Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Downton Abbey...
This just tickles my funny bone tonight:
And today, for the first time since the Blizzard, I was able to drive my Fusion up to the house and turn it around :)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Blizzard of '13
Blizzard of '13
Snowed from about noon on Friday 2/8 till noon on Saturday 2/9. 24", maybe 26"...real hard to tell with the drifting.
Never a good sign when the wood stove chimney has developed snotsicles...
The garden tractor and plow...
The garden tractor and plow after 30 minutes:
At which point I decided I'll working from home until it melts. At least melts down to about 1' high so I can actually push the snow somewhere.
Adding some more pics...
Monday, February 4, 2013
We need more of this in the world...
Arrgghh! Those rat mouse bastards took the full six and a half minute version off the web!
Here's the trailer for Paperman though:
Friday, February 1, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
January Picture Dump
4" of wet snow today...mower did great plowing it.
And it's time to catch on pics for the first half of January:
Built a mantle finally!
Unlike the perimeter bookshelf that I simply rested on top of the eye-screws lagged into the studs, I used my new router to make a groove for them to rest flush in:
I cut the eyes off the screws after lagging them in:
Decided it needed a piece of trim around the top. Nailing it down wasn't enough, so I set a bead of wood glue -- then realized the four clamps I had weren't enough!!! Had to run across the street to the hardware store and buy a mix-and-match from their economy tool table:
And with it stained...stonework this summer!
Made some stove-top chili slow-cooked overnight:
And while I've cut my wheat consumption at least in half since this fall...sometimes I splurge. Pancake time!
Who the heck was the engineer who designed this? Need to drill a hole to screw in the angle iron to reinforced the cantilevered part of the bookshelf. (Thank goodness I had a right angle adapter that was able to do the job).
Done! I will hide the angle iron some how...maybe just paint it to match the wall when I paint it?
And it's time to catch on pics for the first half of January:
Built a mantle finally!
Unlike the perimeter bookshelf that I simply rested on top of the eye-screws lagged into the studs, I used my new router to make a groove for them to rest flush in:
I cut the eyes off the screws after lagging them in:
Decided it needed a piece of trim around the top. Nailing it down wasn't enough, so I set a bead of wood glue -- then realized the four clamps I had weren't enough!!! Had to run across the street to the hardware store and buy a mix-and-match from their economy tool table:
And with it stained...stonework this summer!
Made some stove-top chili slow-cooked overnight:
And while I've cut my wheat consumption at least in half since this fall...sometimes I splurge. Pancake time!
Who the heck was the engineer who designed this? Need to drill a hole to screw in the angle iron to reinforced the cantilevered part of the bookshelf. (Thank goodness I had a right angle adapter that was able to do the job).
Done! I will hide the angle iron some how...maybe just paint it to match the wall when I paint it?
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
New Years Day stuff...
Starting off with Oscar resting up on New Years Eve in his new bed from Aunt Pat:
Picked up a Router (and yet more Red Oak boards) at Lowes between a gift card and my work Christmas bonus on New Years Eve to be ready for today's projects:
Needed the router to make grooves in the boards to accomodate the pot rack, plus I know I'll need it when I finally get to the point of building the custom desk I want :)
On the woodstove side I need to build a mantle, though I'm starting to get a good idea how I'll built it. It'll continue the red oak trim theme. Also need to some quarter-round to neaten up the wall/ceiling corner. (And that whole ceiling above the woodstove needs work.)
On the kitchen side, I need to move the counter & baker racks it sits on around so I can fix up the wall and window behind it and get that painted this winter (you can see the new color on the woodstove side):
This summer, since I can't do it during wood burning season, I'll get the backer board covered with a cultured stone similar to this:
And also hung up the sign:
Picked up a Router (and yet more Red Oak boards) at Lowes between a gift card and my work Christmas bonus on New Years Eve to be ready for today's projects:
Needed the router to make grooves in the boards to accomodate the pot rack, plus I know I'll need it when I finally get to the point of building the custom desk I want :)
On the woodstove side I need to build a mantle, though I'm starting to get a good idea how I'll built it. It'll continue the red oak trim theme. Also need to some quarter-round to neaten up the wall/ceiling corner. (And that whole ceiling above the woodstove needs work.)
