morning.
Fertilizing th front area. Fertilized the back area yesterday. Need to switch it over to the West windbreak but the mosquitoes are fierce and I will have to put on loads of repel to manage that feat.
Did I mention that I have my first zinnia blooming. Lots more to come it looks like. And I have lots of the open style snap dragons blooming. They really are cool looking.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Garden
Picked zukes. Got my first yellow crook necks, two small cuties. Also my first patty pan. More to come!
Got two more posts cemented in for the shed.
Thinking about my shed design. I want to add another section in front so I will need 3 more 12 foot posts. Four more 4x8 sheets of string board. About 8 more 2 x4's for the roof and at least 3 more 2x4's to tie it all together and try to make it a sturdy box. That's about $54 plus maybe two bags of concrete another $10. I need to get some concrete on the back side to keep the wind from eating out the sand and exposing the shed posts at the bottom. That will take quite a few bags so I'll have to pick up what I can when I go to town.
There is really quite a bit of work left to do to get that area straightened out. I still need to do a better dog proof fence and I need to make a gate for the truck and trailer to go through. I have to move the Jerusalem artichokes and get them some drip. The asparagus is sucking so I have to make a new area for them and order some new plants. I also want to make an area for the compost at the north end of the long shed so the wind will quit blowing it around the yard. I want to get the compost onto the drip system.
Oh yeah, I need to tar and shingle the roof. I am thinking about going cheap and just using tar paper and tar. We will see. I also need to seal the shed and get it primed and painted.
Anyway, just for today, I have gotten the posts in. I am drawing up a sketch of the design so I have a pattern to follow.
Next, I need to go pick raspberries, strawberries, dewberries and black berries. May not be a lot ripe but I need to stay on top of that.
A mere handful of berries but I grew them myself!!! Looks like we sill have more berries in a week or so?! Picked English garden peas. Not a lot there either but enough for a treat with dinner. Dinner is going to be delicious pork chops with fresh rosemary, ginger and mandarin orange juice juice. Little S&P, for sure. Zukes and patty pans fried up in olive oil with sweet peppers and onion with a bit of Parmesan cheese at the last minute. That handful of peas I picked and shelled. And a smoothies with strawberries, Tuscan melon and mandarin orange juice.
The mandarins were really sour so I am treating them like lemons. Oh, I think some lemon bars for desert with those mandarin oragnes instead of lemons. Hope that works out.
Fertilized veggie garden with VF11 in today's water cycle. Will fertilize fruit trees/berries in tonight's overnight watering with Miracle Grow.
Got two more posts cemented in for the shed.
Thinking about my shed design. I want to add another section in front so I will need 3 more 12 foot posts. Four more 4x8 sheets of string board. About 8 more 2 x4's for the roof and at least 3 more 2x4's to tie it all together and try to make it a sturdy box. That's about $54 plus maybe two bags of concrete another $10. I need to get some concrete on the back side to keep the wind from eating out the sand and exposing the shed posts at the bottom. That will take quite a few bags so I'll have to pick up what I can when I go to town.
There is really quite a bit of work left to do to get that area straightened out. I still need to do a better dog proof fence and I need to make a gate for the truck and trailer to go through. I have to move the Jerusalem artichokes and get them some drip. The asparagus is sucking so I have to make a new area for them and order some new plants. I also want to make an area for the compost at the north end of the long shed so the wind will quit blowing it around the yard. I want to get the compost onto the drip system.
Oh yeah, I need to tar and shingle the roof. I am thinking about going cheap and just using tar paper and tar. We will see. I also need to seal the shed and get it primed and painted.
Anyway, just for today, I have gotten the posts in. I am drawing up a sketch of the design so I have a pattern to follow.
Next, I need to go pick raspberries, strawberries, dewberries and black berries. May not be a lot ripe but I need to stay on top of that.
A mere handful of berries but I grew them myself!!! Looks like we sill have more berries in a week or so?! Picked English garden peas. Not a lot there either but enough for a treat with dinner. Dinner is going to be delicious pork chops with fresh rosemary, ginger and mandarin orange juice juice. Little S&P, for sure. Zukes and patty pans fried up in olive oil with sweet peppers and onion with a bit of Parmesan cheese at the last minute. That handful of peas I picked and shelled. And a smoothies with strawberries, Tuscan melon and mandarin orange juice.
