Life Under a Tin Roof Sky

Today On "Homemade": Coming Clean About Artisanal, Handcrafted Laundry Detergent (Not)

2011-07-17T17:20:00.009-05:00

When faced with economizing, I find I feel resentful only if my efforts are devoid of some greater truth:

Repurposing will give me a creative outlet
I will discover there's beauty in living simply
I don't need retail therapy, I already have everything I need, and I WILL cultivate that attitude of gratitude
If I make my own laundry detergent I'll save a wad of dough

Deep thoughts like that. Still, after three years of being on the unemployment merry go round I have to say that I just wish I could have our old life back. Silly me, I liked having health insurance and who thinks regular paychecks aren't AWESOME raise your hand. Besides, over my lifetime, on the consumption of goods and resources scale, I have, by design, a nearly negligible history, so much so that I believe I don't really need to do another thing to save the environment. That's right, I could stop recycling and repurposing and run the AC on high day and night and no one could say a word. My carbon footprint is relatively pristine. And it's for sale. Anyone?

Which brings us to the subject of homemade laundry detergent. I admit that I like the good stuff, the pricy kind that actually cleans clothes without damaging them, my machine, or my dryer. So when I ran across a blog post that described how to make your own laundry detergent, initially I was alarmed when I began to experience withdrawal symptoms. In this homemade version laundry detergent is made from three ingredients: washing soda, borax, and Fels Naptha or Dr Bronner's soap. Could it be that something so simple and so fantastically cheap actually cleans clothes I wondered. Then I started looking into what actually goes into laundry detergent which is lots of fancy shmancy chemicals - mostly surfactants. Better living through science, right?

Now I know what you're thinking, without all those chemicals, will it work? You betcha, it's a perfect mashup of the old and the new. The only drawback I've seen so far is that the liquid version sometimes leaves a residue at the water line which can be wiped off with white vinegar. Better still, just put white vinegar in where the fabric softener normally goes and, voila! Clean, soft clothes and no more equity loans to finance that big box laundry detergent habit.

Which is a big relief. After spending countless hours of running our proprietary algorithms I have been informed by the R & D Department here at The Piazza Uccello Foundation that the difference in cost between the two versions is totally wack:

Big Box Detergent = $.14 a load (prolly way more, $.18?).
Old Is New Again Formula = about $.2 (maybe) a load.

That might not seem like much but laying down $20.00 -$25.00 for a box or bottle versus less than $1.00 for the homemade version = Extreme Gratifiaction + Big Savings over a year's time. Extensive research and experimentation also shows that there are as many configurations for Artisanal Laundry Detergent as there are makers but so far this semi-secret recipe is what works best here at Piazza Uccello:

Gather up:

your choice of washing machine
a Microplane or cheese grater
washing Soda
borax
Fels Naptha or Dr Bronner's bar soap
a funnel
container/two empty gallon milk jugs or vinegar jugs
a tablespoon/measuring cup or lid left over from your commercial detergent
white vinegar
optional: essential oil of your choice

Do most of this:

If you don't already own one invest in a Microplane (you can buy one meant for kitchen work instead but this is the one I have and I know it works). Mine came as a freebie when I signed up for a magazine subscription and it's useful for many things in the kitchen despite being a woodworking tool but when it comes to grating soap it is nonpareil. By using it to grate the soap it means, IMHO, that you don't have to convert the detergent into a messy liquid because the soap is reduced to a fine powder. You also don't have to use your food processor or blender to break it down further after you've used a cheese grater as some have suggested doing.
Bite the bullet and save lots of gas and time and go to Walmart and buy Washing Soda, Borax, a bar of Fels Naptha soap (it's my understanding that it no longer contains some of the nasty chemicals it used to) and a gallon of white vinegar. All of that will set you back about $12.00 and it will last for a very, very, very long time. If you prefer to use Dr Bronner's soap you can get it at your local food coop.
Grate 1/3 of the bar of soap

Measure out 1/2 cup each of washing soda and borax
This is where you have to decide if you want to melt the soap in boiling water or just stay with the dry formula. If you want the dry formula, just mix the three ingredients together and put it in your choice of a container. Jab the measuring spoon in there and you're in business. I use 1-2 TBSP per load.
If you want to melt it down, stir the grated soap into 4 cups of water, bring to a boil, add 4 more cups of water and the other two ingredients and stir until dissolved. Pour half into an empty gallon milk jug and half into another. It's really goopy at this point so be sure you have a funnel. Finally, add 11 cups of water to each milk jug and shake to evenly distribute the soap. Using your recycled measuring cup add half a cup in each full load.
Wait 24 hours, stirring with wooden skewer or shaking occasionally.
You can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to either formula. It will wash out but it smells lovely while the washer is running.
Use white vinegar in lieu of fabric softener and to wipe away any residue at the waterline.
Bonus: Fels Naptha is also good for pretreating clothes. Just rub the bar into the spot and let sit for a spell before washing. I don't know about Bronner's because I haven't tried it.

Finally, we dry our laundry on the line but when I have used the dryer the clothes are no different than if I used commercial detergent so it's a win/win situation all around. And if you doubt my process cruise around the interwebs and be amazed to find how many people are converting to a homemade version of laundry detergent. And don't be alarmed if you don't see any bubbles during the wash cycle, in fact, there shouldn't be any.

*Next On "Homemade":

how to make your own dishwasher detergent.

I Smell Sour Pickles Fermenting...

2011-05-13T16:58:00.004-05:00

Right now my utility/pantry/laundry room smells like sour pickles. How do I know this? Because two days ago I made Sandor Katz's "Sour Pickles" and having all that time to marinate they've begun emitting a distinct briny aroma: a little tart, a lot salty, but definitely pleasing. Here you see the dill, garlic, pepper corns and wild grape leaves involved. I did a fair amount of research on what to use to crisp the pickles that even included a phone conversation with someone at the Escambia County Extension Agency but in any case I passed on wild cherry leaves in favor of the wild grape leaves. The cherry leaves can be toxic if used incorrectly so I'll just appreciate them right where they are, on the tree in my backyard. I know the birds do.

This is a small but much needed triumph for me as I've struggled with the concept of fermenting foods and as a result not a few batches of sauerkraut, sauerruben, and varying breads have all fallen ~~by the wayside~~ into the compost pile. I think I've finally let go of my involuntary but deeply ingrained prejudices against letting Mother Nature teach me how best to process foods. My biggest, most consistent success to date has been Katz's oatmeal porridge from his book, "Wild Fermentation". If you like oatmeal for breakfast get yourself a roller mill (I already had mine and was eating cold rolled oats with milk and raisins for breakfast) and sign up for allowing the rolled oats to gently "ferment" in filtered water (chlorine kills good as well as harmful bacteria) for several hours, then cook and refrigerate. I like to double the recipe and then scoop out a portion every morning which I then reheat and eat with stevia and milk or soy milk, depending on what I have on hand. OMB (oh my bunny) but this is so much better than anything from the store. And get ready to feel eerily connected to your great great and great great great grandparents because up until recently, and still currently, in countries all over the planet, people routinely fermented - and still ferment - grains to release the maximum nutrition therein.

I'm supposed to sample the cucmbers in brine in a week or so, I hope they're tickled to be a pickle by then, my lips are already puckered.

From The Department of "Why Me?": Keating Balancing A Cat Toy

2011-04-28T13:30:00.001-05:00

Thump

2011-04-19T23:11:00.000-05:00

Keating senses something is amiss...

What's that? Pet rabbits for Easter gifts? Noooooooo!

Please Make Yours Chocolate.

Please.

Sweet Sweet Sweet Potato Pie

2011-03-11T02:27:00.021-06:00

Pumpkin pie and I have agreed to be disagreeable with each other but sweet potato pie and I are of one spirit and mind. I decided to try an alternative form of pie crust, and I'll admit that I went too far when I added chocolate chips to the mix, but I can also say that if I had added some unsweetened coconut instead it would have been a welcome correction and been even better. And it was really good, as in so good it's gone. Tell me, is pie for breakfast so wrong? I think not.

Dog Flu: H3N8 - Who Knew?

2011-01-04T16:25:00.007-06:00

Making my daily visit to Freekibble today I discovered that dogs can contract their very own version of the influenza virus. Is nothing sacred? Discovered here in the Land of Flowers in 2004 it is highly contagious and can last up to two or three weeks. I see a semi-lucrative new market for canine respiratory muzzle masks - but only if they're edible.

Ranger agrees, but STILL hates having his picture made.

A Gingerbread House For Your Mug

2011-01-01T08:23:00.003-06:00

Along with making the traditional New Year's black eyed peas and collards today I'm also going to be baking up the two sets of doughs that I put together last night:

3 loaves of hearth bread
2 giant gingerbread men

The bread is familiar territory but the gingerbread men are new. I can't remember the last time I made them, probably when my son was young - which was a good while ago (is he really that old???)