On the kitchen side, I need to move the counter & baker racks it sits on around so I can fix up the wall and window behind it and get that painted this winter (you can see the new color on the woodstove side):
This summer, since I can't do it during wood burning season, I'll get the backer board covered with a cultured stone similar to this:
And also hung up the sign:
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Snowed!
12/29/2012...started about 2pm and was done around 11pm. 10" (3-7" had been forecast)
First time I got to plow with Mickey Mouse the Garden Tractor...worked out OK. I spent about three hours...but a lot of that can be divided between still needing to finish some repairs on the plow so it works more efficiently, some learning, and a lot to pushing snow way back so I can deal with other storms.
Unlike a snowblower or truck plow, the short blade on the tractor can't really "throw" snow over a bank so it's really critical that I made snow dumps.
Cooper was just here for a visit this weekend, he goes home this afternoon.
If I get to the point I have to keep the car down by Route 6, it wouldn't actually take that long to just plow it out. That's where I really pushed snow back so I would have room if needed later in the season.
First time I got to plow with Mickey Mouse the Garden Tractor...worked out OK. I spent about three hours...but a lot of that can be divided between still needing to finish some repairs on the plow so it works more efficiently, some learning, and a lot to pushing snow way back so I can deal with other storms.
Unlike a snowblower or truck plow, the short blade on the tractor can't really "throw" snow over a bank so it's really critical that I made snow dumps.
Cooper was just here for a visit this weekend, he goes home this afternoon.
If I get to the point I have to keep the car down by Route 6, it wouldn't actually take that long to just plow it out. That's where I really pushed snow back so I would have room if needed later in the season.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Scallops and Risotto
Scallops with Risotto and onions, mushrooms, and because I had some to use up green beans -- my first attempt at Risotto. Second time I've fried scallops.
The onions carmelized on me, which is what I think darkened everything. I don't think that was supposed to happen.
Give it about a 1 for presentation, but it tasted average to above-average...but for a first attempt at a lot of things, probably not bad over all.
Part of the recipe involved some wine...I am not a wine drinker, and indeed as stuff was cooking I had to go scrambling through my backpack to find a Swiss Army knife since I realized I didn't own any other corkscrews!
Based on:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/risotto-with-wild-mushrooms-and-scallops-recipe/index.html
Edited to add: It was *very* good as left-overs. Go figure!
The onions carmelized on me, which is what I think darkened everything. I don't think that was supposed to happen.
Give it about a 1 for presentation, but it tasted average to above-average...but for a first attempt at a lot of things, probably not bad over all.
Part of the recipe involved some wine...I am not a wine drinker, and indeed as stuff was cooking I had to go scrambling through my backpack to find a Swiss Army knife since I realized I didn't own any other corkscrews!
Based on:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/risotto-with-wild-mushrooms-and-scallops-recipe/index.html
Edited to add: It was *very* good as left-overs. Go figure!