The mandarins were really sour so I am treating them like lemons. Oh, I think some lemon bars for desert with those mandarin oragnes instead of lemons. Hope that works out.
Fertilized veggie garden with VF11 in today's water cycle. Will fertilize fruit trees/berries in tonight's overnight watering with Miracle Grow.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Garden
Looks like the watering schedule says
Watering the East Side Windbreak.
mid-nineties today. Sort of hot and hotter than I anticipated.
Got two four by fours cemented for the shade area I am putting onto the long shed. It will shade the back of the greenhouse and allow cool air to come in when it is hot out. I'll do the next two posts tomorrow.
Watering the East Side Windbreak.
mid-nineties today. Sort of hot and hotter than I anticipated.
Got two four by fours cemented for the shade area I am putting onto the long shed. It will shade the back of the greenhouse and allow cool air to come in when it is hot out. I'll do the next two posts tomorrow.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Garden
Well, did some weeding this morning and this evening. Watered the fruit trees some more since I had my little watering snafu.
Did I mention that we got 8 lovely zukes yesterday. Very exciting. Today I picked three head of lettuce. Need to get into the kitchen and get them prepped for Hubby's lunches tomorrow and the next day. No beans yet but pretty soon.
Picked the first of the raspberries, dew berries and blackberries. Totally cool. We are going to have our best crop ever which isn't saying much since our other crops sucked!!!! Looks like we have gap in our berries. We need some yellow raspberries. I might put those in the north windbreak.
Mostly finally worked on the house. Cleaned the tub, the toilet, the sinks, washed the bathroom walls and the floor. Vacuumed. Did two loads of dishes. I wasn't that far behind but then, suddenly, there were a lot of dishes in the sink. Swept and mopped the kitchen floor. Boy, did it need it. Used some stainless steel cleaner on my nice big stainless steel kitchen sink. I still love it. Washed the kitchen rugs and hung them out. In fact, need to bring those in before it gets dark.
Also, I would like to see about some rads and carrots for Hubby's salad tomorrow as well. Off I go.
Watering North windbreak tonight.
Did I mention that we got 8 lovely zukes yesterday. Very exciting. Today I picked three head of lettuce. Need to get into the kitchen and get them prepped for Hubby's lunches tomorrow and the next day. No beans yet but pretty soon.
Picked the first of the raspberries, dew berries and blackberries. Totally cool. We are going to have our best crop ever which isn't saying much since our other crops sucked!!!! Looks like we have gap in our berries. We need some yellow raspberries. I might put those in the north windbreak.
Mostly finally worked on the house. Cleaned the tub, the toilet, the sinks, washed the bathroom walls and the floor. Vacuumed. Did two loads of dishes. I wasn't that far behind but then, suddenly, there were a lot of dishes in the sink. Swept and mopped the kitchen floor. Boy, did it need it. Used some stainless steel cleaner on my nice big stainless steel kitchen sink. I still love it. Washed the kitchen rugs and hung them out. In fact, need to bring those in before it gets dark.
Also, I would like to see about some rads and carrots for Hubby's salad tomorrow as well. Off I go.
Watering North windbreak tonight.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Garden
Uh oh, I watered the North side last night when I should have been watering the fruit tree zone.
I am watering the fruit tree zone today as much as ican and then getting back on schedule, I hope.
Wateing West side windbreak overnight.
Picked zukes, English garden peas, a few pea pods.
I am watering the fruit tree zone today as much as ican and then getting back on schedule, I hope.
Wateing West side windbreak overnight.
Picked zukes, English garden peas, a few pea pods.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Not Much Happening
This is one of those days when I haven't got much happening. I got my cleaning job done and I met Hubby for coffee at the Starbucks. Then off he went to work and I came home. Didn't really do anything in the garden. It is kind of nice to have the whole thing better organized.
Of course, I have been watering this evening and the morning and evening chores always have to get done. Feed the goats. Make sure the goats, the dogs and the pond all are up to snuff on their water. Feed the doggies. Make sure the front and back get a bit of water. Thursday night means get the trash out and I have done that.
I was hoping to get this book I ordered to day but the UPS hasn't shown up. Darn it. It isn't really a secret but Hubby is off tomorrow and now he will know for a fact that I got another book. And I haven't even actually gotten any birthday money from Mom and Dad yet. Oh well, like I said it isn't a secret but sometimes you don't really want to make a grand announcement either:)
Got my new book Bruising Reed about a kid that grows up in a fundamentalist environment.