I thought I would get in the mood by sharing this clever idea I found about a week ago. It's a gingerbread house that sits on the side of your mug. It takes a lot to make me squee over a baking idea but I just loved it from the moment I saw it on Not Martha, a new favorite blog I find endlessly fascinating for it's clever ideas and projects. Not Martha says these little beauties can also be made from sugar cookie or short bread dough.

(from Not Martha, her photo)

There's also a video from Howcast that tells you how to make them:

How to Make a Gingerbread House for Your Mug on Howcast

I'll have to set aside a day for making these, I have to admit the sugar cookie dough sounds great but after one or two you could stick a fork in me, I would be done. But what a great photo opportunity.

Things To Do While Your Foot Is On The Mend

2010-08-01T15:39:00.007-05:00

We're not sure - yet - what is wrong with my foot, but wrong it is. We know it's not broken and the MRI isn't for a couple more days, so how do you fill your time until you know and what to do about it? If you've bought a chair for your kitchen desk and it's too low you do this.

I used two pine table tops from Lowe's, covered them and reupholstered the seat to match and then bolted them all together. It's a perfect fit and something different than what I'm used to, I kinda like it.

What Did You Make From Scratch Today?

2010-07-27T18:16:00.008-05:00

Today I milled my breakfast oats, ground my coffee beans, and squeezed lemons and limes for lemon-lime-ade.

I realized I don't have to do anything complicated for it to count, just something simple, transformed by my own hand.

The Arrangement

2010-01-13T18:04:00.009-06:00

We don't have any carpet so Ranger has a bed - which he shares with Bill the Cat. He was none too thrilled about it in the beginning but they've managed to work things out. This alone wouldn't justify a post but just before it got cold Ranger paid an unfortunate visit to the barber and without his heavy coat, especially his undercoat, he's been really uncomfortable. What's interesting is that when we go to bed and turn the thermostat down I've been covering him with spare blankets, sheets, or towels, whatever is handy. One particularly chilly night I was going to bed and reflexively tucked him in. He groaned and then just fell over. Then I almost fell over - laughing. The other night we went through this whole routine and Willem walked up and plopped right on top of him but Ranger never batted an eye. The promise of a warm, "One Cat" night was too delicious I think.

I took these photographs with the flash on my camera so they're pretty stark but I think you can see how funny this is. Now, every night I tuck Ranger in, he groans with happiness, and William cuddles up with him. My boys.

You can't see it but William is actually on Rangers legs and feet.

Waiting

2010-01-10T17:29:00.004-06:00

Ranger in the afternoon.

Yellow

2010-01-08T00:34:00.008-06:00

Harvest Update: Miss Digit Goes To Market

2009-12-03T18:50:00.012-06:00

A day's harvest is on display at Piazza Uccello and is closely examined by Miss Digit - moving clockwise we see curly sweet potatoes, freshly picked mustard greens, and lush, shelled pecans.

Her organic hemp shopping bag at the ready, she circles this vendor's stall...

Finally, she signals she is ready to make her purchase...

"I'il lo prende tutto," she murmurs.

Brown Widow Spider And Her Clutch Of Eggs

2009-11-28T01:27:00.011-06:00

This is what I at first thought was a black widow spider. I later discovered that it's actually a brown widow. The give-away wasn't the coloring of the spider - it's very dark brown and the red marking is similar to a black widow's - it was the spiky egg sac. A black widow egg sac is much smoother.

It amazes me that this spider crawled across the lawn, crawled up into this space and then set up housekeeping and just waited for other insects to show up, which they did. She seemed to be very well fed, and I say fed because at this point her past is all she has.

Mötley Crüe

2009-11-23T15:59:00.016-06:00

I'll admit it, I didn't consult the Farmers' Almanac when I planted or harvested these sweet potatoes - all grown in the same container pot - but maybe I should have. William gave them the once over, turned on his paw and walked away. Maybe there's a deeper meaning?

Right now they're in the sink, trimmed and scrubbed and ready to be cooked for this evening's meal and that's what really counts isn't it? Not that they look like I fertilized them with mütagens, right?

Big Feets

2009-11-10T23:17:00.000-06:00

Hurricane Ida - C'est Tout

2009-11-08T11:49:00.015-06:00

Going, Going, Gone

2009-10-22T17:54:00.005-05:00

I caught this on the fly with my normal lens so it's not tack sharp, but you get the idea.
I guess I should dig out my books to identify it. Stay tuned.

Continuing With My Danger Theme: This Is How You Fix Your Maytag Atlantis Washer - Or End Your Life...Depending

2009-09-24T19:32:00.049-05:00

I say that because this post describes acts of electrical manipulation - which I don't advise. So don't do what I'm about to tell you even though it might fix your problem, save you a load of dough, and no one else on the web has given this solution to this particular problem. Just keep it in mind that all instructions for working with electrical appliances advise you to unplug the machine before, during, or after you inspect any part of it. Later on you'll feel compelled to plug your washer in to check something specific but you didn't hear me say you should do that. Ever.

Anyway, when your Maytag Atlantis washer, specifically an MAV6457AWW (and preferably gifted to you like ours was to us), stops spinning on any setting you're going to think, after interrogating all the usual suspects like a sock in the pump, the tub binding, a kink in the drainage, yaddah, yaddah, yaddah, that it could be:
a)the lid switch
b)the motor/half the motor - I say half the motor because only half the motor is used to go forward and the other half is used to go in reverse in some instances and sometimes just half of it dies (seriously, I am not making this up)
c)the brake
d)the tranny
There are ways to check all those things but no one will tell you how to check for the control timer prolly because it involves live electricity. Which is dangerous.

Still, if you read the message boards or go to appliancejunk.com or repairclinic.com and get the chat line you're going to try all those scenarios also utilizing the wiring diagram inside the machine and the information in either of these two SERVICE manuals, #16026502 and #16010358 (I emphasize the word service in lieu of repair because even though you can google repair manual I've discovered that things will move faster is you use service manual.), found here and here. They sell them on eBay but these copies are free. I'm telling you this because I'm just that nice. And that cheap.

We familiarized ourselves with many, many diagrams and, luckily, *learned that the switches depicted in the diagrams are mechanical. Like this page in Maytag Washer Service and Repair Manual #16010358. This is important because you might think they're just diagrams for electrical currents and the like but if you understand that they're mechanical illustrations then you might come to the realization that you can use jumpers to see if it's the control timer. But only if you've unplugged the machine before you ever open the casing or the control panel. This is the fourth time I've mentioned unplugging the machine and being safe. Count that off on four of your fingers. Or don't. You're not foolish enough to manipulate electricity anyway.

This is the stage where DH, Mr Safety, used jumpers. First he made one for the agitator switch so the machine would be fooled into thinking it was full of water and could agitate when appropriate (which it did, after the washer was plugged back in).

Then he made a jumper for the control timer plug in module (which I didn't photograph before it was fixed but you get the idea) and set the machine to a spin cycle. THEN he plugged in the machine and didn't touch anything at which point in time the machine began to spin which meant that by bypassing the control timer that it was defective. We then called the repair guy who had previously come out only to tell us he didn't know how to fix this particular brand of washer. Still, he did bring in a motor to make sure that wasn't the problem and *told DH about the depicted switches being mechanical. VERY IMPORTANT!!! Even better, he's selling us a new control timer at his cost and not charging us for the service call. It's been a pain not having a working machine for three weeks but we'll only spend about $65.00 for the repair. Not too shabby...all things considered.

PS We just finished installing new lighting and a mini-overhead fan in the kitchen. And, as always kids, don't try this at home.

PPS We're not electrical wizards per se, right after the washer died lightning hit one of our pecan trees and took out a surge protector, a printer, a computer, and my van. We let the professionals take care of those.

The World's Most Dangerous Cake

2009-09-11T11:37:00.006-05:00

From my pal Tash in Palos Verdes (I know, it's microwaved, but its chocolate!!!!):

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE!!

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract and your favourite tipple
1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to your largest mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using), vanilla extract and a drop or two of your favourite tipple, then mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high).
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world? Because now you are only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night! You are going to forward this straight away, aren't you ... :-).

Parkour Pt Deux

2009-08-26T20:20:00.003-05:00

The Art of Parkour/Tracesse/Traceuse

2009-08-26T09:57:00.013-05:00

This is completely insane. You can see more here and here. Several years ago I saw a French martial arts movie, I think it was called "District B13", and I couldn't figure out what they were doing but I think it must have been parkour. It was just amazing.

American Parkour

Girls Do Parkour

Furrybutt Azalea Fursday

2009-07-30T14:14:00.008-05:00

In honor of our beloved Furrybutts...
and in particular, the passing of one of their own, Hans, the Bunnular Bloggers are posting everybun's Furrybutts.This is my friend Azalea, sending buntockular best wishes in memory of Hansy, a brave and beloved bun. We know you're up there on The Bridge, binkying with all your friends who were waiting for your arrival.
xoxoxoxoxo
Sweet William Grey
Miss Digit
Ranger Dog

You Are Worth the Time

2009-07-21T18:51:00.004-05:00

I use this blog for a home page and lately I've been posting things that I like and want to return to. This is something a friend sent me in an email. I hope you enjoy it.