Monday, December 24, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
Kindling
I got a Kindle from my sisters last Christmas. Only complaint is how much it cost me buying books for it :D
Looks like I bought 26 in 2012, and I had a couple more PDF downloads, plus a couple books I bought in old fashion paper:
Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time Pellegrini, Georgia 22-Jan-12
Freakonomics Rev Ed: (and Other Riddles of Modern Life) (P.S.) Levitt, Steven D., Dubner, Stephen J. 23-Jan-12
Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit Estabrook, Barry 28-Jan-12
The Feast Nearby: How I lost my job, buried a marriage, and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering, and eating locally (all on $40 a week) Mather, Robin 4-Feb-12
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir Wagler, Ira 5-Feb-12
Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive Wesner, Erik 9-Feb-12
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash Royte, Elizabeth 13-Feb-12
After God (Religion and Postmodernism) Taylor, Mark C. 21-Feb-12
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World Koeppel, Dan 4-Mar-12
A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present Zinn, Howard 5-Mar-12
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir Baker, Elna 4-May-12
Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food Greenberg, Paul 13-May-12
Rurally Screwed: My Life Off the Grid with the Cowboy I Love Knadler, Jessie 15-May-12
Grace Leads Me Home Miller, Marlene C. 28-Jun-12
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World Kurlansky, Mark 15-Jul-12
Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World Salatin, Joel 25-Jul-12
Spice: The History of a Temptation Turner, Jack 5-Aug-12
Better Off (P.S.) Brende, Eric 12-Aug-12
Why I Left the Amish: A Memoir Furlong, Saloma Miller 19-Aug-12
The American Way of Eating McMillan, Tracie 20-Aug-12
Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations Montgomery, David R. 25-Aug-12
The Contrary Farmer (Real Goods Independent Living Book) Logsdon, Gene 1-Sep-12
Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back To Health Davis MD, William 24-Sep-12
Rats Sullivan, Robert 31-Oct-12
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Cain, Susan 9-Nov-12
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat Wilson, Bee 12-Dec-12
Looks like I bought 26 in 2012, and I had a couple more PDF downloads, plus a couple books I bought in old fashion paper:
Girl Hunter: Revolutionizing the Way We Eat, One Hunt at a Time Pellegrini, Georgia 22-Jan-12
Freakonomics Rev Ed: (and Other Riddles of Modern Life) (P.S.) Levitt, Steven D., Dubner, Stephen J. 23-Jan-12
Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit Estabrook, Barry 28-Jan-12
The Feast Nearby: How I lost my job, buried a marriage, and found my way by keeping chickens, foraging, preserving, bartering, and eating locally (all on $40 a week) Mather, Robin 4-Feb-12
Growing Up Amish: A Memoir Wagler, Ira 5-Feb-12
Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive Wesner, Erik 9-Feb-12
Garbage Land: On the Secret Trail of Trash Royte, Elizabeth 13-Feb-12
After God (Religion and Postmodernism) Taylor, Mark C. 21-Feb-12
Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World Koeppel, Dan 4-Mar-12
A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present Zinn, Howard 5-Mar-12
The New York Regional Mormon Singles Halloween Dance: A Memoir Baker, Elna 4-May-12
Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food Greenberg, Paul 13-May-12
Rurally Screwed: My Life Off the Grid with the Cowboy I Love Knadler, Jessie 15-May-12
Grace Leads Me Home Miller, Marlene C. 28-Jun-12
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World Kurlansky, Mark 15-Jul-12
Folks, This Ain't Normal: A Farmer's Advice for Happier Hens, Healthier People, and a Better World Salatin, Joel 25-Jul-12
Spice: The History of a Temptation Turner, Jack 5-Aug-12
Better Off (P.S.) Brende, Eric 12-Aug-12
Why I Left the Amish: A Memoir Furlong, Saloma Miller 19-Aug-12
The American Way of Eating McMillan, Tracie 20-Aug-12
Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations Montgomery, David R. 25-Aug-12
The Contrary Farmer (Real Goods Independent Living Book) Logsdon, Gene 1-Sep-12
Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back To Health Davis MD, William 24-Sep-12
Rats Sullivan, Robert 31-Oct-12
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Cain, Susan 9-Nov-12
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat Wilson, Bee 12-Dec-12
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Oh Buck!
Last week looked out of my window and saw this guy:
First buck in 13 years I've seen not in hot pursuit of a doe. He was still hanging out a couple hours later when I went out to do firewood, and the ladies he wanted to flirt with had shown up.
First buck in 13 years I've seen not in hot pursuit of a doe. He was still hanging out a couple hours later when I went out to do firewood, and the ladies he wanted to flirt with had shown up.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Home Improvements, Oscar is not impressed.