The weather is really nice maybe 84 degrees today and already cooling off fast as the sun goes down. The Asiatic lilies are blooming. I really must get some more of those. Neon colors and very hardy.
Tonight the East side windbreak gets watered overnight.
Of course, I have been watering this evening and the morning and evening chores always have to get done. Feed the goats. Make sure the goats, the dogs and the pond all are up to snuff on their water. Feed the doggies. Make sure the front and back get a bit of water. Thursday night means get the trash out and I have done that.
I was hoping to get this book I ordered to day but the UPS hasn't shown up. Darn it. It isn't really a secret but Hubby is off tomorrow and now he will know for a fact that I got another book. And I haven't even actually gotten any birthday money from Mom and Dad yet. Oh well, like I said it isn't a secret but sometimes you don't really want to make a grand announcement either:)
Got my new book Bruising Reed about a kid that grows up in a fundamentalist environment.
The weather is really nice maybe 84 degrees today and already cooling off fast as the sun goes down. The Asiatic lilies are blooming. I really must get some more of those. Neon colors and very hardy.
Tonight the East side windbreak gets watered overnight.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Garden
Well, weeded to feed the goats but they were determined to have a bit of hay so I gave in. They look quite content. It is really nice today and I even have the windows in the back open already. Supposed to be 82 degrees tomorrow. That is so nice!!!! Last year was weeks of too hot.
We had a delicious smoothie for lunch and tuna fillets with a nice sauce along with some asparagus and french bread with real garlic and a touch of butter. Yep, I bought all of it shopping yesterday. Once in awhile you just have to go for the gusto!
Watering the North windbreak overnight tonight.
Gotta go pick some bok choi and some lettuce. I have a cleaning job tomorrow and I need to be organized to leave. Hubby counts on me to make him a good lunch so I need to prep the salad tonight. Might be some rads, zukes and carrots available as well.
We had a delicious smoothie for lunch and tuna fillets with a nice sauce along with some asparagus and french bread with real garlic and a touch of butter. Yep, I bought all of it shopping yesterday. Once in awhile you just have to go for the gusto!
Watering the North windbreak overnight tonight.
Gotta go pick some bok choi and some lettuce. I have a cleaning job tomorrow and I need to be organized to leave. Hubby counts on me to make him a good lunch so I need to prep the salad tonight. Might be some rads, zukes and carrots available as well.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Shopping and more!
Went shopping and got some new bath rugs and, of course, new towels to go with the new bath rugs. The old rugs were totally falling apart after the last washing so it was time to make the effort. I went around the aisles several times and starting thinking about what we have had in the past. I thought "Way too tasteful" Chocolate brown, light tan, sage green, mossy green - so this year I looked at blue!
So, I pick out the blue towels finally after rejecting yellow as too matching the yellow walls and orange as just going too far on a brighter color scheme. Spring green intrigued me but in the end blue won. So, I get a lovely shade of true blue, not too bright, and then I see a shower curtain.
Yes, our old shower curtain is, well, old. Time to change it up. So then I had to put back all my true blue towels and get the "teal silk" blue towels. Believe me, there is no silk in them, that is just the name of the color. Shopping is hard work! No wonder I put this off for so long. At least I didn't need new accessories like a trash can and a toothbrush holder. I would have been there for another hour!
I couldn't resist the salad spinner at Costco. Last week they were $18 and I thought "Have you lost your mind"! This week they are $14 and I had to have one. Go figure. Hubby was thrilled since he had to dry the lettuce in a linen towel today. I have been using paper towels. It should be a great item for the kitchen. Now I have to find a spot for it in the cabinets. Should have though about that before I bought it since I haven't got a clue as to where I will find the room for it.
Hubby picked the bok choi for the stir fry since I was running late from my shopping. I did manage to stop by and get two more bales of hay. That is about all that will fit in my little Toyota truck. So, I now have five and I want to have about 12 of them. Have to pick some up every time I go by there for several weeks.
Today was a lot cooler in the mid eighties, Nice!!! Watering the West windbreak overnight tonight.
So, I pick out the blue towels finally after rejecting yellow as too matching the yellow walls and orange as just going too far on a brighter color scheme. Spring green intrigued me but in the end blue won. So, I get a lovely shade of true blue, not too bright, and then I see a shower curtain.