Rock the Vote For The Bunny:Pass It On

2009-07-08T18:25:00.003-05:00

Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show wants to know who your favorite puppet is. As of last night the shark was in the lead with 150 and the bunny only had 4. So sad.
Here are two videos that show the bunster:

The world's going to hell, vote here for da bun.

Have You Been Good Today? Yes? Well, Here's Your Treat

2009-07-06T11:59:00.026-05:00

Be sure and watch it in HQ. There are lots of Late Late Show in-jokes here but in this clip, it doesn't matter. On a scale of 1-10 bluebirds I'm giving Craig & Co 9 bluebirds. Yes, there's one that's better...

The original, Michael Franti and Spearhead: Say Hey Music Video.

Just try and tell me you don't want to dance to this.

Seed Swap #2: Virginia Creeper

2009-06-14T19:43:00.008-05:00

What? No takers on the dill seed? Maybe I can entice someone with Virginia Creeper seed. I found piles of it on my back deck and swept it up with a paint brush. You can see what the full grown plant looks like on a rainy day here.

I certainly didn't expect to be including the Creeper seeds so maybe there will be some other surprises along the way.

Seed Swap #1: Dill Seed

2009-06-11T12:25:00.013-05:00

Right now I'm sitting on a gold mine in dill seed with more to come. I sprinkle them on salads, sandwiches, everything. It occurred to me that maybe someone else might like some to plant for next year???? I'm going to make an effort to start saving seeds from all of my veggies and flowers and at the end of this growing season I'll be prepared to swap seeds with anyone who's interested. Email me at pensacoladailyphoto(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll start negotiations.

Kitties Passing In The Light

2009-05-31T19:56:00.011-05:00

They have more than 35 years between the two of them and a multitude of health problems, some of them serious but they've finally adapted to the borders of our property and we let them roam free now. We've spoiled them rotten and wouldn't have it any other way.

Here they are passing by each other near the sailboat DH is refurbishing. Sometimes Digit (the tabby) likes to climb the ladder and inspect any new work. She's pretty severe with her criticisms. I provide the tissues.

Willem likes to eat grass, I just wish he would work on the verge growing around the base of the boat.

Lettuces

2009-05-24T20:06:00.013-05:00

I love to pick a pile of lettuces from the garden and put them on everything. They're so tasty, I feel like I'm mining minerals. I've also discovered that I like to pick half ripe tomatoes and cut them up in my salads. Now where did I put those pics....burp.

The Big Haul

2009-05-16T21:25:00.009-05:00

Today was a day filled with rare occurrences: I watched a filly, Rachel Alexandra, run the Preakness and spank all the boys from the 13th post position, I scored something on Freecycle (this never happens), I took a ride in Old Paint, my husband's contender for the world's ugliest truck, and then I scored beautiful flowers for free. It happened like this:

After seeing Rachel Alexandra (a big girl physically to be sure) secure her place in history we loaded up in Old Paint - something I thought I would only ever do again at gunpoint - and then we headed out to our first stop, picking up a batch of leonotis leonurus - Lion's Head - seedlings, my score from Freecycle. Lastly, and this is the sweetest part, we traveled over to N Old Corry Field Rd just above Srant Dr and dug up some of the hundreds of wild growing Alstroemeria - Peruvian lilies - that are there, just free for the taking. I'm telling you this, if you're local, with a caveat: take someone with you just to be safe. Having said that, this is what you'll find if you feel so inclined.

Thank my lucky stars for Old Paint. If you click on my Abstractions blog you can see the view from the ditch.

Our First Green Beans From The Garden

2009-05-07T19:36:00.006-05:00

Not a great photo but they were very tasty. After I steamed them I let them cool and then ate them in a salad with balsamic vinegar. Home grown is best.

Hi There!

2009-05-05T22:26:00.006-05:00

This is a hand held macro so it isn't very focused but worth sharing. I've never seen a napping bee before but this one was just lollygagging about in the ligustrum. It was moving but seemed content to just bee.

Kinda Corny

2009-05-04T19:46:00.013-05:00

I took these pictures late this afternoon and while I think my photography skills are improved by the exercise it doesn't alter the fact that these corn plants are too small to be producing ears, or so DH says. We used seeds left over from last year because we thought our previous problems were related to poor nutrition. We corrected that after having the soil tested but still, the results aren't too impressive. We didn't do any research on what grows well in our area, just grabbed something off the rack so I think that's definitely the next step. Yup, we're gonna have to get scholarly and the like. When it's all over I'll know way more than I ever wanted to.

Sensible Swine Flu Information

2009-04-28T21:55:00.007-05:00

I don't watch the news anymore, I keep expecting the news readers to break into song and dance to get their point across and I just don't think I could ever recover from that. So when people began talking about a swine flu outbreak I went to the CDC for info. As luck would have it you can sign up for email updates on prevention (not much to be done except hand washing/wringing and staying home/hyperventilating), confirmed cases, etc., all to calm your inner hypochondriac. Unless, of course, you're deep into conspiracy theories and then you'll need to reference something a little more, shall we say, esoteric, which leaves me wondering what you're doing hangin' out on this blog anyway...Hmmmmm?????

Everything is better with dewberries

2009-04-28T10:48:00.010-05:00

Dewberries picked fresh.

These later found a home on vanilla ice cream.
Later, they'll move in with muffins, or better, in my pancakes.
It just so happens I have my own oat roller and there's nothing better for breakfast than uncooked rolled oats. So, I'll add that to the list, especially since the season is just getting started.

Pollen and Bumble Bee Pt 2

2009-04-27T20:05:00.004-05:00

One dab of falling pollen, one fuzzy bear.

Well looky here...

2009-04-27T13:28:00.005-05:00

Talk about your chaos theory...I still don't know what I'm doing when it comes to this new camera but I thought, how often do you get to see pollen flying through the air????

It's a first for me.

Can you see it? Just to the right of its wee little bumble bum?

I posted about bumble bees earlier here. Now, seeing all this pollen I have to assume bumble bees make honey but I don't know what kind of hive they have. Must. Google.

I can't see! I can't see!

I don't feel so good...

2009-04-20T19:05:00.005-05:00

Having health insurance used to mean a round of regular check-ups followed by a round of attemps to decipher my insurance company's billing methods before a final round of paying my share. And pay I did. Now we don't have that kind of insurance and because of that something unthinkable has happened. I'm not speaking metaphorically here, I'm talking about a shift, a sea change, a transformation. I'm talking about a door closing, the curtains being drawn, the passing of an age.
Before my existance without health insurance I could contemplate the possibility of an outcome, could cope with a surgery, make decisions, work with my physician. But now, I've simply stopped thinking about health care altogether, not because I can't pay for an exam but, because I might not be able to pay for the outcome of the exam, really, why bother? Who wants to be the person who bankrupted the family, who wants to put everyone out, literally, which could happen if a serious illness occurs?
So when I got sick last week I simply saw it as a headache, something for which I could take two aspirin, get a lot of sleep, drink a lot of liquids, and then just see what happens. But it was much worse than that and it wasn't until I finally went to the doctor today, six days after it started and over an interminably long weekend avoiding the emergency room or the walk-in clinic which simply leads to the emergency room, that I realized just how bad things could have been. Instead of being diagnosed with a particularly pesky intestinal virus I realized it could have been E. coli or salmonella and I would have been in much worse condition than I ever realized. Like my friend who called me one day and told me her daughter was in the hospital with dehydration although her father IS a doctor, but kids, being so small are easily dehydrated so it takes a dedicated parent to spot it and then quickly get them the care they need. But big people are supposed to have a kind of self-awareness that lets them seek help before they're in trouble, they don't need spotters. Unless they lose their health insurance and then, they get used to thinking that, really, they're okay and the doctor will just have to wait.

I have to add that my doctor is a dream and willing to work with me, even on the day she's due to deliver her first child. She's a gem, a real gem. And maybe the most radiant pregnant woman I've ever seen.

The Big Yellow Composter

2009-03-21T21:44:00.031-05:00

I've tried several times to create compost but never could get a pile to actually decompose. That's right, if I try to make things decompose they refuse. Instead they just shrivel up and blow away. To tell the truth, my very best composting experience was growing and harvesting Roma tomatoes from a compost pile that I quit adding to because I didn't want to lose the plants that had sprouted up. Those were GOOD tomatoes. Now we live with live oaks and pecans so we have leaf litter to add to our kitchen waste and miscellaneous clippings. We thought we would give it another go.

We started with two barrel composters, which are pretty icky - no one tells you about the flying critters that like to congregate in them and putting soil in them to cover up the kitchen scraps makes them really heavy and hard to turn. If you can't turn them what's the point of having barrel composters? None, that I can see. Unless I read something new I've decided that they're definitely a warm weather, quick decay method of composting so I'm going to spare myself the misery next winter.