Got the trim up on the bookshelf this weekend:
It's still only 80% done, not shown in the picture is the remaining end that I haven't decided quite how to finish it -- I can't really make it round, and didn't want a sharp square corner. But as I'm typing this, I just thought up making like three sides of an octagon -- I can cut that easy enough in the plywood shelf and the trim boards :)
I also put this up Monday, after my first setup on Sunday proved unworkable:
The shelving itself is from Home Depot -- $6 each for two sections. Meant for a garage, but nicely powder coated. Niteize S-binders from Target made for perfect hooks to hang the pots. I'll probably end up setting it up a bit higher when all is said and done.
This area will be trimmed with red oak, matching the bookshelf above, which will also go around the hearth area (you can see the backer board in the pic that will have some decorative brick or stone when all is said and done.) Also up for the winter is painting the kitchen -- already have the paint, which you can already see on the wall on the right.
Oscar, however, was less impressed then McKayla Maroney with all the doings in the house tonight.
It's still only 80% done, not shown in the picture is the remaining end that I haven't decided quite how to finish it -- I can't really make it round, and didn't want a sharp square corner. But as I'm typing this, I just thought up making like three sides of an octagon -- I can cut that easy enough in the plywood shelf and the trim boards :)
I also put this up Monday, after my first setup on Sunday proved unworkable:
The shelving itself is from Home Depot -- $6 each for two sections. Meant for a garage, but nicely powder coated. Niteize S-binders from Target made for perfect hooks to hang the pots. I'll probably end up setting it up a bit higher when all is said and done.
This area will be trimmed with red oak, matching the bookshelf above, which will also go around the hearth area (you can see the backer board in the pic that will have some decorative brick or stone when all is said and done.) Also up for the winter is painting the kitchen -- already have the paint, which you can already see on the wall on the right.
Oscar, however, was less impressed then McKayla Maroney with all the doings in the house tonight.
Tree Trimming...and I'm not talking about Christmas...
Trimmed up some of the trees around the lower yard -- the generator + electric pole saw worked out well pulled by Mickey. The plow is in pieces so I could take care of some rust areas that made it difficult to adjust when I bought the tractor -- going to try taking off the mower deck and mounting the plow this weekend.
Bought some wood
First time I've ever bought firewood.
Granted, log length so I have to buck and split myself -- 2-1/2 cords for $250.
I'm working on cleaning up stuff around the edge of the yard, plus I have a spot I'm trying to clear out along the driveway to plant a small orchard (hopefully this spring), which has my production rate really low plus the trees are predominantly the relatively low quality Red Maple which I'd rather not try heating with in deep winter.
This load of Red Oak will do MUCH better.
I'm working on cleaning up stuff around the edge of the yard, plus I have a spot I'm trying to clear out along the driveway to plant a small orchard (hopefully this spring), which has my production rate really low plus the trees are predominantly the relatively low quality Red Maple which I'd rather not try heating with in deep winter.
This load of Red Oak will do MUCH better.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
One does not simply ignore a new Lindsey Stirling video...
Even if the historical premise of Assasin's Creed III is extremely strained :D
Thursday, November 8, 2012
The thread with no title
Phillip Phillips "I'm going to make this place your home."
The day I made this post was the first day I ever recall hearing the song, on the way home from the vet, after being told Oscar had cancer.
First Snow of the season
11/7/2012...nor'easter that dumped about 2" at my house, and quite a bit more just south of Worcester (like 10"!). The band just stalled there and dumped on them!
On sadder news, took Oscar for a follow up at the vets -- the anaplasmosis is better, but he's lost another 5# which really surprised me. The X-rays showed his lungs had cleared up -- but it looks like he has cancer :(
On sadder news, took Oscar for a follow up at the vets -- the anaplasmosis is better, but he's lost another 5# which really surprised me. The X-rays showed his lungs had cleared up -- but it looks like he has cancer :(
Monday, November 5, 2012
Mickey Mower
Well, the Ranger blew a brake line Saturday just after I loaded it to go to the dump. Guess it's good it did it in the yard and not on the road!
Was a beautiful day and I had wanted to haul several loads of leaves from the dump to the garden...grrrr.