Yes, our old shower curtain is, well, old. Time to change it up. So then I had to put back all my true blue towels and get the "teal silk" blue towels. Believe me, there is no silk in them, that is just the name of the color. Shopping is hard work! No wonder I put this off for so long. At least I didn't need new accessories like a trash can and a toothbrush holder. I would have been there for another hour!
I couldn't resist the salad spinner at Costco. Last week they were $18 and I thought "Have you lost your mind"! This week they are $14 and I had to have one. Go figure. Hubby was thrilled since he had to dry the lettuce in a linen towel today. I have been using paper towels. It should be a great item for the kitchen. Now I have to find a spot for it in the cabinets. Should have though about that before I bought it since I haven't got a clue as to where I will find the room for it.
Hubby picked the bok choi for the stir fry since I was running late from my shopping. I did manage to stop by and get two more bales of hay. That is about all that will fit in my little Toyota truck. So, I now have five and I want to have about 12 of them. Have to pick some up every time I go by there for several weeks.
Today was a lot cooler in the mid eighties, Nice!!! Watering the West windbreak overnight tonight.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Notable Quotable
Stephen Jay Gould shared similar views regarding a heuristic role for dialectical materialism. He wrote "Dialectical thinking should be taken more seriously by Western scholars, not discarded because some nations of the second world have constructed a cardboard version as an official political doctrine."[17] Further
when presented as guidelines for a philosophy of change, not as dogmatic percepts true by fiat, the three classical laws of dialectics embody a holistic vision that views change as interaction among components of complete systems, and sees the components themselves not as a priori entities, but as both products and inputs to the system. Thus, the law of "interpenetrating opposites" records the inextricable interdependence of components: the "transformation of quantity to quality" defends a systems-based view of change that translates incremental inputs into alterations of state; and the "negation of negation" describes the direction given to history because complex systems cannot revert exactly to previous states.[18]
Garden
Picled a huge basket of garden peas. Huby and I shelled peas for a long time this morning. Worth all the effort. We both has a large bowl of fresh green peas with a little salt and some butter. Yummy!
It doesn't look like we will manage to freeze any of those garden peas this year. It is such a treat to have the fresh produce. You can't buy those green jewels in the store. Nope, you have to grow them your self.
I picked a small zunchinni today. I couldn't resist. I put it in Hubby's work salad. Of course there was delicious lettuces, home grown carrots in there as well.
I picked snap peas and blanched and froze them. I still need to package them up for the winter. Also, blanched Swiss chard and beet greens and still need to package them up for winter use.
I need to pick bok choi and blanch and freeze that tonight. We'll save some for tomorrow's stir fry. Chicken, bok choi, carrots, a sweet pepper [bought those], onions and maybe some zukes. Should be delicious. Told Hubby he needs to create a sauce for that.
Driving into town early to go grocery shopping. At least I don't have to do mega shopping and I should be able to leave around 7:30am and get home around 11am.
Time to get out there and pull some weeds for the goats to eat. I would throw hay since I feel tired but, hey, being lazy doesn't pay!
Watering the fruit tree zone overnight tonite.
It doesn't look like we will manage to freeze any of those garden peas this year. It is such a treat to have the fresh produce. You can't buy those green jewels in the store. Nope, you have to grow them your self.
I picked a small zunchinni today. I couldn't resist. I put it in Hubby's work salad. Of course there was delicious lettuces, home grown carrots in there as well.
I picked snap peas and blanched and froze them. I still need to package them up for the winter. Also, blanched Swiss chard and beet greens and still need to package them up for winter use.
I need to pick bok choi and blanch and freeze that tonight. We'll save some for tomorrow's stir fry. Chicken, bok choi, carrots, a sweet pepper [bought those], onions and maybe some zukes. Should be delicious. Told Hubby he needs to create a sauce for that.
Driving into town early to go grocery shopping. At least I don't have to do mega shopping and I should be able to leave around 7:30am and get home around 11am.
Time to get out there and pull some weeds for the goats to eat. I would throw hay since I feel tired but, hey, being lazy doesn't pay!
Watering the fruit tree zone overnight tonite.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Garden
A much nicer day at 92 degrees and the garden is growing well. My zukes are still really small but I may be able to pick them tomorrow. Not much exciting happening today. Of course, one does need abreak now and then.