After that we started a worm bin composter which is not icky but full of worms, which are very icky. Well, not in person but on vermicomposter.com they are. For some reason people looooove showing off their gobs of worms. Handfuls of them. Ewww.

Now we've designed a set of mobile composters. When the first one to finish is done we'll lift it up, move it down the line to an empty space, the finished compost gets worked into the garden, and then a new round begins. Think of it as a kind of shell game. We made them from some failed demolition chutes - the kind you see jutting out of the sides or windows of buildings when someone wants to eject debris from upper floors during a renovation. Only these weren't heavy duty enough for the things that were being thrown out and after they were replaced hubby brought the damaged pieces home and turned them into composters. And that's right, they feature a stainless steel cable handle and fasteners. It took less than 30minutes to make both of them.

Still, they're a little too colorful for my taste and I suspect, and this might be my main objection, if you didn't know what they were for you might think that we had an industrial waste project going on in the backyard. I don't know, maybe I really do care what the neighbors are thinking. I suspect there's a fencing project looming on the horizon.

Gardening Questions: Bluebirds and Washing Machines

2009-03-16T21:11:00.003-05:00

First question(s):
It's almost completely dark outside and I just checked the bluebird box. It's very sweet, the sides of the nest have been made but not the bottom so I can still see the wood. When the bluebirds are courting I see them all the time but when they start nesting they become invisible so I wasn't sure if they had started construction...but they have! I try not to pester them but tonight I learned something about their nest construction and how else would I know that unless I peeked? Would you take peeks every now and then?
Last year there were two, maybe three sets of chicks. I'll be interested to see what happens this year, the year before last some of the eggs appeared damaged - although it could have been from rot as I hardly looked at them at all that season - and there weren't any chicks. This is our fourth year and I hope it's at least a two brood year. Our neighborhood is a haven for bluebirds and I love seeing them. Has anyone else fostered bluebirds?

My next burning question:
We recently replaced our washing machine and I saved the plastic liner and the basket from the old one and I'm wondering what I can do with them. I know I can use the plastic liner for a container for vegetable gardening but is there an attractive way to use the basket? I was thinking of putting it on some sort of pedestal, filling it with garden mix and growing herbs in it. Or maybe strawberries? I don't want it to look cheesy and my yard/garden doesn't have layers yet so wherever I put it it will stand out. Do I just wait until the herbs/strawberries grow out the top and sides to hide what it is or is it a nice idea but I should go ahead and recycle it?

The Top Ten Reasons To Get Your Health Care From A Vet Instead Of A Doctor

2009-03-04T12:22:00.013-06:00

#10 On the trip over some else drives and though you might have to sit in a blue box to get to the car, once you're in, you can roam free and don't have to wear a seat belt.

#9 You get to make yowling noises and no one yells at you to, "Be quiet or you'll be sorry when I pull over!" It's hugs all the way.

#8 The whole fam goes with you. It's hugs all the way.

#7 There are weird animals in the waiting room.

#6 You can pad about on the counter tops.

#5 They leave food out for you and you can scarf all you want.

#4 When they take your blood it's hand hugs all the way.

#3 You can sit under a chair and look beguiling.

#2 You're allowed to sit in the window and then jump. When your dad catches you your mum develops heart problems.

#1 When the vet listens to your heart she holds you next to hers. It's hugs all the way.

This message is brought to you by Miss Digit, part Hemingway and all heart, along with Safe Harbor Animal Hospital, and Dr. "D".

Birding CSI

2009-02-26T17:53:00.013-06:00

A relative term, birding. Most of us think of it as passively watching bird behavior but for our purposes here we're talking about cheeky birds doing whatever cheeky birds like to do, or feel compelled to do, with little or no thought to the consequences of their destructive little cheeky bird actions. I keep seeing bluebirds at the the entrance to the bluebird house, going in and out. Then I keep finding this. Are these juvenile delinquent cheeky birds? Have they little or no respect for the housing authority?
I give you Exhibit A:

They're whittling away from within as well as without. What is goin' on all up in here?

I give you Exhibit B:

Granted, DH shouldn't have taken and left off the cover to the circuit breaker box in the workshop but:
1-It wasn't our idea to build a workshop with OPEN eaves (what were they thinking?) so everything from birds to dirt can fly/flow freely through the structure.
2-Cheeky wrens need to learn that after you've cleaned the nest out THREE times that maybe this is a bad idea. Sorry Mum and Dad, you'll have to look for a nesting spot elsewhere, no matter how cute and wide-mouthed and needy your kids are. No exceptions. Out! (But please make it an easily accessible spot for photographic purposes. Thanks! The Management)

PS I just went out to see if the wrens were indeed working the night shift and found this black widow/brown widow. I'm sorry to say that she's no longer with us. I have no idea what's up in Wrenville.

I'm now on vermicomposters.ning.com...

2009-02-22T16:08:00.008-06:00

vermicomposters.com is like My Space for worm composters, only better, and is the brain child of Steven Chow. He built it using Ning and it is Worm Composters Central. If you're into worm composting it's a great place to learn about the mysteries of the vermicomposting process and for networking with other wormheads.
This is my page:
http://vermicomposters.ning.com/profile/PJ
This is a photograph of one of the bins I modified for my worm composter and I've posted several photos on that page but you can read the whole story here on my daily city photo blog, Pensacola Daily Photo. Ciao, worm babies!

Kitchen Update: A View To The Laundry Room

2009-02-13T14:56:00.002-06:00

Next Thursday afternoon at 1:00 PM, I, little 'ole homeowner me, will be meeting with the store manager of the local Home Depot, the regional manager of American Woodmark, and their regional sales rep', in my kitchen. I wonder what they'll say when I tell them that whatever they offer me and I accept that they'll have to put it in writing? Hmmmmm....

American Woodmark

2009-02-10T21:29:00.007-06:00

I am not the kind of person who gets headaches. It just doesn't happen that often but I have one right now and I'm going to use this blog they way I would use two aspirin, to get some relief. Not from my headache but from what makes my head hurt.

Imagine that you've lost everything in a hurricane, you decide not to get on the real estate band wagon, and you buy something reasonable. It's a fixer-upper, but making practical decisions in the midst of a completely irrational situation can be a stabilizing force. So you start renovating the "new" home, you do most of the work yourself and, of course, it takes much longer than you ever imagined. Among other things you've:

put on a new roof
replaced 2/3 of the underlayment and sub flooring
done extensive electrical and plumbing work
laid a house full of travertine and new flooring
torn out and replaced all of the windows
put in all new trim and doors
put in all new lighting
repainted everything
ripped out and replaced two bathrooms
do extensive landscaping
the list goes on and on

Many of these things you don't know how to do. It can put a strain on a marriage but you keep at it, go to your day job, and try to have a life. And get over the loss of your other life.

There are two or three contractors along the way to do things like sheet rock resurfacing or putting in a new cooling and heating system, those kinds of things. Finally, you need to put in a new kitchen and you decide to splurge and have new cabinets installed to replace the old beat-up ones. Be very careful.

At this point it's hard for me to express how I feel or even think about how we arrived at the place we are this very tonight. Most of my new cabinets are installed, very nicely done I must say. The workmanship is very good. What I'm trying to say without sounding hateful and bitter is: don't, under any circumstances buy American Woodmark cabinets from Home Depot. Or anywhere else for that matter. Not just because they're junk but because well-meaning sales associates who are trained to help you, want to help you just can't remedy the sham that is American Woodmark. The people who market and sell this product should be ashamed of themselves. There's so little thought behind the construction of these cabinets that I'm almost afraid to use them. It won't be very long before I have to tear them out and replace them, replace them with something wonderful for my beautiful little home. I am so sad.

My kitty and I were out in the yard when the installers arrived. As I photographed him he hunkered down when he saw them and I've never seen him do that with people before. Maybe he was trying to tell me something?

A Cautionary Tale

2009-02-07T18:49:00.021-06:00

I went to the local flea market this morning. I knew that they had bunnies for sale there, I had been warned. The good news was that they were healthy and friendly. The bad news is that a thrift store nearby had a bunny for sale for $10.00. I became concerned about it being out in the sun, they made excuses, and when I got home I seriously considered calling animal control. Then I thought about the poor lop prolly being euthanized and didn't call, just prayed and hoped for the best. So, when do you intervene?
We live on half an acre with a house and a workshop, none of which were cared for by the previous owners. We are rehabbing every square inch of the property and along the way learning to care for this little patch of earth and everyone who resides thereon.
The other day DH replaced the old front door and the jamb and recycled those pieces by replacing a bad door and jamb on the workshop. In doing so he discovered a bumble bee burrow in the top of the old workshop door jamb. So cool!

Not knowing anything about bumbly bees I started checking out the wood as I could see burrows running parallel to the edge of the woood and possibly nesting material and packed soil. I also thought I heard some buzzing but well, what do I know? It could be my imagination. I cut into the wood with the miter saw and soon after heard a much louder thrumming, buzz. I dropped the wood on the floor of the workshop and backed off/ran like a school girl. Eventually four or five big, fat, healthy bees tumbled out, staggered around, and then flew out and back to the location of the new workshop door jamb and to the wheel barrow that held the rest of the scrap wood from the old workshop door jamb.