Since I haven't done brake lines before, and wasn't sure how much $$$ that would take, I decided to park the truck and just fix a few things on Mickey so I could use it to haul wood on Sunday (which it did nicely).
What was left of the muffler fell off Saturday. It's $225 from the cheapest discounter I could find...instead I turned the pipe upside down and put on a $40 muffler and cap from Tractor Supply.
New NAPA gold oil filter, Rotella 15w40 oil, new air filter, new gas filter, new plug. The wiring harness was hacked to heck when I bought it which made troubleshooting really tough -- so I finally installed a push button switch to start it (instead of using a wire from the battery to starter solenoid), and a toggle switch to engage the PTO for the mower.
Got to remember to grease it and check the hydro fluid in the transmission.
Pretty soon I'll have to cut the wire ties that hold up one side of the mower deck and mount the snow plow :D
Oh, and somewhere I need to sneak in the greatest Kari Byron gif ever:
Was a beautiful day and I had wanted to haul several loads of leaves from the dump to the garden...grrrr.
Since I haven't done brake lines before, and wasn't sure how much $$$ that would take, I decided to park the truck and just fix a few things on Mickey so I could use it to haul wood on Sunday (which it did nicely).
What was left of the muffler fell off Saturday. It's $225 from the cheapest discounter I could find...instead I turned the pipe upside down and put on a $40 muffler and cap from Tractor Supply.
New NAPA gold oil filter, Rotella 15w40 oil, new air filter, new gas filter, new plug. The wiring harness was hacked to heck when I bought it which made troubleshooting really tough -- so I finally installed a push button switch to start it (instead of using a wire from the battery to starter solenoid), and a toggle switch to engage the PTO for the mower.
Got to remember to grease it and check the hydro fluid in the transmission.
Pretty soon I'll have to cut the wire ties that hold up one side of the mower deck and mount the snow plow :D
Oh, and somewhere I need to sneak in the greatest Kari Byron gif ever:
Sunday, November 4, 2012
So I don't loose it...
Nice set of videos on replacing brake lines...since the Ranger blew a line yesterday. Guess that's next weekends big project.
http://www.ehow.com/video_2328138_removing-clips-cutting-brake-lines.html?cp=1&wa_vlsrc=continuous&pid=1&wa_vrid=04a70444-0b7d-41d2-88c7-20e85158eb62
Monday, October 29, 2012
Eerily Quiet...
Just a light wind blowing through the trees now in the aftermath of Sandy.
Took a walk down to the garden with Oscar since it wasn't raining...gorgeous night out there. Comfortable fall night, hardly a car on the road, all the neighbors have power so there isn't a generator to be heard.
Preliminary damage assessment by Maglite showed one tree down, across my driveway by Route 6 but where I can drive around it on the grass so I won't have to cut it up till the weekend. I had parked my car down by the garden where no trees could hit it, but I never felt worried enough to move the pickup down there too.
CL&P lists the town as 52% out of power which surprises me. 476,000 customers or 38% statewide -- Hartford Courant reported they had anticipated 300-600,000 so I'm guessing before sunrise they'll go over that since I bet they won't fix anything overnight and the west side of the state still has a few hours to go. 800,000 was the mark that they went over in the Halloween storm and approached in Irene last year.
Took a walk down to the garden with Oscar since it wasn't raining...gorgeous night out there. Comfortable fall night, hardly a car on the road, all the neighbors have power so there isn't a generator to be heard.
Preliminary damage assessment by Maglite showed one tree down, across my driveway by Route 6 but where I can drive around it on the grass so I won't have to cut it up till the weekend. I had parked my car down by the garden where no trees could hit it, but I never felt worried enough to move the pickup down there too.
CL&P lists the town as 52% out of power which surprises me. 476,000 customers or 38% statewide -- Hartford Courant reported they had anticipated 300-600,000 so I'm guessing before sunrise they'll go over that since I bet they won't fix anything overnight and the west side of the state still has a few hours to go. 800,000 was the mark that they went over in the Halloween storm and approached in Irene last year.
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