I did a bit of weeding this morning and a little more this evening. Keeping the weeds out of the yard for the past few years is paying off as I haven't had to do nearly as much weeding this year as in the past.
Hubby transplanted some of his melons. Lets hope we have a good crop despite being a little behind due to weather.
Tomorrow I will kick butt and weed, pick peas and such.
I did trim the bottoms of the black locusts in the front area. They are small but growing fast. They are trying to sucker and also trying to be multi trunked. I want a single trunk so I shaped them. Dead headed the coreopsis and the blanket flowers and cut off the iris flower stems. The iris are already done for this year.
Watering the East Windbreak over night tonite.
I did a bit of weeding this morning and a little more this evening. Keeping the weeds out of the yard for the past few years is paying off as I haven't had to do nearly as much weeding this year as in the past.
Hubby transplanted some of his melons. Lets hope we have a good crop despite being a little behind due to weather.
Tomorrow I will kick butt and weed, pick peas and such.
I did trim the bottoms of the black locusts in the front area. They are small but growing fast. They are trying to sucker and also trying to be multi trunked. I want a single trunk so I shaped them. Dead headed the coreopsis and the blanket flowers and cut off the iris flower stems. The iris are already done for this year.
Watering the East Windbreak over night tonite.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Hay
Well, this year I am stocking up on hay early. Hubby called around and found us some hay for $6.50 per bale and the going rate right now is $13.50 per bale. I am hoping the price will go down a little more but I think the best we could do is $12 per bale.
The bales are the three string bales and weigh about 115 pounds each. We managed to get 11 in the trailer and three in the back of the old Chevy pick up truck. The reason the price is low is because there are quite a few weeds in them and there are some fox tails. That would be mostly cheat grass fox tails. Our three goats are used to eating weeds [that is what they do all spring and summer] so we don't think it will be an issue. Richard says he feeds it to his goats and they are doing fine. Sure enough when we got there he had goats running around. The goats eat at least 2 bales a month for much of the year so I would prefer to have 4-6 more to get us through until next July when they will be cutting hay again.
Watering overnight tonight is the north zone.
Weather a bit cooler, 92 degrees and windy this afternoon.
Yesterday we got two bales of straw on the way home from Dayton. We met at Starbucks for coffee and Hubby went to the parts store and recycled the oil. I went to Smiths and got a few groceries. Also went to the bank.
That evening we did something we haven't done much in the past. We went to a live concert downtown Carson City. It was a blast!!! Now that Hubby is working swing instead of graveyard we are able to do something like that. The weather was warm and just a little breeze and the sun was going down in the west. We were people watching and enjoying the band. Some blues, some rock and a good guitarist and a good keyboard player. Fun.
The bales are the three string bales and weigh about 115 pounds each. We managed to get 11 in the trailer and three in the back of the old Chevy pick up truck. The reason the price is low is because there are quite a few weeds in them and there are some fox tails. That would be mostly cheat grass fox tails. Our three goats are used to eating weeds [that is what they do all spring and summer] so we don't think it will be an issue. Richard says he feeds it to his goats and they are doing fine. Sure enough when we got there he had goats running around. The goats eat at least 2 bales a month for much of the year so I would prefer to have 4-6 more to get us through until next July when they will be cutting hay again.
Watering overnight tonight is the north zone.
Weather a bit cooler, 92 degrees and windy this afternoon.
Yesterday we got two bales of straw on the way home from Dayton. We met at Starbucks for coffee and Hubby went to the parts store and recycled the oil. I went to Smiths and got a few groceries. Also went to the bank.
That evening we did something we haven't done much in the past. We went to a live concert downtown Carson City. It was a blast!!! Now that Hubby is working swing instead of graveyard we are able to do something like that. The weather was warm and just a little breeze and the sun was going down in the west. We were people watching and enjoying the band. Some blues, some rock and a good guitarist and a good keyboard player. Fun.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Garden
I got an entire basket of garden pes. Wow! Picked five delicous carrots as well. Looks like it will be hot and windy today so I need to get out there and pick a few pea pods, maybe a few more carrots, some Swiss Chard, check the zuchinnis.
I have little green tomatoes which is wonderful. I never get tomatoes until so late in the season that I have to worry about frost!