What to do, besides running away every time they buzzed loudly?
As it turned out, DH stapled the jamb back together, applied tape and placed this old jamb above the new one. We hope the refugee bees will fly back and then in a day or two we'll move it somewhere else. I'll read up on it in the meantime.

I now know a lot more about bumble bees than I did previously. I also now know not to "intervene" when I hear buzzing, however low, inside a piece of wood. But it was worth the effort, fear, and redemption to learn what I learned. I truly love my half acre of God's country and I feel responsible for all the wildlife that lives here with us.

PS DH reports that a couple of the bumble bees are hanging around the miter saw. That's devotion. I hope they all finally make it home. :>)

I am about to become a worm farmer...

2009-02-02T18:59:00.008-06:00

I've placed my order with Happy D Farms for my worm buddies...
In the meantime...

I've been collecting kitchen waste. That usually goes in the composting barrels I wrote about here but now we'll be spreading the love between them (I like to think of this Folger's caninster as my mini kitchen composter. Maybe I'll start keeping two, one for the composters and one for chopped up waste for the worms... ).

I bought three bins on sale for half price and already had the rolling platform...

and I bought a spigot for the juices...

luckily we already had hardware cloth...

I still have to make the modifications to the bins so I have some tool gathering to do (I'm using the plans on Instructables) and I'm waiting to see what the instructions from Happy D Farms recommend for bedding although, I'm assuming shredded newspaper is involved. Thursday can't come soon enough. Squeeeeee!

Ranger and I Take a Walk

2008-12-30T19:53:00.004-06:00

Gathering ideas for spring gardening...

2008-12-27T00:00:00.003-06:00

Maybe it's because we're new to square foot gardening but we had a mixed experience with it this past growing season. A few things - lettuce, some herbs, tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers, and cucs - grew without problems but all the other plants never get off the ground. We followed the directions and spent a lot of money to create the preferred growing medium but we must have created an unbalanced mix. Many, many things were stunted and there was a lot of yellowing. Rather then guesstimate the problem I decided to go to the Escambia County Extension Agency for a soil testing kit and once I got there I found some interesting ideas and displays for gardening.

I really liked this ladybug rain catcher, especially the antennae.

They had a "Whimsy Garden", named possibly for its extensive use of Blue Nun wine bottles? What I liked about it is that the props were created from inexpensive rebar, welded together and painted.

I found this other rebar idea at The Garden Gate out in Midway on Hwy 90 that I like a lot. They said that they had to bend it around their picnic table and then thread the various pots onto it. This isn't a very good photograph, it looks much better in person but you get the idea.

I already have a lot of things lined up for the spring season but we have extra rebar left over from the previous owner and hubby knows how to weld sooooo....

"Dualing" Composters

2008-12-26T09:00:00.003-06:00

My husband used some scaffolding pieces to build the frame for these dual barrel composters. They're not pretty to look it but they do the work and I like being able to put all kitchen waste in there each evening. What I don't like is the "wildlife" buzzing around, helping to break down the organics. I still have to find bunny poop to add to it so one of my chores is to make postings on Craig's List and Freecycle today.

Update: I have stopped using these for direct kitchen waste and use it instead for a middle part of the compost process.

Sydney, Tyler, Hugo, and Miss Eve Take A Florida Vacation

2008-12-25T18:20:00.012-06:00

Someone once famously asked:
"Does everything have to be an art project?"
The answer, of course, was:
"Like, totally!" (think extreme valley girl voice and posturing)

For reasons that I would rather not discuss, I wasn't able to provide the best lighting to commemorate such a momentous occasion but I think we can all appreciate what it will mean for The Fab Four when they find themselves hopping down the bunny trail at Peridido Key, sugary white sand underpaw, with "Saved" Dave leading the way. I promise to make sure they drink plenty of fluids, wear sunblock where appropriate, and wear sensible bathing attire. And we are NOT stopping for tats on the way home!

The Dave Pays Homage to Elvis' Birthplace

2008-12-10T21:05:00.007-06:00

I know we're running way behind with this final chapter, but Dave and I have been REAL busy with other parts of our lives. However, a promise is a promise and we both feel we should follow through with our promise so here is the third and final installment of our Sticky Buns meme.

After travelling to Memphis and visiting Beale Street and Graceland we stopped by Elvis' birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi, and found this lovely, sometimes bittersweet but low key tribute to his early life. The most surprising part is that it's set back in a quiet little neighborhood, I think it's the actual neighborhood where Elvis was born.

We left Memphis and the air transport Elvis used to use.

We wanted to borrow this car for this last leg of the trip but there was a line so Dave settled for a photo opportunity.

Some people got to arrive in style.

This is a tribute to Elvis' days with Sun Records. Dave took lots of notes.

The park was really nice and tied everything together. On a hot day I'm sure it's a welcome relief.

We didn't go in the house but...

Dave did some swingin' on the front porch.

The front.

The back.

This is one of the windows in the memorial Chapel.

This is the front entrance to the Assembly of God Church that they've relocated to the homesite.

There is a timeline that shows the history of the Presley family. Elvis came from very humble beginnings maybe that's why he had such a big heart.

We don't know why they included this but Dave still gave it his Sticky Bun of approval.

So here's to The King from our very own sommelier, Dave.

I also posted about Elvis on my other blog, Pensacola Daily Photo, and you can read about it here, here, here, and here.

The Return of "Sticky Buns": Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tenessee....

2008-10-28T15:12:00.005-05:00

This chapter of our "Sticky Buns" Elvis Tour also includes "The Dave" and me at Otis Redding Memorial Park, Dave giving a guided tour of Beale Street, the home of The Blues (how do buns know these things?), as well as visiting the gates of Graceland, home of The Kang. I apologize for the delay but life happens! Also, Blogger has gone wonky with uploading photos so you'll have to click to enlarge.

Oooooh la la!!!

Dave is particularly fond of Elvis' acoustic work.

Here is Elvis trying to do an under-the-tocks hello bunny wave but Dave disapproved. I think he expected something more dignified, besides, it's his job.

Dave and I had a tear in our eyes when we read this.

Here we are, we made it!

Dave is so proud of me for coming out from behind the camera.

This is a kind of promenade where everything is "All Elvis All the Time".
Lots to do here.

The Dave and The Kang are close, very close.

I'm going to alert Rabbits' Guy to the possibility of including a stop here on the next 7 bunny 7 flight. Maybe Lisa Marie will join in. Squeeee!!!

Coming up soon is our final destination, Tupelo, Mississippi and the birthplace of Elvis Presley.

The Dave Does Sticky Buns

2008-10-06T15:43:00.028-05:00

I can't say how excited I was when d moll lac and Rabbit's Guy decided to do the Sticky Buns meme. It wasn't as simple as it sounded, at least at first. Locating the all important repositionable sticky paper took me to four different big box stores. The winner? Hobby Lobby.
Then I had to make the copies. Very complex process. And we're not going to talk about snipping buns. We are now installing travertine for ourselves and everything is not where it is supposed to be but Dave kept nudging me, especially when he found out he was going to Graceland, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee.
So I finally got it all together and off we all went. Road Trip!!!

A few days before we left Hurricane Ike deposited a tree branch on my van so we had to use a rental car which turned out to be a good thing, as The Martha likes to say. Dave is now a big Toyota fan.

In fact Dave was so excited he replicated for a short time. I think it had something to do with soy ink, mitosis, and rabbity excitability.

Then we drove.

And we drove.

Finally, we stopped at Mickey D's for a pick-me-up and gassed up the tank.

Dave was right there...

until it got dark and he moved to the back seat to keep an eye on Ranger, where he stayed until we got to my brother-in-law's.

Stayed tuned for the next installment: The Gates of Graceland

Cambridge, Massachusetts

2008-09-26T11:13:00.030-05:00

I've gotten so busy with repairing my van due to Ike damage, my commitment to daily work on my Pensacola Daily Photo, my husband losing his job due to corporate restructuring, and everything else that I do, that I just realized that I haven't been posting here much.
I thought I would share a random sampling of some of the beauty I found during a recent stay at a monastery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. I don't know if I mentioned it here but I got a new camera about a month ago and it has made the work so much more pleasurable. It isn't my dream camera but I love it all the same. There's more on my P-cola blog and in the future I'll be posting lots on a blog that's just for retreats from my church, but here's some of your share.

This is where I stayed right on the Charles River, next door to Harvard University. My room was just below the wrought iron balcony and the view was spectacular.

I channeled my inner squirrel and collected acorns just outside The Boston Museum of Fine Arts and brought them back to my cell for a close-up on the window sill. The MFA was sublime and I used a shot of an outdoor installation at the museum for my Sky Watch Friday posting that's kinda fun.

There's a lot of sculling on the Charles River and here is the ramp of the boathouse and some rowers getting everything ready.

These two photos are from a floral arrangement in the common room at the monastery.

This is a church/cathedral that has become the dining hall for Harvard students. Imagine what that must be like?

A view of the river from my cell at night. It's a beautiful, placid body of water, at least it was during my stay. It's not a terribly wide river so I don't know how much a storm affects it, I just know that I found it endlessly fascinating.

Sky Watch Friday

2008-09-25T07:31:00.001-05:00

My Sky Watch Friday post is here.

Fly here to see more sky-graphs.

Safeway is Selling Rabbit Meat

2008-09-15T12:28:00.008-05:00

I received this information in an email from a friend who rescues buns and after Googling it I found the info to be valid. Grrrrrrrrrr!!!! You can go here to get an email link:
http://www.saveabunny.com/?q=node/4240

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RabbitWise ACTION ALERT
SAFEWAY SELLING RABBIT MEAT
LETTERS NEEDED

Here's the scoop:

Wed Aug 27, 2008 3:16 pm (PDT)

New rabbit meat products in Safeway.
Safeway stores in Washington State and possibly elsewhere have introduced a new product, frozen rabbit parts as a snack food. It's in the freezer case and is displayed much like buffalo wings. Evidently, Safeway is trying to start a new line of mass consumption novelty products based on rabbit meat.
The woman who first saw these new products is concerned that this marks a new attempt by the rabbit processing industry to make rabbit meat more mainstream.
The rabbit meat comes from Pel-Freez Arkansas, the largest rabbit processor in the United States, which "processes" rabbits from breeders across the US and now, evidently, China as well. We are concerned about this attempt to move rabbit meat from a marginal product to a mainstream product; as production ramps up, the rabbits being bred and killed will suffer even more. (Pel-Freez's website has an online application that anyone can fill out to become a Pel-Freez supplier of rabbits.)
Please express your concern about this trend and let Safeway know your objections by sending a polite note to:
Steven Burd, Chairman & CEO
Safeway
5918 Stoneridge Mall Road
Pleasanton, CA 94588-3229

TELE: 925-467-3000
FAX: 925-467-3021

AND

Customer Service Center
Safeway Inc. - M/S 10501
P.O. BOX 29093
Phoenix, AZ 85038 - 9093

Safeway has a statement on their website at http://shop/. safeway.com/ corporate/ safeway/animal_ welfare.asp about animal welfare and its "comprehensive animal welfare program to ensure that both its national brand and private label suppliers have programs in place standard for the humane treatment of animals in all aspects of animal husbandry, shipment, and handling during the harvest process." PLEASE MAKE THE POINT THAT because rabbits are not covered under the federal Humane Slaughter Act, there is no way to ensure that under current law rabbits raised and slaughtered for food do get humane treatment.
Safeway owns Vons, Kroger, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Genuardi's and Carrs.

RAISE A RUCKUS FOR THE RABBITS!

Hurricane Ike Out on Pensacola Beach

2008-09-12T13:34:00.019-05:00

This was Hurricane Ike this morning out on Pensacola Beach. As you can see people were out and about but no one was in the water. They've gotten really strict about that, thank goodness. You'll see surfer dude talking to the life guards and I think he's been told to take his case to a higher power. It's going to get rougher and we'll probably go through the tornado alerts and all that but since Ike is coming ashore further to the west than Gustav did it might not be as bad. Anyway, let's hope not, for every one's sake, not just ours.

You can see my Pensacola Daily Photo post about Ike here.

Look for the three Navy helicopters in the photo above. That was the second pass that I saw them do down the beach line. They like to do their maneuvers out there, especially in good weather. I can't imagine why...

This last pic is at the Visitor's Center back in Pensacola. Ike is pushing a lot of water.

Sky Watch Friday: Up, Up, and Away!

2008-09-11T13:28:00.013-05:00

Pigeon Rocket

Fly here to see my Bradley Myers inspired 911 sky-graph.
Fly here to see everyone else's sky-graphs.

Here we go, there's two more...Ike and Josepine...

2008-09-05T21:05:00.003-05:00

Sky Watch Friday

2008-09-04T00:02:00.017-05:00

I now do Sky Watch Friday on my other blog, Pensacola Daily Photo.

Gustav at Perdido Key, Florida

2008-08-31T23:01:00.005-05:00

Tropical Storm Hanna

2008-08-29T20:03:00.009-05:00

I use this blog like a home page, it lets me navigate to a lot of the places I frequent so I'll be keeping track of Hanna here along with Gustav. These graphics update themselves. Will wonders never cease.

Tracking Hurricane Gustav

2008-08-29T10:22:00.020-05:00

Click on the graphic to get a larger picture. I'll be posting updates as they're made available. You can click here to get the graphics for yourself.

Sky Watch Friday: St Anne's Catholic Church

2008-08-28T05:00:00.006-05:00

I decided not to do anything with these photos. I took them at a local church and felt that the many reflections were more important than technique or composition. So, ignore the focal length, the cropping, or the compositon. Look at the center of the stained glass window, scroll slowly down and see all that God has made for you. The last picture of the church's interior was taken through the stained glass window of the door. It's illuminated solely by by the setting sun. You can see the rest of the Sky Watch Friday sky-graphs here.

Get a Little Snarky, Win a Book!

2008-08-26T21:01:00.026-05:00

I recently made a posting about Owen Ford, a 13 year old girl who created HOPES. They've been having some problems with their Pay Pal account, apparently the peeps at Pay Pal are having trouble with their fax machine...personally, I think an outfit that big should have more than one, at least for back-up in case there's an insanely massive paper jam or something like that...anyhow, she's still forging ahead and could use some encouragement right about now. Hint hint. Nudge nudge.
Additionally, plusing, and adding onto, there is someone else of tender years leading a conservation campaign in his native Kenya to save The Endangered Sharpe’s Longclaw. You can read about that here. Now for the fun part. Charlie, at 10,000 Birds, friend of Birdchick who is mum to Disapproving Rabbit Miss Cinnamon (this is The South ya'll), is allowing anyone to take a friendly swipe at him in a Captions Contest in order to drum up interest in Dominic's project and to help raise funds. You don't have to do anything to enter except write a caption for a picture of Charlie and one of his friends. You don't have to make a donation --unless you want to and, of course, I know you do! You can win a free book, a novel called, A Guide to the Birds of East Africa by Nicholas Drayson, just by coming up with the perfect caption for this photograph:

The sample caption reads:
“One of these is a blubbery, overweight mammal who sadly may not last out
the year - the other is a Blue Whale”

If you win, the book is yours. You get the idea. So hop on over there to write your caption for the picture and get your snark on (play nice!). And spread the news.

Après Fay

2008-08-24T12:14:00.007-05:00

I just snapped this photo, no cropping, etc., just a point and shoot pic. Fay passed by to the north of us and we're just fine. The yard looks cleaner for some reason...I'm not sure why...
We lost everything in Hurricane Ivan so we're cautious about storms and try to be prepared for the worst case scenario as you can never tell how these things will turn out. We tested the generator, put up window protection, went to the grocery store, moved the vehicles to safer locations. After all that I have to say my best defense against such an unpredictable situation has turned out to be Centering Prayer. I've learned to give up so many kinds of fears and anxieties and feel like I came through this with just the physical discomfort of the low pressure front. I makes me very sleepy. (>] Zzzzzzzzz

Fay is on her way...

2008-08-23T00:15:00.019-05:00

and she's headed in our direction. We're as ready as we can be so now we just wait and see what happens.Tonight is supposed to be the big show. These NOAA graphics show how she's tracking over time and I've been posting new ones as they come up so I've been able to see her progress. Overall, it's been a pretty slow going, about 7 miles an hour. Right now it's directly above us so I'll be interested to see what kind of turbulence we get, if any.

Sky Watch Friday: Mobile, Alabama

2008-08-21T00:00:00.005-05:00

Photographed on the afternoon of July 14, 2008, near the beginning of our Louisiana road trip. Until very recently I seemed to have an awful lot of trouble photographing birds in flight so I was pretty thrilled to capture these gulls soaring. Theses backlit clouds are part of Tropical Storm Fay. See more sky-graphs at Sky Watch Friday.

Trip to Perdido Key, FL

2008-08-20T10:46:00.013-05:00

After all our hard work trimming the trees we traveled to Perdido Key, ate at the Shrimp Basket, and then walked on the beach, something I just love to do at night. Hard work seems a lot easier in retrospect if there's a great reward afterwards.

Sunset from the top of the Theo Baars bridge.

Perdi the Pelican, one of 41 art pelicans in Pensacola and the surrounding area.

Dinner at the Shrimp Basket with a side of shrimp slaw.

Oops!

A condo as seen from the beach. There is so much electricity being wasted out there.

Makeshift tripod.