I have little green tomatoes which is wonderful. I never get tomatoes until so late in the season that I have to worry about frost!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Garden
Picked pea pods and snap peas. Only got a few but that will give us some for our home lunch salads and Hubby's work lunch. Three kinds of lettuce make that four plus pea pods, home grown carrots, store bought sweet peppers and my first teensy tinsey little zuchinni. Fun!
Bean plants should start producing in another week. Potatoes are putting up flowers and that means I can start digging up little potatoes soon. If you are careful you can dig in from the side and leave the plant unharmed for more potato production. The melons are taking their time getting off the ground but some of them are starting to grow faster.
Watering for three hours from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Seems to be working out well.
Hung a couple of loads of laundry out on the line again today. Looks like I am done with that chore until next week.
Fertilizing the front three zones. That would be front, back and East Side windbreak.
Fertilized with VF11 all zones.
Really cloudy. We have been threatened with a mega thunderstorm but so far, nothing. Doesn't surprise me. That is why we live in one of the driest places around.
Bean plants should start producing in another week. Potatoes are putting up flowers and that means I can start digging up little potatoes soon. If you are careful you can dig in from the side and leave the plant unharmed for more potato production. The melons are taking their time getting off the ground but some of them are starting to grow faster.
Watering for three hours from 11:30am to 2:30pm. Seems to be working out well.
Hung a couple of loads of laundry out on the line again today. Looks like I am done with that chore until next week.
Fertilizing the front three zones. That would be front, back and East Side windbreak.
Fertilized with VF11 all zones.
Really cloudy. We have been threatened with a mega thunderstorm but so far, nothing. Doesn't surprise me. That is why we live in one of the driest places around.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Garden
Well, I got quite a bit done today by 11 am. It was already getting hot. In fact, I don't think I will bother to open the windows tonight since it is only going to cool down to about 70 outside.
I trimmed the bottoms of the trees in the North forty as I like to call the back two acres. I dead headed some of the blanket flowers and cosmos. I got three loads of laundry hung up to dry. Weeded the front zinnia garden. Pinched those back to encourage them to branch out. The candy stripe cosmos are just tsarting to bloom and the zinnias will probably be blooming in another week or two.
I picked two gorgeous heads of lettuce. So far the lettuce has not turned bitter even though the heat is on.
Watering the East Side windbreak overnight tonight.
I trimmed the bottoms of the trees in the North forty as I like to call the back two acres. I dead headed some of the blanket flowers and cosmos. I got three loads of laundry hung up to dry. Weeded the front zinnia garden. Pinched those back to encourage them to branch out. The candy stripe cosmos are just tsarting to bloom and the zinnias will probably be blooming in another week or two.
I picked two gorgeous heads of lettuce. So far the lettuce has not turned bitter even though the heat is on.
Watering the East Side windbreak overnight tonight.
Notable Quotable
Me
Harry - What a detailed article! Does the Lord advocate lying? Yes, He does because the lies and the half truths spill from the pulpit in a steady stream. I left Christianity and I had this thought: I thought church would be about truth and love and I found out it was about lies and Hell.
The whole basis of Christianity is lies. Sadly, I do not think you can ever build a truthful world view from a religion that is entirely based on lies. Fictionalized accounts of a glorious past as in the Old Testament and the almost complete fabrication that is the New Testament will never be the path to understanding who we are or our place in the Universe.Whatever small kernel of "truth" that is in the Bible is completely underwhelming given the book as an entirety.
Did a guy named Jesus walk the earth? Debatable. Did he say anything wise? The Golden Rule is hardly original and is the only part of the book worth keeping. The rest of it should be shoved into the mythical writings of past eras section of our libraries.
Harry - What a detailed article! Does the Lord advocate lying? Yes, He does because the lies and the half truths spill from the pulpit in a steady stream. I left Christianity and I had this thought: I thought church would be about truth and love and I found out it was about lies and Hell.
The whole basis of Christianity is lies. Sadly, I do not think you can ever build a truthful world view from a religion that is entirely based on lies. Fictionalized accounts of a glorious past as in the Old Testament and the almost complete fabrication that is the New Testament will never be the path to understanding who we are or our place in the Universe.Whatever small kernel of "truth" that is in the Bible is completely underwhelming given the book as an entirety.
Did a guy named Jesus walk the earth? Debatable. Did he say anything wise? The Golden Rule is hardly original and is the only part of the book worth keeping. The rest of it should be shoved into the mythical writings of past eras section of our libraries.
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