Up in the Trees

2008-08-18T19:00:00.015-05:00

About two weeks ago we went to Home Depot and rented what's called a JLG. It's a kind of small crane that can go up and down and out and back and swivels. It has an adjustable basket and four outriggers for stability and can be towed by a pick-up truck. We wanted to clear off dead and unnecessary branches from our live oak and pecan trees so we rented one for half a day.
I'll tell you two things in advance before I show you the photos of our work:
1-The whole enterprise cost us about $200.00, took 4 hours for two of us to complete all the cutting and maneuvering (and photographing), and about 1 1/2 hours and three people to do the clean up, and that was the hardest part. We think we saved $2,000.00+.
2-It looks really dangerous and scary but it is very safe (and kind of fun in s a safe kind of way to push all the toggles and buttons...my favorite part is setting the outriggers, a no brainer) and only scary when the basket stops moving and there's a little jolt. That is decidedly unnerving to be sure.

This is what it looked like about 30-35 feet high in the live oaks. Yup, I took this photograph. It was really lovely to be up where the birds and squirrels roam free but truthfully, I love our trees for their own sake. They're the reason we bought this property. What follows are several more photos and I'll let you decide for yourself how you feel about that. We began with the pecan trees and finished up with the live oaks.

The next two show a squirrel nest up close and a colony of sorts from a distance.

Our beautiful, beautiful live oaks creating a new and elegant archway.

Sky Watch Friday: Dragon Sky

2008-08-14T05:00:00.014-05:00

Photographed at sunset from my yard. You can see what it looked like out on the nearby highway here.

Must. Hold. On.

2008-08-13T10:50:00.005-05:00

I think I'm stuck on squirrels but I'm hoping this will get it out of my system. I love the sunflower seed moustache she's wearing (I know it's a she because he's have massive equipment). Hang in until the end. There is a big bunny bonus.

A view of the wooded area behind my house. These were shot through the window so they're a little washed out but I still think they're funny. The picture above has a bunny bonus in the lower left hand corner.

They like something in the bird seed though I can't tell what their exact preference is.

Baby Turts Gone Wild!

2008-08-12T07:48:00.009-05:00

Kemp's Ridley Turtle

Photo by NOAA

May I direct your attention to two websites about the release of Kemp's Ridley turtles on Pensacola Beach -- and so much more:

Barrier Island Girl
and
The Traveling Turtle Girl

The photos and texts are great fun. How I would have loved to have been there for that!

Sky Watch Friday - You Have to Enlarge the Photo to Get the Full Effect

2008-08-07T19:22:00.003-05:00

Whilst photographing things in the backyard for my daily photo blog it began to rain and when it was over I saw this on the elephant ears: many skies reflected on little eco-domes. They appear to have been constructed on the distant and (mostly) flat planet "Verdant" (stay with me now). If I could have my choice of domes I would surely pick one out in the country. I've never been the suburban type and I'm only partly a city girl. So probably none of the ones all clustered together for me, and definitely not one on the coast where all manner of disaster can appear. Nope. I think a singular dome at the top of a nice, quiet, green ripple with a view of the central vein would be just about perfect.

My New BFF

2008-08-06T05:00:00.044-05:00

(Wheeeeeeeee!!!!)

Cats run the house. Squirrels run the yard. That's the facts. Regarding the exponential power of the squirrel, some folks don't like this balance of power and are always coming up with ingenious ways to get the best of these pesky varmints. But I say live and let live. You can't control everything. So I watch their silly antics and put out extra food so the song birds won't feel deprived. If you follow this school of thought you might also receive the fringe benefit of, say, having a visit from Local Free Range Chicken's Union #666.

(Hello!)

(I'm putting my best foot forward!)

To be honest, my ultimate goal is to lure the peafowl I hear screaming from time to time, to get them to come ever nearer until I have the privilege of seeing their amazing plumage on a regular basis -- and maybe getting some Grade AA extra-large eggs for my breakfast (I still haven't found any chicken eggs but I keep hoping).

(Can we go now, can we go?)

But I draw the line at taking squirrels for bike rides. I'm not going to argue with a squirrel while dealing with Funky Dog who likes pulling on the leash hard enough to make peddling pointless. First, they'll be telling me how fast to go (always faster). Then, they'll want to tell me when to turn and how fast (faster still). Finally, they'll start in on the dog, which will lead to a new round of arguments and then...well, I have my limits. And my dignity.

So the other day, when I found two squirrels chasing each other round and round the pecan tree so loudly that their chatter and scrabbling made me think a swarm of bees was nearby I went out and photographed them for posterity. For the family album so to speak.

(I'm waaaaiting!!!)

But when the bossiest of the two started DEMANDING a bike ride I very politely but firmly said no. No matter how cute and prosh and all that. No. How could a squirrel think I would stoop so low?

"I really mean it!" I said. "You're not going to convince me, you can try and try and try and even if you promise not to talk and that you'll sit still and not scare me half to death by running back and forth across the handle bars or start licking and nibbling my fingers wif your wittle teefs to see if there's any peanut butter left over from lunch or that you'll let me nom your ears afterwards and then turn you into a house squirrley. I'm not having it.....................buuuuuuuut, then again, I do see some merit in your argument and, you know, actually this is hubby's bike and it is a death trap and my bike has a commodious, nifty, Euro-style basket on the front . You could wear little goggles and and a wee sized bike helmet. We could pretend we're on the Titanic and squeal that we're the King/Queen of the world".....(sound of facade cracking)

(Hehehehe)

Gardening Success

2008-08-03T05:00:00.009-05:00

Moon and Stars Watermelon on a Tin Roof Slurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp! (<---click me)

Sky Watch Friday Post

2008-08-01T18:57:00.005-05:00

Taken behind Brownsville Ornamental Iron Works on Friday afternoon, 08/01/08.

Big whoop for the day..

2008-08-01T11:54:00.013-05:00

...(flat robot voice) ...Just. learned. how. to. hyperlink. Must. Control. Self. That. is. all.

The Whiskers Have It

2008-07-30T09:23:00.013-05:00

Right now I'm deeply involved with caring for two geriatric kitties:
Sweet William Grey/Bill/William/Bill the Cat/Willem/Billiam/Bad Cat -- you get the idea. A multiple personality cat.

and Miss Digit/Miss Kit/The Diginator -- a Southern Belle who fairly swooons when she enters the room. So sweet.

Both of them have multiple health problems.
Digit, 17, has an untreatable thyroid condition and breast cancer. William, 16, is FIV and has a severe allergy to fleas. He's currently under the weather. In fact, if there was a weather report for him it would be cloudy with a chance of severe thunder storms, possibly tornadoes. His health is so fragile right now that he can no longer go outside for a supervised stroll, his favorite thing to do.
They're both at the point that we have decided to give them all the care they need but not prolong their lives if they're suffering. So far neither one of them seems to have gotten the memo about their health problems so we're handling them gently and doing everything we can for them because we love them so much. And they love us so much more in return which really hurts when I have to do something like give them meds they really hate. But I recently learned about something truly useful about caring for cats, especially sick cats and thought I would share it in case it might help someone else who's dealing with a sick kitty.
I've been having a terrible time getting Bill to take just one of his oral meds. The truth is I'm giving him three different things orally and two eye drops. What's a mother to do? He has to take a pill for the flea allergies - bad but not the worst. Interferon for five days on, five days off and then five days on which is fairly tolerable. But worst of all a nasty liquid antibiotic to help clear up a general infection that is causing a severe eye irritation. It's manifesting itself as a right pupil that doesn't dilate in tandem with his left pupil (I think the fact that he doesn't have, nor has ever had, a tear duct in that eye contributes to the problem.). However, on our last visit to the vet last Friday I was told something really interesting:

Cats don't like to eat out of bowls because it bothers their whiskers.

Of course, I was also told not to put his meds in his food but I decided to ignore that so in the food it went. At first he wanted nothing to do with that -- until I put it on a nice, flat, paper plate and then, Oh, Mama!! It was scrumptious -- mostly. So now I don't have to "argue" with him. I'm not going to tell you he's completely wild about the situation. The first day he was turning things over with his left paw trying to find something a little more palatable but eventually he ate it all up and has done so every day since. I don't know if the same would be true of, say, rabbits, but it might. Maybe even dogs. Or people. So now, the whiskers have it and no more bowls.

Gardening Successes and Failures

2008-07-28T10:49:00.021-05:00

I have never called myself a gardener and I feel no shame in that. I have a deep interest in landscaping and process, the cyclical nature of things, like the passage of the seasons. Still, I like to garden and I want to do more but if I were to describe my success rate I would have to say that it's a mixed bag. I know that if I want to put in a fall garden I'll have to acquire some serious skill sets. And read more good gardening blogs! These three pictures characterize my current state of expertise:
1-Pecans
We did fertilize our trees so we can claim some stewardship for these pecans but truthfully, last year was a bumper crop for pecans everywhere. Now I'm sick of them so most of these are going to be smashed and left out for the birds and squirrels. At long last the bathtub will become the pet spa it was meant to be.

2-T'maters
I have a dilemma: I am very reluctant to use pesticides. It's also very hot and these t'maters have become good staging areas for assassin bugs. I know, I know, but everybody has to make a living!

3-Herbs
One day I was leaving the CoOp and nipped a sprig of spearmint about 4" long from the garden just outside the front door. I brought it home and kept it in a glass of water for about two weeks, then put it in a pot. This is the result. It has a really delicate scent. Too bad Google hasn't found a way to do scratch and sniff widgets.

There's a new kid on the block

2008-07-26T11:01:00.013-05:00

If you visit the Daily Coyote you'll find a link to H.O.P.E.S., "Helping Our Planet's Endangered Species", the idea of 13 year old Owen Ford. Her website is very cool and she's doing a lot of great work. You can donate art for auction or participate in an eBay Auction

for a 100+ year old buffalo skull with removable horn caps (so amazing) skull pictured below:

(Photo by Shreve Stockton)

Anyway, three cheers for Owen and Shreve and all their hard work and hoping they reach their goal for raising funds for the WWF (World Wildlife Fund).

Decomposition Composition...

2008-07-25T14:29:00.023-05:00

..or why flowers grow.

These photos were taken over the course of two days. The rat was a living ant hill for a time and after it rained on the third day its fur became just a faint blur in the soil. Before too long there wasn't a trace of evidence it had ever been there.

Pardon, beg your pardon

2008-07-25T11:11:00.003-05:00

We are under construction. So don't be alarmed if you see something all out of proportion to the page or a funny color somewhere. I'm learning how to edit my html and I hope when I'm done I'll have something a little more interesting.

Lichen à la tin roof

2008-07-24T13:43:00.007-05:00

We had rain and wind from Hurricane Dolly yesterday and I came home to find several pecan branches on the ground. Pecans are fairly brittle trees so branches fall on a regular basis but this time I was struck by the beauty of the lichens on them. I don't have the camera I would like to have so the quality of my photos are not what I would like them to be but here's a little slice of life from up high, a garden on a single branch. It's just one of the small pleasures to be found in owning trees and property.

The Accidental Grasshopper

2008-07-22T20:55:00.019-05:00

A few weeks ago we were out birdwatching nesting ospreys and as I started to get out of the car I found this grasshopper just outside the window of my van. I love the way it looks Photoshopped -- when it isn't.

Hello!

Mom!!!

Disapproving Rabbits or, you just never know...

2008-07-19T06:08:00.043-05:00

A couple of years ago I had three very unusual birds over-wintering with me:

a Western Tanager,

a Summer Tanager,

and a Rufous Hummingbird.

Technically speaking, they weren't supposed to be here but they were. One day Fred Bassett, who is licensed to trap birds (it's actually a violation of Federal Law to trap, harm, or otherwise disturb indigenous American birds), caught my hummer and banded it (it was sooooooo tiny!)

The next 3 photos are of Mr. Bassett documenting size, etc.

Like buns hummers are easily hypnotized when they're on their backs. After he had the bird calmed he let me hold it and I'll never forget stroking it and feeling its tiny heart hammering.

The next 2 photos are of me holding "Rufous".

(Fluorescent pink dot is for identification purposes.)

I asked him why these birds were here and he said that when he had taken courses about birding at Cornell University, if there was anything he learned it was that mostly, no one knows why birds do what they do. They just do it. They suddenly leave an area en masse and permanently migrate to another part of the country, they change their base diets, individually they engage in unusual behavior, you just never know. And so it is with other species. Cute Overload provides some proof of that.

I think the same might be true for buns in that sometimes they just don't fit the profile, like Maddox. He just liked water. I did look Maddox up on Bunspace and found out he died only a few days ago. I'm praying for his Mum as they looked like they were quite a pair - as most buns and their parents seem to be. May he rest peacefully.

PS I woke up very early this morning and decided to have a piece of cold salmon for breakfast. Then I decided that what would really finish things off was then the rest of a pint of Dove Chocolate "Unconditional Chocolate". That prolly sounds pretty unappetizing, but it was perfect. You just never know.

Taking a walk in the middle-ages

2008-07-16T23:09:00.012-05:00

There are some distinct advantages to turning 55. You get senior citizen rates at movies and other venues, you don't have to worry so much about your girlish figure unless there's a health concern, and you get to do things that would make someone younger look uncool and unhip. In fact, when you're middle-aged you get to be pretty much whatever and whoever you want to be. So now when I take a walk I can do the kind of thing that makes my son want to disown me and I feel completely justified. Which I like because, after all, as a parent there's something sweet and satisfying about being an embarrassment to your child. Just thinking about all of the temper tantrums, scenes at the mall, teenage angst, the sometimes complete lack of empathy towards his parental units -- it makes me feel completely satisfied that I should be known as a tin-can lady. So the other night I put on my Walkman (also very uncool) put in the third tape of Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" and walked along the busy road we live off of. I took a bucket and a picker-upper and gathered aluminum cans for donations to the local Humane Society where I volunteer. I also found real cash money

and an s-hook on a defunct bungee cord. I love found objects and don't consider a walk a success unless I find something. Like one night I found a chuck of granite from a countertop and brought it home. I think it will probably make a pretty good paper weight--during hurricane season. There's always lots of other trash but I stick largely to the aluminum and the other night added only a flattened paint can to extend my repertoire. But mostly, I keep hoping someone will see me and tell my son all about it. Oh yeah.

Centering Prayer Pie

2008-07-16T08:37:00.009-05:00

Tuesdays I attend Centering Prayer at my church, Wednesdays I attend Centering Prayer at another church and we all bring something for our lunch afterwards. We never know what anyone else is bringing but somehow, it all fits together and it's always wonderful. This is my contribution cooling on my "pie rack".

And it was delish.

Usagi Pudding (you get to keep the cup)

2008-07-15T10:21:00.007-05:00

I think this speaks for itself.
From http://blog.q-taro.com/category/food/

Animals in Iraq

2008-07-15T09:52:00.021-05:00

I was on the SPCA website and found the following story about dogs in Iraq. I know that the pet market in Baghdad is a favorite place for suicide bombings and I wanted to know if there was any positive news about furry friends. I found the following items:
(Disclaimer: Do yourself a favor and don't do a search for rabbits, 99% of it is very bad.)

There is this one Iraqi bun...and wait...I think I detect some disapproval...Ahah! That is a tiny little bun tongue.

Nyah, nyah, nyah!
From: http://i.pbase.com/u20/kissfoto/large/36558803.AlRabbit.jpg
Copyright ' FUSIONPHOTO' . Ian Miller

Website for Baghdadpups:
http://www.baghdadpups.com/

Finally there is this story about cats in Baghdad that is just too much. You'll need your hankies for this one:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/weekinreview/14burns.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin

Free Kibble

2008-07-12T14:12:00.020-05:00

I click most every day on http://www.thehungersite.com/ and http://www.freerice.com/
Now I have a new one for cats and dogs. I was watching the news this morning and learned about http://www.freekibble.com/.
It was the idea of a 12 year old girl in response to foreclosure pets. Maybe we need one for bunnies?

Geriatric Kitty Gone Wild

2008-07-12T13:20:00.034-05:00

Look at arrow for wasp nest.

Recenty my 17 year old girlcat, Miss Digit, went on a little adventure. She ran under our travel trailer and in order to get her out I had to resort to shooting a garden hose under high pressure in her "general" direction. Then she ran under the porch, then back under the travel trailer, and then up and behind some stored lumber. I just had to photograph her, all spunky and defiant. View close-up below to see why she's called "Digit".

July 12 is "Manhattanhenge"

2008-07-10T19:56:00.015-05:00

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060712.html
http://irish.typepad.com/photos/events/manhattanhenge.html
Next year I shall line up my square foot gardening plots just so...

Baby corn shower gift for Ilex...

2008-07-10T12:06:00.010-05:00

From http://www.atoygarden.com/

I just love this....

2008-07-09T20:27:00.007-05:00

It's like the spaghetti eating scene in "Lady and the Tramp"....only with bunnies!!!

Bebeh Bluebirds Update, Return of McBunlet

2008-07-09T07:57:00.013-05:00

Good morning!

The Bebeh Bluebirds are gone. I checked last evening and they've flown the coup. We are so happy. That's two seperate fledges this year. YAY!!
On a confessional note, I have stooped to bribing rabbits to come to my house. I feel that if I can't have a rabbit of my own I'll entice them so I put out some broccoli and this is the result: McBunnersons fianlly made an appearance.

Why are you looking at me like that...

2008-07-08T06:22:00.003-05:00

...and what have you done with my Blue Jays???

So I was eating breakfast and heard a rooster crow. Only, it was not two houses away as usual. I looked out the window to the wooded area behind the house and found...Chickens!!! Now I'm not complaining, the more the merrier, but this is wildbird food. Will I turn them into crazy chickens? Stay tuned for further developments...

Watermelons Cubed

2008-07-07T08:36:00.012-05:00

Note to self:Next planting season return to Instructables for directions on growing SQUARE WATERMELONS for the 4th of July:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Grow-a-square-watermelon/?ALLSTEPS.html